Good Wine

"You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory.
~ John 2:10-11 (NKJV)

According to numerous Old Testament passages, quality of agriculture was one means by which the Lord appraised Israel's moral condition. Drought-induced famine indicated His severe displeasure. Weather fair enough for delicate grapes to flourish—and to produce good wine—indicated His approval.

Little wonder that the ancient practice of dancing over grapes in celebration of grape harvest survives to this day.

If God's Word says good wine indicated that the Lord smiled upon His people and took pleasure in their fellowship, what first miracle could have been more fitting, for Jesus to manifest His glory, than turning water into the finest wine?

You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
~ Psalms 4:7 (NKJV)

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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Water and Fire

John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you ... whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
~ John 1:26; Luke 3:16 (NKJV)

"Yes! Cover me with the blood of Jesus. Cleanse my sins and give me spiritual birth. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Warm me with fire of revival."

So we begin, expecting a comfortable fire after a nice shower.

We learn that "baptism" (Greek baptisma) means "immerse." We are immersed in water and experience death. We are immersed in fire's furnace of affliction are purified by the Refiner.

We think water will drown us and fire will consume us. YHWH says otherwise:

But now, thus says the LORD,
Who created you ... who formed you ...
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you."
~ Isaiah 43:1-2 (NKJV)

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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Come, Follow, Go – Conclusion Ultimate Conquest

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
~ Philippians 1:21 (NKJV)

Death reigns as the ultimate enemy of every human. Not even those destined to be rapture saints escape sin's penalty of dying, experienced in day-to-day deterioration of mortal bodies.

By following Jesus into death, we come into His resurrection. Eternal life reigns as our ultimate conquest, both when we leave this world, and amid our day-to-day brawl against sin and decline.

"Every decision has a cost.
Every yes comes with a no."
~ Chuck Borsellino

Whatever our anticipation liberation into the next world, we cannot forget the liberty made available in every acceptance of lesser deaths. For Jesus' followers, to die is gain.

Every yes comes with a no—and every no comes with a yes.

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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Come, Follow, Go – Part IV Unsafe God

"Is He safe? Of course He's not safe!
But He's good."
~ C.S. Lewis

God is thoroughly predictable. His love, grace, mercy, and absolute goodness do not waver.

God is thoroughly unpredictable. He directed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac; He subjected His own Son to unthinkable abuse and death; He gave His people Israel over to spiritual blindness for a season, facilitating salvation of the Gentile world.

Our Lord promises not safety, but rather an increasing measure of spiritual life in every unsafe "come," "follow," "go." Amid our ignorance of how far today's call to martyrdom may go, it is not wise to run ahead of or attempt to anticipate an unsafe God.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This [Jesus] spoke, signifying by what death [Peter] would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
~ John 21:18-19 (NKJV)




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Photo copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy

Come, Follow, Go – Part III How Far Will You Go?

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
~ from Luke 9:23-24 (NKJV)

"Go into all the world" need not bring fear of the globe's distant corners. The missionary heart called to Timbuktu can hardly wait to get there.

Consider more terrifying places: upon the daily cross, we crucify the flesh where sin and death linger; in the heart's mirror, we behold our unlikeness to the Master and yield to His makeover; at the soul's sacred altars—where we pray "anything but that!"—we destroy idols which enslave us.

Yet "we do not lose heart"! Wherever our Lord sends us, He accompanies us. Wherever His Spirit leads, we discover new liberty.

"Most of God's people are content to be saved from the hell without;
they are not so anxious to be saved from the hell within."
~Robert M. McCheyne

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