Open Eyes

We are talking about this new space that we are entering into and we had titled it Open Eyes some weeks ago. So I want to talk about that.

So if you go to 2 Kings 6.20, you will find that God is someone who not just opens physical eyes, but one of the things He wants to do with the lives of His children in particular is give them spiritual sight.

He wants to open spiritual eyes. So if you go to 2 Kings 6.20, there you see Him opening physical eyes because there were some Syrian soldiers, a whole platoon of Syrian soldiers who get struck with blindness.

And then in verse 20, Elisha prays for them. As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said,

Oh Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw and behold they were in the midst of Samaria.

So we know that God opens eyes. He opens the eyes of the enemies of Christianity. He opens the eyes of people that are believers or unbelievers because He is a good God.

So physical eyes He opens. Now look at verse 17. Verse 17. And you see that there is this prayer that has to be prayed for a church that is beginning to enter into places on the invitation of God where our spiritual eyes need to be opened.

And so in verse 17 you see it said, same chapter. Let's go to verse 15. And the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out.

Behold an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, Alas my master, what shall we do?

He said, Do not be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Those words, I don't know how comforting they were. And so then Elisha prays.

Elisha prayed and said, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. Crazy, go to verse 20. And it says, O Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see.

There's nothing different in the prayer. Verse 17, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man.

Verse 20, so the Lord opened their eyes and they saw. Verse 17, so 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. You see the stark difference suddenly.

Where in one situation is the opening of physical eyes and in the other situation is the opening of spiritual eyes. Same words used, same response written, but it's a completely different happening.

And so given that we've even named the space or the new room that God is taking us into this year and for the next few years is open eyes.

We talked about how it requires that we see things different from how we used to see it.

And so that's where we're going today. And God has the ability to do this for people through centuries.

If you go to Genesis 21, 19, Genesis 21, 19, you'll see God opening Hagar's eyes.

And suddenly she sees a well where a little while before there was no well.

And then she scoops water from it and she's able to slake Ishmael's thirst.

So in Genesis 21, 19, you see that God opens Hagar's eyes. Sometimes he does it even for people who oppose him.

So in Numbers 22, 31, in Numbers 22, 31, you see him opening Balaam's eyes.

Why did he open Balaam's eyes? Because Balaam was about to be slaughtered by an angel with a sword.

And in Numbers 22, 31, God opens Balaam's eyes. One moment he was merrily going on his way on a donkey.

The next moment he realizes, ah, shucks. That's why the donkey is moving.

And then in Luke 24, verse 31, Luke 24, 31, if we were to take a story from the New Testament,

Luke 24:31

Luke 24, 31, you'll find that he was walking with some disciples on the road to Emmaus.

And at some point he lets their eyes see and they suddenly recognize him as Jesus.

They were walking with a man who was telling them how to connect the Old Testament to the death of this man called Jesus in Jerusalem.

And they had no idea and suddenly their eyes opened and they recognized him.

And so this is common. It's just that we normally don't enter into it.

We have so many realms of New Testament Christianity that we haven't stepped into.

We're not even talking about Old Testament stories in the New Testament.

And so in a habitation culture, in a habitation culture, what I mean by that is

that our church is not looking for Jesus to visit and do something amazing.

We're not looking for this one thing that will set the place on fire, though I wouldn't mind it happening every so often.

But in a habitation culture, we believe that Christ is in our midst.

We're not listening to what's being said.

And wondering why I can't spell what properly.

But he's here right now listening.

And because he's here right now, it is possible to listen and learn from Christ.

And so the person who's speaking becomes a mouthpiece, but the actual learning happens because Christ is in the room.

So in a habitation culture, dynamic encounters with God happen only when people begin to learn how to walk with eyes that are open spiritually.

Let me say that again. In a habitation culture where we're not waiting for God to visit, but we know he's here,

dynamic encounters, as in fast-moving, fluid, anytime breakout encounters with God happens because the people have learned how to have their eyes open.

This was the difference between Wayne Gretzky and most of the other hockey players during his era.

He had this ability to know where the puck would be before the puck gets there.

So before someone even passes the puck, he was already there because he knew it would be there.

Canucks find out after it goes into the goal like yesterday six times.

I think there should be a role that if you score six unanswered goals in the second period, the team should not turn up for the third period.

So going back to Wayne Gretzky, he had the ability to know where the puck would be before it got there.

The point being that this became a way of playing for him.

You know, you look a little like Conor McDavid. Did I tell you that before?

Dillner has.

That's why I'm here.

Okay.

What's your name again? Mark McDavid. Yeah.

Go ahead.

Say that again.

Yeah, yeah. I believe that we should pray for open eyes.

But once you pray for open eyes, one should learn how to walk in it.

Because if every time one has to pray for it, then one doesn't become one doesn't become aware of how to walk.

You get dependent on the prayer instead of getting dependent on a practice.

And so the hope is that everything in a church starts with a few and then it spreads.

Yeah, that's how it always works.

