Matthew 9:16-18 (NIV)
16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
I saw Wineskins flying in the air. They were Boeing Wineskins. Not that the Boeing Airplane Manufacturer makes Wineskins, but this is a vision with some artistic license. There were the different varieties of models of Boeing Airplanes I have flown in. I'm not old enough to go back before the 727, which I flew allot when I was a young boy. I also saw the 737 which is still very popular now. There was the 747, which we are starting to see in the sky less. Singapore Airlines is retiring it's last one soon and is having a special flight with it. The 757 was there as was the 767 which are both still around but not too many now. The 777 was there too and it is still very popular today. Then I saw it. The new 787 Dreamliner. The airplane the world has been waiting for. Just a few have been delivered so far. It was the newest Wineskin in my dream.
I watched a video presentation on a United Airlines flight recently in which the CEO was excitedly talking about the fact that they have ordered 50 of these new 787 Dreamliners. He said something along the lines of, "we will be able to fly routes that we previously have been unable to fly." Interesting. Because of the new technology used and the new construction materials now available never previously used, they have been able to make an airplane which can go further, more efficiently than any commercial aircraft before in history.
I remember as a kid, flying between Manila and Seattle on the first Pan Am 747's, we had to stop in Honolulu to refuel. Airplanes haven't needed to do that in years. Most US aircraft now fly from Tokyo to any city in America they want. Because of newer technology in the newer aircraft. And now it is going to even a greater level!
God is doing something new and He is raising up a new breed of Churches... not even Churches necessarily... A new breed of Christ followers who are bringing in the Harvest, the New Wine and are refusing to put them into Old Wine Skins. As a matter of fact, this new generation knows that they are not a part of the Church, they realize that they are the Church! That is so awesome because not only will this cause the Old Wine Skins to not burst (because putting New Wine in Old Wine Skins will burst them), but it will fill the New Wine Skins with people who will go further and more efficiently than they ever could have gone before! Why would anyone want to be in an Old, Limited, Outdated Wine Skin anyway? They can... God allows it. It's part of His plan, but you can't put the New Harvest in there. Of course there are those who want the Old Wine Skins for reasons of comfort , tradition and more. Leave em' alone. It's OK... For them...
Wanna hear something weird? Jesus never said you can't put Old Wine into New Wine Skins... Personally, I know that I'm Old Wine even though I hide it pretty well. I'm stuck in some traditions and I struggle with legalism, religiosity and compacency deeply inbred because of my upbringing. But I don't want to! I want to get inside a New Wine Skin! What about you???
I want to fly higher, farther, more efficiently and with as many folks on board as I possibly can! My prayer continues to be that God will show me the new ways, but without falling prey to the gimmicks and games which some in the Church often wrongly believe are the New Skins. God wants us to adapt, but not to compromise. Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's from God..
In my thinking, part of the new thing that God is doing is He is mobilizing people to "GO", not trying to build up big groups of people who are isolated from the world, but going into the world and being the salt and light. Not that this isn't what He has always wanted, it is! But He is breaking down the walls of tradition and demolishing wrong mind-sets as we speak. People are becoming true desciples. Not just learners, but those who learn and train others to learn and train others so that multiplication occurs. These are exciting times!
All aboard!! Let's get onto the newest Wine Skin now, but remember, there will be an even newer one coming sooner than you expect. Don't get too comfortable or fall in love with this one...
I saw Wineskins flying in the air. They were Boeing Wineskins. Not that the Boeing Airplane Manufacturer makes Wineskins, but this is a vision with some artistic license. There were the different varieties of models of Boeing Airplanes I have flown in. I'm not old enough to go back before the 727, which I flew allot when I was a young boy. I also saw the 737 which is still very popular now. There was the 747, which we are starting to see in the sky less. Singapore Airlines is retiring it's last one soon and is having a special flight with it. The 757 was there as was the 767 which are both still around but not too many now. The 777 was there too and it is still very popular today. Then I saw it. The new 787 Dreamliner. The airplane the world has been waiting for. Just a few have been delivered so far. It was the newest Wineskin in my dream.
I watched a video presentation on a United Airlines flight recently in which the CEO was excitedly talking about the fact that they have ordered 50 of these new 787 Dreamliners. He said something along the lines of, "we will be able to fly routes that we previously have been unable to fly." Interesting. Because of the new technology used and the new construction materials now available never previously used, they have been able to make an airplane which can go further, more efficiently than any commercial aircraft before in history.
I remember as a kid, flying between Manila and Seattle on the first Pan Am 747's, we had to stop in Honolulu to refuel. Airplanes haven't needed to do that in years. Most US aircraft now fly from Tokyo to any city in America they want. Because of newer technology in the newer aircraft. And now it is going to even a greater level!
God is doing something new and He is raising up a new breed of Churches... not even Churches necessarily... A new breed of Christ followers who are bringing in the Harvest, the New Wine and are refusing to put them into Old Wine Skins. As a matter of fact, this new generation knows that they are not a part of the Church, they realize that they are the Church! That is so awesome because not only will this cause the Old Wine Skins to not burst (because putting New Wine in Old Wine Skins will burst them), but it will fill the New Wine Skins with people who will go further and more efficiently than they ever could have gone before! Why would anyone want to be in an Old, Limited, Outdated Wine Skin anyway? They can... God allows it. It's part of His plan, but you can't put the New Harvest in there. Of course there are those who want the Old Wine Skins for reasons of comfort , tradition and more. Leave em' alone. It's OK... For them...
Wanna hear something weird? Jesus never said you can't put Old Wine into New Wine Skins... Personally, I know that I'm Old Wine even though I hide it pretty well. I'm stuck in some traditions and I struggle with legalism, religiosity and compacency deeply inbred because of my upbringing. But I don't want to! I want to get inside a New Wine Skin! What about you???
I want to fly higher, farther, more efficiently and with as many folks on board as I possibly can! My prayer continues to be that God will show me the new ways, but without falling prey to the gimmicks and games which some in the Church often wrongly believe are the New Skins. God wants us to adapt, but not to compromise. Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's from God..
In my thinking, part of the new thing that God is doing is He is mobilizing people to "GO", not trying to build up big groups of people who are isolated from the world, but going into the world and being the salt and light. Not that this isn't what He has always wanted, it is! But He is breaking down the walls of tradition and demolishing wrong mind-sets as we speak. People are becoming true desciples. Not just learners, but those who learn and train others to learn and train others so that multiplication occurs. These are exciting times!
All aboard!! Let's get onto the newest Wine Skin now, but remember, there will be an even newer one coming sooner than you expect. Don't get too comfortable or fall in love with this one...
