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God seems to be laying a foundation for yet another of His periodic, history-changing interventions in the affairs of man. Over the last two thousand years there have been many such paradigm shifts, and it’s naive to think that our current, settled status quo will somehow be exempt from the unsettling but progressive advance of His Kingdom.
Paradigm Shifts
This newest paradigm shift is starting with pioneers who realize that God’s primary goal in history is to change not only individuals but also whole cultures and nations — as per the Great Commission.
Likewise, as with all prior interventions in history, His will is being applied to more and more aspects of His creation here on earth, just as it is in heaven — as per the Lord’s Prayer.
We also are coming to realize that the Kingdom of God — His will being done on earth (including all spheres of human endeavor) as it is in heaven — is bigger than the church. Nonetheless, we are beginning to understand that His Kingdom is not going to advance much further unless the church re-discovers her New Testament roots.
Admittedly, there is comfort in the familiar status quo of “church” as we’ve all come to know it. Some, however, are so hungry for God’s Kingdom — as it continues to progressively advance through history — that they’re willing hit to the reboot button and look afresh at God’ s purposes.
I vividly recall leafing through World magazine back in 2006 and reading the unsettling but hardly surprising news that Randall Terry – the 
firebrand evangelical who formerly headed Operation Rescue and was then financially wiped out following a series of lawsuits by pro-abortionists – had joined the Roman Catholic Church.
“Unsettling,” because it provides further evidence of the growing weariness and disillusionment I’m seeing among spiritual “entrepreneurs” who’ve been laboring within evangelical circles to expand the Kingdom of God in all spheres of life and culture.
“Hardly surprising,” however, as those “on point” for the Kingdom increasingly seek refuge from the prevailing pop-theology (or dare I say lack of theology) and me-focused brand of Christianity that pervades evangelicalism (which includes charismatics and Pentecostals), animates many of our local church and national leaders, and cuts believers off from the great historic doctrines and creeds of our faith.
The intercessory prayer movement of the last several years is at a crucial junction.
Driven by angst over our nation’s declining commitment to basic principles and the growing malaise of our increasingly dysfunctional churches, many Christians are crying out for God’s intervention. What I’ve rarely seen, however, is a matching embrace of effective, transformational repentance — which Biblically involves changing the way we act by changing the way we think.
While desperately seeking to touch the heart of God, few intercessors seem willing to do the hard work of understanding the mind of God. The challenges facing our nation, and the Church, require both. We need intercession, but we also need God’s understanding followed by corresponding action.
Today in the jail, after two hours of powerful ministry between the men one to another, they stopped and said they decided earlier this week to do something for me. They then stood around me, laid hands on me, and prayed the most wonderful, tender prayers of blessing I’ve ever heard.
I cried as I realized what they were doing, because they’ve learned — maybe with some of them for the first time in their lives — to give rather than always take or receive. After months of mentoring them in “being” the church (see my blog, The Church in D Pod), they heeded God’s gentle call to new pastures. As a result, they now “get” it and wonderful life is flowing between them and from them — even to me!
As God brings forth new wine in a new generation, there’s a fundamental dynamic that can’t be ignored. To put it bluntly, new wine sucks!
In my younger days, I was an amateur wine maker. So I know what Jesus means when he says, “no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:39)
Here’s an interesting article, reprinted below, on how people will stick to what they believe or think even in the face of contrary facts or circumstances. As I’ve watched people react to challenges and controversies 
over the last couple of months, and to God bursting old wine skins as he brings forth new wine, I can believe it!
Isaiah 9:6-8 tells us that God’s Kingdom, from the incarnation onward, has been and will continue to be ever advancing. As such, God is constantly fermenting new wine — and providing new wine skins to contain it — as his progressive plan of redemption moves forward from one spiritual generation to each successive spiritual generation (which can include individuals of all ages!). God’s active and ever expanding intervention in history is clear, and his tendency to discard the old while bringing in the new is repeatedly seen in Scripture.
Yet it never failed to fascinate me, as a graduate student in church history back in the 1970s, to see how — time and time again — most Christians reject God’s new wine of new anointing for new generations. Instead, they choose to stick with their old wine and old wine skins.
“Peace if possible, truth at all costs.” — Martin Luther
I am sensing more and more the need for authentic community in our churches.
When community starts taking hold (beyond an emphasis on Sunday “church” services) and we start getting involved in each other’s lives, major issues typically arise as we start to learn more about one another. Often, ongoing sins and improprieties begin to come to light — maybe even among our leaders.
How do we handle pastoral failings, especially when they go beyond merely personal sin and involve an abuse of position or trust which harms the church and hurts others?
Sunday afternoon I attended an authentic fire-from-heaven, slain-in-the-spirit, foot stomp’n, Pentecostal Holy Ghost church service with handkerchief-to-wipe-away-the-sweat-on-the-forehead preaching on — believe it or not — pastoral burnout.
Although the topic could be viewed as a “downer”, it actually was a great time of refreshing and renewal!
