May 20
TRANSITIONING to YOUR FUTURE
I see the analogy between “Transition” and Gideon giving God his future puzzled some of you. Here are the core elements of the analogy. Gideon underwent an enormous transition – from coward to hero in just a matter of weeks. More than a dozen times in the Biblical account of Gideon he refers to himself as being afraid and went on to state he was the least in all of his clan and in all of Israel.
In fact, as the story opens we find Gideon hiding behind the walls of the wine press grinding the little grain that the Mideonites had not taken. How did Gideon give God his future? He did it when he sacrificed the second bull of the herd. You see the first bull was already offered to the Lord. The second bull was to propagate the herd and produce new calves, thus the size of the herd would increase. If you kill the second bull, in effect you kill your future.
Gideon’s transition was to learn to trust the Lord and not fear the future. This is the first step in any transition, learning to trust and not fear. For those who love change it is easy, for the more stable ones who do not like change, this becomes more difficult. Keep in mind that all of us, at some point in our lives do not like change. If you have not discovered your own resistance to change, just wait, it is coming.
I agree, saying yes to God’s direction is not always that simple. Most of the time we are saying yes to a future that we have no clue as to what it will look like. The key here is to recognize that what we are seeing or perceiving actually is God’s direction for our life and say yes to what we know. I repeat, “Say yes to what you know is from God.”
You will know it is God’s plan by the peace you feel. Until you have that peace you have no responsibility to say yes. The most important sign that the next step is God’s plan for you is this deep seeded peace. Keep in mind peace does not equate to knowing all the answers. It does equate to the realization that after the transition all will be better.
Transition is a good topic because I suspect that as this year progresses, many of you will experience the most intense time of transition you have faced up to this point in your life and you’ll need to know this topic well.
Blessings,
John Paul
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“Transition is a good topic because I suspect that as this year progresses, many of you will experience the most intense time of transition you have faced up to this point in your life and you’ll need to know this topic well.”
I’m hanging on every word you post right now. As I sit here, my stomach is twisting and my head is splitting. I have been through some tough stuff but never such uncertain times. I keep asking ‘haven’t I had enough devastation in the last couple of years?’ Virtually no area of my life has been without some tragedy or utter debasement in the last year or so…and it still continues. If something good is being birthed then I must be having a big baby! Yeeeoouch!
I heard a message of yours on asking God for justice yesterday and it is hard to tell whether that is the base of the issue or if this is just some kind of repositioning that God is orchestrating. Basically, is the devastation just a place of transition or is it the enemy tearing things up? I’m looking for that peace somewhere in the midst of this but for now I can’t stop the pounding in my chest. I have to grab myself by the ears, look in the mirror, and command myself to praise Him for His goodness. I have to tell myself He is working things together for good.
Keep bringin’ it Mr. Jackson. I want to see how this story ends.
What I find most interesting, is the times of Gods greatest INWARD peace for me, have been the times I felt more outward stresses and frustrations. I have had to make decisions in the past where I was so nervous, anxious, overcome with the possibilities of failure, missing the mark, etc.. but in the midst of emotional and SOULISH chaos, there was inward Spirit-peace.
Just like John Paul stated, it is true that that inward Peace of the holy spirit, is our guiding factor, no matter what the outlooks of life are showing us. The outward sometimes is a manifestation of the past, and that past really likes to rear its ugly head when the future and the transition is ready to manifest.
But the guidance of the holy spirit, his life flow, his peace, is the best guidance, the best teacher, the best reference we could ever have.
Thank God for his peace that passes all understanding because it goes beyond soul to the core, the spirit.
Hello John Paul:
I don’t want to admit it but this week is definitely an official transitional week for me. Part of me is supernaturally surprised, the other part knew that this day was coming. I am feeling a shift happening in my spirit with a tremendous amount of peace, minimal fear. The fear that I am actually experiencing is fear of going back to something that I became familiar with regarding my former job. I am going towards something that the Lord been preparing on the inside of me for centuries and I am loving every minute of it. However, it is still unclear to me as to what this next step is and which foot to put down first metaphorically speaking..I know that you can’t answer this question individually for me, however, I need to ask God for the right launching pad and what time the plane is going to take off.
I don’t want to miss this upcoming flight. Just food for thought.
Nail on the Head John Paul.
