“Lord, Give Us Eyes To See”
You can shout, dance, talk in tongues and fall out under the power, but you haven’t even gotten started until you see correctly, what God has given you, so you can receive it. In the opening scripture today, Jesus is training the disciples to see the invisible and hear the inaudible, so it could be received and understood on their worse days and in their worse circumstances... Mark 8:17 As the disciples were talking, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? v18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? v19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. v20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” v21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand? (can’t you see it with your spirit)” He had told the disciples to give the people something to eat, when they were low on money and supplies and the folks probably hadn’t eaten in more than a day. They were learning that when Jesus says to do something, then everything moves from the realm of the impossible to the possible, simply because He said it! 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man can not receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Scripture tells us that Elisha the prophet was told by God to go to the home of a Shunamite woman in Zaraphat in the midst of famine, and she would take care of him. He got there with a picture God gave him, of enough provision to last through the famine that was upon the land. But what he found, did not line up with what God had let him see in his spirit! She told him she only had enough to fix a little cake for her and her son and then they were going to die. Well Elisha had a choice....Hecould believe what his eyes saw or he could believe what God had shown his spirit. Have you been there.... (maybe you are there).. Because Elisha chose to believe what God had shown him in the spirit, the oil and meal were multiplied and lasted for them and all the neighbors for the remaining length of the famine, (over 3 years)!!
The woman didn’t see it, but she teamed up with the one who did see it, and she got the benefit of it!!
Let me lay another one on you..... When the little woman, in Matthew 9:18-26, who had a blood disease for twelve years, and had spent all her money trying to get help, but only grew worse, then she heard about Jesus.... inside of her spirit, she got a picture of herself touching Jesus, and being made completely whole. It says that she pushed and shoved her way through the crowd, until she got close enough to touch the hem of His garment, and immediately she was made whole.
She saw it, so she got it! Jesus said “Your faith (what you saw in your spirit) has made you whole”.... Once you see it, you’ll be willing to push through all the negativity, all the doubt, all the physical things that are contrary to it, and get to what He said was yours!!! God is constantly wanting to show us stuff, but we are so into our heads that we don’t have eyes to see it.... I came to tell someone: There’s a miracle waiting for you and God has been trying to show it to you, but your head gets in the way....
Elisha passed by many Houses where no doubt there were great needs present, but they didn’t get the miracle because they did not receive what God had already shown the Prophet and it belonged to whoever opened to receive it. One of the greatest gifts you have as a child of God is Perception, (perception is not just sight) I’m sure many people saw Elisha pass by their houses and maybe even said hello to him. But is more than sight ( It is the ability to see deeper, to see beyond the surface, to grasp with the understanding that something in the supernatural is taking place). To See with thespirit and not just with the head. The single purpose of a rubber band, is it’s ability to stretch. Without that ability, it would not and could not fulfill it’s purpose. We’re designed for the same purpose... if we don’t let God stretch us, we will never see the wonderous things He’s waiting to show us, and we will never accomplish the amazing things He has created us for.... Tell someone, “it’s time to stretch into your purpose.” (I think I hear some groans)
Could you talk to your head for a moment....and tell it.. “Could you get out of my way, I’m trying to see something”. Tell your neighbor: “You’ve got to get your head out of the way, God wants to show you something”. Perspective is not just about your situation, or circumstances, or how it looks, how it feels, or how it behaves... it’s really about WHERE WE ARE in our walk with the Lord and where He fits in those circumstances..
After my 5th heart attack, My heart doctor, Doctor Boroughs’ did my annual work up from 2000 to 2010 and the results kept getting better and better... I know I’ve told you this before, but what I haven’t told you, is that about the 3rd year into all of it, while I was in prayer, in a vision, I was taken to heaven, where an angel escorted me to a huge warehouse that was so immense, I couldn’t begin to tell you it’s size. He opened a huge sliding door and took me in. (I’ve since heard others testify that they had this experience too) Inside there were shelves from floor, up to infinity, with body parts on these shelves. Every body part that anyone might ever need. The angel said these are waiting to be claimed, and many have never been claimed, because the people never took what was already theirs. Well, I saw all the hearts that were there, and was told one was mine. I claimed it, and shortly after, the doctor released me, and actually told me I had a new heart, without any scars or imperfections!
