Renewing Our Spiritual Lens

Through out our Christian life, from the day we start our Christian life and day finish Christian life, God periodically continue to change our Spiritual lens. Through encounters, revelation and experiences these lens change happens.

When these lens change happens it changes the way we see things, it changes we think and even the language we use to describe what God is doing and who we are becoming.

Purpose of lens is to see things clearly and seeing things situations as God seeing and call the things as God calls it.

From Spiritual perspective lens perception, its an observation, its an understanding of something that either produces an increase or a decrease in the reality of our relationship with the Lord.

It is the truth that sets us free or

or something that stops us from fresh encounter.

Remember, truths set us free and lie can lie can bind you.

No matter who you are and how long been a Christian we all have a spiritual lens.

Depending on your Spiritual Lens it can either create fear in you or receive God’s love in a new way.

Depending on your spiritual lens how we read the scripture we determine whether we walk in the newness of life or cause us to remain prisoner of our past.

Today I wanted to talk about few lens change s that took place in the lives of people in the bible.

This is the story about Nathaniel who is the friend of Philip we read this story in Gospel of saint John chapter 1

John 1:43–49 NASB95

The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”

This was a fastest lens change that took place.

We have many preconceived ideas about about places, individuals, people group, denominations. Even when we see when God is doing something among a different denomination than what we are familiar with we find it hard to accept we have preconceived idea than nothing good can come from that place or that denomination.

But God almighty without any judgement meets people at where they are and gives them encounters and reveals himself to them. His passion and love for every single individual is same to reveal himself to every single person on this planet.

Now lets looks a lens changes that occurred in to powerful apostolic figures.

First one is in Acts 10, its the story of Saint Peter.

Peter has an encounter with God that reshapes his Spiritual lens.

Here is something about Peter. He is not an academic theologian.

He didn’t study under any body. When he was questions by the high priest they said he was unlearned and ignorant by academic standards.

At the same time they noted he has been with Jesus.

We read the whole Story in Acts 10, I am not going to read the whole story, its very familiar to you all. If not read Acts 10

There was a gentile man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea.

Gentile means He was not a jew. Like us, we were considered gentiles.

He was a captain of the italian Regiment.

He was a devout man, god fearing man so was His house hold and he was generous to the poor and prayed regulary.

2 . Now an angel visited him and asked to send for Peter .

Angels tell him where city Peter was staying and with whom he was staying.

So Cornelius sends people to Joppa to get Peter.

3. Peters vision

Acts 10:9–20 NKJV

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

God has to say the same thing three times.

This gives us hope when we don’t get something at the first time.

Its says that He was greatly perplexed , he was confused and didn’t know what it meant.

Now men sent by Cornelius appear at where Peter was staying.

God tells Peter to go with them without any hesitating,

Here is what Peter didn’t know.

Peter didn’t know that there was gentile who was visited by an angel.

That angel told where Peter was and asked to bring to his house

Now Peter gets to Caesarea at Cornelius’ house. Now you can see he was very nervous.

Because he has never visited gentile house before, this never even cross their mind.

So the first thing he does is, he tells them what his spiritual lens is, what is what he says:

Acts 10:28–29 NKJV

Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

Yet God told me that I should not call any man on unholy or unclean.

He says he came without any hesitation, but we know it bit of fib, or not entirely true.

But we know God had to tell him firmly to go with the men.

Acts 10:34 NKJV

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

This was the lens change happened for Peter.

Biggest lens change is that I should not be calling anyone unholy or unclean.

Remember it was not just Cornelius, his family and friends but whole of humanity, you and me who are considered the gentile.

Please read in Acts 11 he had to go Jerusalem and explain the whole thing that happened to big boys there.

But it seem they were not getting it so Peter says to them who was I to stop God.

Lens change is not always easy, it can be uncomfortable. I believe we had our share f lens changes over the years.

Some things we need not here is this

We know Cornelius was a devout man but don’t know about all the people who where gathered there but God showed no partiality

Scripture says that as Peter was speaking HolySpirit fell upon them and they all spoke in tongues.

