Since the beginning of time, there have been those who could “see beyond” the status quo. Within this
remnant, however, there have always been those who could see what God sees (2 Kings 6:15-17).
Thus, there are varying levels of vision; as one man said, “All men dream: but not equally.” As it relates
to vision, it can also be said that “All men see but not similarly”.
There is a place “beyond” what we now see, beyond the horizon. Very few, however, know “this place”
because many believe – unconsciously or subconsciously – that what THEY see is the “the cutting
edge”.
For the most part, there is vision in the church but I am saddened in that it is still far too SMALL,
unable to see “beyond”, unable to “see what God sees” from where He sits.
As Desiderius Erasmus once said, "In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."
Like it or not, this is the general predicament of the Church. Many leader-SHIPS do not know what
harbor they seek; therefore any wind is the right wind. And what IS being seen is what is being looked
for based upon personal expectations which proves that “it is possible to have sight without vision” –
just ask Helen Keller.
There are many leaders in the church who, at best, have ONE eye and are now leading “God’s people”.
Dim-eyed elders and deacons are governing the church with the light (in-sight, understanding) they
have. Therefore, in the dark, they fumble and stumble and trip around, doing the best they can with
what they personally have, which is DIRECTLY RELATED to what they have received or not received
in their personal time with the Lord; yet many do not INTIMATELY & PERSONALLY KNOW the Lord
(with the passion of a lover) because they do not spend time with Him as they should. Therefore, the
quality and substance of their SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP is shallow and weak at best.
Yes, there IS vision in the church but what IS seen is not reality for we don't see things as they are - we
see them as WE ARE. Who we really are is the grid that we see through, perverting what really, in fact,
is.
On the other hand, many are distracted from “seeing beyond” because their vision is limited by the
narrowness of their own past experience. These “old wineskins” only see what is compatible with their
“box” – what they are used to and what they like.
Others let the successes of their past distract them so that, while they boast in their GOOD works, they
miss the magnitude of the Lord’s present operation. These LIMITERS (who consistently tempt God,
Ps. 78:41) are the least ready for “tomorrow” for they hold the most rigid beliefs about what
“tomorrow” will contain, thereby putting their personal interpretation on the Divine expectation.
The fear of failure is gripping many today, causing them to “lower the bar”, which is not really to their
benefit, even though it SEEMS to be. This is a tragedy for Michelangelo said, “The greatest danger for
most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Many are
rejoicing today in their achievements which are really a reprised collection of that which is only a little
better than average. In short, there is nothing momentous about maximized mediocrity.
It is time for us to prepare ourselves to see more than what we now see. Life is so much more than the
little boxes we live in. Our present vision is not high or wide or far or deep enough. It is time for us to
see what is invisible to others and it is time for us to hear what is rare.
What would happen if we took everything we believe, think and know and just threw it all up in the air
and then let it all fall to the ground? Would it be okay if we left it all alone and just trusted God to sort it
all out? Could we “let it all go”? Could we trust God to clean up the mess His way?
There is a lot of change taking place in the church right now, but “All change is not growth and all
movement is not forward”. We need to see the truth!
Therefore, as has been said, “God is not trying to change us – He’s trying to kill us”. THIS IS OUR
ONLY HOPE for there is nothing glorious about “sanctified flesh” – it still stinks all the same.
Everything WE are, and everything WE will ever be, must be seriously shaken and dealt with – we must
die.
But since I am not speaking of a natural death, we must understand that for us to see and walk in what
God sees, we must become naïve (child-like) so that God can ACTUALLY use us. You see, we are all
getting in God’s way; we have far too much baggage. God can’t work through us because we obey what
WE see and ignore what God IS showing; one is more logical than the other. And since we have
systematically trained our souls to pay attention to “certain things”, God can’t get a word in edge wise
or show us anything NEW; we have Spirit-proofed our minds and spirits by unconsciously equipping
our lives with the soulish ability to only “pick up” that which is either familiar, logical, popular or
comfortable to us. We have been well trained in “our way” which we REALLY believe is God’s way (we
would never say this of course); therefore, when God tries to “gently and quietly lead”, we “blow it off”
without a second thought, giving our attention to that which sounds “louder” to OUR senses.
