Do You Have The Time?
“What time is it and now what do I do?”
That can be something as simple as to discover the time on someone’s watch or the more profound question which is more akin to, “What season are we in?”.
There is a famous occurrence in the Bible when the tide had turned in Israel towards King David. Soldiers and influential leaders began to flock to him and it was here that the tide of battle had turned, the set of the kingdom was cast and a group of people joined him with a special acumen, namely, the ability to move in concert with what God was doing in the season in which He was doing it:
1 Chronicles 12:32
“...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command...”
Notice there were two skills they possessed from the heart of God. First, to understand the times, and second, to know what Israel should do out it. The result was a unified people, battle ready and tested.
The Times We Are In
With the advent of COVID, riots and marches for change, the economic strain of the virus and policies made around that, and political and medical decisions which in many ways have limited our access to one another, we have definitely been processing through a “trial” of Biblical proportions, and one of the main questions you can ask into and out of a trial is, based on who I am in Christ, what time is it?
Your Identity
“Who am I, really?” is a question that in the kingdom always leads to the discovery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is important to know that your true identity never changes regardless of the circumstance, but in every trial you come out with an upgrade available and ready. All of us have been through a trial in which we were given clear instructions, “This is a time of rest.” (Of truth, that instruction has not changed even as the time is shifting.) From that rest in the midst of trial, there is an upgrade within our identity, our state of being.
“...of the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command...” people, battle-ready and tested. ars, trophies, and memories of this last season. What is transferable is our growing awareness of Jesus and who we are in Him. Join Janice and I in this next season! Come on, let’s do this!s!to week, as more people begin to return to church, we have new needs to be filled. I am confident that after prayer, many of our needs will be filled as people when we gather (nursery, children’s champions, greeters, prayer teams, etc.). But 9-5 and your daily lives needs you as well. Be open for business always, ready in season and out of season to not give an answer verbally, but to pray and be the answer to bless people by bringing the kingdom through healing, deliverance, cups of cold water, and mostly love!
You may not know this, but you are coming out of this trial stronger, more resilient and tested, with a greater load bearing capacity than ever before.
When asking about the times, we can say in other words, what is God up to?
Let enumerate some of that.
God is always doing good. Always.
The kingdom of God is always advancing. Always.
The full redemption of God is always at work in man. Always.
Revival and awakening is always part of His plan. Always.
Now specifically, what is God doing in this season?
First, He is exposing the wicked things that have been hidden so that justice, healing, and redemption can take place. God will expose what is spoken in secret in the house and declare it from the housetops. (Luke 12:3)
What are those things? Corruption in high sand low places, sex slave and human trafficking, vainglory (I’m all that and a bag of chips...), everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (I really recommend you re-listen to Pastor Janice’s sermon from last Sunday, September 6, 2020), wickedness, schemes of the enemy, lethargy, a church that is asleep, and the weakness of lives sought to have meaning and power outside of Jesus.
These are being exposed so that redemption and healing are given an opportunity. Judgements are being rendered on behalf of the saints for the sake of the kingdom. It’s happening. Watch, do your research and see.
Second, He is raising up dread champions for the Lord. Names you’ve not heard of before, God moving in places where it was thought He could not.
Had you heard of some of the people who have stepped up for the Lord in politics, government and leading the church in the streets before? David Harris, who happens to be an African American brother in the political arena, a Charismatic believer who has access to the White House and is a powerful influencer on social media. There are dozens of David Harris like people coming forward in this season.
How about Sean Feucht? You know that he is new because nobody knows how to really pronounce his name, excerpt that he is known to Jesus! For years he has gone to war zones (Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan among others) to worship, bring humanitarian aid and healing. Now God has directed him to lead worship in hot spots around the nation and raise up the church in the cry to awaken. By the way, for those of you suffering through disappointing seasons, Sean lost the Republican primary a few months ago for congress, and out of that disappointment, the doors opened for this new Jesus people movement. You cannot get stuck on the “no’s” of your life because a greater “yes” is around the corner!
I can regale you with stories of nominal believers coming awake in this season and standing strong for the Lord, of strident unbelievers becoming converted because of God’s mercy and awaking to the Lord through His exposure of evil. God can and will do all things!
In our own, small world of Fusion, God is using Matt and Amy Baldwin to change the area around Chum Phon in Thailand where they have baptized 11 believers in a couple of weeks. Mind you, that would be normal for a decade of ministry there.
Many of you are sensing a shift into an awake position in your prayers, your worship, and your awareness of the kingdom. You are that dread champion. Each plays their role and together, we get to see the world change!
What Do We Do In This Season?
Continue to employ rest as a weapon. Anxiety, whether it is worry or trying to amp up what God is doing in a given situation depletes the power and authority we carry in a situation for the kingdom. Rest simply amplifies it. Remember Janice teaching on the Jesus in the boat, asleep? You have power and authority over the storms you can rest in. Simple. Don’t leave in the inner position of rest. That doesn’t mean you are asleep, but you are in a place where you know God’s got it, God’s got you and in Him, you can do anything
WAKE UP! Sorry for shouting. It is time to come awake, splash the cool water of the Word on your face, and get ready for a seismic shift on the earth. Janice and I want all of you to be as part of this, so it is time to get up. You see, God is moving, it is time to become ready to jump on the train and do the works of God. “But,” you might reply, “I thought we were supposed to rest?” Absolutely, but, you can do the works of Jesus from rest (R-recognize your identity, E - exercise your authority from identity, S - seek the Lord from identity and authority as a much-loved child, and T - take everything to Him). For proof in the Bible, please see Jesus.
Seize the moment. The Lord is here! For many of us, we are coming out of a COVID slumber. We have been rightfully served by a few as we have tried to navigate what life in Jesus is life mainly in seclusion. But that day is lifting. It is time to be counted to engage personally and corporately, in the gathered church and in the world as salt and light (the scattered church). You are needed week to week, as more people begin to return to church, we have new needs to be filled. I am confident that after prayer, many of our needs will be filled as people when we gather (nursery, children’s champions, greeters, prayer teams, etc.). But 9-5 and your daily lives needs you as well. Be open for business always, ready in season and out of season to not give an answer verbally, but to pray and be the answer to bless people by bring the kingdom through healing, deliverance, cups of cold water, and mostly love!
Loved ones, I don’t know how to say this more clearly: this new season is upon us, even while the old one is being removed and resolved. It is time to pray and prepare for what is coming and to remove the scars, trophies, and memories of this last season. What is transferable is our growing awareness of Jesus and who we are in Him. Join Janice and me in this next season! Come on, let’s do this!