There’s a revelation waiting in your spirit to stretch you, but you’ll never get it with your head you have got to get it with your spirit. Have you ever felt like you’re on the verge of a revelation? On the verge of something from God that could totally change your life? Well, that’s because you ARE! And it’s something that has the power to shift you to another dimension, another level in your faith, another level in your anointing another level in your finances, another level in your ministry? And God wants you to see it, it’s right there, you’re always, right on the threshold of it!
Like the little woman with the blood disease, knowing you’rethat close to something life changing, can have a very powerful effect on you, it can make you very aggressive in your faith, some might even call it pushy.... Tell your neighbor: “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m close to something big and I’m not going to miss it”.You know in your spirit that you’re on the verge of a breakthrough, you know by the spirit that you’re on the edge of a miracle, you’re standing on the brink of a revelation that is going to stretch you and you don’t want to miss it, this time”.
That’s right, I don’t want the miracle to pass by my house and not even recognize it, I don’t want the glory to pass by me, and be too in my head, to see it. I don’t want the power of God to beright in front of me but be too focused on my problems to recognize the manifestation of power that I’ve been praying and believing for. I don’t want to miss it!
Whatever it is, let it go.....When Lazarus died, Martha was so busy grieving that she almost missed it....she said (if only You had been here, Lord) don’t live your life in what could have been..... Judas was so busy being disappointed that Jesus wasn’t doing it His way, that over 30 pieces of silver, he missed it....Thescribes and pharisees and Sadducees were so busy with their religious tradition, that they missed it.... Pilate was so busy fearing, and pleasing people, that he missed it.... The rich young ruler was so busy with money and houses and lands, that he missed it.... Someone has said, “When the pain of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain to change....ChangeWill Come!!”
When the healing waters are moving, get in.... When Jesus is passing by, grab on to Him... When Elisha comes with a word for you, get out of your head and start moving from your spirit, in obedience!
You may have missed it before, but here it comes again, get ready, get ready, get ready!!! Jesus of Nazareth passes by, stretch out your withered arm. The blind receive their sight, the deaf begin to hear, when Jesus of Nazareth passes by!
I may have missed it before, but I’m preparing my spirit, I’m watching now, I’m listening now, And by the grace of God I’m not going to miss it again!
There are many things that are lined up with one aim, to make you miss the time of your visitation... I think of Naaman, who contracted leprosy, the story is in II Kings 5:5 “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy..... V8 Elisha the man of God said “Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” v9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. v10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the (muddy) Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” v11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. v12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” (I want it my way) So he turned and went off in a rage. v13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” v14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy”.
Someone say “He almost missed it because of pride.” He couldn’t see beyond his own head, and it almost cost him his deliverance and his miracle!! Pride will cost you more than you’re ever willing to pay! It will keep you from your miracle!
Isaiah 45:15 “Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel” Sometimes God hides his anointing in a shepherd boy on the back side of the desert, sometimes in a Gideon hiding out behind the wine press.... Sometimes in a Joseph, who makes you envious because he has what you wish you had.... Sometimes God puts his anointing in a stick, like Moses’ rod, and you wish you had a stick like that, but you fail to use the gift you have.... And sometimes he takes a nobody from nowhere, that no oneever expected to do anything or go anywhere, and he puts his anointing down on the inside of them and uses them to change the world, because they saw something, others couldn’t see.
Many times when God hides Himself, there is a revelation for you taking place, if you will see it....what you need to see hasusually been right in front of you...We may be waiting for something, to come, when we already have what God can use..... The little woman already had the oil and the meal, but she needed to see something in the spirit! Her miracle was already in the house! What’s that in your hand Moses? (it’s just a rod, Lord) Stretch it out and I’ll challenge all the powers of Egypt, divide the red sea, smite the rock and bring forth water out of it. What’s that in your hand David? (it’s just a slingshot,Lord) let me help you with it and we’ll kill every Goliath giantthat raises up his ugly head. What’s that in your hand Samson? It’s just a jawbone, Butwhen the Lord is in it, it will kill a 1000 philistines and bring down the gates of the city. We often picture Samson as another Arnold Schwartzenegger, but he was just a normal sized man, that the power of God came upon, to accomplish great things!