There is a Divine naivety necessary for the fulfillment of what God sees. So dare to be naïve because
every true genius is naive and there is no true genius without some touch of madness.
Seeing beyond the horizon is going to cost us our lives, so make your decision now. If you “choose
life”, than dare to step out onto the “gang plank” – risk your life for Life. “Do it big” or stay in bed. Give
everything or give up. And please oh please do not expect it to be pretty because EFFORT IS UGLY.
And furthermore - expect everyone to disapprove of you.
Remember in passing - “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction” (Picaso) & “Every new
adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem” (Eric Hoffer).
All growth demands a temporary surrender of security. Let go of your securities and jump off the cliff.
If you obey all “the rules” you will miss all the fun.
Break every mold and formula; you can’t take them with you.
If you want to be on “the cutting edge” you must first find “the edge”. And “In order to find the edge,
you must risk going over the edge” (Dennis Dugan).
Some will think you are OUT OF YOUR MIND, judging you from the comfort of their little, moderate
world. But do not let this deter you. Be encouraged:
“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess” (Oscar Wilde).
“Only dead fish swim with the stream” (Anonymous).
“One man with courage makes a majority” (Andrew Jackson).
Selah.
ROOM TEMPERATURE
There is a many-membered sleeping giant in the land snoozing in what could very well be the greatest
of epochs. Dissatisfaction and discouragement has left this Creature in a funk, hypnotizing it into a
deep coma.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once commented that the great tragedy of Rip Van Winkle was not that he
slept for twenty years, but that he slept through a great revolution.
The lackadaisical passivity of the present times has infiltrated and infected the Body of Christ, causing
it to “nod off”. The lack of supernatural vision, power and LIFE in the church has plagued the Body
with horrific boredom. But this is not surprising because it is very easy to “nod off” when there is so
little to keep us awake.
A great man once said, “A ship in the sea is good but sea in the ship is bad.” And this is what has
happened and is presently happening within the lives of many “believers”; the “ship” of their lives is in
the “sea” of the world, but the “sea” of the world is getting into their “ships” (their lives).
To further illustrate this point, let us put a glass of hot water in a room that is at “room temperature”.
What will happen to the hot water? It will assume, after some time, “room temperature.”
Now, let us do the same with a glass of cold water. What will happen? The same thing – it will “assume
room temperature”.
But how can we keep this from happening? How can we KEEP the hot water HOT and the cold water
COLD? Both glasses MUST MAINTAIN CONTACT with that which will KEEP it hot or cold – the glass
of cold water must maintain contact with something COLD and the glass of hot water must maintain
contact with something HOT.
Now let us bring this principle into the practicalities of our everyday lives.
Every Christian has been placed into their own “room”, their own living environment.
But at this present time, since many are not vitally-connected to their “Source” (vitally connected to
the Vine), they are “assuming room temperature” which is another way of saying, “they are dying”.
But how does this relate to vision?
Well, let me tell you how this relates to vision by telling you what I have seen in the area I live, Rocky
Mount/Wilson, North Carolina (USA). But before I do so, let me say that what I am about to disclose is
not necessarily a secret nor is it rare since it is “in” every “small town”.
I have noticed in the last 20-some years (I was born and raised in Wilson) a psychological epidemic
which has cursed many “believers” and “non-believers” alike; I like to call it “the small-town muck &
mire”. It is a “small town” mentality which, subtly, over time, compresses the vision of all its victims.
