Fit for the Master's Use
Jesus said, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the fermenting wine will expand, bursting the skins. Thus, the wine will be lost as well as the wineskins. New wine must be put into new wineskins."
As Christians, we are new creations that are to think, speak, and act like the Christ of Christianity. We are disciples. We are followers. We are to mimic our leader who is the Head of the Church who is Christ our Lord. We still have our old nature, but now we have a new Master. Our Master, His Spirit, and His Word are to dictate to us what our new life in Him is to look like. Living the Christian life is a challenge, no doubt, but can be overcome with the help of our newfound King. There is nothing He asks or demands of His followers that He will not enable us to fulfill and accomplish.
Every person - and certainly every follower of Christ - needs to have spiritual goals. The "mores" of our spiritual life are not done to earn more favor or love from God, but rather done in result of the favor and love He has already granted. Whatever goals you set, whatever more you may need to attempt, please do as unto the Lord and for the Lord, not for yourself.
I wish that we considered the metamorphosis of the caterpillar worm to the butterfly more personally.
Read
2 Corinthians 3:18
2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 12:2
Ezekiel 25:26-27
When the caterpillar leaves its woven cocoon/nest behind, it leaves it totally and forever.
Read
Ephesians 4:17-32
Colossians 3:1-17
The Apostle Paul tells us to put off suddenly the habit of sin. You will not grow out of your anger, you must put it off.
You will not grow out of your envy and jealousy, you must put them off.
You will not grow out of your impurity. You must put it off.
It is a conscious act of the will. I ask you to find anything and everything that needs to be purged from your life and do just that, purge it. I don't watch horror movies for various reasons, but most of them share a similar plot. The villain is slain, it appears, but then it reappears. When I kill a snake or a spider, you can be sure it is totally destroyed. I am not moving it unless I know there is no chance of it harming me.
I am asking you to purge from your life whatever issue might be reappearing again and again. I am asking you to ask God to help you do this thing once and for all and be done with it.
I mentioned this past Sunday morning about doing something that cannot be done without God. Is that thing something you need to start or something that you need to stop? What more of you does God want? Sometimes God, like a parent, pastor, coach, employer, etc., wants more from us because He knows we have it in us. Usually, God wants more of us because He wants more for us. The more of us we give, the more of Him we receive. It is us He wants and it is Him that we need. I challenge you to be a fountain unto the Lord and other, not merely a drain. Don't limit God by limiting yourself. I truly believe that God has a whole different level of life for us to live on if only we shed our old habits, sins, ways and life and give in totally to Him.
Would you consider praying this prayer please:
Father, as Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." I know that there is no new magical formula that is going to make my walk with You and my life so much better and deeper in 2025. I know that if I am going to go deeper with You, it is going to require more from me. Lord, You know my heart and that my intentions are good, but my time is limited and my real knowledge of what I actually need to do is limited, as well. I ask You, King Jesus, to remake me, reshape me, transform me into the image of my Master. While there is no new formula to find or follow, I am new and I claim my rightful place before You now. I want to put off the old and put on the new for Your glory and my good. Please do in me what I cannot do for myself. It is time. It is past time. Help me deal with any encumbrances that might hinder me in any way. Dear Lord, I claim the victory now. Show me the way and, by Your grace, light, and strength, I vow before You never to go back.
Amen.
Now, listen. That was a very generic prayer. An outline, if you will. What can God help you with?
Ask Him, then take His help and WIN - WIN - WIN!
It is before you. Reach out and take it.
Happy New Year.
In Christ,
Pastor Todd
As Christians, we are new creations that are to think, speak, and act like the Christ of Christianity. We are disciples. We are followers. We are to mimic our leader who is the Head of the Church who is Christ our Lord. We still have our old nature, but now we have a new Master. Our Master, His Spirit, and His Word are to dictate to us what our new life in Him is to look like. Living the Christian life is a challenge, no doubt, but can be overcome with the help of our newfound King. There is nothing He asks or demands of His followers that He will not enable us to fulfill and accomplish.
