Last September, the Lord had me start prayer walking to be with him and to pray for others, but also to get in shape and that time was a great blessing and God met me in a special way. I also lost 40lbs as a benefit of that.
Yet, In April something drastically changed. He gave me a word about having to put me in a season of “training” where he was going to release His Kingdom reality in a new way and teach me the new ways and weapons we are to use in the coming days upon the Earth. He was desiring for me to become a new wine skin.
Honestly, a few weeks went by and then the Lord spoke to me when walking around the track and said, “what if I told you instead of walking this track for an hour and half you could run that same amount of time without stopping?
I chuckled and said, “Lord, no way, I am not a runner. I am a walker and I love walking with you like Enoch. I hate running, it is to hard and I won’t be able to do it, I am still to fat.
Instead of a rebuke for my lack of faith, the Lord said to me, “How about one lap? ” Do you believe I could help you to run one lap around this park without stopping? I said, “Yes Lord, I do believe you, but I sure have my doubts. What if I fall, or if I get to tired and have to stop and walk?’
He replied, “if you fall get up and start again, and if you get tired, stop until you feel you can run again, but can’t you trust me to do it in you,
So I put that thought to rest for a while and I tried to run. Let me tell you I didn’t make it from pole to pole around the track without stopping. I said, “this can’t be God.” So I walked some, and then tried I again I couldn’t do it.
Then the Lord said, “Henry do you believe I can help you one run lap.” I said, “Lord I do.” He said, then let me. So I said ok, and went to the starting line and started running. He immediately said, “slow down.” You are going to fast and you will never make it. I slowed down and then he said it again slow down or you wont make it.
I went even slower. So slow I could walk faster. But the Lord said to me, “you can’t put new wine in an old wine skin.” That is what this article is all about.
God is unfolding the present “work of how we are to become new wine skins” to contain all that the Lord desires to do.
By the way, I made it to the first turn, and I was strengthened. I said, Lord is this cool, but I hope I can make it to the end. He said, “trust me.” So I went around the curve to the other straight away and I was running a bit faster and I wasn’t getting tired.
Finally I made the last turn and the Lord said to me, Look at you, you are a runner.” I said, “Lord I am not a runner.” He said it again, “look at you you are a runner!” At once I got filled with the spirit of God.
I am telling you as God as my witness, my legs moved like never before, I was not only running but I was empowered to sprint. I was not doing it, the Lord was doing it in me. I sprinted all the way to the end of the lap.
I bent over and almost cried, I said, “Lord we did it.” You helped me do what I could never do. He said, Henry you have always been a runner from the time you were child. You limited me by what you thought about yourself and what others said about you. I always saw you as a runner.
He reminded me of a prophetic word I got in 1987 ,”You can only run with those who are running with the king.” He said, “you became comfortable walking and it was good and you were blessed, but at that pace you will barely finish the race with only second lefts.
Then He said, “most of the people around you are not even walking they are crawling around the track. Do you think they will make it and finish the race? They won’t, He replied”
He said, Henry you are a runner and have been from the beginning, but now I have to train you how to run and the mechanics of running so you can finish. He said, Being first is not what I am after in winning the race. What I am after is “finishing the race” and capturing your prize.
The he said, “Do you believe me that I can help you run one mile? I said “yes Lord.
I have ran everyday since that day and God has been depositing so much in me, but it required me to have a new wine skin. I could no longer limit God by the familiar and comfortable even in Him. I had to change. I had to do everything differently
Running hurts a lot, it takes so much to do it, and I was not physically fit to even do it, so God has to teach me everyday what I need to do and change in my life, in my eating, in my workout and life to be a runner.
What is the first work he is doing in me to do this, GIVING ME A NEW WINESKIN! I am a runner, and now my life must come under complete submission to Jesus to teach me how to run, where to run and how to train me. I have no ability in myself to do this. I have to place myself completely under His governmental authority to do this and run.
God teaches often first in the physical to teach us the ways of the Spirit of God and that is exactly what the Lord is doing. He is establishing His Kingdom in me in this training.
I don’t know what God will use in your life to bring this training and discipline, but you won’t be able to come up into the new of the Lord with the old wineskin.
Are you willing to allow the Lord to have full authority and reign in your life fully? If you are this article by Brother Wade will help you a lot to understand the ways of Godl
Blessings,
Henry Falcone
www.openheaven.com