Recovery Of Sight In The Season of New Wine Part 1
RECOVERY OF SIGHT IN THE SEASON OF NEW WINE
John 4:35-38 ESV
Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. [36] Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. [37] For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' [38] I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Great problems present great opportunities. I see the problems. Lord please show me the opportunities.
Exodus 14:13 NKJV And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
It is easier to see the problems; only the faithful can see the blessings.
12 spies were sent to Canaan. 10 did not see right. Only Caleb and Joshua saw right.
All twelve saw the same things, experienced the same conditions but were differentiated by their faith. To do life well, we must see life well. To see well, we must see through the eyes of faith.
The opposite of faith is emotions.
Emotional reaction makes for poor decisions which in turn create poor outcomes.
We must look through faith, not by emotions like fear, anger, sadness, etc.
Numbers 14:1-4 NKJV
So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. [2] And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! [3] Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" [4] So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."
God's Word Produces Faith.
God’s word produces after its own kind. God's word is steadfast. When we live by faith we will be steadfast
1 Peter 1:23-25 LSB
for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. [24] For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, [25] BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was proclaimed to you as good news.
Living by faith is processing life through the lens and filter of God’s word.
Deuteronomy 32:45-47 LSB
Then Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, [46] and he said to them, “Place in your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to be careful to do, even all the words of this law. [47] For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
The point of going to church, of engaging in Bible Study is to refine our filter and cleanse our lens.
Lens: Everything we see must be interpreted through the lens of God's Word.
Habakkuk 2:4 LSB
“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Filter:
God's Word must be the filter through which we process everything we hear, and everything we experience.
Proverbs 3:5-7 LSB Trust in Yahweh with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear Yahweh and turn away from evil.
This is what it means to live by faith.
Psalm 119:18 ESV Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Lord, help me look with new eyes, help me see through your eyes.
The presence of giants, opposition and famine in our promise-land do not negate the word of God.
God said 2025 is a yet of New Wine. Yet, what we have seen so far seems to contradict that.
Abraham’s first experiences in the promise-land were not promising… Canaanites and famine.
Genesis 12:6, 7 & 10
[6] Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. [7] Thenthe Lord appeared to Abraham and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD who had appeared to him.
[10]Now there was a famine in the land, Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there for the famine was severe in the land.
Isaac’s experiences in the promise-land were a mixed bag… famine, fear, abundance, strife, contention and finally, Rehoboth.
Genesis 26:1–13 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. [2] Then the Lord appeared to him, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. [3] Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham, your father.
Abundance comes by following Divine Instructions: Not by Pennies from Heaven
When God promises abundance, He doesn't ever throw money down from heaven. The one time he did anything similar to that was when He gave the children of Israel manna from heaven. But manna stopped because manna is not abundance. Manna is just enough.
God gives abundance by giving ideas, opportunities and favor with people.
Genesis 26:12-22 NKJV
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. [13] The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; [14] for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. [15] Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham, his father, and they had filled them with earth. [16] And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we." [17] Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. [18] And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. [19] Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. [20] But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. [21] Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. [22] And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
God did it again.
Exodus 11:2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and trifles of gold.
Exodus 12:35-36 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians trickles of silver, articles of gold and clothing. [36] And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
The presence of giants, opposition and famine in our promise-land requires that we respond by faith.
Matthew 5:43-45 You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” [44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, [45] that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
