This is the last episode of what I call "Season 17." (Each of my seasons are 1 month so there are approximately 8 episodes per "season.") I want to invite you to go to the beginning of the podcast and listen to all the episodes you've missed. There's a generous array of creativity that will inspire you to grow closer to our Creator, closer to Jesus. This episode begins with the poetic rendition of one of my songs, entitled, "Spinning Spinning." Many months ago I produced and recorded around 10 old hymns that inspired the residents of many nursing homes we used to visit and sing at. I'm sharing, "Shall We Gather By the River." Finally I share a chapter from my book, A Course in Christianity, entitled, "The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body."
The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body
Matthew 6:22-23 reads “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, c your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy, d your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
All of us see through our chosen lens. One person can look at an event and see nothing but evil while another person sees God's light shining all through it. Over time, we make our lens through which we see the world. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye has been trained properly over time, its lens will sort out what is good so you can dwell on that.
Jesus gave us wonderful insight in the above verse. Do we want to shine "the dark" or shine "the light"? We don't have to be victims of our senses. We should not jump to conclusions based on appearances. There is always something greater going on, no matter what the event. Can we train our mind to, as Paul says, “Think on these things”?
It isn't what we see, it is the way we see that counts. Are your eyes healthy? Do they ferret out the good, dwelling only on that? Or do they look for evil and if they can't find any, make it up?
Our eyes can deceive us. We see the world through the lens of our hearts. If our hearts have been deceived for years, we will detect that deception (thinking it is true) and base our lives on the falsehoods that we swear ARE true because we see examples constantly BUT it is a circle game. Round and round it goes, heart deceived, eyes declare the deception which reinforces the deception, giving further examples of its "truth" (which isn't truth at all) which reinforces the deception--on and on it goes.
Before God even saw the need for our redemption at the Fall, He began planning for the coming of His Son, Jesus, to redeem us by His sacrifice on the cross. The plan of salvation was prophesied by God to Eve and Christ is foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament by many prophets before bursting onto the scene in the New Testament and fulfilling His purpose. We still must understand and trust what He did for us and not act like the Israelites did so often when they worshipped false gods. The gods we’ve made up today and, in the past, have not treated us well at all. What we worship manifests as pain, sadness, fear, and discontent. Only God is God. Only His Son, Jesus Christ, has shown us the way, the truth and the life (real life). As we willingly take His hand and follow His example, He leads us out of our self-made prisons.
If that isn't the deep, deep love Jesus is showing all of us, I don't know what is. We simply MUST heed His wis
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