JuneBlog

Last week we discussed the account of Jesus healing a blind man, actually doing two miracles in one setting. First, He healed the man’s inner vision – that is to say his spiritual sight; the ability to see beyond the natural realm. Second, Jesus restored the man’s natural eyesight so that he could see in the physical realm once again as well. This concern on the part of Jesus for the blind man’s ability to see both naturally and spiritually illustrates the importance of spiritual sight for us today.

In Jeremiah 23:18, God poses the question: “Who has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should see and hear His word?” The clear expectation here is that one should be able to see the word of the Lord as well as hear it. In fact, this passage is an indictment against the people of God that they have not stood in His council to see and hear His word. The example of Habakkuk is instructive here as well when he says “I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me” (Hab. 2:1). And the Psalmist says “I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commands” (Psalm 119:6). Visual observation of the word of the Lord is critical for us and clearly requires the ability to see in the spiritual arena. The Apostle Paul speaks of spiritual things that the natural “eye has not seen and ear has not heard” but God has revealed to us by His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

This faculty of imagination (inner vision, “mind’s eye,” eyes of the heart, etc. . .), which has been deposited as a gift in each one of us, is an important key to communication in our relationship with God. As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” At the life calling and ministry commissioning of Jeremiah, God questions him twice concerning visions as an initiation into Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry. “The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied. The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?" "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered.” (Jer. 1:11-13) I believe this was, in part, God’s way of introducing Jeremiah to the eyes of his heart so his capacity to see and hear the word of the Lord would be increased.

In fact, it could be said that our natural eyes are responsible in some ways for informing our spiritual eyes. The more clutter we permit our natural eyes to engage, the more difficult it becomes for us to see “clearly” with our spiritual eyes. Jesus said “if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (Matt. 6:23) If our spiritual eyes become clouded, cluttered, complicated and distracted, there is no possibility of seeing the light of God with any clarity. His word, His works, His will, and His ways are going to be completely missed by us because of poor “eyesight,” and the net effect spiritually will be as if we are stumbling around in the dark. As it says in Psalm 82:5, “They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness. . .”

Jesus patiently and graciously worked in the life of that blind man in Mark 8. It says in verse 23 that Jesus took him by the hand and brought him out of the village before He ministered healing. My prayer is that God will take each of us by the hand, patiently lead us out from all our places of clutter and distraction, and graciously heal the eyes of our hearts so that we may see Him with greater clarity than we’ve ever seen before!

June 19, 2008 In Step - Open the Eyes of My Heart

One particular event in the life of Christ that has puzzled me for years is the healing of the blind man from Bethsaida in Mark chapter 8. In this recounting of Jesus’ healing power, we are told by most commentators and scholars that it was a two-stage healing. That is to say, the first act of touching the blind man’s eyes only accomplished a partial healing, and a second laying on of Jesus’ hands was required for the healing to be complete. Recently the Lord began to “open” my eyes to a greater understanding of what was taking place in this account. I believe, rather than a two-stage healing, this account describes a double healing that took place that day.

Just preceding this story, is the account of Jesus feeding the four thousand and the subsequent boat ride across the Sea of Galilee with His disciples. During this journey, Jesus rebukes His men because they are behaving just like an Old Testament prophecy: “Having eyes, do you not see?” (Mark 8:18) The word in the original language of the text here for “see” is the same word used by Jesus five verses later when He questions the blind man “Do you see anything?” (Mark 8:23) Clearly in the context of Jesus and His disciples in the boat, the word to “see” is not being used to mean a literal, physical seeing through their natural eyes. Rather it implies an internal, spiritual perception or insight. In fact this same word is used in the Old Testament to describe a prophetic “seer,” or one who “sees in the spirit.” (1 Samuel 9:9, 11)

So in response to Jesus’ question “do you see anything?” the blind man responds by “looking up” (Mark 8:24). This is a compound of the same Greek word, and it describes the action of Jesus when He would look up towards heaven to pray. The blind man looks upward and says “I see men. . .” He is not looking straight ahead; he is looking upward when he sees “men . . . like trees, walking around.” These are two clues that he is seeing in the spirit and not in the natural. First he is looking upward when he sees men walking around. Second, he sees men like trees. This is quite a common Old Testament metaphor where the spiritual conditions or potential of people are likened to trees (e.g. Psalm 1:3; 92:12-14; 128:3; Jer. 17:6, 8). Thus, Jesus has healed this man’s inner vision first, and he is seeing men in the spirit relative to their spiritual condition or, more likely, their spiritual potential.

Next Jesus addresses the man’s natural sight as well. This was not the only time when Jesus healed a spiritual need and a natural need in the same setting. (For instance, we remember the paralytic who first received the forgiveness of his sins. Then, in response to his inquisitors, Jesus goes on to heal the man’s paralysis). In the case of this blind man, Jesus lays hands on his eyes again and the man “looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.” (Mark 8:25) Two different compound uses of the same Greek word mentioned above, “to see”, now indicate a different kind of seeing that involves staring steadily and “looking straight into” that which is being seen. Now he is looking straight ahead with clarity because his natural eyesight has been restored.

