“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” Matthew 6:22
Friday Night Lights was a movie turned into a TV series based on life and football in Odessa, Texas. The fictional Dillon Panthers were all the rage in Dillon, Texas. The football team’s motto was a good one and repeated often by Coach Taylor and the team: “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose!”
I think one of the reasons that I like that motto so much is because it goes right along with what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light”(Matthew 6:22). You can’t lose when your eyes are clearly on the Lord and your heart is fully in love with Him.
CLEAR EYES AND FULL HEARTS = A HEALTHY CHURCH
One of the many jobs a pastor has under God is to lead the church to a place of health. It starts with the pastor being healthy - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally (especially in their own marriage and family), and physically. It is impossible to lead people to a place where you yourself are not. It is incumbent on the pastor to do all he can to stay healthy so that he can lead the people to be healthy and stay healthy.
I think one of the reasons that I like that motto so much is because it goes right along with what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light”(Matthew 6:22). You can’t lose when your eyes are clearly on the Lord and your heart is fully in love with Him.
CLEAR EYES AND FULL HEARTS = A HEALTHY CHURCH
One of the many jobs a pastor has under God is to lead the church to a place of health. It starts with the pastor being healthy - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally (especially in their own marriage and family), and physically. It is impossible to lead people to a place where you yourself are not. It is incumbent on the pastor to do all he can to stay healthy so that he can lead the people to be healthy and stay healthy.
Clear eyes and full hearts bring about a healthy church. Healthy churches just naturally grow. The goal of any church is not really church growth, but church health. If you are not growing individually or your church is not growing corporately, a spiritual health check-up is necessary. Let’s take one now.
Answer these questions with me:
Answer these questions with me:
- Are your eyes clear? Are you really focused on glorifying Jesus, regardless of the cost?
- Is your heart full? Are you spending quality and quantity time with the Lord? Are you falling more and more in love with Jesus … or are you like the church in Ephesus, “... losing your first love?”
- Are you walking in the light? Are you really dealing with the sins that can so easily and subtly creep into your heart … sins like resentment and bitterness, backbiting and gossip, lust, greed, and selfishness?
- Here is the big question … Are you honestly answering these questions?
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18).
THE HEALTH CHALLENGE
If you know that some things are off in the “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” part of your life, then the time is NOW to deal with them. The Lord is the Great Physician and can heal anything … as long as you and I bring it to Him in humility, confession, and repentance.
If you know that some things are off in the “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” part of your life, then the time is NOW to deal with them. The Lord is the Great Physician and can heal anything … as long as you and I bring it to Him in humility, confession, and repentance.
In Christ.
 | Love, Pastor Jeff Schreve From His Heart Ministries |
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Jesus Christ is so concerned about every detail in our lives
Take John Chapters 13,14 as one sweeping incident. After all that is what it is, and the chapter divisions can be such a hindrance at times. They are quite artificial and remember they were added many years after the Scriptures were written.
In John Chapter 14 at verse 6, Thomas is looking a bit worried. Right to the end Jesus said things that gave His disciples worried looks. Thomas is almost cheeky. You know where you are going but we don’t know where you are going so how can we know the way. Jesus is so lovingly patient.
If it were not for these words of Thomas we might never have had these famous words in verse 6. I am the way and the truth and the life – no man comes to the Father except through Me. You know the way because you know Me. I am the way. When you know me you know the way. These sentences know no parallel anywhere.
Some have said – I will tell you the way – I will show you the way – but it is only Jesus who says – I am the way. Know Me – get to know Me – and that is all you need to know. This is what makes our faith unique.
We hear people say – all you need to do is just try your best – do the best you can – be sincere and as good as you can – ah, but sincerity cannot wipe away sin – only Jesus can do that.
That is why we must be missionaries – not send missionaries – but be missionaries.
Our country – our nation – our society (and I am writing from Scotland and the United Kingdom) is as godless and as wicked as many nations overseas, and people need to come to know Jesus.
It is a narrow gate that leads to life. It was not men who devised and introduced this, and it is not a theological view point. It is the truth of Almighty God as taught by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is the way back to God.
Is that being a bit narrow minded? Yes, it is in a way, but it is the truth of God. Remember that door in The Tabernacle. It was quite narrow and it was the only way in.
If you have Jesus, you have everything you need for the future. If you do not have Jesus, you have nothing.
Peter is so concerned with “Where” – to the Father’ house to prepare a room for you. Thomas is concerned with, “How” are we going to get there – and Jesus answers, I am the way. If you know Me just keep following. That is the way. That is the only way!
Philip seems to be concerned with – “Who” are we going to meet when we arrive there. We know you, but what is the Father like. Show us the Father. Point Him out to us. Jesus says, In a way, you have been looking at Him for these past three years. The Father is in me and I am in Him. We are in each other. Everything I have said, He would have said. I have only said what the Father wanted me to say – and, and, I have said it in the way the Father wanted it said.
Peter, Thomas, Philip – believe me.
Our loving God is not remote and impersonal. Jesus Christ is so concerned about every detail in our lives.
He comes to meet us and save us from our sins. He comes to heal us and minister to our needs. He comes to teach us and answer our questions. He comes to care for us and shepherd us. He comes to guard us and protect us, and when something is troubling disciples, He comes tenderly to satisfy and soothe.
When you consider what was going on in that Upper Room and what had been said, these men must have been anxious, bewildered, and troubled, but Jesus took time to deal with this emotional upheaval.
He is asking these men to trust Him. Trust My words. Trust presence and trust the promises I have given and am about to give. Trust me as a person. I have never let you down and I will never let you down now.
Love one another. This is where real fellowship matter and counts.
Fellowship identifies you as a genuine believer in Jesus and disciple of Jesus.
Fellowship prevents self-centred isolation.
Fellowship helps us to develop spiritually. They were soon to discover that over these next weeks and months.
Fellowship gives everyone a way of making a difference, and a channel for service. Think of Peter and John, or Paul and Silas and Timothy. We would never have heard of these men if it had not been for the fellowship of the church of Jesus Christ.
Fellowship prevents us from backsliding or falling away. It did then, and it does now.
Fellowship provides spiritual protection. Someone needs your love – your help – your advice – your encouragement – your rebuke – your friendliness – and through fellowship we seek to let the whole world see how we live.
The answer to their anxiety and troubled hearts was trust and fellowship, and it worked. God’s ways always work.
This post was written by:
Sandy Shaw - who has written 31 posts on The Underground.
Alexander "Sandy" Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster! Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word. Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40 a.m., New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
http://theundergroundsite.com/2012/06/11/word-from-scotland-jesus-christ-is-so-concerned-about-every-detail-in-our-lives-24446
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