Isaiah says Jesus will be called four things. ‘Wonderful Counselor’ speaks to us of the wisdom of Christ. You can’t look to other sources for the answers we need in our human lives. All the answers come from Jesus. You will be baffled by things, and you may look everywhere else for answers instead of the words in red. There is only one source that will get you through 2012 better than 2011. You should not try to live your life by other any other direction, than by the wisdom of Christ. Get closer to Jesus in 2012. The closer you get to someone, the more you get from them, the better communication flows. The wisdom of Christ is going to come by the people He puts in your life sometimes, and is going to come by revelation through His Word. You will read the Bible, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit will take the words on that page and give you just what you need.

Jesus is called ‘Mighty God.’ He is God in the flesh. Why? So when you read about Jesus, you can relate to Him. He came to earth to show His character. He came to help people. He was all God and all man. Jesus was the perfect visual image of God. People put their faith into things that are here today and gone tomorrow. We lose every time, unless we listen to Jesus. Jesus has the answers we need.

Jesus is called ‘Eternal Father.’ He is the son, but he has father-like qualities. He comes into our life like a friend sometimes. But, He also brings security, provision, authority, vision and discipline like a father. Fathers are involved on the lives of their children. Fathers are concerned with how their children are going to turn out. A father can bring guidance and vision to their children. Jesus will bring vision into your lives this year.

Jesus is called Prince of peace. He wants to be lord of your emotional life. Jesus is the One who will settle your soul. 2012 is going to be about dreams and visions in your life that you have asked God to help you with for years. Some of these things are going to come to pass in your life this year.

Verses Used:
*Isaiah 9:6-7

First, it is essential to understand that people come into a marriage with their own subconscious ideas of what it will be like. When these two worlds collide, major problems can occur, which is evident in the number of marriages that are ended over “irreconcilable differences.” We must decide that rather than “my way,” we will commit to finding “our way.” Commonality of goal, the ability to communicate about everything openly, and understanding the need to compromise will help us craft a vision for where we are going as a couple…together.

Secondly, if we want to have commonality of goal, we must shift our mindset away from what society and tradition have said marriage should be. The old mindset of the 50’s and 60’s that sees mom at home all day vacuuming in a dress and pearls is still around and it’s completely unreasonable. In fact, it’s not even Biblical. True marriage is not about roles, it about sharing dreams together. It’s about submitting to each other in the knowledge of God. And it’s about putting the other first and making all decisions with the other in mind.

Finally, we must make the decision to commit to the commitment of marriage. No husband or wife is perfect. We all have faults and will all make mistakes. We cannot hold unforgiveness toward our spouse or shut them out. If we refuse to hear the other, we cause our marriage to begin to disintegrate. All marriages go through shifting seasons when one spouse’s needs overshadow the other. We must be willing to make whatever adjustments are necessary for the best interest of the marriage and the family – not simply decide based on our own self-interest.

As time goes on, life seems to be more and more hectic. We cannot forget that a marriage must be tended if it is to survive and grow. Resist taking the other for granted and be sure to make time for the wooing to go on. In marriage, we must offer affection and love that expects nothing more. Marriage is the most important relationship ever created. Children draw security from a strong marriage, and communities benefit from the foundation they provide. There is no condemnation in Christ. Perhaps you have gone through a divorce or are struggling in your marriage right now. The good news is, with God’s help, any married couple can decide today, to commit, or re-commit, to taking the steps that lead them to their best life.

After dinner, however, the mood shifts. Jesus took another cup, symbolic of the new covenant they were about to enter into between God and man. “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you…I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom comes to earth.” Last week we learned the depth of what those words meant, now we know that 50 days later at Pentecost, the Kingdom of God came to earth in the form of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had told his followers, “There is one coming after me…who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In the upper room of Acts 2, 120 faithful followers were filled with the Spirit of Jesus and begin to proclaim in other tongues the glory of God’s kingdom. Thus, the Kingdom is within us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we are building His kingdom here on earth! It is now within our grasp, as we pray His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.

