"When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17)
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them byd the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (John 17:13-17)
Ever since Sin entered into the world, there have truly been two realms of dwelling. Prior there was only one. That one, before Sin entered the world, was the dual union of the physical and spiritual. Man, who lived in a physical realm had fellowship and unrestrained communion with God, who is Spirit. Once Sin entered the picture, the gulf between the physical world and the spiritual one became wide. No longer were the Laws of the Spirit applicable in the present world. The two realities separated as man separated from God. Time became the enemy of man. Time is a concept relative to the material (physical world). Physical creation groaned as it was separated from the freedom of the spiritual realm. The physical world became finite while the spiritual retained it's infinite nature.
The Bible's Old Testament is a picture of man's journey (man being physical) to be at One again with the spiritual and in perfect communion with God. Throughout it's pages, we find glimpses into the spiritual realm. As we look at these various glimpses into the spiritual realm, it becomes apparent that it is a totally different existence on another plane of reality. This is very apparent in the passage above about Elisha and his servant. One walked in the Spirit (Elisha) and his servant was operating in the physical. This happens to all of us when we let the worries of this life, it's trials, and temptations, influence us to walk or live according to the rules of this present world.
Jesus on numerous occassions told his followers, "He who has ears, let him hear." They must have looked around like, "What?" "What does that mean?" At times he would add, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the spirit is saying."
Many older hymns and songs contain the phrase, "Open our eyes Lord." Most people have their eyes open while they are singing. This must mean something else. It means, open our Spiritual eyes, Lord. The ones we obtained when we became one with you. The ones we have the capacity to live life through now.
I saw a video on facebook the other day about a special kind of glasses, now available for people who have never been able to distinguish colors that allows them to see what they have never seen. The video was of a middle-age man whose family bought him a pair of these glasses for his birthday. The look of utter wonder and joy on his face as he saw the new "reality" was simply amazing! I would recommend that you search for it and watch. This reminds me of the whole world that opens up to us when we make the decision to "Walk in the Spirit". We open ourselves to a whole new set of laws and realities. Time becomes a non-factor in our lives, obedience and faith become the cornerstones of our existence.
I've mentioned before that with the advent of the scientific method and what is known as the period of Enlightenment in Western civilization, man has progressively moved toward a more humanistic philosophy and understanding of life. Although advances in technology have had some positive benefits in our daily lives in this physical world, the prevalence of this mindset and philosophy have contributed to our lack of faith in the spiritual and "unexplained." I have often said that Satan's greatest ploy in America has been his ability to hide and work behind the scenes. He hides so easily because, being a spiritual being himself with the ability to operate in the physical, he manipulates the physical and hides in the spiritual. To confront and deal with his devices, we must first fight him where he resides. To fight him, Jesus pointed out in his earthly ministry requires that we choose to live in the spiritual realm and by spiritual laws instead of the physical (logical) ones. To borrow His words, "we are IN this world, but not OF this world." The Apostle Paul said, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (physical--of this world) but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds."(2 Corinthians 10:4).
We misunderstand so much of the New Testament because much of it is written to those who LIVE AND WALK IN THE SPIRIT (A totally different realm of existence with different laws and principles). Could it be that much of our frustration comes from living in the carnal but expecting the spiritual promises and realities?. Remember, the Spiritual Realm is timeless. God's promises are spiritual promises. How can we see spiritual promises if we don't choose to live there? We can't.
It really boils down to two simple concepts: Faith in what God says is true vs. Faith in what we see from our experience and the realities we learn as we walk in our flesh. Our behavior always comes from which one we believe.
An example: Many times in my life I have been afraid to pray for someone to get well because I was wondering whether it was God's Will. Jesus told his disciples, the works that I do, you shall do also and GREATER works shall you do. He also told them to heal the sick. These are SPIRITUAL EXERCISES. If I try them, and even if I "fail" and someone does not get well, I am still conducting a spiritual exercise based on obedience because Jesus told me, as his disciple, to do it. Will I make mistakes, yes. Just as we make mistakes operating by physical laws (carnal), so shall we also make mistakes operating in the Spiritual Ones. However, it is no less important to be obedient and choose to obey the Spiritual Ones anyway.
Choose you this day whom ye will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Spiritual). Are we perfect? No. Will we make spiritual mistakes as we are obedient? Sure. Does it excuse us from being obedient? No.
As I live out the remainder of my life, I have two choices. I can live in the Spiritual or I can live in the physical (carnal). The concept of carnal (fleshy) in and of itself is not bad. It is a term that denotes which system you are a "citizen" of. Humanism or Monotheism? Flesh or Spirit? Spiritual or Carnal?
As the world begins this"shaking" (sifting), the two existences will become more and more apparent. There will be less opportunity to "straddle the fence" and a more definitive decision will have to be made. Much of the confusion faced by followers of Christ today have resulted in the attempts of many of us to "harmonize" the humanistic ideas of the flesh with the Spiritual Laws of God. The two realities were never meant to be harmonized`. To escape one is to embrace the other. To embrace one is to reject the other.
A question that may be pertinent to me: Am I willing to give up many of my comforts in order to forsake all and follow Christ as I did at one point in my life if giving those comforts up becomes necessary to fulfill my God-Given Purpose?
What questions may be pertinent for you?
What questions may be pertinent for you?
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