So there's no great expectation that suddenly all of us have open eyes.

But I'm hoping that there'll be two here, one there, three there, two there, one there.

And suddenly you've got six people and now it begins.

Most things of the spirit are like yeast. It ferments, it spreads.

And in a habitation culture, and I'm sorry I'm using that word, but it is a true word for this church.

In a habitation culture, it's really hard to stop yeast from spreading.

And that's why it applies to both good habits and bad habits.

That's a catch though. Bad habits spread easily too.

Which is why when you see a bad habit, if you don't nip it in the bud, usually it bears fruit.

Okay.

Dynamic encounters with God happen when spiritual eyes are open.

And what do we mean by dynamic encounters? So we're not just using flowery words.

Where the spirit of God can be fluid, can break out anytime, can have you pivot on a dime

because he knows that our people are walking away.

It's what mums are when newborns are born.

It's what dads rarely are. But mothers get it.

You get to, when our eyes are open, here are the advantages.

And there's such beautiful advantages that it's so worth it.

When your spiritual eyes are open, you get to see, you get to see who God is.

You get to see who you can become.

And you get to see how God wants to move.

All three happen. Not because you get a prophetic word or you're hearing God suddenly.

No. This becomes a normal way of living.

So for example, Peter saw who God is on the Mount of Transfiguration.

He's there. And I would say to you that if God wanted to hide what happened from Peter, James, and John that day,

he could have easily done it.

Because that was a surreal, mysterious, divine, heavenly explosion.

Not even an experience, an heavenly explosion.

Where you have Moses, Elijah, turn up, and someone who is normal looking like you and I

suddenly bursts into brilliant white that cannot even be captured.

And he's standing there.

We can't even imagine this. But Peter and James and John were very ordinary people like you.

And so in Matthew 17, you see Peter's eyes being opened and him beginning to witness this idea of who God is.

And then Peter's eyes are again opened at the beach.

John spots Jesus first in John 21.

But after that, Peter is the one who leaps out and he knows what he's done.

He betrayed Jesus three times before the rooster could crow.

And so he knows what has happened.

And then here is Jesus beginning to reveal to him who he is.

Peter, do you love me?

And in those three verses, he appoints Peter as the leader of the disciples for the future.

Not John, not James, but Peter.

The one who committed the most mistakes.

The one who deserves punishment is the one who has not just shown mercy,

but then grace is shown so that he becomes who he is.

And each time the question is asked, the response is, feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

I'm setting you up, Peter.

Because Jesus hasn't forgiven what Peter saw in Matthew 16.

You are Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.

His eyes are opened that moment too.

Jesus is asking a whole crowd, who do they say I am?

Everyone is hedging their bets.

You are Elijah, you are Jeremiah, you are a wonderful prophet, you are a wonderful teacher.

Nobody has the guts to say who he really is till this man speaks.

His eyes are opened then, his eyes are opened again.

And how God wants to move.

Here is another time when Peter's eyes are open.

Where does that happen? Acts chapter 10.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

What's he doing?

He just wanted to have lunch.

The Bible says, and he began to feel hungry.

And he was wondering, according to the message version, what should I have for lunch?

And while he was wondering what should he have for lunch, he fell into a trance.

And in the trance, he sees a sheet lowered.

And on the sheet are all kinds of creepy crawlies that God says to him, kill and eat.

And he says, never God.

I've never done this. I'm not going to do it.

His eyes are opened.

Spiritual side is so critical to our next phase that if four or five of us get it here, it'll be great.

Because it will spread.

It'll spread.

May you be that, may you be that, may you be that, may you be that.

May you be that.

May you be that.

May you be that.

May you be that.

May you be that.

May you be one out of those four or five.

Yeah, it's important to say, yeah, guys, may you be one of the four or five.

No words, no agreement.

It's how it works in the kingdom, guys.

So in each case, there was an opening of spiritual eyes and a seeing with faith.

So how is this different from hearing, you may ask?

How is it different from hearing?

This is a perpetual position.

What we are talking about, open eyes, opening your spiritual eyes, is not asking God for answers.

It's not direction finding.

It is not direction finding.

And it is not seeking answers.

That's not what we are looking at.

That comes with hearing God, asking him questions, having him either speak prophetically or through the scriptures or through a dream.

That's not what we are talking about.

We are talking about the ability.

We are talking about a posture or a perpetual position.

A posture or a perpetual position where your life becomes one that communes or fellowships with God.

And that is an invisible God who is spirit.

Matt!

Okay, so it's like, this is a really bad example, but it's like a kid who has an imaginary playmate.

Invisible, but you are constantly talking to the playmate.

It's like that.

We are not talking about hearing, seeking God for answers.

We are talking about having a perpetual posture or position where this communing and fellowship with an invisible God who is spirit

so that all your conversations, all your communication with him becomes something that happens with eyes that can see, ears that can hear.

An invisible God who is spirit and who is inaudible and invisible, but it becomes a way of life.

