New Wineskin

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” – Matthew 9:17

When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord

The Holy Spirit resides in us and indwells us

We are a new creation

The old has gone

The new has come

We have been made new

God has done this

Through the shedding of the blood of Christ on the cross

Jesus paid the punishment for our sins in full

When God sees us

He sees only 

The blood of Jesus

Covering our sins

We are now holy 

Like our Heavenly Father is holy

We are now righteous

Like Christ Jesus 

While we live and trod on this side of heaven

Before we are united with Christ on the other side

There are decisions and actions

We would do well to abide

When we want to live

Abundantly

Joyously

Fully

While in our corporal body

The key is to

Get rid of our old wineskin

And take on the new wineskin

We are to take off our old self

Our self-centeredness

Our proclivities to sin

Our fleshly desires

Our selfishness

And to take on Christ

Our body is now the Temple of the Holy Spirit

Where the Holy Spirit dwells

We are now Stewards of Christ’s temple

In our body

It is not just to say no to sin

Muster our self-discipline to do the right thing

Changing our coping mechanisms

Procuring a new perspective

Adopting a new paradigm

No amount of self-help can accomplish this

Rather

It is taking on the 

New wineskin

Be totally rid of the old

Taking on the brand new

Wineskin

Only Christ can accomplish this

For us

In us

Each time we see our old self crop up

We acknowledge its existence

We confess it as sin

We repent from it

We renounce it

We reject it

We replace it with its opposite

Loving God with abandon in place of self-conscious love

Christ-centeredness in place of self-centeredness

Seeking God’s will in place of our own desires

Total trust in God in place of fear and timidity

Caring for others in place of self-gain

Kingdom focus in place of self-focus

It is Christ

Only Christ

Total dependence on Christ

His mercy and grace

His truth and love

His life in us

Will turn

What’s fleshly into 

What’s Godly

Water into wine

Into our new wineskin

Surrender and Take On

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus calls us to 

SURRENDER

Our

Weariness

Anxieties

Burdens

Worries

Control

Fears

All things that weigh us down

To go to Him

And to find

Rest

Peace

Shalom

Jesus invites us to

TAKE ON 

His yoke

When we are hitched with Christ

Being yoked with Him

He carries the weight of the load

We get to tag along

Walking where He walks

Going where He goes

We get to learn from 

His gentleness

His humility

His Shalom

His peace

We will find rest for our souls

For Christ is the one carrying the weight

We get to know Him

Who He is

What He does

How He works

How He rests 

At this close up 

Neck to neck view

Being yoked with Him

We see Jesus at work

We see Jesus’ stance toward work

We see Jesus’ view toward rest

We experience the lightness of the burden

Jesus carries the burden

We just get to tag along

Because we are yoked with Him

Take off our burdens

Take on Jesus’ yoke

Surrender our burdens to Jesus

Take on His yoke

We will find 

Rest

Peace

Shalom

For our souls

Rest for Your Soul - Austin French

The Work of God is For Us to Believe

“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’29 Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” – John 6:28-29

