As the first day of January 2000 rolled around many people felt used and abused. They planed, and prepared for the worst etc. Others breathed a sigh of relief and released their pent up anxiety by an extra exuberant burst of joyous celebration. Many spent hours glued to the television to see if anything would happen in countries that came first into the 21st century. As each hour ticked off, a grateful groan was sounded, especially in the western world. The ones that really made out were those who had the foresight to make money off the ignorance and fear of people caught in the “matrix”. If you haven’t seen the movie after this title, it may be worth seeing. Although the movie’s imagery is highly exaggerated, one cannot help but sense that our lives indeed are subjected to an imprisoning system.
Being born in this matri, “womb” of a world of sin and death, we have fallen asleep and our dream world has become our reality. Periodically we are stirred from this state of slumber, but are so drowsy that we fall back into unreality. Howbeit, the prophets of old, because of their giftings, were able to get glimpses into the unseen realms. Elisha, for example, was praying to YHWH to open the eyes of his servant who was in that moment stressed out by an Aramean army surrounding his village. Apparently the young servant had gone out early in the morning and lo and behold, much to his dismay, here was this enemy poised to greet him. “Alas, my Master!” he exclaimed: “What shall we do?” “Do? What shall we do?” The first recommendation that this old seer gave him was: “you want to do something? Then DO NOT FEAR!” Elisha’s answer was not based on an imaginary faith but on an unquestionable actuality, “those who are with us are more than with them.” I can just hear the thoughts of the helper: ‘Yea, sure! I count two of us and a multitude of them. Where in the world did you go to school Elisha? Look, get your laptop out and come up with some practical ideas on how we deal with this predicament, like trading in some land for peace maybe?’ The prophet’s reality was hidden from the young man. So Elisha prayed to the One who could open blind eyes, and said, "’YHWH, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then YHWH 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).
Although the two of them were standing in the same place, each was experiencing a different reality. Many years later, Paul an apostle, in writing to the believers exhorted them to “set their mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth…and not to look at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (Col.3:22; 2 Cor. 4:18). To be in this world but not of it, presents to us a unique but strange challenge. How do we do that, when our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are all dictating to our soul what is real? We all have had many experiences in this earthly journey, which have been a part of creating our “matrix”. However, along this journey we have come into the reality of another world, the world of faith. Faith as defined by the Word is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:1-3).
The Word of God was not seen, yet it was revealed to those who believed. “For since the creation of the world His invisible nature is clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Faith in His Word transfers the believer into another “matrix”. Even though standing in the same place as a non-believer, our reality will be different. For example, some may read Ezekiel 37 and the prophecies pertaining to Israel and Judah’s restoration, but be totally blind to their reality. God is fulfilling His Word right before our very eyes, but if His Grace has not opened the “eyes of our understanding”, we will not see His invisible Word as it comes to pass in and through a people. The scriptures ask us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; for do we not know this about ourselves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in us? (ref. 2 Cor. 13:5).
This lack of awareness may also pertain to other areas of our life. For instance, having been nurtured in this world under the power of the evil one who is a liar and the father of lies, we most likely have taken in these lies as truth (with very few exceptions). We, therefore, may have been interpreting our life and circumstances through this grid of lies. To use a borrowed example: Anyone who is regularly degraded and told how stupid and incompetent he is, will gradually embrace this thought, believing it to be true. Once that is done, this person’s interpretation of life will reinforce this belief with is own affirmations. Others’ reactions and behavior toward that person will seem to be connected to this self-perceived stupidity. Over a period of time such a person will have build defenses that only God is be able to penetrate and tear down.
Perhaps this is why the scriptures exhort us to “speak the truth in love.” That is if we know the truth! Let us pray the prayers of Elisha and Paul, that the Lord will open our blind eyes that we may see what is truly real and eternal, right here in the reality of our God-given experiences. We may hear of wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilence, and computer breakdowns that could cause a domino affect on the world economy, but what is God’s answer to all of these seeming realities or potential scenarios? “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”. (Isaiah 41:10). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for YHWH your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). We may also enquire, as did king David: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Yes, the realities of His hidden presence within us, the revelation of His invisible prophetic word coming to pass in our lives personally and corporately as a united house of Israel, can only be seen through the eyes of “the faith”.
