New Wine, Much Needed Part 2
New Wine Part 2
Tuesday January 14, 2025
Joel 2:28-29 NKJV
"And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. [29] And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
All prophecy is limited by the knowledge and understanding of the people.
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part.” 1 Corinthians 13:9
Old Testament prophecy was limited by the understanding of its recipients. They were familiar with the Holy Spirit alighting on occasion, upon a special person, so it must have blown their minds that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh. There was no way they could comprehend that the Holy Spirit would actually stay permanently in people.
(Quoted from Understanding the Anointing Part 1. October 18, 2022)
Three things the Holy Spirit does in believers
Inner Transformation Romans 12:2; Deuteronomy 7:6
Outward Manifestation Deuteronomy 28:10; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 1 Peter 3:1-2;
Projection of Power Mark 16:17-18
https://godswaybiblestudy.com/episodes/understanding-the-anointing-part-1
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes us know that we are children of God.
Romans 8:9 NKJV
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
The infilling by the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to project the power of Christ and of His kingdom.
Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of the Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria to the end of the world.
It is the mark of the New Covenant that God spoke of through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 NLT
"The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. [32] This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD. [33] "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days," says the LORD. "I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."
The 3rd dimension:
This is the condition of being filled by the Holy Spirit.
In the second dimension, we have had a taste, a good taste, but we are not yet drunk.
In the third dimension though we are so full of the Spirit, we are like one who is completely drunk.
Ephesians 5:18 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
We have many instances of individuals who were full of the Holy Spirit like New Wine.
Luke 1:15 NLT for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
Luke 1:41 ESV And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
Luke 1:67 ESV And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
Luke 4:1 ESV And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Acts 2:4 ESV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 4:7-8 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel…”
Acts 4:31 ESV And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 7:55-56 ESV But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [56] And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Acts 11:24 NLT Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
Acts 13:9-12 ESV But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? [11] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. [12] Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Acts 13:52 LSB And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
3rd Dimension Cannot Be Maintained. It Must Be Renewed.
Unlike the indwelling, this is not a one time experience.
We cannot stay in this state for long. We do not stay FULL. We can’t handle it.
This is a state we often refer to as being UNDER THE ANOINTING.
We can’t function in a normal way at this level. We cannot carry out business as usual. But this is a state to which we must return from time to time. We need to be filled again and again. This is how we never run dry. This is how we get renewed daily.
2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
This is the secret to longevity and vitality in the things of God. This is how we can walk and not grow weary, run and not faint. This is how we defy natural order. We are getting older, yet our eyes do not grow dim, neither does our strength abate.
TIMING:
When will the filling by the Holy Spirit happen?
All the instances of the filling by the Holy Ghost, like those cited above, all seemed to happen randomly. While there is no discernible pattern, we must know that God always determines the fullness of time. (Galatians 4:4)
God determines the when, but there are conditions we need to satisfy to make us ready recipients when God’s time comes. This is a principle we see all over scriptures.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 NKJV But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. [2] For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
Wait in readiness, not knowing the hour.
When the time comes, those who are adequately prepared will benefit while others, though equally qualified, will be rejected/bypassed for their unpreparedness.
Malachi: 3:1 “Behold I send My Messenger
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple.
Even the Messenger of the covenant
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming.”
Says the Lord of hosts.
This is our time of visitation
Everything has its time. Everybody has his/her time.
Acts 13:36 NLT This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.
These are not the days of Elijah, or Moses or David. Their days are over. These are the days like Elijah’s. God is counting on you in your time to bring His will to pass. Like Paul wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
That Time When Jesus Made New Wine…
John 2:1-11 NKJV
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. [2] Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. [3] And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." [4] Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." [5] His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." [6] Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. [7] Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. [8] And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. [9] When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. [10] And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" [11] This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
PROCESS: To produce new wine.
It required a collaborative process between God and man to produce the miracle of new wine. It wasn’t magic. Every miracle follows a similar pattern. To produce new wine, God requires our cooperation. We cannot produce new wine because we cannot fill ourselves. God does the filling. But there are steps we need to take, before the fullness of time, at the fullness of time and afterward.
Step 1: Invite Jesus.
