By Joyce Braganza
MOST often we are quick to blame others for the wrongs we suffer and the blessings that fail to manifest despite our prayers. I am one among such people. And this morning the Lord graciously revealed some profound truths from HIS word that I decided I must share with
everyone.
At the outset, I got a daily devotion message from a school-friend and the scripture spoke directly to my heart for I am praying for some new things to manifest in my life for quite some time now. The Lord spoke to me through Isaiah 42:9-10 – “Indeed, the former [old] things have come to pass [are about to pass away], now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” Sing to the LORD a new song.”
Here God comforts all of us who have been earnestly praying and waiting on the Lord for a long time for a certain blessing to manifest about which God Himself has spoken to us through prophecies, dreams and HIS word. If you are that person and are reading/listening to this message today, I want to encourage you to continue praying more earnestly for your breakthrough now is even more nearer than you can imagine. Don’t give-up praying now. Your blessing is at the door and it will soon break forth for you. Never forget that God is forever faithful and HE answers prayers.
Joyce Braganza also wrote: It is well!
Perhaps you want to ask me – then why is my blessing not manifesting? Well, the answer is in the above scripture portion. Before the new things manifest, the old things must pass away. These old things maybe an old sinful habit, an old relationship, old location, business or job that’s doesn’t align with God’s plan for you. The Holy Spirit will reveal it to you if you ask HIM.
Sometimes some blessings don’t manifest in the lifetime of certain people, but as soon as they are gone, those blessings that they craved for manifest suddenly. Again this proves Isaiah 42:9 – Behold, the old things are passing away and now I [God] declare new things. He announces / prophecies about the new things that are going to manifest to keep us joyfully expectant as we wait for it so that we are prepared to receive it when it suddenly comes.
The question is why must old things first pass away? And if they are some relationships or people that are blocking our blessings, why must they pass away or be separated from us before new things locate us?
When I asked the Lord this question, HE spoke to me about the old and the new wineskins. 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. 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. (Matt. 9:16–17); (Mark 2.21–22); (Luke 5.36–39).
Now what does this exactly mean and who doesn’t want to be blessed? Everyone does! The problem isn’t with God who is always willing and prepared to bless us. The problem is with us. Are we really prepared to receive the blessing that we have been asking for? Here’s where
the parable of the old and new wineskins come into picture. These two wineskins are the two types of mentalities or mind-sets. It’s all got to do with our thought process. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 [Good News Translation] says, “Be careful of how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Another version says, “A mind guarded will not be hard-hearted.” And another version says, “Be very careful about what you think, you thoughts run [control / dominate / manage] your life.”
Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.” In short, our thoughts shape us. Thoughts can make or ruin our lives. This means unless we allow God to constantly renew our minds through the active study and practice of HIS Holy word, we will become like old
wineskin that will burst when it’s filled with new wine. God in HIS infinite goodness is protecting us from the ruin that new blessings can cause to those with the old wineskin mentality. Therefore, the old things must first pass-away before new things can manifest.
The slums and marshy lands in Bandra-Kurla Complex [BKC] which was once a wasteland is now turned into Mumbai’s landmark. When the government was evacuating slum-dwellers from BKC, they were recompensed much beyond their wildest dreams.
A few of my former students who still continue to live in BKC once shared with me a story of an old woman who instantly died merely by seeing huge sums of money that was paid to the family to vacate the place where they had lived. Well, this is what happens when new wine is put into old wineskin – the old wineskin bursts. It cannot handle the new. Unlike the physical wineskin which we can assume is our body, the spiritual wineskin, i.e. our life / soul does not become old with age but with our old mind-set or thought process. Our thoughts have the ability to make our soul [spiritual wineskin] new or old.
Romans 12:2 says – Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world [even those
inherited from your ancestors], but be a new and different person [everyday] with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how HIS ways will really satisfy you … (Living Bible).
Yet many are gladly clinging to the old rather than making attempts to search out the new.
Let’s read 1 Peter 1:17-20 – 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners [pilgrims] here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious [incorruptible] blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. The Holy Bible states that what our ancestors handed down to us is an empty and useless way of life. That’s why we constantly see people vehemently resisting the truth of the Holy Bible when they defiantly claim that they will always follow what their ancestors taught them without even verifying the authenticity of their beliefs.
I want to warn you friends, because it’s the duty of every disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ to warn people of the dangers that they are in and snatch them from the jaws of death by exposing the subtle lie and revealing the living truth which alone has the power to save.
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Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 in Contemporary English Version – You may [confidently; proudly] think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Good News Translation – What you think is the right road may lead to death. New King James Version – There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Therefore, Proverbs 3:5 commands to “[simply] Trust in the Lord with all your hearts, and lean not on your own [fallible] understanding.”
When our mind is constantly on the precious blood of Jesus – the perfect price that God paid to redeem or buy us back to HIMSELF, then we will never want to arrogantly trust in the things taught to us by man, but we will humbly submit to learn the truth from HIS word. In Hosea 4:6 God laments saying – “MY people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of the truth].” Not destroyed for lack of anything else but destroyed for lack of knowledge. Will you still reject knowledge? Fools hate knowledge – Proverbs 1:22. Are you a fool? If you hate
knowledge, God will not answer you when you call, you will not find HIM when you look for HIM – Proverbs 1:28-29.
Friends, God’s will for us is that we become new every day – a thing that’s impossible without Christ and outside Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17 says – “But if anyone is found enfolded [living in the loving embrace] in Christ, he is [truly] a new creation [every day forever]. The old [that was inherited from the world] is gone, behold all things are made new.”
And as a new creation in Christ, we become the new wineskins ready to be filled with the new wine.
Prayer: Most gracious and loving Father, with all my heart I trust in You and thank You for redeeming me with the precious and holy blood of Christ from the old vain traditions, covenants, habits and even curses that I inherited from my fathers. Today, I choose to submit to the truth of Your living, saving, healing, cleansing, sanctifying, enlightening and powerful word. I reject, renounce and resist every subtle lie, delusion and superstition that had blinded me till this day. I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour – the one true God to whom alone belongs my worship and everything I have. Lord baptize me with Your
Holy Spirit to lead, guide and teach me to do Your will always. Thank You Father, in Jesus mighty and powerful name. Amen.
