God Is . . .

God is absolutely purposeful. He says in Isaiah 46:9-10, …I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” God declares and sees His desire finished before it is manifested before human eyes. Ultimately, His purpose will be fulfilled. We know that what He declares is as good as done. What God proclaims is made manifest in His timing and according to His “good pleasure,” Gesenius’ Lexicon defines “good pleasure” as that which delights Him, reflects His desire and will, is precious to Him, and is His divine pursuit.¹

Moses implored God, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” (Exod. 33:18). God granted his request saying, “I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen” (Exod. 33:22-23).

Moses would not be privy to all that was ahead. His place in the unfolding of God’s redemptive story did not allow him to see the entire revelation of things that would take place in the future. Instead, God only revealed a shadow of things to come. His eternal purpose—all He ordained to be accomplished through His Son in the fullness of time—had been moving through time “ from the foundation of the world.” But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba!  Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

As heirs, we have “a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises (Heb. 8:6). Only the Holy Spirit knows the full details of God’s eternal plan and purpose. Isaiah 55:11 provides insight on how God sets His plan and purpose in motion: So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it. When He speaks, His eternal purpose is expressed and fulfilled in the release of His words. In this time of shaking and transition it is important for the church to know God’s Word.

Throughout the ages, prophets have played a vital role in the unfolding of God’s eternal plan. Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). Prophetic acts and utterances are described throughout Scripture and continues to enlighten the Church of Jesus Christ as she fulfills her role in God’s plan of redemption and restoration.

You don’t have to be a prophet to see that everything that can be shaken is being shaken (Heb.12:27). However, perception is needed, to interpret the nature and purpose of the shaking. The prophet Haggai prophesied this in Haggai 2:6-7,9, “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations;” ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.” Haggai and other prophets point us towards the truth and empower us to gain insight into God’s eternal plan and purpose. God knows exactly what the shaking will produce and how it will serve His eternal purpose. Hebrews 12:27 increases our understanding by explaining what the shaking is designed to do. It says, ‘Yet once more,’ denoting the removing of those things which can be shaken.

Change is inevitable. Haggai had an important message for the Jews who had recently returned from exile. During the time of transition they had forgotten their God, choosing instead to focus on their own interests, so it was time for them to “consider [their] ways” —Haggai 1:5, 7

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. –Haggai 1:7-8

Transformation is taking place all around us. The Church of Jesus Christ must carefully remember the former things God did from ages past and embrace this transformation as a part of God’s “good pleasure” to accomplish His purposes in the earth. In the midst of the shaking we are presently experiencing, the Church is in desperate need of a reformation. Reformation is needed within the evangelical church. In many ways the Church has given into the moral and values of the world around her. I encourage you to read Prophesy, Prophets, and the Prophetic Gift, Prophesy, Prophets, and the Prophetic Gift Part 2, The Prophet Haggai: Getting Your Priorities Straight Part 3 in conjunction with this post.

In part 2, I want to explore the Greek word metathesis more. My spirit leapt as I was researching the term because at different intervals of my prophetic journey the Lord revealed to me that he was translating me from one place to another spiritually. This is an exciting time for the Church, but we must embrace all that God is doing during this season of transformation.

In His Service,

Notes:

All Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Version (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

1. Bible Tools, Greek/Hebrew Definitions, chephets (Strong’s #2656), accessed October 7, 2021
2. Chironna, M. (2018), The Dead Prophets Society. Destiny Image Publishers , Inc.