DAY 16 - January 20 - Participating in the Unseen Realm

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

You don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to participate in Heavenly matters. Jesus has invited us on up to sit with Him in the Heavenly places right now. Wherever you are at this moment, you are also sitting with Christ on His throne, tucked in there right alongside Him. This is something we can’t see. But we believe to be true.

It may be difficult to accept the idea that as you read this, you are also sitting in Heaven with Christ. But, it is absolutely true. Do you remember Job? As he was living His life on earth, the Divine Council was convening in Heaven. Satan showed up and was permitted to test the righteousness of Job at unprecedented levels. The point I make is that there was two things happening simultaneously. In heaven decisions were being made and action was being taken. Meanwhile on earth, Job was going through a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day.

If we fail to realize that Heaven and Earth are connected by the victory of Christ, we will miss most of the things we are now responsible for because of our denial and neglect. Spiritual responsibility and authority are ours because we have been seated in Heaven and from Heaven we can influence the earth.

You can participate in the invisible realm because Jesus has invited you to join Him on His throne in Heaven. You are here and you are there. Here is temporary there is eternal. What is decided there impacts what happens here. Don’t miss this! Jesus could have invited you to sit at His feet, that would be appropriate. Instead, He invited you to sit at His side. THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS! He wants you to exercise authority with Him. That is how we co-labor with Him.

We are His servants and we are His sons. As servants, we do whatever He tells us to do. As His sons, we partner with Him to accomplish His will on the Earth.

The invisible realm is more real than the visible realm. What is decided there, WILL happen on Earth. We are invited to participate with Christ in these Heavenly matters. It is a great honor. Don’t mess it up!

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Acts 12:11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

Acts 12:12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

Acts 12:16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.

MEDITATION

• Imagine yourself seated with Christ right now. This is the greater reality. Look down toward the earth. This is perspective with which you should look at all your challenges as you pray.

• Instead of getting upset about things that seem to be going wrong, imagine where you are with Christ and speak with the authority of Christ to those circumstances. This is the posture for all intercession. Pray with God, not just to God.

• Throughout the day, practice becoming aware of where you actually are in the greater invisible reality. The Book of Hebrews describes the reality of the Tabernacle and its various contents and then calls the Tabernacle on Earth the shadow of these greater realities. I think that’s why the Bible calls us to walk in the Light as He is in the Light.

Hebrews 8:5 [PRIESTS] who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.