NO MORE MIXING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Matthew 9:17 (ESV)
17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
I think Christians have made a terrible mistake. They have been duped by the devil. They either are living under an Old Covenant mentality or by a Will Power mentality or Mixing it all together the Old Covenant/Will Power/and New Testament. That is a formula for disaster. We have not corrected divided and understood God’s Word. So as a result, the church in America and in many other places is by in large powerless.
We must quit doing what is the tradition of man. Look we’ve always done it this way-even though it hasn’t worked in 50 years. But people will die to defend that tradition instead of opening themselves up to the Truth and something that works!
(That is the definition of insanity-doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results)
I have been on both sides-that side of tradition didn’t work and this works-because it is the Truth of God’s work.
We must quit doing what just seems right but has no power and find what works.
I am gonna tear down the false foundations this week and then build on the right one next week with a message God gave me called “It was Friday but Sunday’s Come.”
That is why we have no power in the church in America or very little. We are mixing it all up Blowing up wineskins. What do I mean by blowing up wineskins. Listen to this verse of Scripture.
17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
When It comes to Spiritual Wine: You cannot put old wine in new wineskins. Again, we must quit doing what is the tradition of man.
1. Quit praying for revival
Now before you stone me let me expound on that. If we are talking about having meetings where an anointed speaker comes in and challenges the people. That is fine. We should pray for our country; for our leaders, etc.
I believe this is possible what happens. Christians think “Hey nothing is happening, and God is not moving so it must be that therefore there is too much sin for God to move.” So, we need to bombard heaven in prayer until God does move. That is how I was taught. I believe this is what most people believe.
Here’s the problem: that is an Old Covenant (an Old Testament) mentality. The verse that is used mainly and very sincerely and very sincerely wrong by people is II Chronicles 7:14. You will see this on a sign in a yard near you.
Again, I believe the people who put the signs in their yard and believe this way and are passionate about it are very hungry for God. I appreciate them. They want God to move with all their hearts. The problem is they are it doing with Old Wineskins.
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (ESV)
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
How do I know this isn’t a New Testament Prayer: let the Bible show you?
Hebrews 8:12 (KJV)
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
So, under the Old Covenant/Testament God’s people had to humble themselves and pray and repent and seek God because God was holding their sins against them.
In the New Testament under grace in Hebrews, God says he will be merciful to our sins and will remember them no more. All our sins were put on Jesus and when we accept him we receive the gift of permanent forgiveness. I know what you are thinking. I just taught on this not too long ago in a message called “Can Unconfessed Sin keep you out of heaven? You can find that Video Teaching archived on this Facebook Page.
The bottom line is unconfessed sin hardens your heart toward God and gives access to the devil and can hurt your reputations with men, but it doesn’t affect God’s love, fellowship and view of you. Now it might affect your view of him or your view of how you might think he feels about you.
So, what is the New Testament Way for Revival-It is called the Great Commission. You and I tell others about Jesus and they accept him. The problem as I shared just a week or two ago is 98 out of 100 don’t do that. Now do you see the problem. I wonder if many want the pastor to begat sheep. Guess what sheep beget sheep.
Mark 16:15-20 (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
YOU MUST PLANT A SEED-PRAYER IS WATER AND FERTILIZER BUT WITHOUT A SEED THERE WILL BE NO HARVEST. PRAYING ISN’T A SUBSTITUE FOR WITNESSING
2. Quit praying for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit
What was wrong with the first one. There is a song and I love the enthusiasm behind it, but it is dead wrong. It says, “Lord we need another Pentecost.” That is not true.
Acts 2:36-39 (ESV)
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Some who struggle with this might say well that Baptism in the Holy Spirit with Speaking in Tongues was just for the 1st century church. Well statistics tell us that millions around the world still do today. I do. Many in my church do. I have said it and will shout it from the roof tops but without the baptism of the Holy Spirit with initial evidence of Speaking in Tongues you are going to be limited in the power you must move mountains. Speaking in Tongues and Meditation on the Promises of God (specifically Divine Healing) Saved my bacon during this ten-year trial and got me healed and transformed me. The good news you can receive it just as you received the Lord at Salvation. I will be talking more about that Gift next Week.
3. Quit praying like it hasn’t happened yet
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV)
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature
These Promises are written past tense-why is that important? It’s the difference between begging God for something that you are not sure that he will give you or confidently thanking him for something that he has already provided for you and then taking your authority and speaking to that think-whatever it is. God gives them without respect to person. You and I are on the same level playing field. He is no respecter of persons!!!
4. Quit praying for God to do things that he told you to do
We do this all the time out of tradition
We say God please take this away and it turns into complaining and begging. I been there. It doesn’t work.