You go and ask these little kids and they literally describe.

I'm not saying it's good or bad.

Some of it is dangerous, but I'm saying some of these little kids, it's amazing how real the person is.

It can go to a point where it becomes negative, but I'm just talking about, yeah, like I had amazing playmates.

Yeah.

Any questions before we go on?

Guys, this is how Peter operated.

This is how Paul operated.

This is how John operated.

These were prime candidates that were chosen for their ability to see easily.

This is how Isaiah operated.

This is how Jeremiah operated.

This is how Ezekiel operated.

This is how David operated.

How does David get blueprints for the entire temple, the pattern of which he saw when he sat with God?

How do you get an entire blueprint?

How do you get architect plans?

I'm not talking about an answer or should I attack them around the mulberry bushes or should I not?

That's not what I'm talking about.

That's hearing God and David did that.

How does he get the whole pattern?

This is very normal.

If it is normal, it means you can access it.

Please hear me.

If something is normal, it means it's common to man.

It can be your experience if we follow certain steps.

Thanks, guys.

Any questions before we go on?

Like it or not, everything in Christianity can be accessed through obtained through faith.

So faith is a part of this.

But faith is not a difficult thing.

If you trust someone who said that he can do it for you.

You mentioned the habitation culture.

When does a church become from seeking the man?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

When does a church transition from a habitation culture to a habitation culture?

Because there are others who can benefit from it.

That is habitation.

Fourth, you'll just have one fish in your freezer called Peter,

and he keeps turning up regardless of how many times you eat him.

That's habitation. Visitation is different.

Where every time Peter disappears, you've got to go go fish again,

and hope there's also money in its mouth.

That's different.

I love the fact that when we sit like this and listen,

and when I sit, when we are here together, and I'm teaching,

that he is actually here and he's listening.

It puts a little bit of pressure on both ends,

but it's so good to know he's here.

Let's look at some examples of how a church transition from a habitation culture

to a habitation culture works.

Let's look at some examples in the New Testament.

Just taking the New Testament. We won't take the Old Testament.

1 Corinthians 5.4.

In 1 Corinthians 5.4, Paul says this,

and we may think it's a phrase that he's using,

but he actually says,

I am not there with you guys in Corinth as you deal with this man,

but I want you to know that I am with you in spirit,

and the presence of God is there too, with you in spirit.

You would think that he's just being polite and diplomatic.

That was not one of Paul's specialities.

Second one, 2 Corinthians 12.2.

Paul again, what does he say in 2 Corinthians 12.2?

If you read the message, it says,

I was carried by the spirit,

I was carried by the spirit into,

actually uses the word hijacked in I think,

message or passion translation.

I was carried by the spirit or hijacked into third heavens.

In all these cases, it was the spirit who initiated this.

It was not man.

Acts 8.39.

Acts 8.39.

This is with Philip, who was walking with the Ethiopian eunuch,

and suddenly it says in Acts 8.39 that he was taken away by the spirit,

and he found himself in a zotus,

which was about 14 kilometers I think away,

taken away by the spirit.

Guys, sometimes when you give biblical evidence for anything that we are saying,

what choices do we have then to believe it?

Whether we are able to receive it is different,

but believing it must start.

Next one, Acts 10.15.

Acts 10.15 is a story which I mentioned where Peter just wanted lunch,

and suddenly he falls into a trance,

and he begins to see things.

Acts 22.17.

The message says in Acts 22.17,

I was lost in his presence,

and while I was lost in his presence,

I heard God say,

Get up, go out of here.

You will not be accepted by your Jewish brothers.

I'm sending you to the Gentiles.

And I complained and I said,

But God, they know my past.

I used to persecute the Jews.

Surely they'll accept this new testimony that I have.

And Jesus says,

Listen, I don't want you to argue.

Get up and leave, because you will not be accepted here.

And this happens because he's lost in God's presence,

or lost in the Spirit.

Let's take another one.

Revelations 1.10.

Revelations 1.10 says,

I think it was the day of the Lord, John is saying,

and I was suddenly in the Spirit,

and I heard a voice behind me and trumpets behind me.

These guys seem to think this was normal.

Any questions before we go on?

They used to walk with eyes like this.

This is not about seeing demons behind every bush.

That's what we reduced it to.

Oh, you know, I'm very spiritually sensitive.

I see things.

That's not what we're talking about.

That's so limited of you.

It's like one slice of the pizza and a very small slice.

It's far more expansive and fruitful than just that.

Any questions before we go on?

You know, Acts 26, verse 17 says that,

Acts 26:17

you know, you can get to a point when you begin to practice this,

where you won't suffer,

you won't bear the thought of being misaligned with the Spirit of God.

When you get so used to this,

that this is how you function.

I've met people like this.

I've met people who look very normal.

They don't look holy.

They don't look super, super spiritual.

They're very normal,

but they have this easy ability to know what God is showing, seeing.

Even in a room like this, they'll know.