Every person - and certainly every follower of Christ - needs to have spiritual goals. The "mores" of our spiritual life are not done to earn more favor or love from God, but rather done in result of the favor and love He has already granted. Whatever goals you set, whatever more you may need to attempt, please do as unto the Lord and for the Lord, not for yourself.
I wish that we considered the metamorphosis of the caterpillar worm to the butterfly more personally.
Read
2 Corinthians 3:18
2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 12:2
Ezekiel 25:26-27
When the caterpillar leaves its woven cocoon/nest behind, it leaves it totally and forever.
Read
Ephesians 4:17-32
Colossians 3:1-17
The Apostle Paul tells us to put off suddenly the habit of sin. You will not grow out of your anger, you must put it off.
You will not grow out of your envy and jealousy, you must put them off.
You will not grow out of your impurity. You must put it off.
It is a conscious act of the will. I ask you to find anything and everything that needs to be purged from your life and do just that, purge it. I don't watch horror movies for various reasons, but most of them share a similar plot. The villain is slain, it appears, but then it reappears. When I kill a snake or a spider, you can be sure it is totally destroyed. I am not moving it unless I know there is no chance of it harming me.
I am asking you to purge from your life whatever issue might be reappearing again and again. I am asking you to ask God to help you do this thing once and for all and be done with it.
I mentioned this past Sunday morning about doing something that cannot be done without God. Is that thing something you need to start or something that you need to stop? What more of you does God want? Sometimes God, like a parent, pastor, coach, employer, etc., wants more from us because He knows we have it in us. Usually, God wants more of us because He wants more for us. The more of us we give, the more of Him we receive. It is us He wants and it is Him that we need. I challenge you to be a fountain unto the Lord and other, not merely a drain. Don't limit God by limiting yourself. I truly believe that God has a whole different level of life for us to live on if only we shed our old habits, sins, ways and life and give in totally to Him.
Would you consider praying this prayer please:
Father, as Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." I know that there is no new magical formula that is going to make my walk with You and my life so much better and deeper in 2025. I know that if I am going to go deeper with You, it is going to require more from me. Lord, You know my heart and that my intentions are good, but my time is limited and my real knowledge of what I actually need to do is limited, as well. I ask You, King Jesus, to remake me, reshape me, transform me into the image of my Master. While there is no new formula to find or follow, I am new and I claim my rightful place before You now. I want to put off the old and put on the new for Your glory and my good. Please do in me what I cannot do for myself. It is time. It is past time. Help me deal with any encumbrances that might hinder me in any way. Dear Lord, I claim the victory now. Show me the way and, by Your grace, light, and strength, I vow before You never to go back.
Amen.
Now, listen. That was a very generic prayer. An outline, if you will. What can God help you with?
Ask Him, then take His help and WIN - WIN - WIN!
It is before you. Reach out and take it.
Happy New Year.
In Christ,
Pastor Todd
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1 Comment
Wow! The line that Pastor Todd used in this blog that said: "Usually God wants more OF us because He wants more FOR us." really stood out to me. It's so easy to focus on the sacrifice when God is calling us into a deeper relationship. "God, I want to go deeper with you but don't you see I'm trying to make time for my family and if I give you more time then it's less time with them....God I sense you drawing me closer but do I really have to witness to that particular individual to experience all that you have planned for me?" The world has trained our minds to act, think and believe that we are all entitled to whatever our hearts desire. But when we walk with Him, that mindset must change. The Bible tells us that we are not our own, we are bought with a price. God isn't desiring more of us because He wants to force Himself upon us. God is desiring more of us because He wants MORE FOR us. What an amazing concept! We don't go to church, tithe our income, take time out of our day to pray, read the Bible etc. because it's a checklist on our weekly activities. We do all of these things because we acknowledge our Heavenly Father for who He is and what's He's done for us! I pray that this year I will remain sensitive to His spirit and His will for my life and that I will allow myself to be purged of anything God sees unfit for me and His calling on my life. Thank you Pastor for a great devotion to start the year!
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