New Year & New Wine

It is usual that in the first few days of the New Year I will spend time waiting on the Lord, waiting for a word or promise from Him to inspire me to serve in the year ahead. This morning I felt the Lord spoke to me from the Gospel of Luke. The first passage that stood out was about the bridegroom being present (my son's wedding took place three days ago) and that the celebrants could only celebrate with the bridegroom eating and drinking, says Jesus. But new wine must be poured out into new wineskins.

It is a new year and the Lord is doing a new thing. But many people are stuck in their old ways, saying having tasted the old wine, "the old is better". They refuse to change. They see people bringing change a threat to their way of being and doing. It is an affront to them, so they remain old wineskins and when new wine is poured out, they will only burst open and be broken. New wine cannot be contained in old wineskin. Thus, many people are stuck in yesteryear without change and without renewal. They go on doing the same things the same way, thinking God is still with them, but He has gone and is doing a new thing with people who are prepared to change and flow with the Holy Spirit.

Last night, we had a family dinner with my in-laws, their siblings were present (my sisters-in-law) were busy helping the bride organise the running of the ceremony and wedding reception. My son, my daughter-in-law, Cyrus' mother-in-law all spoke well of the 10-min sermon that I preached. It was a new wine. I have never preached a wedding sermon such as the one I preached on 30th Dec. I told my son it was special because of him and his wife. Most non-believers with people of no or little faith understood the message clearly. My son's mother-in-law said, "ringkas tapi padat". Normally I will preach for at least 15 to 20 minutes for a normal wedding sermon. Due to a late afternoon start and some guests were waiting for more than 30 minutes for the start, I thought I had to shorten the sermon which worked really well. 

I felt re-energized serving the Lord since the last Sunday of October just as my lectures ceased on that Friday. Except for my third and last sermon in Papar, every sermon was preached in the power of the Holy Spirit and I felt the unction from on high, and many God's people were blessed. I look forward to the new thing the Lord is doing in my life this year, especially come June and July. God may spring a surprise or two as He has always done - as a faithful and loving God and Father, I rest in His will and His leading for me.