This muddy mind-set infests everyone who is not connected to that which is BIGGER and BROADER
than the “little world” they live in. Many do not really know how truly BIG the world is outside of their
“little world”; they really cannot, in many ways, “see beyond” the borders of their “little city”. The
“smallness” of their universe has possessed them, making them “like” their environment, making them
“small”. As a result, they “think small”, “talk small” and “live small” – they are a “product of their
environment”.
If you ever want to meet any of these folks, go out and just start talking to somebody; it won’t be long
before you meet one.
When I have engaged those who are victims of this “small-town mindset” about the expanses of things
such as technology, space exploration and international affairs and news they “zone out” and fall asleep
with their eyes wide open only they look just like a cow looking at a new gate; they think I am the one
who is “out of my mind”.
And while this saddens me for the “non-believers” it saddens me even more for the “believers” (the
Christians) who also “zone out” and “go into sleep mode” (with their eyes wide open) as I start talking
about a God Who is BIGGER than their god. And while this is immensely true of most Evangelicals and
Pentecostals, I am most concerned about the “Charismatic folk”. It never fails - They have the biggest
habit of “zoning out” when I spontaneously strike up a conversation about living in a place with God
that is beyond what Adam, Moses, Elijah, Jesus and Paul had. They often even get upset and shut me
down or start correcting me. And the reason they do this, is because they cannot “see beyond” the
reach of the light they have.
I am further saddened by those who – consciously or subconscious or even unconsciously – think that
“their light” is THE light; it’s hard to watch them for they really think that they are on “the cutting
edge” when in fact, if you sit down with them and just “listen” to their speech and use even “a little”
discernment, you will learn that they are really just “babes in Christ” who THINK they are grown. But
we all know this is normal, right? I mean, think about it, how many children do you know that think
they are “BIG”. I know lots of them.
DIM EYES
First Samual 3:1-3 reveals the prophetic posture of two priesthoods in the church at this time (AMP):
1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in
those days; there was no frequent or widely spread vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had dimmed so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and
Samuel was lying down.
“Now” the boy Samuel (which is a type of the remnant in the temple, the church) is ministering unto the
Lord before Eli (which is a type of the present reigning leadership in the temple) – This is presently
happening.
And now we are in a day when, “The word of the Lord is rare and precious…there is no frequent or
widely spread vision.” Of course, I am speaking of “the word” or “vision” - I am speaking of that which
is truly from the Lord Himself. Presently, there are “many words” and “many visions” that have not
and are not being authored by the heart of God.
Eli, who is leading right now in the church world, has “dim eyesight so that he cannot see”. And with
this, he is “lying down in his own place”. Since he could no longer see, he was blind to his rebellion in his
lying down in rest in “his own” place. Sure, he was “resting in God” – or so it seemed – but the “place”
of his “resting” was what disclosed the root of his heart. He “looked” to be “resting in God” but a closer
look would have informed anyone of Eli’s true condition.
Verse 3 gives us hope: “The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark
of God was…” This is very good news. God is still with us and He has not left us. The “lamp” of God’s
light has not gone out which means that the “potential” of His direct communication to us is still
present. Plus, the Ark of His Presence is still in the temple even though it is a faint lingering reality,
unseen to the majority and un-cultivated by the general leadership.
The latter part of verse 3, however, gives us a further hope: “…and Samuel was lying down.” This tells
me that a Samuel company is presently IN the temple resting before the Lord, waiting for Him to speak
and move. Many think that Samuel is not present but it only seems this way because he is so still and so
quiet. Samuel will not establish himself nor will he push himself forward prematurely. He is just “lying
down” in rest, ministering unto the Lord before Eli.
Now the similarities and differences between Eli and Samuel are note-worthy:
Eli was old and set in “his” ways; Samuel was young and pliable, ministering unto the Lord before
Samuel.
Both Eli and Samuel were “lying down” but only Eli was lying down in “his own” place. Samuel did not
have “his own” place.
The rest of 1 Samuel 3 reveals some further insights which we would do well to note.
