At the recent Passover of 1991 all of us were deeply touched by this message from Scripture, which now follows.

    I am certain that all of you who have been so miraculously guided by the Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, into all truth, have often wondered why so many other people, and even sincerely dedicated believers, do not see them too, or obey and follow the Messiah, follow Him all the way.

    Scripture reveals to us why.

    Firstly, we find the vivid prophecy given in Isaiah 6:9-10 about those having eyes that are shut and ears that are heavy. Therefore they do not see, they do hear, and do not "understand with their heart, and turn and be healed." For the ONLY call in all Scripture, the SINGLE purpose of Yahushua's first coming and life and death, is to get you and me to "turn (from sin) and be healed (from sin)."

    This prophetic passage is so important that we find it quoted in the New Covenant Scriptures no less than six times. Therefore we find it in Scripture in seven places - the number of perfection

    Secondly, we read in Ezekiel 2:7-10 and Ezekiel 3:1-3 a passage resembling that which we find in Rev. 10:9-10. This tells us that the prophetic message from Scripture, the Word of Yahuweh, is as sweet as honey in the mouth, but when swallowed it becomes bitter in the stomach'

    All of us have experienced this - in our own lives, but also in the lives of those to whom we testified. As we witness to them about all these wonderful Scriptural truths which have been revealed to us, we thrill to see how they absolutely delight in what we tell them! The Word, the living Word, the living testimony of Yahushua (the embodiment of Truth) working in us, delights them, and we see how sweet it is to them. However, if we, or they, have to obey these truths, then we experience that the truths become bitter'

    It certainly is bitter to suffer persecution for His Name's sake, as well as suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, as we repeatedly read in the New Covenant Scriptures.

    It certainly is bitter to be a living witness, for Yahushua, in this world of which the Apostle says in 1 John 5:18, "the whole world lies in wickedness.'' In 2 Cor. 4:4 Satan is called the god of this world! Messiah, in the Evangel of John, repeatedly stated that Satan is "the ruler of this world."

    That leads us to the third reason found in Scripture as to why these precious Words of Truth, teachings that deliver and redeem from lawlessness - why they're not obeyed and why they're not retained. Our great Teacher, Yahushua, reveals it unto us:

    This third reason is found in Mt. 9:17, repeated in Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:37-39. Some commentators say the new wine represents the teachings (words) of Yahushua while others say it represents His Blood, which was shed for the remission of our sins (Mt. 26:29), His costly Blood that cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). I like both these interpretations. Both of them are fitting arid ever so true.

    The Greek text of Mt. 9:11 reads, - Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins are burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved

    We must read this verse with verse 16, the one preceding it. It then becomes so obvious; the message becomes so clear'.

    Throughout the New Covenant Scriptures we find this: the old man is shown to be in contrast with the new man; the first Adam is shown in contrast to the new Adam. Yahushua, the lifegiving Spirit (1 Cor. 15 verse 45). The old man that forever wants to sin, is contrasted with the new man who has the Spirit of Messiah dwelling in him, therefore has become a servant of righteousness. The old man is hostile to our Mighty One for he will not subject himself to His law. This contrast is vividly portrayed for us in Romans chapters 6, 7 and 8. To put it in a nutshell: The old carnal unregenerated man hates the law. whereas the new man delights in the law of Elohim (Rom. 7:22)l

    What Yahushua is telling us in Mt. 9:17, is this: Unless we, who are but vessels, are completely made new (by Him), we will not retain or keep His Words, we as vessels will not hold or retain His Blood, His Blood which we so desperately need to cleanse us from all sin.

    Messiah tells us that unless we yield all to Him, unless we offer up our whole bodies to Him, for Him to make us completely new, all will be in vain - His Blood and His Words will run out' It is mandatory. we must yield our all - our minds, our hearts, our whole being unto Him. otherwise we as vessels will burst and the new wine pour out.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us very clearly, "Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creature, the old has passed away; behold, the new has come!"

    In Ephesians 4:22-24 we read that the old man must be put off and the new man must he put on. It speaks in v. 24 of this new man, "created to be like the Mighty One in righteousness and separation of the truth."

    This is confirmed in Col. 3.9-10, where again we read of the old man that has been put off and that the new man has been put on.

    In that great passage of the Apostle Saul in Rom. 6:6-11, we finally find irrefutable proof that the putting off of the old man" and "putting on of the new man is not future, no, it is for now.' Here, the Apostle clearly tells us that the old carnal sinful man needs to die and be buried with Messiah, through baptism into death, and that we (who have been born of the Spirit) need to confirm this by being born of water as well, through water baptism, so that this "new man" who comes up from the water shall no longer be a servant of sin, but be a servant of righteousness unto separation!

    Once the Spirit has convicted you, or anyone else, that you too are a sinner ("all have sinned"), that you too need to be saved from sin and be made whole, to be. made a new creature, that Yahushua gave His life for you too to do just that - then accept what He did (for you too) an the cruel stake on Golgotha! Confirm it by being baptised in water, in the Name of Yahushua ("the Salvation of Yah"), believe Him what He said He will do, crown Him as your only Saviour and your one supreme Teacher, the King of kings to rule your life- -and YOU WILL BE A NEW CREATURE!

    But, you have to yield all to Him, you need to surrender all you are and all you have unto Him! Do not try to hold whatever back from Him for you will be the one to lose out. You could be the one who might find yourself still having an "old wineskin." The old wineskin will burst and all the new wine will pour out from the burst wineskin!

    Surrender all, and be made totally new by Yahushua. This is the only certain way of retaining His Teachings, of retaining His Blood which cleanses from all sin.

    Finally, may the Spirit plead with all of us: Do not Iook at others while not looking at ourselves, first. Stop being amazed at the new wine pouring out from burst wineskins in others. Let everyone of us examine himself and see if his own wineskin is pouring out new wine, if only leaking out! It is not too late - surrender all!