That describes exactly what this past year was for me. I am about to send in my application for the Streams School of Ministry for the coming year. That is the thing I believe is my next major transition, and I feel so peaceful about it. I killed my second bull at the beginning of this past year and now I have no way to pay any tuition for the school. I am heading to Florida, of all places I know, and won’t be able to work this summer either. But man I have promises and I am believing for a miracle hope to see you this coming year John Paul! I know I am in the middle of God’s plan by the peace I feel, though I have no earthly reason to feel it at all. What a “fundamental inconsistency…an inherent paradox…a paradox from God.” Those are the words of Watchman Nee, I highly recommend his teaching, he is a prime example of one of God’s anointed who truly paid the price.
They don’t call Jesus the Prince of Peace for nothing. A verse that has been a real source of strength in the past 365 days is the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (15:13)
God Bless Us All in the coming times of intense transition.
D.
JP, Are you talking also about ‘the church’ in transition or mainly individuals? Because I can sense a shift in the atmosphere recently. I told my husband that things are intensifying. (I call it chatter) Am I the only one who feels it? Where do you think GOD wants to transition the church from here?
I’m learning that the “what” often precedes the “how”. That God will show me what he wants me to do before he shows me how I’m going to do it.
Maybe this is the way of faith?
Here’s to sacrificing all our bull…
Z
Without fail you speak into my life. In fact I have a sneaking suspicion that by speaking this you are causing the doors in my life to open to change, in that instead of seeing change happening in people’s life and you speak to help them, you are actually the catalyst that is sparking change in mine (and probably others as well). I’m not entirely sure I spoke my mind in this matter, and it seems to me that this is one of the few times I can’t seem to articulate my words correctly. In anycase I guess I just want to bless and encurage you in that my life is changing in ways I can’t understand. Over the past week I’ve been getting words and seeing things about my mind beening restored to how it was intended, I believe you are forerunning the way for the rest of us to move forward.
Ok, now that I have that said, transition is a huge topic right now. This year is quite literally screaming it, or so it feels like to me. The fact of the manner is that I often set my self on track to change but fall away just over time, I think the problem is that I don’t keep focus of where I am headed and I lose myself to things right in front of me, wether it is school, work, or friends. Often they don’t understand the change or even want it. Just today I’ve set myself up to change my life, I guess the main problem is keeping focused on where I want to end up (A whole ‘nother problem with that is convincing myself that I want to end up there, that is if we are being honest).
I guess if I could ask you for anything right now, I would ask you for a game plan on how to change one’s life (Ok, maybe not a gameplan, but some simple habits that would help me to set my mind on God would help). Thank you again for everything you do, and all that you are.
With love,
Samuel
Last year I went through a huge transition. I moved from China to New Zealand to live. It had been about 10 years since I had been in NZ (I had been living in Australia for around 8.5yrs years and China around 1.5yrs). It involved 1. shifting culture (and reverse culture shock), 2.shifting country, 3. being unemployed for the first 7 months in NZ, 5.moving back in with parents as money had run out. 6. crying out to God for breakthrough for 7 months……
and finally getting a good job.
So now I am wondering what’s the point of all this? I know I am doing what God wants me to do, but its hard to see how this episode of life fits in with anything else. Especially as I will probably be asked to leave anything built during this time to move on to something else in the future (you know, another transition). I have no sense of permanance in my life. Like everything is temporary.
And I suppose everything is temporary in the sense that we are all passing through in this world.
Still, God knows best and knows how to put life together.
I gave up doing that a while back.
Thanks for clearing that up!
God bless
David
Thanks, so much. What a lot of transitions there are everywhere, people, churches, cultures trying to get their heads and hearts around Lakeland, Florida, for one, dealing with large scale disasters, and the differing countries way of dealing with them eg Burma and China, changing lifestyles in transient communites such as Perth, W Australia, having God tv free in one country then having to buy it in specially in another! One child being healed incrementally of a disease Praise God, and even ailments not asked for directly! Thanks so much for the wise counsell. It really helps ride the waves of change, and help to refocus on God. Blessings
Emma J
John Wimber said once that a particular year he was in was both the best of his life, and the worst of his life. My former pastor’s wife said the same thing. I think of the verse, “though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Also, “when a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it bears much fruit.” These are nice platitudes in one sense, nice theology. Except when they become reality in your life! Ouch.
