Born Blind

Every once in a while, I have a link to a song at the end of my blog stories. Rarer still are the times I place those links at the beginning of a story but here it is today.

Yours To Hold - Skillet

I had a dream the other night featuring Skillet, a Christian rock band from Wisconsin. But they weren't performing in my dream. I was having a conversation with their lead singer - John Cooper.

We weren't talking about anything in particular, but a song came to mind as I thought about a few people in my life who need Jesus. Here's a few lines from the song. Imagine our Lord singing this to the lost...

I see you standing here

But you're so far away

Starving for your attention

You don't even know my name

I wouldn't say that Jesus is "starving" for our attention, but He DID sacrifice Himself so that we might live.

A Bible story comes to mind as I write about this - the story of the man born blind. It's really a story about each of us. We are all, in fact, born blind.

"As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“³Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." - John 9:1-3

Think about that for a moment. Aren't we ALL born blind, spiritually, "so that the works of God might be displayed" . . . in us?

The story continues . . .

"⁴As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” - John 9:4-5

Jesus fortold of a dark time in the future when "no one can work." Of course, Jesus would be put to death in the NEAR future, but I think He also might be talking about the time of the end.

Jesus was truly "the light of the world." He STILL is. And He still wants us to shine brightly, letting everyone see hear about the good news, The Gospel. And He also wants others to SEE The Gospel, active in God's sons and daughters.

Only upon hearing, and seeing, the good news of The Gospel can we truly be made to see and believe. We all become changed. Only when God's Holy Spirit enters us can we be made to truly see.

"One thing I DO know. I was blind, but now I see!” - John 9:25

Now I See

When I was young, I thought like a child. Now that I am old, I still think like a child but I have had enough sense not to act on everything I think about.

I heard the condition described like this: You can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.

I have learned enough life lessons in my growing up years to the point where I question nearly everything I do, before I do it.

That's where phrases like 'look before you leap' and 'think ahead' come from. Jesus tells us to 'examine the cost' in Luke 14:28. In the Book of Acts we read about the Bereans who "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.' (Acts 17: 11)

When I was a child, God was the last thing I thought about. I was only interested in what I wanted to do and think. Now, God consumes almost ALL of my thinking and doing. So, what happened?

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." - 1 Corinthians 13:11

Simply saying 'I grew up' doesn't answer the question. 'I matured' doesn't do it either. The answer to 'what changed' can be found in John 9, verse 25.

"One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

How does someone, who was blind since birth, know he is blind unless someone tells him? And when that person suddenly sees, does he or she ever want to return to his or her blindness? No!

We who have been given the gift of spiritual sight, the Holy Spirit, would we ever want to return the gift? No!

So, what do we do then? How should we respond to such a wonderful gift? 

First and foremost, we should praise God! Second, we should go and tell others the wonderous things that God has done for us. Third, we should live and act in such a way that people will know whose we are simply by observing us.

No one's perfect, aside from God. But we can try to reflect God's love and grace to all that we meet.

Rise Above It

There is a general feeling of depression rising from deep within our country. I know where it comes from. Do you?

You have felt it too. I know you have. Yet our objections to it have been, for then most part, silent.

We watch in horror the videos of a woman pushing another women in front of an on-coming subway train. We hear news reports of a woman being raped and no one stepped up to help her. Yet everyone who was watching the attack was more than willing to film it on their phones.

Something has gone really wrong with the world we live in. With our country. We can sense it at our jobs. At our schools. It's everywhere! So, what do we do? The answer is really simple. The actual application is the difficult part.

"Things will get better," we say. Wrong. Things are not going to get better. In fact, things will be getting worse. But there is hope. Our hope is found in Jesus.

Look, we didn't create this mess. The evil in this world is Satan-made. And it's not an earthly battle either. It is a battle for our very souls. And we've been waging this spiritual battle for thousands of years.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

The only way to win this fight is to forge an alliance with Jesus. He is ruler over all. He can destroy our common enemy with a word from His mouth. And He will one day.

"Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." - Revelation 19:15

How do we win today's battle though? Right here and now? Place your faith and trust in Jesus! Through our faith and hope in Jesus we can rise above all of this mess. We can obtain hope for our future. And our weapon of choice is love.

Let us rise above it today, with the love of Jesus in our hearts. Victory will be ours! Rise! Jesus did.

Rise Above It - Switchfoot

Rise - Skillet

Open My Eyes

"Though seeing they do not see; though hearing they do not hear or understand." - Matthew 13:13

That's me most of the time. I can be staring right at something and still can't see it. It has nothing to do with my eyesight. It has everything to do with my heart.

Sometimes our sinful nature can blind us when it comes to following God's will for our lives. "Me" get's in the way of "Thee", Lord. So how do we keep that from happening?

Jesus healed the blind, but he didn't just heal those who had no physical sight. He healed those with spiritual blindness as well. This world is awash in spiritual blindness these days. We are in desperate need of a healer.

Often, Jesus healed those who believed He could do it. saying, "Your faith has made you well." Do WE have that kind of faith? Are we hearing and seeing with our hearts?

You know, that's a pretty good prayer - Open my eyes. It encompasses so many things - obedience, love, compassion, acts of service, Let us pray that prayer today and "see" what God has in store for our eyes. And our hearts.

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things" - Psalm 119:18

Open The Eyes of My Heart - Michael W. Smith

Deaf and Blind

Do you know what's going on in this picture? You might be able to figure it out based on the title of this story. This 15-year-old girl is "signing" into the hand of a 64-year-old deaf and blind man named Tim. But wait, there's more.

Tim was on a return flight after visiting his sister. The problem was there was no one to communicate with him on the plane.

Frustrated with their inability to communicate with the man, the crew asked if there was anyone onboard who could sign. There was. A 15-year-old girl named Clara.

The interesting thing about Clara was . . . she wasn't supposed to be on the flight. Her travel plans were altered when her previous flight was cancelled. And the rest is an amazing story. Like something only God could come u with.

After watching the video it suddenly occurred to me that I was not only watching a beautiful story of compassion, mercy and grace. I was watching a training video for evangelism. Think about it. What went on here? Clara displayed the perfect way to speak to someone about Jesus.

• God brought them together.
• They took time to get to know each other.
• There's nothing like being able to connect with an individual.
• Clara had empathy towards the deaf and blind man.
• Clara asked him many questions.
• Clara, and many others, had an interest in the man's story.
• She could speak his language.
• Use our skills for the good of others.

When we speak to someone about our faith we can't just ram it down their throats. We have to learn how to speak THEIR language. As Paul said, "Become all things to all people". Learn about their life's struggles. We need to have compassion and empathy for the person we are talking to. They are not the enemy. They are simply blind and deaf.

Ask questions. Show that you care. Use the gifts that God has given you to pour into the lives of those around you. When people see our compassion for others, when they can sense the love we have for them, that is when their eyes begin to open and their ears begin to hear.

There are plenty of spiritually "deaf and blind" people in the world. Many of them profess to be Christians. Jesus heals the deaf and the blind. Only He has that power to do that. Our job is simply to introduce people to Him. Take the time. Spread the love. Share the Good News.

"Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ - Matthew 13:15

Blind Deaf Man On Plane

Squeegee

Each year in the spring my wife and I hire some people to come clean our windows. We really enjoy looking out the spotless windows. We don't like looking through dust, dirt and cob webs. That stuff spoils everything.

In the Book of John there is a story about Jesus restoring the sight of a man born blind. The Pharisees were upset because Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath and therefore must not be from God. The formerly blind man did not change his story however, proclaiming that Jesus WAS from God.

^"30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. ³² Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” - John 9:30-33

There are a few interesting things to remember in that passage of scripture. The first one is that God only hears the prayers of His children. Those of us who have not surrendered our hearts to God's will . . . will receive nothing.

