THAT I MIGHT SEE HIM… OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE JESUS FACE TO FACE… with the eyes of our hearts. THERE WAS A MAN THAT FOUND JOHN THE BAPTIST IN THE WILDERNESS HIS NAME WAS ANDREW. HE WAS KNOWN AS THE BRINGER… HE HAS NO CLAIM TO FAME. HE WROTE NO BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Andrew’s claim to fame was he was PETER’S BROTHER. Who is he? Oh, he is Peter’s brother… but never forget Andrew was the one that brought Peter to Jesus. Andrew had the personality that people felt comfortable around him.
John 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: 21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Some Greek strangers came to PHILIP and for some reason Philip never felt comfortable to bring the Greeks to meet Jesus. So Philip told Andrew. The Greek men had a request: SIR, WE WOULD SEE JESUS…
These men approached with a deep wish… SIR, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME PERSONAL TIME SO WE CAN KNOW JESUS.
TO HAVE OUR EYES OPENED IS MORE INVOLVED THAN STANDING AND LOOKING UPWARD…
YOUR EYES ARE THE GATEWAY TO YOUR HEART…
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
THE EYES OF YOUR HEART? UNDERSTANDING DEEPER THAN THE SURFACE FLESHLY ISSUES… TO UNDERSTAND THE ETERNAL.
The heart is central in the rib cage. We can understand that the center of the heart is mercy, grace, peace and love. We can gain insight and understanding when we see with more than eye sight… When we can meditate on God, God’s words and God’s people.
We call the eyes the windows of our spirit and soul. The eyes can reveal more than words maybe even to the level of one’s feeling and thinking. Do we believe with our brain or with our heart?
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
OUR ENEMY WANTS US TO WEAR BLINDERS AND LIMIT OUR VISION AND UNDERSTANDING…
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,
SEEMS THE EYES IN OUR HEAD TEND TO FOCUS ON THE TEMPORARY… THE EYES OF OUR HEART FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL… THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NATURAL EYES AND THE EYES OF OUR HEART
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The sum total of daily life seems to focus on what the eyes see. Eternal life is far more than what meets the eye. The things we see now are going to pass away, here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever and forever.
FEAR CAN DISTORT THE EYE VISION… PRAYER CAN CHANGE YOUR VISUAL FIELD… NEAR SIGHTED? FAR SIGHTED? TUNNEL VISION?
2 Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
GEHAZI WAS ELISHA’S SERVANT… THE EYES OF HIS HEAD DISTORTED HIS VISION AND REALITY BRED FEAR… The enemy’s army was the #1 force of the day. Gehazi let his eyes dictate to his heart. FEAR and WORRY BRED FEAR AND WORRY BECAUSE OF HIS EYES.
2 Kings 6:16 And ELISAH answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
ELISHA PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD OPEN THE EYES OF GEHAZI’S HEART.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
The eyes of the heart of God reveals: GOD HAS THIS PROBLEM IN HIS HANDS.
ELISHA UNDERSTOOD THE DIFFERENCE IN EYE SIGHT AND THE EYES OF THE HEART. GOD CAN CLOSE THE EYES OF THE ENEMY.
2 Kings 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. 20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
THE HUMAN EYES SAY KILL THE BLIND ENEMY… THE EYES OF THE HEART SAYS: FEED THEM… DO WE SEE PEOPLE AS ENEMIES, LET’S HURT THEM? OR CAN WE SEE WITH THE EYES OF THE HEART?
2 Kings 6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
The big difference between Elisha and Gehazi was the report of the eyes…
SIMON WAS A REALLY GOOD RELIGIOUS MAN THAT COULD NOT SEE… WITH THE EYES OF HIS HEART… THIS PHARISEE HAD THE SON OF GOD AS A GUEST IN HIS HOME… HE COULD SEE JESUS WITH HIS EYES… BUT NOT THE EYES OF HIS HEART…
Luke 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
IN THE SAME HOUSE AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS A “BAD WOMAN” THAT LOOKED AT JESUS WITH THE EYES OF HER HEART.
Luke 7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
MARY WILL BE REMEMBERED ALL AROUND THE WORLD… WHY MARY SAW AND FOCUSED BEYOND EYE SIGHT.
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
CONCLUSION: MAY WE BE PEOPLE THAT WILL OPEN THE EYES OF THEIR HEART AND SEE HURTING AND LOST PEOPLE HEADED TOWARDS HELL. May we see beyond 20/20 vision… GOD OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART. TEACH ME TO LISTEN AND LOVE HARD TO LOVE PEOPLE. God told Solomon I will give you whatever you ask. Solomon used the eyes of his heart and told God: "Here's what I want: Give me a God listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil.
Remember the song:
Open the eyes of my heart. Lord, open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you. I want to see you.
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you. I want to see you.
To see you high and lifted up shining in the light of your glory, pour out your power and love, as we sing holy, holy, holy.
Holy, holy, holy, holy, we cry holy, holy, holy. You are holy, holy, holy I want to see you.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WHAT MIGHT WE SEE IF WE OPENED THE EYES OF OUR HEARTS.
Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
President Calvin Coolidge invited some people to the White House. They did not know how to be proper. So they decided to watch the President and do whatever he did. The staff poured coffee into the President’s cup, then theirs. The President poured a small amount of coffee in his saucer. So did they. Then Coolidge poured a lot of milk in his saucer. So they did the same. Then Coolidge placed the milk on the floor for the cat. Sometimes we just don’t get it?