Not after the sermon was preached

Alter call was given

after they were baptised

or after they have fasted

God couldn’t wait for all them to experience him in a greater measure.

God’s perspective there is nothing Lord have left unfinished, nothing at all. When Jesus said it is finished that means everything you need to walk in the fullness has be accomplished by God in Christ.

Only thing that happens he we come into the greater awareness of what God has accomplished.

Let me illustrate this:

When you buy a new technology, lets talk about Smart phone for example.

When you buy the phone you are not always familiar with all that phone is capable of doing. By time you discover things that you didn’t realise it was capable to do.

In instagram and other social media platform there are channels that only focus of various capability on your smart phone. Some of the title goes like this “ I bet you didn’t know this about your Iphone or android.” and than you realise cool indeed you didn’t know about that cool feature.

Now just because you became aware of this feature now doesn’t mean the was created when you became aware of it, no feature was always there dormant you just didn’t know about it.

When phone was manufactured by design all the features included from the very first day.

You just had a lens change, now you are seeing a capability that you were not aware of it in the past.

In the same was Lord had done everything that needs to be done we are just discovering length, breadth and height of His goodness.

We only discover that which is already there.

Anil’s Testimony.

Let me leave with you something to ponder:

How will every tongue and every tribe confess He is lord, if there no opportunity for them for lens change. if didn’t have plan for restoration of all things

Savior of all men - 1 Timothy 4:10

As in Adam all died, so in Christ all are made alive - 1 cor. 15:22

One died for all - 2 cor. 5:14

Rom 5:18-19 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (19) For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Once and for all scriptures - Romans 6:10-11, etc.

1 John 2:2 - also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 11 - all israel saved, fulness of gentiles come in

Acts 3 - Restoration of All things

Every knee will bow and tongue confess - Philippians 2:10 (in many translations)

Rev. 21:25- at the end of revelation the spirit and bride say come, and her gates will never be shut

Col. 1:20 - Reconcile to Himself all things

Col. 1:27-28

Col. 3:11 - Christ is all and in all

Eph. 4:6 - God and Father of all... who is in all

Gal. 1:16 - Jesus was revealed in Paul, NOT to Paul... interesting...

Next we are going to speak about Paul

Unlike Peter, Paul was a theologian, perhaps one of the most qualified in the law. He mentions about this through out the scriptures.

Acts 22:3–4 NASB95

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,

He totally believed that he was obeying God when he was persecuting Christians.

He was there when Stephen was stoned to death and his clothes were put at his feet.

Acts 9:1–2 NKJV

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

He was an academic theologian bu had no idea what was going on .

Messiah was born, crucified and resurrected and he missed it all. He never got who Jesus was.

So now he gets the letter and was on his way to Damascus to persecute people there and has an encounter.

This bright light shows up and he falls from his horse and hears a voice Saul , Saul why are you persecuting me.

And he asks who are you Lord.

Lord says, “ I am Jesus whom you are persecuting”

Imagine that moment what He would have felt.

Remember he was whole heartedly convinced that he was serving God.

Now God himself tells him you are persecuting me. ( this reminds of the scripture when you do to least of these you are doing to me, whether good or bad)

Scriptures tells us that He didn’t eat or drink for three days and sat there with his thoughts.

He must have been shattered at that point

terrified and questioning everything

nothing prepared him for this moment.

Key lesson here is this:

If your spiritual lens commands you to judge or persecute or damage other people you need to realise you are moving in religious spirit and not the Holy Spirit.

When Lord sent Annanise to pray for him scripture says immediately he was filled with Holy Spirit and from his eyes something like scales fell and he saw clearly

The whole protestant faith is built of reformation because of major lens change of it time.

The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a teacher and a monk

Suddenly grace comes and battles against legalism.

God is not doing anything new, He is recovering things that which is true and has been there always.

Charismatic renewal was another Major lens change.

It was vital that Church moved in the power and gifts of the Holyspirit

These were all major lens change.

You and me cannot walk successful in Christian life without periodic lens change because as I said earlier how you start your Christian life is not how you are going to finish.

This is what Paul says in

Ephesians 1:18 NASB95

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Eyes of your heart = Your Spiritual lens