The other piece of scripture worth noting here is that Jesus did indeed open his eyes. Does that mean that this man was born without sin? Well, it doesn't say THAT specifically that the man was not born blind BECAUSE of sin. But it DOES say WHY the man was born blind. Read verses 1-3.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
 
³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." - John 9:1-3

This blind man had his "windows cleaned" by God. So have all of us who believe in Him. And now that OUR eyes have been opened we can see clearly see the truth in God's word. We are no longer blind to the ways of this world. We are aliens here. But we are aliens with perfect eyesight. Clean windows.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" - Matthew 6:22-23

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." - 1 Thessalonians 5:5

We are children of The Light. Our eyes have been opened. Our windows cleaned. We need to keep them clean, and our hearts pure, by filtering what we allow to penetrate and find a home. We are to honor God in all things. If the things that come in through our "windows" are clean to begin with, the things that enter our minds and go out through our mouths will be as well.

Open Up Your Eyes - Jeremy Camp

The Deaf Shall Hear

Last week Saturday I was volunteering at a local food pantry (Ruby's Pantry). My job there is to preregister people out in the parking lot so things will go more quickly at the registration desk inside.

I approached one couple I had never seen before and told them that they needed to fill out a registration form. They lady seemed disinterested and confused. I repeated my words, offering her the clipboard. She still looked confused. Then she looked at me and said, "I'm deaf." Ah. It was then that I understood. She couldn't hear my speech. So I changed my approach and communicated in a different way - through her husband.

After that encounter I thought about us humans and the way we look at things. We tend to interact with others based on OUR rules and OUR understanding of the truth. The problem with that is, not everyone plays by the same rules or has the same understanding of what's right and what's wrong.

Watching the nightly news gives daily examples of people with differing viewpoints and attitudes. We often say, "What are these people thinking?" when in actuality, they are doing what in right in THEIR eyes.

We humans have differing belief systems, faiths, denominations, opinions and political views. We all have things we like and don't like, approve of and disapprove of. Some oppose abortion, others are in favor of it. Each one is sure they are right and others are wrong. Are we deaf to each others viewpoints? Are we blind to those things that don't comply with our way of thinking? So who is right? We can't ALL be right.

As Christians, we know where to find the truth. We know that the Bible contains words of truth that we are to live by as WE change OUR thinking to align with Christ's. We ourselves can change no one. But we know someone who can.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
 
³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” - John 9:1-5

Jesus then gave the man his sight.

When God spoke about healing the sick in the Bible he wasn't necessarily talking about actual deaf people, the blind or about those who cannot speak. He is usually talking about healing our hearts. Our souls. And about whether or not Jesus is our Lord.

We ALL have "disabilities." We all have wounds and scars. It is how we deal with our inabilities that enables us to do great things. What disability do YOU have that you could turn around for God's glory?

I look at myself (that's where we should always start) and I seek out my deficiencies, what do I do with them when I find them? I take them to Jesus and ask, "How can I use this for your glory? How can I honor you? How can I turn my negative into a positive?" He will answer.

The husband of the deaf woman I met last week was also deaf. His means of turning a negative into a positive was learning sign language to communicate with his wife. He used written means to communicate with those who didn't speak HIS language. He found a way. He found light in the darkness and a way to "hear" despite being deaf. Can we say the same about our shortcomings?

"In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see." - Isaiah 29:18

A Girl and A Blind Man Ballet

Behind The Mask

I was sitting in church yesterday, wondering what I would write about for this morning's blog. I didn't have a clue. Usually, something pops into my head a few days in advance, but not this time. I was at a loss. Then I opened up the church bulletin. Ding!

Do you know these guys? They look kind of grumpy to me. They're from a place called Easter Island - 2,300 miles west of Chile, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Very mysterious. Here's a few interesting facts about these figures (Moai).

1. No one knows how they got to where they now stand. They would have had to come a distance of eleven miles - without the use of wheels, cranes or large animals. On average they stand 13 feet tall and weigh 14 tons.
2. The huge heads actually have bodies underneath them. They're buried! Up to their chins!

