God asked Moses “What is that in your hand?” (Ex.4:2) to which Moses replied “A rod.” Now of  course God knew what it was, he just wanted to make sure Moses knew. But what happened  next is what is so profound. God told Moses to throw the rod down. To let it go. To give it to  Him. When Moses did the rod became a serpent and then of course that rod accompanied him  as he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. A simple man, with a simple rod, doing miraculous things because of a willingness to let go and let God!

You know, there are things right now that you are holding that God wants to use. Little things that could be great when touched by God’s power. So, what do you have that the Almighty could use? Are you willing to let it go? Are you willing to trust Him with it?

Just as there are things you are holding that God can use if you give them to Him, there are also things you are holding onto that God wants you to let go of . Things that are keeping you from following after God. Things that are keeping you from hearing Him, trusting Him, and knowing His will for your life. Are you holding on to something that is affecting your relationship with God? Something that is keeping you from the blessings God has for your life? Is it a relationship, a hurt, a fear, a grudge? What is that you may be refusing to let go of because it is familiar to you, something that you are used to carrying around with you for so long that you have become attached to it?

God is saying “Let it Go”. Let go of the past so the past will let go of you. Then and only then will you be able to live and enjoy the fullness of what God has for your life.

So, what are you holding on to? Do you have talents, ideas, dreams, abilities, thoughts, or desires that God could be using for His glory? Or do you have bitterness, unforgiveness, secrets, broken dreams, or spiritual ties with people that you know needs to be severed? God says Let it Go! The choice is yours, and so are the repercussions.

Paul actually wrote this verse right before he was carried out to be executed.  In fact, it was one of the very last things he ever wrote.  To me, this verse demonstrates “selflessness”.  Paul didn’t live for Jesus at the beginning of his life,; however, he made up for it at the end.  Growing up, Paul (then known as Saul), lived a very selfish life.  He only looked after himself and everything he did was in the sole interest of him and him alone.  As a adult, Paul helped to seek out and kill many innocent people.  Paul was a selfish, bitter man- that is, until he met Jesus.

When Jesus came into Paul’s life, Paul was completely transformed.  He was a new man.  And immediatley people began to see a change in him.  When Jesus became Paul’s main focus, Paul became self-less.  No longer was he concerned about the well-being of himself.  Instead, he was concerned about the welfare of others.

Paul knew that in doing so, he could lose everything, including his life, but it didn’t matter.  Paul had discovered the true meaning of love and had embraced the true meaning of life itself which is ”selflessness”.

Paul poured his whole life into serving Jesus and serving others.  He fought the good fight.

Now, if we judged Paul’s fight in the eyes of men, it would seem as if Paul lost everything.  He lost his status among high officials, he had no money, he was a wanted man, and eventually caught and put in prison.  All of these things are enough to make any man break down and give up, but not Paul.  Even while in prison, Paul wrote letters of encouragement to many people offering hope and encouraging them to stay the course and follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

Eventually, Paul was tried and sentenced to death.

Paul continued to write and encourage even though he knew his days were numbered.

As the day came for him to be executed, crowds of people begin to gather outside.  They hated what this man stood for and couldn’t wait to watch him die.

Inside his cell, Paul could hear the crowds getting louder and louder…

Paul knew it was almost time, so he wrote.

He wrote to his friends telling them not to worry and to continue where he had left off.

As he wrote, Paul could hear footsteps, distant at first, and then getting louder and louder.  They stopped at his cell door.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened and Paul looked up to see the guards.  The end had come.

As the guards led Paul out of his cell and through the prison, Paul prayed for them.

They approached the door to the outside. The door was opened and Paul was led into the jeering crowd.

No one really knows what went on in Paul’s mind the minute he was led to the chopping block or the brief seconds in which the executor raised his axe.  But we do know this: Paul fought the good fight.  He gave his ALL for Jesus.

I’m pretty sure that the jeering crowd, the guards, and the executioner thought that Paul was a miserable failure that day.  Paul had fought hard to share the gospel with the world and he ended up losing his life.  However, Paul was a victor and he knew it.  During his final moments, Paul knew that he was about to come face to face with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and receive his eternal award – the crown of righteousness.

Paul fought the good fight and today, his writings(which were inspired by God) and his legacy lives on and reaches millions of people all around the world.