They're not looking for anything.

They're in a room and God has trained them so well that it is normal for them.

When you get to a place like that,

what happens is you won't even want to suffer misalignment.

As in, you don't want anything to be out of joint.

You love being that way with God.

I just hate the fact that I'm 60 and I have less time.

And I hate the fact that you are 20 years old,

and you've got a lot of time.

Because I wish someone had told me this at 20.

So, Acts 26, verse 17 and 18 says that I am sending you.

Acts 26:17

Jesus says, up on your feet.

I'm sending you to open eyes.

And he talks about the eyes of the Lord.

I'm sending you to open eyes.

And he talks about sending you to places where people are under the power of darkness

and the power of Satan, and I'm sending you to open eyes.

But here's the thing.

Regardless of whether it's God or whether it's a pastor,

it is more effective to send someone with open eyes to open eyes.

If you have, I mean, regardless of whether it's God or whether it's me sending you,

it is far more effective to send someone to open eyes who has open eyes.

One of the things that leaders in Acts 29 should be aware is that

most leaders operate out of gifting, out of commitment, out of passion, not open eyes.

Most leaders operate out of gifting.

You're gifted or you're ridiculously committed or you have a passion for God.

But most leaders do not operate with open eyes.

And in a church like this, if the leaders in this church don't start making this a practice,

it'll become restrictive.

You know, in Genesis 29, 17, you know,

Leah, strangely enough, Leah was an odd name to give a child.

Leah had weak eyes.

Genesis 29, 16 says, and they named her Leah, and they named the other sister Rachel,

and Leah had weak eyes.

Can't afford that.

Especially if you're a leader in this church,

start switching from commitment, passion, gifting, and open eyes.

Start switching from commitment, passion, gifting, to,

oh God, I want to begin to operate here.

Otherwise, it'll be restrictive as a church to move.

What if I don't operate like that and I operate by my gifting, my commitment, and my passion?

This church will be restricted in its movement.

Because now you'll only go as far as my gifting goes, not as far as God goes.

So if there's a prayer that leaders should pray this week is,

oh God, give me these open eyes.

It is the difference between David and Saul.

Saul was a strapping man, head and shoulders above the rest.

But he knew how to operate with Urim and Tumim and the Ark of the Covenant.

He did not know how to operate by seeing God.

David had squat, but the one thing he had was he knew, he had cultivated the ability

to sit in fog and sunshine, clear skies, clouded skies, and he would see Yahweh.

That's the difference.

Open eyes will always see open doors.

Open eyes will always see open doors, meaning when God begins to open a door for us to go through,

open eyes will always see open doors.

An open door is like a treasure waiting to be possessed.

Open eyes always see open doors.

An open door is like a treasure waiting to be possessed.

You know, some businessmen have this amazing knack of seeing an open door before the door is even built.

They know that this is what's going to happen.

I was listening to an interview with Jeff Bezos when he had hair,

and that's like 25 years ago or something, and you should hear him.

He just started Amazon and it didn't do anything like it does now.

All it did was books.

And you listen to that interview, and he's already talking about what Amazon will do

when there didn't exist an internet that would be able to handle what it's handling now,

but the guy had the ability to see it.

These are humans without God, but given faculties by God to function at a certain level.

What about us?

I'm not talking about the next business idea.

I'm just talking about how we function here.

Guys, here's the thing with business ideas, and I want to say this because there are a lot of young adults here.

Business ideas are great, but God will give you small business ideas that become big business ideas,

because God knows that you can only handle this much fame, this much money, this much before you squander it.

So when you go for this big an idea, it's great. One day it'll happen.

Acts 29 today is what, 500, 600 people right now?

Remember that it started with a Heidi and a Chris.

Takes time. 20 years later, we are at 600. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters.

My God, you're not responsive today.

But see, the point is, love your big ideas, but know that because, you know, God said this to Israel,

listen, I can give you the promised land in two weeks, but here's why I will not give you the promised land in two weeks.

One, you have been a slave people and you do not know how to fight.

I don't want you to get too scared when I take you through terrain where there'll be enemies that have walls and chariots.

First. Second, if I give you this land immediately, let's say I turn up, I decimate all your opponents and I give you this land.

You will not be able to handle the wild beasts in this land.

It's brick by brick, inch by inch, yard by yard.

That's how the Seahawks are going to get the Super Bowl.

Right, May?

Open eyes see open doors and open door is like a treasure waiting to be possessed.

Once God shows it, the question is, is there anything more important?

Hey, this is the beauty.

I will walk in this and so will some of you.

And I pray God that that some of you will be so large that we'll have to change the world.

Saying there are very few that's not walking in it.

And so the idea is once you have open eyes and guys, please understand that we are not walking in this.

So you'll have to shift, particularly leaders in the church have to shift.

So open eyes, you see open doors.

And once you see open doors, then the question is only one.

Is there anything more important?

Is there anything more important that will prevent me from buying the field?

