eBook
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781468537840 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 01/31/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 148 |
| File size: | 536 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
"A Paradigm Shift"
In the Presence of the Lord!By Yvette Bell
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Yvette Bell and In Spiritual Strength MinistriesAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4685-3786-4
Chapter One
The "Paradigm Shift"
Paradigm: A pattern or model, set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitute a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline. (Free Dictionary, 2011)
The two most important messages of the kingdom of God are and have always been love and repentance. Many forerunners to Jesus Christ were sent to speak expressly of a coming Messiah who would, because of love, do away with the sinful effects of all other ungodly kingdoms on those who accept him as Lord in their hearts. In the Old Testament, prophets such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah foretold of a Savior who would one day sacrifice his life. The blood the Messiah was to shed would atone for the sins of mankind and shift us back into rightful kingdom position. It is through repentance and acceptance of the message of Jesus Christ relationship with our heavenly father is restored and we are placed back into divine alignment with him. One messenger in particular, John the Baptist, was so familiar with the message of repentance that he traveled the region preaching, "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). Even Jesus Christ himself called souls to repentance with the main focus of his message being, "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The eternal fact remains that the Son of God was given. However, it is dependent upon whether we believe in his works if we are to be saved from destruction and gain eternal life.
Individuals who sincerely repent and accept the message of Jesus Christ, in its entirety, empowers him/herself against the tricks of the enemy. Otherwise stated, when one embraces the truth of Christ's virgin birth, earthly ministry, death, burial, and resurrection, then God, by invitation enters and reigns in the heart of the believer (Romans 10:9). As a result, the enemy is denied access and no longer has legal rights. All of Satan's devices designed to lure God's children into the traps of sin, causing unrest, frustration, anxiety, fear, disbelief, envy, strife, pride, deception, and ultimately spiritual death, now become of null effect. As the believer continues to diligently seek God through prayer and the study of his word, the mind and heart will become transformed to spiritual matters. When one can begin to better understand God's plans and strategies he utilizes to defeat the devil, then they have entered the first phase of paradigm shifting.
"First paradigm shift" Known to Man
One day, out of nowhere, my husband came to me and said, "Honey, you know how you are always talking about a paradigm shift? Have you ever considered that God performed the first paradigm shift in the dispensation of Noah?" WOW, this was an awesome revelation, and as we continued to search the scriptures together the Lord continued to reveal more. We rediscovered because of Adam and Eve's disobedience their seed had become corrupt which caused their original mandate to be shifted to another. In order to produce a righteous nation, the creator of all deemed it necessary to restructure his kingdom and give the people one more opportunity to turn to him. Noah received strategic plans from the Lord to give a deliverance message to the people and the master plan to build an ark. Those whom would accept and repent could board to escape judgment. Noah was to issue the warning that in 120 days God would flood the earth. Those who would turn from sin and worship the true and living God would save their lives with divine permission to join Noah and his family in the safety of the ark. It was unfortunate that the people did not heed the warning and all but Noah and his house lost their life in the flood. I am sure once the waters began to rise that many cried out frantically and were desperate to board the ark. However, Noah was commissioned to obey the instructions of God and as such could not assist anyone with their cries for help. Once the waters receded and Noah's family was on dry ground, a spiritual changing of the guard took place. The same mandate that was issued to Adam and Eve now fell upon Noah and his sons. "Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28). "And the fear of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon the fishes of the sea; into your hands are they delivered" (Genesis 9:1, 2, and 7).
Our healing, restoration, refreshing, deliverance and newness of mind, as in the days of Noah, are all contingent on our individual willingness to take ownership of our wrong attitudes and actions (Acts 3:19). By divine spiritual law God's judgment will eventually come, and every kingdom assignment issued those who refuse to repent of their ungodly ways will be transferred to a willing vessel.
Define shift:
We are living in a prophetic season where God is shifting believers all over the body of Christ. It is unfortunate that many believe this move only consists of the gaining of worldly goods, positions in the church, or financial blessings.
