From as early as I can remember, I enjoyed a weekend trip to my Uncle Bill’s farm in Falloons Road, Woodend. He had 1800 acres up there that backed right down onto the Campaspe River. I would roam the bush for hours, rifle slung over my shoulder, hunting foxes, rabbits and the occasional feral goat, or deer when these came down from Mt Macedon in search of fresh food. Deer were somewhat rare in those days – not anymore!
Uncle Bill taught me much about hunting: how to read the bushscape for signs of animal tracks and activity, how to spot a well-concealed rabbit, how to whistle in a fox, how read the shifts in wind direction that could make or break a successful hunt. He taught me how to traverse large areas and leave barely a sign of my passing. Those hunting skills stayed with me long after my really active hunting years were behind me. Recently, I recalled a moment one morning as dawn was breaking over Mt. Macedon. I was barely 18 years old at the time, and the local rumour was that a herd of deer had been spotted in the area. Up while it was still dark, I was “down the back” as quickly and as quietly as I could go. I set up on a slope covered by a stand of eucalypts which were slightly bending to the early morning breeze – the breeze blowing past me up the slope. I waited with binoculars trained on a clearing below. It looked a likely spot for deer to come and graze.
I waited patiently for just over an hour. The sun was just starting to clear the mountain ridge and I could clearly see the war memorial cross in the distance silhouetted against the pink sky. The morning mist was rising like a fluffy blanket off the dewy clumps of tussock grass that blotched the clearing. And then I saw a slight movement on the edge of the clearing on the far side, some 300 metres away. I waited. More movement. It wasn’t wind. It was animal.
I waited, and then suddenly a young-ish buck broke cover and wandered to the grassy edge of the clearing staying within cooee of a quick escape. The wind was still gentle and blowing onto me, the sun’s rays now starting to warm me. I had the advantage. I waited, and the buck, now a little more relaxed, wandered further into the clearing. He was now 250 metres away – too, far for a humane shot, even with a large calibre – and any approach out of cover for me would be immediately spotted by the deer. Stalking was out. I had to wait and hope the buck would draw nearer. He did. Fifteen minutes later he was now not more than 80 metres away. I was looking at him through the rifle scope and preparing take the shot.
But then the wind changed direction. It only took a second. It was ever so subtle and gentle, almost imperceptible … but it was enough. The wind shift was coming from over my right shoulder right into the clearing. The deer immediately lifted its head in alarm. He could not see me, but picking up my scent he looked straight at my hiding place. He turned from side on, and sniffed the air once. He needed no more information – and bolted.
There are wind shifts in the spiritual realm from time to time that, as believers, we need to be very alert to – we need to acquire such highly tuned spiritual sensitivity in order to do so. Some of these shifts are barely discernible, but are incredibly important. We cannot afford to miss them. There are spiritual wind shifts occurring right now – and this should alert the church to be ready and praying. Some shifts are malevolently intentioned. These are the easiest shifts to pick up. They occur all the time because our enemy never rests. Christians need to be able to read these demonic wind shifts and focus their intercession with pinpoint accuracy to bind, blunt and undo the enemy’s agenda. This is part of our task seeing that we are united with Christ as one spirit (1 Cor 6:17 “… anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”). And so, we engage with our Lord’s agenda …
1 John 3:8
“… The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.”
This does not mean we all become demon hunters and so on – there’s too much of that silliness floating around the church these days - but we do need to learn to read the spiritual wind shifts which alert us to be prayerfully proactive before the visible manifestation can take root in the natural realm. This is a key responsibility of the church in seeking the shalom of the city …
There are other spiritual wind shifts that we need to be able to pick up on immediately they start to occur, and this has to do with the movement of Holy Spirit. We need to be ready to sense these and go with Him – immediately. Jesus once said,
John 3:8
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
This is not an easy verse to properly understand. Jesus’ parabolic saying here, emphasises the reality yet also the incomprehensible mysteriousness of the work of the Spirit in a human being: the wind is invisible and mysterious, yet known in experience. "So it is with everyone begotten of the Spirit", Jesus said, which implies, "What those who have been born of the Spirit now are – where they come from and where they go - is incomprehensible to the world, but not the born-again. They know what is going on spiritually.”
And there it is. Us born agains need to develop in spiritual sensitivity and intuition so that not only can we pick up the subtle shifts of malevolent spiritual forces and counteract these in intercession and prophecy and with the authority entrusted to us, but can clearly pick up what Holy Spirit wants to do in a moment, or a season, and go with Him – as incomprehensible as that may be to the world. This is how the kingdom of God works - and it is how we engage with the kingdom agenda as born-agains. Did not Jesus say this of Himself? "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what he sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
Jesus could read the spiritual wind shifts and respond very astutely. We need to know how to do that more … and more … as well. Or we cannot truly be the church.
Selah!
Ps Milton