Perspective: Sight Vs Faith

PERSPECTIVE: CHANGE THE FACTS VS. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE... SIGHT VS FAITH?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) We live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (MSG) It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.

YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AGAIN?

I heard of a man that was angry at his bank and their ATM?

He told me: I WAS THEIR WOULD KEEP THEIR ATM's BETTER STOCKED!!!

I asked him why would you say that?

His conclusion was real to him. He had been to several ATM's and they all said the same thing.

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.

YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AGAIN? CAN WE SEE WHAT GOD WANTS US TO SEE?

CAN THE DESIRE TO BE ENTERTAINED DISTORT WHAT GOD HAS INTENDED FOR US?

DISTORTION OF THE FACTS?

I once was listening to two old ladies have a deep discussion. So I just listened to them. The conversation returned to the "BOTTOM" of an old coal mining camp. The old lady began discussing her neighbor. When they first moved into the coal mining camp in the spring in a brand new home. The was a neighbor that lived directly behind her. She could stand at her sink in the kitchen and watch her neighbor in the back yard. They developed a lifelong friendship.

That spring, the lady told how she always admired her friend because on wash day, Monday, the lady would hang her wash on the clothes line. She told how bright and clean the clothes were. As a matter of fact she asked her neighbor how she got her clothes so bright and clean? She always enjoyed watching her neighbor on Monday.

Spring yielded to summer, summer to fall, and fall to winter. Every Monday morning the old ringer washer would be hooked up, they would carry the water and wash the clothes. The old lady noticed something over time. Slowly but surely over time the clothes hanging on the line lost their brightness and they were not as clean anymore? At church the lady whispered how her neighbors clothes were fading and they were not so bright and clean. They all agreed this was so sad.

All winter long they would sit around the pot-bellied stove and burn coal. Everyone in the neighbor burned coal as it was the cheapest fuel available. But when the lady was doing her dishes she could not but help look at the dingy, dirty clothes on the neighbors line. She would tell the other ladies in the neighborhood. For some reason their friendship seemed to be lacking?

Spring came around. They took down the stove pipe and stored the pot-bellied stove in a building out back. She discussed with her husband on Saturday they would wash their walls and their windows. So, the whole family worked so hard cleaning. Everything seems so much brighter.

On Monday the neighbor lady was hanging out her washing and the clothes were bright and so clean. The lesson was very clear. The neighbor's wash had not changed. The burning of the coal and smoke had left a dingy dirty film on her windows. The dirt was from inside the house and the dirty windows distorted the facts. When the family cleaned their own house they found the real issue.

Do you jump to conclusions?

VALID? INVALID? VALIDITY? WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AGAIN?

HOW MANY OF US HAVE A DISTORTED VISUAL FIELD? WHAT WE SEE? WHAT WE FEEL? OUR EMOTIONS? OUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH? ALL COME FROM OUR PERSPECTIVES AND OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES?

Do your conclusions seem fair or reasonable? Are they well grounded?

What about your public worship? Luke-warmness? Respect? Selfishness? Neglect? Slackness?

WHAT IF GOD IS AS FAITHFUL TO YOU AS YOUR ARE TO CHURCH?

LOOK AGAIN MY FRIEND? ARE WE MISSING THE TRUTH? ARE WE WALKING BY SIGHT?

WE SEEK GOD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE WORLD AND CHANGE THE FACTS... NOW GOD, NOW!

GOD IS SEARCHING FOR A DIFFERENT RESULTS GOD DESIRES TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE!

PERSPECTIVE: your vision, mental view, the way you see things, the way you relate to something,

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

Proverbs 29:18 (NLT) When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

Proverbs 29:18 (MSG) If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.