Photobucket

Evangelist.R.Chandrasekaran. Jesus Loves you Jesus , The Redeemer. Jesus, The Truth. Bible studies. The Power of GOD. Guest Book Contact us Spiritual growth. My Photos How To Get answers to Our Prayers? Quotes from Philpot The Prayer Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ!! Gracegems Praise The Lod Power Christian links Photo Sermonnotebooks

HOLINESS.

      The Holiness!!Author Unknown.                                  A place apart from forbidden thingsBy Ken RaggioWhat does it mean to be Holy?

1. Specially belonging to or devoted to God
2. Set apart for God’s service,
3. Sacred, Saintly, Spiritually excellent, Pure, Devout, Pious.
4. Dedicated, Consecrated, Reverent.

We may conclude that God’s holy people are distinctively and identifiably different from the world’s crowd.What is the basic Bible position on Holiness?

From the beginning, Adam and Eve were required to distance themselves from a forbidden fruit. That was an elementary example of holiness. Abstaining from things that God forbids is an act of holiness.

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." These are basic premises of holiness.

How do I know if I am holy?

We must judge ourselves. I John 3:21 says, "If our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God." It is good to be able to examine your heart and find nothing to condemn yourself.

Unfortunately, many do not judge righteous judgment. In other words, it is not good enough to feel clean, if one is ignorant of the wrong he or she is doing. It is possible to be guilty without feeling guilty, simply because you do not believe you are doing wrong.

That is why it is necessary to "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."

What things are holy and what things are unholy? A list could take all day! Some holiness people have a check-list of things that are unholy. I certainly have one of my own - at least a mental check-list.

The problem with check-lists however is that it is easy to sign off too early on conscious convictions. Too many people have not updated their check-lists in years, and by now have begun to introduce unholy things into their lives, simply because it was not on their old checklist. Do not worry about the other guy’s list; how long is YOURS?

Isn’t holiness in your heart, not something outward?Holiness must surely be in your heart. Everyone has seen people who were outwardly "holy-looking," but had terrible reputations for bad attitudes, pride, etc. So in that regard, outward holiness is no substitute for inward holiness.Make no mistake about it -- God requires both! Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with instructions regarding outward things: clothes, ornaments, hair, social and public behavior, friendships and relationships, money, and many other OUTWARD things.Holy people are clean inwardly and outwardly.It is unreasonable to think one can be holy INWARDLY, and unholy OUTWARDLY. God’s Word teaches better than that. Who would drink out of cup that was clean INWARDLY but still dirty OUTWARDLY?? In much the same way that the holy vessels of the ancient temple were consecrated to the Lord, we who ARE the vessels of the Lord should also be consecrated -- made holy.

Consecration is not uncommon. Why not for God?

Consecration is not a foreign concept to the secular mind. We see it exemplified in the Copyright, the Patent, and the Trademark. Each of these speaks of PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, RIGHTS OF CONTROL, and SPECIAL PRIVILEGE.

McDonalds has a right to virtually every word, picture, character and concept they use. NO ONE but McDonalds may make use of their property. It is sanctified to the corporation. The golden arches, the clown, the cartoon characters, everything is holy to them. They must always look a certain way, dress a certain way, act a certain way. In the same way, it is forbidden to associate any of the McDonalds products with anybody else's. You won't see a Burger King Whopper served in a McDonalds restaurant. It is a place APART from Burger King. Sanctified and holy to the company.

The world condemns the church for things they do not otherwise object to.

Society in our day gives more sanctity to a hamburger factory than to the Kingdom of God. If McDonalds requires a person to wear certain clothes, that is perfectly reasonable. If the Church sets out a dress code of modesty, we are blasted as being legalistic, in bondage, and Pharisaical. If McDonalds requires punctuality and behavior guidelines, that seems to be a reasonable expectation. If the church teaches that we should abstain from social behavior that is a discredit to godliness, we are viewed as mind controllers, cultish and fanatical.

But in the final analysis, Christian standards of dress and behavior are every bit as legitimate (and more so) than McDonalds. God’s ways are higher than men’s ways.

For His reasons, we observe Deuteronomy 22:5, which says that a woman should not wear that which pertaineth to a man, nor a man that which pertains to a woman. Gender distinction has always been a priority with God. For that reason, Apostolics are recognized by their dress code. Men dress like men, and ladies like ladies.

God, through the Apostle Paul set forth instructions pertaining to hair, in 1 Corinthians 11, specifying that a woman’s uncut hair was a glory to her, a symbolic spiritual covering (representing the doctrine of Jesus Christ as a covering for the church) and a man’s short hair symbolize his role as head of the marriage and typologically as Christ. Women with shorn (cut) hair and men with long hair were both shamed by the Apostle. So we observe these teachings, and the world takes note, often critically.

