“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.” – Romans 8:24-25.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 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.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1.
Now, before you get the wrong idea, this is not about my cancer or treatment, though in truth it is only one of the things that we ALL face in our day to day lives. 2020 has given the world a real wake up call and with the earth groaning as well as the people of the world, it is time to take stock of our corporate vision, especially as the Church, the Body of Christ.
Many of you who follow me, already know my teaching on the differences between mere believing and an eternal faith. It is a stage, a level of difference that MUST start with believing but also must mature into actual, spiritual working faith.
In essence, this lesson is going to be on vision, on sight, on what you see and perceive and what you NEED to KNOW as truth! 2020 has caused many of you, my loved ones and friends to have to exercise and practice your faith in the Lord, God Almighty. All over the world, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes galore in places rarely known to have them. Devastating forest fires requiring major evacuations with homes utterly destroyed. We have witnessed and are in the midst of the worst corruption probably since the days of Noah. It is blossomed in our Nation and in other countries of the world and it is not hiding in the dark anymore! Yet, for those of you who ARE children of the Living God, you have seen His hand displayed in your lives and are able to move forward with renewed hope and promise. This doesn’t mean there isn’t pain or agony, but the spiritual hope overcomes the natural pain and allows us to move forward in the Holy Spirit.
The best statement, one of the best Scripture verses ever penned is by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” This is a short yet utterly profound statement and you can meditate and think on this for a long time, over and over again. NOT sight! Something much, much greater. Sight is a natural sense given to man to perceive what he is looking at; yet at the same time, it is a weaker sense, for you can not always rely on what you see, and in essence there are things that you do not, or will not be able to see with only your natural sight!
This is why spiritual renewal, spiritual rebirth is so important. We are NOT JUST natural, carnal creations. We were created of the stuff of stars, the earth, yet we became LIVING beings when God Almighty breathed within us the breath of His life! (Genesis 2:7).
We became part of the earth, but we were always meant to be a part of God, our Heavenly Father. It was only sin that separated us from Him on a spiritual basis and yet, to assure man his free will to love God truly and sincerely, and knowing fully well ahead of time that man would sin, the Father had a plan, an awesome, extremely wise plan that would allow man to come back into the spiritual relationship that God desired of His created children! With that relationship would also come the ability to transcend the lower carnal and natural senses and rise into the benefits of the more supreme spiritual senses.
So, what do YOU see going on around you? Do you see only the chaos, troubles, corruption and earthly destruction or are you also able to see the workings going on behind what your natural eyes see? We HAVE been given a road-map, a guidebook as it were, the Holy Bible. Each day, each week that goes by, we see more and more things opening up within the Holy Book that we might not have identified in the past because the timing just wasn’t there yet. But God, as our Father and Teacher has left us with knowledge and instruction and has promised that as we get closer to His planned end of natural time, our knowledge, both natural AND spiritual would increase and be revealed. If you read and meditate on His Word, you will notice that we are right in the midst of that even now!
We all know the famous Scripture of Daniel 12:4 where the Angel told Daniel, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” This describes knowledge in general, but it also confirms what Isaiah wrote concerning spiritual knowledge as found in the passages of Habakkuk and Isaiah, especially the last part of verse 9 of Isaiah, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9b, Habakkuk 2:14).
What do YOU see? Are you looking only with your natural eyesight or are you seeing the spiritual depth behind what your eyes tell you? I want to share with you a dream my youngest adult son shared just about a week ago concerning what is going on in our nation and as he prayed, he asked the Lord about some of what was evident to all and how was He the Lord going to work it out.
Jason had been reading the Word and praying and as many of us have done, he asked the Lord some “whys, and how” when it came to the Lord’s hand and especially in the National crisis the U.S. is facing at this present time. This also goes hand in hand with all the other things that the year 2020 has dropped in our laps, so to speak.
What Jason said the Lord showed him was an old console television set with the 4×3 picture instead of the fancy ones we watch today. On the screen, he could see the corruption and lies, the chaos, not just in the Nation but in the world. He saw fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, lives torn asunder and politicians and media moguls making obvious misleading statements. He acknowledged to the Lord, that yes he did see that, but, Lord, “where are you?”
The Lord spoke to his heart and told him, you are seeing what the world wants you to see but the picture you are seeing is on very minute part of what is going on in the whole world. Jason stated that the next thing that happened is that the sides, top and bottom and DEPTH of the picture grew larger and larger in his eyesight until the portion that had appeared on the screen was no more than a pinpoint. Jason said it was like looking at a little island surrounded by a vast ocean of activity.
