Clean Lenses

Luke 11: ³³ “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.³⁴ The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

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Traffic was more heave this particular day. “Why does that person keep darting in and out?” I said to myself. “And why is the radio playing the same song over and over?” “Why is it so dark and cold?” I made it to my destination and someone asked “What’s wrong?” They could see something on my face that I couldn’t.

• Sometimes I am full of complaints.
• Sometimes I see the world negatively.
• Sometimes I see more problems than opportunities.

JESUS seems to be speaking on the outlook on life. Whatever enters the spiritual eyes affects the entire mindset and actions of the looker. If I use sin as my filter, then my mindset will be bent towards sin, same with negativity, doubt and fear. BUT GOD has an answer.

• GOD wants me to see more situations through HIS eyes.
• GOD wants me to look at the day with the same loving view HE looks through.
• GOD wants me to reduce my negative, complaining, fearful view and replace it with faith, truth and love.

Perspective is extremely important to GOD. If I see people with a negative view then they I will be quick to point out how wrong they are. GOD wants me to lift people up so they can grow in CHRIST. HIS blessings are poured out on me on the darkest days. GOD is my shield. HE clears my eyes.

• How do you see things?
• Does everything seem like a disaster to you?
• Can you stop thinking negatively and look at the day, and people, the way GOD sees them?

Already Here

Luke 11: ²⁹ And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. ³⁰ For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹ The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

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“I won’t do that” I said to myself as I observed the consequences played out on another person. At one point I was the one who would rush in and made errors, now I had the luxury of learning from the mistakes of others so I could go on a smoother journey.

• There was a time when “my” way included mistakes.
• There was a time when I did not consider the consequences of my actions.
• There was a time when I joined in with the crowd instead of learning from past mistakes.

JESUS saw through the crowds desire for parlor tricks. HE has healed a man of a demonic spirit that kept him mute. The crowd demanded a “sign” that JESUS was in fact, GOD. JESUS said the generation was evil and their disbelief would be judged by others who died not believing. HE also gave an example of how people in the past believed and repented.

• GOD wants me to learn from the specific people HE gave me as examples.
• GOD wants me to observe the past so I can get the present right.
• GOD wants me to absorb HIS word and fully trust that HE is the one and only savior.

Trusting in GOD means I drop the childish tests that I used to put HIM through. The words “If YOU exist then…” need to disappear from my vocabulary. GOD is GOD. HE gives me invisible trust so I can have invincible faith. JESUS is the root of that faith. HIS word is planted in my heart and grows daily. I learn from HIS examples.

• Are you making the same mistakes as those who did not trust in JESUS?
• Do you test GOD’s grace to the point of disbelief?
• Will you stop trying to see with your natural eyes and open your spiritual eyes by listening to GOD today?

Your Momma Plus

Luke 11: ²⁷ And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

²⁸ But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

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My parents are great, all of them. Doing the best they could with what they had was not easy, but somehow the community of parents I was born into, married into and adopted into was there to support me as best they could.  

• My community of parents have given me more than I can give them.
• My community of parents have shown me a path that is right.
• My community of parents have shed a light on what is important.

A woman shouts from the crowd a cry of homage to JESUS’s mother. This statement is similar to saying “YOUR mother did great raising YOU.” JESUS shouts back the true focus. HE includes “everyone” who follows HIS word and keeps it with their hearts.

• GOD wants me to learn HIS word and follow it.
• GOD wants me to keep HIS word by learning the heart behind it.
• GOD wants me to share HIS word to anyone HE sends me to, or sends to me.

Momma’s are special to GOD. Somehow GOD counts a physical birth through a sinful human named Mary as “sinless” because the birth was not consummated by a man. This special, chosen birth “process” could never eclipse the being that came from the birth, namely JESUS.

HE did not rebuke the woman for her pride in HIS mother rather focuses her on what is truly important, the word of GOD. My birth mother is special to me along with my father and in-laws and adopted parents. But they can never be more special to me than GOD.

• Who is special to you?
• Are you more focused on them than on GOD?
• Can you place GOD higher in your life than any human so HE will bless all of those around you?

Temporarily Clean

Luke 11: ²⁴ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

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Seeing the results of attending church, I decided to attend more often. Things were going well in my life and I started attributing this to my relationship with GOD. I was up for a promotion and really wanted the position. I took an inventory of the sins I was doing at the time. “Maybe I will stop this particular sin for a while. At least until I get the position.”

• There were times when I thought I could temporarily clean myself up.
• There were times when I thought I could control the outcome of my life by temporarily stopping sin.
• There were times when I thought I could accomplish more by temporarily “not” sinning.

JESUS continues HIS explanation of the spirit realm. HE had just chased an evil spirit out of a man, enabling him to speak once again. JESUS says spirits have a tendency to return after a person has been temporarily cleansed.

• GOD wants me to ask for HIS cleansing on a daily basis.
• GOD wants me to seek HIS face daily.
• GOD wants me to ask for HIS eternal protection so I will not need to worry about HIS love.

