"Seeing" God In His Word
A central purpose of these studies, given to us this day from the hand of or Lord, is to finally heal our currently blind eyes, so that we can see God, in truth. Our Father God is carnally invisible, which makes things somewhat difficult for us to comprehend. But, God wants us to deeply understand some important points; so, in order to facilitate that process, He has now manifested Himself in a carnally visible form, as Jesus, the Son of God [also know as the Son of Man, since mankind are His people]. God knows that for us, His children of weak faith, truly seeing is believing. But, we will be astonished at what we will learn to spiritually see, because what He is preparing to show us is carnally depicted by a face marred beyond recognition. Then we will finally mourn in that true understanding; and that is precisely the moment when He will turn that mourning into the greatest joy we ever knew, even as we stand there, stunned by it all.
I am not permitted to say too much before the vows are in place; it is all clearly said in the studies. But, for now, here are some of the many passages which speak to these issues, and this great event unfolding before our eyes today:
John 9:1-7
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. NKJV™
John 9:35-38
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."
38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. NKJV™
Heb 4:6-10
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. NKJV™
Col 1:15
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. NKJV™
John 4:24
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJV™
1 John 4:12
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. NKJV™
John 6:46
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.
NKJV™
John 1:18
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. NKJV™
Matt 13:14
14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive; NKJV™
John 9:40-41
40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"
41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains. NKJV™
John 5:37-39
37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. NKJV™
Just as Job had "seen" Him, so we too will renew our understanding; Job came to "see" God, through the reworking of his thinking [which he had just gone through!!]. This study series will renew our mental "eyesight," for all those who come to it’s healing waters:
Job 42:3-5
3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.'
5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You. NKJV™
This washing of our eyes, which the study series is designed to accomplish, will enable us to see our Lord God alive in the Word, for the first time since the Garden of Eden, with the only exception being the time He came to us, incarnate as Jesus. Even then, we still could not clearly "see" Him, for Who He truly was, is, and will be. So, we see this day of new sight prophesied in several places, such as the scene we saw recorded in Scriptures [with the man who had been healed in his sight], as well as these other accounts:
John 20:18
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. NKJV™
Luke 24:16
16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. NKJV™
Luke 24:35
35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. NKJV™
John 21:4
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. NKJV™
John 21:7
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. NKJV™
Isa 52:14
14 Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men; NKJV™
Neh 8:10
10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." NKJV™
Ezek 16:63
63 that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done," says the Lord God.'" NKJV™
Judg 16:21
21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. NKJV™
Judg 16:26
26 Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, "Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them." NKJV™
Acts 9:1-2
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. NKJV™
So it often is, the people most sincere about serving God have done the most harm, not being able to truly see the God they thought they knew.
3 John 11
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. NKJV™
Acts 9:3-6
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?"
Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" NKJV
God’s plan is that now we must be taken by the hand, and led through these immersion studies, a thorough washing in God’s life-giving, Resurrected Word. It totally changed Saul into Paul, and finally got him to drop the sword version of God’s Word he had used much of his life to kill and imprison so many of God’s lambs.
Acts 9:8-9
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. NKJV™
2 Kings 5:14
14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. NKJV™
2 Cor 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, NKJV™
John 21:12-14
12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" — knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. NKJV™
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