Bible Reading: Mark 2:13-28
Special Verse: Mark 2:22
"And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles."
When I entered college in 1984, after receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost and being radically set on fire for God, I became friends with a group of passionate believers. Filled with excitement, we began evangelizing and laying hands on the sick, witnessing God move powerfully. However, our zeal quickly caught the attention of the leaders of the established college fellowships, who were uncomfortable with what we were doing.
We tried to share with them what God was doing in our lives, but they struggled to understand. Eventually, five of us were excommunicated from three campus fellowships. Yet, what seemed like rejection was actually divine redirection. God used us to ignite a revival that impacted thousands of young people in Nigeria, with its fruit continuing to touch nations worldwide.
This experience illustrates the principle of new wine in old wineskins. We carried a fresh move of God, but the existing college fellowships—bound by old structures and mindsets—could not contain it. The result was a tear in relationships.
It is crucial to recognize when old mindsets hinder new opportunities. Sometimes, we must be willing to move on or shift our associations when people are unwilling to embrace change. Two cannot walk together unless they agree (Amos 3:3). Forcing change on those who are not ready will only lead to frustration and conflict. Instead, trust God’s leading and remain open to the new things He wants to do in and through you.