Best for Last

You've heard the story about Jesus turning water into wine. There are many reasons it is significant, especially since it was His first miracle. But there is something very important which was said after this miracle that applies to you and I today--something that defines our destiny.

The Bible says, "When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water [for Jesus] knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!'" (John 2:9-10).

God has given us a glimpse of humanity from His perspective.

THE BEGINNING

The master of the feast said, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine..." If we go back to the beginning of time, we know God looked upon His creation of man and said, "It is good." God was pleased. But we also know it wasn't long before everything crumbled.

Man fell into sin, and we now have an orderly account called the Old Testament, which documents God's plan to prepare for the day He would set things right again.

YOU AND I

And this is where our story (or should I say our destiny) becomes significant. The master of the feast then said, "You have kept the good wine until now!" You and I represent the good wine! So we could say, God saved the BEST for last!

And did you catch the comparison of wines? You and I are anything but inferior. In other words, we are not lower in rank, degree, place, or position! In the eyes of God, we are the cream of the crop!

This is why your understanding of righteousness is so important. Remember the definition: Righteousness is right-standing with God and the ability to stand before Him without guilt or inferiority as if you had never sinned.

YOU ARE NOT INFERIOR

We are the "best for last" because God gave us a gift the former never had--the gift of righteousness! The precious blood of Jesus Christ sets us apart. And faith in His Name gives us delegated authority. The last word we should ever use to describe ourselves is inferior.

You are not inferior, mediocre, half-baked, low grade, or insignificant! As a child of God, you are the very opposite:  first-rate, superior, first-class, foremost, and the best! [tweet]

So that means it is time to get out of our Old Testament thinking. It's okay to learn from Job, but quit comparing yourself to him. He would've given anything to trade shoes with you!

I recently had a counseling appointment with a woman who was struggling with forgiveness. But I soon found her problem: she wanted Old Testament justice instead of New Testament life. You can't have both.

OLD WINE SKINS

This is why Jesus said, "Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Matthew 9:17). Do you catch the analogy?

You are the new wine! You are children filled with the Holy Spirit of promise and the gift of righteousness. You can't put that into Old Testament theology and expect to hold up. You (and your stinking-thinking) are going to crumble if you continue to see yourself as inferior.

So make this confession today: "I am the best for last. Because I am the righteousness of God in Christ."

Blessings!

Daphne Delay

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Learning Respect From The Bear

Growing up, my daddy’s nickname was “The Bear.”  Even though small in stature, my daddy could let out a mean growl if he needed to and in that moment, things would come to order.  My daddy demanded respect and honor, and this taught my brother and me to fear the Lord.  I am reminded of a story in 2 Kings 2:23-24 about the prophet Elisha and how important God views honoring and respecting your elders.    

”Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’   So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.”

Thank God we live under a new covenant of grace and mercy, because the generation in which we live might have many more reports of bear attacks due to dishonor for authority!  The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:5: 

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  

This is one of the greatest qualities we can instill in this next generation—to honor and respect authority.  By doing this we will teach them to honor and fear the Lord and we will produce a generation that is full of wisdom and safe from the enemy. 

Be Blessed!

Trish Yanney

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The Art of Relationships

“The art of relationships requires that a man who is very different from his woman finds common ground with her and vice versa. We are meant to balance each other by attracting people whose strengths may be our weaknesses. Together as a result of our differences and unique distinctions, we complement each other. Understanding only comes when you stand under a real desire to know, love, and comprehend the other person, embracing the uniqueness of who they are.”  - TD Jakes

26 plus years later, five lovable children, twelve irresistible grandchildren, my husband and I still embrace the uniqueness of each other, who we are, and the unique connection we have together.   I have evolved with my husband and we have become best friends.    

 In our early years of marriage, we began to discover rather quickly that we had our differences.  Our personality types, our strengths, our weaknesses, our backgrounds, our interests and even the gifting and anointing on our lives were so different.  We soon realized that these differences were ultimately designed to complement and bring great balance to each other and our marriage and were not ever intended to pull us apart.  We were created both similarly and yet differently in order to fulfill God's purposes.  Often times, I humorously remind my husband to ‘come into my world for a bit’ when I want him to take interest in something that I’m solely interested in and bless his darling heart, ‘he’s not.’ 

I believe it’s so very important for us, ladies, to invest in our marriage relationship – after all, marriage is the second greatest decision we’ll ever make after receiving Jesus Christ into our life.  God desires for our marriages to be like days of heaven on earth and I can honestly say, I’m living proof of that and you can have that too!  Marriage is one of God’s greatest institutions on the earth and it’s worth investing in.  Over the years, I’ve invested in our marriage by collecting, reading/studying some of the best-selling books on marriage.  One that I believe is a must read to add to your book collection is “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman.    

 Did you know that even in the area of love, our love languages can be as different as French and English, but once discovered can be the key to a long lasting, loving marriage?  Just a little nugget from this illuminating book:  “We must be willing to learn our spouse's primary love language if we are to be effective communicators of love.” – Wow!

Jesus says it plainly in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Knowing the truth and properly using what we know will set our marriages free (information is a powerful thing.)   Freedom is the direct result of knowledge.  Now I can see why Paul prayed the Ephesians prayer that they eyes of our understanding be enlightened.  Knowledge (love language knowledge) and its proper use are powerful and win battles!  I made a quality decision a long time ago, that my marriage would never perish because of a lack of knowledge.

Ladies, may you experience a real desire to know, love, and comprehend your spouse, embracing the uniqueness of who they are in your life today and may your marriage be like days of heaven on earth.         

~Mary McIver

  

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