Surrounding the healing of this blind man are two key events involving Jesus’ disciples: the episode in the boat: “Having eyes, do you not see?” and the incident on the road to Caesarea Philippi: “Who do you say that I am?” Both events graphically illustrate the disciples’ need to see in the spirit and not just with natural eyes. I believe this is instructive for us as well. Many of us, if not most of us, need to have our “inner sight” healed – that is, our ability to see things from God’s perspective. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) May we enter into agreement with the prayer of the Apostle Paul: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know. . .” Ephesians 1:18)

Walking together with Him!

Scott

June 12, 2008 In Step - The Kingdom is Near (Pt. 2)

Last week we looked at the amazing truth that the Kingdom of God has come near to us! Throughout his lifetime of ministry, the Apostle Paul “preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” In keeping with Jesus’ teachings (e.g. that the kingdom of God is “within you” and “My kingdom is not of this world”), Paul gives several interesting insights into the nature of God’s kingdom in us. In Romans 14:17 he writes “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Rather than being defined and observed by natural realm experiences, the kingdom of God finds expression in the children of God through their spiritual life experiences.

The first tangible expression of the kingdom he mentions is Righteousness. Righteousness is the very Life of God flowing through the “veins” of every one of God’s sons and daughters. It is not something we produce or manufacture as a by-product of good choices, clean living or religious activity. Rather, righteousness is something only God can give us; a transfusion of His very life. When Jesus died, He poured out His own life blood (“For the life of the flesh is in the blood”), “the righteous for the unrighteous” so that “we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” So one way the kingdom of God becomes evident is by the very life of God governing our hands and feet, our mouths and minds, our coming and going.

Paul says the second tangible expression of the kingdom is Peace. Peace is the unconquerable contentment of God Himself which defies explanation. It overrules all conceivable circumstances in the natural realm, regardless of how contrary, conflicting, confusing or chaotic they may be. It enables every child of God to be at rest, not from the battle but in the battle. The kingdom of God becomes evident in us when we are governed by His supernatural peace, and not by our natural whims, fears, desires, manipulation, compulsion, anger or frustration.

A third tangible expression of the kingdom is Joy. Joy, like peace, is entirely regardless of circumstance. It flows from an intimate knowledge and practice of relationship with God. Jesus said as we abide in Him, and He in us, His joy will be in us and our joy will be full. Once again this expression of kingdom is not something we conjure up or construct out of our own resolve. The source of true joy is beyond this world, and the only way to tap into it is through a personal relationship of walking with God. The experience of the two disciples walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus typifies this kingdom expression: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

One more tangible expression of the kingdom that Paul addresses in another passage is Power. He writes “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.” (1 Cor. 4:20) When Jesus walked the face of the earth, He exhibited the presence of the kingdom of God through many powerful events. For example, He said “if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt. 12:38) Acts 10:38 says "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Supernatural power from the Spirit of God is a key evidence of the presence of the kingdom of God within us.

The power, righteousness, peace and joy of God are clear ways that the kingdom of God will be recognized in us, and tangible evidence that God is with us. A good question to ask myself is “How clearly are they in evidence in my life?”

We are living in an amazing time! I’m not referring to technological breakthroughs, socio-cultural discoveries, advances in medical science, military accomplishments, globalization, economic progress, communications, political science developments, or any other achievements of humankind. As astonishing as the progress in these various fields is (even just over the past few decades) it is nothing compared to the good news of the Kingdom of God. And what is that good news? In short, “The Kingdom of God has come near to you!”

Jesus began His ministry teaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17) And again, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mark 1:15) He taught His disciples to preach “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:7) In response to His critics, Jesus said “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt. 12:28) Just before He ascended back into heaven He appeared to His followers over a period of forty days and “spoke of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3) After His ascension, Philip preached “the good news about the kingdom of God” (Acts 8:12), and Paul preached “the kingdom of God.” (Acts 28:31)

In one instance the Apostle Paul told his listeners, “(God) is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28). This is the amazing thing that eclipses all of the achievements of man combined from the beginning of time. God has come near to us! Almighty God, Who is above all creation, yet completely and intimately connected with everything He has created, has been pleased to come near to us, to make His kingdom accessible and available to each one of us.

However, the sad and sobering reality is that while God is so near, we often live like He is very far away. His kingdom with its power and authority is right at hand, and yet we tend to live unaware or at least unmindful of His empowering Presence. We get excited about the accomplishments of man when we really should be in a perpetual state of wonder about the kingdom and the power of our awesome God.

Average, ordinary, mundane, common, mediocre existence won’t cut it. Superficial lifestyles cannot keep up with the supernatural needs of a desperate world. While we settle for natural innovations, our world is crying out for supernatural intervention. Make no mistake about it – the world which we now inhabit is calling for Kingdom living! It is high time for the Words of Jesus and the Works of Jesus to be revealed once again, hand-in hand, side-by-side, giving expression to the presence, power and authority of the Kingdom of God which “is in our midst.”

A friend of mine recently said something to me regarding our “nest getting turned upside down.” We cannot stay in our comfortable, familiar “nests” forever. We were created to “fly high on wings like eagles.” I believe that is a prophetic statement for today. God is taking us (i.e. Hill Point Church and beyond) to a place where “nest dwellers” will not survive. As uncomfortable as it may be to leave the tranquility of the nest for the turbulence of the air currents, we must allow our King to equip and mature us into full-fledged sons and daughters of His Kingdom. Getting out of the nest isn’t optional, it’s essential.

We are living in an amazing time! “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) Today God is near, and that means today is a great day to call upon Him and to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness!”