in the Unseen
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Faith is the mirror of the heart that reflects the realities of an unseen world—the actual substance of His Kingdom. Through the prayer of faith we arc able to pull the reality of
His world into this one. That is the function of faith.
There is an unseen world that we access through faith. We can pull the realities of God's world into this one through prayer and faith. As I consider the Hebrews passage above, I think about my health situation. My healing is the thing which I do not yet see. Faith of my healing is the substance of things hoped for. God gave me yet another dream this morning. I have not had one in regards to healing for many days if not weeks. Most of the times I either have no dreams or cannot remember them. This time it was in the dining room. I was walking with the aid of the assistive device. All of a sudden, I did not need it and I was fully healed. My mom was in the kitchen and I immediately ran to her. I have not been able to run for months. I sense that through this dream, my healing is near, but right when I woke up and did not sense any improvement, I got discouraged once again. While on this subject of faith, I had yet another dream on Friday morning, this time it was my girlfriend. We met for the first time, and embraced for the first time on the street. This too is the substance of things hoped for. I have never seen her. She lives ten thousand miles away in a country I have never visited. Somehow, some way through the dream and believing, God will provide us to be together.
"Faith has its anchor in the unseen realm. It hxes from the invisible toward the visible. Faith actualizes what it realizes. The Scriptures contrast the life of faith with the limitations of natural sight." Faith provides exes for the heart.
Jesus expects people to see from the heart. He once called a group of religious leaders hypocrites because they could discern the weather but couldn't discern the times. It's obvious why Jesus xxould prefer people to recognize the times ^spiritual climate and seasons) over natural weather conditions, but it's not quite so apparent why He xxould consider them hypocrites if they didn't.
Many of us have thought that the ability to see into the spiritual realm is more the result of a special gift than an unused potential of everyone. I remind >ou that Jesus addresses this charge to the Pharisees and Sadducees. The \-erv a(-t that they, of all people, were required to see is evidence that everyone has 'Ven given this ability. They became blind to His dominion because of their own corrupted hearts and were judged for then- unfulfilled potential.
We are born again b through faith." The born again experience enables us to see from the heart.1 A heart that doesn't see is a haul heart.' Faith was never intended onl get us into the family Rather, it is the- nature of life"
We need to see in the unseen realm. This realm is where God's power and presence lies. Right now, so many of my prayer requests are impossible, God-only works. My restoration of health, my relationships, my employment, and life purpose. The reality of these things are situated right now in the unseen. Yet, God wants us to have faith. The teachers of the law were blind to Jesus' dominion and power. They were unbelieving and hard-hearted. They treated Jesus with contempt. God forbid that I become hard-hearted and blind to Your dominion.
"God is very committed to teaching us how to see. To make this possible He gave us the Holy Spirit as a tutor. The curriculum that He uses is quite varied. But the one class we all quality for is the greatest of all Christian privileges— worship. Learning how to see is not the purpose for our worship, but it is a wonderful by-product.
Those who worship in spirit and truth, as mentioned in John 4:23-24, learn to follow the Holy Spirit's lead. His realm is called the kingdom of God. The throne of God, which becomes established upon the praises of His people,'' is the center of that Kingdom. It's in the environment of worship that we learn things that go way beyond what our intellect can grasp'"—and the greatest of these lessons is the value of His Presence. David was so affected by this that all his other exploits pale in comparison to his abandoned heart for God. We know that he learned to see into God's realm because of statements like, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." " The Presence of God affected his seeing. He would constantly practice recognizing the Presence of God. He saw God daily, not with the natural exes, but with the exes of faith. That priceless revelation was given to a worshiper.
The privilege of worship is a good beginning place for those unaccustomed to addressing some of these kinds of themes found in Scripture."
Worship is the key to seeing God and the unseen realities of His kingdom. In part, noticing nature, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea help to remind ourselves of God's creative genious. Yet, I think seeing God's presence can and does go even further. I am not totally sure what this even looks like, but the more I read, the more I hunger for this.
"The invisible realm is superior to the natural. The reality of that invisible world dominates the natural world we live in...both positively and negatively. Because the invisible is superior to the natural, faith is anchored in the unseen.
Faith lives withm the revealed will of God. When I have misconceptions of who He is and what He is like, my faith is restricted by those misconceptions. For example, if I believe that God allows sickness in order to build character, I'll not have confidence praying in most situations where healing is needed. But, if I believe that sickness is to the body what sin is to the soul, then no disease will intimidate me. Faith is much more free to develop when we truly see the heart of God as good.
The same misconceptions of God affect those who need to have faith for their own miracle. A woman who needed a miracle once told me that she felt God had allowed her sickness for a purpose. I told her that if I treated my children that way I'd be arrested for child abuse. She agreed and eventually allowed me to pray for her. After truth came into her heart, her healing came minutes later.
