We should keep in mind that the “old wineskins” of today were yesterday’s “new wineskins.” Those who stop moving with the Spirit and settle into what they perceive to be comfortable places develop a rigid unwillingness to embrace what is new. This can happen to any of us, and it will as soon as we start seeking comfort and security more than we do the Lord. There is no greater comfort and security than being in the Lord’s will, but those who set their minds on the temporary things of this life lose sight of this.

       We should keep in mind that the message in the Lord’s parable of the wineskins included His intent to save the old wineskins, too. He regards those who may have stopped moving with His Spirit but continue to stand and hold to the truth as they know it. Just as old wine is usually more valuable than new wine because aging it makes it better, many whom we might consider old wineskins might have wisdom and depth that are badly needed for these times.

       Church history is mostly the stories and testimonies of the great souls who have led the moves of God since the first century A.D. As we see in church history, it has been true to date that every new move of God has been resisted and persecuted by those from the previous moves of God. Why?

       It is hard to be rejected and resisted by our spiritual fathers and mothers, especially if we have been faithful to honor them as we’re commanded. But this has been the case throughout the age, and we know the Lord allows it for our good. This is not usually the result of just the older generations becoming inflexible, but is also the result of the younger generations becoming arrogant and disrespectful. So, either or both can be the cause of this. Both of these are rooted in pride, of which we must repent.

       Neither is it about physical age. Even the youngest among us can be rigid, “old” wineskins, resistant to the new wine. Some of the oldest can be like fresh, new wineskins that are remarkably flexible and able to receive the new wine. As the apostle Paul warned, we must not keep judging others after the flesh, or the externals, but after the Spirit.

       When these breaches between the generations happen, we will all have opportunities to find a higher grace by humbling ourselves. Those who take advantage of this opportunity to receive more of God’s grace will become the brightest lights and the leaders of the future. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones left from the older generation at the time and therefore were the oldest in the camp. However, they didn’t just fit in with the new generation; they led it. We need such people from the older generations to lead today.

       A friend of mine once asked the Lord what the difference was between a move of God and a denomination, and the Lord told him that a denomination is a movement that stopped moving. The Holy Spirit is ever moving. He knows our makeup and that we need rest at times. So, enjoy those periods when you get them. Use them to recount the great things God has done, but also use them to fortify your vision for where you are called to go and to get ready to embrace movement again.

       There has been a long rest since the last great wave of the Holy Spirit, and it is almost time to get moving again. Expect many to be too comfortable and resistant to moving, but if we’re going to be a part of the greater thing that is coming, we must not set our hearts on the past—or even what is now. We must have our vision fixed on a new place! If we seek His kingdom first, and are willing to leave all for it just as Abraham did, everything else we need will be given to us. Just as Abraham received far more as a sojourner than he had left behind in Ur, so will we.

       Even so, it’s not about what we get, but about what we become a part of—fulfilling the will of the Lord to bring His kingdom to earth and to make His abode on earth among men. This is the greatest cause there has ever been or will be. We must not let something as shallow as our own comfort and security rob us of this ultimate purpose to which we’re called. This was the choice of Abraham, the father of this quest, the greatest of all adventures we can live in this life.

© 2026 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.