However, before the aforementioned can be fully manifested, the first shift must take place in the heart and mind. This type of shift occurs when true repentance of a contrite heart humbles the believer before the presence of the almighty God. When defining a paradigm shift, it is important to keep in mind the definition of repentance. According to many resources, repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong. In the spiritual context, repentance refers to confessing to God, ceasing from sin against God and resolving to live according to his law (Wikipedia, 2011). In other words, in order to experience any lasting change, one must make up his/her mind to adhere to the word of God by disciplining him/ herself to obey, godly principles, even in the midst of great obstacles and tribulation. During seasons of repentance, one begins to identify faulty patterns of thinking, sinful habits that have been formed, and begin to realize that all widely accepted customs and beliefs do not always align with the will of God. A restructuring of the mind becomes necessary in order to clean out old waste. In other words, the clearing out traumatic experiences, negative thought patterns, fears, and self-imposed limitations which inhibit one's ability to believe or except the plans of God. Plans to prosper and not harm, plans to give an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).
Given these facts a shift, simply stated, is a change in position. The paradigm is far from a basic relocation or replacement. For if one can move to another place, and carry as their baggage the same mindset, then those old patterns will show up to taunt and delay the promises and inheritance of God. Old behaviors will begin to manifest in ways we never imagined (Romans 7:21). In this event, it is imperative that one quickly recognize and take inventory of the thought patterns that need to experience paradigm shifting, total transformation. Before we can exhibit Godly character or experience the glory of God, one must go through a series of shifting.
Seasonal Shifts
Every 90 days, as it is divinely set by heaven, seasons must change. After summer has served its purpose of hot, humid and sunny days, it must gracefully bow and exit stage right to make way for the colorful changing of fall's leaves and browning of the grass. When fall has completed its task, it has no choice but to move out of the way for the brisk winds, low temperatures and snow of winter. Winter then has to follow the same pattern and give way to the rains and budding flowers of spring time. Whether we agree or disagree, are prepared or not, the seasons will continuously shift and move on. Just as each of the four seasons of the earth have an appointed time to yield specific fruit assigned them, every believer too has an appointed time to produce spiritual fruit as mandated by God.
After spiritual fruit is developed, it is important to understand how to fully reap a due season harvest. Wisdom to discern uniquely designed seasons, produced by the spirit of God, will manifest a ripe harvest ready for gathering. As wise men seek to understand proper timing, prayerfully concerning all matters, favorable results will manifest. However, it is not merely enough to know what to do, but also when to do and how to do for maximum outcomes. If any of the three concepts are overlooked, the yielder of the harvest is at risk of interfering with God's perfect plan, causing the harvest to be out of sync with the seasons of God's spirit.
Jesus fully explains in Matthew chapter 13 the proper process of strategically gathering a fruitful crop. He tells the sowers, his disciples, even though good men have toiled and worked with diligence to plant a quality crop, expecting it to grow to full maturity, does not mean an enemy will not cunningly lurk waiting to find opportune timing to sneak in unaware and plant tares (an injurious weed resembling wheat, often appearing in grain fields, sometimes considered poisonous with the sole purpose of destroying the manifestation of a healthy harvest (Princeton University, 2011). Because, in it's infancy the tare bares the image of wheat, it creates an illusion of being true wheat. If the sower is deceived and cannot discern the wheat from the camouflaged tare, they will gather them in a corrupt harvest. However, after both are allowed to grow together, to the trained eye, at harvest time it becomes obvious at that the tare was planted to destroy the wheat (full manifestation of God's promises). Immediately after the tares have been destroyed by fire, the wheat is gathered and taken has produced fruit for gathering and the tare was sown to choke out life and full manifestation to the storehouse for further processing.
Perhaps, the reason the tare (spirits of jealousy, pride, envy, strife, rebellion, seduction, deception, manipulation, intimidation, etc ...) are yet growing in the midst of the earth realm today (in our minds, souls, spirits, hearts, homes, communities, and churches) is that the sower have not learned how to discern the presence and damaging effect of the tare. When the saints begin to grow in spiritual matters the tare can and will be divinely separated.
If by chance our seasons of harvest have not been gathered in a timely manner or are thrown off balance, the intentions of our heart, words of our mouth and our actions, when aligned with the word of God, can recreate due season, destiny (Proverbs 15:23). The plan of God for our lives will be redeemed through prayer and consecration (Ephesians 5:16).
Social Norm Shifts
Social norms are the behaviors and cues within a society or group used to determine "the rules or appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes, and interactions with others. The social norms indicate the established and approved ways of doing things, of dress, of speech and of appearance. Deference to the social norms maintains one's acceptance and popularity within a particular group; ignoring the social norms risks one becoming unacceptable, unpopular or even an outcast from a group. Such knowledge about cultural norms is important for impression management.