Then he said the Lord started to clarify the surrounding edges that reached out beyond what seemed like and infinity and in the midst of all going on in the world, the Lord showed him multitude upon multitude of angels warring and fighting against demonic forces, fallen angels that were in possession of corrupt men’s lives and wills. The Lord showed him that what he was now seeing was NOT what the world wants man to see, but the Lord was revealing the truth of what is going on behind the veil of the natural. It effected him greatly and I reminded him of another account in the Word of God.
In the account found in 2 Kings, we see Elisha revealing a similar thing to one of the servants; “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” – 2 Kings 6:15-17.
Anyone who has been walking with the Lord for a while will KNOW, not just believe, but actually KNOW that our Sovereign and Righteous God Almighty has NEVER left His Throne of His seat of power! We don’t always have to rely on what our eyesight is telling us in front of our eyes for our spirit WILL reveal to us the TRUTH of what is going on behind each and every circumstance.
God has a purpose and a plan and always had and it has always had a time-limit, an expiration date, as it were.
God’s plan has ALWAYS been to have a Creation that would love Him for Who He is and not just for what He can or will do for us. What He does for us is based on a spiritual Love, Agape, that transcends any mere natural love. He is also very well aware that some will accept that plan and His will to fulfill that and that many will reject it. Yet, we, as His children need to remember that His DESIRE is that none should perish and so as obedient and faithful children we should pray and love accordingly as well, desiring that none should perish even though knowing that some are going too by their own free will.
Times like this, when you KNOW what is going on behind the scenes in the natural are the perfect climate AND opportunity to present the Gospel of Love and Hope to not just those who may be lost right now, but also to those who are allowing the fears of what they see in front of them cause them doubt which hinders their ability to move from mere believing into the maturity of having a spiritually knowable faith.
As Christians, Brothers and Sisters who FOLLOW after Christ Jesus, we need to remember AND to remind ourselves that no matter our natural age or even how long we have been born-again or spiritually reborn, we are all on a personal and private journey led by the Holy Spirit within us. This is why it is so important, no, so VITAL to encourage one another and to sound out to one another the great blessed HOPE that we ALL have in Christ Jesus.
This lifestyle journey takes PRACTICE, it takes exercise, to remind ourselves sometimes daily that it isn’t always about what we see in front of us, but what we know to be truth behind what our natural eyesight tells us. We NEED to remind ourselves that no matter what WE desire an outcome to be, God is always and has always been in control to fulfill His plan for the ultimate Redemption of those He calls His sons and daughters, heirs with Christ Jesus!
In closing, do NOT lose hope, keep believing in the KNOWLEDGE that our God and Lord, our Heavenly Father is in total and absolute control! That is mature, spiritual faith that transcends, goes beyond, believing!
When we embark on this journey, it is as if we are on a vacation to an exciting destination and the anticipation and awe can be overwhelming. Just like children on a road-trip, we are excited by all the sites and sounds, the different locales that we pass by, for everything is fresh and new to us. It was just a few months before my 17th birthday when I embarked on this wondrous “road-trip” and the excitement in my life was palpable. The girl who is my wife now was there and she can remember how I was. It was her brother whom the Holy Spirit used to open my eyes to this new and wondrous life. However, this is not a recollection of my life, but rather an observation on how we ALL have felt when we first start out on our new spiritual journey!
Now in the natural, a wise parent will have things prepared to occupy the time of your children when that boredom of the surroundings does kick in. It could be books, coloring, etc., though now days with the technology, it could be movies or games played with onboard monitors facing the back seats.
Sadly, when we are unaware of these forces, they can take us by surprise and catch us off-guard, but when we are aware of what is at work, maintain an intimate relationship with the Father through the Lord, Jesus Christ as empowered by His Holy Spirit, we are usually not caught so off-guard and in fact are prepared for these onslaughts, at least to some degree or another.
Destruction, isn’t that truly what murder is? To destroy something and remove it from existence must seem like the ultimate power to him. What greater destruction than eternal murder? The enemy of our souls KNOWS that his time is limited. He was created as one of the most intelligent of God’s creations and so he is NOT stupid nor ignorant, BUT, his greatest downfall is and always has been his pride in himself. He is very much aware of the fact that God, his Creator has put a time-limit on his antics and that HIS very destruction is nearing, so what better motivation to destroy as many other souls as he can before his own eternal demise!
