The Unseen Realm Part 3

Ezekiel 1:1 NKJV

[1] Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

The prophet Ezekiel was in the seen realm when he suddenly got a glimpse of the unseen realm. It appeared as though the heavens opened and he could see God. He couldn't really see God with his physical eyes but he did see him with his spiritual eyes. We don't have to be a prophet to see in the unseen realm. We just need to live by faith. As we practice living by faith, which means living as if the unseen realm is real, we will have encounters like Ezekiel did. It doesn't mean we will see the same things he saw, but it does mean we will contact the unseen realm with our spiritual senses. We will hear, see, feel, taste or smell things that are not of this world. We have spiritual (unseen) senses just like we have physical senses. If we don't know this we could have divine encounters and not benefit from them. How many times have people said "Something told me..." Because they were not aware of their ability to have contact with the unseen realm, they did not understand that God was speaking to them. Often times, this lack of knowledge caused them to make wrong decisions. The more we understand the reality of the unseen realm, the better our chances of experiencing encounters with God's supernatural world that will benefit us.

The Unseen Realm Part 2

Romans 8:24-26 NKJV

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Paul talks to the church at Rome about the hope we have relative to the complete redemption of our bodies. He discusses the principle of hope. He said we only have hope because we believe in something we do not see. We do not hope for what we see because we see it already. Our hope is for what we do not see with our natural eyes. However, we can see it with our spiritual eyes as we wait for it to manifest in the physical realm. So, if there is something we need from the Lord (from the spiritual realm), we must keep hope alive. Faith cannot be released until we first have hope. Faith will stop if we let go of hope. Faith and hope are partners. We cannot get anything by faith without hope. Our hope cannot produce for us without faith. So, whatever we need, let us see it being ours in the spiritual realm, and add faith to hope until it is manifested in the natural realm.

The Unseen Realm

I plan to walk more in the realm of the unseen in the year 2017. Let's learn together how we can do this. First, we must be aware that we have 2 sets of eyes.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV

while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians as he talked about the things he and others suffered while in the service of Christ. In the verse above, he spoke about the seen and the unseen. He said that believers in Jesus should look at the unseen instead of what they could see. How can we look at what we do not see? Because we have 2 sets of eyes – eyes we can see in a mirror and touch, and eyes we cannot see or touch. We look at the natural things we can see with our physical eyes. We look at the things we cannot see with our physical eyes by using our spiritual eyes. When we close our physical eyes, we can focus our spiritual eyes to see what God said in His Word. Why do we want to do that? Because the things we see in the natural world are temporary – subject to change, while the things we see by the Word and the Holy Spirit with our spiritual eyes are eternal – not subject to change. Eternal things have the ability to change the temporary things.  Also, staying focused on eternal things helps us endure the trials of earth which are temporary. We will one day move beyond this world, out of our perishable bodies, into an eternal world with non-perishable bodies. It will be worth it all when we get to the other side.

Understanding Part 32

Ephesians 1:18 NKJV

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

As Paul prays for the Ephesians, he shows how there is much for us to learn, to understand about what God has made available for us through Christ. Here he prays that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened so they could realize the hope to which they were called and the rich inheritance they had as part of the Body of Christ. This lets us know that we have spiritual eyes. As our spiritual vision improves we will understand more of what God has planned for us. When this happens, we will enjoy more of what He has in store for us. Let us continue the journey of getting to know Him so He can help us understand more, and enjoy more of what belongs to us through Jesus Christ.

Understanding Part 31

1 Corinthians 14:20 NJKV

Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

As Paul discussed the proper way to handle speaking in tongues and the gifts of the spirit, he encouraged the Corinthian church to be mature in their understanding. I believe he is telling them to avoid childish thinking that would hinder them from accepting true understanding. Sometimes we are hindered from seeing the truth due to selfishness. We want something to be a certain way and so we determine to see it the way we want it. We do not want our feelings to be hurt or our flesh to be denied. Let us grow up when it comes to understanding and be mature enough to accept the truth even if we don’t like it.

Understanding Part 30

Luke 24:45 NKJV

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

This passage in Luke is about Jesus ministering to His disciples after the resurrection. This was an example of how knowledge of the scriptures does not necessarily translate into understanding. That is why we need to look to God for help as we read, study and meditate His Word. Let us humble ourselves when we approach the scriptures and ask for understanding. Knowledge is good but understanding makes a huge difference in our ability to activate the Word in our lives.