The first question that pops into my head is how did they get buried? Well, it's a volcanic island. I can guess how they got buried. Boom! But there they stand - nearly covered up by the world around them - and no one knew anything about them. Perhaps the residents of the island perished in a volcanic explosion? No one knows. People live there now but no one knows the tale of the moai.

Have you ever felt buried by all the worldly stuff you wade through on a daily basis? I sure do. We get saturated by it. It engulfs us and pulls in toward itself like a giant black hole.

I think we all have people in our lives that seem blind to all of the worldly things that happen around us. Just watch the news! Where are the loved ones who come alongside them to tell them they're wrong? Yeah, that's supposed to be us I guess. And we do that! We talk to them, we pray for them, but still they don't listen. Why? It's because they are blind.

Did you ever see the movie Field of Dreams? It's a fictitious story about dead baseball players who came back to life to play baseball in a farmer's field. No theological message in that! There is one scene where a little girl falls and is dying. There is a man with a red beard. He cannot see the ball players like the farmer and his family can. But then something happens (watch the video at the bottom). Suddenly he says, "When did all these ball players get here?"

The scales were removed from his eyes on might say.

In the Bible there is a story about Jesus healing someone who was blind (John 9). Was Jesus trying to show everyone that He could heal people? Or was He trying to deliver a deeper message?

After the healing takes place. Jesus deliver the REAL message of His encounter with the blind man.

^"35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” - John 9:35-49

There are many spiritually blind people in this world. Many suffering ones as well. They are buried up to their necks. Sadly, a lot of them go to church on Sunday. SO, what should we do? First, we pray. Continually. Then we should start asking these people questions. Then we should pray some more.

As much as we would like to, we can't change people's minds. Only God can do that. But we can get them thinking. We are called to reach out to the lost, the hurting, and to "make disciples." Let's pray for softened hearts, boldness in our speech, and love in our words and deeds. We too were once blind. But now we see.

John 9
Easter Island Heads Have A Surprise
Doc Saves Karin - Field of Dreams

Open Our Eyes

Sitting in the park on Mackinac Island, my wife and I were eating our lunch. We love to people watch and that's just what we were doing. Horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping their way to some destination, bicyclists doing the same . . . at three or four times the horses speed.

Pedestrians were everywhere, walking both sides of the street and crossing the street. For such a small little town that doesn't allow motorized vehicles, there sure was a lot of traffic!

Just as I was taking my last bite of Doud's pizza, I noticed a couple crossing the street, arm in arm. One was talking in a rather animated way while the other swung a long, white cane back and forth in front of his feet. He was blind.

That got me to thinking. What would it be like to have never seen anything? My socks would never match. I would not be able to have the job that I do. I couldn't see the face of my grandson, or my kids, or my wife.

Of course there are some benefits as well. I could no longer see any political ads. Facebook would be useless. There would be no scantily-clad women to see on television anymore, no need for window washers, I'd save thousands on gas for my car. Heck, I could SELL my car!

But then I thought about all of the people who don't believe in God. They are spiritually blind. I was that way myself 11 years ago. Blinded to the fact that God is real.

I had no interest in knowing God because he wasn't real to me. Just some fairy tale mythical creature in an old story from my childhood Sunday School.

One thing I have had to deal with after coming to believe is the knowledge that God does not call everybody to His kingdom. He wishes that none would perish but also knows that some will. And some of those people we will know and love.

I have had the pleasure of being blind, spiritually, and then coming to see. It is a wonderful thing! But until you have faith in God it will never happen to you.

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” - John 9:1-11

I think I could handle being blind. I could adjust to a different way of life. But I don't think I could live a life without Jesus. Knowing what I know now, having once been blind only to have my eyes opened, I would have surely perished. But faith in Christ changes that. The gift of eternal life is offered to everyone. Jesus died for everyone.

Open our eyes, Lord. Make us see.

