BIBLE STUDY WEEK 1 (8/27/13)

Bible study:   “Changing the Seen & Shaping the Unseen” (By Charles Capps)

Chapter:        (1)

Subject:         Looking At the Unseen

Study:            Insight

Scripture:   2 Corinthians 4:17, 18

 “For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory:  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This is a verse that is found in the book of Corinthians where Apostle Paul was encouraging the Corinth people to live by faith. Here Paul is talking about unseen principles: the principles of God’s Word which are actually spiritual law-spiritual forces that are unseen.  These are eternal forces which always work when you set them in motion.  In other words, if you’re looking only at seen things, things of the natural, then the affliction will not work an exceeding weight of glory in you: it will work only while you’re looking at things which are not seen.  Here is an important point…..You must shift over into the realm of spiritual law and begin to look at things which are not seen with the natural eye. You look at the things which are not seen with the eye of the spirit-the eye of faith.

Let’s go back and read this………….

“Seen things have become so real to some people that they have forgotten about the unseen.

We live in a world of the natural. We rub shoulders with the physical day after day until the unseen realm seems unreal. We are almost tempted to believe it doesn't exist!”

 

Scripture References: (2 Peter 1:11; Ephesians 1:18; 2 Peter 3:10; Hebrews 12:27; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

In the book Charles said, “How in the world can you look at something you can't see?  Good point, right!  Let’s explore more on this subject of the unseen……….

Notice Paul didn't say, "All afflictions will work a far exceeding weight of glory." He said it would happen only while you're looking at things which are not seen.

Ask yourself this question: "What are the things which are not seen?"

If you're having financial problems and the bank statement comes back in red ink, then the thing that is not seen is the bankbook balancing or your need being met.

The thing that is seen is lack. Paul said that pressure will work for you an exceeding eternal weight of glory if you will look at things that are not seen. It is actually the looking at the unseen that brings the glory, not the pressure of the affliction.

This agrees with what he said in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   

In other words, get your mind off the problem and begin to think on the things that are not seen—the things you desire, the things you don't see with your physical eye. You must learn to see the answer by the eye of faith.

The word temporal means "subject to change." Things you are seeing with the physical, natural eye are always subject to change through spiritual law.

So many times what we see with our physical eye does not agree with the Word of God, the promises of God. The world's system shapes the seen things around us. They seem to be very real, and they are real; but the Word of God says that they are subject to change!

God's Word is the establishing force of the image of unseen things. We should not allow circumstances and the cares of life to create images within us. Take God's Word and change things that are seen—the things you don't desire—into things that you do desire.

I am enjoying this study!

Scripture Reference:

2 Peter 1:11; Ephesians 1:18; 2 Peter 3:10; Hebrews 12:27; 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

Let’s read more ok………………………..

Charles said this “In this book, I want to show you how to change the seen and shape the unseen.”   I want to learn that!  Amen.  I will be quoting him through-out the study. 

 

Wrong Assumptions:

Words produce images inside us; but sometimes we get these images by making wrong assumptions. Let me give you an example.

During a certain meeting, the Lord had been dealing with me about teaching on this subject of wrong assumptions producing false images. One night after the meeting, the man who took me to the motel was driving a gray-colored Grand Prix.

The next morning when he came to pick me up, he went out ahead of me to take my bags to the car. He told me he was parked down on the left.

I walked out and looked to the left. Seeing a car that looked like his, I started walking toward it. I heard someone blow his horn at me; but when I turned around, I saw a gold-colored Cadillac. Looking for the Grand Prix I walked on. The man sounded his horn again. Wrong Assumptions

 

All my life I’ve had wrong assumptions about everything. I lived a negative life! The very first time I read this book was in 1999, and I had been ordained as a minister.  My mind was so caught up on things around me, and what others thought about me. I didn’t live my life unto the Lord then!  This little book changed my thinking through the knowledge of God’s Word. 

Let me share concerning my testimony of wrong assumption. Before I was born again I had a neighbor who didn’t know me and I didn’t know her. One day I was sitting on my doorsteps and she was passing by my house, but she crossed the street to by-pass my house, and then came back to this side after she passed.  I notice this but never understood it. She didn’t speak to me and I didn’t speak to her; we just had wrong thoughts about one another.  Make a long story short, we finally meet in church years later and shared our testimony with one another. She said she was scared of me because of my look;   I said,  I just knew you didn’t like me, so I just gave you a bad look when I saw you, wrong assumption.  All those years pass with wrong assumptions.  God blessed our relationship and we became friends and church members together. I am so grateful!

Charles Capps continue to say; finally, when he backed up and blew the horn again, I looked to see who was in the Cadillac. It was my man.  I had an image of him sitting in a Grand Prix.  Because I was looking for a Grand Prix, I missed him!  The car had been right in front of me all the time, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. I just walked right by it.

Because we have not shaped the unseen within us, we miss it.  We walk by it. We let it go.  Sometimes God sets it before us; but because we've never shaped the image of the unseen within us, we keep pushing it out of the way, looking for something else. We're so wrapped up in what is seen that we fail to see the unseen. 

Creating Right Images:

We need to recognize one thing: It is God's Word that will establish the image of the unseen within us. We should not allow circumstances or the cares of this life to create images within us. What the Word says should create the image. Let me paraphrase what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:18: "If you don't get rid of that image of looking at the seen, and produce another image inside you, then the afflictions of life will not work in you an eternal weight of glory. But they will, if you're looking at the things that are not seen."

We should take God's Word and change the things that are seen—things we don't desire—into the things that we do desire.

Can you think of something you don’t desire that you would love to change into something you do desire?

Someone said, "I can plainly see my financial situation. I can plainly see the red ink on my bank statement."

Those are things you can see. The exceeding eternal weight of glory will be brought into place by looking at the unseen. Notice, it is not the affliction that brought glory, but concentrating on the unseen. The unseen is from the spirit world. Spiritual forces are released by God's Word being spoken.

Unseen things are shaped by the Word of God. For example, the Word says:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Luke 6:38

He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

You may not see these things now with your physical eye, but they are very real. They are shaped by God's Word and your confession! When you look around, you see lack; but God's Word says, Give, and it shall be given ... He which soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully.

This is great!  Please read carefully…………..

You change the seen with God's Word. You shape the unseen by calling things (Romans 4:17.)

“⁽As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (KJV)

“(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;” (NKJV)

“That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.” (NLT)

“As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.” (AMP).

I did several translations to get this in my spirit.  People will make you feel like you are lying, but calling those things that be not is in the Word of God.  God did it, so can we! Just speak it! And then wait for God to reveal it to you.  If you have time please join me in doing our chapter questions.  Thanks.

 

Questions:

How do you look at the things unseen?

How is the spiritual forces released?

What does wrong assumption create?

How do we create right images?

Name four scriptures you claim to create right images in your life.