New Wineskins 21 Day Devotional Intro

Yesterday, I was fasting and praying for some people in my life—and (as usual), through my time with Him in Bible and SOP passages, God played out in MY LIFE what He wants to do in those people’s lives…

One of the last messages He gave me was the above passage from AA ch. 54, which appears after this statement:

It is not the opposition of the world which most endangers the church, but the evil cherished in the hearts of believers (ouch!) that works their most grievous disaster and most severely retards the progress of God’s cause…

Sobering indeed!

Yep, God could have come before, but He keeps telling those angels to hold back the winds of strife, not so more signs will be accomplished in the world, but rather, for the church to wake up and trim her lamp.

Then God brought me to my very last passage from 1SM 386:

When God’s people are ONE in the UNITY of the SPIRIT, all of Pharisaism, all of self- righteousness will be expelled from their hearts . . . God will make known the “MYSTERY which has been HIDDEN FOR AGES…which is CHRIST IN YOU, the HOPE OF GLORY.”

Reread that ‘till that beautiful passage sinks in!

I felt impressed to look it up in the context of the original text. Where appears that first ellipsis (. . .) is this sentence:

The mold of Christ will be upon each individual member of His body, and His people will be new bottles into which He can pour His new wine, and His new wine will not break the bottles.

And then the personal epiphany—an answer to the following prayer of many years:

Why, God, has it only been in the last 10-12 years that I have come this close to you… Why could I not get further in my relationship with You sooner?

His response:

I COULD NOT GIVE YOU NEW WINE BECAUSE YOU WERE AN OLD WINESKIN. YOU WOULD HAVE BURST! I HAD TO CHANGE THE BOTTLE FIRST. THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ALL THESE YEARS!

In syllogistic form, this is the message:

God is waiting for His church to be ready. I am a member of His church.
God is waiting for ME to be ready!!!

Who of you, like me, wants to be a new wineskin?

God has got a new bottle for every one of us because He wants to fill us up with new wine—Himself, the Hope of glory–to overflowing for the benefit of others!

While I’m so glad we are on this journey together (we all need encouragement from time to time),
this is an INDIVIDUAL work. So as you read excerpts from Moses’ and John the Revelator’s experiences in the next 21 days, ask God daily for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to do this “New Thing” in you!

Warning: First, He wants to do a surgeon’s work, cutting away and completely removing the cancer of pride and self-righteous attitudes! We will die daily!

I hope you still want to join me! Next Post = Day 1 of 21