Miracles of Jesus: Turning Water to Wine - Jesus indicates that His hour hasn’t yet come, yet He still goes above and beyond. He instructs the servants to fill to the brim every jar that’s there. That this is Jesus’ first miracle sets the standard of who He is and what He came to do. He didn’t do just enough. He didn’t do the minimum requirement to call it a miracle. He didn’t just make any wine. He notably made the best. He did the most that He possibly could with the resources available to Him. This is an encouragement to give Jesus access to the very most I possibly can in my life. Our role is to have the faith to trust that He’ll take it and make the best out of it

"… 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." - John 2:10 (NIV)Jesus’ first miracle sets the standard of who He is and what He came to do.

This is an encouragement to give Jesus the very most we possibly can in life.

One of my favourite things about the Bible is that there’s something fresh to read from it every time.

For example, now that I’m a mother of three, changing teenage boys, I notice in this passage the role of Mary more.

Though this is Jesus’ first miracle, perhaps for many parents the first miracle isn’t Jesus turning water into wine, but rather Him obeying His mother when He clearly doesn’t want to (John 2:4).

It’s quite a spectacular miracle that we see in these verses.

Jesus indicates that His hour hasn’t yet come, yet He still goes above and beyond.

He could have said, ‘Fill some cups’, or even, ‘Fill up a single jar’.

Instead, He instructs the servants to fill to the brim every jar that’s there.

Calculating it out, it’s the equivalent of over 900 standard bottles of wine today.

That this is Jesus’ first miracle sets the standard of who He is and what He came to do.

He didn’t do just enough.

He didn’t do the minimum requirement to call it a miracle.

He didn’t just make any wine.

He notably made the best.

He did the most that He possibly could with the resources available to Him.

To me, this is an encouragement to give Jesus access to the very most I possibly can in my life.

Finances, family, time, talent – all of it.

Our role is to have the faith to trust that He’ll take it and make the best out of it.

What are you holding back from Jesus and what could He do with it?

Episode supplied with thanks to Susie Holt

By Chris Witts

In today's world real hope is hard to find. That's why Hope 103.2 exists: to bring the message of hope to our community through a family-friendly, safe listening environment.

We won't be quick to criticise or condemn. And we won't play on people's fears. Hope 103.2 will be ready to celebrate what's good in society and culture.

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Drink Offering - the pouring out of a drink offering is a metaphor for the blood Jesus spilled on the cross. Jesus spoke to this directly when He instituted the New Covenant. He picked up a cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need of a drink offering, His blood literally pouring out when the soldier pierced His side with a spear. Paul took the metaphor further, twice using the image of a drink offering to describe his own service

Opportunities in Failure - many of the most successful businesses in the world were born out of failure. Almost any failure, personal or in business, can present a rich opportunity. Jesus first public miracle happened because of someone's embarrassing failure. The father of the bride had run out of wine at his own daughter's wedding. But this potential disaster was Jesus' opportunity. Taking the simplest materials at hand, Jesus changed the water into wine. Let Jesus work in you to use whatever is at hand to create a miracle in your life

Streams in my desert: Our Invitation to the Wedding - in biblical times, being invited to a wedding meant a lot. Most people, even in this day and age, would be appalled if someone wrote the bride and groom to ask them if they could move their wedding to a ‘more convenient’ location or date. Similarly, we don’t get to do that with God. He sets the place, the time, the invite list and the dress code. It is our honor to accept his invitation. Let’s not let any excuse stand in the way

Streams in my desert: Inner Invincibility - no power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility - God turns our complaining into a hymn of praise. The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else

Streams in my desert: Do Not Get Drunk With Wine But Be Filled With The Spirit - as a Christian, you should always strive to be full of the Holy Spirit. He is fully in charge, but we remain fully aware. We intentionally yield our bodies to Him. When the Holy Spirit takes over, instead of reckless behavior typical of alcohol influence, we exhibit qualities such as love, joy, peace, and gentleness and are endowed with power and wisdom

Streams in my desert: The Vine - the “vine” (Israel) may cry for help and restoration, but there are consequences to be paid. What a graphic picture this is, and what a reminder to believers today that we cannot for long ignore His will for our lives. The secrets of the believer’s growth and fertility are in glorious union with Christ

Streams in my desert: Parable of the Old and New Wineskins - the new wine represents the truth of God, while the old wine represents the traditions of the culture that we have been born into. These traditions have produced the prejudices that we do not want to get rid of whenever the new wine comes. We are the vessel and if we do not have the willingness to change, then we will be burst. A process of destruction begins to take place unless we too become new

Opportunities in Failure - many of the most successful businesses in the world were born out of failure. Almost any failure, personal or in business, can present a rich opportunity. Jesus first public miracle happened because of someone's embarrassing failure. The father of the bride had run out of wine at his own daughter's wedding. But this potential disaster was Jesus' opportunity. Taking the simplest materials at hand, Jesus changed the water into wine. Let Jesus work in you to use whatever is at hand to create a miracle in your life

As you prepare for bed tonight, do you feel like a total failure? 