This verse, though short and simple, is so profound.  It means that we should never give up, never tired of being a light for HIM.  And even when we don’t feel like being kind to others or letting “the peace of God rule” we should. We should strive to become, self-less individuals who think more of others than we do of ourseleves.  Life is a constant battle.  So let’s fight the good fight

And isn’t that what this season is all about? Being together? and Loving one another? Oh, it’s not about the shopping and the crowded malls. It’s not about the decorations or the gifts . All of those thing can go. it’s about the love of a Savior, and the greatest gift of all. it’s about sharing that love with each other and taking advantage of each moment that we have together. The moments we have won’t last forever, but what we put into them will.

This Christmas season I will reflect on the time we’ve spent together, the laughs we’ve shared,   the loved ones who can’t be home with us this year and the one’s who have gone on to be with the One whose bith we celebrate. I will try to remember how precious this time is and how important it is to spend time together. Hopefully, you will too, because when the tree is gone, the snow has melted, the gifts are all put away and the time has past, the memories will linger on. So make them worthwhile.

I leave you with a few lines of our song, “Christmas in Georgia”…

“I remember…  Warm smiles on each face,

The Spirit in our hearts,

I miss your sweet embrace,

Since we have been apart,

So, Please come home to Christmas in Georgia,

We’ll gather with some friends and family,

If you come home to Christmas in Georgia,

You’ll be with me…

You’ll be with me…

Centuries ago, people used goatskin to store wine instead of bottles.  They’d take a whole goatskin dry it and cure it, and then shape it into little bottle-like containers to hold wine.  When the wine was poured into the goatskin, they’d tie the top of the goatskin to seal the wine inside.
During Jesus’ time, these goatskins were known as wine skins.

An interesting thing about these wine skins is that when they were new, they were soft and pliable.  However, as time passed, they would age and lose their elasticity.  When this happened, the wine skins would harden and set until eventually, they could no longer expand.

Now, this wasn’t a bad thing, after all, everything ages- right?  And aged wine skins had no effect on the wine that was already inside…however, what about new wine?  In other words, what happened if someone were to pour brand new wine into an old, used wineskin?  Let’s ask Jesus

If we look in Luke 5:37, Jesus gives us our answer.

He says,
“And no one pours new wine into old wine skins.  If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wine skins will be ruined”.

Basically, new wine and old wine skins was a big “no-no”.

So, what is the point of this whole wineskin talk and what is the meaning behind it?

It’s HUGE.  Are you ready? Drum Roll….

Jesus used the wineskin story as a parable to make a point.  He wanted to encourage us not to settle by telling us to enlarge our visions.

The wine in the parable is actually symbolic of our lives.  And the wine skins, symbolic of our attitudes.

When He said, “You can’t put new wine into old wine skins”, Jesus was saying that we cannot have a larger life with restricted attitudes.

In other words, we can’t expect to live a life full of purpose and essence if we have a crappy attitude or continue to be set in our ways and bound by our thinking.

God has incredible plans for each and every one of us.  That’s why he gives us talents, gifts, and dreams.

He places certain dreams, certain desires in our heart, but we’ll never accomplish them unless we’re willing to wholeheartedly trust HIM, change our old way of thinking, and expand our vision.

Ephesians 4:22-24 says,
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

God doesn’t want us to be old wine skins!   He wants us to get rid of the old, and put on the new.

Until we begin to dream big and see the future through eyes of faith instead of eyes of doubt, then our wrong thinking will prevent God’s best for our lives.  Just as you can’t pour new wine into new wine skins, God can’t pour new ideas, visions, and blessings into our old attitudes.

When we get rid of our old way of thinking and truly begin to trust and follow God, we will begin to experience His immeasurable favor and receive His blessings.

When we were younger, we used to think Christmas would never get here. Now, it seems that we’ve no sooner put away the stockings and taken down the lights, than we’re carving the turkey and getting ready to put up the tree all over again.

It’s crazy how fast time goes. So, I guess we need to make the most of it. I mean, think about it. Once the day is gone, it’s gone. No getting it back. Unfortunately, we weren’t made with a rewind button. You can’t undo or redo. You have what you have and you’d better make the most of it.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says it like this.

So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do.

So live life to the fullest, but be careful to do it wisely. Live for Jesus. Shine His light and let’s brighten up the world!