Because if you don't buy the field, you can't get the treasure.

Is there anything more important?

Any internal or external opposition that will prevent you from your pursuit and your quest.

What are the things that normally prevent us from buying the field?

Very simple.

Family, work, money, possessions.

What are the things that always compete with the kingdom?

Once you know there's an open door that God is saying I have for you,

is there anything more important that will prevent you from buying the field?

So how do we develop eyes that are open?

How do we develop eyes that can see accurately in the spiritual?

How do we develop it?

So the first thing is it's based on the premise.

And this is important, guys, because now you realize why we need this.

No other religion will demand this because most other religions operate at a soul level through actual objects.

So humanity has no object that it venerates.

The cross isn't an object that we worship.

The sacraments aren't objects that we worship.

There's nothing we got.

Which is why, if you want to start this journey, it is based on the premise that God is Spirit.

That God is Spirit.

That everything in God, everything in God is conceived, is conceived in the realm of Word and Spirit.

What happened in Genesis 1.1 is still happening today.

What happened in Luke 1 still happens today.

What is the thing that happened in Genesis 1 and Luke 1?

Very simple. The Word and the Spirit.

Whether it was the creation of the earth or the forming of Jesus in Mary's womb.

Whether it's your salvation.

How do you think you got saved?

Two things happened when you received Jesus' invitation into the kingdom.

Two things. One, the Word.

That you have believed and you have confessed with your mouth.

As soon as you confess with your mouth, what happened?

The Spirit.

You are a Word Spirit being.

Everything that is conceived in the kingdom is conceived in the realm of the Word and the Spirit.

And both are, in a sense, invisible.

Wouldn't it be great if as I speak, just like we have on TV, where it's translated, words begin to flow?

What happened?

Because words are invisible, the Spirit is invisible.

Therefore, we have to have spiritual eyes to see.

It's a basic premise.

It's a reason why.

Second, 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9 and 10.

1 Corinthians 2:9

Beautifully, just listen to it.

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no human mind has conceived.

Things God has prepared for those who love Him.

These are the things God reveals by His Spirit.

There's a realm that's waiting for ones that are hungry.

And what is that realm?

Things that you have not seen, things that you have not heard, things that your mind has not even conceived.

Who are these things reserved for?

These things are reserved for the ones who love Him.

How are we going to access it?

We're going to access it by the Spirit.

What does the Spirit do?

The Spirit searches the mind of God.

Why does He search the mind of God?

He searches the mind of God so that He can take from what the Father has and deposit it into Fuyo's life.

He searches His mind for you, for us.

What a responsibility on us.

Then to be able to open our eyes, open our ears, and in faith receive.

And it is when we resist and don't receive or are callous about it that a heart becomes hard.

You still go to heaven, but a heart is hard while it's here on earth.

It's almost like divine crypto mining.

Where the intent is, can I take high-powered computers, which in this case is the mind of Christ,

and can I take a complex math problem, which in this case is the mysteries of God,

and can I begin to use these computers, this mind of Christ, to fathom it?

And after I fathom it, can I run a check on it?

Can I verify it with the truth of God?

And once I do it, can I post it on a blockchain or a divine ledger

where people can say, oh shucks, look at what they are going about doing,

oh shucks, look at what they've discovered, on a divine ledger?

And when you do it, you get rewards.

Only in this case, you're not getting coins as rewards.

You're getting new assignments as rewards, where angels are ascending and descending and saying,

Let's go to Richmond. Let's go to St. Martin's. Let's go to Mongolia.

Suddenly, you have a divine crypto mining industry happening here.

But you need a whole lot of electricity for it.

Discipline, prayer, time, you need it.

And you need really good hardware for it, which the Spirit of God has given you.

This is how it works.

This is how a church or a person or a group of people get assignments.

Assignments are given on the basis of your faithfulness with the last one.

You can't just go to a church and say, oh, I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

You can't just go to a church and say, oh, I'm going to do this.

This is the basis of your faithfulness with the last one.

Hear me again. Assignments are given only on the basis of your faithfulness over the last one.

So if you and I are not faithful, then you...

Listen, if I'm not faithful in listening to what is being taught now,

I will not be able to capitalize on what is taught next week.

I don't have to remember what was taught this week for next week,

but I have to be faithful in the way I hear.

The quality of your hearing determines the fruit you produce.

The quality of your hearing prepares the soil for next week.

If there's an open eyes part two, you will not understand open eyes part two.

I found that long ago.

The first time my dad taught me algebra, I didn't pay attention.

I was messed up for six years.

Not algebra, theorems.

What is it when X plus Y is equal to Z and B and C?

It's algebra?

Well, there you go. Still don't know it.

The point being, if he is not faithful in listening to what is spoken now,

he will not be able to handle what is spoken next week.

Open eyes.

Open eyes, like I said, is not limited to seeing things that are demonic.

That is so sad.

It's not limited to that.

Here's what open eyes is.

Open eyes is not limited to seeing things that are demonic.