God will use the last one that we might think, so He gets all the glory! The less you feel worthy, the more He gets the glory! (don’t shout me down) You don’t need more faith, you need to use what you’ve got, You don’t need more power you need to use what you’ve got. You don’t need more money you need to learn how to use what you’ve got. You don’t need more authority you need to use what you’ve got. What you need is a revelation: With the revelation to see what is already there comes the ability to put it to use. When you came to this earth: Everything that you needed to fulfill your destiny was put inside of you. What you need is a revelation of what’s in the house, what’s in your hand, what’s in your spirit. Put your hand on your head and say: “Lord, help me get my head out of the way, so I can see what You have given me, open my spiritual eyes”.
“I must inject something here about sight. Jesus referred in (1 John 2:16) to, “your eye causing you to sin…” It is one of the boldest phrases from the mouth of Jesus, appearing three times in the gospels. Our eyes not only lead us into sinful behaviors, but also cause us to take in sinful images. Matthew 6:22 “The eye is the window of the soul,if therefore your eye be clear and undivided, your whole body shall be full of light”. We may think of our eyes as neutral or innocent receptors, but they are not. Eyes have inherent appetites and desires. Sinful eyes roving aimlessly and unchecked, end up as instruments for sin. 1 John 2:16 Jesus also used the phrase “the lust of the eyes, because even in the eyes of those who are redeemed, our flesh can belustful, covetous, never satisfied, even susceptible to the attractions of wealth, sex, power, and violence. We have all known of good, righteous people who have fallen prey. It can cause a state of constant dissatisfaction with what you have, or who you are, or where you are. Always wanting what others have, and never content with ourselves.... Our eyes are to serve as guardians of our hearts. When they fail, they leave the heart exposed and unguarded. As one Puritan said, there are no means to guard the heart, if we leave our eyes unshielded and without boundaries.
So, moving on, Look with me at 2 Kings 4:8-10 “Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a great and well-to-do woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. V9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, v10 let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; soit will be, whenever he comes to us, he can rest there.” Let’s look underneath the story and see the deeper story.... It says that this woman had seen the man of God pass her by on a regular basis. She determined that she was going to stop him. Sometimes we miss our miracle because it shows up as the commonplace, the not so exciting things, the hum drum stuff. Basically this woman said to her husband (next time I’ll be ready, next time I’ll be watching, next time I’ll be listening, next time I’m going to be looking with the eyes of my spirit. Next time he passes by, I’m going to make room for the anointing that he carries”. I can hear this woman say at a deeper level: “I missed it the last time, but the last time was the last time I’ll miss this. I refuse to let him pass me by one more time, this time I’m going to make some room for what he wants to impart to me in the spirit. I’m going to clear the clutter out of my life and create an environment, where the man of God, the Word of God, and the anointing can come and rest. Excuse all the commotion neighbor, but I’ve got to make some room, I’ve got to move some things around I’ve got to get my priorities straightened out, there’s some things out of order in my life that have to go. There’s some patterns and priorities that I have to throw out, some stuffI have to get rid of, and there’s some friends I’ve got to cut loose that are holding me back. This woman was referred to as great, because her spiritual eyes were opened and she recognized the authority of the Word of God and the presence of the anointing of Godand oh, she pursued the anointing, she would settle for nothing less! Every time we come to church we should be looking for where God is moving, we should be pulling on the anointing and pulling on The Word of God. Never mind, how sister crooked eye, looked at you... or how Mr. crass and crude spoke to you, You’re pushing all that aside to get to the hem of His garment! You want the manifest presence of God..... When it was time for Elijah to ascend into heaven he asked his faithful servant what he desired from him: Elisha said I want a double portion anointing, (a double portion of the spirit that is on you) Elijah said you have asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I go it shall be so, but if you get distracted, you won't get it. In other words Elijah was saying: This is all about spiritual perception, if you’re not able to see it, then you won’t receive it. You’ve got to see it to receive it!
As the whirlwind of fire and fiery chariot and horses separated the two of them, Elijah went up into the heavens and the bible said (Elisha saw it). The bible was making specific reference to the fact that Elisha had stepped over into that spiritual dimension where he saw into the spirit realm. Then Elijah's mantle fell to the earth, and Elisha picked it up and started walking in a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah. There are so many of God’s people who are living on crumbs, they are like the beggar who ate the crumbs that fell from the king’s table. Mephibosheth the cripple, was overwhelmed when King David brought him to his table, because he didn’t realize the benefits of being Jonathan’s son, whom David loved. David gave orders that from that time forward, he would always eat at the king’s table. Didn’t you get the invitation? It comes, not because you’re worthy, but because you’re the kings friend, and He wants to have fellowship with you, and have you stay in His presence. Just as David provided houses and lands and servants for Mephibosheth, the king has provided for you, when you couldn’t see it or wrap your head around it....But if you fail to see it in the spirit, you’ll never enjoy it.