Unbelief is anchored in what is visible or reasonable apart from God. It honors the natural realm as superior to the invisible. The apostle Paul states that what you can see is temporal, and what you can't see is eternal. : Unbelief is faith in the inferior.
The natural realm is the anchor of unbelief. But that realm is not to be considered as evil. Rather the humble of heart recognize the hand of God through what is seen. God has created all things to speak of Him—whether it is rivers and trees, or angels and heaven. The natural realm carries the witness of His greatness...for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.
This is by far one of my favorite passages yet. It paints God as a good God. We explain away healing and say maybe God has a purpose for this and I like how the author says if we believe this and apply into our children, we would be arrested for child abuse. No parent, no loving parent would purposely let their child go through unneeded pain and discomfort. No, a loving parent would do all within his or her power to help and bring healing to the child. That is the heart of the loving parent and the heart of a good God. God's will is for healing and restoration and yet the enemy comes to destroy and to defeat. The supernatural realm is by far superior to the natural and yet sometimes the realities of this world seem overwhelming. We need to pray according to the nature of God. Jesus performed many healings and never turned anyone away who wanted to be healed.
"Materialism has been thought simply to be the accumulation of goods. Although it includes that, it is much more. I can own nothing and still be materialistic. I can want nothing and be materialistic because materialism is faith m the natural as the superior reality.
We are a sensual society with a culture shaped by what is picked up through the senses. We're trained to believe only in what we see. Real faith is not living in denial of the natural realm. It the doctor says you have a tumor, it's sillx to pretend that it's not there. That's not faith. However, faith is founded on a reality that is superior to that tumor. I can acknowledge the existence of a tumor and still have faith in the provision of His stripes for my healing... I was provisionally healed 2,000 years ago. It is the product of the kingdom of heaven—a superior reality. There are no tumors in heaven, and faith brings that reality into this one.
Would satan like to inflict heaven with cancer? Of course he would. But he has no dominion there. He only has dominion here when and where man has come into agreement.
Fear of appearing to live in denial is what keeps many from faith. Why is what anyone thinks so important to you that you'd not be willing to risk all to trust God? The fear of man is very strongly associated with unbelief. Conversely, the fear of God and faith are very closely related.
People of faith are also realists. They just have their foundation in a superior reality.
Unbelief is actually faith in something other than God. He is jealous over our hearts. The one whose primary trust is in another grieves the Holv Spirit. Faith is born of the Spirit in the hearts of mankind. Faith is neither intellectual nor anti-intellectual. It is superior to the intellect."
Materialism is to believe the natural is a supernatural reality. Do I love the natural things more than the things of God? Recently, it has been like that. I think a lot about employment, a place of residence, finding a job somehow, many diet plans, and the focus recently has been on the physical and natural. Which is not to say these are not important, but I need to bring myself back to the superior value of the unseen spiritual realities of God. I like many things about this chapter but I love how the author looks at heaven for a vision of God's will. There is no arthritis or stroke or diabetes in heaven and when we say Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we pray for the elimination of disease. I never made that connection before.
"Faith is the mirror of the heart that reflects the realities of His world into ours It is the substance of the unseen realm. This xvonderful gift from God is the initial earthly manifestation of what exists in His Kingdom. It is a testimony of an invisible realm called the Kingdom of God. Through prayer we are able to pull that reality into this one—that is how faith functions.
If I go into the local pizza parlor and order a pizza, they will give me a number and a receipt. I am to place that number in a conspicuous place on the table. Sonaeone may walk in off the street and come to my table and announce that they won't give me any pizza. I'll just point to the number and tell him, Wlien pizza number 52 is done, it's mindThzt number is the substance of the pizza hoped for. If that guy tells me that my number isn't any good, I'll point to my receipt. It verifies the value of the number. When my pizza is done, the waiter will walk around looking for my number. How does the product of heaven know where to land? He looks for the substance...the number. If a question comes up over the validity of my number, my receipt, which is contained in the Bible, verifies my right to both the number and the pizza.
Heaven is not moved simply by the needs of man. It's not that God doesn't care. It was out of His great compassion that He sent Jesus.When God is moved by human need He seldom fixes the problem outright; instead, He provides Kingdom principles that when embraced correct the problems. If God was moved solely by human need then countries like India and Haiti would become the wealthiest nations in the world. It doesn't work like that. Heaven is moved by faith. Faith is the currency of heaven."
This chapter is really powerful and this is yet again another powerfull illustration with the pizza. The number is the substance of that which we hope for and will soon receive. The illustration from India is powerful also. Yet I am not sure exactly whether it fits our picture of God. Does God not care about the needs of India? There is great need in that country and Haiti. Yet, God responds to faith. India is a very religious and Hindu nation. Where is it it that we find the most faith?
