Emmanuel and New Wineskins

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, 

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

(John 1:1, 2,14 NIV)

In the beginning was the Word - Jesus.  Jesus was God.  Jesus is God. Jesus (God) became a man and dwelt among us as Emmanuel, "God With Us."  Much of the Christian world has just celebrated Christmas in December - the coming of Emmanuel into the world.  Now we are entering into the beginning of a new calendar year. But Jesus doesn't go back into the manger, put away until next Christmas.  Emmanuel - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is with us in this new year.  

Jesus told a parable about the new versus the old. He said that, “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”  (Luke 5:36-39 NIV)  

In the economy of God's Kingdom, the New cannot be placed on or in the Old.  We can't go back and change 2021 (or 2020, or 2019, or ....) and we certainly don't want to drag our sin, our failures, our baggage with us. The prophet Isaiah told us: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18 NIV)

We should take into 2022 the God-given wisdom, memories, and other precious gifts that serve us well.  And we must be aware of how God wants to shape our lives in this next year. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have seen his Glory, his Grace, and his Truth. We have responded to his call to "come follow me" and have received the gift of his grace in our lives.  Our foundation in Christ is firm and secure and this makes all the difference in our lives.  When we live in relationship with Jesus as our Savior, we also live with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit whose guiding voice calls us into God's New.  

Holy Spirit - a person - lives within us and comforts, guides, and empowers us as much as we will let him.  Holy Spirit will help us be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self controlled, because these are the fruits of the Spirit.  When we have nailed our passions and desires of our sinful nature to Christ's cross, Holy Spirit is in charge of us and we, too, will be full of the Glory, Grace, and Truth of Jesus.  Before we are made new in Christ, we aren't able to hold these things but after we become committed Jesus-followers - look out, world! - we can do amazing things under the empowerment of Holy Spirit!

Today, I will confess my "old" and ask Jesus to fill me with Holy Spirit's "new." 

Emmanuel,

Thank you for the gift of time, always moving us forward.  Thank you for the wisdom, memories, relationships, and gifts of our past and for the ways in which you are preparing us for our future.  Help us to let go of the former things - our sin, unforgiveness, bad habits, and our wounds - and to not dwell on the past. Help us to nail all the desires and passions of our sinful nature to your Cross - to lay aside the old wineskins of our lives - and to allow Holy Spirit to fully inhabit the new wineskins of our hearts. Help us in 2022 to produce all the Fruits of the Spirit and to allow you to empower us to do all the New Things you desire us to do!  We ask this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Amen!

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

There is no law against these things! 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires 

of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." 

(Galatians 5:22-24 NLT)

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built." (Luke 6:47-48 NLT) 

Eyes Up! Perceive the new!

 

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

    and streams in the wasteland." - God 

(Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

Wearily our world approaches the turning over of the year.  

After the battering years of 2020 and 2021, it's pretty normal to wonder, "What next?!" and approach 2022 with a feeling of trepidation.

Why would God tell us to "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past?" Probably because in times of strife and trouble it's pretty easy to get stuck in the struggles of our circumstances.   

We can find ourselves stuck in our anxiety, worries, fears, and so much more.  The circumstances - and the feelings - are real.  But God doesn't want us to dwell on them - to be stuck in them - because he wants to show us what he is doing.  He wants our "Eyes Up!" 

When God says he's doing a "new thing," we may not be able to see it yet.  But we have to trust in the character of our faithful, loving, omnipotent and omniscient God who will never leave us, forsake us, or lie to us.  If he says he's doing a "new thing," he is. 

If he says he's making a way in the wilderness of our lives - the chaos, struggles, strife, and general craziness that have been so prevalent in these past two years - then he is.  

If he says he's bringing streams of Living Water - rivers in the desert - places of refreshment to dry parts of lives - then he is.  

Yes, we have to have faith  - confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we don't see YET.  But our faithful God IS bringing a way in the wilderness for the dry and weary places in our lives to be refreshed and restored in his presence. 

Don't see it yet in your own life?  Maybe that's why the prophet Isaiah asked his listeners:  "Do you not perceive it?" 

To "perceive" is to become aware or conscious of something, to come to realize or understand, to interpret or look on (someone or something) in a particular way.

Even if your life circumstances, your finances, your health, your feelings, your relationships - what seems like your entire life - seems to be in a state of chaos, is it possible to perceive God is working?  

Yes.  

It is possible to become conscious of ways in which God is moving.  It is possible to realize and understand small, everyday miracles are a gift.  It is possible to look at our world and our circumstances through a different lens - through a heart that says, "I don't see the New Thing yet, but I will have faith and trust God for it.  I will have my eyes up so I can see the ways in which God is giving us hope in the midst of despair, belief in a sea of doubt, and faith in the midst of fear. 

I will raise my eyes up to the "mountain" of God's protection, provision, healing, grace, and love. When my eyes are up and my focus is on God, then I can perceive what God wants me to know.  And then I can see the streams of hope in the desert of despair.

Today, I will keep my eyes up!

Faithful God,

Thank you for the gifts of your goodness, your presence, and your grace in our lives.  Thank you for your protection and provision for us, especially in these last two years.  As our calendar turns over another year, help us to release the struggles, strife, worries, and fears of our past and to move forward in hope.  Help us to perceive the new things you are doing in our lives and our world.  Cause us to keep the eyes of our hearts focused on you and you alone.   Help us to have faith and confidence in what you are doing, even if we don't see it yet. Protect us from despair, doubt, and fear, and fill us with hope, belief, and faith.  We pray in Jesus's name, Amen!

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

(Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

1

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

2 

My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 

indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 

the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;

8 

the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

(Psalm 121 NIV)