In Luke 5, we read these words of Christ: “You don’t put wine in old wineskins; you get new wineskins for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.” A wineskin was the scraped-out hide of a sheep or goat. The reason new wine needed to go into new skins was that the fermentation process was so strong, the skins had to be able to expand to hold it all in. New skins were pliable, soft, like our hearts need to be. We can always stretch out some more when we are being filled anew every day with the Holy Spirit! The symbolism of the Cup of the Covenant is a fresh touch from Jesus on our lives and hearts, the fermenting of our dreams & visions swirling around and being made reality. “I have to go so my Spirit can come live in you”, He said to those who begged Him to stay. We are the vessels that the wine is being poured into. It’s so easy to get stuck in the “once upon a time” experience. Old wineskins could be made pliable again by being immersed in oil – God doesn’t want the vessel (us) to burst or break from His new; wine of dreams & visions for our lives! Make it a priority to empty ourselves of what the Lord has given us so we can be filled with the next new thing He has for us. Be ready to live new experiences; God is going to challenge our mindsets and wants to change us to become bigger in all areas of our lives. Being filled with the Spirit means getting fresh vision, dreams that bring us joy, and not allowing our hearts to harden for any reason. When we keep our vessel full of the new wine of what the Spirit is calling us onward to do, we will find our dreams fulfilled, as Christ’s were after he drank from the Cup of the Covenant and did what His Father had called Him to do for the coming of the Kingdom. Come unafraid to the altar for a fresh touch, fresh oil and new wine!

Verses Used:
*Luke 22:17-20
*Matthew 3:11
*Acts 2:1-41
*Luke 5:33-39
*John 14:16-17

After dinner, however, the mood shifts. Jesus took another cup, symbolic of the new covenant they were about to enter into between God and man. “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you…I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom comes to earth.” Last week we learned the depth of what those words meant, now we know that 50 days later at Pentecost, the Kingdom of God came to earth in the form of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had told his followers, “There is one coming after me…who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In the upper room of Acts 2, 120 faithful followers were filled with the Spirit of Jesus and begin to proclaim in other tongues the glory of God’s kingdom. Thus, the Kingdom is within us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we are building His kingdom here on earth! It is now within our grasp, as we pray His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.

In Luke 5, we read these words of Christ: “You don’t put wine in old wineskins; you get new wineskins for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.” A wineskin was the scraped-out hide of a sheep or goat. The reason new wine needed to go into new skins was that the fermentation process was so strong, the skins had to be able to expand to hold it all in. New skins were pliable, soft, like our hearts need to be. We can always stretch out some more when we are being filled anew every day with the Holy Spirit! The symbolism of the Cup of the Covenant is a fresh touch from Jesus on our lives and hearts, the fermenting of our dreams & visions swirling around and being made reality. “I have to go so my Spirit can come live in you”, He said to those who begged Him to stay. We are the vessels that the wine is being poured into. It’s so easy to get stuck in the “once upon a time” experience. Old wineskins could be made pliable again by being immersed in oil – God doesn’t want the vessel (us) to burst or break from His new; wine of dreams & visions for our lives! Make it a priority to empty ourselves of what the Lord has given us so we can be filled with the next new thing He has for us. Be ready to live new experiences; God is going to challenge our mindsets and wants to change us to become bigger in all areas of our lives. Being filled with the Spirit means getting fresh vision, dreams that bring us joy, and not allowing our hearts to harden for any reason. When we keep our vessel full of the new wine of what the Spirit is calling us onward to do, we will find our dreams fulfilled, as Christ’s were after he drank from the Cup of the Covenant and did what His Father had called Him to do for the coming of the Kingdom. Come unafraid to the altar for a fresh touch, fresh oil and new wine!

Verses Used:
*Luke 22:17-20
*Matthew 3:11
*Acts 2:1-41
*Luke 5:33-39
*John 14:16-17

There are four instances in the Bible where “The Cup” is discussed:

1) The Cup of Water which represents Compassion
2) The Cup of Greed and Selfishness
3) The Cup of Sorrow and Suffering
4) The Cup of the Covenant

Each will be discussed in turn throughout the course of this series. Today, we will be looking at the Cup of Water. The Cup of Water is the manifestation of our faith. All too often, people come to church to get the experience without ever moving forward into a deeper relationship with God. The concept of the Cup of Water is where the challenge arises. Will you go beyond yourself to offer the water to others?

The Water is all that God has done in your life. You know what happens to water when it sits in a cup? It goes stale and grows mold and is undrinkable. Cups of Water are meant to be poured out. How do you pour out the water? You help others. Luke 10 paints a beautiful picture of how to give the Cup of Water. Luke 10 is the story of the Good Samaritan, and we all know the story. Poor man gets beaten up; twice he is passed by BY A PRIEST AND A PRIEST’S ASSISTENT!!! Yet, a man who is considered the enemy, stops and helps the beaten man. He sacrifices his time and resources to aid a man in need. That is giving the Cup of Water.