"Issues such as bitterness,jealousy, and hatred qualify as the decay of the heart that invites the devil to come and give influence2"—yes, ex-en to Christians. Remember Paul's admonition to the church of Ephesus, "Neither give place to the devil."2. Fear is also a decay of the heart. It attracts the demonic in the same way as bitterness and hatred. How did the flies know where my freezer was? Through the scent of decaying meat. Fear gives off a similar scent. Like faith, fear is substance in the spiritual realm. Satan has no power except through our agreement. Fear becomes our heart's response when we come into agreement xxith his intimidating suggestions."
This chapter is really rich. I struggle with this very thing of faith and it enables satan to take away the power of my faith. I agree with his lies about myself, my future, and my God. I allow him to defeat me in my mind. Fear is the decay of the heart and is an attractant of the demonic. It is really easy to have fear and anxiety. I wake up with this many times and it is not good.
"My faith is not just an abiding faith; it is active. It is aggressive by nature. It has focus and purpose. Faith grabs hold of the reality of the Kingdom and forcefully and violently brings it into a collision with this natural one. An inferior kingdom cannot stand.
_ , „ ,l:,1ot neople tell me when I'm about to pray
One of the more common things peoF r .
for their healing is, I know God can do it. So does the devil. At best that is hope...not faith. Faith knows He will.
For one who has faith, there is nothing impossible. There are no impossibilities when there is faith...and there are no exceptions.
Sheri for instance, came forward for prayer after a wonderful meeting just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She had suffered with Lupus for 24 years, the last four of which had gone into Pulmonary Hypertension. It had gotten so bad that she had to have an aluminum shunt placed into her heart. To this a pump was attached, which supplied the needed medication to keep her alive. Her doctor told her that without this medication she could live for only three minutes. When she walked up to me, I actually felt a presence of something I had never felt in that measure before. It was faith. I actually stood back and stared at her for a few moments realizing that I was seeing something completely new for me. As she received prayer, she fell to the ground under the power of God. When she got up I asked her how she was doing. She described a heat that was on her chest. (Heat often accompanies God's healing touch.) As she left I told her, your faith got you this one!
That was Saturday night. At 7 a.m. that following morning the Lord spoke to her saying she didn't need the medication any more.2' So she removed it. She showed up 14 hours later giving testimony of God's wonderful healing power.
"Until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."3'
Two blind men'2 who sat by the road called out to Jesus. People told them to be quiet. That only hardened their determination. They became more desperate and cried out all the louder. He called them forth and healed them saying, "The kingdom has come near you." He attributed their miracle to their faith.
A woman" who had hemorrhaged for 12 years pressed through a crowd. When she was finally able to touch the garment of Jesus, she was healed. He attributed it to her faith.
The stories of this kind are many all with similar endings—they were healed or delivered because of their faith. Faith may quietly press in, or it may cry out very loudly but it is always violent in the spirit world. It grabs hold of an invisible reality and won't let go.Taking the Kingdom by faith is the violent act that is necessary to come into what God has made available.
Faith EAn automobile may have several hundred horsepower. But the car will go nowhere until the clutch is released, connecting the power contained in the running motor and transferring that power to the wheels. So it is with faith. We have all the power of heaven behind us. But it is our faith that connects what is available to the circumstances at hand. Faith takes what is available and makes it actual.
It's not illegal to try to grow in faith. It's not wrong to seek for signs and the increase of miracles. Those are all within the rights of the believer. But learning how to pray is the task at hand. It is the only thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them. And so we will examine His Model Prayer for insights on His view of prayer and the release of His dominion."
Prayer:
Father, I am presented with testimony after testimony of healing and power in Your name. Faith is the activator of Your superior spiritual realm to defeat the inferior natural one. Fear and faith cannot co-exist. Father, I am that blind man who cries loudly that You have mercy on me. I am the woman who wants to touch the edge of Your garment for healing. I thank You for these demonstrations of faith and how You reward faith. I must be grounded in the reality of Your attributes. You are good and You desire healing for us but the enemy seeks to destroy. I beliebe You for my healing and perhaps tomorrow morning will be the first day when I get up and can walk normally again and all trace of tis condition will be gone in Jesus name to the praise of Your glory. I want to see Your unseen Kingdom and to experience kingdom power. I want to believe You for the impossible and no longer have this lukewarm and shallow faith. I want to become a man of courage and to have irrational God-size faith to believe You for impossible things that can only come from Your hand. I thank You for the dream this morning of healing and believe You can and will heal very soon. I thank You for the dream last Friday where I met my girlfriend for the first time and believe some way and some how we will meet and when that happens I will be extremely happy and humbled by Your goodness and power.
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