Resets, restarts, reshaping, renewing, recharging, restoring – so many re’s being re-leased (see Ready or Not Here He Comes).

The Body cries, ‘Lord, re-store what was, return to the recent known (comfortable) ways.’

Is that where we head?

In February, I flew to Sydney to worship at AWE, a night of worship hosted by Jubilee Church Sydney.

I’m born and bred Victorian, so I went to stand in unity with my northern neighbours. A metaphorical bridge between two Australian cities. Sydney and Melbourne, two colonies who fought fiercely for the crown of Federation and Governmental control. Ever since, neither has really celebrated the other’s victory. Comparison, put down, ‘it’s just in jest, you’ll be right mate,’ the competitors decree. Life and death in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

The division has been more obvious in recent times. State against state; territories too, but that is not where I am headed.

Aware of the fierce competition, with a need to embrace and celebrate each other, I went to proclaim prophetically that Victoria loved New South Wales, the southern states loved the northern states, Melbourne loved Sydney, and we stood side by side in unity, as family, as the Body, regardless, we stood as One. Jealous sister cities no more; the choice to celebrate one another has come – nationwide (macro and micro).

There were a few other assignments on the wind, and although stretched, I went.

It was in worship time that I felt God speak:

‘My people have been straining to turn the clock back. They desperately want, need to return to the old. They desire the past, the ways that they know. I have allowed for time to stand still, to adjust. This stillness has not been so that they may return to former things, but to rest and prepare for the new.’

I saw the desperate attempt of the many yearning for the clocks to turn back. Longing for the former ways of comfort, knowing the past was not perfect, but it was familiar, and hence felt secure. I had known for some time (indeed since my walk of Joy) that we would never return to old ways. There would be a fresh path forged for the new.

The attempt to turn the clock back stopped.

Time stood still.

I waited.

‘2020 was the time for My people to breathe, regroup, and be still in the storm. Now the clock moves forward. Time is gathering speed. There will be no turning back of the hand to the old. The old way has gone; and the new is upon us. The new is not secondhand, or second rate. The new is an old way, but not of immediately before. Instead, the new is the Ancient of Ways – it has been before, and it will be again’

And I saw the clock and time turn forwards.

There is no turning back.

Feeling sad knowing that it would be hard for so many, I partnered with the clock moving forwards, and gave my ‘Amen’ to His ‘yes’ (see 2 Cor 1:20).

We cannot turn back time. Regardless of how much we would like for things to go back as they were, they simply won’t.

The yearning for a day, a move that was, will cause us to miss the new thing He is doing. The hands (our hands) must be to the plough for the forward motion. We must turn away from what was as Elisha and follow the Master forward. (1 Kings 19:21)

Chewing on this word for the past few months, I had a sudden realisation. Those that are trying so desperately to preserve the old thing, are like Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26, turning back when she needed to walk forwards. I do not believe she was evil, nor disobedient, she just yearned for what was, the known, secure, her past (with all its imperfections). She was heading out into the new, unknown, and cast a look backwards and turned into a pillar of salt.

In focusing backwards, we cannot preserve the past. If we do, we will freeze in time. We will become preserved in a moment ourselves, immovable with the salt of past moves. In desperate attempts to preserve the past, we will become ineffective to all. In looking back we preserve nothing but ourselves, and even that I doubt, for we will become form without function, spinning plates on points of time that God no longer inhabits.

In contrast, we must allow our wine skins to be oiled with His Presence, so that we will be supple, ready to be stretched with (and for) the new wine.

And so I encourage all those that read my words. Look back to learn, celebrate, and acknowledge the past, but then turn, look forward, and embrace the new. The best is yet to come. None of us really knows what it will look like, but it will be effective and amazing, because He will be in the midst.

He works all things out for good for those that love Him and for those called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). The safest place to be is in the centre of His will.

As we collectively turn and set our faces like flint to True North, we stand together and walk, run, dance forwards. We will choose to stand with one another and lean into the celebration of one another and our diversity (for diversity reflects a creative, and creating God) and we will encourage one another to run the race set before us, calling out the gold in fellow runners to the left and the right. We will unite into Kingdom tensions, Kingdom formation, which will gird us through future trials, and as we step into the new, we will thank God time stands still no more because…

God is Good!

For those reading to understand prophetic ways of wisdom, this word was ‘heard’ through a prophetic act, which became prophetic intercession. As I asked questions to gain insight about what I was doing in the moment. He told me, and I have reflected on the ‘word’ ever since, gaining further clarity and insight.

To learn about ways we can receiving a word from God, or give a word, please look at our training opportunities. Prophetic ACTivation Level 1 teaches how we can receive a word from God, and level 2 builds on that and explains different ways words can be given/released.