Changing Wineskins

'The old order of things has passed away'

(Rev 21:4)

The greatest change in the church since the Protestant Reformation is taking place. A new reformation is changing the shape of Christianity around the world. Those churches and ministries who are embracing this extraordinary work of God are experiencing an open heaven over their cities regions and nations, and are beginning to see the prophesy of Hosea 6:3 being fulfilled before their eyes! ‘Then shall we know, if we follow on to know The Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth’.

The Lord is changing the wineskins within the body of Christ, enabling the church to contain the fullness of His presence. Without seeking our permission, God is in the process of renewing and restoring HIS church. For a number of years He has been preparing and equipping the church. If we look beyond ourselves, and our own agendas, we can clearly see the outworking of this preparation and equipping, throughout the body of Christ.

Part of the preparation has seen the planting of a number of new churches, a dramatic increase in cell-church and the sifting and sorting of people into the locations and ministry where God can use them most effectively. God is equipping the church through the restoration of the five fold ministry gifts. This restoration in itself is part of the process of preparing the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12).

The Reformation, that is taking place throughout the body of Christ, has one major purpose; that is the restoration of divine order. There are many facets to divine order, as there are many facets to the nature and character of God. It is not within the scope of this article to discuss this subject in detail, suffice to say that in order for God to restore divine order within the church we must be prepared to do our part, that simply stated means creating an atmosphere where God feels comfortable. We can only create this atmosphere by our willingness to return the chief cornerstone to His place of pre-eminence as the foundation who supports the entire spiritual building we call church. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (Eph 2:19-2:21)

Jesus promises, in His word, a great outpouring of power in and through the church “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). It has always been God’s desire to see the complete fulfillment of this promise, but God will not empower the flesh! He will only empower wineskins that are able to contain His glory…..

W. Joe Ingram