The cure for whining (or something like that)

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” — Jesus (From the Gospel of Mark 2:21-22) I was challenged as I considered Jesus’ words when applied to the new believer in Mark 2: “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.” The new, the strong and the fresh will pull away (and want to pull away) from the old quite naturally. How careful those of us who are younger in the faith must be to not treat Jesus as some patch to a sinful life. If we do, there will come a tear leaving a bigger hole than before. Instead, there are new ways to live, new perspectives to have, and a new passion to serve. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” — Ephesians 4:22-24 I was even more challenged as I considered Jesus’ words when applied to those of us who have known the Lord for no short amount of time. “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Our life in Christ expands, it swells, it can explode when we find we can be filled more abundantly than we ever thought possible. It’s why we ought to be, oh so very careful, to not try and contain Jesus in our traditions, rules and experience. I can get so hardened into my habits that instead of experiencing the new wine of Christ, I just find myself looking for new ways to whine. Am I a guardian of old wine skins, customs, preferences, prejudices, habits and the rest, or am I attentive to the direction of the Spirit which is confirmed by the firm foundation of God’s Word? "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. “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 desert and streams in the wasteland. — Ezekiel 36:26, Isaiah 43:18-19 One of our deacons shared this Word from the Lord with me this last weekend: “I have poured out my Spirit on all flesh. This too is the New Wine. I have poured out My New Wine to others who have taken it casually, with little or no reverence for Me. I’m looking for faithful stewards of my New Wine. Receive it, partake of it, glorify My Name as you commune with Me. Be satisfied in Me! It’s not time to take this Wine to “party” in the Spirit as many have done - spilling it disrespectfully, sloshing it around as drunkards, wasting it - and calling it rejoicing in/before Me. Use it to come have communion with Me. It is the Wine of the New Covenant, but it is even simpler than that. The New Wine IS Jesus!” For you, for me, for the body at Countryside the Lord wants to pour BRAND new wine into RENEWED wine skins. (The literal meaning of new and new in Mark 2:22.) — Pastor Terry