Mt 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old {1} wine-skins: else the skins burst, and the
wine is spilled, and the skins perish: but they put new wine into fresh
wine-skins, and both are preserved.
There is a separation coming between the old wineskins and the new wine.
The old
wineskins represent our present religious system. It is our “church culture,” our “Christianisee” ways that
plagues much of our American churches and our lives as Christians
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The
old wine skin is the system that exalts its theological doctrines, doctrines of
men, or church denominations as idols above the Word or the Spirit of God. Such are the churches that say that
spiritual gifts are not for today. Or
such are the churches that limit and hinder the move of the Spirit as not to
offend the “seeker”, who comes to their Sunday services.
q
On the
other hand the old wine skins also represents those churches that are
constantly seeking the supernatural, the blessings, the instant miracles, the
instant financial prosperity, the claiming and framing from a “Santa Claus”
God, without at the same time teaching its people a strong and accurate
foundation of Christian character through the Word of God and embracing the
cross of Christ.
q
The
old wine skins represent the ministers that thrive on control and one man
shows. It is also the same system that
thrives with believers who are pew sitters.
God has not created us to be spiritual babies forever. God has a calling
and a ministry for each of us.
q
The
old wine skins represent the manipulation and hype that comes out of our pulpit
for money. It is also made up of
believers that think that their problems will be solved strictly by a financial
donation, and that instant miracles and solutions will come to them because of
it. God is not a Santa Claus God. Most times a lack of financial blessings are
either a sign of testing, faith building, or that something is wrong with our
walks before God. We need to find out
what God is telling us.
What is the New
Wine?
2Co
13:4 for he was crucified through
weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak {1} in him, but we shall live with him
through the power of God toward you. {1)
q
It comes out a crucified
life that is lived through us by the revealed person of Christ
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“Dead man walking”. (Excerpt
from Joanne Glavick)
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What is meekness? The dead man has no rights to respond to claim
of future plans, prosperity, a career, reputation, or ministry.
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But because he is dead he is free from sin, and hurts is a clean
channel to flow in the power of God.
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This is why the cross is so important
Ro 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
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His only right is to be a
slave of God.
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God makes Himself to take full care of that believer.
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His responsibility is to
hear the voice of God and obey so that God can move through Him in the fullness
of His power. If our control has died,
then God controls us and execute His plans through in His perfect timing and
touches t many souls.
Joh
3:8 {1} The wind bloweth where it will, and thou
hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. {1) Or The Spirit breatheth}
o
Our agendas and programs of the old wineskin have been crucified
and have died.
o
The new wine believer or church has no programs and agendas but a
life of obeying the Spirit of the living God, moment by moment and that with
instant joyful obedience.
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As we do not know where the wind goeth so the believer whom would
live in this new wine must allow God to blow him or her where the Lord
desires.
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He knows not where God will take him next. It is a life of exciting hardship,
challenge, living on the edge and unboring sacrifice.
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As Mother Teresa said we become God’s pencil and God uses us in
tremendous ways.
o
The believer must not have
his or her whole life etched in stone.
Their main priority is to be attentive to the voice of the Master to
change their life, their plans, and their destiny for God at a moment’s
instance. God will do great things
through the believer that is at His disposal.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
o
The new wine believer’s plans, and future expectations have died
and swallowed up in the immensity of the greatness of God. The believer loses
himself to enter into the infinity and greatness of the heart and mind of God
for Him and for a lost world
2
Cor 2:15 For we are a sweet savor of
Christ unto God, in them that {1}
are saved, and in them that {2}
perish; {1)
Or are being saved 2) Or are perishing}
16 to the one a savor from death unto death; to
the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
o
The new wine believer does not cry out for revival. He or she is a revival. Wherever they go God flows through Him in
unlimited power, at His perfect timing and executes His eternal plans to affect
many souls. God can do that because the new wine believer hears the voice of
the Spirit clearly. God uses him as
razor sharp instrument.
o
A spirit of revival or
judgment will follow this believer’s life based if his hearers obeys or disobey
the voice of God through him.
Heb 11:8
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place
which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing
whither he went.
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The new wine believer walks totally by faith so that God can take
him or her where He wants, use him as He wants, and when He wants.
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The believer will then be living constantly from the greatness of
God and moment from moment excitement of the plans that God continues to
execute through Him. He has died to His
plans and has taken God’s plans upon himself.
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He is totally surrendered to do his with his time, his ministry,
and his finances, as God will. God will
greatly use such as one as this. As it says if God knows He can channel it
through us He will give it to us.
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The smallness of the plans
that this individual has for his life are swallowed up in the infinity of God’s
eternal great plans.
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Faith must become a totally normal way of life. Faith cannot be
taught. Faith must be lived out.
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If we live by sight it will keep us bounded in the littleness of
our own comfort, our own safety, our own understanding schemes and our control
and mind. Our lives will always be
meager and limited bound by our frail human limitations
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We must go through a time an extended financial want and testing
deep enough and long so as to learn how to place our trust in God and not
money.
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We must come to place
where our whole dependency is upon God and not upon our money and our control.
Then God can lead us freely, He can powerfully act and perform through us. He can give to us more and more.
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We will live out of His strength, His eternal plans that will
affect countless peoples for eternity and His power
2Co
1:9 But we had the sentence of death in
ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the
dead: {sentence:
or, answer}
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Miracles, signs and wonders happen always when we come to this end
of ourselves.
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This end forces God to act for us.
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In this country we depend
so much on ourselves on our money and our comforts that God does not have to
act on our behalf. Hence we never see
His power. We live powerless and bored
lives.
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This is why the American Christian prosperity message of
blessings, and miracles, and comfort can be so hurtful.
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Christians can have so many problems with finances, because God
cannot bless them with much money. He
cannot trust us. We are too alive!! Too much in control, too much selfishness
still plagues us. God fears that their hearts might stray from Him.
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True financial prosperity comes to believer who keeps whatever
money God tells him to keep and channels every other penny out according to the
voice of God instantly and joyfully.
Ch
22:14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have
prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a
thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for
it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add
thereto. {trouble:
or, poverty}
o
A three billion dollar contribution just in gold!