THE LIBERATING POWER OF SPIRITUAL VISION

Trevor S. Ferguson

May 31, 2011

2nd Kings 6:12-17 (NKJV)
¹² And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."
¹³ So he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." And it was told him, saying, "Surely he is in Dothan."
¹⁴ Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
¹⁶ So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 

Key Phrase: They that are with us are more than they that are with them!

INTRODUCTION 

The ability to see is one of the most cherished functions of human life. Sight allows us to appreciate beauty, to recognize obstacles, to chart paths and protects us from environmental dangers. While we recognize that persons who are physically blind learn to function, their functional capacity remains significantly reduced and except in very familiar environments they usually require a person with vision to guide them and protect them from unseen dangers. Lack of vision therefore exposes us to unseen dangers and is often accompanied by great fear. This often leads to paralysis of action and under-achievement because the slightest sound is often elevated to represent insurmountable danger

Spiritual vision can be described as “our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from his point of view” (Life Application Study Bible). In other words, spiritual vision is "seeing through God’s eyes"! In contemporary society spiritual vision is often not given the same pride of possession as physical vision, but just as lack of physical vision results in great impediments and is associated with much fear, lack of spiritual vision results in paralysis of spiritual activity and overwhelming fear (instead of faith).

Today we look at an encounter between the prophet Elisha and his servant as we reflect on the liberating power of spiritual vision.  

EXPOSITION

We are all familiar with Elisha as one of the leading prophets of the Old Testament. We initially meet him as servant to the prophet Elijah and are introduced to his spiritual vision by two of his actions even before he received his prophetic anointing.

The first encounter has to do with his call. When Elijah passed by and cast his mantle upon him, he immediately left the field where he was plowing with oxen and other than requesting time to say good-bye to his parents he was immediately ready to follow Elijah.

The second encounter was at the time when Elijah was to be taken up to heaven. Although the sons of the prophets were apparently trying to warn him that Elijah was to be taken up that day, while the other sons of the prophets saw through their natural eyes, the end of the ministry of Elijah, Elisha through spiritual vision saw the beginning of his own ministry. Therefore while the other prophets were probably advising him to cut his losses and return to plowing with oxen, Elisha was determined to go with Elijah to the last mile of the way. He boldly requested when asked of his desires that he received the double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Elisha  went with Elijah until he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, then took up Elijah’s mantle, used it to cross Jordan and from thereon went on to become one of the greatest Old Testament prophets.

The story in today’s text recounts one of the great exploits of Elisha. Syria was at war with Israel, but the king of Syria soon found out that every time he made plans to attack Israel, these plans were revealed to Elisha who reported them to the king of Israel. The king of Syria therefore sent an army to capture Elisha. When Elisha’s servant saw the might of the Syrian army he was filled with fear and enquired of Elisha, “What shall we do?” He must have been shocked when Elisha turned and said to him “Don’t be afraid.” “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. While the servant was using physical vision to see the hosts of the Syrian army, Elisha through spiritual vision was seeing the even greater host of God’s angelic army. Elisha recognized the paralysis which results from spiritual blindness and therefore prayed that God would open the eyes of the servant. When his eyes were opened he now saw the great host of God’s army, thus liberating him from his great fear.

As we seek to apply this lesson to our present situation I want to share with you three insights that we can glean from spiritual vision:

Insight # 1: God has an army of angels ready to defend and deliver his people 

o  Psalm 34:7 “ The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

o  Psalm 91:11-12 “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Insght #2: The forces of good that are with us are greater than the forces of evil that fight against us

o  2^nd Kings 6:16 “… Those who are with us are more than those that are with them”

o  Hebrews 12:22-23a  “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn …”

o  1^st John 4:4 “… greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Insight #3: The real battle we are fighting is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle. Elisha’s servant was engaged by the physical battle but did not appreciate the deeper spiritual battle.

o  Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

o  2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

CONCLUSION

We are engaged in a spiritual battle; therefore we can’t defeat the enemy using natural physical weapons. If we lack spiritual vision we end up paralyzed by fear because the devil will always put on a show of force, even though he knows his army is inferior. We need spiritual vision to liberate us from the fear and paralysis that results from spiritual blindness.