All the same, they are universal principles, good not only in matters of hair, but in every area of our lives - secular and spiritual. The need for separation from the world is not difficult to explain or practice if you truly want to be holy unto the Lord.

 

What God Wants

What God Wants

Author unknown.

 Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  ·         Sign nailed to the wall of a convent in Blassingame, California: “No Trespassing! Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!” signed, “The Sisters of Mercy” – GOD IS NOT LIKE THAT! AND THERE IS NO SIGN LIKE THAT IN HEAVEN! ·     

    I urge you, plead with you, encourage you, beg you, IN VIEW OF the mercies of God …

 ·         WHY would you give God what He wants? (until you understand WHY, the WHAT and HOW don’t matter to you) ·         There are many facets of God’s mercy in our lives (“mercies” is a plural word) …·         Psalm 51:1 – “tender mercies”·         Psalm 89:1 – “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever”·         Psalm 106:45 – “multitude of his mercies”·         Isaiah 54:7 – “great mercies”·         Isaiah 55:3 – “sure mercies” ·         It is only because of God’s mercy that you are breathing, moving, thinking, and worshipping right now! He has many mercies! ·         And if every one of His temporal/physical/earthly mercies were to suddenly disappear – so that all you had was God’s salvation – He would STILL be merciful! ·         How do you measure mercy like the mercy God shows to us? How high does it go? How far does it go? Well, it’s infinite … ·         Psalm 103:11-12  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  ·         But there is an easier way to measure God’s mercy, because there is a point where those two immeasurable measurements meet … in a CROSS! God measures His mercy with the cross! ·         So, in view of, because of, by the mercies of God … that’s WHY! ·         Don’t serve God because of His judgments, serve Him because of His mercies! I’m not scared of Hell, I’m thrilled about Heaven! ·         Once you understand WHY you would consider giving God what He wants, here’s WHAT God wants from you … ·         Present your bodies (not just your spirit for an hour on Sunday, but your everyday life, your body, every minute you live) … 
  1. A living sacrifice (the problem with living sacrifices is that they can choose to crawl off the altar!)
 Romans 12:1b (MSG)  Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. 
  1. Holy (set apart, separated, sanctified)
 2 Corinthians 6:17 (MSG)  So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good, says God. Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.  
  1. Acceptable unto God (God’s idea of holiness, not yours!)
 Proverbs 21:3 (KJV)  To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.  
  1. Which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent, logical) service … WHAT?! (that doesn’t make sense to the natural mind)
 1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  ·         I CAN’T CONFORM TO THAT! That’s exactly right, you can’t. In fact, no one can, because conforming is not God’s process, it is the world’s process. God’s process is transforming. That’s HOW God gets what He wants! ·         BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD. The word “conformed” in this verse means “to mold one thing into the shape of another.” It refers to things that are temporary and unstable. This word could not be used of inward change, merely outward change.·         Romans 12:2 (NLT)  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world … ·         Romans 12:2 (NJB)  Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world … ·         BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. The word “transformed” in this verse means “to undergo a complete change or metamorphosis.” It refers to a process of the Spirit that results in permanent change to the character and conduct. This word is not used of mere outward change, but of real inward change that shows itself on the outside. (i.e. butterfly) ·         Romans 12:2 (NCV)  Be changed within by a new way of thinking …  ·         Romans 12:2 (MSG)  You'll be changed from the inside out … ·         The world can’t transform you, it can only conform you. That’s why the world is full of self-proclaimed individuals that are identical in the way they think and act, and so afraid to be the least bit different! ·         But the same token, you can’t belong to the church just by being conformed – you have to be transformed! It’s not enough just to adopt the customs, worship style, activities, or dress codes of a church. That’s just conforming, and there is no power in it! ·         Unless you are transformed, you will never understand the Christian life. You will never understand worship, prayer, giving, forgiveness, holiness, or a thousand other things that God wants to teach you! ·         I don’t like it when they insist that everyone worship, pray and give! I don’t like it when the church demands a lifestyle commitment! I can’t conform to that! That’s right – because you haven’t been transformed by the power of God. ·         HOW DOES GOD TRANSFORM YOU? By the renewing of your mind, by changing the way you think. And only you can allow this. We call it REPENTANCE. ·         To change your life, YOU MUST CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK. Behind everything you do is a thought. Every behavior is motivated by a belief, and every action is prompted by an attitude. Repentance goes even further – you repent whenever you change the way you think BY ADOPTING HOW GOD THINKS. That, and that alone, is repentance – it involves the will much more than the emotions.·         Proverbs 4:23 (TEV)  Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.  ·         Ephesians 4:23 (NLT)  There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.  ·         Philippians 2:5 (CEV)  Think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: ·         Two parts to having the mind of Christ: 
  1. Stop thinking immature (selfish) thoughts
 1 Corinthians 14:20 (NIV)  Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.  Romans 8:5 (NCV)  Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want.  
  1. Start thinking mature (selfless) thoughts
 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (MSG)  Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  ·         Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth! ·         Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities:o        Culture (everyone is doing it)o        Tradition (we’ve always done it that way)o        Reason (it seemed logical)o        Emotion (it just felt right) ·         All four of these are flawed by the Fall of man. What we need is a perfect standard, and only God’s word meets that need. You don’t have enough human strength to CONFORM to God’s standards, but through repentance you can be TRANSFORMED into what He wants. REPLACE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GOD’S THOUGHTS!

