Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Nov 6th, 2021 The Good Wine – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passages – John 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)

Read the “1106 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:1-11)

Good morning. I hope you have been blessed this week. This is a day that the Lord made: rejoice and be glad in it! I guess it depends on our attitude. Even the worst of times have no hold on us when we realize that in the end we will to see Jesus face to face in all His glory. The Good Wine is coming. John chapter 2, verses 1 through 11, give the account of Jesus’ first recorded miracle: turning the water into wine. What I want to focus on is what the governor of the feast said to the bridegroom…

“When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9-10)

Every man sets forth good wine, and later the bad. Are we really like that? Do we take a good, long, hard look in the mirror and notice the things we are doing? Or are we like the man in James chapter 1 who beheld his natural face in a glass, and then went on his way forgetting what manner of man he was. When someone tells me I’m getting old, I tell them I’m aging like fine wine: I’m kept in the dark, I get dusty, and eventually I’ll turn sour. And that is how we get if we forget what manner of men (and ladies) we were. Have you cracked an off-color joke lately, talked bad about someone, or did something that you did before you got saved? Have you hurt anybody lately with harsh words? Proverbs tells us that…

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Who is your Bridegroom? He is the one that the governor of the feast went to. What do you want the governor to say: this is sour, or this is the best? Think of the governor being other believers. What are they telling the Bridegroom about you? Maybe it’s time to edify the brethren. Treat others with the kind of respect you would like (even if they do not return that respect). Also, in that vein, when somebody hurts you, be forgiving. Pray for that person. Do you really want to see God’s wrath come down on them. God hates what they did even more than you do. The good wine is coming; the question is, how worse will “that which is worse” get before the good wine is put forth? That choice is up to you.

Peace!