Praize Blogs

Mark
4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and
not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their
sins should be forgiven them.

Everyone looks but not everyone sees. Some see one thing while another sees something else. It depends on many factors, interests and understandings.

The
eyes are a major part of our mental intake process by absorbing what is
physically there. This includes the action, directions, colours, objects, shapes,
sizes and on and on. The physical information could be endless but the human
understanding can only absorb and process a small amount of the available information.

While
seeing a police officer approaching, the criminal sees the law and is afraid
while the victim sees the law and is relieved. The officer has not changed but
the circumstance in each person’s life lets them see something different.

While
seeing Jesus teaching and healing, the unbelieving Pharisees saw a competitor
to their authority and power while the believing peasants saw a kind and giving
son of God. Jesus had the same physical appearance to both groups but their
outlook and expectations were different.

 1John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in
him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.

Jesus
will come back and to those who look for Him to return, He will be a saviour,
lord and friend but to those who are hoping He will never come back, He will be
the word of God that condemns them with all the ungodly.

He will
look the same as He went away but the expectation of those seeing Him will be
different and will generate different emotions as they see their future from
the results of their past; the past that we are living right now before He
comes to rule upon this earth and before you die and go into His heavenly
presence.

We can
‘see’ Him now and follow His teaching and directions, if we know where and how
to look.

Revelation
3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou
mayest see.

Jesus
is the living word of God;

John
1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

But not
everyone looking at Him will ‘see’ His true form.

2Timothy
2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Luke
24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures,

Jesus,
as the word of God, is readily available to every person in the world but, even
though they are looking, few will ‘see’ Him correctly.

Matthew
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Those
who ‘see’ Jesus correctly will understand correctly.

Ephesians
1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Ephesians
1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is
the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints,

Those
whose hearts are corrupt will not understand though they still ‘see’ Jesus as
the word of God.

Ephesians
4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not
as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Ephesians
4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

It
irritates me greatly when I hear some religious authority say “That’s what it
(God’s word) says but that’s not what it means.” They see God’s word but they
want it to fit into their theology and not be against their thoughts so they
‘see’ a simile or a meaningful parable instead of a command of our Lord.

When
you see Jesus as God’s son, the living word of God and our master, then you
will see everything He tells us to do as a chance to joyfully obey Him and an
opportunity to prove Him faithful.

If you
see Jesus as God’s adviser, then you will think about what He says and chose
the parts you will obey and excuse the rest away as ‘not for you’, an error by
the old translators or a story designed to teach a lesson but is not real.

What
you ‘see’ in anything in your life depends upon who teaches you about it. If
you rely on yourself, your vision will be bias, if you rely on others, your
sight will not be your own and if you guess, your ‘seeing’ will be by chance
and not by God’s understanding.

To
‘see’ clearly we must rely on God and faith in God. We must trust Him that as
we understand so He will teach us the truth of His word and of His world; the
world around us. What appears may not be what we think it is.

1Samuel
16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the
height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth
not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD
looketh on the heart.

John
7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

And, if
we ‘see’ correctly we can do correctly.

Luke
6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

And
know them who are doing correctly.

2Corinthians
10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to
himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is
Christ's, even so are we Christ's.