Now I’m going to make a confession; this chapter in Ephesians is one of the favorite of many, many Christians, because of the Scripture I quoted in the very beginning and for the analogy of the armor of God, which is quoted by so many Christians. I have used this chapter in various forms myself in my teaching and preaching in the past, but I always looked at it in at least two parts, until this morning! As I was preparing and praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance on what to say about the principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness, as I always do, I started with the first verse to get into the context.
Everything leading up to our necessity for being able to IDENTIFY our true enemy, the ability to stand in the face of attack and the armor we rely on to withstand those attacks is listed in the very first paragraph of chapter 6. You will notice that the Apostle Paul addresses the family unit AND those responsible for it and yes that INCLUDES employees AND employers and their responsibilities! All the attacks, all the battles we fight, stem from the very thing the enemy of our souls has wanted to destroy from the very beginning!
But man, in his natural wisdom has become arrogant and has substituted a lot of THEORY for facts and when they speak, scientifically, they speak as if their theories ARE facts, which they are not! They are conjecture, they are hypothesis that need to be verified, but that has never stopped most worldly scientists from expressing them, and especially theories that have become popular and traditional as fact.
The Voyager missions, both 1 and 2 from the middle to late ’70s have now reached into what the scientists refer to as interstellar space. In other words, they are beyond the pull of our Sun, in the far reaches of our solar system and are now in a space beyond our solar system and they are still going. Everywhere that those spacecraft go, they take along with them, the taint and stain of mankind’s sin and corrupt every part of space that they inhabit! They could have been the most sterile objects in the universe, but they cannot be sterilized from the taint of mankind’s sinfulness.
August 5, Sue and I became Great-grandparents and what a blessing. It was a couple of days later when we greeted the little man, but once we held him, we knew beyond reservation that our family had been blessed by a tremendous miracle. He was perfect. I know, I know, it sounds so biased, but little newborns usually have misshapen heads and are all purple and such, but he was, just after a couple of days, bright and oh so alert. But then, why not, for there had been much, much prayer that had preceded his birth.
The Apostle Paul wrote it this way, 
Other people and truth itself testify to the goodness of this man. I read somewhere where it stated, “if truth could speak, if it had a voice, it would speak on behalf of this man, Demetrius.” Now think of it, that is a pretty high compliment and especially in light of such an utter warning concerning the self-appointed leader, Diotrephes. John has a real tendency to contrast light and darkness, truth and falsehood and he does so in truly practical ways. He doesn’t just teach a Spiritual Principle or concept, but when readily available also gives a practical example as in this case.
Yes, I combined the verses with the appropriate paragraphs for ease of reading, AND I boldened and italicized the verse that everyone is using out of context! So tell me, did it change the Spirit of the text in anyway? I’ll take that as a rhetorical NO!
In ancient Israel, the Prophets were CONSTANTLY sent to give a message, from the Lord, to HIS people, to turn from their wickedness and idolatry and back to the LAW, the Covenant, established between Him and them! Their plight and the plight of their “promised” land was always tied to their obedience.
I’m sorry if a Scripture like that is hard, but come on, we are way past the time when the Church, the TRUE Church, the Body of Christ should be leading! But now for that BETTER and more effectual way of praying as taught by Jesus:
There was and is a purpose to His creating all that is and putting us right smack in the middle of it and He has not withdrawn His Hand once from the events of human-kind. The reason is, He is letting mankind decide for themselves if they want a relationship with the One Who created them and the choice is totally that of the individual. But, and here’s the catch, there is a time limit on when you can check the box marked YES, I want to be a part! We don’t know the time. Even Jesus said to His disciples that He and the angels don’t know the time, only the Father in Heaven. Yet He DID tell us to look out for certain things to take place and then we would know that those who check the box YES, would be aware their redemption was very, very close. (
Now before you start to think that God was just mean and vindictive, let me explain to you what the problem was. It’s right there in the text. 
God, our Heavenly Father, Whom we tend to take after in spiritual ways, is a Creator, thus it only stands to reason that the man that He breathed His Spirit into, would have a tendency and desire to be creative. God knew this, God was not against that, nor is He against it today. BUT – where man differs is that God is Holy, Pure and Undefiled in any way. Man has a choice and ability to be Holy, but due to sin entering the world (to offer man the ability to choose) oftentimes man chooses NOT to be Holy. However, this does not negate some of his abilities, such as wanting to create and to gain and pursue more knowledge, etcetera.
