“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God ….” John 14:1 We have begun this New Year with the Lord saying, "Rejoice this is a time for great joy for I have given you victory, so proclaim and declare to all the earth what I have and will do in My covenant promises for My people; for I am doing miracles, miracles, miracles, I am gathering and winnowing. This is a great year for My people who believe in Me, says the Lord. Especially for those who say, “This life that I have in Christ is a great and wonderful. My God is my source of life and He will supply all that I have need of.” There is no need to be afraid My children. Fear not for I have empowered you with the boldness of My Spirit. If you fear you will live in it. If you believe in My saving Grace you will live in Grace and see My salvation. This is a time of great miracles and increase of everything. Stay on course. My winds and shakings will take you to your destiny in Me.”

WOW, what more could we ask for? Jesus warned us of the tribulations we will have in the world so that in Him we may have His peace and take courage for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). We serve a wonderful God who is Faithful and will never leave or forsake us. 2012 is a time for God's divine governmental order to manifest in His Church.

This is a time of restoration for us all if we will walk with our Lord Jesus Christ in love and obedience. We are in a new season. Matthew 9:17 says, “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

For one to contain new wine you need a new wineskin. So God is going to take us through the process of renewing us. This process will begin by God taking us to a new place in Him by pouring in us what He desires to release to us and through us. This new wine, which is a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ to us, is to make our wineskin new.

To go through this process in the natural one must soak an old wineskin in water and rub it in oil. Rubbing in the oil makes the wineskin soft and flexible again. So what God is saying to us in this is that we need to soak ourselves in His Word and the Holy Spirit will teach us and heal us from hard and lukewarm hearts. We will be pliable and have an open heart to what God has in store for us. Relationships will be restored as we allow Holy Spirit to release His love and forgiveness. We will be new wineskins for our God to fill us up with His Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:1-5 says we've been justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus. “…we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

So as we allow Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Helper, Strengthener, Intercessor, Advocate, and the one who will stand with us, take us through this wonderful renewing process we will be able to handle all that God permits.

The revelation of God’s love that we will walk in will give us the joy, peace, and victory in the midst of the great challenges we will face in this new season that we have entered into. This renewing process is going to mature us and increase the presence of God in our lives which releases His miraculous power. We will be a sweet smelling fragrance of Christ in every place (2 Cor. 2:14-15).

Pastor Carol McLean

Jehovah Jireh Christian Ministries