And Now My Lifesong Sings - Casting Crowns

Open Your Eyes

Okay. Are you ready for a vision test. Take a look at this picture and tell me what you see. The face of Jesus is to most obvious thing but take a closer look. Do you see people standing off to the left? To the right? Probably. But do you see Jesus riding on a donkey? Do you see the stone arch in the background creating a halo over the head of Jesus? Or is His hair actually the inside of the arch that the people are standing in?

In the Book of Mark, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah saying, "‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” - Isaiah 6:9, Mark 4:12

We tend to see things based on our own personal experiences and through the lens of the things we have learned.

Currently we have several people running for the office of President of The United States. They all have eyes and they all can see but each of them sees things differently. The same can be said of our churches. That's why there are so many different denominations.

Everybody has heard of Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. Sherlock gives us another example similar to Isaiah 6 from the book A Scandal in Bohemia. Speaking to Watson, Holmes says,

“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”

 “Frequently.”

 “How often?”

 “Well, some hundreds of times.”

 “Then how many are there?”

 “How many? I don't know.”

 “Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.”

The other day my wife and I were at our grandson's birthday party. He's four years old already! We were preparing to pray before our meal that day and his mother said to him, "It's time to pray. Fold your hands."

He folded his hands, closed his eyes and bowed his head. One could easily see an obedient child but his actions also demonstrated a child who has been trained in the ways of The Lord. No one told him to bow his head or to close his eyes but someone clearly had told him to do that in the past. We can observe things about people simply by watching them.

I once asked someone at work how they were doing. "Fine," they said. But I observed in this persons eyes a different story so I asked again. That's when the tears began to flow. We then prayed together and now we are amazingly close friends, simply by observing . . . and acting.

As we live our lives, people will be watching US. What do THEY preserve about us? Will they think we are educated? Will they think we are nice? Caring" Giving? Will they think we are Christians simply by watching us?

Anybody can walk into a church. That's where Christians hang out, right? Wrong. Christians don't just simply go to church, they LIVE their faith. They are taught by their parents, they read God's Word and they live it out.

Our pastor delivered an amazing closing line to his sermon on Sunday. He asked us a question.

Knowing that God can see into our hearts . . . what will He see in yours?

Ouch.

May we live our lives as Jesus would. Always seeing AND preserving. May we take the time to look behind the fake smiles and into the hearts of those around us. There is hurting everywhere. And we hold The First Aid Kit in our hearts - Jesus. Let us reach out in love to those who are only seeing and not yet perceiving.

The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 - Pink Floyd

What Are You, Blind!?!

Have you ever heard the saying, "You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?" I think that's true. It's like your boss at work ASKING you to do something rather than TELLING you to do it. There's a little respect mixed with a little love and niceness.

"There is a right way to do things and a wrong way." That makes sense. Either it's right or it's wrong. So, when we see someone doing something wrong, sinful or dangerous, what is the correct way to tell them so?

Have you ever heard of the Westboro Baptists? They tend to use vinegar when they encounter sinners (or anyone else who doesn't believe like THEY do). "Turn or burn, baby!" and "God hates fags." are not examples of typical Sunday morning sermon-speak. There is definite hate in their words.

I have heard the following analogy in regards to Christians and our evangelism towards non-believers:

If you saw someone who was blind walking towards a cliff, wouldn't you try to save them?

I have used that saying myself, when thinking about people in my life who are sinning against a Holy God. But I think it's use is wrong. At least for me it is. And here's why.

Before we yell, "Look out for that cliff!" love must exist for that person. If we don't love them, why should we care. And Jesus told us that we should love ALL people.

If I saw someone I loved walking towards a cliff, blind-folded, I would run, not walk, to them and restrain them with my arms and plead with them to turn from the course they are on. I wouldn't simply yell at them, "What are you, blind?! There's a cliff in front of you."

Some people are born with physical blindness. Others live with spiritual blindness in their lives. We should treat them no differently.

If you saw a blind person about ready to cross a busy four-lane highway, what would you do. Yelling, "Watch out for the cars!" is not going to cut it. No. We would come alongside them and help them across the road. And so it should be in life. We need to be the ones who come alongside the man struggling with the pain of divorce, the mother who just lost her son, or the young woman experimenting with a lifestyle change.