 

Empty Vessels

Empty Vessels  Author Unknown.
 ·          2 Kings 4:1-7  1Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.  4And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. ·         The Bible teaches that HUNGER is the only thing that has the ability to predetermine how much of God you will receive. ·         It is not great preaching, great promotion, or great programs that bring revival to a city … it is the amount of EMPTINESS that God finds. ·         It is when we realize our emptiness that we first begin our journey toward God through repentance, and it is that sense of emptiness – a deep need for God – that keeps us motivated in serving Him. ·         God’s instruction to this anonymous woman was: “COLLECT ALL THE EMPTINESS YOU CAN FIND, AND I WILL FILL IT!” ·         THE VOLUME OF YOUR EMPTINESS DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF YOUR FILLING … AND YOUR FUTURE! ·         This woman “collected emptiness” from her neighbours – that is exactly what we do through intercessory prayer for those in our city. ·         OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS OUR DIET!  We stuff ourselves on spiritual junk food, looking for a quick and easy way to experience God’s power. But God is under no obligation to feed casual nibblers! ·         These people look for “just the right feeling” to get in the mood for communion with God, but God is looking for really hungry people. Really hungry people are really desperate people! ·         THESE PEOPLE WILL PUT UP WITH THREE WEEKS OF MEDIOCRE CHURCH FOR JUST 30 SECONDS OF HIS MAGNIFICENT PRESENCE. They just keep hoping that man will get out of the way! ·         Matthew 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.·         Revival is not a natural process of time; revival occurs only when ETERNITY VISITS TIME! Revival requires supernatural intervention! ·         Our collection of secondhand facts about God can create a false sense of intimacy with deity! But if sermons were going to save our cities, they would have done it a long time ago! And we are too easily satisfied with stories of someone else’s encounter with God! ·         START COLLECTING EMPTINESS! Your hunger will take you to places in God nothing else can. God cannot say “no” to a hungry heart! ·         CHERUBIM FACING EACH OTHER ON THE ARK – GOD COMES AND DWELLS IN THE EMPTY PLACE BETWEEN THEM! God always honors “collective emptiness.” ·         God is shopping for the place of the next outbreak of His presence! The widow’s problem wasn’t how much oil she had, but how much emptiness she could collect! ·         SATISFACTION IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE PURPOSE OF GOD! (“Good To Great”) Whenever we stop to “build a monument” to our best time on the last lap, we forget to resume the race! ·         I am caught between what is and what can be! I am grateful for what He HAS DONE, but I am also desperate for what He CAN DO! ·         Ezra 3:11-13  And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. ·         The older men were acquainted with the glory of Solomon’s temple and Israel’s finest hour – they knew what COULD BE. They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! They rejoiced that the temple was being rebuilt, but they wept because they knew God’s promise … ·         Haggai 2:9  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. ·         GOD DESIRES FOR US TO BE GRATEFUL AND DESPERATE AT THE SAME TIME!  ·         Revival is possible. 2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  ·         Revival is the New Testament model. Acts 6:7  And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.  ·         Revival brings honor to God – because He’s the only one who could have done it. ·         Revival captures the attention of the unbelieving world. ·         Revival is caused by God – and can’t be programmed or predicted. ·         The only barrier to revival is our own unbelief. Mark 6:5-6  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.  ·         Revival begins when we believe God for great things. Matthew 9:29  According to your faith be it unto you.  James 5:16  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Isaiah 54:2-3  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.  Habakkuk 3:2  O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years (DO IT IN OUR LIFETIME, LORD!), in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.  2 Thessalonians 3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:  2 Thessalonians 3:1 (MES)  One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you.        

