Eye Exams - March 31st, 2022

March 31, 2022

Pastor Ken Brown Jr

Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Eye Exams The other day I was amused by a text I got from my eye doctor’s office. It said that it was time for my regular eye exam and that I should call and make an appointment to come in at my earliest convenience. What made the text amusing was that I had just been in for my regular eye exam not two months ago. The text had been sent by a computer based on some past exam date, but obviously not taking into account my most recent visit. A marketing strategy no doubt, but funny to me none the less. I probably wouldn’t have found it particularly comical, but it was the eye doctor…all they had to do was look at my records…you know…with their eyes, and they would have seen I didn’t need to make an appointment. I smiled and thought perhaps I wasn’t the one in need of an eye exam! It got me thinking though about how often the Holy Spirit has to notify me that I need to come in for an eye exam, because He is aware that I am not “seeing” things as clearly as I ought to. I must admit that it is often more than once-a-year. Sometimes I look around at the world around me and I think to myself…”This is crazy, everything is spiraling out of control.” In those moments I realize that my observations are very nearsighted. I am considering my circumstances from a temporal point of view. I don’t like whatever I am seeing because it isn’t conducive to an outcome I desire. For instance, there are times when I see the upheaval on the world stage and grow concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren. When I look at the self-serving attitude of our world leaders it can cause me to have grave concerns over the possible or might I even say probable outcome. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me it is time for an eye exam. Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus about their nearsightedness too. He reminded them of what The Spirit reminds me of and what I want to remind you of today. King Jesus is still on the throne! He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present King! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) God is, has always been, and will forever be in control. Nothing is above Him or beyond Him and He is a good, good Father. Additionally, we are promised that the same Holy Spirit that reminds me of the necessity of an eye exam is interceding for us in prayer as we go through whatever experience is causing us difficulty in any given moment. (Romans 8:26-27) In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians we find in verses 17-23 what Paul wrote to encourage them in their nearsightedness that I want to encourage you with today. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Paul said that as a part of his prayer for the Ephesians he prayed regularly that they would know God better because he understood that would bring them wisdom and revelation about what was going on in the world around them. He said he also prayed that the “eyes of their hearts might be enlightened”. He was praying that they would receive corrective lenses. He wanted them to get new glasses. The same prescription that I need and that you need. What prescription is that? It’s the one that helps us see who is on the throne. Who the one is that has the greatest power and highest authority. They are the glasses that help us see that in fact no one in power on the world stage is there except that our Father, The God of all creation has placed them there, ultimately for His own purposes. Never allow the fact that God is good and we deem the leaders around us bad to lead you to the conclusion that God is not in control. God has used poor human rulers to bring about his will in his time all throughout history. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Herod, and Pilate come to mind just to name a few of those who were not for God, but were used in their places of earthly power by God to bring his plans to fruition. Paul went on to remind the Ephesians, as well as you and I that God wants us to walk in the incomparable power that He has, the same power He used to raise Christ from the dead, the lowest of lows and then seat Him in the Heavens at His own right hand, the highest of all places. That same power that God exerted to put every world leader that ever existed, that currently exists and that ever will exist, under the authority and rule of Christ, God wants to infill you with, but you need the right glasses to see it. So now, having understanding that you serve the greatest King of all time…ever, walk in confidence seeing the world around you for what it really is…and Go Be Awesome!