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WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 25, Issue 8
Healthy Homes & Families Natural, Biblical, Healthy Living God Works Miracles In Our Daily Lives By Chris McMahan January 2025 for every unlikely situation.
out of nothing. He could have snapped His fingers and had barrels of the best wine appear out of thin air. But He took water — something of less value — and turned it into wine…some- thing of great value. Mic drop — “hold my water and watch this.” I know that whole books have been written on redemption, and certainly a few letters on a page are not a complete sum- mary of the significance of the word; but this aspect of redemption…the daily mi- racle of Jesus taking what is bad and turning it into something of value, has me pondering the word afresh and appreciat- ing my Savior anew. What a beautiful thing our God does for us! He redeems our souls and then He keeps on redeeming every aspect of our lives. I do think it brings Him joy to turn the water of our daily grind into the wine of His amazing Kingdom. I do think He has a smile on His face when He is about
I live in the foothills of the Appa- lachian mountains. Some might say I’m located in the ‘Redneck’ ter- ritory of Cherokee County, Ga. I love my rural setting and the good country folk that live here.
Redemption happens at salvation, of course, when God takes our curse and exchanges it for the promise of eternal life and forgiveness. But redemption also happens a million little ways every day by Jesus accomplishing the unlikely
As rednecks, we sometimes get a reputa- tion for being a little crazy or extreme. A popularized slogan from these parts is … “Hold my beer, watch this!” Famous last words of many a redneck before they at- tempt to do something that seems un- likely to succeed. In my quiet time lately, I’ve been medi- ating on the word ‘redemption.’ It’s one of those words that we casually toss around in our Christianese vocabulary without giving much thought to its actual mean- ing and significance. What is redemption, and what is it not? Redemption is not simply adding good things to a bad situ- ation. Redemption is not simply a shift in direc- tion…we were headed one way and now we are turning to go another. Redemption is the Jesus version of “hold my beer, watch this!” Now hear me out…Redemption is a miracle. It is the unlikely and impossible being done in our life every day. It is God taking the bad and mak- ing it into something good. He doesn’t just add good things to a rotten situation — He literally can bring beauty from ashes, turn trial to tes- timony, take a prison and make it a pulpit. Who else can do that?! He holds the keys to success
and impossible in our lives…working ALL things for our good. (Romans 8:28). He takes garbage and makes it glorious…He takes wounds and makes them worthwhile…He takes pain and makes is purposeful. Every day! This is the best flex move of all times and it never gets old be- cause He always succeeds… “Hold my wine, watch this!” He doesn’t simply add good to our lives, but He takes the bad and redeems it by turning it into something of value…redemption.
to accomplish the impossible.
Someday we will live in a new Heaven and there will be no need for miracles because we will live in the perfection of the presence of God. But until then, thank God for His daily redemption — those daily miracles. Our Redeemer lives and He is still redeeming! Hallelujah! Chris McMahan, Email: Happy1970@icloud.com Please email me if you would like to receive monthly ministry updates.
It reminds me of His first miracle…turning water into wine. Jesus could have just made wine
This is What I’ve Learne d ...
...About Hot Air Balloons!
By Layton Howerton January 2025 “What goes up, must come down.” All of us have seen those col- orful hot air balloons riding high in the sky on some golden morning, or an enchanted
So with that in mind, let’s focus for a mo- ment on what all those colorful “Hot Air Bal- loons” are filled with, and how they get carried along. They float and ride on air, and nothing but air! Each and every one of them is filled with and rise on a blast of “Hot Air,” to ride along
needs that some folks get caught up in, which always seems to end with the same old familiar adage of…“What goes up, must come down.” Well, here’s some sure fire ways to avoid getting caught up in any wind of change that is often nothing more than just a bal- loon full of hot air. Seek the truth. Don’t
evening glistening in the golden rays of a glorious sunrise or a magnificent sunset, and it surely is a beautiful sight to behold! Now as a storyteller, I could continue to share with you a story chocked full of picturesque mental images filled with flowery language that would be reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan’s campaign ad (from way back in the day) that was filmed with nostalgic images that truly captured his slogan of, “It’s morning in America, again,” but honestly, folks, the plain and simple truth is, it’s not. From politicians to
believe everything you hear and see because mis- information abounds from the political podium to the church pulpit. Stop living in the past by “Giving your entire atten- tion to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34). “Act like who you are and Who you know by being brave, being strong, and not giving up. Expect God to get here soon.”
at the mercy of the wind wherever the cur- rent blows! And so it is every four years or so with the election of either a politician or a pastor that has come along with some new or old idea on what the country or church really
(Psalm 31:24). Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” And that applies to any mode of transporta- tion, even “Hot Air Balloons!”
preachers, many things have changed over the years, some good, some bad, and unfor- tunately we all know that we can’t go back to the way things were because as it’s been said, “Forward, is the only direction God’s given us.”
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