|
The
Need for New Wine Skins
“And
they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day.” Genesis
3:8a
This
tells us two things about the Lord. First,
they heard the voice of the Lord walking, as the Lord desires to speak to us.
He is continuing to walk, as He spoke to us yesterday, and today He said
something further, and tomorrow He will speak beyond that which He said today.
“And
no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles,
and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into
new bottles; and both are preserved.” Luke 5:27-38
We
are this bottle. Jesus is telling
us that we must have a capacity to hear a fresh word that is beyond our present
understanding. We must have a spiritual
ear and capacity to hear fresh revelation and understanding, beyond that which
we heard in the past.
Through
the course of history, there have been specific times of intervention in which
the Lord used an individual to change the course of history. Examples of this are Noah, Abraham, and
Moses. These times of specific
divine intervention lifted mankind from one level of His workings and dealings
to a higher level.
At
this present time, the Lord is knocking on the door of our spirit, preparing
us so He can again move in direct intervention, as we are approaching the time
in which the Church Age will close and we will move into the Millennial Kingdom
Age.
“Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
“To
him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:21
“After
this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice
which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come
up here ...
and immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven,
and One sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2
These
Scriptures begin with Jesus knocking on the door of the Church and end with
Him seated with those who are overcomers, on the Throne of His Kingdom.
In
past times, these interventions related to an individual, but this present intervention
will come through a corporate remnant, a body of “overcomers” prepared
by the Lord for this end-time transition, whose voice will be “as the sound
of many waters” (Revelation
1:15b).
Because
the message that will bring us into the Kingdom is different from the message
to the Churches, the Lord has repeatedly said,
“Who has ears to hear, let him hear”
(Matthew
13:9).
The
ministry of the Church is to
“Whomsoever.”
The
ministry of the Kingdom is to
“He who overcomes.”
The
message of the Church leads to “Heaven.”
The
message of the Kingdom leads to “The Throne.”
The
desire of the Church is
“Jesus abiding within.”
The
desire of the Kingdom is
“Jesus taking His place as The Head of His body.”
The
testimony of the Church is
“I have Jesus.”
The
testimony of the Kingdom is
“Jesus has me.”
The
Church operates through
“Grace.”
The
Kingdom operates under
“Government.”
To
enter the Church
“A message of salvation.”
To
enter the Kingdom
“A message of preparation.”
Jesus
met much opposition as He sought to move
So
also today, if we are to hear and accept the present word of the Lord, we must
have an “ear” to hear and a “new wineskin” to receive, as we move
from “Grace” to “Government.”
Because
a special time of preparation is essential, Jesus chose those who had no previous
religious training. This began
with two fishermen while they were working at their trade. They were being called apart to be with
Jesus, so this transition could take place. Therefore, Jesus said to them, “I will
make you to become.”
“The
time is fulfilled, and the
Here,
the message of the Kingdom is being offered to these men through a practical
application to their occupation. They had been fishers of fish. Now, Jesus is calling them to become fishers
of men. Note carefully that they
would continue fishing, but with a higher purpose in view. The Kingdom message in its functioning
is intended to lift the earthly aspect of our present vocation into a higher
realm and purpose, until righteousness and His Kingdom fills the earth.
The
word “Kingdom” has often been misapplied. It has been relegated to a future millennium,
or to heaven. However, the claim
of the Kingdom that Jesus presented must first become a present reality, which
will prepare us for the future
It
must become effective in the every day life experience of all those who choose
to submit to His Kingdom rule. Jesus did not imply that those who respond
would be promoted into a place of rulership or prominence. Rather, He expressed the coming of a Kingdom
authority that would reign over the lives of all those who would submit to its
message - “I will make you
to become.” To accomplish this, every aspect of our
present daily pattern of life will be affected.
This
Kingdom that is being presented by Jesus is “at hand.” It is not intended to find its function
simply as a future hope. Rather, it is presented as being presently
attainable and practical. That is, it will work in the immediate
circumstances of all those who respond.
For
us to enter this Kingdom, we must embrace and submit ourselves to the rule of
God. This means that we have made
Him our Head, who gives direction and purpose to our lives. To do this, we must recognize the LORD Jesus Christ as our present, personal
King. Then we must place ourselves,
along with everything that pertains to us, in subjection to His Kingdom rule.
Jesus
said, “Come you after Me.” If our lives are as they were before salvation,
plus the “salt” of religion, we are falling far short of His claim upon
us and His desire for us, and we will be unable to abide or function in the
place of His calling.
At
this present time, Jesus is dealing deeply within the lives of all those who
intently seek Him, that they might be prepared to exercise authority over the
nations. But first, His authority
must be established within them. Things
that the Lord once winked at in the past are no longer left unchallenged. Everything
that can be shaken is shaking, until it has been reduced to the place where
it submits to His Kingdom claim.
The
Lord will no longer allow His people to remain in the realm of blessing and
provision alone. He is causing
us to acknowledge and submit to the claim of His Kingdom upon our lives. He is bringing each of us to the place
where we must make a decision as to what we will do with this “Kingdom,”
which He said is “at hand.”
In
its present form, the outworking of it will be manifested within us as “righteousness,
and peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17).
In “that day” it will transform
the Nations.
Accept what Jesus is saying to you, and then press into this Kingdom.