New Wine

Video Attached: "New Wine - Hillsong Worship"

New Wine

Hillsong Worship

In the crushing
In the pressing
You are making
New wine
In the soil, I
Now surrender
You are breaking
New ground (hey)
You are breaking
New ground

So make me Your vessel
Make me an offering
Make me whatever You want me to be
I came here with nothing
But all You have given me
Jesus, bring new wine out of me
Jesus, bring new wine out of me
Jesus, bring new wine out of me

'Cause where there is new wine
There is new power
There is new freedom
And the kingdom is here
I lay down my old flames
To carry Your new fire today (oh today)

This song has been my declaration lately.  I love songs for seasons.  God has always used songs prophetically in my life.  This is one of the ones that is ministering to me in this season of life.  Hard seasons can either push us into Father God or away from Him.  They truly are what we make them.  We can become Bitter or Beautiful!  :-)  

God is so about doing something NEW.  New wine, New power, New freedom, New fire. He has made us NEW and is transforming us into that newness and likeness of Him, doing new things all the time!  In that place of crushing, breaking, surrender, God is faithfully making something beautiful, something New if we allow Him through our surrender and yielding. 

The concept of new wine has been on my heart of late, as well as, rivers of the Holy Spirit.  This morning as I was praying, I was laughing with Holy Spirit as I was thinking of all sorts of ways to ask/receive from Him rivers, outlets, winds, wine, etc. into my life from Him.  

The process of making wine is quite "pressing".  Ha!  (That was my husband John's humor coming out.)  After the grapes are sorted, they are ready to be de-stemmed and crushed.  We all have seasons throughout life (and if you are have not had one yet, you probably will) where we feel de-stemmed and crushed (as well as amazing seasons of fruitfulness and harvest).  If we can yield to the Goodness of God, the Faithfulness of God, the Justice of God, the Father-heart of God, in those hard seasons, we can come out with new wine, having a life that is yielded and surrendered to the life of the Spirit of God - new power, new freedom, new fire, new ground . . . the kingdom is here!   

And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. ~ Ephesians 5:18

"We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being.  But God will be faithful to you.  He will screen and filter the severity, nature and timing of every test or trail you face, so that you can bear it.  And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it VICTORIOUSLY."  ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

Micah 6:8

Here is a blog I wrote for Extreme Love Recently:
http://www.extremelove.com/what-does-the-lord-require-of-you/

This verse has been on my mind of late, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you?  But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8

Sometimes I put so many personal requirements on my life.  Requirements motivated by perfectionism that are self-imposed, requirements that stem from other people’s expectations of me, requirements that I think God may desire.  But I love this scripture that brings a refreshing simplicity into my relationship with God. 

God shows me what is good

Psalms 31:19 says, that God has stored up good things for me as I fear Him. Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” What a comfort to know that he not only shows me what is good but he does not withhold good from me.

God shows me what is required of me 

I love this verse from Acts 2, “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”  He wants to show us what is required of us and the paths for us to walk in. 

What is required:  Do Justly 

Do justice!  I like justice defined as “taking up the cause for restoration of every violation of Love.  Taking the wrong and making it right.” 

What is required:  Love Mercy 

Ephesians 2:4 says that God is rich in mercy.  How wonderful that the God of the universe lives inside of me, so I too can be “rich” in mercy, showing compassion, kindness and forgiveness readily.  I can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence and receive His mercy. 

What is required:  Walk Humbly with your God

An invitation to walk with God free from haughtiness, arrogance or assertive behavior.  A yielded, submission to His Lordship in our lives.  And  again in Psalms 25:9 we find another promise of God guiding (the humble) us in what is right and teaching us His ways.  Psalm 149:4 says, that the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory.  How beautiful the picture of a submissive, yieldness to God that produces victory!  Often in our culture we think of victory as assertive and extroverted act, but the scripture is saying that humility is the path to victory.

Today, I am doing a little personal inventory on the “requirements” of the Lord and I invite you, to do the same.  I welcome you to pray this prayer with me . . . “God, I thank you that you have shown me what is good.  I ask that you increase the fear of the Lord in my life to live blamelessly before you and walk in the good things you have stored up for me. Thank you that you show me what you require of me by making known to me paths of life.  Today, may I take every wrong that comes my way and turn it towards your righteousness.  May I release your justice into every violation of love that is revealed to me.  I approach your throne of grace with confidence and receive the mercy that you have for me to be rich in.  Help me to love mercy. May goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and may I dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  I yield myself and submit to your Lordship.  Thank you, God, that you always lead me in victorious triumph in Christ!  This day and forever, may I do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you God!”

Micah 6:8 Video - Martin Smith

Keys to Leading Effectively

This came into my inbox and I am loving it!  Keys to leading effectively.  We all have areas we are invited to lead in.  In the home, in the workplace, in school, in ministry.  Check out this note and see if it resonates with truths that you need to press into for your own life or that you have already mastered and see fruit in . . .

Hey Juanita, I firmly believe that leadership is more than a position or title. It’s lived out through example, inspiration, and courage. No matter what you do—whether you’re a teacher, an attorney, an artist, a healthcare professional, or in ministry—you can develop certain leadership habits that will help propel you into your God-given destiny! The key to leading others effectively is to first lead yourself well. You can’t have one without the other. By cultivating your best self you'll be poised to bring out the best in your team. To lead yourself well, you need to: Acknowledge your value. No matter what happened in the past or what your present surroundings look like, nothing can change the fact that you are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable, made in the image of God! Resist the path of least resistance. Doing the bare minimum leads to, at best, mediocrity. Your willingness to go above and beyond will infuse a spirit of excellence into all you do. And by embracing a positive, can-do attitude you’ll transform even the dullest tasks into something you can feel proud of. Grow through adversity. When faced with challenges, refuse to play the victim. Instead, view these experiences as opportunities for growth. James 1:2-4 tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." When you say YES to leading yourself well, you’ll become more effective in your home, workplace, and other spheres of influence. It’ll create a positive ripple effect that will resonate in all areas of your life! Love you Christine