…Til the Spirit
Isaiah 32:14 -18 is a prophetic declaration outlining how God works His transformation. What starts as abandoned wasteland is transformed into a fertile field. Then it says, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” This passage captures what we are believing for our nation, and for the continent of Africa.
The hinge on which all this transformation rests, is found in verse 15. “Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high.” The wasteland conditions will never change without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. We are believing for such an intervention at Africa Arise 2018.
The Wineskin
“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” – Luke 5:37-38
In the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is likened to wine. And if we are believing for a visitation of God’s Spirit, we must be equally concerned with the wineskin. If the wineskin is not ready, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. Wine is what is being poured; wineskin is what is being poured into.
The Old Testament pattern is that the glory of God always falls on the tabernacle/ temple. (Ex. 40:34; 2Chr.7:1-2) But in the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit being poured out on people. (Acts 2) This means that we are in the New Testament, what the temple was in the Old, which Paul highlights in 1Corinthians 3:16.
What makes the wineskin ready? What positions us? In the Old Testament, it was the completion of the tabernacle and the temple that preceded the glory of God falling. But in Acts 2, we see God’s glory responding to timing, place, and one accord.
Timing, One Place, One Accord
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” – Acts 2:1-2
Sometimes, God moves in an unusual way, not because He loves us more, or that we have become more righteous. We are forever loved, and forever righteous through the finished work of Christ. But sometimes, it is just time. The day of Pentecost was such a time. And we are believing that Africa Arise 2018 is such a time.
Secondly, it says that they were in one place and one accord. In our own experience with revival, and with our study of revivals throughout church history, we have witnessed the tragic consequences of a ruined wineskin. We have seen revival fires curtailed because of the lack of one accord. These are lessons learned that we are bringing into this year’s conference. We know better now. The strength and the sustainability of the any move of God, is dependent on God’s time, one place, and one accord. #AfricaArise
See also Haggai 2:5-9