Jer 2:13 – For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Micah 3: 11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among us? no evil can come upon us.
Cisterns are man-made holding tanks. They rely on man to continually fill up and take out the water = labor intensive. If the main water supplier disappears, the cistern runs dry leaving everyone relying on that sole supply dying of thirst. If it becomes contaminated, everyone who drinks from it becomes poisoned and dies. If the cistern gets cracked in its foundations, no matter how much water you pour into it, it simply cannot hold water, and everyone is dying of thirst. They are pay-for-service feature so if the finances dry up, the water supply dries up also.
Contrast that to a living spring that continually flows freely. All we need to do is receive. Because a living spring is from rock-filtered rockbed, it does not matter if the external environment is experiencing a drought. There is very little risk of contamination from clean rock. The risk lies within a contaminated vessel, which is easily remedied with a good scourging of hot soapy water.
John 7:38 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
The new wineskin is shifting from teaching people to head to the cistern with their empty buckets to teaching them to find their living spring within their own bellies. That way, if one person goes down, others can provide the hot water for speedy redemption instead of an entire flock spiritually dying.
The model of the new wineskin has a leader providing direction but every joint supplies. Everyone has a voice instead of a single pulpit controlled by man. Spiritual gifts are flourishing instead of squashed. Creativity is being awakened and given a unique platform as an expression for corporate worship. Contamination isn’t shameful – it’s a fact of life that has a remedy. A family environment of safety, honour, and nurturing is being developed. All levels of maturity have value. The Holy Spirit is elevated as the primary instructor and not the pastor, then the revelation knowledge received is narrated to others in the group, solidifying the lesson within the student’s understanding and sometimes seeing broader depth as others provide their perspectives on the material, protecting students from a “know-it-all” attitude as we all know and prophesy in part.
It will be this new wineskin that will protect people from the coming 7 yr dearth that will affect the cisterns, causing a distinction between the cisterns and the living springs.
Jer 14:1-3 – The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.
Cross Ref: Isaiah 30:1-5 – – Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. 4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.
Isaiah 61:7 – 7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation, With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,
John 4:14 – But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
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