[SUB12] OLHOS DE FÉ - Luciano Subirá

Hi people,I’m here today in Vila Velha with Vitória in the background, in the state of Espírito Santo, passing by to bring you another word to bless your heart. Many of us know that the Word of God says that faith is the conviction of things not seen, reason why many of us were taught that faith is some sort of step in the dark. It’s like leaping into what we do not see.

Actually I want to show you a perspective that is a little bit different, or maybe, embracing I would say, regarding this subject. I want to show you that actually faith has its own vision and in the next few minutes, I want to show you the importance of having eyes of faith. In the second letter ofPaul to the corinthians, on chapter 4 verse 16 to 18, Paul begins saying: “so we do not lose heart.

" A bold statement “so we do not lose heart". He says: “though our butter self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. " Paul the apostle shows that one of the secrets of not losing heart is where we put our focus.

On verse 18 he says: “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen", he says “for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. " We know that faith is the conviction of things that are unseen, the certainty of things awaited like it is written in Hebrews chapter 11, on verse 1. We know that this same passage from Paul to the corinthians, in the same epistole on the following chapter, chapter 5, verse 7, he says: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.

” We know that the walk of faith does not depend on the sight of our eyes, however, it does not mean that faith has not its own vision. It has capacity of despising natural sight, but it has also the capacity of seeing the spiritual reality. When Paul says: “we look not to the things that are seen", he is speaking about what is seen with the natural eye, he says “but we look to the things that are unseen", he is speaking of those that cannot be seen with the natural eyes, although, they are perceptible to the eyes of faith .

We need to understand that the place where we set our eyes, our focus, the way we see determines what we will experience. The word of God says in the book of Hebrews, in that gallery of the heroes of faith, that Moses was firm like who sees the invisible, so, it is possible to see what others don't. I wouldn’t say that faith is a step in the dark.

Faith knows exactly where it is stepping. A step of faith may seem like a step in the dark to those who see us taking the step, but who is believing knows exactly where they’re stepping at, they know exactly where they're placing their feet because faith is firmed on the word of God, in His promises and the word of God reveals spiritual faith. Faith makes us see the reality of the spiritual things and we need to have this vision.

I see that many lose heart when they set their eyes on circumstances. When Paul says “so we do not lose heart", he is saying “the outer self may be wasting away, things on the outside may be getting worse" he says “but on the inside there is a renewing. " Because it is possible spiritually, inwardly you keep being perfected, strengthened by God when things are not good on the outside.

We learn this lesson when Moses sends those twelve spies to see the land of Canaan. The word of God was clear they should see the land. And they come back saying: “The land is good.

Indeed, like God said, it is land that flows milk and honey. " They brought the fruit, showed it to the people. However, instead of focusing in the quality of what God promised, instead of seeing the materialization of the promise, of them enjoying all of that, they begin to show the difficulties that they see in the circumstances.

They say: “the land is good, however, it has giants. The land is good, but not only they have giants, they also dwell in fortified cities. " The text says they return saying: “we were to our eyes and also to theirs", in Numbers 13:33, “like grasshoppers.

" And the problem is they saw themselves in the wrong way. Two of this twelve, that were the only ones of an entire generation that entered the land, Joshua and Caleb, they had a different attitude. They say: “the land has giants so what?

" Chapter 14 begins with them saying: “their protection is removed from them, The Lord is with us, let’s not fear them, for they are bread for us. " It is interesting to see that these two men, the only ones that entered the land of promise, had exactly the same God than the rest of the nation, not only the rest of the spies, but the rest of the nation. All of them had the same promises and all of them were before the same problems.

But what differed them? Not only the way they saw themselves but also the way they saw things. Whoever looks just to the circumstances will be intimidated by it, will be discouraged by them.

Who has eyes of faith is someone that is in a better position and in a baseline that got beyond optimism. He is not only expecting for something better, he is seeing the materialization of the promise, the fulfillment of what God once spoke and declared because faith knows that God is committed to His word. Faith knows that heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will not pass away.