 

A New Thing

A New Thing Author Unknown.A man rushed into a suburban transit station one morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket agent: “When does the 8:01 train leave?” “At 8:01,” was the answer. “Well,” the man replied, “it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which time am I to go by?” “You can go by any clock you wish,” said the agent, “but you cannot go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left.” There are many who think they can live by any schedule they choose and that, in their own time, they can turn to God. But His time is the right time! Luke 19:44 – Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they didn’t recognize the time of their visitation Numbers 14:40 – A group of Israelites tried to possess the land of Canaan the day after God told them the opportunity had passed and were defeated 1 Chronicles 12:32 – The sons of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  One of the great disasters of history took place in 1271. Nicolo and Matteo Polo (the father and uncle of Marco) were visiting the Kublai Khan, at that time a world ruler over China, India and all of the Far East. He was convicted by the story of Christianity as Nicolo and Matteo told it to him and said: “Send me 100 men skilled in your religion, and I shall be baptized. And when I am baptized, all my barons and great men will be baptized, and their subjects will receive baptism too. So there will be more Christians here than there are in your part of the world.” However, nothing was done for about 30 years. Then 2 or 3 missionaries were sent – too few and too late! It baffles the imagination to think what a difference to the world it would have made if China had become fully Christian in the thirteenth century and the Far East had been given to Christ. These men missed this incredible opportunity, and God’s purpose was frustrated. Isaiah 43:19   Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Notice the words “spring forth” – when God moves, he often seems to wait “until the last moment,” but then He does a quick work. Things shift quickly. Romans 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.  Luke 18:7-8  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?  Sometimes God takes us right down to the wire, but your “shift” may be closer than you think! Never give up on God – He’s always right on time! Illustration:  Dr. Harry Ironside at Dallas Seminary, on day of foreclosure - “Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.” - “Harry, God sold the cattle!” Isaiah 43:19   Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  God is ready to do a new thing – are we ready to receive it? There are two major Greek words translated “NEW” in the New Testament: NEOS (nehos) – recent, newly arrived, just appearing, youthful, rejuvenated – new in the sense of TIME (numerically new but not different) – i.e. this year’s crop, new car, new outfit, new book, a baby KAINOS (kaheenos) – better, superior, fresh, different, not previously experienced or encountered – new in the sense of QUALITY (numerically and fundamentally new) – i.e. horse & buggy vs. SUV, morse code vs. cellular phone, pen & paper vs. wireless laptop You could say that NEOS is “more of the same” and KAINOS is “radically different” – both are new, but one is far superior! Mark 1:27  And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.  John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  Mark 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  Matthew 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  Revelation 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.  2 Corinthians 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  Ephesians 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Peter 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.  Revelation 21:1-2  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  Revelation 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  In the Old Testament, the equivalent Hebrew word for KAINOS is CHADASH (khawdawsh) – a fresh, new thing. Jeremiah 31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  Lamentations 3:22-23  It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  CHADASH is used several times to refer to our WORSHIP. Why? Because “fresh worship” always accompanies a “fresh move” of God’s Spirit! Psalm 33:3  Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.  Psalm 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.  Psalm 96:1  O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.  Psalm 98:1  O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.  Psalm 144:9  I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.  Psalm 149:1  Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.  Revelation 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  God is ready to do a new thing – are we ready to receive it? Isaiah 43:19   Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Illustration:  From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and finally their casket. The scary, vulnerable part is the transition period – for a while, that old shell must look pretty good. We all like the new shell “in theory” – we just don’t like the process of getting there! Luke 5:36-39  And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new (KAINOS) garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new (KAINOS) maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new (KAINOS) agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new (NEOS) wine into old bottles; else the new (NEOS) wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new (NEOS) wine must be put into new (KAINOS) bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new (NEOS): for he saith, The old is better. Jesus did not come to “patch up” your old worn out life, but to provide a new and superior garment. Cast off that old clothing! Isaiah 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  Isaiah 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.  The wine of the Holy Ghost cannot be improved upon; it is new, but not different. We have the same experience the Apostles had! But if you put this powerful wine into an old wineskin, it will burst because it’s too dry to stretch as the wine matures. New wine must be put into FRESH, RADICALLY DIFFERENT wineskins. That’s what salvation does for us. But that’s also what needs to happen when God wants to do a NEW THING in His church. We need to have our wineskins renewed. We can experience RE-vival, RE-newal, RE-storation, when God brings us back to something we had before. That’s wonderful.  But there are seasons when God wants to not only restore us, but transform us. When He is finished, we won’t feel or look the same. We’ll be radically different and ready for more Holy Ghost wine! We’ll experience a new level in God that we’ve never experienced before. Some people don’t want new wine because it makes their old wineskin uncomfortable. They say, “Why push? I’m content with the old wine.” But they don’t realize that their old wineskins are dry and empty. God is ready to do a new thing – are we ready to receive it? Isaiah 43:19   Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.             

 

FORGIVENESS AND FREEDOM


Nat3ddesign Graphics
Guardians Tag Ministry