Focus 40: Day 1 - March 9, 2011

New Wineskins for a Fresh Filling

Jesus said, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." - Mark 2:22 NKJV

I think if most of us were honest, we would say that we long for a fresh anointing from God. Wouldn't you really like to see and sense God working in the midst of his people? The power of God comes when the Spirit of God fills his people. How long has it been since you have really seen the power of God moving in your church? How long has it been since you have sensed the power of God working in your own life? Is there freshness to your own journey with God?

There is a connection between fasting and the freshness of God in your life. If you read the above passage of scripture in Mark 2, you see that Jesus had just finished telling the Pharisees that his disciples would fast once he was gone. The purpose of the fasting was to prepare them for a new, fresh anointing from God. God does not put that kind of wine in old wineskins. In fact, our old wineskin, that is our old, dead spirits, cannot contain the freshness of the Holy Spirit of God.

What does that mean for you and me today? If we want the new wine of the Spirit of God -new miracles, new closeness, new intimacy, and fresh power—then it's time to call a fast and shed these old skins for new ones.

What might happen if a large number of believers in the Church of God came together at the same time to fast and pray? How might God respond? As we present our bodies as "living sacrifices" before God in this time of prayer and fasting, allow God to open up your life. Shed away some of those old callous layers. Allow him to prepare your new wineskin for a fresh anointing from him and join with Christ followers across the nation to pray this prayer:

Lord, help me get rid of the old wineskins in my life - the empty, dried up spiritual disciplines, or lack thereof, that are no more than just going through the motions. Replace them with your fresh, new wineskins filled with the new wine of the Spirit of God in fresh anointing, new miracles, new intimacy, and fresh power from your throne. Amen!

Rev. Randy Montgomery, State Pastor, Kentucky Church of God Ministries; Chair, Transformation Team Connect/Refresh