TO SEE INTO THE SPIRIT
Ian Johnson Papatoetoe Elim Church May 2004.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
17 For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
We are called to see into the Eternal.
In fact we are called to live in the Eternal
But the fact of the matter is that We live in the World, but we are not OF the world.
So according to the Scripture we must
1)Must Purpose to see the Eternal
2)Must have a desire to see the Eternal
3) must be hungry to seethe Eternal
Each one must believe to see and start reaching out to see.
For we cant see unless we look.
When I was young I had never heard of or even known about a bird common in NZ called the Spotless Crake
It wasn’t until I saw a picture in a bird book that I even knew that they existed. I began to read about where I
Might find one. And then I began to go to those places in search of one. And you know what. I found them.
If you care to read some scientific papers written in the 1970’s you will find my name attached to some of them.
The fact is they were right under my nose. But until I looked I didn’t see one.
In the Spirit it is the same. Jesus said “To him who seeks he shall find”
I love to hear fresh revelation and wonderful flowing of the Spirit in meetings
But unless someone seeks this revelation... in other words there must be a desire to see God move in this way.
It is not always easy to describe what God is showing us.. But if we seek then He will give us the words.
There is a power in proclaiming what God has shown us. Declaring the now vision of God.
He desires to show His Church His Glory
If we don’t reach out for more of Him. We will struggle in the days that are about to come upon the Earth.
I want to say this morning that God delights in removing the scales from our eyes.
He is causing every scale to fall off if we present our Spiritual eyes to Him.
Men & Woman are beginning to see clearly
His Glory
The Glory of His countenance
The Glory of His purpose
The Glory of His plan
In fact we will walk in the realms of Glory.
You don’t need to see great visions to share them.
Share what little you see and you will receive more
Remember the story of the blind man whom Jesus prayed for twice.
First he saw men as trees walking
Then when prayed for again he saw clearly.
If we declare our vision as we see it. God will give you a clearer vision.
Too often people wait for the big vision which never comes.
Share what you see and let God make the rest clear.
The declaring releases something in your Spirit.
God wants us to dwell in the realm of vision.
The revelation of God will quicken your spirit in the hour that is coming upon the Earth.
That which we see in the natural is not necessarily the real picture of the way things really are.
Jesus on the cross at the time.... didn’t seem to be a victory
Lazarus dying and being put into the tomb didn’t seem to be a victory
The Church was birthed in this type of revelation and vision.
And in this hour we can’t move to the apostolic restoration ~ the place of sending
Without seeing into the Spirit.
The Occult do it. The Spiritualists do it. They are only counterfeits of the real thing.
God is Spirit.. and those who worship him must worship Him in Spirit.
There are still many who don’t believe in vision, but that does not negate what God is doing!
God is restoring the true ministry of the prophet.. The one who sees by vision and speaks it out.
Proclamation.. Lord let there be a renewal of the ability to see into the Spirit.
Seeing into the needs of people will change the way you speak to people
Moving from information sharing in the area of counselling which comes from our knowledge
To the revelation of fresh bread. Fresh food fresh hope straight from the throne of God.
Lay aside the old. And dare to ask God for the new.
Lay aside your vision and ask God for His vision for your life!
God wants Us His Church to move from Glory to Glory
Luke 17:20-24
One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”
Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God isn’t ushered in with visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is among you.”
22 Later he talked again about this with his disciples. “The time is coming when you will long to share in the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t be able to,” he said. 23 “Reports will reach you that the Son of Man has returned and that he is in this place or that. Don’t believe such reports or go out to look for him. 24 For when the Son of Man returns, you will know it beyond all doubt. It will be as evident as the lightning that flashes across the sky.
What can we say about lightning?
When it flashes it lights up the entire sky.
We percieve that something is happening even if dont see the entry flash
Other times we dont see it but we hear it. The thunders.
If we are looking in the right direction we see & hear it.
The Spirit wants us to turn our eyes in His direction so we catch the lightning’s of His revelation
of who Jesus is
What Jesus wants from us.
What Jesus is saying to us.....As unto the seven Church’s
God is seeking people who can receive the lightning experiences of revelation.
They come so quickly
But those who have eyes to see will cling to it and receive a touch of eternity.
Going back to what we said in the beginning.
We must look for Him
Make your self available for Him
And watch what God will do.
Don’t worry if at first you can’t see clearly
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.
Have you ever noticed that you see things in your peripheral vision but not as clearly as you do when you are looking straight ahead at something?
In the Spirit we must train ourselves to see in the peripheral of the Spirit. The not so obvious
But still you are aware of something.
Determine in your heart to search out the deeper things of God
Write it down
Pray into the vision.
Hab 2>Habakkuk 2:1-20
1 I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint.
2 Then the LORD said to me, “Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. 3 But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Lord you are opening our eyes to see you! To see your glory! Amen.
