Full of New Wine…

Full of New Wine…

Being familiar with the effects of “old wine” and what happens when one is “filled”, looking at being filled with new wine takes on a completely different view.

When a person is filled with “old wine” or said another way – drunk – they tend to speak gibberish, sometimes incoherent words that mean nothing, go nowhere and are often repeated for no apparent reason. Being filled with ‘new wine’ can in fact make a person speak in a language that is not their own, but it would be far from gibberish or incoherent nonsense.

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” Acts 2:5-13 NKJB

As the disciples became filled with the Holy Spirit, the onlookers believed it was nothing more than a drunken party. The thing is, the onlookers could understand every word. They also knew full well the people were from different regions, different communities and all spoke a different language than themselves.

As we turn away from sin and turn towards God what is seen as drunkenness will come to be known as prophecy. Our visions will become known, our dreams will be revealed to others and our tongues will speak in ways we are not familiar.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’ Acts 2:14-21 NKJB

The Bible should leads us in divine inspiration and be far more than a historical account of days gone by. Imagine all the people… being divinely inspired instead of led by other men – what a world it would be!

The broken vessel is returned to wholeness as it is healed. The beauty of God’s face begins to glow while the love of His heart becomes alive in us and our minds are renewed and opened to the endless possibilities He has for all His sons and daughters.

Either the Scripture is the divine Word of God teaching us how to live and how to be a reflection of Him, or it’s nothing more than a historical account of events.