In the previous issue, we talked about the shifts and doorways that will release increasing darkness in this decade of high transition. As this is happening, the Lord is also bringing various shifts in His Church to enable us to be ready for the unprecedented outpouring of His glory in the midst of the greatest darkness (Isa. 60:1–3).

This glory will be so unsurpassed that if we as God’s people do not align with these shifts, we will either not be able to receive His glory, or else fail to carry its weight and steward it well!

The Lord is always looking for vessels. However, more than just being willing, we need to be ready.

Will we prepare ourselves to be ready vessels strong enough for Him to use? Or will we be found wanting and unprepared to carry His glory in the coming hour?

More direly, will we be swept away and overcome by the increasing darkness?

This season of preparation is thus for us to become that vessel that is made ready for God’s use.

THE SEVEN POSITIVE DIMENSIONAL SHIFTS IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

There are seven positive dimensional shifts that God is bringing in His people.

We need to pay attention to and align with what He is doing so that we can receive the fullness of His glory for us!

 

1. The Change of Season for God’s People

We have flipped the page into a new chapter in God’s storyline. God’s people have entered into a season of Preparation for the Times in order to be ready for the Dawning of a New Era, where there will be increasing darkness as well as unprecedented glory of God for His people.

There will be grace in this decade of preparation to grow depth in God and in His Word. However, this season will not last forever, and we need to align with God’s shift in emphasis and seize this window of grace to grow a real, deep and authentic relationship with Him, and strength in our character and inner man.

2. The Shift into a Wartime Framework

We are no longer living under a peacetime framework but have shifted into a wartime framework. It is crucial that we awaken to this reality!

This battle is not in the natural but in the spiritual, and the enemy has increased his assault across the nations. We must not be lulled into thinking that we can “sit out” of this war. Even now, Jesus, the Commander of the LORD’s army is gathering and training His troops and we need to hear His voice and fall in line!

In this season, the Lord is emphasising Psalm 23. There is a reason behind this. In order to be strong and be able to prevail, we need to enter into the rest of God, and learn to wage spiritual warfare from the place of rest and abiding in the Lord (Rom. 16:20; 2 Cor. 10:3­–6, Eph. 6:10–12)!

 

3. The Arising of the Ekklesia

One of the major changes in the understanding and expression of our faith is understanding and stepping into our role as the Ekklesia (Matt. 16:18–19). In this new season, the Lord is bringing a divine upgrade to His people in authority, power, things of the Spirit, and moving in the angelic realm. He is lifting us higher to move with His Spirit and to know how to wage war in the heavenly places.

Of course, we will never graduate from the foundation of intimacy with God. In fact, it is upon this foundation that His people will arise as His Ekklesia. The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits! We will be anointed and empowered by His Spirit to push back darkness and even turn darkness into light (Isa. 42:16)!

4. The Intensifying of Our Posture of Preparation

Our preparation needs to shift gears from perseverance in delay to perseverance in intensity. This means that those of us who have been casual in our faith cannot afford to be so anymore.

Now is the time to be intentional, to throw off everything that distracts and hinders, and run the race of preparation with all our might (Heb. 12:1)!

The outward behaviour of a “good” Christian without the inward transformation and true history with God is no longer sufficient. We need to get real, get oil from the Lord and get ready!

Furthermore, as the intensity increases all around us, our intentionality needs to, by God’s grace, increase as well, so that we will develop perseverance and the character needed to emerge as the vessels that can carry the glory of God!

 

5. The Shift in the Focus of the Church

The Lord is shifting the focus of the Church away from being primarily pastoral back to being apostolic and prophetic, just like it was in the book of Acts. While this does not mean that the needs of the flock are unimportant, it does mean that our primary focus as a Church has to shift from meeting congregational needs to advancing the Kingdom of God.

God is shifting us away from “consumerism” Christianity to God and Kingdom-focused Christianity. He is raising up John the Baptists in this generation, the radical meek ones who will humble themselves for the sake of the kingdom and say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:28–30)!

6. A Change in Mindset and Perspective

God is calling His people to put on a new lens and align with His perspective in this new season. What was “perfect” and used to work in the past may not work anymore. We need to ask God to renew our minds and see things through a Biblical, supernatural, prophetic and spiritual lens.

This has to happen at all levels of the Body of Christ — from elders and leaders to those in the congregation. Every person will need to align individually with God in order for us to be able to move forward as His Body. Each of us will need to seek God for His wisdom to know what we ought to do in this hour (1 Chr. 12:32)!

 

7. A Shift in Focus to Jesus as the Bridegroom King

While many believers have learnt to relate with Jesus as our tender-hearted Shepherd and loving Bridegroom, He is now directing us to learn how to relate with Him as our King and Commander of the LORD’s army. Just as a king’s sons would go out to war with their father in ancient Israel, Jesus is inviting us to ride with Him into battle as His warrior Bride!

This will require an attitude of radical obedience that does not question the commands of our King.

Yet, at the same time, our primary focus is not to be on our assignments, but on our relationship with Him as His beloved Bride. Our first love is still Jesus and our eyes and our hearts will always remain fixed upon our Bridegroom King, even in the fiercest of battles!

Indeed, God has prepared a delightful inheritance for us. Let us press in to lay hold of God’s fullness for us, to be the ones upon whom the glory of God will arise, the ones who will burn and shine for Him in the hour of greatest darkness (Isa. 60:1–3)!