For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Prov 23:7 NKJV

What is reality?

I got to thinking about this because of a commercial I saw on TV for a ‘virtual reality’ headset and gaming controls. Our perception of reality is based on the ability of our five senses to put together a complete world around us in our minds. The commercial reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows from years past where the crew members of a spaceship could enter a certain room and have any kind of experience they could desire, like sailing on the deck of a great ship in the ocean with the wind in their hair and the smell of the sea in their nostrils. They would do that for a time to refresh and then come back to the ‘reality’ of the spaceship. Which was real? The deck of the sailing ship, or the physical environment of the spaceship, or both?

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:14 NKJV

When a person is born again the Holy Spirit comes and breathes new life into their dead spirit, giving immortality and life to the senses of their inner man – giving them the ability of perceiving all life through the focus of their redeemed spiritual senses, a truly new reality. The natural man cannot perceive this reality. Before we go on, let me scratch an itch here…

Have you ever thought about the difference between sharing the Gospel with an unsaved knucklehead and trying to sell a product or service to a prospect? I’ve done both, and I thought about it. When you try to sell your product or service, you are seeking to CONVINCE the prospect that for just a paltry few dollars they will get this… and THIS…and THIS BENEFIT! (My friend Steve says, “We sell the sizzle!”) What a deal!

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isa 55:11 NKJV

But with sharing the gospel we are not trying to CONVINCE anyone of anything. We are sharing in love and praying that HS will bring CONVICTION to the hearers. Without HS conviction, no one truly gets saved (Jn 6:44). CONVICTION, not convincing. One time I was witnessing in a small café outside of a university. The person I was sharing with was not responding well, but the word wasn’t going out void. A week or so later I met a man who had been in that café, sitting two tables down, and hearing everything I was saying. “I can’t believe I ran into you…I want to know more!” And the story had a happy ending!

Now, the one thing the unsaved guy has going for him is an innate hunger to know God. The scent of paradise – the garden of Eden, where man walked with God – still remains in his soul. This is why one of the great characteristics of any culture anywhere since Eden has been religion. Anywhere you go, at any time in history, you will find the worship of a head of lettuce, or something, because that one has that lingering need to somehow connect with his creator. Oh great lettuce! Answer my prayers or I will eat you! (Isa. 44:15-20)

This is where the gifts of the Spirit come in! Miracles confirm the gospel and can be part of the conviction process and can convince the new believers that they have much to learn in Christ. I heard speaking in tongues at the first little house church I visited, and I said, “I want that!” And I received that night! Jesus had me hook, line and sinker…

With the new reality of an alive spirit man you can begin to perceive the spirit realm. Moses endured as ‘seeing Him who is invisible.’(Heb. 11:27). Do you see that? ‘Looking unto Jesus’ (Heb 12:2) – this stuff is all over the New Testament. You have two sets of eyes, physical and spiritual. Two ears, noses, tongues, sense of feeling, and you have the inward witness, which is almost like a sixth spiritual sense.

You look across a room, maybe in church or at work, and what do you see?

With the physical eyes you see people, perhaps conversing, laughing or going one place or another.

With your spiritual eyes you are looking for that one person or situation that He would have you to reach out to. You see them by a particular sign that only you can see. When He gives me a gift of healing to impart to someone, many times I will see hands on their shoulders, like the laying on of hands. I go and lay hands on them and Heaven comes down!

You’re driving in your car, perhaps with your family, and what do you sense in your spirit?

With your physical senses everything looks good.

But with your spiritual senses you’re aware of the whole spiritual environment within and without of your vehicle. Recently I was driving down Interstate 5 with my family, on a beautiful, warm fall afternoon. I was in the far left lane going seventy five miles an hour, when some how I was alerted to something off to my left, across the interstate, and I knew to slow down. Two deer came rushing across the highway jumping the center barrier and crossing right in front of us! Because I had sensed the need to slow, they ran in front of us. But the car two lanes over on the right didn’t slow and proceeded to blast one of the deer. The damage to the front of her car was terrific! We escorted her down the road until she could pull off…

You run a business, and you are looking to hire a new employee. What do you sense?

With your physical senses everything looks good. Their resume is good, their skill set meets your needs, and they seem like a team player.

But in your spirit man there is a check, a concern, a ‘wait a minute and don’t be hasty’ sense. Bad employees cost businesses billions of dollars every year through theft, ‘shrinkage,’ lost business, poor workmanship, etc. Getting rid of bad employees can cause a lot of heartache as well. The inward witness is like a traffic light, with a green light meaning ‘go,’ a redlight meaning ‘stop,’ and an amber light meaning ‘be cautious.’ Paul was bound in the Spirit – a redlight in his spirit – from going to Jerusalem. But he went anyways…and he almost lost his life! Timothy says that what is in the heart will always come to the surface, good or evil. You need to know what’s in their heart before you engage them!

The immense practicality of having redeemed spiritual senses – accessing the reality of the spirit realm – is beyond imagination valuable and important. If you want your spirit man to be alive and sharp, and loaded with revelation, take the time to pray much in tongues. One of the things it does is to strengthen you with might in the inner man. When your inner man is refreshed and strengthened, your perception of spiritual reality grows by leaps and bounds. Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about out Father’s business…