The Darkness has Shifted

Something interesting happened in the month of June. The weather forecasters announced on a Monday that we would have the worst snowfall in Christchurch for the last twenty years. In the end, it did not happen. There was heavy snow in the high country, and lots of cold rain, but we did not get any snow in Christchurch. On the other hand, Wellington had terrible gales and rain that did considerable damage. Railway lines washed out and trees came down. 20,000 houses were without electricity overnight. Some did not get electricity back for a week. The inter-island ferry broke free from its moorings and spent the night sheltering in the harbour

I was in Wellington for a meeting for my work on the day of the storm, but it was cancelled, because half of the people from Wellington could not get to it. It was frustrating have travelled for a meeting that was cancelled, and then having difficulty getting home. The airport was closed until midday. The plane I flew home on took no luggage, because it was too windy to open the baggage doors on the plane.

When I was praying about what was going on, I felt the Lord saying, “The darkness has shifted”. That is why the expected storm did not come to Christchurch, whereas it unexpectedly did serious damage in Wellington. Whereas the enemy has really been attacking Christchurch over the last three or four years, I sense that he has now shifted his attentions to Wellington. It is not so much because of victory in prayer, it is just that he thinks that he can get better returns for his efforts there.

Nor is it that Wellington is worse than Christchurch. When the people of city or nation turn away from God, they lose their protection from evil (see Discerning Seasons). However, the enemy does not strike immediately, because he does not enough resources to attack every place that is vulnerable. The devil is not comparable to the Holy Spirit. He is just an angel, supported by a bunch of rebellious angels. He can only attack by concentrating his forces, because he cannot be everywhere at once, like the Holy Spirit. So when the spiritual protection of a city goes, he does not move in immediately, because he does not have sufficient resources at his disposal. He will only attack when he thinks he can get a good bang of his buck.

Christchurch has been hammered by the forces of evil over the last three or four years. It is not because this city is worse than every other spiritually unprotected city, but that he has chosen to concentrate his attacks, because he thinks he can achieve something there. Maybe, he had heard that God is wanting to do something big in Christchurch and he wanted to stop it. Now he has failed, he is going off somewhere else to be a nuisance.

The enemy seems to have done most of the physical damage in Christchurch that he is capable of doing, and is now seems to be turning the attention of his smashers to Wellington, where the pickings are easier. If I am right about this, we may see more disasters in Wellington, and less in Christchurch over the next few years. Christchurch will continue to have leadership problems, and as its flaws are exposed, financial problems will follow, but the smashers have moved on. The recent earthquakes off the coast of Wellington show where they have gone. The darkness has shifted from Christchurch to Wellington

The storm was a warning event for Wellington. The city was cut off from the rest of the nation. The Inter-islander ferry was seriously damaged and could not be moored. The railway line going north was seriously damaged. Homes were without electricity for several days, some for more than a week. Buildings were destroyed. People could not get to work. What happened during the storm is indicative of what will happen when, the real attack of evil comes.

• The city will be cut off from the rest of the nation.
• Ferries will not be able to sail.
• Rail traffic will not be able to move.
• Electricity supplies will be cut off
• Buildings will be damaged.
• Houses will be destroyed

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