By inviting Jesus, the bride and groom set themselves up for the blessing of new wine.
[1] On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. [2] Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
First we must invite Jesus into our lives, our families, our business and our projects.
You have a need for new wine, only you don’t know it yet.
The wedding planners did not anticipate that their wine would run out. Our best laid plans are full of invisible holes. There is a leakage in our wine vats that we have no knowledge of. There will be all kinds of unexpected turns of events that will happen after we have laid our plans that will definitely affect the plans adversely. That is why we need Jesus.
When you invite Jesus, you're doing yourself a favor. You’re inviting the One who can make new wine.
We need to consciously invite Jesus at the start of our day, our business, our events, and not merely assume, and take His Presence with us for granted.
PRAYER:
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him and he with Me.
Lord Jesus, You alone can turn water into wine. And You alone can baptize with the Holy Spirit. I need You. I invite You into every area of my life. Come in and take over. You are knocking the door of my heart. I open the door of my heart to you. Have unrestricted access, as my Lord and King.
Step 2: Invite Jesus’s Surprise Guests to Come With Him
If you want Jesus and His new wine, you must be ready to host the people of Jesus too.
Mary was at the wedding so we can deduce that the couple also knew and invited Jesus. But how do we explain the fact that Jesus’ disciples were invited too?
Jesus had not yet gained any notoriety. This was the occasion for His first sign. In order to position ourselves for new wine, we must be willing to extend our kindness and hospitality.
Jesus always wants to be with His disciples.
John 14:3 LSB And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Had Jesus’s disciples been left out, even if He accepted the invitation, He would have left early, before the wine ran out.
When we invite Jesus, we must be willing to accommodate those who come with Jesus. Some of Jesus’ will not necessarily be the kinds of people we want in our company but if Jesus is coming, they are coming too.
To invite Jesus is to invite the least of His brethren.
The least of His brethren are not always nice. They do not always look like, think like, talk like or act like Jesus. Jesus knows all about His brethren but He accepts them.
He kept company with strange/despicable people because that is the only way He could change them.
Jesus and His company of fishermen were welcome at the wedding.
Matthew 25:40 NLT "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
Jesus takes it very personally how we treat His people.
Jesus never travels alone. He always has an entourage of people and favor.
Luke 2:52 NLT Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Favor is always connected to people. You never have favor without people.
When our hearts are enlarged, there will be enough room for Jesus and His entourage of favor.
Favor will speak for those who invite Jesus.
[3] And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Mary, who was a guest, spoke to Jesus who was a guest on behalf of the bride and groom.
Imagine how things would have turned out if one or both of them had not been invited.
Hebrews 13:1-2 NLT Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. [2] Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Favor always comes from the most unexpected quarters.
You are just one person away from your breakthrough, only you can’t tell who that person is.
They may even be in your life already, or they may be that lowly person you are most likely to ignore.
PRAYER:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Step 3. Prepare yourself to receive new wine.
(First Type is Negative Preparation: things we must reject and cease from)
Matthew 9:17 NLT "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved."
Matthew 9:17 NKJV Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
Before Jesus turns your water into wine, He has to first turn you into a different kind of person. Our old wine skin must be replaced with new wineskin, otherwise the New Wine will be wasted on us.
Romans 12:2 NLT Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
We must reject the old wineskins of pride, selfishness, racism, judgmental attitudes, etc
2 Timothy 2:21 LSB Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, having been prepared for every good work.
We must become willing to welcome and accommodate people who do not look like us, think like us, talk like us or act like us.
We must be willing to accommodate people who do not look like, think like, talk like, or act like Jesus. If we reject them, we reject Jesus, favor and new wine.
Old mindsets, old attitudes, old protocols and conventions will have to be disposed of.
With New Wine, protocols will be bypassed; conventions will be broken; because Old Wineskin cannot hold New Wine.
PRAYER:
Ephesians 5:11 LSB And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them
Lord, from this day on, I renounce all unfruitful works of darkness. Reveal to me where the old wineskins of pride, selfishness, racism, sin of any kind may be lurking in my heart.
I reject them and I embrace the new wineskin of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
Step 4: Become a true servant
To create New Wine, God collaborates only with true servants.
Servants carry out His instructions, without question.
