We are told in scripture that we shouldn’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices, for ignorance gives him a foothold in our lives.
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:11
One of his devices/ploys is to get us to keep looking within at our never ending faults, sins, pain and sickness. He somehow has a way of putting symptoms on us that capture our attention and sap our energy. Soon all we do is talk about them instead of what God says about the situation and our bad confession brings it to pass. Instead of meditating on His word day and night we end up meditating on our sickness.
On the other hand we should not be ignorant of what the Lord wants. His passion is that we look to Him. His greatest desire is for us to worship Him, and set our minds on Him which we can’t do if we are distracted. It’s like having a sore toe, it keeps distracting you in your walk and is hard to ignore.
I think the Church is held captive in cycles of sickness, focusing too much on the symptoms the Devil keeps putting upon us. Its not only to make us sick but even more than that it’s to rob the Lord of the adoration and worship that He deserves.
Satan also has a bigger agenda and that is to try and distract the Bride from preparing herself for the Lord’s coming. He’s throwing things at us to distract us from getting ready, for we can only prepare as we look to the Lord. We are changed as we look at Him.
A powerful truth is that we become like the thing we worship. It makes sense then that the Devil would not want us to worship the Lord and give Him our full attention, because we become more like Jesus and dangerous to him.
When you understand this principle you will resist these attacks and look to the Lord more diligently. Instead of gazing upon your body of decay, look at Christ’s glorious body. As Paul said in Romans 8:6-7, to be carnally minded is death. A carnal mind is led by what it sees, feels, tastes, hears and smells. This always leads to death. On the other hand to be spiritually minded produces life. Spiritual minds go by what they believe rather than their fickle feelings. Believe what the word says, “By His stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
I have often pondered 2 Corinthians chapter 3 where it declares that the glory of the New Covenant is far better than the old one. It speaks of how Moses's face shined with the glory of God after he came down from Mount Sinai. We see nothing like this in the Church today and yet Paul says that what we have is far better?
“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!” 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
I think that it’s a lack of understanding that blinds us to the glory of the new covenant. It doesn’t seem all that wonderful to us, except maybe that we have our sins forgiven now, instead of covered over and we can also go straight to heaven when we die.
As you study the teachings of Paul you begin to see all the wonders of this marvellous new covenant. It’s far greater than we ever thought. It’s far greater than the Old Covenant in every way.
In Isaiah chapter 6 we read of how the Prophet Isaiah saw the glorious Lord, high and lifted up, and this revelation changed him forever. Isaiah saw into heavenly realms and was stunned by the magnificent glory of the Lord.
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1
The other day when I was praying in tongues and worshipping around the Sports field near my house, I felt the Lord say that I am more blessed than Isaiah. How come? I felt the Spirit say to me that Isaiah saw the Lord from a distance, high and lifted up, but you are far more privileged than that.
Paul tells us in Ephesians that we have been lifted up into heavenly realms, and that we are actually ‘in’ Christ in this lofty position.
“made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:5-6
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4
I’m not afar off as Isaiah was under the old covenant. I am now under a new covenant and can approach God through a fresh new life giving way into the very presence of God. Hebrews 10:20. I love what it says in the message translation that we have been lifted high above the cumulus clouds and decked with rainbow colours. Psalm 21:7
“You lifted him high and bright as a cumulus cloud, then dressed him in rainbow colours.”
Paul says that we’re seated in heavenly places with Christ. We are not only up there with Christ but we are also in the front row seats. Even better than that we are also starring with Christ, for we are in Him receiving His blessings under the spot light of the Father.
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22-23
John says that we are in Christ and He is in us. He also goes on to say that we have been given His glory. All that He is and all that He has is given to us in Christ. This seems too hard to get our heads around, but it’s true and needs to be believed. When we believe this by faith we will be changed.
We may want to actually have a vision like the one Isaiah had, but John says that its more blessed to believe what the word says.
“Blessed those who haven’t seen yet believe.” John 20:29
Jesus is no longer as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee, for He is now glorified and has His glorious new body. We will one day have a body like that. He wants us to see Him as He is now by faith and in so doing we will be changed.
The Devil is constantly warring against us to keep looking at our perishing bodies and not to the vibrant life giving body of Christ. When we partake of communion we are told to keep remembering and looking at His body that was broken for us. I know we have to live in this earthly body now but Jesus has given us a way to overcome this world by beholding the glory of the Lord. As we do we are changed from one level of glory to another.
”And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
I love what it says in Romans 4 where Abraham considered not his decaying body but considered the promise. The promise then was Isaac the miracle son but for us it is the promise of God’s Son which is far greater.
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Romans 4:19
This promise is a picture of His miraculous Son Jesus. He is the answer to all our needs, for He is all of God in a human body. As a Christian He is inside of us as ‘Jehovah Rapha.’ He is our Doctor, our healer, our medicine. This doesn’t mean we don’t go to a Doctor for help but He is to be our first port of call. Most of the time we don’t even go to Him for advice.
As I said the Devil somehow puts symptoms on us so that we keep considering in our own bodies all that’s apparently wrong with us. As we do we spend days contemplating our body and so little time considering the Lord’s body. The Devil knows that when we keep beholding Jesus we are changed to be like Him. Not just considering Jesus as He was, but how He is now, glorified. You may not see Him literally but you can consider Him in the word. Believe what the word says about Him. Meditating on the Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 whose face shone like the Sun and the vision of Daniel.
“Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” Revelation 1:12-16
“I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in colour, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Daniel 10:5-6
David said that He ‘set’ the Lord always before him. Psalm 16:8. To ‘set’ means to set something in concrete so that its immovable. How do we do that? The main way is to fill your thoughts with scripture, the excellent knowledge of Christ. Another way is to have Communion often and there remember Him. I have found that all of creation can remind us of His glorious attributes and the Song of Songs gives us the key to practising His presence.
For example when I see the sun I remind myself that His face shines like the sun. When I see a tree that stands out from the rest I remind myself from the Song of Songs 2:3 that He is like an apple tree amongst the trees of the wood. Its possible to go through the day constantly reminding yourself of His glory through creation and signs.
The day of the Lord is fast approaching, let us redeem the time for the days are evil. It’s time for the Bride to get herself ready. Cast off the works of darkness and behold the glory of the Lord. As you do you will be changed. Have a look at these messages below on how to practise the presence of the Lord.
There are more similar links on the pdf download below