The Necessity of Transition

The world in which we live today sends a clear signal that transition is a state of life and that change is rapidly occurring across the planet. Far beyond the political climate within the USA, the whole world is experiencing drastic shifts and changes on every level – economic, social, political, ideologically, etc. There are many seeming contributors to the global changes, but as believers, at the core of our perspective must be the reality that a sovereign God is bringing the Church to its intended place as described by the prophet Isaiah:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. - Isa 60:1-3 NIV

We are standing in a season when the frequency of powerful Old Testament prophetic utterances, have found a portal in time for fulfillment. The Sovereign One is bringing His plan to culmination and in emerging in the earth are a people who are serious about “arising” and thereby allowing the glory of the Lord to rise upon them so that even the nations will see and recognize the wisdom of God in the church. (Eph 3:10-11) The very core of true apostolic operations across the globe is being driven by a divine thrust towards producing a people who accurately represent Him in every dimension of life.

The key word which unlocks this whole process is the beginning verb . . . “Arise”. By implication the word conveys that one must change position to a more elevated place and that the process of this change does demand choice and effort. Along with the word “arise” is also another verb, the word “shine”. Again, this is a word that speaks of a process of change and a word that conveys choice and sincere effort. The very word “shine” carries clear meanings within the context of the development of a group of people destined to sit with Him in His throne. I think you can see this relationship as the word “shine” is defined as meaning: distinguished, eminent, accurate reflection, ability to cast a light; that which is clear and without blemish. The prophet Malachi reveals that transition is a process and through change, we as Levites (priest unto God) can only shine through refining:

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. - Mal 3:2-3 NKJV

Even though continuous change (transformation) is the declared state for all believers living in mortality, today we have many groups that see change as horrible, painful, and even ungodly. Some still preach, “Give me that good old fashion religion” with no sense that the “good old religion” was and is devoid of power to bring the Church to a place of “arising and shining.” Others shun “the old fashion religion” only to find themselves on the other side of the ditch, embedded within systems which reproduce that which is spiritually popular and socially “hip.” Please note that we are not abdicating change for change sake, but transition is clearly necessary and that change must be driven by the current requirements of God upon his people and fully based from ancient divine biblical principles.

As one skims across the time frame of Church history, it is clearly evident that progression is in the mind of God. Every progressive “move of God” has brought more illumination to scriptures which have sat dormant for years. Every major denomination had at its genesis a seed of individual revelation that was eventually embraced by a segment of the populous. As a result, those proclaiming the necessity of transition were always greeted with the familiar cry, “But God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!” Well, of course He never changes, WE DO! As we continue to grow and enlarge in our understanding of God and His ways, the revelation of His will should cause us to change our hearts, our thinking systems, our individual and corporate activities, and even our “religious” structures.

Everything in our world is changing and the pace for transition does nothing but increase. The last 100 years of technological advancement should speak loudly to the intent of God to bring transition inside His church. Unfortunately, while many learn to use a computer or I-phone, they sit captive and stagnant inside of church structures which argue about what version of the Bible to use, whether tongues is of the devil, can women speak in church, what day of the week is the Sabbath day or are apostles for today? We need to build a people who fear God and as a result, their hearts will be set on journeying and migration (Ps 84:5) and will adopt an internal fortitude to never become spiritually satisfied.

A reality inside the Kingdom of God is that God himself institutes change and continues to bring change not only to the human heart, but also to the world in which we live. From the beginning He has had the intent of bringing forth a mature bride and resident within this intent is a desire to see a people who are willing to journey from immaturity to maturity, from death to life, from independence to interdependence, from chaos to divine order, from self-will to submission of heart; from greed to shared life, from isolation into family, from nationalistic perspectives to Kingdom globalness; and from religion to Kingdom reality. So let us define transition from a Kingdom perspective employing these three definitions:

• Transition is a deliberate and aggressive movement towards the attainment of all the unfolding purposes of God in our lives entered into only by a recognition of the firstness of the Kingdom and the denial of ourselves.
• Transition is the bringing into an accurate alignment of our personal identity and purpose achieved through our obedience to a divine command.
• Transition is deliberate conscious acts on our part to produce new internal structures to contain the emerging requirements of the Kingdom.

By these very definitions we should see and recognize that transition demands choice, responsibility, and always starts on the inside of the human heart. As a leader, you must manage change on multiple levels and likewise, as an individual, you must also manage your own personal process of change in complex ways. Transition requires diligence which starts from the realization that death is mandatory in the Kingdom and therefore, our lives are not our own and must be lived under transformative grace which is delivered from “command.” Embracing transition has notable requirements. Here are a few:

• It requires openness to fresh revelation - the willingness to embrace new ideas that break us out of fossilized positions that resist God.
• It requires courage to enter into positions that seem unfamiliar and sometimes unpopular.
• It requires risk and a pioneering spirit.
• It requires evaluation and the ability to depart that which seems safe.
• It requires humility to admit that you have been blind and that others could know more.
• It requires a standard for change, which for us is the Word of God.
• It requires a tempered zeal and enthusiasm which empowers you to break through complacency and mundane Christianity.
• It requires conscious management so that change can be brought to full completion.
• It requires longevity, patience and persistence - As one gets older, it should not produce internal stagnation (both in the heart and in the mind), but rather flexibility and greater discernment of God’s will.
• It requires prophetic foresight – the ability to see beyond the pain of change and realize that “the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt you have come from. The land you go to possess is full of hills and valleys . . . a land in which the Lord God cares and the eyes of the Lord are always on it.”(Deut 11:10-12)

We are living in violently changing times which are not limited to the geo-political realm in which we exist. The global changes we are seeing in today’s world are but the sovereign God establishing the environment for the Church to “arise” through a great reformation/transition process. We must offer to God a wineskin capable of receiving new wine so as to fulfill His ancient and eternal purposes. Our hearts must be set on a journey and a willingness to leave the familiar landscape of Christianity as we have known it and earnestly seek the reality of the Kingdom.

“And no one puts new wine into an old wine skin or else the new wine skin burst.” - Mark 2:22
Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. - Ps 55:19