Ephraim
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. (Psa. 133)
Being born in this matri, “womb” of a world of sin and death, we have fallen asleep and our dream world has become our reality. Periodically we are stirred from this state of slumber, but are so drowsy that we fall back into unreality. Howbeit, the prophets of old, because of their giftings, were able to get glimpses into the unseen realms. Elisha, for example, was praying to YHWH to open the eyes of his servant who was in that moment stressed out by an Aramean army surrounding his village. Apparently the young servant had gone out early in the morning and lo and behold, much to his dismay, here was this enemy poised to greet him. “Alas, my Master!” he exclaimed: “What shall we do?” “Do? What shall we do?” The first recommendation that this old seer gave him was: “you want to do something? Then DO NOT FEAR!” Elisha’s answer was not based on an imaginary faith but on an unquestionable actuality, “those who are with us are more than with them.” I can just hear the thoughts of the helper: ‘Yea, sure! I count two of us and a multitude of them. Where in the world did you go to school Elisha? Look, get your laptop out and come up with some practical ideas on how we deal with this predicament, like trading in some land for peace maybe?’ The prophet’s reality was hidden from the young man. So Elisha prayed to the One who could open blind eyes, and said, "’YHWH, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then YHWH 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).
Although the two of them were standing in the same place, each was experiencing a different reality. Many years later, Paul an apostle, in writing to the believers exhorted them to “set their mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth…and not to look at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (Col.3:22; 2 Cor. 4:18). To be in this world but not of it, presents to us a unique but strange challenge. How do we do that, when our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are all dictating to our soul what is real? We all have had many experiences in this earthly journey, which have been a part of creating our “matrix”. However, along this journey we have come into the reality of another world, the world of faith. Faith as defined by the Word is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:1-3).
The Word of God was not seen, yet it was revealed to those who believed. “For since the creation of the world His invisible nature is clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Faith in His Word transfers the believer into another “matrix”. Even though standing in the same place as a non-believer, our reality will be different. For example, some may read Ezekiel 37 and the prophecies pertaining to Israel and Judah’s restoration, but be totally blind to their reality. God is fulfilling His Word right before our very eyes, but if His Grace has not opened the “eyes of our understanding”, we will not see His invisible Word as it comes to pass in and through a people. The scriptures ask us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; for do we not know this about ourselves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in us? (ref. 2 Cor. 13:5).
This lack of awareness may also pertain to other areas of our life. For instance, having been nurtured in this world under the power of the evil one who is a liar and the father of lies, we most likely have taken in these lies as truth (with very few exceptions). We, therefore, may have been interpreting our life and circumstances through this grid of lies. To use a borrowed example: Anyone who is regularly degraded and told how stupid and incompetent he is, will gradually embrace this thought, believing it to be true. Once that is done, this person’s interpretation of life will reinforce this belief with is own affirmations. Others’ reactions and behavior toward that person will seem to be connected to this self-perceived stupidity. Over a period of time such a person will have build defenses that only God is be able to penetrate and tear down.
Perhaps this is why the scriptures exhort us to “speak the truth in love.” That is if we know the truth! Let us pray the prayers of Elisha and Paul, that the Lord will open our blind eyes that we may see what is truly real and eternal, right here in the reality of our God-given experiences. We may hear of wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilence, and computer breakdowns that could cause a domino affect on the world economy, but what is God’s answer to all of these seeming realities or potential scenarios? “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”. (Isaiah 41:10). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for YHWH your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). We may also enquire, as did king David: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Yes, the realities of His hidden presence within us, the revelation of His invisible prophetic word coming to pass in our lives personally and corporately as a united house of Israel, can only be seen through the eyes of “the faith”.
Ephraim
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. (Psa. 133)
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