The Savor of New Wine
“The real Christian is a royal fighter. He is the one who loves to enter into the contest with his whole soul and take the situation captive for the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Bill Johnson – When Heaven Invades Earth (p153)
The people of Jesus’ day were little different from our own American culture, who for the most part are easily satisfied with the status quo. This is demonstrated the this parable from the Gospel of Luke:
"No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment
and puts it on an old garment;
otherwise he will both tear the new,
and the piece from the new will not match the old.
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins;
otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out,
and the skins will be ruined.
"But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
"And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new;
for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"
Luke 5:36-39 NASB
In the natural world aged wine is generally considered better than new wine. This is true when the wine is select and processed correctly; well sealed, allowed to mature away from the sun and at the proper temperature. Even under these exacting conditions, many wines can deteriorate in quality after only a few years. This of course was not possible in Biblical times.
In this passage Jesus is noting that people have grown satisfied with wine that has already turned sour. Rather than seeking to taste new wine, they have over time grown accustomed to the taste of spoiled wine. They have consumed sour wine for so long it now seems normal.
Before we grow too critical of our spiritual predecessors, I would contend that much of the church today has become content with the sour wine of earlier moves of God. They have camped around the campfire of earlier accomplishments in their own life, or in the place of worship where they attend.
God’s Spirit continually is pouring our new wine for believers… new moves of the Spirit in signs and wonders - that if embraced will release the power of God to a lost and darkened world. This new wine is often like the manna the children of Israel ate in the wilderness. It sustained them for their daily needs, but spoiled if they tried to store it up for the next days use.
The Spirit of God moves in newness of life each day. What sustains us today to walk in the victory of Christ, may not be suitable to sustain us tomorrow. The like breath of the Holy Spirit can take the old wine and turn it into new, or can take old spoiled manna and turn it into the fresh baked smell of The Bread of Life!
Without God’s daily manifest presence in our lives we will become the stench of sour wine and rotten manna.
The hand of God’s love breathes life, and life abundantly to all those who will seek His face and walk in obedience to His call. There is no greater fulfillment in life than to walk in the will of the Lord, listening to His voice, and walking in His love.
What is the next move God has in store for you, for me, for His church? I’m not quite sure what it will be, but I know my desire is to be a part of it. Every move of God is to be an awakening, a shaking us from the slumber of drinking old wine.
30fkj
Bill Johnson – When Heaven Invades Earth (p153)
The people of Jesus’ day were little different from our own American culture, who for the most part are easily satisfied with the status quo. This is demonstrated the this parable from the Gospel of Luke:
"No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment
and puts it on an old garment;
otherwise he will both tear the new,
and the piece from the new will not match the old.
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins;
otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out,
and the skins will be ruined.
"But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
"And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new;
for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"
Luke 5:36-39 NASB
In the natural world aged wine is generally considered better than new wine. This is true when the wine is select and processed correctly; well sealed, allowed to mature away from the sun and at the proper temperature. Even under these exacting conditions, many wines can deteriorate in quality after only a few years. This of course was not possible in Biblical times.
In this passage Jesus is noting that people have grown satisfied with wine that has already turned sour. Rather than seeking to taste new wine, they have over time grown accustomed to the taste of spoiled wine. They have consumed sour wine for so long it now seems normal.
Before we grow too critical of our spiritual predecessors, I would contend that much of the church today has become content with the sour wine of earlier moves of God. They have camped around the campfire of earlier accomplishments in their own life, or in the place of worship where they attend.
God’s Spirit continually is pouring our new wine for believers… new moves of the Spirit in signs and wonders - that if embraced will release the power of God to a lost and darkened world. This new wine is often like the manna the children of Israel ate in the wilderness. It sustained them for their daily needs, but spoiled if they tried to store it up for the next days use.
The Spirit of God moves in newness of life each day. What sustains us today to walk in the victory of Christ, may not be suitable to sustain us tomorrow. The like breath of the Holy Spirit can take the old wine and turn it into new, or can take old spoiled manna and turn it into the fresh baked smell of The Bread of Life!
Without God’s daily manifest presence in our lives we will become the stench of sour wine and rotten manna.
The hand of God’s love breathes life, and life abundantly to all those who will seek His face and walk in obedience to His call. There is no greater fulfillment in life than to walk in the will of the Lord, listening to His voice, and walking in His love.
What is the next move God has in store for you, for me, for His church? I’m not quite sure what it will be, but I know my desire is to be a part of it. Every move of God is to be an awakening, a shaking us from the slumber of drinking old wine.
30fkj
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