For years, the Lord has been speaking to me prophetically about what He means by the concept of “new wineskin” in Luke 5, specifically regarding how the Biblical Ekklesia should look like to what we know as the “church-as-we-know-it” (C-A-W-K-I).
It was remarkable how the Lord served me “new wine” sip by sip; otherwise, I would have choked on it because I was too accustomed to the “old wine” and my traditional understanding of God’s Word.
In my first book, “Where to with the New Wine,” I described my theological understanding as a fortress with solid walls. While it contained wonderful Scriptural truths, many theological lies and misinterpretations of Scripture were strategically cemented within those walls. However, God's Spirit systematically began to knock down one wall after another in my understanding of Scripture.
As is the case with any change in thinking, I had to be "re-taught" by God, through His Word and Spirit, from the beginning to learn how to read and understand God's inspired Word with new eyes and a new understanding. In my situation, He also used the theological chaos that erupted in the Dutch Reformed Church to facilitate these shifts.
Today, more than 30 years after this change in thinking began in my life, the Lord shows me how these lies He pointed out are also embedded in every part of the "(C-A-W-K-I)." worldwide. Therefore, this prophetic word I received is meant for every part of the "(C-A-W-K-I)." across the globe.
The Lord reminded me of how He showed me in 1988 in Switzerland and in the rest of Europe the roots of many theological lies and misunderstandings of His Word in the teachings of the Reformation of 1517 and the years that followed. The enemy has managed to embed numerous lies and misunderstandings of the Word into the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, from which Martin Luther, Calvin, and many other reformatory leaders originally came, and so, also became part of the teachings of the Reformation itself.
Consider, for instance, the concept of “baptism” inherited from our Roman Catholic background, where infants are sprinkled with water, and this act is described as a biblical “baptism.” This also led to a distorted understanding of the “church,” whereby one becomes a “member” of the church simply by being baptized as a baby or as a child of believing parents.
Then came Emperor Constantine the Great, a young and confused Christian believer, who, under the guidance of misguided spiritual leaders, legislated that congregations and churches must be “led and taught” by theologically trained leaders; otherwise, it was deemed “against the law.” This led to the creation of thousands of man-made, man-invented “church systems” all over the “C-A-W-K-I” that were never God’s intention.
What makes this tragedy even greater is that this “C-A-W-K-I” must rely on money and a Mammon-driven collection system to maintain these man-made church systems. This explains, in short, the fragmented nature of the “C-A-W-K-I” characterized by thousands of man-invented “churches,” “church” systems, congregations, and even “church brands” worldwide around us, despite Jesus’ declaration that HIS CHURCH IS ONE.
This situation affirms Jesus’ words in Matthew: “No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will either esteem one less and the other higher, or he will have more for one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.”
Therefore, I hear the Lord say: This is why the current movement away from typical Christian church systems is happening worldwide. This is happening not because My people no longer love Me and Jesus, nor because they no longer want to serve, says the Lord. Rather, it is happening because they love Me and want to serve Me with power and conviction!
I am busy, says the Lord, with a total reformation and re-creation of what you know as the Church of Jesus. This is why many of you find yourselves in limbo concerning your relationships with other believers around you in your daily life and work.
This shift also impacts the spiritual leaders whom I have called to serve full-time in My Ekklesia, says the Lord.
Therefore, says the Lord, this is also why I told you, as one of My fivefold “gifts” (Eph. 4), back in 1993 that I would be your ONLY PROVIDER and LORD. You must never allow anyone to influence your life and ministry through a monthly salary. No one may manipulate you with money or prevent you from saying or doing what I instruct you.
Thus, I hear the Lord say, return to the biblical picture of the Ekklesia, as we saw in the congregations of Acts and in the approximately 300 years that followed that day of Pentecost. This is also why He is currently calling His people worldwide, echoing the words of Revelation 18:4: “Come out of her, my people!”