Prepared to Shift

The Coming Season Pt. 2 – Prepared to Shift

I spoke last week about preparation and the need to prepare for The Coming Season. I will continue in that vein and describe how it will take a “shift” to come into alignment with God, so that we are moving in the direction that God is leading us, as we enter into “The Coming Season”. We must be like the men of Issachar who had an understanding of the times.

In order for you and I to move into The Coming Season, we must have an understanding of the time and season that we are in right now. In the preparation season we have to recognize what it is we should be doing in that season. Again, I spoke on those things last week; we prioritize God and remove distractions, we fast, pray, and we’re obedient!

Once we are prepared, then God leads us into the perfect timing and in order for that to take place it will require us to shift our position. In the “shift” will begin to speak a new way, walk a new way and operate in a new level of faith. The “shift” is a sign that we have embraced the season that is upon us, The Coming Season.

The preparation season has given us a new priority and focus, we no longer focus on ourselves we focus on the things of God and for the kingdom of God. His purposes have come to the forefront of our lives, and as that has happened it has caused us to change our thinking, speaking and our being.

A shift in our thinking means that, the thoughts that we have had that do not align with the Word of God must be taken captive and eradicated. The speaking that we have done, that does not align itself with the word of God, means that we change the way we speak or we do not speak at all. Who we see ourselves as, our being, must align itself with who God says we are, not who the world says we are, not who are neighbor says we are, but who God says we are!

In the Coming Season, God is doing a new thing that we have not seen before and in order to receive the “new” we must remove the old.

Read Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Lets forget the old way of thinking, speaking, being. V 18 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Literally can be translated, do not make a memorial to this past and stop trying to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider things that have gone before. Do you see how strong those words are? In order to move into The Coming Season we have to be Prepared to Shift where you are!

God is about to do a “new thing” and to “spring forth” in my life and in order for me to perceive it and receive it, there has to be a change in me.

The words “new thing” symbolizes, “fresh of this year; as yet unheard of” and “spring forth” is metaphorically used as, “the first beginning of things that occur in the world” Gen. 1 “without form, void, darkness over the deep; Spirit hovering over the waters” and define a shift in time and substance. In other words something that we haven’t seen yet is about to come to us marked by a change in us and a change in time or season and the very substance of it is new! Watch this, God asks the question, “Do you not perceive it” or some translations say, “Will you not know it? You have to have prepared, and then you have to shift in order to perceive and know what God is about to do.

Let’s take another look at the word “new” in Matthew 19 in the Second Testament. In the New King James you are going to see two uses of the word “new” and two different meanings from the Greek words that are translated. The actual words are different in the Greek and therefore have different meanings. I’m telling you this because understanding the difference is important.

Read Matthew 9:17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into (new) fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

The first “New” is the word is neos, which means the new primarily in reference to time, the young, recent. It’s the same wine, just more recent. The other word is kanios, means the new primarily in reference to quality, the fresh, unworn.

Jesus used both of these Greek words neos and kainos in one statement when He referred to the practice of putting new wine into old wineskins. He said that new (neos) more recent wine needed to be put into new (kainos) better quality wineskin. This new wine of the Spirit is not something different but, rather, it is a fresh infilling. The Holy Spirit can't change and He cannot improve, it has just been poured out anew. However, the wineskin does need to change.

You and I, we are the fresh, the kainos wineskin, as we shift ourselves into alignment with the purposes of God we become a better quality, fresh and unworn.

The Holy Spirit wants to pour Himself out fresh and new, neos, and we must be transformed and renewed from one stage to another in order to receive it. We prepare and through that preparation we put of the “old man”; the Spirit of God renews us in our minds. When we have prepared and we don't make the shift to, kainos, we won't be able to hold the new wine the Holy Spirit is pouring out. Which means we are now in a position to miss The Coming Season.

Ephesians 4:21-24 “…assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”.