Today some of us may be overcome by the fears and the cares of this life. Like Elisha’s servant we may be asking: Alas my master, what shall I do? Ask God to open your eyes that you may see things from His point of view. You will be pleasantly surprised to find out that “… Those who are with you are more than those that are with them”.

I pray today that God will grant you spiritual vision and liberate you so that you can do exploits for him!

Teach Them Diligently Unto Your Children: Principles for Inter-generational Transfer of Faith

Trevor S. Ferguson

May 23, 2011

Deuteronomy 6:3-7 (NKJV)

3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you--'a land flowing with milk and honey.'

4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

INTRODUCTION

In Psalm 127:3, the psalmist describes children as “an heritage of the Lord” and the “fruit of the womb” is describe as God’s reward. In other passages the inability to bear children is considered as a curse or as a sign of God’s displeasure. Children therefore have an important place in biblical theology and serves as the primary vehicle through which the purpose of God is perpetuated in the earth. The problem though, is that knowledge of God and faith in God have not been effectively passed from generation to generation and in many cases what we see is downward drift with greater and greater departure from the principles of holiness and right living.

Today we want to reflect on this issue of inter-generational transfer of faith and highlight some principles for the effective transfer of faith from one generation to another

EXPOSITION

The bible cites several examples where faith was not effectively transferred within a single generation but only a few cases of effective transfer through multiple generations. I will quickly review some of these examples.

The problem started with the first family, when a presumably repentant Adam started his family he was not able to transfer faith to his first son Cain although Abel, his second son, became a man of faith. Thankfully Adam was able to redeem his heritage through Seth.

Judges 2:7-10 contains one of the most telling passages on the failure to transfer faith across a single generation. The passage tells us that Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and while the elders who outlived Joshua were still alive, but when that generation was died there arose “another generation … which new not the Lord”. The book of Judges contains the story of that and subsequent generations, a sorry tale of cyclical apostasy and repentance.

The stories of Eli and Samuel further illustrate this failure to transfer faith. Eli’s sons were describes as “sons of Belial” (1^st Samuel 2:12); they were wicked, corrupt, greedy and participated in immoral sexual acts. Samuel’s sons were not much better; they too were greedy, took bribes and perverted judgment.

Thankfully there are a few stories of good inter-generational transfer of faith. The best known are the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Although there were a few hiccups along the way, these three stand out as examples of faith which have served as models throughout all subsequent generations.

The next example is much less flamboyant, nested in the New Testament epistle of 2^nd Timothy we find this statement from Paul: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Although Timothy’s father was Greek, the godly influence and faith of his mother and grandmother provided the fertile ground for faith in Timothy, so that Paul could further impart wisdom and knowledge unto him so that he became the pastor and bishop of the church in Ephesus.

What then should we do to ensure that successful transfer of faith from one generation to the other?

The scriptures do not give specifics as to what Abraham or Isaac did or what Lois and Eunice did, but a number of passages give strong and clear instructions to parents. I believe that if we follow these examples we will successfully transfer faith to our children.

The key text for emphasis today is Deut 6:7 “Teach them diligently to your children…” We note that this verse is part of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), which was the Jewish declaration of faith in the ONE God JEHOVAH. It was to be recited daily. I suspect however that for many Jewish children it was more of a recitation than a declaration of faith! Today we must ensure that our declaration of faith (e.g. Acts 2:38) is not just a recitation but backed up by action and obedience to the ONE true God. Note also the command to teach diligently. This implies teaching with passion, repetition and purpose, not passively repeating.

Other instructive passages emphasizing the importance of teaching God’s word to our children include the following:

 

 

Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
 
Joel 1:3 “Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.”
 
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Note that training here implies more than passive telling.)
 
2^nd Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Effective transfer of faith from one generation to the next is fundamental for the salvation of our children. Let us learn from the past. We can’t afford to fail!

I would like to share with you 4 principles which I believe will produce successful inter-generational transfer of faith, these are:

1.       MODEL the word of God before your children

2.       INSTRUCT children in the word of God

3.       ENCOURAGE children to make a personal decision to serve God

4.       MOLD believing children in the way of the Lord so that they can become effective ministers of the word! 

CONCLUSION

We have been commanded to teach the word of God to our children. It is the only way in which we can ensure that faith is transferred from one generation to the next! None of us know the time of God return so we must ensure that the next generation has a sure foundation on which to build. Failure will have dire consequences with many souls being lost.

