Taffi Dollar - The Shift
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Tonight I wanna talk about something that God had placed on my heart a few weeks back, it may have even been a month or so back. But I wanna talk about some things that the Lord just has placed on my heart concerning our congregation, concerning this ministry, our church, our body, our family. I guess I would say it’s more of a family word, I don’t know of outside of this church, the application of it in other people’s lives. But I just know that God is a right now God, and many times dealing with the things that we encounter in our everyday life, he wants us to begin to hear from him on a day to day basis.
And so in some times past, the Lord had just really been laying on my heart concerning this change, this shift, that was taking place and has begun to take place. You know, as we have come out of the pandemic and as we are in this post-pandemic era, in many instances, we have to realize that the world has shifted. And so many instances as the body of Christ, we don’t want to be stuck in the past, pre-pandemic and doing things, trying to bring back an old normal, when God wants to allow us to make the alignment and to make the adjustments in our everyday life. And so tonight, I wanna spend a few minutes of the time that I have to talk about this shift because I believe that it has already begun and it is going to continue to take place.
If anything, we’ve got to jump on board. The train has left the station, and so we’ve got to get on board with what God is doing in these last days. And it’s our responsibility as his children to make the adjustment, the Word of God is not going to adjust to us and get down on our level. But how many of you know we’ve got to make the adjustment in our life and begin to recognize that I gotta get on board with what God is doing? I’ve gotta flow with what God is doing. I’ve gotta get over into the anointing of God for what God wants to take place. And so as he begins to shift us in our personal lives, then we can begin to be everything that the world needs and the reason why we’re here.
And so we have to realize that we are here for a purpose, not just to occupy space and matter, but we are here to make a difference. We’re here to have his presence on the inside of us as the ambassadors, as God’s representatives in the earth. And part of that is able to shift this natural realm, to begin to shift people towards the things of God, to begin to put their focus on him by how we live our lives, how we conduct ourselves, our manner, our behavior, our character, the things that we begin to do. And so I realized that in order for us to begin to get a hold of what God wants to do, there has to be this change in our thought life, our change in our mentality and in our mindset. And so we’ve spent some time talking about that because we know everything begins on the inside, right?
Change begins on the inside. And so as we begin to expect this shift on the outside, it begins when we recognize that there’s a newness within. And so last week, we talked about leveling the playing field and talked about how we are in Christ. We’re no longer seeing each other after the flesh, you know, under the old covenant, by our race, by our gender, by our class. But because we are in Christ, we are new and we are standing on equal ground because we are in him. And so the level of the cross has been made clear because of what Jesus did. And so at the foot of the cross, everything is level; men, women, boys, girls, blacks, whites, this class, that class, this pedigree, that pedigree, we’re all at the place where we’ve fallen short. But it is through Jesus, that he makes up the difference in our life.
Come on, somebody! And so it is the difference maker that we have, it is this change that we have on the inside of us. Grace is the change maker, it causes us to begin to not see ourselves as we were before under the old covenant, where women didn’t have any rights, where blacks didn’t have any rights, where the poor had no rights. But now that we are in Christ, I’m telling you, we have all the benefits, all the promises, all the provisions, and it’s unearned and undeserved, amen?
So let’s look tonight concerning this shift, somebody say, «Shift». And so let me define for you what that word means, just so we’re all on the same page as it relates to this word shift. It is a turnaround, there are things that will begin to change as a result of a shift. And so it is a change that results in a favorable or beneficial outcome. It is a change. A shift is a change that results in a favorable and beneficial outcome. So, you know, things can out of… obviously shift towards a negative, but we don’t wanna dwell on the negative. We’re not talking about the devil tonight. We’re not talking about Satan, we’re not gonna give him any attention. We’re talking about the divine shift that causes the believers of God to begin to experience God’s best.
Anybody ready to experience God’s best, that beneficial? The benefit, the advantage, the things that happen as a result of us being in Christ and realizing that God wants to do some things in the earth and he’s gonna do it through you and he’s gonna do it through me. And so we’re talking about this favor that is unearned, that is undeserved, and it comes by us having relationship with Jesus Christ, amen? So when we look at this, we’re talking about when God steps into a specific situation. Anybody got room for God to step in? How many of you know when the Great Stepper steps in, how many of you know things have to begin to shift? Selah. Oh, when he steps into that child’s life and they were wayward and off course, and all of a sudden you get that call, «Hey, I’m giving my life to Christ».
God steps into dead situations and all of a sudden things just began to come alive, hallelujah. So it’s when God steps in… somebody say, «Step in». And so when he steps into a specific situation, he reverses the circumstance, and it reverses itself abruptly. Somebody say, «Abruptly». I’m not talking about gradually, you know, slow as a nail, but I’m talking about a shift when it begins to happen abruptly, turning it into a positive experience that is beyond explanation, beyond human and scientific explanation. And I’ve seen God do that time and time and time again. And so he wants us to lean in with our faith, lean into his Word and realize that these things are possible through him, and that it’s already begun.
And so there are things that are happening in the realm of the spirit, and he will bring back that which seems lost and gone and cause reconciliation. And one thing I wanna remind you of, don’t judge someone based on their present season. Aren’t you glad no one judged us based on our present season, because you don’t know what is about to change because, you know, all of a sudden, things will begin to change and turn around because he is the God of the turnaround. And so that’s why you can’t judge somebody based on where they are. Well, you know, they’re just a heathen, or they’re just, you know, going to hell, and they’re no good. They’re trifling. Because all of a sudden, they get a revelation of who they are in Christ and receive Jesus on the inside of them. And they realize that they are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
And so look in Proverbs chapter 21, verse 1, God can shift the heart of a king, referring to the authorities that are in the earth. He just, like, changed the heart of Potiphar, he changed the heart of Pharaoh. He changed the heart of so many of those who were in authority, and I’m telling you he can turn the heart, he can shift the heart. One minute they didn’t like you, but all of a sudden, they can’t get you off their mind, to the point that they have to do something good for you. They have to recognize that there’s something that’s on the inside of me that makes me wanna show you favor, that wants to do something that you haven’t earned or deserved. I don’t even like you, but I’m gonna do something for you anyway. Good gosh, my goodness!
