Dimitri from Switzerland asked me this question:
"My name is Dimitri, I'm 24 years old, recently moved to Switzerland, and I'm studying the phrase "seated in heavenly places" for quite a time now. Can you tell me more about your insights and experiences? I read your blog and you just mentioned it shortly."
My brief response:
Paul reports in Ephesians 2:4-6 that we were instantly seated in the heavenly places when we were given new life, born again, or saved (depending on your phraseology).
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, 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,"
Being seated in the heavens is not a state we come to because we 'matured' into it but were born into it. That means every believer has access to the heavenly realm, the realm of power, blessing, benefit, etc. But functioning from that place of access is something you must learn how to do, which is an aspect of living by faith. Healing, power, miracles, provision, prophetic words, all of those kinds of things come from that heavenly place. (For example, when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, where did the additional food come from? Heaven!)
Being born again, which means 'born from above or born from heaven', does not mean one instantly and successfully draws from that realm, but that one is eligible to do so. One must press into it, or become actively engaged in the realm of the heavens to experience it and draw from it. In Matthew 11:11-12 Jesus addressed this concept when he said the violent or the strong and forceful ones seize the kingdom by force:
"Assuredly, I am saying to you, There has not arisen among those born of women a greater one than John the Baptizer. However, the person of most humble station in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Indeed, from the days of John the Baptizer until this moment, the kingdom of heaven is being taken by storm, and the strong and forceful ones claim it for themselves eagerly, for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John." (Wuest Translation)
A key understanding about functioning out of the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God is that we must energetically lay hold of this realm that we have been given access to. One mistake many make is that since they have not been successful in living the supernatural life they assume they do not have access or that God has yet to do something necessary for them to do so. As a result many fall prey to common 'religous' snares such as legalism, and/or other perversions of our Christian faith in an attempt to move in power. Jesus gave this simple yet profound answer to this issue when asked how one continually does the works of God:
"Then they said to Him, What are we to do as a habit of life in order that we may continually be working the works of God? Answered Jesus and said to them, This is the work of God, that you continually be believing on Him whom that One sent off on a mission" (John 6:26, Wuest Translation).
You access the heavens by believing in Jesus, who He is, and particularly who He is in you. You believe, move in faith, and learn how to function in that wonderful realm.
Robin
So then its about awareness of our privilege and acting on that privilege. Sweet! Robin, what role do visitations of the Lord have regarding this subject. John G Lake comes to mind. He was moving in the realm of the heavens (healings, miracles) but over the course of time as he pressed in for more and the Lord visited him in a prayer meeting and his ability to move in the Spirit multiplied. Same man, same hunger, new level. This is a common experience of folks who dynamically move from the "heavenly seat."
ReplyDeleteMy question for you is: What role do visitations have then? Since Lake and others already had access, already had faith and acted on it thru risk taking... do visitations simply catapult the "awareness factor" thus increasing faith and results?
a great way to get started in this realm is by eating rev. 3:18. we buy these 3 things buy practicing doing them. i wrote on this-click facebook at bottom of homepage, click discussions, click "dread-champions".we must learn to" see the Lord with the eyes of our
ReplyDeletehearts"on the throne; and then start going to Him there.do not be afraid to use yo0ur
imagination. js.4, says "draw near to god and He will draw near to you. ps. 123:1,2; david
is seeing yah" with the eyes of his heart,because he shows we all should in
vs.2. as we make a habit of seeing Him with our new creation eyes,He will
become more clear and one day we will see Him face to face. then, we will
enter His realm, and He will start the glorification process in us ,before the
rapture.
YAH bless, seeingyhwh@gmail.c
Isn't this the perpetual cry of the " middle class" Christian. "How do I experience more of God?"
ReplyDeleteI think what you had to say is true, and yet so many are asleep when it comes to the supernatural. If my position of authority comes from simply believing in Jesus, can I assume that if I am not experiencing the supernatural that there is some level of unbelief hidden in my heart?
SO true, that we must learn to walk in the authority we've been given, enforcing it by faith, with Gods word in our mouths, seated high above what we see with our natural senses. We need military training spiritually!
ReplyDelete