Paradigm Shift

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”1 Thess. 5:1 – 8 (NKJV). 

The Day of the Lord is at hand!

“He who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!”

Understand I didn’t say “He who has an ear to hear let Him hear what Jerry says to the churches.”  I underscore that because I need you to understand, if you can receive it, that I am coming with a word from the Throne room!  You can dismiss me but please do not dismiss the message.

Let me also have you note that I am saying, “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”  This is not addressed simply to individuals but it is addressed to the body of Christ.

The Day of the Lord is at hand!  We are about to see what other generations have talked about and thought they would see but didn’t.  We are the generation whom Jesus declared would not pass away without seeing the fulfillment of the prophecies related to the end of all things.

It is important also to note that what is about to happen is going to shake up accepted teachings in the churches about how everything is supposed to play out.

Let me read you something from the pen of Corrie Ten Boom, written in 1974.

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this.  These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days.  Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world.  I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.  In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated and raptured."  Then came a terrible persecution.  Millions of Christians were tortured to death.  Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, "We have failed.  We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first.  Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes and to stand and not faint."

I will let you do with that whatever you will but friends, I will say it again, The Day of the Lord is at hand and we must do whatever we can to be prepared not only to endure what we must face but reach out to those who are sick and dying from the disease of sin in this world.

The world and the church are experiencing major paradigm shifts.

A paradigm is basically a framework of thinking and philosophy that shapes investigation whether it is in the realm of science, history, education, or theology.  A paradigm shift is when a new way of investigation is proposed that challenges the status quo.

An example of a paradigm shift would be when Galileo suggested that the earth was not the center of the universe.  That was a major shift from the thinking of his day and, as is often true with paradigm shifts, his proposal was not well received.

Listen to this:

Galileo's support for the heliocentric theory got him into trouble with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1633 the Inquisition convicted him of heresy and forced him to recant (publicly withdraw) his support of Copernicus (the first proponent of the heliocentric theory). They sentenced him to life imprisonment, but because of his advanced age allowed him serve his term under house arrest at his villa in Arcetri outside of Florence.

When John the Baptist came preaching, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” it was a major new paradigm and when Jesus came preaching the same message, it wasn’t ecstatically received by the religious community of the day.  The kingdom these two men presented wasn’t the kingdom the people were looking for.  It looked nothing like what they expected.

I must tell you that I have endured some personal paradigm shifts over the last sixteen years and it isn’t always the easiest process in the world but if one is going to go on with God one has to be available to have their paradigms shifted.

I am convinced that the church today isn’t much different than ancient Israel.  We have these notions about how this story of human history is supposed to end.  Many have invested large amounts of time, money, and effort into this study and have become thoroughly convinced that their conclusions are the proper ones and, of course, they have made sure that it is all supported by scripture.  That, dear ones, is a perfect recipe for upset because, you see, the scholars of Israel had supported their beliefs with scripture as well.

God is who He is.  He will do what He has decreed whether or not it fits with our current paradigms.  There is only one paradigm that matters:  His!

It’s scary to think that when Jesus came the first time there were very few who were on the same page with God; Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, some shepherds, two old people, some foreign astronomers, and a wild man in the desert.

I appreciate what Charles Finney said in the introduction to his book on systematic theology:

True Christian consistency does not consist in stereotyping our opinions and views, and in refusing to make any improvement lest we should be guilty of change, but it consists in holding our minds open to receive the rays of truth from every quarter and in changing our views and language and practice as often and as fast, as we can obtain further information. I call this Christian consistency, because this course alone accords with a Christian profession. A Christian profession implies the profession of candor and of a disposition to know and obey all truth. It must follow, that Christian consistency implies continued investigation and change of views and practice corresponding with increasing knowledge.  No Christian therefore, and no theologian should be afraid to change his views, his
language or his practices in conformity with increasing light.

The reason today’s announcement is so important is because it affects the part the church is going to be playing in God’s plans for the future.  And the push I am receiving in my spirit is that we must do all we can to get on the same page as He is so we can work with Him, not against Him like Israel did.