I must confess at times in reading this blog I think, JP, you missed it man, why don’t you talk about this or that, what about this or that. Then something happens, or I connect with God at some level, my mindset changes and I come back here, and I see the LIFE in what is being written. Transformation. Veils of wrong thinking get lifted off of me, I see where I’m wrong, I connect with reality, soul gets separated from spirit.
Thanks John Paul for being faithful! We love you!
Blessings,
Dennis
I am in a really difficult place right now. I can not distinguish the voice of God from the voice of the enemy. Could God ask of us to do the most difficult of tasks. Could Abraham have experience peace on his three day journey? Everything I know is being challenged. I don’t know whether to submit or fight. Someone help!!
I have to agree with all above regarding the inward witness of the Peace of the Lord which will supercede– by way of direction, clarity, surety, safety, leadership….in the midst of transition, or walking through the valley of the shawdow of death in any form — no matter what it is. Peace rules in your spirit.
It is the one thing the devil cannot mimick. He can manifest an emotional “calm” –which is not peace and is in the “sense” realm
which we should NEVER go by— but he cannot immitate Peace in your spirit. The Holy Spirit fills your spirit, and He will lead by that deep-seeded peace, in the midst of chaos, heartache and pain — that peace giving you a “snapshot” of the good things, the end result to come. Peace deep inside our spirit is as wonderful a guide to our heart and soul as the Word of God. And when you have a rhema Word from God and manifested peace within, you can take it to the bank that the Lord will see you through all things….. all… to the expected End He has for you; your destination in Christ.
Love to you John Paul..
Had a question about a dream I had 11 yrs ago which has nearly all come to pass…but you are always getting that question. So, instead: May the Lord bless you, may the Lord keep you, may He make His Face to Shine upon you and give you PEACE.
Love to all who read this blog
Denise
Worcester, MASS
“Gideon’s transition was to learn to trust the Lord and not fear the future. This is the first step in any transition, learning to trust and not fear.”
I never used to think of myself as a fearful person, but in the last several months, God has been showing me areas of my life where fear had replaced faith.
I recently gave into fear (and emotion) and as a result, missed out on a great spiritual blessing. Instead, I was a ‘basket case’, with a torrent of tears and fears keeping me from prayer and an impartation that had the potential of being of a great encouragement to me. But my fear kept me from seeking prayer that day - two times. Yikes!
MY agenda for that day, in going to see a national minister on his first trip to my state, was to ’say good-bye’ to something past. That, in and of itself, is OK, but I don’t believe the way I did it was the right way - and I had not prepared myself ahead of time to realize what my emotional state would be in facing a past failure one last time before finally putting it to rest. There is a possibility that this dream could be revived at some time, but it will have to be supernaturally done by God moving on the hearts of certain people to give me a second chance.
Two days later, I have an awful lot of perspective I didn’t have on Friday. I resolve to never let fear keep me from whatever my future holds.
For over a year now, I have been transitioning from one place to another. My profession has changed. I have changed churches so that I can move forward in whatever God has for me. I have now let go of a ministry dream I’ve worked on for four years, and allowed myself to embrace a new business opportunity that God gave me and I’ve been working at for over a year.
Trust is what can keep us from fear. The Hallmark Channel shows a movie called “The Long Shot.” In this movie, a horse trained in dressage manuevers goes blind. (You’ve heard of ‘blind trust’ - this movie is a great picture of that). The horse has one opportunity to show that it has learned to trust. It executes perfectly. I wish I could say I’ve become like Tolo, the blind horse, and always ‘blindly’ trust that God has His best for me. I am getting there, but probably not as quickly as I’d like.
So…courage is needed. God gives us the courage, but we need to ‘move’ on it. There is no direct way I can let that person who couldn’t pray for me that day to know how and what I was feeling…but since I knew about this blog, I thought, maybe I can be of help to others and in so doing, I find peace.
I sit here dumbfounded after reading your latest comments. God has pointed me to the story of Gideon numerous times in the past few days. (It never ceases to amaze me how much He truly cares for his own.) I am currently in the “blessings” of the second anointing, and am in the midst of great battles from every side. Before, my stance was always to hide, and only confront the issues when “found”. But, now I do the pursuing! I face this next battle head on. But, I would be lying if I were to deny fear and apprehension on this front-line! I know, that I know, that wonderful transition is at play, and victory is sure!
