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ACTS 29 TODAY

coming to the knowledge of the TRUTH

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Fasting Helps Preserve the ‘Old Wine skin’

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Let’s take this a step further. In Matthew 9:14 and 15,

the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus a question

about fasting. It took me a long time to understand

Jesus’ answer.

Then came to him [Jesus]the disciples of John, saying,

Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples

fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride

chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with

them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom

shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

The day that Jesus is talking about is the change from

the Old to the New Covenant; it’s our day.

Then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, Jesus goes

on to say this:

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old

garment, for that which is put into fill it up taketh from

the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the

bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles

perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and

both are preserved.— Matthew 9:16,17

Let’s catch what Jesus is saying here. The disciples of

John came to Jesus and said, “The Pharisees fast often,

and so do we. But we have noticed, Jesus, that these

men who follow You don’t fast at all.”

Then Jesus answers, “No, they don’t have to fast while

I’m with them. I’m the Bridegroom.” In other words, at

that time the disciples were between two covenants, the

Old Testament and the New Testament. And before

Jesus sent the seventy disciples out, He literally put His

anointing on them.

The disciples cast devils out and raised the dead. When

they came back and talked to Jesus about what they had

done, they were more shocked that demons had to

come out than the demons were! Luke 10:17 says, And

the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,even

the devils are subject unto us through thy name. But,

you see, it was Jesus’ anointing they were walking

under.

So in essence Jesus says, “No, while I’m with you, you

don’t have to fast, because I put My anointing on you.

But the day will come when I’m taken away, and there

will be a change of covenants. On that day you will fast.

And would you like to know why you will fast in that

day?”

The disciples say, “Yes! That’s the question we’re asking

You.”

Jesus says, “I’ll tell exactly why you’ll fast in that day —

because you don’t put new wine in old bottles and new

patches on old garments.”

So as I meditated on Jesus’ answer to the disciples of

John, I thought, That was His answer to why we are

going to fast under the New Covenant? They asked Him

a question about fasting.What kind of answer is it to

say, “You don’t put new wine in old bottles”?(I don’t

think I understood half of what Jesus said in the early

days of my ministry!)

I finally came to understand what Jesus was saying. The

moment you were born again,your spirit was seated in

heavenly places with Christ Jesus. But, unfortunately,

He had to leave you in the old garment or old wine skin

— this earthly body. One day a trumpet will sound, and

this earthly body is going to be transformed from

corruptible to incorruptible.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last

trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall

be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:52

Can you imagine our bodies being glorified in the time

it takes a person to blink?

At that moment, I won’t own a body anymore that was

given to me from the loins of the first man Adam.

Instead, I will be a manifested son of God, born of Jesus

Christ, comprised of spirit, soul, and glorified body.

 But meanwhile, as generations of saints can testify

before us, we are still wearing an old garment or old

wine skin that is dying day by day and is capable of

sin.When I belonged to that ultra-Holiness church,

people would tell me that it was the devil who was

tempting me to sin, and I understood that. But I didn’t

understand what it was in me that wanted to agree with

the devil!

I wanted Galatians 5:16 to read this way: “This I say

then, walk in the Spirit, and all the warrings and lusts

of the flesh will go away.” But it doesn’t say that. It says,

This I say then,Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill

the lust of the flesh.

That’s why Jesus said, “When I’m taken away from you,

there will be a change of covenants. Your spirit is going

to be seated with Me. But, unfortunately, I’ll have to

leave you in the old wine skin. That’s okay, though,

because fasting is going to have the same effect on your

old wine skin as if you went out and bought a new one.

Fasting will preserve your old wine skin so the new

wine, My power, can operate through it until I give you

a new wine skin— a glorified body.”

It’s a sad thing when a preacher’s old wine skin bursts

in full view of the entire world,spilling out the new

wine because the vessel that carried it wasn’t strong

enough to maintain it. That situation brings a reproach

on the Gospel. Perhaps if that preacher had known a

little more about fasting, his old wine skin might have

been better preserved against sin.

So fasting has the same effect on your old wine skin as

if you had gone out and bought a new wine skin. Fasting

preserves the old wine skin against sin. It helps mortify

the deeds of the flesh while the new wine operates

within the old wine skin.

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UNTIL NEXT TIME

servant LARRY