That is so sad.

It's not limited to that.

Here's what open eyes can do.

Open eyes, it is seeing things in the world

that the spirit shines on.

Stuff that no one told you.

Stuff that you haven't heard in any teaching.

Stuff that you were reading and it suddenly pops out.

You've never heard it before.

You think to yourself, how in the world did that make sense?

Open eyes.

First Peter 1, 11 and 12.

First Peter 1, 11 and 12 from the message.

First Peter 1, 11 and 12.

First Peter 1.

First Peter 1, 11 and 12.

Let me start at 10.

The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing.

Verse 11.

The Messiah's spirit led them in on some of it, that the Messiah would experience suffering followed by glory.

They clamored to know who and when.

All they were told was that they were serving you.

You who by orders from heaven have now heard it for yourself through the Holy Spirit.

The message of those prophecies fulfilled.

Do you realize how fortunate you are?

Angels would have given anything to be in all this.

There are things that open eyes will have you read the scriptures and it'll leap out at you.

Because the spirit of God is providing it.

Guys who were much better than you, like Noah, like Moses, like David.

They prophesied but they had no idea what they were saying.

When David said, the Lord said to my Lord, he had no idea what he was saying.

Sit at my right hand.

But we do.

Next one.

It is seeing things that the spirit is doing.

It is seeing things that the spirit is doing.

So one is the things in the word.

Second, what he's doing.

So and this happens because of your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Cause of relationship.

Where the spirit of God will let you in.

And what's an example in the Bible?

Genesis 18, 17 to 19.

I love it.

Here is the pre-incarnate Christ, the angel of the Lord, walking with two other angels.

And they've come to the oaks of Mamre.

And they are going to meet Abraham.

And their words to each other is, shall I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do?

And then he says, no, I won't hide it because he's going to become a big nation.

But that aside, I've chosen him.

I've chosen him to be a father to many nations.

I'm not going to hide this from him.

What was the reason there was a disclosure of what the spirit was going to do?

Or in that case, what the pre-incarnate Christ was going to do?

Simply because there was a relationship.

Open eyes.

Third one.

Things that already exist in God.

Things, it is seeing things that already exist in God.

As in things that he has already planned that he begins to show.

For example, Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Hebrews 11.

Ten.

Hebrews 11.

Ten.

Hebrews 11.

Verse 10.

Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real eternal foundations.

The city designed and built by God.

He knew it was coming.

He knew it was coming.

And he's not even talking about, he's not even talking about the city of Jerusalem that comes from heaven.

He's not talking about the heavenly realm.

He's talking about the bride of Christ.

Because the city is actually the bride.

He's talking about us.

And how we will be in the future.

But he's talking about us.

This man who left everything, sets up tents, moves to the desert.

Had his eyes fixed on something that he saw because God showed him.

He doesn't know whether it's ten years from now, 100 years from now, 400 years from now, 4000 years from now.

That's the beauty of it.

When God begins to show you things because your eyes are open, you will keep at it till your last breath.

And you will be happy that you've set up everything for someone else to continue walking in it.

We should pray for this. Ask God for it.

Ephesians 1 talks about it.

Yeah.

I know that 15 different centers just like this one will be set across the earth.

I know that some of you will be involved in it.

For some of these centers, people have already started saying, here, use this money to build a center there.

I'm not talking about 100 bucks or 1000 bucks or 2000 bucks.

I'm talking about God already furnishing what is required for a place in St. Martin, for a place in Timbuktu.

15 such places where you have a people of God and training centers.

So that anywhere in the globe, they can taste and see.

And once you see this, you know God has shown it and you cannot amend it.

You cannot veer away from it. On the days of discouragement, it encourages you.

When the going gets tough, you know what the tough do?

The tough go back to their calling.

When the going gets tough, the tough go back to their calling.

They go back to what they were shown.

That is what gets them going.

It is seeing things in other realms because you're seated in heavenly places.

This is where God will show you things that are happening both in heaven and happening in the satanic realm.

And he doesn't do it so that you get chills or stuff like that.

He shows it so that you can action it.

So on one hand, he'll say to John, John, I know you've finished writing the letters to the three churches.

Now, can you come up a little higher?

And John says, what do you mean by that?

And then he sees heaven open.

Half the songs we sing in this church are from Revelation chapter four and five.

Come up higher.

And then I heard a voice from heaven saying, come up higher.

This is so New Testament.

Or he'll show you realms where satanic plans are exposed.

So in first Kings 22, Micaiah sees how the evil spirits are plotting to send a lying spirit into the mouth of the prophets of Ahab.

Where something is exposed.

Amazing, eh?

Things in Kairos, he'll show you things for appointed seasons.

Things for appointed seasons.

For example, Hebrews 2.0, that the young across the earth, young adults, 20s and 30s, will be caught up in the fire of God.

Things for appointed seasons.

And the last one.

Things, not the last one, things that provoke unprecedented faith.