Has some aspect of your work or personal life fallen apart?

If so, let me encourage you with something I learned from an international business consultant. 

He said that many of the most successful businesses in the world were born out of failure! 

I have seen this phenomenon occur in countless personal relationships as well. 

Just when the couple is ready for divorce, for example, God creates a miracle out of the ruins. 

Almost any failure, personal or in business, can present a rich opportunity.

Jesus knew this principle, too. 

In fact, His first public miracle happened because of someone's embarrassing failure.

The father of the bride had run out of wine at his own daughter's wedding! 

But this potential disaster was Jesus' opportunity.

Taking the simplest materials at hand (six stone pots of water), Jesus changed the water into wine. 

Then "... the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine ...

"Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine ... but you have saved the best till now'" - (John 2:9-10, NIV).

If you're defeated tonight, ask the Lord to show you the rich opportunities hidden in your failure. 

Then let Him work in you to use whatever is at hand to create a miracle in your life.

Let's Pray Together 

God loves you and wants to answer your prayer. 

Say this prayer with me:

Heavenly Father, change my attitude tonight. 

Let me no longer look on my mistakes or failures with a sense of defeat, but instead, let me see each setback as a seed of opportunity ... each disappointment as a potential for new growth.

Thank you that through You I can start over tomorrow. 

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.

The late Dr. Morris Cerullo is recognized around the world for his dedication to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit, he repeatedly brought the salvation message to more than 130 nations throughout his nearly seven decades in the ministry.

Morris Cerullo World Evangelism exists to support and extend the evangelistic calling and ministries of Dr. Morris Cerullo, by proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to every person, through every effective means available to us, and by training Nationals and other to do the same.

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Overcoming Failure - most of us would define Peter's denials of the Lord as failures. Peter was weak and stumbled, but because of his sincere repentance he was used mightily by the Lord. Our failures don't have to be the defining characteristic of our walk with Jesus. He is gracious and compassionate and will forgive our sins when we genuinely repent. The Lord can use our failures to equip us to serve others better. We must never relegate ourselves to the junk heap for letting the Lord down at one time or another

When God Sends You Back To That Place Of Failure - a major test of our faith and obedience will be obeying God in an area we experienced failure before. God will sometimes send us back to that place where we did not get the results we expected. It may be that marriage, ministry, job, family task or relationship with that family member or friend. You tried it before on your own and failed. However, with a Word from God, things will be different. Just like Peter, the Lord might be sending you back to that sea with the words to “launch out into the deep”

Failure Can Be Good for You - one of the primary tools that God uses in your life to make you what he wants you to be is failure. When you fail, God may be trying to get your attention to move you in a new direction. Failure has a way of softening our hearts. It helps us grow up and be mature. It makes us sensitive to others. It makes us less judgmental and helps us be a little more sympathetic to people around us who are hurting. Failure only builds your character when you look at it with the right perspective, respond to it correctly, and learn from it

Drink Offering - the pouring out of a drink offering is a metaphor for the blood Jesus spilled on the cross. Jesus spoke to this directly when He instituted the New Covenant. He picked up a cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need of a drink offering, His blood literally pouring out when the soldier pierced His side with a spear. Paul took the metaphor further, twice using the image of a drink offering to describe his own service

 What is a drink offering?

The first recorded occurrence of a drink offering was that given by Jacob in Genesis 35:14, right after God changed his name to Israel. 

Drink offerings were also included with burnt and grain offerings in God-ordained sacrifices, including the morning and evening sacrifices of Exodus 29:40. 

One-quarter hin, about one quart, of wine was poured out into the altar fire for each lamb sacrificed (Numbers 15:4-5). 

A ram sacrifice required one third of a hin (Numbers 15:6), and a bull required one half (Numbers 15:10).

