AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER * A NEW SEASON OF INCREDIBLE CHANGE ARRIVES ----------------------------------------------- A NEW SEASON OF INCREDIBLE CHANGE ARRIVES Did God get a surprise by the result of last weekends election result? Of course not! Did the people overrule God's perfect will in the way they voted? No they didn't. Whilst the results of the election may have surprised many people they did not surprise God himself. In fact for some months He, through the prophets and intercessors, was warning of a changing season ahead with the Federal election being seen as the most likely turning point for that change. Unfortunately there were a number of false prophecies saying that John Howard would be returned, which many Christians received as from the Lord. I am aware from the emails that I have been receiving since the election that many of those people feel devastated, confused and let down because this did not happen. The election result does indeed usher in a new season within the political landscape of our nation. To understand the results from a spiritual perspective we must attune our ear to the Spirit of God and note the lessons learned in the natural that can be applied in the spiritual. The most insightful slogan that stood out in this election was spoken by Kevin Rudd during the national webcast organised by the Australian Christian Lobby to Christians across Australia in August. In that speech he said that if elected his party would rule with a hard head but a soft heart. He meant by that that he would govern in a much similar way to the "hard head" policies of the Coalition parties on matters related to the economy and national security but with a soft heart looking after those who were finding they were being locked out of some of the prosperity that the nation was clearly enjoying. That philosophy, and the fact that people wanted change, I believe won him the election as it resonated with the electorate and was the defining difference between what the leaders represented and were offering the people. In a spiritual sense that sentiment can best be translated as representing God's heart for the "poor, the widows and the orphans" of which He speaks so much throughout the bible. For many months now this word was being picked up by intercessors right across the nation. Many Christians, Christian organisations and ministries predicting and working towards a Howard victory did so on the basis of moral issues which they believed were at the heart of God. They are, but not to the exclusion of many other issues. Much time, effort and resource was put into seeking to protect the values and Christian heritage that we all hold dear, but in general such efforts did not actively embrace God's heart and concern for those people caught in the debilitating web of sin which many of those issues represent. After all Jesus came to save such people not to condemn them. Many Australians associate moralism with legalism and judgement which is why many are rejecting the Christian message when it is presented to them from a number of quarters in the Christian community. Australians must see the soft and compassionate heart of Jesus demonstrated by His people before they will respond to the Gospel message and understand and accept Christian values. So does that mean that God is no longer concerned about morality? Of course not. Sin is and will always be an offence and an abomination to God, and He certainly wants us to resist any involvement in it and to rescue others from its tentacles. But after many years of endeavouring to protect our Christian heritage and values that mean so much to us, God has removed a Government and many individual Christian members of the Government who in general sought to protect those values. He and the people of Australia have shown they will no longer accept ideology that does not have compassion, mercy and grace mixed with it. The change of season we have witnessed spells the end of the season where moralism primarily guided the footsteps of so many and decided their actions in relation to Government. I believe even those who remain on the conservative side of politics will now move to a more libertarian position on moral issues in order to "modernise the party". The door has been opened to a new season of holiness where instead of protecting our heritage and values we will now have to work much harder to rebuild those Christian values into the hearts and minds of ordinary Australians by proving to them through our lifestyle and actions that Christianity and the values that Jesus espoused are worth following. The battle to hold the ground has been ended with one sweep of God's hand. The battle to win back the ground with positive kingdom strategies has now begun. The old methods will no longer work. We need new paradigms of grace and truth and God has been preparing those in the hearts and minds, particularly of the upcoming generation, but also those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church at this time. And so we have a new Prime Minister and a new Government. Of course some may have genuine concerns about where elements of this new Government may want to take us but we must never forget that God is still in control and He can thwart any plans the enemy may have to usurp His place in our nation. Indeed in the next period of time the Christian voice may appear to lose ground, and many may be challenged by that, but in the years to come the Christian voice in our nation will again be the one that shows the way forward and takes our nation to its ultimate God given destiny. For our part we must ensure we are in the place where God wants us to be, holding firm to biblical truth on all issues but also demonstrating the heart of God, His compassion, mercy and grace to a hurting and needy nation. The new season we are entering will require a significant change of heart on the part of many current leaders within the Body of Christ otherwise the exodus of the "old guard" from politics will be mirrored within Christian circles as well. Just as there is a generational change happening in politics so it will begin also in the Body of Christ. That generational change will not necessarily be related to age but it certainly will be linked to the ability of people to grasp and champion fresh and creative strategies that God will give us in this new season. Perhaps not in our lifetime have the stakes been so high or the change of season so clearly demonstrated for us all to see. Unfortunately Mr Howard did not surround himself with those who understood the times or the season of change, of if he did, he ignored them. Are we willing to change to embrace the new season ahead and all that will mean, or like John Howard and many of his colleagues will we also miss the opportunity and have to leave it to others to take our cause forward? One last word on John Howard and the former Government. I believe history will be kind to both Mr Howard and his government. The new season we are now entering does not invalidate the season that has just finished. They have led our nation well through a different season of economic growth of unprecedented proportions as well as protected us from the threat of terrorism on our shores. They also protected our Christian heritage and values which many of us appreciated beyond measure. Unfortunately though, seasons never stay static and unless we have the sensitivity to feel the winds of change, what happened last weekend can catch us by surprise. I am sure there will be much soul searching on the part of many people, not just in politics but more so in the Body of Christ, as this seasonal transition begins. We can only hope that the disillusionment experienced by so many, who felt led astray by certain sections of leadership within the Australian Christian community using the gift of prophecy to raise false hope of maintaining the status quo, will not lose hope or faith but will be able to understand and embrace the change and move forward in confidence and trust in God's divine purpose. Brian Pickering National Coordinator Australian Prayer Network
top of page