Let us all commit today to diligently teach our children the word of God. We must ensure that we effectively transfer faith from one generation to the next. It’s the best gift we could give our children.

God's Plan for Your Life

Trevor S. Ferguson

May 15, 2011

Jeremiah 29:4-14 (KJV)
⁴ Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
⁵ Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
⁶ Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
⁷ And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
⁸ For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
⁹ For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
¹⁰ For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
¹⁴ And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

INTRODUCTION

Many people today have questions regarding their purpose and what God desire’s for their lives. This is often expressed as questions concerning God’s will. In some cases persons approach these issues with great trepidation because they fear that God’s will for them will include things that they would rather not do. At other times, especially when going through difficult circumstances persons wonder what the future holds. In many such cases our eyes are blinded by the cloud of our circumstances and we see nothing but doom and gloom. These negatives perceptions often lead to a state of apathy, in which we seek to do nothing because we perceive that our actions will have only negative results.

Today we look at an example from the scripture where the Jews found themselves in captivity and how God through the prophet Jeremiah encouraged the people and instructed them as to what they should do. These principles are applicable to us today and will help us understand what God’s plan for our lives is.

EXPOSITION

The story is set in the time of the prophet Jeremiah, as he prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar had besieged the city of Jerusalem and had taken some of the inhabitants to Babylon; among them were Daniel and his three friends – Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Note that the northern tribes of Israel had already been taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Much has been written in the bible about this period of captivity; the books of Ezekiel and Daniel are set in this period. We also have references in the psalms. The best known being of these psalms is psalm 137, which shows that the people were depressed and despondent, as illustrated in the verses below:

By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.
We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it.
For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,

And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the Lord's song In a foreign land?

In Jeremiah chapter 29, Jeremiah writes to the elders in Babylon to encourage them and to instruct them what to do. Rather than sit in apathy the people were instructed to get on with their lives!

It would be useless for them to sit and cry or complain about their unfortunate circumstances, instead they should do the things they normally do: build houses, dwell in them, plant gardens (add some beauty to their environment), eat the fruit, take wives, bear children. In short they were being instructed to get on with their lives. This view is echoed in the New Testament (Luke 19:13) where in one of Jesus’ parables He quotes a nobleman who instructed his servants : Occupy till I come! They were also instructed not to listen to the false prophets who offered convenient prophecies and gave the people false hopes. Although they had previously been told that Israel  would spend  seventy years in Babylon (Jer. 25:11) they apparently rejected Jeremiah’s prophecy and sought to predict an early fall of the Babylonian empire and end to the exile. Jeremiah however reiterated the prophecy of chapter 25:11, where he had prophesied that God had appointed for them to spend seventy years in Babylon and afterwards they would return to Israel.

Today the Lord is saying to us that the process we are going through is for a set time; we do not know the duration of that set time but God is working out His purpose through us. At the end of this set time he will bring us into the place he wants us to be.

So what do we do while we wait on the Lord? We do just as Jeremiah had instructed the Jews in Babylon – Get on with our usual activities! We cannot afford to sit and wait and do nothing. For the church we must get on with our activities, keep on teaching, keep on preaching, and keep on evangelizing; if we had put some activities on hold its time to take them up again. We also concur with Paul’s instruction to Timothy: Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season! When it is convenient, preach, when it’s inconvenient, preach, when it’s fashionable, preach, when it’s unfashionable, preach, when people hear, preach, when people will not hear, preach!

Many will then say that this is hard and I have nothing to look forward to, but the next verse provides the encouragement we need. What are God’s plans for us? What are His thoughts towards us?

Verse 11 states: For I know that thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. The NIV translation makes interested reading: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God’s plan is for you to prosper and to do well, God’s plan for us includes great hope and an exciting future.

Martha Munizzi in her song captures this idea very well: Your latter will be greater than your past, you will be blessed more than your you can ask , despite all that has been done, your best is yet to come, your latter will be greater, your future will be greater than the past!

CONCLUSION

Gods plan for your life involves a bright and hopeful future! Don’t be discouraged by your present negative situations. Don’t fall into apathy and inactivity. Get on with your life. Allow God work to out His purpose in your life. Your present position is for a set time – but the best is yet to come!

Let us walk with confidence, let us continue to work for the Lord. His plans for us are good and we can look forward to a bright future.