The scripture makes the assumption that you and I have heard of Jesus and we are taught in Jesus because that is where truth is. Jesus is The Way and The Truth and The Life! So, having settled that, we could say that we have been prepared; we then put off your old self, which was how you formally acted, spoke and lived.

The “old self” and “corrupt” means no longer new, worn out, the worse for wear, old and dead or to be destroyed.

Then we are renewed, spiritually transformed, and we kainos a new self! Remember kainos means in reference to quality, the fresh, and unworn; figuratively in this passage it means to sink into (clothing), put on, and to clothe one's self in something new!

This new self, these new clothes are created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. You see what the “shift” accomplishes? It places us in the position to begin to think, speak and live, in the nature and position that that our redeemed spirits acquired when we were born again.

Now turn with me to Read Deuteronomy 11:11-14 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.

The picture of the land that is described here was to help the Israelites recall the description of Eden and was probably given as an added incentive to not only cross over to receive the land but to conquer the land as well. That should speak to you and I as well. In The Coming Season, when we have prepared, we have made the shift, we will go from one place to another place to receive the promises of God, a fresh infilling, greater blessing and greater anointing.

It goes on to say; “The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it...” which speaks to the care and protection as well as harvest that God has for us. God will watch over it from beginning to end! Now watch this, “…if you will indeed obey” This command lies in the middle of the land that is being described and it is highlighted by the need and the importance of obedience and again to set our focus solely on God. From preparation to harvest we never take our eyes off of the Lord. He is to remain our focus throughout the seasons that we will encounter. He is the One in control of preparation, timing and the seasons, so if we have our eyes on Him and on His Word; we will know what to do and when to do it.

Here is what that obedience will produce, “…early rain and the later rain”. The early rains took place during October and November, which prophetically I believe is The Coming Season for Lifegate Church and you and I as individuals, families, etc. This is the rain that prepares the ground to receive the seed.

The latter rains come from March to April and this is the rain that comes right before the harvest. These rains actually mature the crops – Can you see how prophetic that is. We are preparation, and then we “shift” throughout the process, keeping our eyes on God. We take off the “old” and prepare to receive the “new” a fresh infilling poured into a new man or woman of God. We remain obedient, even to the point of changing the way we think, speak and live.

Then the rains come to prepare the ground for seed, and if there is seed we can rest assured there will be a harvest. During this time we also have the promise that God will watch over and care for it until harvest time. Remember, He watches over His Word to perform it! All these things take time, effort, there is a waiting period before they come to completion, however, when we are finished there is fruit that is born a harvest to be reaped.

We will be in a place where we have grain (provision from God) and our wine (freshly pressed wine – a fresh infilling) and our oil (especially fresh and new; anointed ones). We put that all together and we have this to look forward to: God is going to bring to us all of the provision that we need, we will be continually filled with His Spirit and we will have a fresh and new anointing to accomplish all that He has for us to accomplish.

I believe that the Lord is telling me and you, “You are in preparation, you are getting Prepared to Shift; your thinking is being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit, your speaking is beginning to change so that you only speak what My Word speaks; your whole being, the way you live is coming into alignment with My purposes for your life.”

“I am beginning now to renew and spiritually transform your mind, you are going to begin to fit into your new self; that something new that I purposed for you through My Son! Walk in obedience; begin declaring now that the early rain is coming! Start preparing now to sow seed with My assurance, that I who supply seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

“It is I Am who is watching over your land; there will be a harvest, all of your needs are going to be met, according to My riches in glory through my Son, Christ Jesus. A fresh infilling of the My Spirit is available and will continue to be available throughout this season. I will give you new revelation; your mind will be continually be renewed and filled with the My Word. I Am coming with a new anointing, it is on its way!” “I Am is calling you to obedience this day, you will go forth in the power of My Spirit; there will be no weapon that is formed against you that shall prosper for this is your heritage, my servant and your righteousness, declares the Lord.”

If you received that word, shout amen right now at your computer or wherever you are!