New Wineskins

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins”

(Mark 2:22).

Greetings brethren –

It is my desire to write words of encouragement to you that I pray will lift you up and bring you joy as you pursue a life of righteousness and walk daily in your kingdom assignments.

It is a privilege to be commissioned as believers to share the Gospel of Christ with others. Jesus invites us, instructs us, enables us, and trusts us with this assignment that our joy in serving with Him in this endeavor might be full!

            Why is it then, you may wonder, does discouragement often choke out joy, fear challenge our faith, and complacency triumph over action in our calling as disciples???

Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark points out the fact that trying to put new wine into old wineskins is the problem and the very answer to this question. We simply skip the preparation process and the result is defeat! Defeat in a witness to someone, defeat in a Bible study gathering, defeat in prayer, defeat in all things pertaining to God.

            The preparation I speak of is shedding our old wine skins. The spiritual discipline required in this task for every believer is fasting. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to fast away our desire to indulge in worldly pleasures. In fasting we destroy the hunger and thirst for worldly desire and in its place we develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness. As we fast specific practices of sin are revealed and destroyed as confession and repentance bring and end to the old wineskin and a new wineskin emerges in the form of a believer freshly transformed by God with a renewed mind, a strengthened faith, and a softened heart that is ready for new wine, an abundance of anointing by the Holy Spirit.

            Brethren, let Jesus call you into a fast. Let Him have total control of your desire to conform to His righteousness. As your shortcomings are revealed, own up to them, and repent!! Allow Christ to prepare you for new wine, new vision, new understanding, and sensitivity to His discipleship. Walk in the fullness of your purpose as a living sacrifice, a fresh wine skin ready for new wine!

Blessings,

Pastor, Jim