Seeing Can Be Deceiving - Charles D Harris

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.] Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. - Eph 6:10-13 NASB

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You’d have to be blind in a cave with your head in the sand to not recognize the evil that is manifesting in our world today. Injustice and lawlessness is running rampant and is impacting everyone. How many of you feel very strong emotions of shame, guilt, fear, anger?...the list goes on. With coronavirus and now this presents a sense of hopelessness, loneliness, and the like.

One can and does find ourselves angry with people causing volatility in relationships, blaming, and even cursing people because of how we see.

Jesus described this scenario in Matthew 24

And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for [those things] must take place, but [that] is not yet the end. "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. "But all these things are [merely] the beginning of birth pangs. "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. - Mat 24:4-14 NASB

How we see and the vision we walk in this hour determines how we respond and react. We need to be careful how we listen especially to so-called “wisdom”. From this, the words of our mouth can bring life or death.

We need The Fear of the Lord

And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that [were] around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. - 2Ch 17:10 NKJV

"Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do [it], for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes." - 2Ch 19:7 NKJV

And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to depart from evil [is] understanding.' " - Job 28:28 NKJV

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. - Psa 34:11 NKJV

The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do [His commandments]. His praise endures forever. - Psa 111:10 NKJV

The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge, [But] fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Pro 1:7 NKJV

The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. - Pro 8:13 NKJV

The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. - Pro 10:27 NKJV

In the fear of the LORD [there is] strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, To turn [one] away from the snares of death. - Pro 14:26-27 NKJV

Better [is] a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. - Pro 15:16 NKJV

The fear of the LORD [leads] to life, And [he who has it] will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. - Pro 19:23 NKJV

By humility [and] the fear of the LORD [Are] riches and honor and life. - Pro 22:4 NKJV

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight [is] in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; - Isa 11:2-3 NKJV

Naked and Unashamed
Genesis 2:25 states “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

Shame is a primary driver in the culture of the world system. Comparison, categorization, stereotyping, profiling, discrimination are may of the ways to produce shame. This comes from knowledge of good and evil which produces death.

The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make [one] wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. - Gen 3:4-7 NASB

They decided being naked was bad. Their perspective shifted to covering themselves and fear.

Listening to Satan’s voice caused a shift in perspective and sight. A false narrative about death. Thus ushered Adam and Eve into a focus on making themselves wise through knowledge of good and evil. Satan hasn’t changed his strategy.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have [it] abundantly. - Jhn 10:10 NASB

He used the same tactics on Jesus. Trying to change Jesus' focus and way of seeing.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He
had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON [their] HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and [began] to minister to Him. - Mat 4:1-11 NASB

Satan was tempting Jesus with kingdom authority. Jesus did not listen to that voice.

Kingdom means the king’s domain. Each king has a perspective and how they see things and rule from that position. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God and our focus should be first and foremost on it.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. - Mat 6:33 NKJV

The kingdom of God cannot be entered into by knowledge of good and evil or intellectually. That is the tree of death. This is the tree of life.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. - Jhn 3:3-11 NKJV

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. - Rom 14:17 NKJV

Kingdoms of this World

The kingdoms of this world are spiritually influenced. When Israel was receiving their inheritance they needed to hear and respond to the voice of God to deal with the spiritual forces behind the kingdoms they encountered. For example

• The Hittite spirit is a spirit of fear (worry, anxiety, inertia, busyness, etc)
• The Amorite spirit is a spirit of slander working through conspiracy, confusion, condemnation, criticism
• The Perizzite spirit is a thieving spirit to steal and dispose of what you built
• The Hivite spirit of deception
• The Jebusite spirit is a spirit of heaviness

Spirits we are dealing today we need to pay attention to - Mammon, Milcom (Molech), Ashtoreth
Molech - same Hebrew letters as Melek but means shameful king. Child sacrifice is the primary objective. Physically, emotionally and spiritually

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as [did] his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that [is] east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. ... So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, ... Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. - 1Ki 11:5-7, 9, 11 NKJV
The Kingdom of darkness wants to divide and destroy.

We are Receiving a Kingdom the Cannot Be Shaken

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more [shall we not escape] if we turn away from Him who [speaks] from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. - Heb 12:25-28 NKJV

Looking Unto Jesus

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Heb 12:1-2 NKJV

Jesus was naked and scorned the shame

Activation - Being transformed

First, repent for participating with the kingdom of darkness strategy. Receive His forgiveness, salvation. 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. - 1Jo 1:9-10 NKJV

Now, open your face to Jesus

Find a quiet place to lay back, close your eyes, and just open your face to Jesus.  Give him the biggest open face smile as you would when you first saw your child or spouse or friend.  An unreserved response.  Receive his response back to you.

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. - 2Co 3:16-18 NKJV