So, God knew the heart of man. He knew the arrogance and pride and he knew man would at least continue to attempt what he wanted rather than what God wanted, no matter what and since it was NOT God’s time or place, He did just what they feared the most; He scattered them over the earth and confounded their speech so that they were no longer just one language. Do you ever wonder why all over the world there are ancient structures still partially standing that have so many similarities and yet are different in their own ways? God didn’t confound their knowledge, just the way they communicated, think about it. God still retains control of His creation.
According to Scripture, God’s Holy Spirit filled children will not suffer God’s wrath though we might suffer some of the persecution, but it is the same Holy Spirit within each of us that is keeping the final foundation of the one world order at bay. When that is removed from the earth, the Anti-Christ and his false prophet will be able to step to the forefront and deceive and amaze those that were blind to the truth. But here’s the thing; there will be those who WILL remember others prophesying and predicting what they are going through and there will be a remnant that WILL acknowledge Christ Jesus to there own death. God ALWAYS has a remnant that will be true to Him, for you see it throughout the whole of Scripture!
Evidently this man looked upon himself as a self-appointed dictator, deciding which direction the church under his control should go and it didn’t matter, for what ever reason, the experience and wisdom that others displayed. He definitely demonstrated a prideful arrogance, an inflated ego to be sure, apparently jealousy that others garnered more respect, all for what he apparently, for whatever reason, he considered his right. It is apparent from these brief comments from John that this man had forgotten that the “church” was established by Christ Jesus and that Jesus IS the head of the church and that the Holy Spirit is the Representative of Christ to the Church!
many of these “personalities” forget that their ministry is a SERVICE to the Lord AND to others. They are not, “high and lifted up” above the sheep, but rather, they need to remember that they need to learn first from the Master, the Great Shepherd, before they can serve in the capacity of teaching (feeding) others.
Now notice, according to the Apostle, this man didn’t just REFUSE other true believers, but he excommunicated his own people, as it were, from his church if others did receive these other traveling ministers and teachers! What other, than a self-styled dictator is that?! It appeared that he was exceptionally power-hungry, mad with keeping control of things within the “church.” John even goes so far to say that this man was openly MALICIOUS with his speech towards those who were called and others in authority! Because of social media and the use of camera-phones and such, we see this very thing happening all too often all around us.
In this letter, John gives us two extremes and there is no doubt which is which. Gaius, whose life is actually based in service to others and especially to those doing the Lord’s work, and Diotrephes, who desires the spotlight all to himself, refusing to even acknowledge those doing the Lord’s work, all under the guise of being “religious.” Again, I have to say it, how like what we see so much today. Big, mega-ministries, and I use the term “ministries” lightly, always wanting more, more people, more money, more power, more prestige, all in the NAME of “religious” works, but all the while instead of sending out, instead of encouraging others in good works, instead of sending out to make disciples, bring them in so I can make disciples! Yet they hold up the same Bible you and I read and try to emulate, they say some of the same “Christianese” speak that we use in our conversations about our Lord, yet always with a twist, or emphasis on more, more, more! And sadly that more is hardly or ever about more souls in the Kingdom of God.
Yes, people are getting sick. But they are also getting better with stronger immune systems. People are dying, yes, but they are mostly those that already have compromised immune systems, just like how the yearly flu causes deaths in those susceptible. Just because the government agencies today wish to inflate the statistics, (yes, the truth has come out), doesn’t mean those stats are the truth and yet, so many accept them as truth and in fact the media AND liberal social media sites continue to push those falsehoods! In fact, according to statistics I provided to my followers on Facebook a month back, the flu season between 2017 and 2018 was far worse than anything we have seen from COVID-19 today! What them makes this so different?
Jesus is clearly speaking in spiritual terms and in fact, the Jews He was speaking too, could not fathom the spiritual implication, but kept referring to His words in the natural. He actually chastised or admonished them because of their lack of spiritual insight.
There are liberal leaders who are doing things behind the scenes while everyone is focused not just on COVID-19, but on our response to it, our responsibility to one another, whether we truly care for fellow man or what ever. While we are debating the merits of something that comes and goes each and every year (the flu), because the media (which is owned and paid for by liberals), is keeping each and everyone’s focus centered on that AND keeping everyone divided into camps of compliance or non-compliance!
What we are being told in the news daily and by our liberal politicians is that COVID-19 is SO bad, and the deaths have been so many, that anyone who would think about it would start to see refrigerator trailers parked near the morgues and most likely overrun the parking lots. Yet we don’t see even a hint of that in the news and THAT would be newsworthy! We have seen major cities set up triage centers in the parks, with no occupants and even the Navy sending hospital ships to help the overflow of dead with having to depart due to nothing happening. Even missions organizations like Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, had to pack up and leave New York because there was not the activity that was reported.
