New Season, New Era

Whenever we start a New Year, we hear well-wishers, wishing others “Happy New Year”, or “Congratulations, you’ve crossed over”. All this and more, like these comments are ways of letting you know you’re in a new season and as such operate like it.

The pandemic that started on 23rd March 2020, brought so much upheaval, uncertainty, fear and anger to many of us; many businesses were shut down, the economy stopped and to this day, some are still finding a way back to normalcy. 2021 ends lockdown in some respects and in some parts of the UK and the world it also brings in an expectant change of heart that things will go back to normal, but even as I write this, I can’t see normal or what use to be; I can only see a new normal. People who lost their business during the pandemic can’t go back to it ever again, they can only rebuild with what is left standing, and even in that it can never be the old normal.

When lockdown ended, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me “you have not walked this way before”. Joshua 3:4

I realise that even though what I do looks the same, the business I have looks the same, certain parts of my life looks the same, but truly it isn’t the same.

What we have and what we used to do looks the same, but it isn’t and we must not go back to our old ways of doing the same thing because this isn’t the same.

We are in a new era and equally a new season.

What is a New Era? Let me explain

An Era is a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc.: The use of steam for power marked the beginning of an era. ... a date or an event forming the

'I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me “you have not walked this way before”.

beginning of any distinctive period: The year 1492 marks an era in world history.

In this present instant the new era I’m referring to has been marked by the events of the pandemic that hit the whole world, many people died, people lost loved ones, and hearts and emotions changed amongst those who survived it, the pandemic brought in a new era and 2020 marked the beginning of a new era.

For the people of God, this new era has changed guards in leadership the messages we heard in the last era though relevant and built us to steam ahead in this new era; the messages in the last era may not be as relevant any longer. It went out in the last era, God has raised a new generation of people, a new church with a new message of the gospel to prepare His People for the great Harvest. Romans 8:19 speaks to me profoundly for this new era -

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

Those who have been prepared for such a time as this have been positioned as vessels for God to use them, that means you and I are sons of God being positioned for His creation.

When the Israel’s were freed from Egypt, God was taking them to their Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land that had all the makings of promise, though they stayed in the wilderness and God fed them, it would be different in the Promised Land, it would look the same, but it was different, though they had to build, put up systems, create opportunities and bring in infrastructure, they couldn’t approach it as they did in the past, the Promise Land was where God brought them to cease from striving and to build in rest.

If you remember, though Moses and the Israelites did not see that land, because they did not enter into the Rest of God, where they would cease from striving. Moses’ emotions got the better of him when he struck the rock out of anger, instead of speaking to the rock as God instructed, he died in the wilderness. Also, the Israelites continued to moan, they didn’t see God and where He was taking them, they felt that what they had left during their period of slavery was better to where God was taking them and as a result they died in the wilderness. It was their children who entered the Promise Land. God swore an oath in His Wrath they shall not enter My Rest. Hebrews 4: 3

But God has prepared another time to enter His Rest.

God again set a certain day, calling it "Today." This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

When God said Today…He meant this day!

Therefore, we have another opportunity to enter His Rest, and that opportunity is Today; the Kingdom of Heaven is here with us Today.

In this New Era, we have been reset to enter the Promise Land in Rest, this rest means we must cease from striving, to cease from works and allow the Holy Spirit in us operate in the Promise Land obeying as God has instructed so that we receive His Promises in the Land flowing with milk and honey (whatever you’ve identified your promise land to be) and we build His Way.

New Season

If we know what a New Era is, what does a New Season in the New Era mean I hear you say.

In life there are different seasons, Ecclesiastes explains it like this.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There are different seasons in life and they can vary between a month, a quarter, 6 months or even a year and perhaps longer, however it’s not the same as an era, even though we are in a new era with a new message and new leadership, we are also in a new season which enables us to get our balance right and prepare strategy to forge ahead, learn to understand

what the world needs from us so that we can get our footing and get into position to conquer. The new era brings a new period, while a new season brings a new way of dealing with what looks like the familiar.

You can’t put old wine into new wineskins, equally you can’t sew an old cloth onto a new cloth, the new wineskin with the old wine will burst and the new cloth sewn with the old cloth will tear. Do away with the old thinking, old mindset, and old perspective to move into the new with a different point of view.

Whatever you did in the last era that didn’t work; this time yield to the Holy Spirit in you and move as He directs and leads come away form striving,. Creation waits in earnest expectation for you to your place and it’s wating for you to get into position.

Do you know where you are with God? What about your season, do you know how to move circumvent in this season? Are you ready to use all that you’ve been taught in seasons past in this New Era and New Season?

When you understand where you’re at with God, then you can move forward with Him in rest.

The Lord told Joshua leading the Children of Israel into the Promise Land

However, there shall be a distance between you and it of about 2,000 cubits (3,000 ft.) by measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may [be able to see the ark and] know the way you are to go, for you have not passed this way before. Joshua 3:4

Though their experiences may have looked familiar, yet the Lord says they have not passed this way before, I pondered on this for a while. In this new era and season, the experiences we’ve been through before may look similar, but yet we’ve not passed this way before; God wants us to have a different attitude moving into the Promise Land, He wants us to yield to the Holy Spirit in us so that we can move in with success of His Leading, in not passing this way before means we must work with the Holy Spirit and cease from stiving, we go in rest and not striving.

This new era and new season demand we operate in maturity, everything we’ve learnt in the past is to rule and reign in this season, but we must be in right standing with God.

This new era isn’t something we’ve been through, our senior may have but we haven’t and just like the Children of Israel who went into the Promise Land on dry land through River Jordan, history repeats itself with us, the next generation of Kingdom people to move into the Promise Land in rest.

In this new ear and season, “today” when you hear the word of the Lord do not harden your hearts.

Jacqueline Ani, is an author, prophetic mentor, lecturer, and inspirational speaker. She is a forerunner, creating opportunities for others. Jacqueline has written 3 books and is the founder of Jacqueline Ani International and managing director of Ani Recruitment Selection and Training Consultants Ltd. Jacqueline has an online group on Facebook called The Mentoring Group of International Women. Jacqueline Ani can be reached via www.jacquelineaniinternational.org.