Regardless of what is seen with the natural eyes, what is perceived by the spirit to be true, is the ruling and determining factor.
The picture you have on the inside of you, determines the world around you. Little Johnny was talking to the pastor at Sunday lunch, and said , “I heard you say today that our bodies came from the dust.”“That's right, Johnny, I did,” he said..“And I heard you say that when we die, our bodies go back to dust.” “Yes, I'm glad you were listening,” the pastor replies. “Why do you ask?”“Well you better come over to our house right away and take a look, 'cause there's a lot of people either comin' or goin'!”There’s dust everywhere! What you see determines your world!
The first wilderness generation of Israel that arrived at Canaan, looked at the giants in their promised land, and theysaw and perceived themselves to be grasshoppers. Their perception of themselves made them losers, and kept them from entering into all that God had said was theirs. It made them outsiders of the promise instead of heirs of the promise. They died in the wilderness without ever receiving the promise that belonged to them, and they missed out on all that had already been given to them. They had a warped perception of God, so they couldn’t see clearly, who they were. So many stay in abusive situations, being abused sexually, verbally, and emotionally. Why ?Because their self- image tells them they don’t deserve anything better, they see themselves as unworthy of a good and honest and faithful relationship. So they go from one bad relationship to another allowing themselves to be put down and used and abused. The incorrect picture they have on the inside of them, isdetermining the world around them. And there are so many young men, that are smart and talented and good looking that end up in prison, or overdosed in the morgue, because somewhere down the line it was pounded into their minds that they would never escape their drug culture, or alcohol culture, toxic family situation, or the abuse that happened to them...Their scars, and hurts have carved out the picture they have on the inside of them, that is determining the world around them. It’s like a loop that keeps on playing in their minds. I’m here today to change your perception. If you have been born again then you ARE SOMEBODY in God, and I want to introduce you to the real you. Yes, you still have struggles, and you have flaws and secrets.... But know this, more than you know anything else.... You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ... You are a Child of God, not a step-child....You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.....You are the redeemed and qualified of the Lord.....You are a new creature......You are the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower, above only and not beneath...You are the apple of his eye..... You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.... You are saved Sanctified, andjustified.....You are a partaker of his divine nature... You are the healed, and delivered.....You are an Over comer......You are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus......
I want you to join me around the front of the room today, and believe with me, that Jesus is passing by, and this is your moment, to get the right picture down inside of your spirit...I’mbelieving God with you for a divine revelation (not of who God is) But who you are in Christ, and what you have been given. Would you say with me, “Lord, Let me see the real me that you see me to be, not the me this world tells me I am”. Now, tell someone around you, “If you can see it you can have it”.
Let’s pray this prayer together.....
“Today I encounter the Living Lord who is my healer and my deliverer. He sustains me, He raises me up, He encourages and empowers me to receive His promised and completed healing and deliverance in His mighty name. In Jesus name, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I serve notice on sickness, infirmity, and disease, and I release health, breakthrough, freedom, and peace in my life and family. In the name of Jesus, I command fear, anxiety, back injury, insomnia, depression, hypertension, muscle andnerve pain, diabetes, and cancer to leave and not return, for GREATER is HE that is in me than he that is in the world. God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind, and by Jesus' stripes I am now and will continue to be healed.
In Jesus’ name, I declare and decree prosperity and abundance in my health, my home, my family, and my finances. I declare and decree overwhelming peace, with nothing broken, nothing missing and nothing lost. In FAITH, I thank You Lord, for all that has been done and finished for my healing, deliverance, and protection through the blood and the Cross of my redemption.
Like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, I see myself, whole, delivered, and free. NOW, RIGHT NOW, I RECEIVE, BELIEVE, and DECREE that this WORK in me has been PAID IN FULL, FINISHED AND DONE. GOD SAID IT, I TRUST HIM, I BELIEVE HIM AND NOW I’M GOING TO WALK IT OUT!. THIS IS MY TIME, THIS IS MY LIFE CHANGING ENCOUNTER” In JESUS’ name, Amen.