Thank you for being an anointed vessel.
Nina,
Blessings to you this day. I hope (and believe) this may help.
In Psalm 42, David talks about his soul being downcast. He was depressed and needed hope as an anchor (Hebrews 6:19). What he does in the midst of it has helped me many times as I have done it. He says, “these things I remember, as I pour out my soul, how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.”
In the midst of his depression and wandering, David remembers the “high” times in God. He remembers the times of joy and thanksgiving. He rehearses his past experiences in God. He uses these times to encourage himself. He speaks to himself to believe, that God will be faithful because of how he has seen God’s faithfulness previously. This is why journaling our experiences with God can be so helpful, especially if we do it as soon as we can after the experience. It is a marker we can go back to, and in a sense, almost relive what happened as we read the words again. It can build our spirit and it builda hope in us.
If you are in a place you can do this spiritually and emotionally, this may help. This will help give you some perspective in terms of when you have heard God’s voice previously. Even going back to initially meeting God. Even going back to the small things that you knew were God in your life. Identifying God’s blessings in your life, such as children (or neices or nephews) as being a blessing from God, a reward from His hand (Psalm 127). Looking at them through that lense. That you are God’s beloved and His desire is toward you. That He loves you with the same love that He loves Jesus.
Also, when it’s unclear which voice is God’s and which voice is the enemy’s, it’s helpful often to go back to the basic truths of the Word. God loves me. He forgives me. He has an awesome plan for my life. Sports teams and businesses that do well over time continually go back to the fundamentals and do them well.
I sense you are stronger in God than you give yourself credit for, and the enemy would jump on that and exploit that belief. The VERY fact that you are writing on this blog is evidence of this to me.
Bless you mightily this day my sister, in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus. There is no other name, there is no one in the universe more powerful. All power in heaven and earth is His and His desire is toward you.
In Christ,
Dennis
Thank you once again from rural Australia. Blessings are falling all around
Dennis, Amen!
Nina,
JP has a section in the 101 about knowing God’s voice.
101 Section 6-2
John 10.14-27
Let me paraphrase if I can.
We know God’s voice by 3 ways.
1. By the way He comes to us.
2. By the relevance of what He says.
3. By the fruit it produces in us.
Maybe JP will talk about this some more in the coming posts.
God bless
David
Thanks for your blog. I have found myself “sovereignly relocated” in the past month, and have been trying to process all that God is doing in my life and ministry. I saw you on God TV and you were speaking specifically to my situation. Your blog only helped bring more clarity to what God is doing.
thanks.
Ditto– Thanks JP; so good to connect with ya!
Gideon’s example is a pretty clear-cut case of a moment of transition in life. God showed up and put the offer on the table in a bold way, and Gideon made a choice. But what do you do when the transition/calling moment doesn’t seem to arrive?
Also, can I ask a question? I’m hearing two ideas from the church on the topic of future and destiny. One idea says that God creates me with a unique destiny that no one else can accomplish, and with the unique gift mix to do it, because no one else can. The other idea says that someone’s unattempted or unfinished destiny (mantle, calling, etc) can be reclaimed or picked up by another willing individual, which could be me. Which is true, or are both true somehow?
Many blessings,
Jake
Great Topic! My husband and I have been going through a time of transition. We now are facing the most stressful financial time in our lives ever. We followed the peace of God and got hammered! How do we not take the past into the future? Can you give some insight on that topic? Thanks, Maryann
This is in response to Maryann!
Maryann wrote:
How do we not take the past into the future?
My response to Maryann:
John Paul has been preaching on “Divine Justice” and how we need to pray that more often to secure the victory in our lives! This will assure that God will act on our behalf in securing the victory.
Furthermore, when you follow the path of peace by running after “Peace”, it is usually best to go after it one moment at at time, one victory at a time. This is the measurement of grace.
Both my husband and myself have a time of thanksgiving/celebration after each victory and blessing which makes it sweet. This is always after the time of securing and enduring peace and standing in it. I hope this helps.
Blessings To You Always!
Shirley C.
