Seismic Shift

Tags

Abundance, Body of Christ, Christianity, church, kingdom of God, life, Religion, Ressurection, Shift

seis·mic

relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust.

• relating to or denoting geological surveying methods involving vibrations produced artificially by explosions.
• of enormous proportions or effect.

 

I see a seismic shift coming to the Body of Christ. It is a shift on a proportion not seen in our generation up to this point. It started that day Jesus died when the tectonic plates shifted and the earth began to quake (Matthew 27:50-52), it had its first manifestation with the sightings of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:6), the outpouring of the spirit on the day of Pentecost and the birth of the church in Acts 2. It has been building momentum since Peter and John healed the man at the gate beautiful (Acts 3). It refused to be stopped at the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, but gained momentum when Saul became Paul in Acts 9. Then it progressed with the planting of Apostolic Centers in Jerusalem, Caesarea, Antioch and beyond. Josephus wrote about it in his historical records of that day, the church fathers tried to describe it by making it a creed or a doctrine, but it is so much bigger than that. Tyndale and Guttenberg accelerated it when they took the Word of God out of the hand of certain people and put it into the hands of all people. Can you see how this has been building over the years. Setbacks became set ups; hindrances became hemi power; persecution became promotion of the gospel of the kingdom; Marie Woodworth-Etter carried it, William Seymour preached it, John G. Lake manifested it, John Wimber and Billy Graham advanced it, Kenneth Copeland and Myles Munroe promoted it, and many today are speaking it, but all of that was only is a glimpse, for what is coming is glory!

This seismic shift is going to do immeasurably more than you could ever ask for or even think (Ephesians 3:20); we are living in the days of Noah, yes there is water coming on a level that will blow your mind, and just like in the days of Noah it is going to wash away evil, but this time, this wave is not going to only save 8 people, it is going to save whole nations; this wave of glory has been building for over 2,000 years not to destroy us but to redeem us. This seismic shift is going to change the nations on a level that many cannot even dream of, it is going to change the way we think, it is going to wash away the ceilings of unbelief and launch you into realms of faith that you did not know existed. Small minded thinking is going to be washed away and believing that anything is possible will be released. The years of disappointment are going to be replaced with dreams and desires God has put in you are going to become a reality. We are going to shift from the evangelistic approach that tells people that they need Jesus to people coming to you and asking who is your God?

The seismic shift is going to reveal to us the reality of how much we possess and call us to increase our occupation. As children of Abraham, we were promised many things we have not occupied, but as you realize how much you have been given as a possession, but have yet to occupy, it will ignite a passion in you to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13). Once you see how much God has for you, it will cause faith to arise in you and your desire to obey will come from His goodness, not from fear of punishment. When God reveals His goodness on you, it will soften your heart; give you the grace to surrender, knowing He is good, really good; and will draw you near to Him not push you away from Him; His generosity on you is going to break the spirit of lack, which is rooted in an orphan spirit; His goodness is going to propel you into your possession.

This seismic shift is going to start as a sound that comes out of me and you, then it will be seen on us, in and through us. I’m ready for the seismic shift, are you? Ready or not, here it comes!

From Dissapointment Fatigue to Decree

Tags

Body of Christ, Disappoinment, Fatigue, healing, Pastors

In the body of Christ there are many members, but we are one body. If one segment of the body is struggling, the whole body struggles and the Lord has revealed to me that many ministers are struggling with disappointment fatigue. One of the things God is concerned with is the whole body, not just certain groups or ministries. He is God of the whole body, not just one part of it. So, He is looking at us as a whole and wanting us to advance together. The prayer of Jesus is that we would be one as He and His Father are one (John 14). So, even though I have worked through this issue in my own life, I am now seeing it in the lives of ministers all around the church. I am finding that those who have been in the ministry for some time struggle with this the most.

Disappointment is defined as the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations; Fatigue is defined as extreme tiredness, typically resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness. When I say disappointment fatigue I am saying, members of the body of Christ who are tired of not having their hopes or expectations fulfilled. People that choose to become members of the body of Christ do so with the hope of life getting better, dreams coming true, and obtaining a sense of fulfillment. Pastors feel the pressure of the people to create this type of environment or preach a sermon that helps with this, but many of them are struggling with more disappointment fatigue than the members are. So, we have leaders and members struggling with the same problem.

But Jesus, who forever lives to make intercession for us, has a solution to this problem. His word is riddled with ways to alleviate disappointment fatigue and just like dieting if you stick to the program it will yield results, but if you want a quick fix with not change on your part, you will not see any change. The first prescription Jehovah Rapha would give for disappointment fatigue is remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). Rest is a spiritual discipline that very few people do, because they have not seen the fruit of this labor. But the reason Israel went into Babylonian captivity for 70 years was for not keeping the Sabbath, so rest is a really big deal to God. One day a week, you are to do no work, but are to rest.

The second prescription Jesus would give to those struggling with disappointment fatigue is to praise. Isaiah 61:3 says, “To console those who mourn in Zion, give them the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Praise is a choice, when we chose to praise the Lord, we open our mouth and speak the truth of who He is. Praise alters emotions, for emotions are just energy in motion. Praise changes our attitude; opens up the heavens so we can ascend the hill of the Lord; it parts the Red Sea; it breaks the yoke of disappointment fatigue. Many ministers don’t praise, but rather they are preparing to speak while in worship. Preparation is to be done prior to worship not in it. Come to worship to praise, lift your voice to say nice things about someone else and watch your life change for the better.

Finally, Jesus would invite us to move from disappointment fatigue to decree. Many believers and ministers alike do not exercise their authority in the spirit. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.” Our words are more powerful than we realize. We actually create our world with our words, whatever we speak, that is what we have. It is time for the CHURCH to begin to decree the truth of the word of God, not just as a principle, but as a promise. The word of faith movement with Kenneth Copeland taught us to speak words of faith in order to receive what we ask for. It’s time to reopen this well of truth. Psalm 81:10 says, “Open your mouth with a mighty decree, I will fulfill it now, you will see! The words that you speak, so shall it be!”

We must move from disappointment fatigue to decree, if we want to see the glory of the Lord in the land of the living. Make the shift and you will see, the One who has set you free