It has been speculated that the offering of an animal, grain, oil, and wine — the smoke making a “soothing aroma to the LORD” — is a metaphor for providing food for God, an important cultural requirement in the Middle East. 

What we do know is that the pouring out of a drink offering is a metaphor for the blood Jesus spilled on the cross. 

Jesus spoke to this directly in Luke 22:20 when He instituted the New Covenant. 

He picked up a cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” 

Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need of a drink offering, His blood literally pouring out when the soldier pierced His side with a spear (John 19:34).

Paul took the metaphor further, twice using the image of a drink offering to describe his own service.

In Philippians 2:17, he challenged the church in Philippi to live a life worthy of his dedication to them.

In 2 Timothy 4:6, he sensed the end of his ministry, again comparing his efforts to wine poured out of a vessel onto an altar.

GotQuestions.org is the primary site of Got Questions Ministries

Got Questions Ministries is an internet based ministry whose mission is to glorify God and reach people for Christ by providing biblical answers to spiritually-related questions.

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Praise the Lord - everything may not be going wonderfully in your life - you may not necessarily feel like giving that offering at the time. Try offering the sacrifice of praise to God continually. This is a powerful way to impact our culture. Giving the Lord praise affects the spiritual realm in ways we could never do in the natural. Giving a sacrificial offering continually means you may not necessarily feel like giving that offering at the time. We especially need to praise Him when we are going through hard times

Things That Please God - our worship is pleasing to God. It doesn’t matter whether we have any singing ability. God can see our hearts. But He wants to hear it from our lips. It also pleases God when we are witnesses for Him. Every Christian is a witness. But before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with God. It is the overflow of our lives. If we’re walking with God and our lives are pleasing to Him, we will find that Jesus overflows into our lives

Jehovah Jireh - our greatest need, as humans, is for salvation - forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jehovah Jireh becomes one of the names for God in the Old Testament — one that emphasizes how He provides for our needs. On Calvary Jesus, the Lamb of God, died there for our sins. God has provided for our eternal salvation by giving the greatest gift He could give, His Son, to die for our sins. Having given the greatest possible gift, God will surely also freely provide for all our needs even our daily needs. He knows what we need, and He will provide

Poured Out Like a Drink Offering - a drink offering was part of the Old Testament sacrificial system - it foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ. The wine poured over offerings symbolized Christ’s blood. Christ later spoke these words: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Like his Savior, Paul's life was being poured out for the faith of others. It is believed that Paul was beheaded for his faith. It’s not likely that we’ll be martyred, but all Christians are called to pour out our lives to the Lord

Are You Being Poured Out?

In Philippians 2:17, Paul rejoices because he’s being “poured out like a drink offering” on the sacrifice and service of the Philippians’ faith.

What does this mean?

A drink offering was part of the Old Testament sacrificial system, a system that foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ (e.g. Numbers 28). 

The wine poured over offerings in Old Testament times symbolized Christ’s blood.

Christ later spoke these words: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” - (Luke 22:20).

In Philippians, Paul was explaining that, like his Savior, his life was being poured out for the faith of others.

In fact, it's believed that Paul was beheaded for his faith.

It’s not likely that we’ll be martyred, but all Christians are called to pour out our lives to the Lord:

1. As living sacrifices, we renew our minds with God’s Word (Romans 12:1-2). 

2. We strain to overcome our sin nature (Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 4:22-24).  

3. We fulfill God’s plans for our lives (Ephesians 2:10).

If you aren’t doing these things, dear Christians, start now!

Notes:

(1) Paul also talks of being poured out as a drink offering, shortly before his death in 2 Timothy 4:6.

Hi!  I'm Gail Burton Purath. I started Bible Love Notes to give people a minute of scriptural encouragement in their busy day.

I don't have all the answers, but since I asked Christ to be my Lord and Savior in 1974, I've been learning from the One Who has all the answers! 

biblelovenotes.blogspot.com

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Heaven for the Martyred Saints - we’ll have different rewards and positions in Heaven, according to our faithful service in this life - all of us will be full of joy, but some may have a larger capacity for joy, having been stretched through their dependence on God in this life. Our tender Father will comfort each of His children for their suffering. There are special rewards given to saints for their faithfulness in certain situations. Revelation talks about Christ’s rewards for those who conquer, including hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it