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:8-9

We can get all wrapped up in our desire

To love God

To serve God

To love others

To be Christ’s witnesses

These are all well and good

Nevertheless

Jesus says that if we really want to

Do the work of God

It is to BELIEVE

To believe in the One God sent

To BELIEVE that

Jesus is the Son of God

Jesus is the One sent by God

Jesus is God

Sometimes 

In our desire to do God’s work

We become all wrapped up in ourselves

Sometimes

It becomes all about us

What we have done

What we can do

Us

Us proving we are

Good enough

Godly enough

Worthy enough

Grateful enough

When our salvation is by grace through faith

It is a gift from God

One that we need to have

the faith to receive

God’s grace is for the taking

We need to choose to take the gift

The interplay between

God’s gift for us and

Us accepting His gift through faith

Us choosing to believe that

Jesus has died for us on the cross

Jesus has paid the full price for our sins

Jesus has risen for us from the grave

Jesus was sent by God

To accomplish His salvation plan for us

This belief

This believing

Is good enough for salvation

Is good enough 

Work

We could possibly do for God

We choose to believe

God gives us the faith to believe

And that faith is God’s gift of grace to us

"This I Believe - the Creed" - Hillsong Worship

Loving Ourselves God’s Way

Jesus calls us to love others 

As we love ourselves

How do we love others

If we don’t know how to love ourselves

We look to how God loves us

We take His lead

We ask for God’s lens to 

See us the way

God sees us

God loves us 

Fully

Dearly

Fiercely

Tenderly

Attentively

God knows our being 

Godly

Ungodly

Public

Private

Selfless

Selfish

Righteous

Sinful

Strength-filled

Weakness-wrecked

God sees our every moment

Good

Bad

High

Low

Joyous

Anguished

Hopeful

Discouraged

Victorious

Defeated

Bold

Fearful

Confident

Insecure

Peaceful

Anxious

Shalom

Tortured

Optimistic

Pessimistic

Fulfilling

Challenging

Fervent

Apathetic

Exciting

Doldrum

Nothing is hidden from Him

And He still claims us as His

Beloved

Chosen

The Apple of His eyes

In Whom He is well pleased

God rejoices over us

He made us for His pleasure

God takes joy over us

Because each of us 

Uniquely reflect His glory

Only we 

Each of us

Can reflect 

A unique aspect of 

God’s glory

Christ saw us on the other side of the cross

And willingly hung on the cross

To

Gain 

Us

The Triune God was pleased

To pay the biggest price

For us

To 

Gain 

Us

When we struggle with 

Our failings

Our moments

Our own company

Invite the Holy Spirit 

Into the situation

Into the moment

Offer the moment

Unto God

As we live this and each moment

For God

Not for ourselves

Offering ourselves as 

Living Sacrifice

Fully enter the moment

Offer the moment

Live this moment

For Him

Accept the outcome of the moment

As we live 

For and

Unto

God

Choosing to 

See ourselves the way 

God sees us

Love ourselves the way

God loves us

For

Who are we

That we would override

God of

His view toward us

His love for us

Oh how He loves you and me

How God desires that we would

See ourselves the way 

He sees us

Love ourselves the way 

He loves us

Through the blood of Jesus on the cross

Through the indwelling Holy Spirit

God accomplished this

Reality 

For us

It is accomplished

It is finished

It is available 

For the taking

Now

"God Really Loves Us" - Crowder

Interplay of Mercy and Truth

“Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalm 85:10).

God is

Truth

Holy

Just

Righteous

Uncompromising

Merciful

Tender

Loving

Gracious

Compassionate

The truth is

A Holy God cannot withstand sin

Holiness means “being set apart”

Apart from sin

A Righteous God requires truth and judgment

Righteousness is

Black or

White

No grays

No shadows

No compromises

It is exacting

It is all or nothing

We are either righteous or unrighteous

Justice is the application of righteousness

God is Just

A Just God cannot ignore sin

Sin requires judgment

Sin requires punishment

A Just God has to mete out punishment

“Without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins”

Blood has to be shed

Sacrificing animals met that requirement in the Old Testament times

Sacrifices were to appease the Holy God

The appeasement for sins was temporary

Sins were atoned for 

Until the next sin

The next infraction

Our Uncompromising God is at the same time

Merciful

Not wanting to punish us forever

He is 

Tender toward us

Knowing that we are 

Dust

Flesh

Weak

Feeble

Helpless

Our God is

Loving

He is gracious and full of compassion toward us

His creation

His chosen

His Beloved

The Righteous and Holy God 

Who is Merciful and Loving

Has provided a way 

To meet both

His uncompromising requirement of punishment for sins

And 

To have us to be one with Him 

Exist within Him

Experience Him

Abide with Him

Through His Own Son Jesus

For God so loved the world that He sent His Only Son

As the

Once and For All

Sacrifice

The shedding of God’s sinless blood

The blood of Jesus

As the

FULL PAYMENT

For all our sins

Once and forever

No more punishment

We are made holy

We are made just

We are made righteous

Like our Heavenly Father is

Holy

Just

Righteous

Mercy and Truth have met together

God’s requirements met

Chasm between us and God closed

We have peace with God

Through Jesus’ shed blood

Righteousness and peace have kissed

We are 

At One

With God

At-One-Ment

"Lord Let Us See Your Kindness" - Francesca LaRosa

Whatever We Ask In Jesus Name 

John 15:7 & 16~ “7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you... 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” 

