Unseen Seen

Unseen Seen

                                         "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;

                                    and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel;

                                       and the Holy Ghost was upon him.  And it was revealed unto him by the

                                 Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

(Luke 2:25-26) 

"And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel,

                                        of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband

                                          seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore

                                             and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God

                                                                  with fastings and prayers night and day."

                                                                                       (Luke 2:36-37)

Simeon and Anna, the two who saw the unseen!  They spent their time in the temple, praying and fasting, expecting any moment to see the Lord Jesus Christ.  Their direction and focus was to pray for the coming Savior of the world and they did this without ceasing.  They were "seeing" the "unseen!"

Noah was another one, who was continually laughed at and scorned, because he saw the unseen!  Many accounts say it took Noah 120 years to build the Ark, yet amidst the ridicule and criticism, his faith did not waver; he was not to be deterred from the orders of His God!

 The Unseen Seen is called Vision.  It can actually be a "vision" of something to come, or a vision of "Faith," such as seeing all the Nations of the world lifting their hands to Jesus Christ our Lord in worship.  You say, "That's utterly preposterous!"  Is it?  Have you read Joel 2:28?  God shall pour out His Spirit upon all flesh!  Both types of "Vision" are reaching beyond ourselves to a Holy place we've never been.  A Christian's outlook is to actually "Out Look;" we must expand our tents and lengthen our cords.  In other words, our vision must be God's vision; our mindset must be God's mind; our direction must lead us to God's line of thought; our goal has to be God's intention; our heartbeat can be none other than God's heartbeat  ...  Souls!  

Joseph, Ezekiel, and John, just to name a few, were motivated by the Unseen Seen!  They were humans just as we are, but what made them people to whom God could show the unseen?  What is it in a person that calls them to see beyond today, to live here but go there, to dream the dreams of unknown places, to dive into the deeps of God's revelation?  The answer encompasses many things, such as "anointing," "calling," "set apart," "chosen;" but the most poignant of all is: "Hunger!"  

We've heard and read the hunger scriptures, "ask, knock, and it shall be opened to you; the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things shall be added to you; pray without ceasing ..."  But, it comes down to just a simple thing: "YouGotta'ReallyWantIt!" 

                                                      

The world is not our home, we're justa' passin' through, but while we're a' passin' we gotta' grab everybody we see to go with us.  "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)

My Pastor, Kenneth Phillips, says many incredible things, but one in essence is that the greatest song has not been sung; the greatest book (other than the Bible) has not been written; the most powerful film has not been made; the greatest discovery is yet to be found  ...  you get it!  We all have a place of "stretching" that will lead us to greatness in the Lord Jesus Christ, not for "our" benefit only, but for the benefit of mankind, and for the Glory of our God!        

It's all about seeing past our own back yard, having a groan for the souls of mankind, moving into the inner motive of God Almighty, searching the depths to reach the heights, looking for the invisible among the visible, grasping in the darkness for illumination, foraging the forest for "the" tree, and leaving the known for the unknown!  Not all are willing to do it, but for those who pay the price  ...  

This is not simple; it will be the most soul-wrenching thing you've ever done; it is miraculous mystery; it is unattainable aura; it is galaxies of glory; it is a powerful mind-boggling metamorphosis; it is the impetus of surreal splendor; it is:  "Unseen Seen!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)