First Steps in the New Season of Restoration – Removing Illusions - By Mike McClung

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor. 10:4-6)

One recent morning I awoke with this thought: To fully enter this new season of restoration, all illusion must be relinquished. You cannot have any disillusion in your life any longer. We have truly moved into a new season (some are calling a new “era”) which the scripture describes as the “season of the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Moving into and occupying a new season, just like moving into a new place, are two different things. We must not just enter the season, but we must “occupy.” We cannot occupy this new place (new wineskin) with old patterns over which the flesh, the world or the enemy had dominion. These places must first be surrendered and then demolished. Then full recovery and restoration can be released and these new seasons in the Lord can be fully entered and occupied.

To be delivered from illusion (and subsequently the soul-pounding heartbreak of dis-illusionment), means that every lie and false construct we have built, or allowed to be built, in our minds and emotions must give way to the truth and reality found in Christ and His purposes. To be disillusioned means I have somewhere constructed in my mind, emotions and will some “illusion” of the way I think things should be, or are going to be, instead of how they actually are and have been determined by the Lord. Moses, upon realizing his call as Israel’s deliverer, immediately set about to accomplish this task, knowing he was called, but doing it as he had "illusioned” in his mind and heart. The outcome? Death and a 40-year education in humility and brokenness through which all such illusions were shattered and removed. The Lord watches over His word to perform it (Jer. 1:12), but He will not “perform” my interpretation of the word, dream or vision. He does not fulfill His promise the way I necessarily think it should be, based on my comfort, ease or personal fulfillment. If there’s disillusion in my life, it means somewhere I have allowed a lie to penetrate my heart. These illusions/lies can even based on promises from the Lord, where we have attempted to “make them happen” in our own wisdom, strength and zeal, and have not waited upon the Lord to fulfill them. It is here that many have grown weary and tired through deferred hope. I have to realize that I must have hope in that which is reality according to God’s nature and plan, and not hope that’s based on my false illusions, assumptions or personal plans and pursuits.

To remain in such a state of illusion (false hope) means an open door of affliction, temptation and enforcement of patterns of iniquity. Hope and faith in actuality become false hope and faith, and are used as tormenting tools of the enemy that keeps the negative effects and the vicious cycles of disappointment, woundedness and iniquities entrenched. Illusion becomes a driving force in the emotional area of our lives, much like a godly passion and zeal do, but become like a carrot held in front of us, year after year, with no fulfillment in sight. When the strongholds of illusion are removed, as we see in the training of the wilderness in Moses’ life, the Lord is then free to release the fullness of His promises and purposes, because the vessel is set aside with no personal or pre-conceived bias. There is no room for offense or disappointment as the Lord, Himself, has become the sole object of affection. The emotions are set aside for Him and not the fulfillment of our personal destiny, business or ministry. His desire becomes our desire. His ways become our ways. His destiny becomes our destiny….

A prayer: Abba, search me and try me, and bring to the surface any stronghold of illusion in me. The lies and “false hope and faith” that have deceived and deluded me, I give you permission to dismantle and destroy. May true change, recovery, restoration and transformation now come and be established in and through me in this new season. Let Your word, promises and purposes now be fulfilled...YOUR way. Amen.

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