April 14, 2010
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Water to Wine to Grape Juice...
I was listening to a Kris Vallotton message today and he pointed out how "Jesus' first miracle was changing water into wine, but the church has made it grape juice." That line hit me deep.
"Religion doesn't want you to have any chance to make a mistake. But God didn't child-proof the garden of Eden. God isn't trying to keep us safe, He is trying to keep us from a meaningless life." In the message Kris quipped, "In most churches if Jesus didn't show up nobody would ever know because we never do anything that requires Him."
Proverbs 14:4 - Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.
I like that proverb because it shows that if we are going to harvest well and bear fruit, then we need to understand there will also be messes. But if we are overly cautious or even timid and restrict God's Spirit then we will have no messes and a completely clean church... that produces nothing. The Holy Spirit is potent. Some onlookers during Pentecost laughed at the disciples and said, "They've had too much wine." If we are going to move according to God's Spirit then we must understand we might not always get it perfectly right and there may be risks, but that God's grace is with us and He delights when we step out. He would rather us face the giant than hide safely behind the front line.
God bless!
