Transitioning to the Next Move of God ...Part 1

A season of transition has come upon us. We have been chosen of God. God in His infinite wisdom has called us to be an end time people to move with His Spirit towards “pleroma”, the completion of His purpose in the earth. What lies ahead, no one knows with a certainty. But what we do know, is that our spirit bears witness, that the cloud of His presence has begun to move.

We have been called into a “kairos”, a set season of purpose, in which, we must come into perfect agreement with the Father. A season that requires change. Change in the way we “do” church. Change in the way we “are” the church. Change in us to “be” the church.

Haggai is considered to be one of the most accurate of the Old Covenant prophets, in that he brought forth the Word of the Lord in a season when everyone in Israel thought that the time to rebuild the Lords house had not come. All of Israel agreed that it was time to build their own houses. But one man, in obedience to God, stood in their midst, and released the Fathers Word. That release changed an entire nations mindset in just three weeks. A mental stronghold that had stopped the movement of God, and held it idle for fifteen years, was broken by the “voice of one”.
The word that Haggai shared is much like the questions posed by our Lord Jesus, when confronted by the Pharisees. Jesus would answer their inquisitions, with such thought provoking responses, that they would cease from any further aggression. His questions would strike fear in their hearts. For they knew that if they responded according to their desires, they would come to a place of denying God; But if they responded according to the written Word, their entire belief structure would be called into question. Everything that they held so close to their hearts, would then become suspect. The traditions that had caused them to rise to their place of authority, could be destroyed with one reply. And, in essence, that’s what the Father desired. For their traditions had rendered the Word of God of none effect and needed to be discarded in order that they could transition as their fore-fathers had when the cloud moved.

What was Haggai’s message; “Consider your ways”. Honestly review your course? Take a moment and objectively reflect upon your journey ? And then answer this question: Are you seeing the results that you anticipated would occur? If not, “Consider your ways”!

It seems necessary in our search for truth to review our current position. That is also what Haggai laid before the people. He said:

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:6 (KJV)

The first area of challenge was in the area of sowing and reaping. He told them that it was an obvious fact that they had sown in abundance, but their return was not enough to satisfy. No matter how much they sowed, the crop harvested was not in proper proportion to seed released in the soil. It appeared that the law of sowing and reaping had been negated. The increase ceased!

The next item he raised for consideration was in relation to their thirst. He tells them that they go through the motions of drinking, but their thirst is never satisfied. They could ingest all of the water at their disposal, but still never come to a place of satisfaction beyond natural desire. It wasn’t that they lacked access to the water, it was that the water became as dust. It did nothing to quench the thirst of their inner man.

He then addressed their clothing. “you put on all the right garments for the season that you're in, but you can’t get warm”. You place layer after layer after layer upon your body, but still, there is no heat retained within your body. You are always seeking warmth. Even the sun light provides no relief. You're just cold!

You that earn wages, your efforts almost seem like they're cursed. You literally see the product of your labor fall to the ground with no lasting value redeemed from it. You toil to earn what you need, but by the time you get home, much of what you needed is already gone. No matter how productive you try to be, it is never enough.

Haggai then throws that daunting question back at them again, “consider your ways”! Are the efforts you are putting forth bringing about the desired results?

No? “Consider your ways”.

The New Testament is a book of transition. If observed from the “technology” perspective, you will find a volume of laws and principles “hidden” within the obvious.

Take for instance when Haggai challenged the people of Israel about their sowing and reaping. He said “Ye have sown much, and bring in little”. Your increase has ceased! What had occurred at that time, was that all of Israel had agreed with a mindset of fear, that had been handed down to them, from the previous generation. This can be found in Ezra 4:21-5:1.

A spirit of fear had all but quenched the “current” move of God. What would have happened if they had ignored the kings decree and continued to “build” the walls ? The cessation of forward movement within the “kingdom” causes complacency to replace Godly zeal. The “fire” goes out!