In verses 4-9, God calls out to Samuel three times. Each time Samuel thought he was being called by Eli
so he would go to Eli. The third time, Eli perceived that it was God Who was calling the boy so he told
Samuel what to do when God called him again.
Before we move on, let me just say that both Eli and Samuel were a bit delayed in their discernment:
Samuel was slow to “get it” because verse 7 says that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word
of the Lord was not yet revealed to him.” Therefore, it was Samuel’s immaturity that made him dull of
heart.
Eli, on the other hand, is a different story. He was a “mature” priest in the temple at that time. He knew
the voice of God and had lived in the Presence of God for many, many years. But something was wrong:
His eyes were dim; his ability to “discern” was dull and weak. He had become slow of heart in the things
of God. This is why he was so “slow” to “see” that it was the Lord speaking to Samuel.
So you see, Samuel had an excuse (he was “just learning” the voice of God) while Eli did not (he had
“lost his edge”).
Sure, when Eli “did” know that it was the Lord, he knew the “proper protocol” for how to respond to the
Lord when He called but this is the easy part, compared to “having a hearing ear and a seeing eye”.
Anyone can, through experience, learn the “right response”, but who can “hear” and “see” the Lord
when He is really and truly communicating to us the first time (It took Eli 3 times).
Now to verses 10-18, when God called Samuel a fourth time and Samuel responded, God gave Samuel a
word of judgment for Eli and his household, which Samuel then had to deliver to “his elder”.
This too, is prophetic of what is now taking place.
God is speaking to the hearts of His Samuels concerning the house of Eli and He is seeking to bring
adjustment to the “old order” through the loving innocence of “a child” (a seemingly immature
remnant). Many are and will continue to rebuke Samuel for “not respecting his elders” or “not
remembering his place (for a child should be seen and not heard).” But Samuel did not ask to be the
messenger of God’s word of judgment – it fell into his lap. Samuel is only doing what his Master wants
him to do. Don’t kill the messenger.
Don’t kill those who “see beyond”.
[Much more could be said about 1 Samuel chapter 3, but let’s move on, shall we?]
SEEING THE UNSPEAKABLE
Paul the Apostle, who was mature, could “see beyond”. In 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 (AMP), he spoke of
something much “bigger” than the glory of the Old Testament:
7 Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was
inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of
Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away, [Ex 34:29-35.]
8 Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to
obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?
9 For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding
in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters
righteous living and right standing with God]!
10 Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has
come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [the
glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ].
11 For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that
which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
Now, to really cement what Paul said, let’s read this passage out of “The Message Bible”:
7 The Government of Death, its constitution chiseled on stone tablets, had a dazzling inaugural. Moses'
face as he delivered the tablets was so bright that day (even though it would fade soon enough) that the
people of Israel could no more look right at him than stare into the sun.
8 How much more dazzling, then, the Government of Living Spirit?
9 If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation?
10 Bright as that old government was, it would look downright dull alongside this new one.
11 If that makeshift arrangement impressed us, how much more this brightly shining government
installed for eternity?
I believe Paul was a firstfruits of those who “see beyond”.
He wasn’t satisfied to be restored “back to Eden” (1 Cor. 15) even though so many today are preaching
that “we are going back to Eden.” No, Paul saw something “beyond”. He saw what God sees from His
vantage point. He saw something “greater” and “bigger” and “higher” and “wider” and he wasn’t shy
about it either.
You see, I think Paul was cursed by God in a good way, for God “raptured” (“caught up”) him into the
third heaven (into Paradise, which IS Eden where the “tree of life” is - Rev. 2:7) where he personally
heard things that where “bigger than life”, bigger than “the status quo”; I believe he saw, heard and
touched the glory of all that Jesus lived and died for; I believe he saw the fullness of the greater glory of
2nd Corinthians 3:7-11; I believe he saw what God sees all the time:
2 Cor 12:4, AMP: …He heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not
permitted to utter.
