New Wine, New Wineskins

It's 2012 and I am ready for CHANGE! I'm starting here at my blog site.

First of all, you may have noticed a change in my blog title. It is no longer Sojourner of Truth, but Deep Waters. This name came to me months ago as I've spent a lot of time reading other blogs. I love the variety of blogs out there. Folks are sharing great recipes, DIY projects and funny anecdotes. Now while I love food, beautiful home decor and funny stories, I'm not that kind of blogger.

I love sharing the deeper truths of God's Word through my blog. I love giving my readers a peek into what God's teaching me from His Word. I love taking everyday issues and shining the light of God's Word on them. And I love presenting the Word through stories that make the bible come alive. After all, that's what Jesus did throughout the gospels.

So that's what Deep Waters is about. (Note the change in address too: www.carlaadairhendricks.blogspot.com.) Every Tuesday and Saturday we'll go deep into God's Word, illuminating those truths that apply to our lives in this millennium. The Word of God doesn't change, but our lives and the culture certainly do.

I hope you'll go along with me for the ride in 2012. I promise, you'll be glad you did.

And now for my new series for January 2012: A bible word study of the word "New"...

The scene was one of great paradox.

The Pharisees, the uber-religious ones, mandated fasting twice a week, evidence of their followers' devotion and piety. Even the followers of John the Baptist were fasting.

In the home of Levi, the former tax-collector turned Jesus-follower, Jesus and his other followers enjoyed a feast together.

A group of inquisitive folks questioned Jesus about the inconsistency.

Jesus, never one to miss an opportunity to teach a greater truth, replied, "How can the guest of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ... But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast." Mark 2:19, 20

Foreshadowing His death on the cross, Jesus, the "bridegroom" warns them of the day when they will mourn and weep for him. The day that He would hang on a rugged cross, bleeding and marred beyond recognition.

But He reminds them to rejoice while He is near.

And He warns them against mixing the Old Judaic Covenant with the New Covenant. He uses two stories to illuminate this truth. 

"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." Mark 2:21

If they continued to tack the New Covenant (grace, through faith in Christ) onto the Old Covenant (the Law), their efforts would prove futile. When they washed the new piece of fabric, it would pull away from the old, creating a hole. Likewise, their spiritual lives were doomed to fall apart.

"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." Mark 2:22

If the people continued to pour new, not fully-fermented wine into old wineskins, they would experience disastrous results. As the new wine fermented -- or expanded -- the wineskins would burst, ruining the wine and the wineskins.

Likewise, as modern-day believers, we've got to let go of the ideologies of yesterday. We've got to throw away the old garments of legalism and pride. We've got to discard the old wineskins of worldliness and self-centeredness.

In 2012 I need to throw away disbelief, and embrace faith in God and His promises. I need to throw away self-reliance and embrace surrender and dependence on God.

Fill in the blanks for yourself. In 2012 I need to throw away the ___________ of the past, and embrace the newness of ____________.

This year, let's pour new wine into new wineskins. I can just smell the savory aroma of that wine. Can't you?

Pouring New Wine,

Carla