BEHOLD, THE FORMER THINGS HAVE COME TO PASS, AND NEW THINGS I NOW DECLARE; BEFORE THEY SPRING FORTH I TELL YOU OF THEM.

ISAIAH 42: 9 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD

The changing of the guard has many levels to it. First of all, we need to go on with the new thing and not get stuck in the old. The church is littered with movements that built altars around a move of God they once had, but refuse to go on with the new. Not only do they refuse to move with the cloud of God's Spirit to a new place in Him, but they usually end up persecuting the new thing.

The changing of the guard can be a shift in our thinking, a physical change, a new position, or a fresh understanding of what the Holy Spirit is doing in this last hour. It never hurts to check and ask the Lord, "Am I in the place I need to be in my beliefs and opinions on how God moves, or in the place in Spirit and prayer where God wants me to be?"

Jonathan loved David and was in a covenant relationship with him, I Samuel 18:1, but, it was a soul covenant. When God changed the guard and anointed David in Saul's place, Jonathan stayed with the old guard and died with it. If the Body of Christ, individually and corporately doesn't move on to the new thing, it's death. Death of a vision, death of relationships, and sometimes, life.

John the Baptist could be called a type of the old guard. When Jesus came he believed at first, but when persecution came, he doubted. It may have cost him his head. There's a dotted line on our heads, and if we don't make a change, or ridicule changes us....well....take a tip from John the Baptist.

It's time to seek God as we have never done before. How does God want to change the guard in your life and heart? "But, God told me to do what I am doing." To that I would say, "That was yesterday. What is He saying to you today?" God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but he didn't do it. Why? Because God said a second thing. Many people are shipwrecked with dead visions because they didn't hear the next command.

Ezekiel 43:8 talks of setting up thresholds by God's thresholds or doorposts. This scripture is talking about idolatrous defilements in the temple of God. When we don't move into the new things, we make an idol out of the past things and we have set up our own thresholds. By thresholds we're talking about belief systems about how God moves, the things He wants to accomplish in our lives and in the church, when we pray, how to pray, etc. In addition to all this, there are doorposts that say, "God doesn't move like that. His will is static is my life. I don't need to change. I have my beliefs and no one has greater revelations that I do." THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE.

REMEMBER THIS: Assumption brings presumption. It never hurts to stop and access what you believe and what you are dpong. You will either come out with a stronger knowing that you are in the center of God's will, or you will make a change. I believe God wants us all to change in some respect to the new things. Maybe the Lord will tell you, "You're resisting the nre move of the Spirit of God, repent and get in it." You might have set up your thresholds against His thresholds and your doorposts against His doorposts. Allow the sweeping move of the Holy Spirit to tear away foundations that are not of God and build Hid foundations for your life, which cannot be shaken in the violent winds and rains of life.