| FEAR STOPS REVELATION Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. The bible says that �NOW� faith is, not tomorrow or next week, or next year, or when you�re feeling better, or when circumstances look good but faith is now and it is the assurance or the confidence of things that you hope for, the evidence of things that you can�t see yet, the evidence of things that you can�t hold in your hand yet, the evidence of things that you can�t feel yet. Faith makes certain the realities that we cannot see. Faith makes real what the five senses can�t touch. Upon salvation God put the seed of faith in you, the measure of faith is given to every man (Rom 12:3) That seed of faith deposited on the inside of you has to grow and mature in you, just like you grow and mature. If, when you get saved, you remain a baby, you will not walk too much in the Spirit of God. God made things that we see out of things that we don�t see according to vs. 3 �the worlds were framed by the Word of God. Faith is calling the things that are not as though they were (Rom 4:17). We know that by faith God is teaching and leading us in a new direction. When we move in that new direction fear moves in to block that revelation. When you know for sure that God has spoken to you then fear moves in to block it from coming to pass in our lives and tries to block our progress and tries to stop us from following the heart of God. If you�re like most people that unless they can see it, to them it�s not real but that�s the natural world, we don�t live in a natural world, only our flesh lives in a natural world, our spirit lives in a supernatural world following after the things of God. God has a higher way and a higher realm for us to live in (the realm of the spirit). In that world we can discern and live there, it�s one thing to see something but it�s even greater when we can�t see something and it can become difficult to press into the things of God. God wants us to walk in that realm and He enables us by the Holy Ghost that�s in us and He�s the one the leads and guides us. Many people in the church today, when you ask if they are healed will say whether they are or are not, based on their symptoms, but if we�re operating in the realm of the spirit it doesn�t matter how we feel, it matters what the Word of God says to us. (Isaiah 53:4-5) �he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. How did Isaiah know that? Jesus hadn�t come yet, or gone to the Cross, or taken our sins and sickness, but Isaiah knew it by the Spirit of God, he got a revelation by the Spirit of God, he was a Prophet and God spoke to Isaiah who had a heart after God to speak that Word. Isaiah saw it in the realm of the Spirit. You and I can operate in that realm and things will be as real as what we see right now, because that�s the realm where God creates things. Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet, the Holy Ghost only moved on Prophets, Priests and Kings in the old covenant but you and I are under a new covenant, we have a better covenant (Heb. 8:6), we have the Holy Ghost in us, all we have to do is yield to the Holy Ghost and He�ll give us what we need. He�s the teacher, He�s the revealer, He�s our helper (John 14:26), if you don�t know how to pray, lean on the Holy Ghost and He will teach you how to pray. If you�re down and discouraged lean on the Holy Ghost because He�s your comfort. He is the Holy Ghost and He lives on the inside of us. If you need to be changed today, just look to the Holy Ghost, He�ll change you from the inside out. Many people are afraid of the Holy Ghost, because when He moves, things happen but if you are in a �dead� church, a church where there is no life, no spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost operating (1 Cor. 12) and if you�re just sitting there bound by tradition then you don�t need to be afraid, because He�s not there. If you�re in a church where the Holy Ghost is moving and the Word is being preached, then if you are in sin (like Ananias & Sapphira � Acts 5) , you will need to be afraid of the Holy Ghost and you�ll need to get your life right. The Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost, the wind blew in and tongues of fire sat on the 120 in the upper room and He�s still here and He�s in you and remains in you forever, nor does He go and return at will. Whether you �feel� Him or not, He�s in you and you need to stir Him up, His gifts are in you in Christ, stir them up. God is a Spirit and we contact Him with our spirit, not with our body, not with our minds but we contact Him with our spirit. Jesus Himself said in John 4:23 �but the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. We won�t just worship Him because of some religious ceremony when we go to church on Sunday and are real quiet in church, that isn�t the kind of worship in the book of Acts, they weren�t quiet, they were all praying at the same time �Acts 4. Heaven is not going to be