We in the body of Christ are in the middle of a massive shift where we are amongst other things, shifting out of the church age into the Kingdom Age. From the age of man to the Age of our heavenly Father. This season we are moving into will not only bring changes in the body of Christ but it will also bring changes and shifts of biblical proportions, in the areas of politics, economics, and even geographical changes.There are 4 phases in the shift as we transition out of the church age into the Kingdom Age:
1. Preparation for the shift
2. Death - letting go of the former things
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
In Esther 9:12-14 we see where Esther brought a shift for the nation of Israel:
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have
slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace
and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of
the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be
granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be
done.
13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to
the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also
according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be
hanged upon the gallows.
14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree
was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
Esther brought the shift though what she requested of the king
What can stop us from making the shift?
1. Religious ritual
John 2:1‑10
2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to
Him, "They have no wine."
4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do
with Me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to
the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty
gallons apiece.
8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"
Notice the hesitancy of Jesus in verse 4. Jesus understood that once he made the shift into his ministry there was no going back once he crossed over.
The water pots represent religious ritual. In verse 11 the shift happens because religious rituals are broken. Water was supposed to flow from those pots, not wine. As long as we cleave to what has been, we will not enter into the shift that God intends for us to make.
2. Unbelief
3. Fear of change
4. Distraction
5. Unwillingness to change