We simply need to love before we act, and act because we love. But we must ACT or we are nothing more than spectators at someone's death.

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.  34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." - Luke 6:27-36

Compassion and Evangelism - John MacArthur

I Once Was Blind But Now I See

Scrolling down through my Facebook news feed yesterday, I came upon this quote. "If the whole world was blind, who would you impress?" - Boonaa Mohammed.

I thought about that statement for a moment and wondered what the world would be like if none of us could see. "You know, there might just be something to that statement, " I thought to myself. At least at first blush.

Think out it. We wouldn't have to worry about what to wear because no one could see us. For that matter, we wouldn't have to wear ANYTHING! We would probably just wear something comfortable - to keep us warm instead of wearing something that looks good in the eyes of someone else.

If we couldn't see, we wouldn't be tempted by members of the opposite sex who like to flaunt their "stuff". No more "heaving breasts", as my wife calls them, by women trying to get a man's attention. There also would be no more ogling a man's abs or his "ripped" physique for the women. None of these things could be seen.

There would be no need to design fancy, eye-catching sports cars if we all were blind. "Sounds nice" could be our only comment. No need for beautiful architecture. We couldn't see a building until we ran into it!

And if you were walking towards a 1000-foot cliff, wouldn't you rather have your sight?

If we were totally blind, physical beauty would mean nothing. The most beautiful man or woman in the world could be standing next to us and we wouldn't notice. The same could be said for the ugliest person. Beauty and ugliness would not have the same meanings as they do now. So is that opening quote correct? I think not.

The quote I opened with DOES have true meaning if you live a life without Christ. The quote only rings true from a secular world view and therefore, in my opinion, falls short.

So I thought I would modify the quote by Boonaa Mohammed, whoever that is, and come up with one of my own. One that fits the life God wants us to live.

"If the whole world could see through the eyes of God, who would be left to impress?" - Bob Hall

Think about that for a moment. If everyone worshiped the God of The Bible there would be no more war. There would be no more fighting, only peace. There would be no more beauty contests. There would be no need for People Magazine to designate the Sexiest Man Alive. No one would care about that. Only love for ALL.

When we see a beautiful landscape before our eyes, I would rather praise God and admire His Creation. If I was blind I would not even know that beautiful view was there. I would be missing the beauty I was meant to see when God gave me my two eyes.

Tough question of the day: If a person could only know Jesus by what they saw in you, would they see Him? Or would they still be blind to the truth?

Ouch.

I will leave you with a few verses today.

“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" - Luke 6:39

And this one . . .

"29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

This is a sculpture of the veiled Christ . . . by blind sculptor Felice Tagliaferri. Incredible!

Sight

When we find ourselves in stressful situations or in the middle of life changing events, we can often learn things about our inner self . . . that is, if we take the time to look. This week I learned something about myself and about my relationship with God. Let's just say it's been "eye opening."

A few weeks ago I noticed some bright flashes of light in my left eye whenever I would blink or move my eye around. Weird. Then a few days later I noticed some red, swirling lines when I closed my eye. More weirdness.

Well, my mind tends to wander around on it's own. Perhaps that's why I like to write. Thoughts and ideas just feed off one another and the next thing I know I am thinking something totally wacko. In the situation of my eye sight I just noticed the flashes and the lines in my eye. Then I began wondering what was causing it. Somewhere along the line I began seeing these "floaters" in my eyes and my imagination start creating all kinds of possibilities.

My mother had eye problems, my grandmother did too. Perhaps it was my turn. I started imagining all the possible scenarios. How would I get to work if I was blind? How could I even DO my work? I couldn't! I was doomed to sit at home, blind, trying to remember what people's faces looked like.

How did I wind up there? My mind just wandered all over the place. But then I stopped to think. How would it be if I really WAS blind? What would I do? Am I prepared for that? Am I prepared for the unexpected in my life?

Nope.