2 Cor 12:3, The Message: …he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard.
Can you image what this did to Paul’s life? He heard (and possibly saw) things that were impossible to
tell and were even “forbidden to tell”. Can you imagine the frustration that caused? Can you imagine
the turmoil? He couldn’t communicate anything to anyone at any time – what he saw was “alien” and
foreign to this world and everyone in it.
And now I think of Lazarus who was dead FOUR DAYS and raised to life by the Son of Man (Jn. 11). Do
you think Lazarus entered comfortably and easily back into “his daily routine” after being dead FOUR
DAYS? Do you think he went on as if nothing happened at all? Or, do you think it “messed him up real
good” for the rest of his earthly, mortal life?
I mean, think about it people: He was DEAD for FOUR DAYS. Where do you think he was? What did he
see? What did he hear? What did he do? And when he was resurrected, what kind of thoughts ran
through his mind when he walked out of the tomb and looked through his grave-clothes to see “this old
world” again? What went through his head? And what do you think he thought when he laid his eyes on
Jesus? Don’t you think he felt something deep inside when He saw the One Who had created the place
he had just visited and the place he was now in?
Can you imagine the “seeming” hell Lazarus lived in for the rest of his life after having been to “the
other side” and back? How could he eat breakfast the same way? How could he enjoy his sisters, Mary
and Martha, in the same way? He was changed forever and for the rest of his life he never fit in – he was
forever a square peg in a round hole; no one understood him and no one wanted to. He “saw” things
that no one else had seen. He “heard” things that no one else had heard. And he was ruined forever.
I imagine that “the only one” he could ever truly “be with” was Jesus for only He could understand;
only Jesus knew where he had been.
In this same way, there are SOME today who have seen what the multitudes have not seen and they are
not “fitting in” and they have very few friends. The church does not relate to them because, if the truth
were told, these seers see “far too much”; the religious system cannot tolerate these dreamers –
jealousy and envy is their inward motivation whether they know it or not.
These “visionaries” walk alone – they are unwanted for the most part – while their only friend is the
One Who has opened their eyes. Today they see what they are shown by Him Who is preparing them
for His great end-time purposes.
Presently, my eyes scan the church-world to find those who see as Christ sees, “beyond what is”.
Jonathan Swift said that “Vision is the art of seeing the invisible”; I believe this. But few see the
invisible because they are, whether they know it or not, OBSESSED with the visible. And as they major
on minors, the “major” passes them by.
Where are those who dare to “see beyond” what they’ve seen? Where are those who dare to “see
beyond” what everyone else is seeing? Who has the God-guided-guts to see and do what has never been
seen and done before? Who has the backbone to break every mold (especially “their own”) and start
from scratch with ONLY what they “see beyond”?
When God was about to take His remnant over Jordan into the Promised Land, He gave Joshua a
solemn word:
Joshua 3:4, KJV: …Ye have not passed this way heretofore.
Many cannot and will not go “this way” – where they’ve never been before – because they are
deceptively attached to “their way”. And the interesting thing about deception is that “the deceived”
don’t know they are deceived cause, guess what – they’re deceived. And those who have “seen beyond”
are a thorn in the side of those who are “stuck in their way” and deceived “in” it. When those who have
“seen beyond” come with wisdom and understanding, those who are “blind” often respond with clichés
like, “Well, we’ll pray about it” or “We’ll think about it”.
Right now, there are “hair line fractures” in various bones in the Body of Christ which, posing no
immediate threat, have the potential of causing serious trouble in the future if not dealt with
immediately. Anything less than 20/20 vision cannot see these very small flaws.
Those who have “dull senses” cannot see “the mini-fault-lines”; they are oblivious to their “present
need” for they only see what “they” see “right now”, which to them, is all that matters.