Now, you may be thinking, “I don’t have those kinds of resources!” You have something, right? You may not be living your best life, but you are living. And the life you are living is desperately needed by those who are dying around you. Reach out. Help out! Pour out. Give your Cup, great or small, and watch as God’s water changes lives.

Verses Used:
Matthew 10
Luke 10

So the question must be asked…how do you live the gospel in 2011? It is almost easy to say, “Well, it was easier for the early church to live the gospel, they were starting it out!” But the sad truth is, too many Christians struggle with being Children of God because they have forgotten what Jesus died to give us. Jesus died to open a way–Christianity was first known as “The Way”–for us to reconnect with God! But what does that mean? What is it that Jesus gave us?

Sit back, because it’s time for a refresher:

First off, Jesus saved us from sin and eternal death. I John 3:4-6 states that all who believe in Christ are saved; all who do not, are not. Acts 2–Peter’s powerful message at Pentecost was a declaration: Salvation comes through the name of Jesus Christ! And Acts 4: Peter and John stand up to the Pharisees to declare the truth–Jesus is the only way. Jesus is the only way to be saved from sin and death!

Secondly, Jesus saved us from a wretched, unfulfilled life! He brought peace into our chaos! His presence is with us always, filling us with His love and life. He brings His light into our darkness, driving away the chaos of the world, and brining His order. Jesus’ name is Emmanuel, which means “God with us!” Jesus died to be with us! Thus, His very presence drives out the essence of the world that makes life so hallow.

Jesus’ death brought us assurance and stability! Which the world is running about in a panic–I don’t have enough money; I’m going to loose my house; I need to have these clothes; I have to buy that car; I need; I need; I need!–we stand firm on the promise that God is our provider. He will take care of all our needs. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” God’s promises are eternal; everything God gives is eternal. The things of this world are temporary; the things of the Kingdom are eternal! We build our lives on God promises (the house on the stone); when the storms of life come, we stand strong. Safe. Stable.

One of the best results of Jesus’ death and resurrection is that He droves away all fear! The entire Bible–Old and New–is full of God’s assurance that we have nothing to fear because He is with us! Jesus affirmed it. Matthew 6, again, He is urging us not to fear, for we are more precious to Him then all of creation. Do not be afraid! I’m here with you! It is going to be great!

In Christ, we have the Kingdom in us! The Kingdom is not an invading force; it is not a conquering army of men; it is the Power that destroys all that the devil is forcing upon the world. Where he brings chaos, the Kingdom brings peace. Where there is hate, the Kingdom brings love. Where there is selfishness, the Kingdom brings selfless service (service that gains rewards in Heaven–another perk!) When the world stands divided, the Kingdom stands united! And with the Kingdom in us, we have the authority to speak God’s will into existence! John 3:16 makes God’s will very clear. It is His will that no one should perish. We have the power to make that happen. We speak God’s will into existence through prayer and proclaiming His Word. And His will changes peoples’ lives!

When you know what Jesus died for, when it dawns on you, then everything clicks into place. And when everything clicks, you understand who you are! We are the Children of God! And when we bring the Kingdom into the world with humility and authority, lives change.

This story is one of the more…colorful narratives of Jesus’ ministry. We see a great of deal passion and determination from the characters involved—from the steadfast nature of the paralyzed man’s friends to the steadfast rigidity of the pharisaical onlookers. But let us focus on the former group.

Imagine the paralytic’s friends. Imagine their love for this man and their unceasing desire to help him in whatever way they are able. They’ve prayed with him. They’ve wept with him. They’ve perhaps defended him from others who have suggested that his sins are the reason for his condition. In spite of the efforts they have made, we can assume that none of the four are a doctor, and so any assistance that they’ve offered might seem to them ineffectual. (They’d be wrong, of course. But this is how they might feel.) Then, unexpectedly, they receive word that Jesus is returning to his adoptive hometown of Capernaum. An opportunity!, they think. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus has—according to Mark’s Gospel—already healed many people, cast out many demons, preached with boldness, and cleansed a leper. So the four friends decide that need to get their friend to Jesus as soon as possible upon his return to the city.

