10^th Thursday, 2011

[adapted from Bill Johnson, Life of Miracles, Day 16]

Faith has its anchor in the unseen realm.  It lives FROM the invisible TOWARD the visible.  Faith actualizes what it realizes.  The Scriptures contrast the life of faith with the limitations of natural sight. (see 2 Cor. 5:7)  Faith provides eyes for the heart.

Jesus expects people to see from the heart.  Many of us have thought that the ability to see into the spiritual realm is more the result of a special gift than an unused potential of everyone.

We are born again by grace through faith (see Eph 2:8) The born-again experience enables us to see from the heart. (see John 3:3) A heart that doesn’t see is a hard heart. (see Mark 8:17-18)  Faith was never intended only to get us into the family.  Rather, it is the nature of life in this family.  Faith sees.  It brings His Kingdom into focus.  All of the Father’s resources, all of His benefits, are accessible through faith.

TO encourage us in our capacity to see, Jesus gave specific instruction, “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matt 6:33)  Paul taught us, “Set you mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2)  He also stated, “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).  The Bible instructs us to turn our attention toward the invisible.  This theme is repeated enough in Scripture to make those of us bound by the logic of this Western culture quite nervous.

Herein lies the secret to the supernatural realm that we want restored to the Church.  Jesus told us that He only did what He saw His Father do.  Such an insight is vital for those who want more.  The power of His actions, for instance, the mud in the eye of the blind, is rooted in His ability to see.