Understand this; the Anti-Christ will come forth as it’s most likely he is right now waiting in the wings for the liberal agendas that will call upon him. But, right now, because the Holy Spirit IS revealing truth, and the Church of Christ Jesus IS aware and praying, the Anti-Christ’s hands are tied more or less from coming on the scene unfettered. The One-World Order WILL come about, because the Bible, the very Word of God says it will. We will NOT be able to stop it, nor do I believe we should. For in doing so, we would ALSO be praying against the coming of the Kingdom of God, (even though not meaning too), for our Heavenly Father has a plan, a wise plan AND a timeline.
There is a personal connection to hospitality that is often missed in today’s society and its churches. Jesus taught His disciples over two-thousand years ago to make preaching the Gospel and especially in new cities, personal. He even told them, as He sent the disciples out, to search out people with good reputation and bless them and the very city that welcomes them! As I stated, today, it is very much a lost art. But with Gaius, it WAS a lifestyle to him. It was his way of ministering or serving others; and without meaning too, it caused his reputation to become well known within the growing church.
Here is another part of John’s statement in this verse that unless you think about it, you might miss it; 
One thing you do NOT want to do, while preaching the NEED for the Kingdom of God in one’s life, is to take from the unsaved, which in turn MIGHT cause them to have a false sense of self-righteousness and a belief that their good deeds or works alone is enough! It takes Spiritual Wisdom to labor in the Kingdom of God and I’m saddened to say this, but it is a direct and sad statement of admonishment AGAINST the way many large churches and other religious organizations raise money today! Think about it! Especially in the light of Scripture.
Oswald Chambers (July 24, 1874 – November 15, 1917) was an early-twentieth-century Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher, best known for the devotional “My Utmost for His Highest.” Even as a teenager, Chambers was noted for his deep spirituality, and he participated in the evangelization of poor occupants of local lodging houses. At the same time, Chambers also demonstrated gifts in both music and art. While at Edinburgh, he felt called to ministry, and he left for Dunoon College, a small theological training school near Glasgow, founded by the Rev. Duncan MacGregor. Chambers was soon teaching classes at the school and took over much of the administration when MacGregor was injured in 1898.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
Publicity – Changes People
*Pastor’s Note: I was looking for something a bit thought-provoking and as I was browsing through one of my favorite source books that I have used often, I read this following illustration. Now understand that this article and the book associated with it was published in 1995 and yet in the light of today, how right were/are these insights of the writer, Virgil Hurley and especially today. If anything, it is so much more obvious to those of us who are Christians and those who have NOT been swayed by the very media outlets so many look too!
All I can truly say, is this should give us ample reason to pray all the more fervently!!
Deuteronomy 13:11, “Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.”
Acts 5:6, “The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.”
Acts 5:11, “And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”
Just Show It On TV
In its report on the Los Angeles riots in 1992, the Webster Commission concluded that live television coverage exacerbated the looting and violence. It was an unintended message, the Commission concluded, but seeing law enforcement officials respond slowly to the emergency emboldened those who would have been reluctant to steal had an alert police presence been in the riot areas. A media feeding frenzy sizzles with any catastrophe, war, or sensational murder. It happened at the Lindbergh trial, it happened in the big city riots of the 1960s, the Los Angeles riots of 1992, and reached perhaps its highest temperature in the trial of O. J. Simpson.
The main problem with media coverage is that it offers no value judgment on what it portrays. The cameraman shoots what is happening and the anchor people may feel free to offer an editorial comment. But it is outside the ability of the media to offer condemnation or acquittal. Only a constituted authority can do that – the police, the courts, and the Bible. Long ago God ordered His people to quickly execute His judgments against lawbreakers so that others, seeing the swift retribution, would be afraid, not emboldened. Given the nature of the media, the lengthy judicial process, and our poor memories, how do we expect to restrain criminals today?
Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley copyright © 1995 by Word, Incorporated. Used by permission.
*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Applicable Quotations
You may juggle human laws, you may fool with human courts, but there is a judgment to come, and from it there is no appeal. – Gifford
The nature of all men is so formed that they see and discriminate in the affairs of others, much better than in their own. – Terence
Justice delayed is justice denied. — William E. Gladstone
The payment for sins can be delayed. But they can’t be avoided. – Shawn Ryan