We are never properly prepared for most of the situations we encounter in life. Otherwise they wouldn't BE "situations." But think about it. What would happen if you suddenly became blind for example? How would that affect your life? How would you pick out which clothes to wear in the morning? Your socks? Your shoes? Could any one earn a living doing anything who can't see what they are doing? How could one read The Bible? What would the point of "watching" television be? How could we do the things we do now without our sight?

Well, if that happened to me (which I have already thought long and hard about) there are some thing I could do. I could get a voice-recognition app on my phone. Voice-to-text would be needed. "Call Bev." or "Text Gayle." Same with the computer. Not sure how I'd operate the mouse though.

And how would I recognize people? By voice I guess. Would someone allow me to be so intimate with them that I could touch their face and feel what it "looks like"? Hmm.

As I thought about these things I began to appreciate what it must be like to be blind. Not to be able to see a sunset or the faces a baby makes. It would suck! But guess what. I would survive. My wife would help me pick out my clothes. She could turn the computer on and get things ready for "Blind Bob. "I could listen to God's Word. In all honesty, would I truly be lacking any of the things I truly needed?

I would still have my wife. I would still have my family. I would still have my friends. And, most importantly, I would still have Jesus. What else do I need?

Our eye sight is truly a wonderful gift from God. But like so many of the gifts we have received from Him already, we often take them for granted. Our health, our talents, so many different ways of "looking" at things.

If we would take the time to see things through God's eyes, if you will, what a wonderfully peaceful and compassionate place we would be living in!

There is one more thing I would like you to consider before I close. Read this passage from the Book of John and meditate on what Jesus says in verse three.

"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." - John 9:1-3

Are we spiritually blind? Are we going though life expecting things to lay out wonderfully for each of us? That's not going to be the case. If we would look at this life as if we were blind, as if we only had the essentials given to us from above, how would we live our lives? Would we actually live so that "the works of God might be displayed" in us? Think about that this week. And may God give you new sight in seeing the world in which we live.

Blind

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be blind? I guess we could walk around with our eyes closed to find out. But that's not really being blind. We can still see light through our eyelids. What if things were totally dark?

My family went to Mammoth Cave when I was in high school. When you're down in the cave one of the things they like to do is turn out the lights to you can "see" how dark it is. Man, it is REALLY dark! I bet that's what it's like to be blind. Absolutely no light what so ever.

I am currently reading a book to my wife. No, my wife is not blind. It's just something we do. She takes a bath and I read to her. Anyway, I'm reading a book called Homer's Odyssey, a birthday gift for my cat loving bride. It's a story about an eyeless cat and how he manages to get through life . . . totally blind.

The author pointed out something interesting early on in the book . Homer, the eyeless cat, has never known what it's like to see. The cat probably doesn't even know it's handicapped. It has never known anything else. The sad thing is, that cat will never know what it is like to see.

My Grandma Johnson was blind. We used to visit her at her small house in Michigan. She grew violets inside and had racks of beautiful looking plants in her house. How she kept them looking so good was beyond me. She couldn't see them!

She had a rope that ran from the front door of her house out to the mailbox at the side of the road. She couldn't see the mailbox but she knew she would find the it if she just followed the rope long enough.

One day we were told that my grandma was going to have an operation. It could potentially restore her eyesight. I didn't pray back then when I was a kid but I was sure hopin' she would be able to see again. And she did! That was SO cool!!

What is it like to be totally blind and not even know you are blind. It's just life as normal I guess. And, on the opposite end of things, what is it like to suddenly see?

There are people in this world who have never heard of Jesus. They have no clue at all that there is a God who loves them, who cares about them and has a gift waiting for them. But how will they ever hear about Him unless somebody tells them? Unless someone "opens their eyes" so they can see.

A surgeon opened my grandmother's eyes by transplanting someone else's lenses, replacing her defective ones. We can't do that with people in our lives who don't know Jesus. As much as we would like to give sight to those we love who are "God-less," that is something that God Himself must do through His Holy Spirit.