[5] His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." [6] Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. [7] Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
Servants obey often at great risks.
[8] And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it.
Only true servants are humble enough to help produce new wine.
9] When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made into wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
God doesn’t use great people. They want to share in His glory. Whenever He finds humble people, He will use them, so long as they stay humble.
Being too concerned about our status, image and brand is keeping us from glorifying God.
A servant seeks not his own glory but the glory of the One who sent him.
Mark 10:42-45 KJV But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. [43] But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: [44] And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. [45] For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus needs true servants to serve as leaders, not leaders who act as servants.
Those who are too full of themselves leave no room for God to use them.
Philippians 2:5-11 LSB
Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, [6] who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. [8] Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
When we collaborate with Jesus, our little mundane part will produce supernatural results.
The result of our partnership with Jesus is that the same thing we have always done with little to show for it will now produce results we can neither own nor explain. The servants knew the source of the water but how it became wine, and such good wine that the master of the feast felt compelled to comment on, was a mystery to them. They could neither own nor explain. All the glory had to go to Jesus, whose contribution made all the difference.
With New Wine…
Your prayer life will be more effective.
Your influence will be greater.
You will have more joy.
Your ministry, your business, your study will be more productive,
Your relationships will be sweeter, more cordial, more fulfilling etc.
You will achieve all these beautiful outcomes, not by doing more, but by the blessing of God on your mundane efforts.
When you do more, you will not be stressed or burnt out.. you will only multiply your effectiveness by orders of magnitude.
Deuteronomy 32:30-31 NLT
How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? [31] But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock, as even they recognize.
PRAYER
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Lord Jesus, by Your grace, help me to emulate You in Your humility. Give me the heart of a true servant, one who obeys you promptly, fully and without questioning.
Step 5: Stand Firm In the Face of Opposition
Every time we stand for God, especially in the face of opposition, God responds by filling us with more of His Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:13-31 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
18 So they called them and commanded them not speak at all or teach in the Name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you be the judge.20 For we cannot but speak of the things which we have seen and heard.”
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions, they reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had assembled together was shaken; and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 13: 44-52 On the next sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 Byt when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the thing spoken by Paul.
49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout the region. 50 But the aides stirred up devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER:
Matthew 24:12-13 LSB And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold. [13] But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Lord, by Your grace I will stand in the face of opposition, and hatred. Lord, enable me to stand alone to the very end, even if no one joins me.
Step 6: When we play our part, God always plays His part.
When God sees we are ready for New Wine, He will break protocols and conventions.
John 2:4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
It wasn’t yet Jesus’ time. He was not ready yet according to the timetable He was following, but two things prevailed on Him… the law of God and His kindness.
Jesus did not come to abolish the law but He came to fulfill the law. The law of God says children are to honor their father and mother. A violation of God’s law is the only limit to honoring parents.
There was no way Jesus was going to dishonor His mother when her request was not a violation of God’s law; especially when her request tapped into His own kindness of heart.
Jesus was not going to stand by and see shame come upon people who had honored Him and His disciples with an invitation.
The bride and groom favored Mary, Jesus and His disciples by their invitation.
Favor moved Mary to ask Jesus. Favor for His mother, moved Jesus to show favor to the bride and groom.
Favor is a self-renewing power always at work.
Another word for favor is mercy and Jesus said
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 ESV
PRAYER: Lord, give me the grace to do my little part in our collaboration of creating new wine. help me to trust You that you are faithful and able to do Your much bigger part.
Prophetic Declaration over 2025
God is ready to move by His Holy Spirit in spectacular ways in 2025, but we will need to be filled to saturation for us to see that move.
God will not do it alone, but in partnership with the body of Christ, or at least those among us who will thirst deeply and long for Him.
The alighting by the Holy Ghost will not be enough this year. To be indwelt by the Holy Spirit will be insufficient. Too many of us have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in us and we do nothing.
This year, we will not be able to stay put even if we wanted to. The overflow will be too great.
Please make sure you do not miss this. Make sure you stay thirsty. Do not be satisfied with the old. God is doing a new thing with new wine.
God is going to be moving so quickly, many will only see a flash after He has gone past. But those who are eagerly watching and waiting, will not miss Him.
