The Winepress Season

By Russell Durose

Judges 6:1-24 is what the Lord gave me this passage a while ago whilst praying. The Lord made me see some things that are commonplace today, and caused me to have answers. These answers will help the Body of Christ to understand the Ways of God in a time of enemy domination. This message is prophetic for our day, and I would like us to take this as a prayer before the Lord, that He would manifest it for us!!!

1. Impoverishment is synomous with God's Call.

 We look at Midian, what they did. They drove the nation to complete impoverishment. All prosperity was robbed, all sowing, growing was burned, and the people locked into their homes, into hiding. It seems that intimidation came into the nation. We see this today. We see extreme poverty has come into God's servants. We must not just look at the situation from a natural point of view, but see it from a spiritual one. God is calling. God is speaking. What is He saying? Come back to me! Return with all your heart! I am here for you. God sent a prophet in the beginning of the chapter, but the people did not heed the warning. God is sending out prophets today. Are we listening? It is certain that Israel did not listen. Hence, the impoverishment got worse. So much so, any harvest taken had to be done in secret! Does that seem familiar to you? How many of us have to keep good news to ourselves, because of the jealousy and envy that the enemy sows into the hearts of brothers and sisters?

 2. The Winepress is God's Meeting Place.

Gideon was treading grain in the winepress! Contradiction! He was hidden, and his harvest also. If we could think for a moment, that the grain/seed is the Word of God, we could say that this circumstance is symbolic. Gideon had no wine to tread. Wine being joy and revival. Just grain, I.e Word of God. Many of our congregations are like that winepress, being made in this season to tread grain, not wine.

Where is the gifts these days?

Does it seem strange to you that the gift of healing in many parts is scare, and at the same time the saints are sick? It seems we are living a contradiction. Gideon was too. The angel proclaimed the Call of God over Gideon. But Gideon was in such a place of disallusionment that he had difficulty in believing what he was hearing. How could it be that God was with us? When all this is happening to us? We are driven to poverty! We have to hide!!! God chose the least member from the least tribe. God is not calling, and has never called the great. In fact the leaders of that day failed God, so He had to delve into the least. Does that also sound familiar? Today's leaders have also failed. 

3. God touches the Offering God is going to impart the fear into Gideon through fire.

The offering that Gideon prepared for the angel, was touched and consumed by fire. Only then did Gideon take consciousness that God had met him. God is maybe meeting with you today. Maybe you're not recognizing it. But He is about to be recognized through Fire! Lives offered are consumed by this "fire" which comes from the Holy Spirit. When this happens, only then we are awakened from our slumber, embroiled and entrapped into this natural realm. But here eternity meets time in our hearts as it did Gideon. The winepress season, is one of calling. If we look around us, we see God call me and you to make the difference. We are doing what we are not destined to do, treading grain in a winepress, because the spiritual climate is away from God and the enemy dominates. 

God calls you. He says: You mighty warrior, God calls you, He is with you. He calls you to turn His People back to Him, and defeat the enemy! It's time to come out from hiding. It's time to sow and reap in the open.

Shalom!

By Russell A. Durose

radurose@aol.com