Isaiah 42:20 speaks of this multitude as those who have “seen a lot but looked at nothing…heard
everything but listened to nothing”. (The Message) This saddens me since many are spending a lot of
money and time “seeing and hearing” a lot of stuff every day through many various avenues. The
question is: How do we know we are REALLY “seeing and hearing”.
There is a dense “fog” over the eyes of much of Christendom which can be equated to the
“disorientation” one has first thing in the morning - the “sleepy glaze” over the eye ball can impair
vision, causing one to rub their eyes. But since many do not fix the problem (by simply going to the
bathroom to splash COLD water on their faces), they are not remedied – they just proceed into their
day with the same sleepy glaze and do not even know it.
It seems that many need to have a huge bucket of ICE WATER dumped all over them to “smack” them
into reality and out of “their dream-world”.
At the same time, there are “seers” who see the “little foxes” which mean to spoil the vine and what they
see breaks their hearts, because “the multitudes” are milling around like children in the marketplace,
clueless to “the present emergency”. Those who are going about in “the glaze” get upset when someone
who “can see more clearly” comes around and offers to “show” them the way of God more perfectly
(Acts 18:26) – So now I offer a word of wisdom, “Don’t kill the messenger.”
THE LAST CALL
Since many of us are under such a terrible delusion of “seeing without sight” and “hearing without ears”
due to inward limits, our only hope is to have the Rock fall on us. We have not fallen on the Rock,
therefore, the Rock must fall on us now (Lk. 20:17-18). This is our only hope – we must be thoroughly
broken. We must be traumatized so that we will WAKE UP out of our drunken, silly stupor.
9-11 SHOCKED America into an alert mode but then, soon after, as one prophet put it, WE HIT THE
SNOOZE BUTTON. We WERE awake, but than we “turned over in our beds” – or should I say
“coffins”.
God has tried to warn us in His gentle manner, but we are not listening. It seems that we are unable to
SIMPLY hear and obey.
Therefore, He must SHAKE us so violently that we will quickly awaken and see the mess we’ve put
ourselves in.
Remember, God is not the One Who put us in this stupor. We have placed ourselves in our own
predicament. We have chosen to ignore His Words.
Rick Joyner recently wrote a piece that spoke volumes to me concerning “the shaking” that is coming:
“I was praying…when a trumpet appeared in front of me, turned, and was blown right in my face. I
knew immediately that this is what the Lord is about to do—the church will soon receive an “in your
face” message from heaven…When I saw the trumpet appear in front of me and then blown in my face,
immediately I knew what the message was because of something which happened to me when I was in
the military. Normally, reveille, the call to wake up, was played over the loud speakers in the barracks.
However, if someone did not wake up to reveille when it was played over the speakers, a more drastic
measure was taken. They brought a trumpet in and blew it right in your face! This seldom had to be
done more than once to a recruit. When this happened, not only did you awake faster and more
completely than ever before, but from that day on you were especially keen to hear and respond to the
sound of any trumpet call. When I saw the trumpet about to be blown directly in my face, I felt we were
about to receive just such an “in your face” wake up call, one which we would not soon forget.”
Many of us are like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus – We are doing, what “we think” is, the will
of God – but we do not understand how blind we truly are.
Our only hope is for God to “knock us off of our high horse” and blind us.
We think we see. But we need God to show us our true condition.
We think we are “rich and increased in goods” but the truth is that we are “wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked”.
We think more of ourselves than we should and therefore disqualify ourselves from the grace of God
which is only given to the humble in heart.
Jesus wants to heal our blindness but if we do not admit our blindness we will never be delivered –
denial is not deliverance. We really need serious help – all of us (Jn. 9:39-41).
You see when God blinded Saul, scales formed on his eyes. These scales, however, where not
something altogether brand NEW – God merely caused what was ALWAYS there, to be seen for what it
really was – Saul was blind from birth and God exposed the problem.
This is what we need. This is our only hope. There is no other way.
“Oh Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!”