quiet either, legions of angels will be praising and worshipping God, so get used to it here on earth because there�s going to be a lot of noise in Heaven. Our spirits become �born again� when we come to Jesus Christ, but our minds don�t get born-again, God says we have to do something with our minds � what�s that? we have to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2) with the word of God, we have to meditate in the Word of God until it becomes real on the inside of us. When that Word does become real to you, then when we open our mouths that�s what will come out and that�s when your healing and deliverance comes. When the Word becomes real on the inside of you, you won�t always have to turn to the scriptures but it will come bubbling up on the inside of you �rivers of living water� (John 7:38) God wants us �hooked up� to the Holy Ghost at all times, because he�s the power source. As your mind becomes renewed by the Word, your spirit can understand the spiritual kingdom language. God�s language is different than natural worldly language. If you are in a place where people are speaking �Dutch� or �Chinese� or some other foreign language you will not understand what they are saying. It�s the same with you in the realm of the spirit, the world is not going to understand you when you speak your heavenly language. The word says that �tongues� are a sign for the world (unbelievers) (1Cor. 14:22). There�s going to come a day when the world is going to look to the church. Right now people are not turning to the church, because it�s merely form and religion, but there�s coming a day when they will turn to the church for the answer because we have �inside information�, that information is inside the Word given to us by the Holy Spirit. God wants to get us to a place where we will not seek any other power but His (no health cards, no secular counselors, no bankers, no doctors etc.) That�s what it�s all about � FAITH. He wants us to trust Him so that we will go to Him and not run to every other kind of support there is. He wants to be our support, He wants to be our foundation (a foundation holds you up) � He wants to hold you up in the realm of the spirit by His Word. Doctors can fix you, sew you up and give you pills, but only God can give you life, He�s the life giver (John 10:10). The same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you and me. Natural things are changed by the Spirit of God. At creation, the Holy Spirit brooded over the earth and as God spoke, the Holy Spirit incubated that Word and brought it to pass. Heb. 1 says that God is upholding all things by the power of His Word, that means He�s upholding the sun, the moon and the stars and you and I. When Jesus saw the fig tree (in Matt 21) with no fruit on it, He cursed it and it dried up from its roots. Are roots seen or unseen? Because Jesus cursed that tree in the natural something spiritual happened to that tree � the roots of that tree were affected by Jesus Word. Something in the unseen causes faith to work in you and I. The story in Matt 14 is about how Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side and He went to the mountain to pray. Prayer is the way we cross over to the other side. We cross over from the natural world into the world of the spirit � that�s our connection. Then a storm blew up and Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water and they looked at Him and were afraid. Why? They thought He was a ghost! Immediately Jesus said to them �don�t be afraid� Why? Because He knows that �fear blocks revelation�. Then Peter asked Jesus to call him to Himself and Jesus did � then Peter stepped out on the water and as long as Peter kept His eyes on Jesus he continued to walk on the water (he walked on faith) but the moment he took his eyes off Jesus he began to fear and he began to sink. The same thing happens to you and I because fear will block the revelation. You�re already walking in the things of the Lord but then fear comes to blow you off course through fear. Many Christians are still operating in the natural world the way the world does things but God has given us the spirit world to walk in. There are some people who are fighting flesh and blood (their husbands, their kids, their friends) and they are fighting with natural weapons which are their feelings. In Christ we have spiritual weapons and in Christ we don�t have to fight one another. In Christ we can deal with the spirit behind the flesh and blood people as we walk in the spirit of God and in the kingdom of God. God has supernatural weapons � use them! If you will use them, then you can pull down all those strongholds. Father, we thank you that you have given us spiritual weapons that enables us to pull down every stronghold in our life. We give you praise and glory for them. If you need health today, it�s in the realm of the spirit, if you need peace today, it�s in the realm of the spirit. Rom.14:17 says �for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It�s all there for you in the Holy Ghost � receive it. God is waiting on our choices but many are waiting on God. God is saying �don�t let fear block revelation�. In 2 Kings 6 the King of Syria was making war against Israel and he discussed with his servants where he would make camp, the prophet of God heard what the enemy was going to do and he warned the King of Israel not to go to this place because the Syrians (the enemy) would be there. The King of Syria was greatly troubled that this information had leaked out and demanded to know who the spy was who was telling the Israelites every move they were making. One of the King of Syria�s servants said �none my Lord but Elijah the Prophet, telling the King of Israel what you yourself spoke in your bedroom.� The Prophet of God knows the secrets, the Holy Spirit knows the secrets, He�s a revealer of secrets, He�s a revealer of things to come (John 16:13). You are going to know ahead of time what is going to happen if you know Him. God is giving us information today and dropping things into our spirit so we can intercede and pray. He�s giving us a battle plan for today, if we�ll listen. Back to 2 Kings - Remember when Elisha was up against the prophets of Baal and his servant rose early and the enemy army had surrounded the city with horses and chariots. What happened? Fear! He panicked and totally forgot that God, by the Holy Ghost had already showed them where the enemy camp was. (How quickly we too forget what God has spoken to us, when we are in a �now� situation). Elisha�s servant said �what shall we do� but Elisha replied �Fear not for there are more with us than there are with them.� He then prayed and said �Lord, open my servant�s eyes� and the Lord opened his eyes and he saw all around him a multitude of angels on horses & chariots and fire surrounding them (fire is a type of the Holy Ghost) and the Holy Ghost was there with them, and he wasn�t seeing in the natural anymore. The Lord sent spiritual horses and chariots � things of the spirit. Fear is looking at natural things with natural eyes. The servant saw the army of God�s angels surrounding them and God blinded the eyes of the enemy. Remember the twelve spies that were sent into the promised land of Canaan with a Word from God �you are well able to take the land�. All twelve saw the same land but not all saw the same thing. With their natural eyes they all saw the giants, they all saw the walled city, they all saw they were outnumbered but two of them saw �beyond� that (they saw into the realm of the spirit, just like Elisha�s servant) where their God was. Two of the twelve looked beyond what they could see, they had a different vision, they saw that God was with them. They were able to take the land. The word says in Rom. 8:31 �if God be for us, who can be against us�. If you are in a tight place today and you are looking at your circumstances and can�t figure out what to do, you need to look beyond what you see in the natural � that�s what faith is. He is the way out. He is the way. That same fire that surrounded Elisha is still present today. Psalm 34:7 tells us that angels of the Lord encamp around those who love God and He will deliver us. Psalm 91 tells us that He gives His angels charge over us. Angles in heaven are waiting for God�s orders. Angels only respond to the Word of God � the word of God that you and I speak (His word). At His crucifixion Jesus could have called for legions of angels (they were there in the spirit), He only had to say �come� and they would have been there � but He didn�t thank God or where would we be today. Angels were available to Jesus and they are available to us today. If you are in a situation where you feel there is no hope, or in something too deep to get out of , maybe your marriage, maybe your job, maybe your finances, or sickness and you can�t see your way out because your eyes are on the natural, God is saying to you today �turn your eyes upon Jesus� � He�ll show you the way out. In the spiritual kingdom nothing is impossible if you�ll believe. Jesus often said �according to your faith, be it unto you�. What are you expecting today, what are you believing for today, turn your eyes upon Jesus. God specializes in making a way where there is no way, that�s why He�s God. Don�t let fear block your revelation today. Blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus and could not see Jesus � he heard of Jesus and knew He was a healer and he came to Jesus based on that. Many �seeing� people also came to Jesus that day but they did not get what blind Bartimaeus got because they saw only with their natural eyes. Blind Bartimaeus saw in the spirit what those with natural vision couldn�t see � he saw himself as healed. You and I can see things in the realm of the spirit that the world cannot see. Many believers cannot see because they are not yielding to the Spirit of God. Just as blind