Faith knows that God watches over his word to fulfill it. Faith knows that God cannot lie. So faith holds on to the reality of the word of God.

And here we need to understand another truth. We relate to two different worlds. The book of Hebrews says there on chapter 11, verse 3: “by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.

" The word translated as "universe" in there is not "cosmos", that speaks of universe, it is "aion", that speaks of ages, of dimensions. He says: “so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. " He is saying: "the visible natural, world came to exist from the invisible world, the spiritual world.

" So, besides the invisible world, spiritual, is not something you and me have continuous contact, constantly, we can say it is as real as the natural or even more, because it was it, from it the natural things came to exist. Elisha is before a difficult situation, the enemy army from Syria surrounded the city to arrest. His servant comes desperately: “oh my lord, what will we do?

" Because whoever looks to the circumstances is discouraged. Elisha tells him: “don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

" When he says that I picture in my mind this kid looking to Elisha and to himself touting 1-2, 2-1, trying to make the math. But Elisha prays and says: “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. " And the bible says that the Lord opened the servant’s eyes not the natural ones, because the natural ones were fine, they could see the problems.

The Bible says that God opened his spiritual eyes and that kid saw that around Elisha there were horses, chariots of fire, he sees an army of angels and he begins to see the spiritual reality. I want you to understand something we live together with two realms: the natural realm and the spiritual realm. I have seen preachers of faith saying "look, this disease, this problem of yours is not true because the word of God says something else.

" I disagree with them. Your problem is true, the thing is it is true only in the natural realm. And faith, I like to define it this way: it is like it was… please allow me here to use a sci-fi movie language, it is like a portal in between two worlds.

Faith allows us to leave the natural reality, where we are stuck to the circumstances, crossing that portal, entering the spiritual realm, where the reality of the words of God are, that what God spoke in our regard, that is also true, but because it is in another realm, in another dimension sometimes it is a different true, a different reality that colides with the natural realm. Faith has the capacity to take us to this portal, hold to the spiritual truths on the other side and bring them trough this same portal so that this truths can be materialized in our natural reality. We need to understand that without seeing the reality of what God promised and we cannot attract the manifestation or the fulfillment of promises promises.

I want to challenge you today to have eyes of faith. To stop only looking to the problem and be intimidated or scared by the own problems or the weight and the power of the circumstances that are contrary. We need, as God’s people, to believe in what He has been speaking, believe in what He has promised and we need to see beyond the problem.

Not to despise the problem. Bible said that Abraham did not wakened his faith acknowledging the decrepitness of his body, he did not pretend it didn’t exist, but he did not let it speak louder than the promises that God had made. So I don't want you to ignore the problem, pretending it does not exists, You acknowledge it but you see trough it and you see the materialization of the promise.

You have a posture saying: “if God said it we are experiencing it. The land has giants, what about it? Their safety is now gone, The Lord is with us.

" This type of attitude is what will take us beyond. The Apostle Paul says: “not focusing on the things that are seen because they are transitory. " Your circumstances are subject to time, change.

Now, when he says: “while we look to the things that are not seen because they are eternal. " The reality of circumstances can change. Today things are good, tomorrow it can be bad or the other way, today it is not good and tomorrow it will be better.

The circumstances change but the truth of the word of God doesn't. It is the same, it is unchangeable and we need to hold it in faith to bring manifestation of it in our reality. I want to challenge you to live not only trough the circumstances, it will shake you, but living by what the word of God says, believing, declaring the word, waiting that there will be change around you.

That the Lord, by the Holy Spirit that is called the Spirit of faith may strengthen you and take you to a firmer posture of faith, in the name of Jesus. Here I finish, praying with you. God, I pray for each one of my brothers and sisters that watched this word now, that were awakened in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.

I pray that the power of the Lord may involve you. I pray that The Spirit of Faith may strengthen their hearts in a supernatural way like a response to your word. Let there be a new breath, a new disposition, may discouragement be dissipated in the name of Jesus and your word vivified in the heart of each one of them, in the name of Jesus.