by Brad Sherman

2

Abandoning The Old


The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, And teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked.(Psalms 94:11-13 NKJV)



    The previous chapter addressed the need to think outside the box and establish a new paradigm. Doing this nearly always requires that we abandon certain old things before we can embrace new ones. What we must understand is that the new things we are talking about here are really not new, its just that they may be new to us.  We are really just getting back to God’s plan which never changed.

    Several years ago I had a dream, which I felt was from the Lord, that illustrates this idea of abandoning the old and embracing the new. Abandoning the old can be very difficult, especially if we have invested a great deal of time and resources into a certain way of thinking and doing. Some of us need a prophetic voice to convince us. Others simply refuse to do so. I will share that dream, which was a kind of prophetic voice for me, and I will share my interpretation. As stated in the Preface, to regard a dream or vision and the interpretations as valid or not is totally up to the reader.  However, I encourage you to consider it and the interpretation as they relate to the scripture.

The Dream
    I was driving a very large piece of heavy equipment across a field. There were at least two other people in the dream who were also driving their own machines. The machine I was driving was one of those front end loaders used in quarries or strip mines with tires about 10 feet tall. It was an awesome and powerful machine which crossed large gullies and ditches with barely a bump.

    As I drove across the field, two tigers, a small one and a large one, ran across the field in front of me. I nearly ran over the small one and I had the impression that it angered the large tiger, which appeared to be its mother. However, I felt safe since I was seated far above the field in the enclosed cab of the big machine.

    As we crossed the field, we approached two buildings with a lane between them. The building on the right was a large wooden framework which appeared to be unfinished. Though the building was under construction, most of the wood was gray and weathered, as if it had been there a long time. There seemed to be no activity or progress taking place.

    Then I noticed that the large tiger was chasing me and clawing at the giant tires of the machine I was driving. To me it seemed futile for the tiger to try to stop this huge machine but then, to my surprise and dismay, the tiger gripped one of the tires with its claws and the machine bogged down and stalled! I could hardly believe what was happening and commented, "Is this really happening?"

    Sensing that we were in danger, we all jumped from our machines onto the wooden building, seeking a place of safety. We climbed up the framework of the building until we were on the beams which would have supported a future roof. I turned and looked for the tiger below and was again surprised. What used to be my powerful machine was now a dead antelope in the jaws of the tiger. Holding the antelope by its neck, the tiger began to climb one of the wooden posts of the structure where we had sought refuge. We realized that the old wooden structure was not a place of refuge since the tiger could easily climb upon it. Realizing we were in danger we frantically began to think of ways to protect ourselves from the possible attack of the tiger. The next thing I remember was having several nuts and bolts in my hands and working quickly to assemble them. What I was trying to assemble was not clear.  I just remember feeling very confident that we had a plan from God which would bring safety and security from the tiger.

Then one of the people with us, whom I only knew as a prophetic figure, said, "This plan is not from God. We need to abandon this plan and leave this structure now!" We looked at each other and we knew it was true. We quickly jumped down and ran to the building on the other side of the lane.

    The other building was also under construction, but it was a steel structure instead of wood. We were able to climb the structure by grasping some of the horizontal beams. We knew the tiger would not be able to sink its claws into the steel as it had done with the wood structure and we knew we would be safe.   The tiger and the wooden structure now seemed irrelevant. I remember struggling to get to the top level and wondering if I would make it. It was as though I had to make a choice of will to make it. Then we were sitting on the top of the steel structure in a place of rest and security.
   
    Watching from a place of rest, we looked down at a different field on the other side of this structure. From this field, people were emerging from the ground! As they came out of the ground, it was as if they were being birthed from the earth. At first they looked like an expanding bulge on the surface of the ground, but as they emerged completely, they morphed into living soldiers who marched toward a different section of the metal building that was actively under construction. In this construction area, the sounds of clashing swords could be heard and the soldiers joined a battle already in progress.

The Interpretation
The Efforts of Man
    The large machines speak of the strength of man and man-made methods of progress and building. Man's ability to build is quite remarkable. God acknowledged that just before He confused the language at Babel saying, "...nothing that they [mankind ] propose to do will be withheld from them" (Gen 11:6) . Though we may feel quite secure and capable operating our impressive machinery, the works of man can never accomplish the purposes of God. The structure of an incomplete building is that which is built by man and can never be finished. It may have started out with the right foundation, but the builders decided to build with wood. The framework of old weathered wood, represents man's works using man's materials according to man's paradigm. Paul warned against building with flammable material like wood, hay and stubble instead of material that will withstand the test of fire like gold, silver and precious stones.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. -1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NKJV) 

    The nuts and bolts represent still more attempts to salvage our man-made structures and make them functional, especially our organizational and administrative talents.  And how confident we are that we have God's insight on how to do it! However, the newest program or the newest "how-to" concept added to an already dysfunctional paradigm still results in a dysfunctional paradigm.  We may have confident belief in our man-made structures and find it difficult to abandon them, but God will send prophetic voices to help us see the futility of our own works and to save our lives from the dangers that easily navigate our structures.  

     We are also warned in the Psalms that man's thoughts, are futile. Only when we recieve instruction from God can we rest in a secure place:

(Psalms 94:11-13 NKJV)  The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, And teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

The Spirit of Antichrist
    Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and so lions are often symbolic of Christ. But I have come to understand that other large cats, such as tigers, often represent the spirit of antichrist. They are similar to the lion, but are different; they are the "other" cats, or "other christs."  The antichrist spirit is a religious spirit and dwells in our man-made religious structures. The tiger in this dream easily captured the big machine and carried it into the upper portions of the wooden structure, just as a leopard carries its prey into a tree. The message here is that much of our machinery is easily captured and used by the enemy in our own structures. We think our buildings are for God, but in reality have become a lair for the antichrist spirit (the antichrist spirit will be addressed in greater detail later). These structures must be abandoned.

The Builder Warrior
Finally, in this dream, there were people being birthed from the earth who became soldiers. They marched straight into a battle that was underway in a portion of the building that was under construction.. Oh, how we have labored hard and long and seen minimal results. Yet I believe the day is soon coming when we will watch from a place of rest as God births a mighty army! This army will be birthed with an immediate understanding of spiritual warfare and will come forth as an army of warrior builders who operate from a new paradigm (the concept of the builder/warrior will also be addressed in more detail later). This army has only one goal: preparing the earth to receive her King!  "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory" (Psa 102:16).

Paradigm Builder
Note: This chapter primarily related a dream and therefore does not carry the same authority of the scriptures.  However if you feel the dream and the interpretation adequately make the case, then consider the paradigm builder concept below.

Many of the belief structures that Christians embrace today are of man’s design and not God’s. Though it might be difficult, these structures must be abandoned if we are to be effective in the Kingdom purposes of God.

How would you describe your position regarding this concept:
    Before reading the chapter?
        1- I disagreed
        2- I was unaware or ambivalent
        3- I already agreed

    After you read the chapter/book?
        1- I disagree
        2- I am considering
        3- I agree


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(c) Copyright, 2013, Brad Sherman