Thought I’d share something that has helped me immensely over the past couple of years. Rick Joyner (I know one of your friends JP) has written a book called “Leadership: The Power of a Creative Life.” A GREAT read. He has a chapter in it about the 5 essentials of success. The first 4 essentials are pretty well known: having goals, staying focused on them, getting training & resources, & hanging around solution-oriented folks. Okay, no big surprises. HOWEVER: the 5th essential, he writes, that leads to the greatest success, and one which we will do almost anything we can to avoid, is adversity and how one responds to it. He says the greatest achievments come from the greatest adversity, because that great adversity requires an overcoming that develops our potential like nothing else. To me, really what this is, is a crisis of character, what will we do when the worst happens.
He goes on to say that all of nature fears storms except eagles, because eagles use opposing wins to bring them to the highest heights. The cool thing about this is that it requires less effort of them. They just need to meet the wind at the proper angle. He equates their meeting the opposing wind in that way with what our attitude is when we meet opposition.
Two others things (sorry for the length). He quotes Solzhenitsyn, who says that “biology teaches us that a perpetual state of well-being is not good for any creature. Rick says adversity does more for our development than any other thing. The final thing I’ll mention he says is that those with great ability, when it is too easy for them, often fall short of their potential. No one gets easy breaks, especially those who achieve their purpose. In fact, those who achieve the most often have the hardest road to overcome.
This helped me greatly when I was put on probation by a former company for non-performance in sales. I had been complaining, with others, about how hard it was to do business, how unhelpful the company was in helping its employees, all stuff that is objectively true. But I let them get me into a funk and blaming my non-performance on them instead of taking responsibility. My boss also helped me through it (though he put me on probation!) and we remain friends to this day. And if that did not happen and I did not go through it, I would not have been able to get the job I’m in today. Now, I’m in a similar situation (not on probation, thankfully) but in a difficult environment. But, I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
As I think about this, I think of Jesus. I do not understand how it all works, but I do know that in Him humbling Himself and becoming obedient to the point of death, God exalted Him to the highest place. As Hebrews says, consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you do not grow weary and lose heart.
Blessings,
Dennis
Most of us fear transition because it means change. Too often we have become comfortable where we are, and complacent. For us to move out of that future and into the destiny of God takes a shaking of the place of comfort. Gideon experienced this and moved out of a life of mediocrity and into a life of purpose and destiny with God. Though I recognize this, even I have to admit that I struggle when God wants to change my reality. However, when I submit and trust God, I find I have transitioned into a new reality and destiny that is better than before. As I learn this lesson over and over, the struggle in me decreases, and the excitement about what God has for me increases. God is an AWESOME God!
This last working week, that ended for me on Friday, was living hell. In adversity, I began to have very negative thoughts. I thought that if I didn’t change my attitude and think clearly, what could happen is that I would eventually act on those thoughts, and create disaster. I began to thank God for all the goodness that He had already given me!
In the middle of all the chaos, problems were being solved. Situations were being taken care of by other people. Problems that were imposssible for me to solve were being resolved. Hidden things that had to be done, that I had no knowledge of and were impossible for me to do were being done. Things that if left undone, could grow to become catastrofes. God was moving on my behalf, watching my back and saving mightily!
In the middle of all the times of adversity and moments of insanity and despair, a thought came to me that was “Things can get worse”.
At that point, the best thing I could do was thank God for His help, and thank Him for His justice. The justice that had come, and the justice that was and is still to come…I have begun to see part of it, even after leaving work. I beleive more is still to come…
Needless to say, I ended this week totally exhausted. I did work that I have never done before. I did work that was previously done by 3 people…God was always there to help me, even when I was so close to loosing it. He is truly wonderful!
One more episode to the chapter…
God Bless!
Wow, you are really pulling the covers from over my head! God bless you for these topics that are sorely needed right now. I am one who is in transition, and it does not feel good, but I’m going to be like Gideon, I refuse to let fear overtake me.
Transition has been my call word for over 8 yrs. I have prepared, waited, got frustrated and wondered if I had missed God and held on for dear life! It is now being revealed little by little and I am so thankful. I was called to the First Nations people of my area over eight yrs ago, and the Lord has definately been and is faithful. JP, you are right. Not only does the Lord have to prepare us, but He also has to prepare others to meet you where He puts you. Keep on bringing it on.