A New Season
By Pastor Ted Palaroan
Tabernacle of Living Waters
As I look toward the future, I am drawn to the story of Elisha, especially to what happened to him, recorded in 2Kings:
2 Kings 6:1-6
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. 2Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell." So he answered, "Go." 3Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." 6So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Throughout the Scriptures, there has been a divine mountaintop encounter with God before change came in the realm of the Spirit. It happened with Abraham before he could fulfill his calling. The Apostle Paul went to Arabia, rather than Jerusalem to hear God, and from there he went to the Gentiles to bring the gospel to the world.
Many times God calls us to relocate to a new spiritual location. Whether it’s physical or spiritual, as you follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting, dramatic changes begin happening. I can sense this time coming and I can hardly wait for it to take place. Obviously, the ax head spoken of in 2Kings6 is significant. The prophets were building a new home for their ministry. In the process of felling trees for the purpose, one of them accidentally lost the ax head in the Jordan River. Before they could continue, they needed to retrieve that ax head. They needed a sharp ax head to continue, and an ax handle won’t cut wood—it will only bruise and damage the tree. So Elisha threw a stick into the water and the ax head, contrary to its nature, rose to the surface. Through this miracle, Elisha was anointed to a new level of ministry far surpassing anything that he had known.
That’s a picture of what is coming to this ministry. God Almighty is going to reveal and bring out what has been hidden from view, just as surely as He brought the ax head to the surface. The ax head is symbolic of the anointing, and I believe a hidden anointing is about to be revealed—more powerful than anything I’ve ever known in the past. Just as hidden waters, once released, gush out in purity and power, these waters will wash over our lives and invade every area of our being. For that to happen there must be a great hunger for the presence of God.
For those who desire God’s presence during the amazing days ahead, it is important to begin relocating in the realm of the spirit. Here are 3 simple keys to take you to a new place of obedience and openness:
1. A hunger for the greater anointing. A divine hunger for that anointing took hold of my being and caused me to seek the Lord with my whole heart. That is the reason why God has touched my life in a dynamic way. Even today in our services there are times when the presence of God is so awesome that I feel as though I am touching heaven. And I believe a greater and greater anointing from the Holy Spirit is ahead as we continue to hunger and thirst in a greater and greater way for Him.
2. A deeper Prayer Life. The Lord does not respond to our prayers because of our excellent vocabulary or great knowledge. He instead pours out His precious and priceless anointing in response to a heart that truly longs to know Him. The psalmist said, “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call on him in truth’ (Ps.145:18). Only a deep personal relationship can help us fulfill what God requires of us.
3. A greater understanding of the word. “For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass”(Ezek.12:25) How can we know what God has in store for us tomorrow and during the coming days unless we are willing to spend time in His Word seeking His knowledge? “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”(2Tim.3:16)
In Matthew 24, the Lord responds to questions about the last days, saying, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”(Matt.24:14) We are moving closer and closer to the time of the Lord’s return. Yet in the midst of potential uncertainty and perilous times in the world, God is opening unimaginable doors to the gospel. What happens next, in my opinion, will be a direct result of our obedience and faithfulness to God’s call. I believe, and this is my opinion, that we have experienced only a foretaste of the Holy Spirits anointing. The ax head is rising, signaling a strengthening of God’s power and a greater anointing. What awaits us on the horizon of tomorrow is amazing. I’ve had a glimpse of tomorrow.
IT’S A NEW SEASON!