How many of you know God is able, he’s a way maker? So he says here: «The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will». So, you know, we have to realize that it all comes from him. The enemy wants us to focus on people, focus on, you know, individuals, but the Scripture reminds us that we don’t war against, you know, flesh and blood. The Bible says he has the heart, he has the spirit of everyone on the inside of him. And so it is the heart that God can turn, it is the heart that God can change. It is the will that he can direct concerning situations and circumstances in life. And so he can do that, amen? I am so amazed.
You know, we started Prestige about 8, maybe 13 years ago, and the hearts that God placed concerning just doing good and doing well and blessing this outreach of the ministry is just amazing. And there’s just testimony after testimony. I’m sure many of you can testify of the fact when God begins to place something on someone’s heart, that all of a sudden, unexplainable things began to come into your life and all you can do is just acknowledge that this is the Lord. This is the Lord’s doing and it’s marvelous in our eyes. People donated houses, people donated flowers, furniture, all kinds of stuff. They just said, «The Lord placed it on my heart to be a blessing». Send in funds, all kinds of things, because the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. He’s able to reverse and change things that need to be changed, we must put our focus and keep our attention on him. So he says, «He turns it». «He’ll turn the heart whithersoever he wills to do his will,» amen?
Now, let’s look at how a divine shift can happen and turnaround in our life. Look over Ezekiel chapter 37, because situations that were dead can all of a sudden come back to life. Just like that marriage I’m sure in Hosea’s life felt like, oh my goodness, this girl is about to drive me nuts. But all of a sudden, God got on the inside and God began to move behind the scenes. God began to turn her heart and got her will aligned with God’s will. Then all of a sudden, that which was dead became alive, amen?
Look at Ezekiel chapter 37 verse 5: he says, the hand, «Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause,» what? «Breath to enter into you, and you shall live». «You shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you,» there it is again, «and you shall,» what? «Live». To the point that there was no life, there was nothing there on the bones, but all of a sudden God says, «You’re going to live; and you,» the Scripture says what? «Shall know that I am,» who? «I am the LORD». Let’s continue reading here. «So I prophesized as I was commanded: and as I prophesized, there was a noise, and behold a shaking».
How many of you know something’s happening? Something’s moving in the realm of the spirit, something is different, an outcome is changing. Abruptly, things are about to take place. So he says, «And as I prophesized, there was a noise». He prophesized to those bones, he spoke to those bones. He said, «Dry bones come alive». He said, «Can these bones live»? And then the Scripture says, «There was a noise, and behold things began to shift, things began to turn around, things changed. And the bones came together, bone to his bone».
Let’s continue: «And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. And so he says unto me, Prophesy». You gotta prophesy, church, to your situations. Don’t sit back doing nothing, thinking that things are gonna change. It’s insane to think that you’re gonna continue to do the same thing and something different is gonna happen, I’m telling you begin to prophesy. He said unto the man of God, «Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live». And so he prophesized and look at what happened, «And he commanded me and the breath,» how many know things are turning around, things are changing, different outcome, no more death? He says, «The breath came into them, and,» what happened? «They lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army». Somebody say, «He can turn situations back».
God can turn bad news into good news, look at 2 Kings chapter 20 verse 5. Let’s just look at a couple of things here, just to stir up our faith and to put ourselves in remembrance. Don’t tell me what’s dead, I’m telling you we serve a God who specializes in the impossible and the incurable. In terminal situations, he can turn bad news into good news, amen? And so this is Hezekiah here. «Turn again,» this is 2 Kings chapter 20 verse 5: «Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee,» there are some things that God is healing even right now; healing in your relationships, healing in your body, healing where things are broken and things are not working like they should, areas that need to be repaired.
I thank you, Lord, that you’re healing right now, things that were lost during the pandemic, areas that were gone. But he’s causing restoration and reconciliation right now and bringing back to you, not just like it but better than what it was. I remember when I lost my mother’s jewelry. I’d gotten her a Christmas gift several Christmases ago, and I was just heartsick because I had found this special piece that I was so excited about getting her for her birth stone. And so I had, you know, put this bag down in the store, and I went to get up as I was leaving the store and the bag was gone. And so I was just heartsick, I said, «Oh my God, are you serious right now»?
So I looked around everywhere, I talked to the people who were in the store, the clerks and, «Did you all have a bag? Is there a bag? Did you move the bag? Did you see the bag»? They said, «Ma’am, it’s so many people in here. This is Christmas time, we’re so busy. No, there’s no bag». And they said, «Well, you know, you could probably file a claim with the security at the mall and just letting them know what’s going on and maybe… good luck with that, but I doubt it very seriously. I mean, it is a holiday time and the likelihood of that being returned, it is what it is».
And so, you know, I went and got the security guy and I told him everything that had happened and that I had my bag taken. My bag, I don’t know if it was stolen, but it was obviously not there where I had left it. And so I left my phone number at the store and I said, «Well, you know, I’m just gonna believe, I’m just gonna hope against hope. I’m just gonna dare to trust that somebody, somehow this thing will get returned». And you know what? The store called me. They said, «Ma’am, this is so unlikely, but someone brought your bag back, you can come and get it. Come and pick it up». And you know what? I just believe that was just the heart of God, because he knew that was something that mattered to me.