JESUS is the answer to protection from the evil one. No one can snatch me from HIS mighty hand, not even myself. I am not in control of how GOD reacts to my sins and I am thankful. HE sees through my temporary “goodness” and counts it as dung. HE reacts with patience and grace, wanting me to grow up and bring many to HIM. HE is my salvation.

• Are you temporarily trying to act temporarily good so you can get your way?
• Do you think your temporary goodness is fooling GOD into allowing you to have what you want?
• Will you turn your life over to HIM and allow HIM to thoroughly cleanse you of all unrighteousness?

Unity Ingredients

Luke 10: ¹⁶ Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. ²² But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. ²³ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

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“I don’t like that music” I said to myself so I avoided gatherings that played certain types of music and gravitated to what “I” liked. “I don’t like that food” I said again to myself so I would travel to places to get something “I” like to eat. I wasn’t avoiding people. I mean “I” just like what I like.

• There have been times when I sought “my” space.
• There have been times when I wanted what “I” wanted.
• There have been times when I sought crowds that liked what “I” liked.

The crowd saw JESUS cast out demons and healing mute people but they still called HIM “the devil.” JESUS explains that it does not make sense to heal someone if HE were trying to ruin the person. The premise of the kingdom would fall. HE then explains that HIS kingdom requires unity.

• GOD wants me to seek HIS kingdom by seeking unity.
• GOD wants me to be “with” people instead of criticizing the differences.
• GOD wants me to bring people to HIM which may require me to like more things than I am used to.

Unity is hard when I am selfish. I lose my patience and ask “What about me?” I mean why don’t “they” want to unite with “me?” BUT GOD sees through that and builds me up to mess up and try again. Unity requires patience for which I sometimes have little. It requires variety, encouragement and plans to prosper those who do not look or act like me.

Giving myself away for others is a sacrifice GOD helps me with daily. In my mind “they” may be selfish or even rotten. BUT GOD sees them as wonderful. GOD wants me to be “with” the selfish and rotten to show HIS grace to a variety of people who do not deserve it. Maybe in the rotten selfish crowd, there may be someone who can even reach a rotten selfish person like me.

• Are you divisive?
• Do you spread unity or poison to “your” crowd?
• Are you so focused on “winning” that you side with people quickly?
• Will you stop trying to “win” and seek the unity that GOD wants you to have today?

Mislabeled

Luke 10: ¹⁴ And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

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“Sneaky” was the label I placed on this particular person. I mean they were always caught up in politics and I could sense they were simply using me to keep their power. This person was now on my side and mentioned my performance publicly. They couldn’t just like me for me, right?

• Sometimes I label people to protect myself.
• Sometimes I label people when I cannot explain their actions.
• Sometimes I label people so I can deal with them a certain way.

JESUS had just performed a miracle. HE cast out a demon and healed a mute person. Everyone was amazed except those who placed a negative label on HIM. They called JESUS “The Enemy.”

• GOD wants me to drop my negative labels of HIM.
• GOD wants me to stop thinking HE is out to get me when things are not going the way I want them to.
• GOD wants me to see HIM as my Savior and trust that HE has the best in mind for me.

Placing trust in GOD means I have better labels for HIM. Each day I can see “Mercy”, “Patience”, “Care” and “Forgiveness” if I simply open my eyes and accept HIS love. GOD does care for me even when I mislabel HIM.

• Are you mislabeling GOD?
• Have you forgotten the grace HE has shown you?
• Will you stop labeling people and listen to GOD by serving those who are difficult to serve?

Knock, knock

Luke 11: ⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

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Rubbing my hands together, I tried to keep warm but there was no sign of relief in sight. The bus was nowhere to be found and my friend and I danced around just to keep the blood flowing in our feet. A car pulled up and the driver looked like one of people who was going to our destination who we knew. Should I ask for a ride? “Yes!” It was delightful being in a warm car!

• There were times when I asked and I received.
• There have been many times when I was given exactly what I asked for.
• There were times when I thought I would not get what I asked for so I didn’t ask.

JESUS explains the heart of the HEAVENLY FATHER to HIS disciples. Right after HE explains how to pray, HE tells them to “Ask and it will be given to you.”  HE also explains that the HEAVENLY FATHER gives much better gifts than any human can give.

• GOD wants me to depend on HIM for all my needs.
• GOD wants me to believe that HE desires to give me what is best for me.
• GOD wants me to know HE can and will provide when I ask.

I guess asking is part of the free will GOD gave me. Even in my “evil” state I know how to give good things to people and GOD says “Ask ME for anything. I know how to give to you beyond anything you could ask for.” GOD’s heart is for me and HE seeks me daily. HE does want the best for me.

• Are you tired of asking?
• Do you fear GOD will say “no” so you have stopped asking?
• Will you simply believe GOD has the best in mind for you and ask HIM to fill you with HIS SPIRIT today?