New Wine in New Wineskin: Stepping Up to the Challenge

Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (Matt. 9:17)

Nor does He fulfill a new vision in an old me – old habits, old paradigms, old lifestyle. For my old self will not be able to accomodate this fresh calling. It will remain unfulfilled, and I will end up shattered and ruined because of that failure. But God puts this new vision into a renewed me – changed heart, changed outlook, changed lifestyle. Then the calling is fulfilled, and I live to experience it.

This is Matthew 9:17. I am the wineskin, Vision 2025 is the new wine. It is the big dream God called me to take part in.

I have to become Ryza the translator, Ryza the young missionary who lives to bring God’s Word and live to those who need it. In order to be her, I have to stop being Ryza the working girl, Ryza the daughter who lives at home and has fun with friends, Ryza the backdrop artist at church, Ryza the ate who pokes fun at her adings, Ryza the center-of-sorts of her own little world.  These are my pasts.  I am grateful for how they prepared and molded me, but I can not continue to live in them.

I am Ryza.  I am a missionary.  But this is not about me – anymore.  The need awaits.

Of the 6877  languages used in the world today…

       … only 518 languages already have a complete translation of the Bible.

                                   …1272 have the New Testament,

                    …1005 have only portions of the Bible (one or more books).

                                … there may still be as many as 1976 language groups in Asia, America, Africa, and the whole world that need the Bible in their own heart language.  That adds up to roughly 209 million people.

People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.  (Matt. 4:4)

              But what if they have not yet heard the Word of God?  How long will they wait to find life in Him?

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Rev. 7:9)

But how will all peoples and languages, tribes and nations be represented if we do not go to them and represent Christ?

So I leave my past behind and strain forward to what is ahead.  I give my energy, time and passion to run the race set before me, and finish excellently.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Phil. 3:13)

How about you?

Pray. Advocate. Send. Go. How is God calling you to be involved?