I was talking more about Joshua last week on this subject. This week I’m more focused upon Isaiah.
I’ve always wondered about the experience of Isaiah because of the context in which the prophet frames that experience. “In the year King Uzziah died…” I believe this is more than a chronological frame of reference. Something shifted when the king died.
A bit of background is appropriate here…Uzziah started reigning at sixteen, and good stuff was happening. He reigned 52 years and the end of his life was a disaster of pretention and pride. He forced himself into the role of the priests and ended up with leprosy.
A whole generation of God’s people grew up knowing no other leadership but Uzziah’s, a truly great leader with a “has-been” resume. They grew up knowing about the good ole days, but not experiencing the present tense of Glory, reformation, and authenticity. A shift was occurring in the year of his death.
Timing and Takeover
Both Joshua and Isaiah speak to us about the timing of takeover. God will not install and institute a season change until it is time; He will finish one season before He moves us into the new one. It is critical that we finish one season properly if we are to lead in the next one.
Both Joshua and Isaiah were confronted with God’s takeover as they were positioned to be takeover leaders. The takeover move came at the right time – God’s time.
This is the sense of “wait upon the Lord” and “endure with patience,” since we are not in charge of the timing of revival and reformation, the timing of our leadership initiations, and our spiritual career management. God is! During a recent discussion with some young hot bloods of this generation, I was pressing this point. It is simplistic to the point of inaccuracy to say that “I am revival!,” when what you mean by that statement reflects a belief that “just because I’m right and anointed” revival is happening. That assumes God is willing for you to be the trigger-point of His seasons.
Ruthanne and I experienced revolutionary revival. It was immediate, lasting life-change. I spent a year with Holy Spirit in the school of intercession. I spent another year pulling weeds and learning how to wait on the Lord. I spent another three years learning about the warfare that is absolutely essential to FreedomMinistry and international ministry. Then, and only then, was I ready to face the deeper work of preparation for my life’s work.
During this season, God sovereignly placed international leaders in my life, and I would not be able to function in this present anointing at all if I had short-circuited this process at any point. I would not lose my anointing…but it is one thing to have an anointing and another one altogether to be able to function in that anointing.
God is not willing for you to be the trigger-point of the next season. If anyone could have assumed He was the trigger-point of the Father’s seasons, it would have been Jesus. Yet, He understood perfectly that restoration, reformation, revival, and renewal, while available to any one of us at any time, will hit our lives when God involves Himself in our lives, not when we “finally get it right or take appropriate action that moves us into revival.” Revolutionary revival is a work of God released in God’s timing and God’s strategy way through the strategic leaders God has prepared to steward the move of God. Just having an anointing, gifts, and ministry does not qualify anyone to be a leader.
Father is in charge of the seasons. His mercy for Uzziah and his generation stretched out a long, long time. Fifty-two years was a long time for a king to rule. God was ready for change a long time before King Uzziah died, but the Father finishes one season before He starts another one. God’s timing governs the kingdom.
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will raise you at the proper time.” Not your sincere and passionate moves of ministry, compassion, and zeal. God’s timing. Not your awakening to vital truths you are certain are “the keys to what we need.” God’s timing. You will always think you are ready before you are ready: that’s guarantee of human passion, but not the trigger-point of Divine strategy.
Perspective and Takeover
Until you can see God, you cannot see from His perspective. When you do see God, you realize that He has involved Himself in your life at the point of your destiny. In other words, Isaiah sees the Lord and immediately is concerned with his communication issues. The prophet realizes that this strategic aspect of his life is the focus of the encounter. Isaiah does not immediately weep because he has athlete’s foot that keep his dance from being released or stubby fingers that limit him playing the keyboard, or no money because he has the gift of giving. God involves Himself in Isaiah’s life at the point of destiny.
Take care about making your experiences into principles. Someone who has a certain gift mix or a catalogue of spiritual experiences may leave the strong impression that anyone who lacks the same mix or possesses a history of the same experiences has missed it. They will, perhaps, cry out that the church needs to be like them in order to be “right” or “in revival” or “in the kingdom.”
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Wow Dr. Don, right in step with what I am sensing in this season of Sonship. I do not trust myself to be the judge for when I am ready, and I do not trust my discerning of Holy Spirit in my life enough to cut myself off from leaders and vital ordained relationships that God will use as strategy to PLANT ME IN PLACE. I praise God for takeover leaders who assist in the raising up of other takeover leaders. While the finishing work or capstone is God Himself, the process purposefully and appropriately calls for strong leadership. This is a season where strong leadership and walking by Holy Spirit are vital.
Thanks for this word.
-JFT