Their Deeds Follow Them - the tribulation martyrs enjoy the blessing of rest from their labors. God will compensate them for their faithful works on His behalf. They are worthy of their reward, because they will have suffered so severely during the beast's reign of terror. Unless raptured before dying, every person will keep an appointment with death. He or she will either die in the Son or in their sin. Those who die in the Son enjoy eternal rest. Many believers will face martyrdom, but their temporary suffering does not compare with the eternal suffering worshipers of the beast will experience

Do Not Get Drunk With Wine But Be Filled With The Spirit - as a Christian, you should always strive to be full of the Holy Spirit. He is fully in charge, but we remain fully aware. We intentionally yield our bodies to Him. When the Holy Spirit takes over, instead of reckless behavior typical of alcohol influence, we exhibit qualities such as love, joy, peace, and gentleness and are endowed with power and wisdom

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." - (Ephesians 5:18 KJV)

It might seem odd at first that the scripture compares being drunk with wine — a sinful state — to being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Yet, although they are fundamentally different, they do share some similarities amidst their distinct differences.

Paul warns us that drunkenness leads to debauchery and ruins lives, and he commands us not to get drunk on wine. 

However, this presents an opportunity to explore a fascinating analogy between the influence of wine and the Spirit.

Wine operates in two distinct phases: the act of drinking (the process) and the resultant state of drunkenness. 

A person consumes wine repeatedly until they reach a state of intoxication. 

Drinking is a process of intake, while drunkenness is a state in which a person comes under the control or influence of alcohol. 

Similarly, there is a process by which we receive the Spirit — being filled, as mentioned in the verse above — and a state called “full of the Spirit,” where we are under the control and influence of the Spirit.

When a person becomes drunk with wine, debauchery often ensues. 

They lose control of themselves, allowing alcohol to dominate their behavior.

Indeed, alcohol seems to have its own personality and character. 

A distinct type of behavior emerges when someone is intoxicated: they may act irrationally, speak foolishly, and engage in nonsensical activities. 

Essentially, they do and say things they would not consider in their sober state — they are under the influence of alcohol.

Similarly, being filled with the Spirit involves two distinct phases: the process of receiving the Spirit and the state known as “full of the Spirit” (e.g., Acts 7:55).

As previously described, the process of receiving the Spirit occurs in distinct stages: at salvation, during the baptism of the Spirit, and through continual daily infilling through prayer and the Word.

The resulting state when someone is filled with the Spirit reflects the personality and character of the Spirit. 

Unlike the influence of alcohol, when the Spirit takes over, we do not lose our minds. 

He is fully in charge, but we remain fully aware. We intentionally yield our bodies to Him. 

Furthermore, when the Spirit takes over, instead of reckless behavior typical of alcohol influence, we exhibit qualities such as love, joy, peace, and gentleness and are endowed with power and wisdom.

As a Christian, you should always strive to be full of the Spirit, and this requires you to consistently engage in spiritual “drinking.”

Just as one cannot drink alcohol once and remain intoxicated forever, you must continually seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit every day (remember there is a one-time drinking and a continual drinking).

Thus, the Lord commands, “Do not be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Meditate

In your own words, describe the process and the state of being filled with the Spirit as mentioned above.

Apply The Word

Do everything within your power to remain in that state known as “full of the Spirit.” 

This is where you will find victory, joy, peace, wisdom, and power.

Outside of this state, the flesh prevails and the world dominates.

Pray

Ask the Father to help you consistently live in the state called “full of the Spirit.”

By Patrick Oben

I am Dr. Patrick Oben, M.D. I work at MercyOne Des Moines, Iowa (USA) as an Internist (Hospitalist) and the Founder of Patrick Oben Ministries, Inc. 

patrickoben.com

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What Every Believer Should Know About Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit - the baptism with the Spirit is a promise from God the Father that Jesus gives His children. It’s an empowering to tell others about Him continuing what He started - fulfilling His Great Commission. Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit. Focus your affection on Him in worship, believing you will receive the promise from the Father

Holy Spirit Baptism - being baptized in the Spirit does not make a person a “super Christian.” It positions us for the other manifestations of the Spirit. The only way we can know that someone has received the baptism in the Holy Spirit is if we hear him or her speaking in tongues. Receive the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, just like the New Testament Church

Speaking with tongues is an initial supernatural sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling - there is an experience following salvation called receiving, or being filled with the Holy Ghost. The infilling of the New Testament believers with the Holy Ghost should be our pattern today. Speaking with tongues is an initial supernatural sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling. It is the door into the rest of the spiritual gifts