Things that provoke unprecedented faith.

Romans 4.19 is one of those things where Abraham saw.

What did Abraham see? God has this crazy way of doing it.

First he'll do it in the physical, then he'll do it in the spiritual.

What does he do physically?

Abraham come out, I want you to look at the sky.

What do you see? Stars. How many? Uncountable.

Well then, I want you to know that your children will be as innumerable as the sky.

Then he takes him and shows him sand.

And he says, look at the sand.

Your children will be as innumerable as the descendants, as the sand.

So that's the physical part.

Abraham has a picture.

And now it starts a spiritual picture.

Where inside him, God begins to tell him, listen, I'm going to change your name.

Your name is not going to be Abraham anymore.

You're going to be the father of nations.

Through you nations will be blessed.

Now the spiritual work starts.

The physical first and then the spiritual. It's always like that.

The physical first, then the spiritual.

Now it begins to develop in the heart.

And as he begins to realize, he begins to speak.

What is he speaking? Romans 4.19.

Abraham was fully persuaded that what God said he would do, he would do.

And that even though when he looked at his body, he realized he was completely impotent.

He began praising God.

Absolutely convinced that it doesn't matter that he's impotent.

Out of these very loins will come children and the son of promise that will result in descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

This is a spiritual work that's happening inside.

And it gives you unprecedented faith.

Faith for the impossible.

It's not even a gift of faith.

It's unprecedented faith.

And it belongs to you.

It belongs to you.

And then the last one in terms of open eyes.

Open eyes will sometimes result in angelic encounters.

Where angelic activity, angelic encounters.

You know, it's sad that when it comes to opening spiritual eyes, the only two things that charismatics concentrate on is seeing demons and seeing angels.

Both will frighten the heck out of you.

If it's an angel, it won't be heck. It'll be, it'll just frighten you.

See a demon and trust, trust you.

I mean, we, we see dreams that are demonic and we can hardly say the word Jesus as we try to get up.

If you see an angel, there's not a single person in the Bible that saw an angel and went up to say hello.

Usually everyone was down on the floor afraid till the angel had to come and say, fear not, I'm like one of you.

So it's a shame that open eyes has been reduced to that.

But angelic activity, you read it in Acts 27, 23.

I bet you didn't know this was.

Acts 27, 23. Meaning you know it, but you don't remember.

Acts 27, 23.

He's on a boat that is about to be shipwrecked and he's telling the people, listen, you should have listened to me when I told you not to leave Malta.

But you did. But last night, an angel of God, he doesn't say last night, I saw a dream.

I saw a vision. Last night, an angel of God came and said to me, do not worry, none in your ship will be harmed.

And actually angel turned up.

Open eyes. Sometimes angels turn up in very ordinary ways.

The Bible talks about it, where you entertain them without knowing.

Open eyes. Any questions before I conclude?

How do you balance it?

The balance is very simple.

You should decide in your head that it will not be a struggle if it comes to that.

That's it.

The question is, how do we balance the idea that Jesus says a man who does not take care of his family and instead gives what should be given to the family to God, he's worse than an infidel.

That's what the Bible says.

So how do you balance it?

And so the balance lies not in trying to juggle it.

The balance lies in, in my mind, I should make a decision that should it ever come to a choice between Christ and his call and Christ and the church and family, I know my clear choice.

We don't have to balance it.

Should the Lord ever test me on it, I've already prepared it here.

Like Kramer says in Seinfeld, I'm already there.

Yeah.

So that's how it works.

So Jesus took care of his family.

There was no man who took greater care of his family than Jesus.

Yet, when it came to a point where he had to choose between staying and doing what God wanted or being taken by Mary and his brothers back home to calm him down, his answer was very simple.

Who is my mother and who are my brothers?

So that decision has to be made.

We are scared that God will make unreasonable demands on us.

I'm saying that the only person who might make unreasonable demands on you here is me.

And that you can always try and say no.

But when it comes to God, he's far more reasonable.

He will not ask you for things where you have to neglect your wife and child.

And should he ask you that, it will also come with absolute confidence.

I'll take care of them.

You go.

That decision must already be made.

With work, with family, with possessions.

He's not going to ask, hey, Dilna, just don't turn up for work for the next five days because I need you to go to Timbuktu.

But Dilna has already decided that if an angel turns up and says leave for the next five days, he'll go.

And if an angel doesn't turn up and Jacob says it and he knows it's God, he'll still go.

Yes?

Yes?

There's a verse that says blessed is the man who believes even without seeing.

How does that fit into your question?

Yes.

This is crazy seeing because you're not seeing nothing.

You're seeing with spiritized.

So when Jesus said blessed are they that believe even when they do not see,

He was talking about how the Jews need a sign and the Greeks need reasoning.

But and he's trying to say, listen, I won't give you any physical evidence to convince you.

I mean, you're a believer, right?

How foolish.

How do you even know Jesus exists?

What made you say stuff like I received Jesus Christ as Lord?