Bartimaeus eyes were opened, as just as in Elisha�s servant, God sent a spiritual army so that his eyes could be opened and just like the apostle Paul (as he was Saul) traveling down the road to Damascus had an encounter with Jesus and �scales� fell from his eyes and he saw on the day of Pentecost, as they were gathered together in the upper room, as they heard the sound of the wind, they saw something � they saw tongues of fire sitting on each of them. What happened? Their eyes were opened in the spirit realm. That�s the realm where we are supposed to live. Yes, our bodies live in the natural realm but our minds don�t have to live there, if we will renew them to think like God thinks. Our spirit can be one with the Father, who is a Spirit, and God wants us to come up a little higher with Him. He wants us to looks at His kingdom and not the kingdom that is around us and look to Him so we won�t be hindered by the things happening around us. At a time when everyone else is in fear, we can bring peace to people because the Prince of Peace lives in us. In Acts 12, Herod was killing the disciples, James has already been murdered and he put them in prison until after the Passover feast. He placed four squads of soldiers to guard them but as he was prayed for by the church, angels came and released him. As the church prayed, something happened in the realm of the spirit. If you�ve prayed for something and you haven�t received your answer yet, don�t abort your prayer by saying anything negative at this point, because the word says �as the church prayed�, (something happened in the spirit realm) � God sent an angel to release Peter (his chains fell off) God says He�ll never leave us or forsake, He says that He�s coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle and He�s going to do this by the Holy Ghost. If you are in a prison of people�s expectations or curses spoken over you, that�s a bondage that will bring fear and hold you back and block the revelation of God. Shake those chains off in the Name of Jesus and yield to God�s expectations because He gives us the power of His Holy Spirit to do that. God�s spirit gives us grace, and grace is the power to do all things. He never leaves us on our own, He never leaves us as orphans but He provides the power of His Holy Spirit for us to do the things He�s expecting of us. Remember God did not give us a spirit of fear but power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). The reason we don�t walk in the spirit is because we have allowed fear to block the revelation of God and we have exchanged spiritual things for natural things. Romans 1:25 says we have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. That means simply that some people have exchanged the things of God for houses, cars, boats, furniture, bank accounts, jobs and careers. If you love something more than you love God that�s how we make an idol out of things. Now, if the word of God says ��by my stripes you have been healed�, people exchange that truth for symptoms. The bible says that �we are accepted in the beloved� but we exchange that truth for how we feel. In many ways we exchange what God tells us for what our 5-senses tell us. If you are blind in the spirit like Elisha�s servant, or blind like Bartimaeus, or blind like Paul on the road to Damascus, or bound by circumstances like Peter was, or imprisoned by people�s expectations, then God is saying today �don�t let fear in any area of your life block My Revelation for you�. God also says �that you are standing on the threshold of a new day and you have a choice whether you stay or whether you go on. You cannot walk in the spirit if you are walking in the flesh, you have to let go of the things you can see and let go of the things you are trusting in, you have to let go of your past and your experiences so that He can take you into the realm of the spirit. There is no darkness in God and He wants to teach us the difference between earthly and heavenly treasures. If the things you see can rust, break or depreciate then that�s a natural thing, but if it�s an invisible thing it will last forever. God wants us to be able to discern, it�s a gift He has given us. He not only wants us to hear with a spiritual ear but to see with a spiritual eye and He wants to be able to discern things as you grow up in Him. God says that as you press in to Him He delights in giving you insight and foresight in the spiritual realm and as you do the �fog� will lift and you will see clearly into the realm of His Spirit. Fix you eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen for what you see in the natural realm is temporary but what you see as you lift your eyes in the spirit to what is unseen, that�s eternal. Father, I thank you for your Holy Spirit that�s working and moving in us. Father I thank you for revelation knowledge and seeing in the eyes of the spirit today. |
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