A New Testament parallel can be seen in John, Chapter 5 . This is a well known Biblical passage that has been taught from many different perspectives. The basic story is of Jesus finding a man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been infirmed for thirty-eight years. Jesus interacts with the man, and shazam! He’s healed. There are multitudes of expository messages that have been given to us, in relation to this passage. Whether right , wrong or indifferent, lets examine it now, in light of present truth, with an eye towards “transition”.

John 5:2 (KJV) Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

First, lets examine where this interaction occurred. Jerusalem, as we are all aware of, is the Holy City. The name literally means habitation of peace. As we are also aware, the City of Jerusalem is not what we could call a peaceful city at this time. In fact, it may very well be the most unsettled city in the world today. It is literally the crossroads of three major belief systems, all vying for control of it. But know lets look a little closer at the words that make up the name Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is made up of two words.
Yarah, 3384; a prim. root; to flow as water (i.e. to rain); trans. to lay or throw (espec. an arrow. i.e. to shoot); fig. to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach:-- (+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through.

Shalam, 7999; a prim. root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); fig. to be (caus. make) completed; by impl. to be friendly; by extens. to reciprocate (in various applications):--make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.

In examining the definition for Jerusalem, we see that at its root, it speaks of a place where something can flow as water to a place of completeness. A pointing to that place that is perfect. A place flowing in restoration. The return of something that had been lost.

Inside of Jerusalem was a place known as the Sheep Gate. In John's verse he refers to it as the Sheep Market. There are some interesting insights into even what could be seen as a simple word. First, the definition for the word used here for 'sheep' is the Greek word probaton and it means something that walks forward, a quadruped. A four legged creature that should naturally move in a forward direction. The root of 'sheep' is made up from two words that should stir those in the reformation mindset. The first is the Greek preposition pro and it means fore, as in, in front of, prior to, or superior to. It is a place of authority. The second word that makes up sheep’s root is the word basis, and it means to walk; i.e. but by implication it means the foot.

Could this be a tell tale sign of the “sheep’s” superior foot status in this realm? For the concept of man's dominion was through the treading down to bring things into subjection!

The second observance about the Sheep Gate, is that when Nehemiah led the people in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, the Sheep Gate was the first gate of the City to be rebuilt. [Nehemiah 3:1]. We will examine this incident further into the lesson.

John then tells us of a pool that was located near the Sheep Gate. The word 'pool' is the Greek word kolumbethra, meaning a diving-place, a pond for bathing or swimming. It comes from the root word kolumbao, which means to plunge into the water. Could this be telling us, that the pool by the Sheep Gate is a place where those desiring to move forward, to flow to a place of completion, can make the transition to the next level that the Father has for us?

He then releases another clue about this pool; it’s name. The name Bethesda means house of kindness . Many have related this word to mean; God being kind toward his people, when the word literally implies kindness towards God. The combination of words used here speaks of a place to build piety towards God. Not necessarily God doing for us as much as it means us drawing towards God. Another interesting note about Bethesda is that it had five porches. In the reformation mindset, the number five, should always cause us to consider a “five fold” application to the technology being revealed. In this case, the pool had five porches surrounding it. The word porch means colonnade which comes from the root word to stand [2476].

Could this pool be a place where apostolic impartation takes place, enabling the “diver” to stand in the things of God?

The next series of verses will now begin to show us the parallel between the pool at Bethesda and the mindset that Haggai dealt with. We begin to learn some history of the place itself.

Apparently an angel, a messenger from God, had visited this place at some time in the past. And because of this “visitation”, those that knew of God were drawn there, looking for the “next visitation”. And there they sat! They developed a mindset that centered around what God had done in the past. They birthed a tradition, that said “this is where and how God will move next”. And they got settled into that tradition, a tradition of man! Lets examine this according to Johns passage.

