Intoxicated 4

Hello Everyone,

How can Jesus restore your JOY?  Be where Jesus is, be aware of the Need, be obedient and lastly BE THE BEST

John 2:9-10 ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

USUALLY, they served the best wine at the beginning of the feast … to make a good first impression.

In some translations they state that this miraculous wine was the BEST wine they had ever tasted. Jesus took wash water … and turned it into The Best WINE.

Let me ask you something … “Are you the BEST you can be for Jesus?” Be honest, now. “Are you the BEST you can be for Jesus?”

If Jesus can take wash water, and turn it into the best wine, think what He can do with you if you let Him.

Do you want God’s BEST for your life? Most of us would probably settle for God’s 2nd BEST.

Sadly … we’ve settled for so much less, so much less than even that.

We are like the stone water-jars. Remember what the Scriptures tell us: we are “earthen vessels”. And what does Jesus want to do? He wants to fill us.

The scriptures don’t speak to this but I am convinced that before the jars were filled to the brim, the servants emptied them of the old water.

The Problem is we are filled with the old wash-water of the world, and there is no room for the new wine.

Maybe we have some PRIDE in us that needs to be emptied out … some BITTERNESS … some GUILT … some SORROW … some RESENTMENT … some SELFISH LIVING …

We need to come to the foot of the cross and EMPTY our selves… so Jesus can FILL YOU a new.

Only when you are empty can JESUS offer you his very best.

If Jesus can take wash-water, and turn it into the best wine, think what He can and will do for you.

Empty yourself and be filled to the brim with the new wine, and overflow with the Spiritual gift of joy

Have you LOST some of your excitement? Have you lost some of the “joy”?
David said in Psalms 51:12 – “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;”

Is Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? … Are you ready to say as David did “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”?

Jesus wants to bring you along on an INTOXICATING journey.

Empty your vessel of all that dishonors Jesus … and He will fill you a new, He will fill you to the brim…. He will fill you with the New Wine and His “JOY”.

John 2:11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

The Lord wants us to go through LIFE INTOXICATED!

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

We Can make A Difference! 

Intoxicated 3

Hello Everyone,

How can Jesus restore your JOY? Be where Jesus is, be aware of the Need and be OBEDIENT

John 2:5-8 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so,

Mary knew what to do … let Jesus handle it … turn to Jesus.

She didn’t know what He would do, but she had full confidence in Him.

She knew that her son Jesus would handle the situation.

Now there were 6 large 20 to 30 gallon stone water-jars which were used for Jewish purification rites before and after meals.

By this time, much if not all of the water was probably gone … Jesus told them to fill the jars and they filled them up to the brim.

But they did not need WATER … they needed WINE. They didn’t understand HOW this would solve their problem … BUT … THEY OBEYED.

In Scripture “water” is often a symbol of the “Word of God”.
Paul tells us Ephesians 5:26 we are “clean with the washing of water by the Word.”

And Jesus told His Disciples John 15:3 – “Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.”

Maybe they did not UNDERSTAND WHY Jesus wanted the stone jars full of water.

How would that bring back “JOY” to the celebration? But they obeyed Him anyhow.

These 6 stone jars would hold up to 180 Gallons…that is approximately 2,880 eight ounce glasses of wine.

If you want to have “JOY” restored in your life; THEN … obey Jesus!

Because when we live in disobedience to Jesus and His Word, then we will begin to lose our “JOY”?

We Can Make A Difference! 

Intoxicated 2

Hello Everyone,

How can Jesus restore your JOY? Be where Jesus is and secondly be aware of the Need

John 2:3-4 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” ⁴ “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

Mary the mother of Jesus went to Him with a PROBLEM … “They have no wine”.
It is important to understand that Wine often times is a symbol of JOY.

To run out of wine was to run out of JOY which is a very serious thing to happen at a Jewish wedding feast.

The groom’s parents were responsible to make sure there was enough wine to last for the whole celebration. But for some unknown reason, they ran out.

We do not think of this as a big deal, but in that day, it could ruin a family’s reputation.

It was a BIG deal.

Let me tell you Jesus cares about your every need. If it’s important to you, it’s important to Jesus.
If you’ve lost your sense of JOY … if you have a problem that seems to big, a yoke that is too heavy… He cares Jesus truly cares.

Go to Him; seek His presence He wants to bring “JOY” back into your life.

Now ladies, what would happen if you told your son to carry out the garbage, and he said to you, “Woman, what concern is that to you? My hour has not yet come.”

I think your son would soon realize that his hour HAD come … and he’d better take out the garbage … NOW!
This statement is not as harsh as it sounds.

Jesus doesn’t call her “Mom” like we do, but calls her “woman” …which is a term of great, great RESPECT.
Jesus uses this term for his mother only one other time.