Jesus does return and gossip goes out where he’ll next be speaking. And once these four friends learn of it, they make haste with their crippled companion over to the house where Jesus is staying. Upon arriving, however, they are immediately hit with a considerable obstacle—the house is packed with listeners, supporters and critics alike. There is no way in! One, faced with such a concrete challenge, could ultimately accept their defeat, or at least a delay. The four friends, on the other hand, keep moving.

The first task they must negotiate is to get their friend up on the roof of the house! This was probably not an easy charge considering that the paralytic lay on a horizontal mat, meaning that two men likely climbed onto the roof and then lifted their friend from a lying position. However they did it, once the five friends were successfully on the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching, they were still no closer to the encounter they were seeking. The only way to get to their healer, to pursue their hope, was to dig.

Can you imagine the reaction of the crowd within when that first finger poked through the clay roof? Here was Jesus, the Christ, packed into a hushed room of his followers (worshiping him) and his detractors (testing him), teaching and awing the crowd. Then, in that moment of extreme focus and palpable conflict comes a faint chipping sound, followed by a blanket of dust wafting down from the ceiling. A finger emerges through the crack, somebody gasps, and a murmur circulates throughout the room. But the disturbance is not finished. The finger becomes a hand and the hand, eventually, a hole roughly 7 feet by 3 feet. The murmurs below soon crescendo into chaos and then down comes the paralytic! When finally the man has been lowered upon Jesus’ table—an odd sight itself—the teacher breaks the silence: “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

There are two critical points I want you to notice. First, it is crucial to note that Jesus addresses the paraplegic as his “child.” Immediately he welcomes this man back into his family, fully accepted and whole. This is the relationship God wants with each of us, and this is one reason why He sent his son to come and reconcile us back to Him. This particular claim is central to the Gospel, so please do not skip over the ramifications of such a meaningful title.

Secondly, I want you to notice the phrase just before Jesus’ startling proclamation: “Seeing their faith, Jesus spoke.” One can get as caught up in the theological nitpicking if they’d like, but it seems perfectly clear that Jesus heals the crippled man by his friends’ conviction. The implications of this evidence are astounding! Piggybacking upon Bill Wiese’s message last week, what this means for you and for me is we are, or rather, can be in some way responsible for the healing of our friends! Our persistence in prayer for those placed in our sphere of influence is a considerable force. Our faith, in other words, has real impact on the lives of others, whether we know it or not.

This is the reason, I believe, this account is communicated not only in the Gospel of Mark but two of the other accounts as well. It seems to be a point that is important enough that God remind us on several occasions the impact we play in His kingdom in general, but on those sovereignly placed in our community in particular.

The First Fruits, though mentioned seven times in the New Testament, is an Old Testament concept. Before we move forward into this essential truth, we must understand that the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, or the Law is still important to us of the New Covenant. Why? Because, though the Law presents itself as a long list of rules, it is, in reality, God establishing truth. Yes, the Law without its fulfillment (JESUS!) is a curse (as Paul says) upon life, making things so very hard. But, after Jesus came and fulfilled the law with His death and resurrection, we became free to look at the Law as God’s truths, and it is from this platform that we proceed into the First Fruits.

The First Fruits came out of a festival where the Hebrews would bring their first cut of grain and a one year old male lamb to be sacrificed before God. The offerings were presented to the Priests (thank God we no long need a priest to mediate for us; we have Jesus, the High Priest) on the day after the Sabbath. The priests would prepare the sacrifices and place them on the burning alter. God would smell the smoke and accept the offerings. Very simple. So, how does that apply to us now? Seeing as this is Atlanta, there is an obvious lack of sheep. And, as stated before, we live in the New Covenant where Jesus fulfilled the Law, so…do we need lambs?

No. But the principle is still the same. You see, the First Fruits is not about giving God a lamb-burger. It is about remembering what God has done for us. If you believe as I do, you know that Jesus died on a Friday; was in the grave through Saturday (the Sabbath); and rose again on Sunday (the day after Sabbath). Think that over for a minute. Jesus was presented as the perfect replacement on the day after Sabbath! Jesus is God’s First Fruit. When Jesus was crucified before a blood thirsty crowd whose only goal was to silence Him forever, His blood became the First Fruit–the Fulfillment of the Law. God wanted Jesus’ blood more than the crowds screaming “Crucify Him!” He wanted it so much because He knew that when the blood and water hit the ground that it was a seed being planted. And that when Jesus rose again on the third day, He became the fulfillment of First Fruits Law, and from that moment on, the Harvesting of the NATIONS would begin!

