“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Mark 2:22
In a brewery, new wine is poured into new wineskins. After the wine has fermented for some time in the old wineskins, the old wineskins become dry, hard, and brittle. During this fermentation of wine inside the wineskin for some time, the wineskin is stretched to its limits and becomes brittle. The wineskins might burst if they were used once more. To be made as new, the used wineskins must go through a renewal procedure. The wineskin needs to be submerged in water for a period of time. Then, it has oil poured onto it and the oil is massaged into the leather to renew it and make it used again.
The wineskin can be compared to a vessel used by God. The old wineskin is fermented with old experience for some years and was stretched to the limits. The old experiences shaped the old vessel. Using them as it is with new wine will risk bursting of the old wineskin. The old experiences have fermented the old wineskin.
When God wants to fill an old wineskin with new wine, He will first fully renew the old wineskin as a completely new wineskin. God’s renewal process removes the old experiences and brings the vessel to an empty state or nothing state. This process removes even the old experience and truths from the old move of God. In this state, it’s a new wineskin with no traces of old experience and truths but with new fresh experiences of God. With new wine and a fresh move from God, the new vessel begins over from scratch. If God is bringing you to a state of nothing removing all your old experiences, He is preparing you to fill you with His new wine – a new move of God.
God pours new wine in new wineskins —a new and fresh move of the Holy Spirit—and permits the wine to ferment in our lives. The fermentation of wine determines the taste and quality of the wine. Allow the Holy Spirit to make the fresh move of God real in your lives. Before it affects those around you, the move of God must become real to you. The wine must ferment in our lives before it may taste good and fresh to those who drink it. The new wine brings the goodness and freshness of God.
God had to totally renew or recreate the old wineskin in order to fill it with new wine.
When God wants to send a new season, He sends new wine – new revelations about of Jesus, experiences and a new move of God. Old experiences or move can even affect or disturb the new move of God. All revivals don’t have the same move of God. Some revivals took place without any miracles or healings. All revivals share a common theme of repentance.
When God’s time for Moses had come, God sends His new wine (revelation of Yahweh) and a new move of God. God had to remove all of Moses’s old experiences and learnings and Moses was made to start over. It was a completely new chapter in Moses’ life. After spending 40 years in the wilderness, Moses, a learned man who had received his education in the Pharoah’s palace, lost all of his innate talents, knowledge and was pleading with God to send someone to speak for him. A learned man was stripped of his talent and learnings before God used him.
God had to bring Moses to a place of nothingness and emptiness before God started speaking and revealing his plan to Moses. Nothingness and emptiness make a vessel new. Moses was made a completely new vessel. The new vessel – did not lean on past experience or works but relied and depended only on Jesus.
Moses was made to understand that his talent or experience don’t influence or bring God’s new move or wine. The only requirement for God to use us is our nothingness or emptiness. Our inability to do anything our own without the help of Jesus is a prerequisite. Moses was made to start over. If God has called you to a great work, He will first work in your life to bring you to a place of nothingness, and once you are there, He will unveil or unfold His plan. The place of nothingness is the place to know God’s plans. Imagine it took 40 years for Moses to be brought to the place of nothingness. Consider how many years does it take for God to bring you to a place of nothingness before God can use you?
Only God can bring you into this place of nothingness. God receives true glory and honor for the work done from the place of nothingness. God himself will be magnified by the work done from the place of nothingness, as only God’s ability and power is displayed. When you try to become nothing by your own effort – you become a fool. When God brings you to the place of nothingness, you are positioned for the next great move of God. God bringing you to a place of nothingness should be viewed as a privilege.
We see this pattern with lot of people in the Bible. Elijah who sends fire (prays and God sends the fire) from heaven in a season of famine, flees from Jezebel in the season of rain. Elijah could have prayed the same prayer that fire would fall on Jezebel. Elijah emptied himself of the old experiences and aligned himself with the new season. Old experience can help you discern God’s ways but doesn’t influence God to send His new wine or prepare you for God’s new move. Elijah was in God’s season always. Elijah did not pray for rain during the Famine. In both good and bad times, Elijah was in season with God.
Many people these days are in season with their needs and with the doctrines of preachers. They are not in season with God. Some pray the same prayer in all seasons. In season to hide, they conduct meetings. In season to pray, they prophesy. Without being intune with God, they can cause lot of destruction.
In this season, God want to fill our lives with His new wine. However, He requires new wineskins in order to pour His new wine needed for this season. Are you ready to become a new wineskin?
1) For a person who already was part of God’s old move, ask God to make you a new wineskin.
2) For a person who has not experienced God’s move till now, ask God to make you a new wineskin.
New wine – is the new move of the Holy Spirit for this season. When the Holy Spirit moves, God’s plans are unveiled and take a shape. God’s correction comes on the land. The land will be subjected to God’s will. Our land desperately needs the move of Holy spirit for this season. Without it, we will enter into a spiritual famine. Ask God to send His new wine.