As He is being crucified on Calvary He saw His mother and said “Women behold your Son.” It was said with great respect.

But at the same time He is letting her know that He is beginning His public ministry, which will lead in a short period of time to the cross … “My hour has not yet come.”

HOWEVER, Jesus isn’t going to ignore His mother’s request … or the need at the wedding feast.

Mary made Jesus aware of the need … their “JOY” was gone … Jesus could do something.

You can IGNORE the fact that you’ve lost your “JOY” … OR … you can take it to Jesus.

We Can Make A Difference!         

Intoxicated 1

Hello Everyone,

There are times when life drains us to the point that we are running on “empty”?

And when we do we let life rob us of our JOY.

What happens when you run out of “JOY”?

You have an empty container.  Life just isn’t quite as good when you run out of “JOY”

Maybe you have lost your “JOY”. Something is troubling you … something is bothering you.
You have been disappointed, hurt, or grieved. You are running on empty.              You’ve lost your “JOY”.

John tells us how Jesus restored “JOY” to those who attended a marriage celebration in Cana of Galilee.
He can do the same for you. How can Jesus restore your “JOY”?

First and foremost BE WHERE JESUS IS

John 2:1-2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

It is the “third day” – 3 days earlier, Jesus had just called His first 5 Disciples.
Well soon thereafter they were invited to a marriage celebration in Cana of Galilee.    You think it is expensive today to have a wedding and it is.

Back then a Jewish wedding Feast lasted for a full week.
They would begin with a parade, and the father of the bride would bring his daughter to the groom’s house.
The whole town would join in on this parade … it was a huge celebration for the family. When they arrived at the groom’s home, the marriage ceremony would take place at the front door.

THEN … the feast began … which lasted for 7 days (paid for by the groom’s family).
There was no honey-moon … they had an “open house” for a week … lots of food and wine … a week-long celebration.

Jesus & His 5 Disciples were invited to this wedding feast. Just think of the CHANGE for the Disciples. At least 2 of them had been disciples of John the Baptist.

And John the Baptist wasn’t what you would call a socialite … he ate grasshoppers & wild honey … wore animal skins for clothing … lived in the wilderness.

John the Baptist probably would not be very comfortable at a wedding feast.

Jesus was distinctive! Jesus loved being with people… He enjoyed social occasions … He was a desired dinner guest. Most people were very comfortable around Him.
In fact He was even criticized by the Religious leaders for His love of life and of people.

Listen to their accusations.                                                                               Matthew 11:18-19 "For John (the Baptist) came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ’He has a demon!’
[19] (But) "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ’Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”

Jesus brought JOY into people’s lives … that’s what happens when you are where Jesus is.

The further away you are from Jesus in your spiritual life, the further away you will also be from the fullness of JOY.

The closer you are to Jesus…. the more JOY you will experience.

The Prophet Nehemiah put it this way: Nehemiah 8:10 – “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

If you’ve lost your “JOY”, then you need to spend some time with Jesus.

We Can Make a Difference!

Little Lives 5

Hello Everyone,

Life is sacred…because of its ETERNAL nature.

Life exists before we enter the material world.

       Psalm 139:15-16

   My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶     your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me
    were written in your book before one of them came to be.

       

So technically, life begins even before conception!

There is life at New Birth.

     John 3:3

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 Our earthly life is simply a PRELUDE to eternity.

Hebrews 9:27

    And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

1 John 5:13

    These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

In other words, we can know and be assured of abundant life while on the earth and everlasting life in eternity with Christ.

Let’s do our part to insure those same rights to the unborn! 

Now what should we do about abortion, and putting an end to the big number of little lives who are dying?

What not to do:  React in violence.  It’s never right to do wrong.

What to do:

1. Be informed.

We can’t bury our heads in the sand.  Ignorance is bliss, right?  Well, ignoring the issue doesn’t make it go away.  There’s no better platform from which to proclaim this message than church, by the way.

    2. Work and pray…for a constitutional amendment to overturn Roe vs. It is possible if we will speak up, vote, take our stand!

3. Teach sexual morality in the home.  We need to teach our kids a higher standard than “being safe”.

4. Have more compassion for the unwed mother.  God loves them!  And yes, we’ll preach against pre-marital sex.  Once the mistake is made, she needs unconditional love right here within these walls!

5. Speak out clearly without apology.  Isaiah 58:1—“Cry aloud, spare not! Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression!”

6.  Refuse to be swayed by the high sounding arguments of liberal politicians, and so-called “experts” in the scientific field who have no moral base to speak from.  They are clueless and don’t even deserve our attention on this matter.

7.  Pray for God to have mercy on America, and to give us space to repent…and to bring national revival.

Greater things are still to come!