Does God grant us whatever we ask for 

 Sometimes we feel  

Disappointed 

Disillusioned 

Dumbfounded 

When God doesn’t give us what we’ve asked for 

We quote Jesus’ promise 

Whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name will be given us

Why hadn’t God granted us speedily what we’ve  

Asked for 

Requested 

Demanded 

Expected 

Wished for 

Is He not a God of His words 

Does God break His promises 

Are God’s promises fickle 

Upon closer examination 

We notice 

Conditions 

Contexts 

Timing 

Types of answers 

God grants us 

 YES 

NO 

WAIT 

Is God our God 

Or is He our genie   

A genie is obligated to grant us at our bidding 

God however 

Is the One in control 

The Sovereign One

Whose ways are not our ways 

Whose thoughts are not our thoughts 

God grants us our prayers when 

His Words remain in us 

When we abide by  

His words 

His truth 

His heart 

His desire 

His delight 

When we abide  

In Him 

When we have  

Active 

Living 

Loving 

Obedient 

Relationship  

With Him 

When we have been  

Chosen by Him 

Appointed by Him 

To bear fruit 

Lasting fruit 

He then grants us whatever we ask 

Because our desires 

Are in alignment with 

His words 

His truth 

His heart 

His desire 

His delight  

Whatever we ask 

For God desires that  

We desire 

What He desires 

We get to join  

The Triune God 

In His circle of fellowship 

One God in Three 

Three in One 

In complete union  

In complete communion 

Now also united with us 

Us with Him 

In Truth 

In heart 

In desire 

In delight 

One with God 

His desires are ours 

Our desires are His 

In unity 

In unison 

In completion 

Our desires are granted 

For they are God’s desires 

Homegoing

One day we will all return home

We will go to our 

Eternal

Heavenly 

Home

Where

God the Father

Jesus the Son

Holy Spirit the Comforter

Await us

To embrace us into His arms

God along with 

The heavenly hosts 

All the angels

Our loved ones who have gone before us

Wait for us at the gate of heaven

To welcome us

Home

For us believers

When we take our final breath here on earth

Our next breath is an eternal breath

And we are in God’s presence

Immanuel when we were on earth

Immanuel becomes reality

As God is with us

And we are with Him

Then and forever 

Heaven is our eternal home

Where there are no more 

Tears

Fears

Anxieties

Struggles

Sadness

Sickness

Loneliness

Helplessness

Hopelessness

Powerlessness

Heaven is where there are boundless

Joy

Peace

Love

Health

Togetherness

Companionship

Contentment

Fulfillment

Rest

As long as we are still in our corporal body

We experience struggles and sufferings 

There are difficulties numerous

They can feel endless

However

They are momentary 

In light of eternity

For now we only see in part

Then we shall see face to face

As we look into His 

Beautiful

Loving

Perfect 

Countenance

All our quandaries will be resolved

All our questions answered

In His

Tender

 Gentle

Comforting

Understanding

Accepting

All loving 

Eyes

and

Embrace

Christ’s arms stretched out for us in love on the cross

God’s stretched out arms welcoming us in heaven

These arms 

Embrace us

Enfold us

As God the Father 

Gives us a unique name

Tells us that we have

Ran the race

Finished the course

Completed our assignments

“Good and faithful servant” 

He’ll say

“Come into My rest”

And welcome us 

Into His 

Eternal 

Home

"When We All Get to Heaven" by Matt Redman