You see, in this, the New Covenant, the First Fruits is about PEOPLE. All throughout His ministry, Jesus used the image of grain and wheat to represent people. (“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”) The New Covenant First Fruit Sacrifice is all about People (wheat/grain), Jesus (the lamb), and the holy Spirit (the wine–wine was also part of the sacrifice). So, when you give in the First Fruits Offering, you are giving to the empowerment of the House to reap the harvest. You are giving to the changing of people’s lives. It is always about the people.

A lot of Christians tend to look inward, toward themselves: what they are and aren’t doing to further God’s kingdom. How they are and aren’t sinning. When Jesus met with Zacchaeus, he was on the road to Jerusalem, where people were awaiting his arrival with palm leaves for the donkey to walk on. He saw Zacchaeus climb the tree and wait to see him in the crowds that followed.

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in this little town that Jesus passed through. Tax collectors in the Biblical times were people from the local towns chosen by the Roman government to collect money from their towns for the Roman government. These people were highly looked down upon. They were considered thieves, and so unaccepted in their towns. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in his city, and so he unaccepted even more so.

He was a part of the bottom rung of society, and yet, Jesus saw him waiting patiently up in the tree for him. He was not looking inward; he was looking outward. He saw Zacchaeus in the tree, and felt his eagerness just to see him. He felt his wanting to feel something real, which Zacchaeus knew he would get when he saw Jesus. That is how it needs to be when people see us- they need to know that we care, and that we are real.

Another thing- Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name. Jesus knows everyone’s names. Oftentimes, it becomes easy to know that he knows our names- the names of those to talk to him daily, or even only every so often. He knows every single name of every single person he has ever created, even the ones who do not believe in him. He knows everything about them, just as he knows us. He knows them just the same, so shouldn’t we? Enjoy the fellowship of the world- they are who he came to save. Of course he came to save us also, but they are the ones who need saving right now. Come out of your safe little world and don’t preach at them. Show them with your love and with your life what a life with God can be. People get touched wherever you go, just as wherever Jesus went, he touched people. They can see the light and life in your world.

Before you can save them, you need to seek them. It says that “When Jesus got to that spot; he looked up and said…” Jesus knew that Zacchaeus would be waiting for him in the tree. You need to seek people out, find them where no one else would ever look. Only then can you save them. Always be looking outward to where you are going; do not only focus on what you are doing in the here and now.

As God is three in one–God, Jesus, Holy Spirit–so, too, is humanity. We are created with a body, a soul, and a spirit. All three parts are sanctified when we accept Christ as our Savior. We commune spirit to Spirit with God through the relationship established by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. It is in our spirit that we feel God the most. However, there are days when we don’t feel particularly spiritual. That is when we engage all three parts to seek God again.

All things of God engage all three aspects of who we are. The human body struggles to submit to the spirit. The soul is the battle ground where we battle our broken sin nature with its corrupted thoughts and propensity to lean towards the ungodly with the new nature God gave us upon Salvation. These two aspects of who we are, the parts we sometimes feel is what makes us less godly, are parts that have also been sanctified by God. And when we feel less spiritual, we engage these two parts to stir the spirit: We go to our God Zone.

The God Zone is prayer. We pray. We physically take ourselves to a place of solitude. We pour out our souls before God. We pray and seek Him; we seek His will. And our spirits are revived. God said in Joel that He
would pour His spirit out on all people, and they would Prophesy! In the God Zone, we engage that gifting. All three aspects of humanity come together in prophesy. The spirit stirs–whether upon hearing bad news or seeing something tragic or whatever else–and the body and soul engage.

Prophesy is speaking out truth into your world or into the worlds of others. You literally speak. The power of God manifests in speech. God spoke and the world came into being. When we speak, we change our worlds. Good or bad; believer or non-believer; as long as you have faith in what you are saying, it will happen. This principle goes across the board. Imagine what would happen if you align your words and belief with God’s Word? The Word of God is the Power of God. When we align ourselves with His Word and speak HIS truths into our worlds, great things happen. What He promises comes to pass.

When you speak His truths over your world, your world is changed. You can speak His truths over the worlds of your family and friends, over your situations, over your finances, over everything! That is prophecy. Speaking into the future changes the future for the better! Speaking GOD into your future opens the doors for HIM to do what He does best: Be Awesome! He will go above and beyond your expectations! So, speak out in faith! Believe it! Engage your body, soul, and spirit, and let God move.