Promised Wine

As RISEnetwork gathered August 1, 2014, we had a time to receive from God and corporately express worship. Generations of leaders gathered and had a great time. Eric Lynch was used strongly to speak prophetically to individuals and later wrote a blog about what he saw the Spirit showing him about RISEnetwork. His blog was very encouraging. Read it here. 

I shared from Numbers 13:23-24 that explains how the 12 Spies where sent to see what was promised. They ended up with a cluster of grapes so large it took 2 men to carry them. As I look through the lenses of covenant, I see grapes being the promise of wine. Jesus is the Promised One. He is where we dwell. Jesus held up the cup of wine and said it displays His blood for the New/Better Covenant. The promise of wine from those grapes spoke of the promise of a Better Covenant through Jesus. That covenant would come through the violence of the cross. It would be a painful and heart aching work that would press the grapes into wine. The pressed Fruit of the Vine (offspring, son. God is the Vine, Son of God) would be pressed and crushed at the cross. He endured this for the prize of the new wine/covenant. 

Yet when the 12 Spies returned to give a report, only 2 felt the promise was worth the battle. (let every word be established by the witness of 2-3). The "2" (law and prophets) witnessed that the promise could be obtained. The "2" (Love God, love neighbor) would be obtainable. The "2" (Old Covenant, New Covenant) would display what is available. It was these 2 Spies that stated we could have what's available. 

Today, God is calling together and aligning leaders of each generation that see the promise, that know what's available, and are passionate to pioneer into it. Leaders in the Kingdom are being challenged into new territory for the glory of God and revealing of His ways. 

These leaders are not looking to fit into the established, but are identifying the hungry and leading them. 

These leader are not focused on the way things are but on the way things can be. 

Everyone knows many things are going wrong, but God is aligning those that know things can go right. 

We are those that see wine is available and fresh wine is being released now. It's the requirement for a new wine skin that has us passionate to come together. God is causing RISEnetwork to develop as a new wine skin and carry our portion of new wine in this moment. You are part of that. 

You are being stretched, pressed, drained so you bring forth a cup/container of enjoyable wine. You are one that's like the 2 Spies. You see it. You are hungry for what can be. This is your time to go after it. You are the kind of leader that shows it's possible to rise above what's been and come into what can be. Lead on!  Lead your home. Lead your business. Lead your congregation. Lead your community. Lead your generation. 

The grapes are the promise of wine. Let's be a wine skin for now so there is a taste of freshness in the earth.