Mark 11:23-24 (KJV)
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
You speak to the Mountain-Take your Authority
Speak to the mountain and do it in Jesus name and tell it to move. Don’t ask God please move this mountain that is not faith. We seem to be plagued by this attitude as Christians “that we can do things however we want to, and God knows our heart and it will just work. Well the proof is it the pudding. It isn’t working. Why not do it the way he said to in this Word-now there’s a novel idea. I think there is a name for that it’s called obedience. God loves faith and he loves you-so to do it the way he said to and with childlike faith command and take the victory that is already yours. What do you have to lose.
So, I have torn down the wrong foundation and exposed it for what it is. Next week I will lay down the right foundation when I share the message God has given me called: It was Friday, but Sunday’s Come. You don’t want to miss it.
PRAYER TIME:
-Open the Hearts of those who are stuck using the old wineskins and trying to make them work with the New Wine. Law and Grace are like Oil and Water. Please prepare their hearts for next week’s message “It was Friday but Sunday’s Come.” So, they can receive that intimate relationship with you along with the power to heal the sick and raise the dead and cleanse the leper.
CLARIFICATION ON REVIVAL VERSUS EVANGELISM/WITNESSING
One of my good friends from Bible College-Pastor Bob who pastors in Houston, TX pointed out a couple of things that I would like to clarify. Thanks Pastor Bob.
I kind of muddied the water with my Revival Definition. Many people use Revival for the church to be awakened and repent and for Evangelism interchangeable. People would say “Hey we are having revival meetings at our church. That could mean either” for the believer to repent and get fired up again or for to reach the lost. I unfortunately picked up this bad habit and have done the same thing used that word both ways, also. I did that last week. So, to clarify. Revival is for the church(Christians) for awakening/repentance. Evangelism/Witnessing is for the lost (the unsaved).
I also wanted to point out when I said that we shouldn’t pray for revival we should do it. that I was using that as a term for evangelism. I meant that we shouldn’t use prayer only as a substitute for witnessing (which 98 out of 100 people according to Ray Comfort are doing). I said that prayer is water and fertilizer but sharing/preaching/teaching the Word is the Seed.
I believe that the same is true when it comes to revival. We should pray that God would soften the hearts of the church people who are not where they should be with the Lord. Then we must sow the Word. We must share/preach/teach the Truth of God’s Word with them. Both: Evangelism and Revival applies not just to the pastor but to all Christians as well. I do believe we are living in the end times. I do believe we are the Laodicea church and that these admonitions found in James and Revelation are clear. I want to thank Pastor Bob for pointing out this bad habit that I and others have of using the name Revival to mean Evangelism to. I knew the difference but just didn’t’ stick to the proper word.
So, one more time Revival is for the church for repentance and awakening and Evangelism/Witnessing is for the unsaved and they are for all Christians’ should not only pray but share/preach/teach. Now I want to share these two verses that Pastor Bob shared with me.
James 4:7-10 (ESV)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Revelation 3:14-22 (ESV)
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
One of my good friends from Bible College-Pastor Bob who pastors in Houston, TX pointed out a couple of things that I would like to clarify. Thanks Pastor Bob.
I kind of muddied the water with my Revival Definition. Many people use Revival for the church to be awakened and repent and for Evangelism interchangeable. People would say “Hey we are having revival meetings at our church. That could mean either” for the believer to repent and get fired up again or for to reach the lost. I unfortunately picked up this bad habit and have done the same thing used that word both ways, also. I did that last week. So, to clarify. Revival is for the church(Christians) for awakening/repentance. Evangelism/Witnessing is for the lost (the unsaved).
I also wanted to point out when I said that we shouldn’t pray for revival we should do it. that I was using that as a term for evangelism. I meant that we shouldn’t use prayer only as a substitute for witnessing (which 98 out of 100 people according to Ray Comfort are doing). I said that prayer is water and fertilizer but sharing/preaching/teaching the Word is the Seed.
I believe that the same is true when it comes to revival. We should pray that God would soften the hearts of the church people who are not where they should be with the Lord. Then we must sow the Word. We must share/preach/teach the Truth of God’s Word with them. Both: Evangelism and Revival applies not just to the pastor but to all Christians as well. I do believe we are living in the end times. I do believe we are the Laodicea church and that these admonitions found in James and Revelation are clear. I want to thank Pastor Bob for pointing out this bad habit that I and others have of using the name Revival to mean Evangelism to. I knew the difference but just didn’t’ stick to the proper word.
So, one more time Revival is for the church for repentance and awakening and Evangelism/Witnessing is for the unsaved and they are for all Christians’ should not only pray but share/preach/teach. Now I want to share these two verses that Pastor Bob shared with me.
James 4:7-10 (ESV)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Revelation 3:14-22 (ESV)
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”