John 5:3-4 (KJV) In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

The tradition came to pass, because during a kairos (a certain season), God moved His Spirit (the water), and in the moving, people were made whole. So a perception was adopted that “if you hang around here long enough, and if you try hard enough, and if you are fast enough, you to can get it for yourselves and be made complete!” [para] Much like the current lottery system, they were drawn to the pool against almost impossible odds of success. To give some insight into this theory, lets examine those around the pool.

Impotent: The impotent are those that have become unable to stand in the things of God. 'Impotent' comes from the Greek word astheneo, [770] and it means; to be feeble (in any sense), to be diseased [unsound, disordered, corrupted] impotent [ unable to reproduce, sterile, lacking self-restraint].

God is a God of reproduction. Everything after its own kind was designed to replicate itself. The key to man's dominion in this realm, lies within our ability to reproduce and grow. These people had received of God, but were stunted in their growth. Could it have been in their lack of self restraint that they ceased to flow on to perfection?

Blind: The blind represent those that cannot see. The word used here is tuphlos, [5185] and it means something that is opaque, as if clouded with smoke. By analogy it means to be blinded, physically or mentally. What’s curious about the word tuphlos is its root word, tuphoo, and it means to envelop with smoke. Figuratively it means to be inflated with self-conceit; to be high-minded, to be lifted up with pride, to be proud.

These are they who have been exposed to the moving of God and have gotten “puffed up” in their own minds. There are numerous scriptures that tell us of the proud and their place or lack of place in the things of God. These can also be those that “see” themselves as righteous. This is exhibited as a Pharisee spirit. Those that have moved into a prideful position and are no longer in a mode of humility towards the things of God. In their pride they literally set themselves against God.

…, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1 Peter 5:5-6 (KJV)

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (KJV)

And unless our righteousness exceeds that place, we will not enter the next move of God.

Halt: The “halt” represent those that have moved in the things of God incorrectly. They may have been ill informed, adhered to incorrect doctrine, wavering in their faith. The definition for one that is halt is one that proceeds or acts with uncertainty or indecision; one that wavers. These can be those that have not “sold out” for Christ in that they waver in their faith, and thereby receive nothing.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James 1:6-7 (KJV)

Withered: The withered represent those that were never watered with the word. They may have gone through the motions, but never really got soaked in the things of God. They may be those that are in “dry” places within the religious realm. They are one step away from turning to dust and blowing away.

One thing that all of these various groups had in common was that they were “waiting” for the moving of the water. They would gather there daily and wait for God to stir the water that was before them. This scripture doesn’t give us any indication how often the water stirred. For all we know it may have happened only once or twice, but it doesn’t take much for a tradition to be birthed. [Fatima? Toronto?, Brownsville?] And once a tradition has been established, the challenging of the tradition takes on the appearance of challenging God, when in fact, it is man's principles that you are questioning. And when man's principles become traditions, they then become the ruling “principalities”.

So here’s the picture:
All these various groups of believers are gathered around a tradition waiting for God to do something miraculous. But take note; that no where is it written that He was going to do it that way again. In fact, it wasn’t written that He would do it that way at all, but because He had done it that way once, in His sovereign will, everybody’s sitting, staring at the pool , waiting for Him to do it again.

This is a common mistake within the Body. We have a natural tendency to expect what God has done in the past to be our gauge of what to expect from Him in the future. That is NOT a scriptural position. God has never returned to a former glory. He went from the burning bush to the Rock in the desert, to the Tabernacle, to the Temple, to the Cross, to you and I! He has never retreated to a former position. But we always seem to assess the current move of God according to what has been prior. Now the subject of this interaction with Jesus is a guy who has been “infirmed” for thity-eight years. He has been unstable in the things of God for almost four decades. He has been hanging around the pool for a long time. In fact, he has gotten real comfortable in that position. So comfortable, in fact, that he now brings a mattress with him. The word 'infirmity' used here is the same word used for impotent that we defined earlier. This man's theology had been corrupted. It may have been in his lack of self restraint that he neglected to discern his proper position in Christ and thereby fell victim to the traditions. Could it be that his mattress represented his theological understanding. He had built up a distorted concept of God and thereby had a “soft” foundation? Like the man who built his house upon the sand? Could the mattress represent his being complacent in seeking the “present truth”?

