OLD WINE BARRELS

Dear One, Very often My children don’t act like Jesus knew what He was talking about. His wisdom was never mere idealism with no power to change things. His wisdom was always workable, efficient instructions to teach My children how to succeed in life. (John 6:63) His teachings about never putting new wine into old wine barrels is a good example. He said that the new wine will break the old containers, causing the wine to spill out and be wasted. He cautioned that new wine must be put into new containers with new attitudes, new thoughts, new speech, new actions. (Matthew 9:17) His advice is valuable to every one of My children, especially as a new year begins after an old one ends. My children must take on My attitudes toward others, blessing people instead of cursing them with negative words, doing good to those who curse you and take from you, praying for your enemies. He said that the old practices of an eye for an eye and hating your enemies and returning evil for evil would no longer work in newness of life. He gave the new guidelines that are operable in a new creation, blessing instead of cursing, doing good instead returning evil, giving to others instead of taking from them. His teachings were meant to reveal to My children the truth that there are two kingdoms available, two spiritual families available from which to choose to draw your power. One is the family of evil whose father is the devil and the other is My family of good of which I am the Father. (Matthew 6:24) If your past year was replete with hurt feelings, angry energy, vindictive thoughts, depression and strife, leave those attitudes behind and emerge into the new year pure and fresh as a newborn baby, eager to experience the goodness that I have for you. First you must not put the new attitudes into old habits, old thoughts, old religious laws, old political rhetoric, old strife filled relationships. Instead, put on My new life which is filled with the benefits derived from doing what I advised you to do, take off the old and put on the new. (II Corinthians 5:17) There is more power in the admonitions of Jesus than you realize. Loving others as I love you will produce good things being returned to you. Loving others as I love you will produce peace in your family. Loving others as I love you will attract to you more good things than you dare think or imagine because of the power of My love in you which flows to others. (Ephesians 3:14-20) If Jesus is your Savior, begin this new year choosing to heed His teachings which are actually My instructions on how to have the abundant life which I have for you. Old troublesome habits, old negative thoughts, old vengeful attitudes, old bitter words are all the old wine barrels which must be thrown on the garbage heap and replaced with new loving habits, new loving thoughts, new loving attitudes and new loving words which always bless the hearers and bring grace to them. (Ephesians 4:29) When you take the advice of Jesus you become My children in the earth because you sow My peace and love in the lives of others. (Matthew 5:7-9) Your Loving Father (Luke 12:32)