What's wrong with you, Mira?

It's crazy that we are believers by what we believe in our heart and with the words we confess,

but we got no physical evidence.

Yet every Sunday we get here and we raise our arms and we know He's here.

We can't understand why we cry.

And so the evidence he's talking about is physical, tangible evidence.

And he's saying, I'm not going to give it to you.

You're no longer in the Old Testament.

Not going to prove anything by fleas.

First, trust me and then I'll show you.

Trust me and I'll show you.

It's not show and tell.

I won't show, but you go ahead and tell and then I'll show.

So here are the simple prayers you can pray.

One Psalm 119 verse 18.

Psalms 119:18

The rest we'll do another time.

We run out of time.

Psalm 119 verse 18.

Psalms 119:18

From the message it says, open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle wonders.

The King James says, open my eyes that I might see wondrous things out of your law.

The message says, open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle wonders.

You know, it's not so much praying this, guys.

It's not so much praying this.

It's walking in the awareness of it.

I might just touch on that point and we'll end.

And the other scripture you can use is Ephesians 1.18.

Ephesians 1.18.

Ephesians 1.18.

Having the eyes of your heart enlightened.

Having the eyes of your heart enlightened.

Why?

So that you may know the extent of the confidence you can have, the power that is available.

So that you can have an idea of how much pride and joy he takes in you.

I was quite surprised at that.

When you read that scripture, Ephesians 1.18 and 19, part of it is, hey, may your eyes be open.

I mean, it would be like me going to Eliakim and saying to Eliakim,

Eliakim, I know you're a kid, but I pray that your eyes be open

so that you can just see the pride and joy that Don and Keziah take in you.

And then suddenly as I'm saying it, Eliakim says, I saw it, I saw it.

It changes a boy's life.

That's what we are asking, that's what the scriptures say.

You are his possession, his inheritance.

He has great pride and great joy in you.

We never think like this.

But you've got to think like Don thinks of his boy.

Eyes open.

We'll kind of do the rest next week.

Oh, there's some crazy verses that will show us how to do this, guys.

It's not so much asking in prayer, it's asking for an awareness.

That's what you need to do.

I'm forcing myself to stop.

Any questions?

There's these amazing verses, just think of these two verses.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it's the glory of kings to discover it.

Another one.

Secret things belong to God, but the things that are revealed belong to man.

Crazy.

It's like he's started up saying, can you come to me in simple relationship and wonder?

A thing that's lost so early in Christian life is wonder.

Wonder.

That's why Joey delights me.

That's why Brielle delights me.

There's wonder.

I just picked two kids.

There's many other kids.

That's why Shiloh still delights me.

He's older.

Now I'll have to mention everybody, so I'm going to take a pause.

But the point is this, there's wonder.

And the first thing, one of the first things that Christians lose is wonder.

Once wonder is lost, why would you even experiment with things that will require digging?

I used to sing a song when I was your age.

Children are people who live in a land made of raindrops and puddles and pebbles and streams.

Solemnly watching, silently watching a twig as it sails through a clear crystal pool to an island of dreams.

And then you know how the song ends.

The song ends saying, oh what a shame that our children have grown up into people.

Oh what a shame that our children have grown up into people.

This is why Psalm 27.1 grips my heart from the message, Psalm 27.1.

Zest, space, light, that is our God.

That's what I'm going to pray for you before we go, yeah?

Let's just pray that.

Then there was a song I wanted but I don't remember.

Oh yeah, can we sing Power of Your Love before we leave?

Father, we disarm ourselves from our grown-upness.

We disarm ourselves from our grown-upness.

And we seek to be Joey running down the aisle.

Elion trying to grab a flag bigger than him.

Brielle coming up with her own songs and singing it.

Eliana doing somersaults and jumping off pews.

Jesus, I want to be like that.

I want to be childlike.

Restore to us the awe and wonder of living.

Restore to this church the simplicity and the awe and wonder of living.

Psalm 27.1, zest, space, light.

This is our God.

You must be so delightful.

I sometimes envy my mum who died a year ago.

She gets to enjoy a God we don't even know.

You must be so delighting.

You must be the happiest person in the world.

You must be so irrepressibly happy.

Your laughter probably fills the forest like it says.

Aslan rose, the forest comes alive.

Flowers begin to bloom.

What is it with you, oh God?

I want that. I want that. I want that. I want that.

And I want it for...

I don't want it for myself. I want it for all of us.

Change this, oh God.

Not childishness, but childlikeness.

Deep, deep desire.

I love it, Father, that there was this delight that I felt.

And hip felt when Tia spoke my name.

I felt privileged.

How do you feel when we do that?

When Tia begins to take her guitar and she starts playing.

So as I sing this song which is, Lord, I come to you.

Let my heart be changed renewed.

We park open eyes for a second and we seek childlikeness

because it will result in open eyes.

Grant us a prayer, I pray.

Because I really believe this is being prompted by the Spirit in Jesus' name.

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