April 28, 2025

Stay Flexible

The following three verses in Isaiah speak of God changing the times and seasons:

“You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, even hidden things which you have not known” (Isaiah 48:6).

“Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

“Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you” (Isaiah 42:9).

First, notice the phrase “spring forth” in the last two verses. These words mark a shift in time; something new is about to spring forth. God sometimes waits until the last moment to act. It is also true, however, that when He does, it can transpire quickly. He also has a sense of humor.

“Shortly after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1924, it almost folded, coming to the point of bankruptcy. All the creditors were ready to foreclose at 12:00 noon on a particular day. That morning, the founders of the school met in the president’s office to pray that God would provide. In that prayer meeting was Harry Ironside. When it was his turn to pray, he said in his refreshingly candid way, ‘Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.”’ 

“Just about that time, a tall Texan wearing boots and an open-collar shirt strolled into the business office. ‘Howdy!’ he said to the secretary. ‘I just sold two carloads of cattle over in Fort Worth. I’ve been trying to make a business deal go through, but it just won’t work. I feel God wants me to give this money to the seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check,’ and he handed it over.

“The secretary took the check and, knowing something of the critical nature of the hour, went to the door of the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder and president of the school, answered the door and took the check from her hand. When he looked at the amount, it was for the exact sum of the debt. Then he recognized the name on the check as that of the cattleman. Turning to Dr. Ironside, he said, ‘Harry, God sold the cattle.’”(1)

Second, notice the word “new.” Again, this word speaks of a shift. In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated as “new.” Though translated the same, they have different meanings, and understanding the difference is important.

The word neos means numerically new, but not different. For instance, even though you buy a new car, there are hundreds more just like it all over the country. It’s “new” but not different.(2) The other Greek word for “new” is kainos, which means not only numerically new, but also qualitatively new.(3) Think of a new car manufactured today as compared to a Model T car. Not only is today’s vehicle numerically new, it is also qualitatively new; it’s different.

Distinguishing the difference between these two words - neos and kainos - is necessary to properly understand Scripture. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are new (kainos) creations, qualitatively new and different. We are NOT just forgiven, we are different. God has transformed us, put a new nature in us, and filled us with His Spirit. We are kainos - brand-new - on the inside.

In Matthew 9:17, Jesus used both of these Greek words in one statement, referring to the practice of putting “new” wine into “new” wineskins. He actually said that new (neos) wine needed to be put into new (kainos) wineskins. The wine symbolizes Holy Spirit, who doesn’t change. This “new” wine of the Spirit is not a different wine; it is simply more wine; another outpouring. 

Although the wine of the Spirit isn’t different, the wineskins - we believers - do mature and change. In order for wineskins to be reused, they must go through a renewing process. When empty of wine, they become dry and stiff. If not made flexible again, the fermentation process when producing new wine causes them to split. So the wineskins are soaked in water and rubbed with oil to make them flexible once again. 

The purpose of this teaching from Christ is to let us know that we must be willing to change in order to receive fresh outpourings of Holy Spirit. We cannot be rigid, hardened in the shape of the last movement, but be flexible, willing to change. Our thinking must change, allowing us to “expand” with the new thing God is doing. We must become kainos, qualitatively new.

Before God shifts us into a new season, He works these changes in us. He has produced an enormous amount of change in the church over the last few years, and is now about to pour out “new” wine. 

Be Like the Lobster

From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart; yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and finally their casket.

The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Ocean currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while, at least, that old shell must look pretty good.

We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our old shells - a structure, a framework, a mindset - that we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when He bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow, and leave our old shells behind.”

Like the lobster, I like the new shell; I just don't like the process.

God is doing new things on the earth, making some radical changes. They are coming quickly. Don’t be trapped in the old…Stay flexible!

Pray with me:

Father, You are doing new things on the earth, hidden things which we have not seen before. They are springing forth. You are alerting us to this, just as You did in Isaiah’s day. Give us hearts that can hear Your current revelation (Isaiah 50:4-5). 

We desire to be fresh, new wineskins. When the new move of Your Spirit fully comes, we don’t want to be left out. We determine not to be hardened into yesterday’s “shape,” its traditions and ways of thinking, and therefore unable to receive this new outpouring. Jerusalem asked for the Messiah, but could not receive Him because of their traditions and old ways (Luke 19:41-44). We refuse to fall into this trap, to be those who cried out for revival, then were unable to participate because our wineskins were too rigid and inflexible. Soak us in the water of revelation from Your word, and massage us with the oil of Holy Spirit. Help us to leave our comfort zones and not be locked into preconceived ideas.

Give us fresh revelation, laced with wisdom. Give us revelation to move forward, wisdom to provide stability; revelation so we can walk in Your gifts, and wisdom to know Your ways. We need both Your Spirit and Your Word. We ask for all of this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our decree: 

We declare that new wine is coming, and we WILL be able to receive it.

Today’s post was adapted from my book God’s Timing for Your Life, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

_________________________

1. Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), p. 268.

2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3501.

3. Ibid., ref. no. 2537.