Posts Tagged "Luke"

New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” - Jesus (Luke 5:38-39) This is why we plant new churches, start new ministries, birth new movements. There is great value in the old wine, and it should be treasured and respected. However, new wine is what is needed now, for this time, because without it, there will be no more “wine” at all after the old is gone. Let us not think badly of those who prefer the “old wine” to the new, for Jesus said they would. Let us instead invite them to partner with us and help produce the new wine that will bring new people in to the fold.

Words are my favorite toys. I love to play with them, to alter and rearrange them; to find creative ways to use them to produce or discover something interesting.  Sometimes it doesn’t take that much. Consider the change two little letters (or just one if you’re a bad speller) makes to a word.  Change an “A” to a “U” and a “Z” to an “S” and “Amazed” becomes “Amused”.  Doesn’t seem like much, but consider the difference between those two things… Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.  And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” -Matthew...

God is not in the business of just generic, one-size-fits-all blessings. “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is just right for him.” -Genesis 2:18 (NLT) What strikes me here is that God’s provision for Adam isn’t generic, it’s personal.  God knows his child personally and loves and blesses him in the same way. I love this!  It reminds me of some of the things Jesus says in the Gospels: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you...

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” – Luke 6:38 She was NOT a happy camper. As I sat at the diner-style counter eating my eggs, it was obvious from her comments that this poor server had gone to clean her last table, only to find the prior patrons had stiffed her.  No gratitude, no thank-you, no tip.  I heard her frustrated queries to fellow servers, “Did you clean off table 17?”, “Did the people say anything?” and shared her sinking feeling as she realized her efforts give her customers an enjoyable meal had amounted to nothing. I checked my wallet: $13.  I estimated my bill: $8.50ish, plus a couple...