When the LORD went about preaching and teaching, the religious folk followed Him everywhere.

They were at every gathering where He spoke or traveled, and saw every miracle that He did.

They constantly looked for some kind of way to trip Him up; accuse him and to find fault.

When that failed to work, it was their full intention to destroy his reputation; to put an end to His very existence.

One of the things that I think they hated the most, was that He could perceive what was really in their hearts.

He knew what they were thinking; He knew what they had really come for and what their true desires were.

Many gifted individuals in the church, experienced some of the same kinds of feelings and attitudes He encountered.

They were oppressed by many who actually hated it, that there were chosen vessels that could see and do things in the Spirit, they simply could not do.

Perceive = To take hold of, to feel, to comprehend, to grasp mentally, recognize and to observe. To become aware of through sight, hearing, touch, taste or smell.

All of these senses, come naturally to us; they are a built in part of all people; some, greater than others.

It is no different with all who are in Christ; those filled with the Spirit and remain so. How acute we become, depends on how much we practice.

It took a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven, to get the attention of one minister. He later told those hungry ones he had been sent to, “I perceive, that God is no respect of persons.”

Only the strictest of traditions, could have told this apostle that certain others could not possibly have the same experience that fell in the Upper Room that day.

It does take visions and special visitations in the Spirit, for many of us to see more clearly, that God’s ways, are yet past finding out.

A man called Simon had used sorcery and bewitched the people of his city. They thought he was the great power of God.

The people heard Philip and they believed and were baptized; so did Simon. He followed Philip and saw the miracles and signs he did.

He saw the apostles laying hands on people and them receiving the Holy Ghost. wanted that for himself and offered them money.

Again, it was perceived, that he was “in the gall of bitterness.” He had been upstaged.

Our perception of what is actually going on around us, even what we are seeing and hearing, has been drastically altered.

We the people, including we the church, are suffering from a serious lack of paying attention.

A spirit of indifference has spread throughout our mind and even all of our senses. It is this condition of lethargy and apathy, that will cause us to pay a high price; just anytime now. Ignorant, of the devil’s devices.

It’s often not so hard to detect those who are evil in this time. It’s because they don’t seem to care anymore who knows and they make no attempt to hide their ill will towards all.

It’s the spirits that are more subtle, even in the spirit realm, that are doing much greater harm; this includes humans.

It reminds me of a situation I knew of, of two soldiers in a foxhole in Vietnam, playing cards. True story; I was there. Poorly trained, no real clue of combat; no real sense of danger or disaster.

And it’s not all about perceiving what is bad, or those who are not what they appear to be.

It’s of utmost importance that we can sense and know, who are our true brothers and our true sisters.

Who truly needs help, and who the cons are. Who is for us, and who is secretly opposed to us.

Sheep’s clothing. What is that today, and how can you tell it’s a real sheep.

It is those who are awake, that are the most alarmed right now.

It is the Church’s calling, to know.

What can we perceive today?

 

~ Robert Blackburn

---

Robert Blackburn

 

 

Back to Top