Now Jesus enters the scene. Out of all the people at the pool , he chooses this guy. Why? Who knows? Jesus is God in the flesh and chose him. Sovereign choice! But notice what Jesus says to our guy. “Wilt thou be made whole”? He poses a curious question to a man that has been seeking to be made whole for almost forty years. Do you desire to be made whole? And this guy not even seeking to know who is doing the asking, responds with a traditionally based answer that shows his ignorance of the things of God and his wavering in faith. He replies that he has no man to help him into the water. We must consider that this guy has been there for thirty-eight years and knows who gathers at the pool and what time they get there.

If he was truly seeking a blessing from God, he could get there before anyone else and get a position next to the water, but like the multitudes, he gets under the covering of the colonnades, and waits in the shade, with everybody else. And hence, misses the moving when it does occur.
Remember that “darkness” is the obscurity of vision resulting from error! It is at this point that Jesus reveals the transition technology.
He says:
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. John 5:8 (KJV)

The technology that Jesus released can be seen in the definition of the word 'rise'.

Rise: 1453. egeiro; to waken through the idea of collecting one's faculties, i.e. rouse literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence, stand, take up.

He tells him to get up and do something! He then tells him what to do. He tells him to throw away that soft foundation. Change the way you think and take dominion! The word used here for 'walk' is the Greek word peripateo and it means to tread all around, walk at large especially as proof of ones ability.

One of the keys of the technology released with our brother, is found in the definition of the word 'whole'. The word used here is the Greek word hugies, and it means to be healthy, i.e. well in body, but also means to be true or sound in doctrine.

In his obedience to the present truth revelation of Jesus’ word, he was brought out of a traditional stronghold, restored to a place of right understanding of sound doctrine, and was able to “stand” in the midst of the Pharisees persecution and reveal Christ.

Notice what occurs after he leaves the pool and goes to the Temple.

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 5:14 (KJV)

Jesus makes a curious statement to him at this point. He tells him to sin no more. When, in the narrative, did he accuse him of sinning at all? Could this be what James was referring to?

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

The word 'error' is the Greek word plane, and means a straying from orthodoxy or piety, to be deceived or in delusion resulting in error.

In this scripture James is speaking to and referring to believers that get led astray from the things of God. These are not unbelievers, nor are they backsliders. These are they, who have had erroneous doctrine and the traditions of men fed to them as if it were the truth of God. They have been led from the truth, and if they are not recovered, they may perish.
One of the other definitions that is used in defining Bethesda, is the habitation of reproof. Reproof is the “Re-Proving” of a truth. It can be seen in 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Our brother in John 5, needed to have the ways of God reproved to him. His thinking had been so clouded by traditions and untruths, that the proof of Gods power had to be revealed to him afresh. And part of that particular reproving, was the releasing of Gods power contrary to the tradition that had bound him.

The word 'whole' comes from a root word that means to grow, i.e. enlarge, to give the increase. Jesus told him to increase in the truth that had been revealed and don’t err (sin) from the truth anymore. Stay humble before God and don’t pick up that mattress! The very thing that Jesus said to the man at the pool is what Nehemiah said at the Sheep Gate.

Nehemiah 2:17-20 (KJV) Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 3:1 (KJV) Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

Arise, Restore your foundations, and Take dominion!

Haggai had told the people of Israel “Ye have sown much, and bring in little”…..

“Consider your ways”

Nehemiah told the people of Israel “we his servants will arise and build”

“Consider your ways”

Jesus told the man at the pool at Bethesda “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” And he did, but later Jesus told him…. “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”

“Consider your ways”?