As someone who had his spiritual eyes "repaired" late in life I can tell you it is a wonderful experience to suddenly see all of the things I missed. They were actually all around me. I just could never see them. But the scary thing is . . . I didn't know I was blind. I had no clue.

We who believe have been given a command from God - to deliver the Gospel to those who are blind. God's Holy Spirit is like the surgeon who repaired my grandma's eyes. He will take care of the important part. All we need to do is deliver the blind people in our lives to the eye doctor.

"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing." - John 9:1-7

When we place our faith and trust in Jesus we receive God's Holy Spirit. Our lives become changed. I speak from first-hand experience. When we come before His throne and lay our sins at His feet, He picks them up and throws them away. He has already paid the price for our sins on the cross. Having paid the ultimate penalty for our sins we are suddenly set free and given new life, in Christ. Where once we were blind, we suddenly can see. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus and come before Him, guilty, and seeking His forgiveness, please do you today. You would not believe the things you can see through your new eyes as a child of God. Sin, repentance, forgiveness and faith. It's a simple formula. Go to Him today . . . and see. :)

Amazing Grace - Elvis Presley

Ultraviolet

Are you familiar with all of the colors in the spectrum? Everybody knows the colors red, yellow and blue. Those three colors are called primary colors. They are called "primary" because all other colors can be made using some combination of those three primary colors. The absence of any color is known as black. The presence of ALL colors is known as white. Don't believe me? Watch these scientists prove it.

Color Wheel Goes White

God has blessed us with eyes to see all the beautiful colors this world contains. Green trees, colorful flowers and beautiful sunset are but a few of the many colors we can see everyday. Those who CAN see anyway. Some people are born blind. It's those people I will be writing about today. First, I'd like to share something from the Book of Colossians.

"15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." - Colossians 1:15-23

Did you catch what Paul said in verse 16?

"16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and . . . invisible,"

God created invisible stuff! Don't believe me? Look at the color chart at the beginning of this story. See where it says "UV" off to the left? That's stands for ultraviolet. We humans cannot see ultraviolet light, but we know that it exists.

When I was in the Boy Scouts we liked to tell ghost stories around the campfire. One kid told a story about an Ultraviolet Monster who could not be seen . . . and, of course, craved human flesh. All that anyone ever saw was its footprints and, of course, all the blood left behind by its victims. Mu-a-ha-ha-ha!!!

I struggle mightily with those in our world who are blind to the love and grace of Jesus. As much as I would like to see everyone come to a saving faith in Christ, the truth is that not many will. That saddens me greatly because that number includes many people that I love deeply.

My wife bought me a pair of dress pants this year. She told me the old ones were wearing out. She told me that me new pants are green. When I look at them they sure seem dark grey to me. They even look different in florescent lighting than they do in incandescent light. So what should I do? I could say "NO! They're not green, they're grey!" or I could trust my wife who picked out my pants and told me they are green. I have chosen to trust my wife. Why? Because I don't really care. But what if I DID care? What could I do then? What SHOULD I do then?

I suppose I could go to the source - the manufacturer of the pants. They could tell me for sure what color the pants were. But where do we go when we want to find out the truth about God? Well, how about The Bible - God's Word? Jesus said He was the truth. The important thing is do we trust Him. Do we believe His words?

"42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” - John 8:42-47

What we must do for our loved ones and friends, is pray. There is nothing we can do ourselves. Jesus told us that "No one comes to the Father unless the Father calls them" (John 14:6). God can use us but we ourselves can do nothing. No, that's not true. We CAN do something. We can pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you SO much for allowing us an opportunity to come before you in prayer. We are not worthy of such an honor. Yet you freely give that to us. Lord, we know that you wish that NO ONE would perish but there are many in our lives that appear to be headed in that direction. Lord, soften their hearts, draw them to Yourself and make them your own, as you have done for us. We thank you and praise you for all that you have done for us despite our sinfulness. We pray for your forgiveness and for your mercy, not only for ourselves but for those who don't even know you. But whatever you chose to do Lord, may your will be done. Amen.