(Wikipedia, 2011)
The human intellect has convinced many that revolutionary change, which challenges and restructures belief systems and customs, is neither necessary nor accomplishable. Lifestyles that have been framed in a social setting are conformed to the morals and traditions of a certain sector of society whether generational and/or institutional. These types of belief systems can form and breed a comfortable way of living. Many will stay in these formally designed patterns for years, shaping a sense of normalcy and logic that there is no other way. When these systems are challenged, a sense of unrest and frustration tend to set in. For who would dare come in and uproot what is normal? Many fight change that is inconsistent with traditional ways of thinking. Change inevitably moves us out of our comfort zone into a world of unfamiliarity, challenging us to relearn, restructure, and rediscover.
Some individuals, due to social norms, have lived lives full of turmoil and chaos producing a series of self-sabotage moments. These individuals, during stressful situations, will turn moments of joy, peace, and prosperity into such to fit ingrown destructive thought patterns. To them, it is easier to deal with the stress. Then there are those who have been fortunate enough to experience the blessings and favor of life and become settled with the status quo. They find it unnecessary to press toward a higher spiritual call and often logically consider God as unnecessary. The will of both types of thought patterns (or the spirit of the mind, learned behaviors and attitudes) now need to be reeducated and formed to spiritual matters of God's law (Ephesians 4:23).
The enemy magnifies this reluctance to change by sending his whispering imps to further perpetrate the notion that if we transition from one way of living to another it will not work, be accepted, nor understood. The deception of the enemy is to convince us we lack the ability or skill set needed for such a transition. Remember that the enemy is the father of all lies. Therefore it is his job, by spiritual order, to deceive the people of God and block them from discovering the truth. NEVERTHELESS, we do not operate according to Satan's deceptions, but grasp hold to the truths of God's word.
Corporate shift
Sectors of our communities have worked with the concept of paradigm shifting for many years and have been conducting strategic planning sessions to restructure day to day business interactions. The corporate world understands that in order to cause permanent change, everyday customer interactions, marketing, financial plans, risk management policies, retention, and recruitment efforts must evolve and meet the challenges of today's society. Organizations recognize that to meet these challenges, institutional restructuring must continually occur. Policies, procedures, mission, and in some cases image, must evolve in order to produce rapid progression and growth.
Professionals in government, academia, health care, human services, civil rights, etc ... agree that resistance to institutional change affects the sustainability of present and future success. All sectors of our society suffer when necessary change is prohibited. Take a look at some of the major topics of discussion directly affecting our society today in which major policy makers consistently work to improve:
* AIDS
* Obesity Crisis
* High School Drop Out Rates
* Child and Domestic Abuse
* Homelessness
* Public Education Decline
* Family Structure
* Economic Recession
* Employment Loss
* Foreign Policy
* Health Care Reform
* Illegal Immigration
Also consider that in the United States, every four to eight years, government leadership takes on a paradigm shift. Current cabinet members lacking skill sets or vision of new leadership are replaced with individuals who are like minded and can insure progress coupled with forward movement. It is understood that every leader placed in key institutional position will have the best interest of the citizens at heart and will work in unity with other entities to meet those needs. The shift then trickles down to every government ran or funded organization, thereby causing forced restructuring of economic, educational, cultural, health, community, and military systems.
The only institution we do not widely hear paradigm shifting being spoken of is that of the church. Shift yes, everybody's ready for change, but change is not necessarily paradigm, which involves progressive and innovative reorganization of the whole structure. The church's foundational principles never go away (Revelations 22:18, 19). However, the strategies utilized to carry out God's mandate for his kingdom have no limitations (greater works shall ye do, John 14:12).
(Continues...)
Excerpted from "A Paradigm Shift" by Yvette Bell Copyright © 2012 by Yvette Bell and In Spiritual Strength Ministries. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Appreciation....................ixDedication....................xi
Prologue....................xiii
Chapter One The "Paradigm Shift"....................1
Chapter Two Self-Erected Walls....................18
Chapter Three Hidden Issues....................24
Chapter Four Allow God Full Access....................30
Chapter Five The Spirit Of The Mind....................39
Chapter Six Deny The Noisome Pestilence....................47
Chapter Seven Driven By Agents Of Change....................60
Chapter Eight Divine Intervention....................69
Chapter Nine Transforming Power Of Praise And Worship....................78
Chapter Ten Gird Up and Move Forward....................84
Chapter Eleven Forms Of Spiritual Impartation....................92
Chapter Twelve Transformed Kingdom Prayers....................103
Bibliography....................125