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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Listen to this message on your
audio player.
"Was Blind, But Now I See"
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Periodically we share a more obscure phrase from a familiar hymn and ask our readers if they can identify the hymn. Most of you will recognize our message title as an oft sung phrase from great hymn "Amazing Grace".
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
The great hymns are so often filled with imagery from Scripture. The phrase "I once was lost but now am found" may very well have been alluding to the Prodigal son (see Luke 15:24). The phrase "Was blind, but now, I see" could be referring to the blind man in an account from John 9:25 but may also allude to today's Scripture text which speaks of a spiritual blindness which blinds the minds of unbelievers.
"The god of this age" is Satan. Such a statement brings a scoffing sneer from the unbeliever. But this false god is very actively at work as demonstrated in the evil we see all around us, including the false, idolatrous religious systems that will "deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord" (Jude 1:4).
The
church
has been mightily blessed by those with physical blindness such as
Fanny
Crosby and Gordon Mote, who served as a pianist for many years with the
Gaither Homecoming series. We have several blind friends who faithfully
serve the Lord
including the soloist friend in our wedding who was blind, and we
marvel at their overcoming and victorious spirit.
But our text speaks of a blinding of the mind, not the eyes, "Has blinded the minds of unbelievers."
Physical blindness is one thing, but blindness of the mind brings on an awful, potentially eternal condition, "So that they (the unbeliever) cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
John MacArthur writes, "Unregenerate people cannot think properly
about spiritual truth because they have a "depraved mind" (Romans 1:28).
Only God can turn on the light in the human heart so that it can
respond in saving faith to the gospel of the glory of Christ."
Following his dramatic conversion Paul received a call to ministry directly from the Lord: "I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:17,18).
May your spiritual eyes be open today making it possible for you to rejoice in "the gospel of the glory of Christ"!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, though You do not walk visibly among us You do reveal Yourself
through the minds, the hearts, and the actions of Your
followers. May the light of Jesus shine forth from us so that the
unbeliever can sift
through the confusing ungodly messages of this world and the
counterfeits of this age. May they see through our words and
actions "the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." We especially lift up
to You our friends and loved ones who have been blinded by the god of
this age. We pray
that You would dispel their doubts, fears, and unbelief, replacing
these faith destroyers with
confidence, courage and peace that comes through believing in and
knowing You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Further study note: There are basically two outlooks in life: The personal mission statement that we include in the footers with each daily encouragement conveys one. Although a simple statement that certainly does not convey all that's true it simply asserts, "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
The other outlook denies this and so many feel they have been "enlightened" to reject what they see as a very simple and primitive religious expression. To them we are merely a product of evolution and "god" is merely a figment of imagination to the weak, simple, uneducated and unenlightened. However in reality they have not been enlightened, but rather blinded. Indeed, "they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Amazing Grace" Video Wintley Phipps
"Story of Open the Eyes of my Heart" Video Paul Baloche (Fuller song version)
"Thank You Lord, For Your Blessings On Me" Video Gordon Mote (the blind pianist mentioned in the message) & Jason Crabb This is a good song to get a perspective on our blessings!
To receive the "Daily
Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this
page
to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed
or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily
Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this
daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all
over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and
podcast listeners. See here
for more information on
supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Listen to this message on your
audio player."Was Blind, But Now I See"
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Periodically we share a more obscure phrase from a familiar hymn and ask our readers if they can identify the hymn. Most of you will recognize our message title as an oft sung phrase from great hymn "Amazing Grace".
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
The great hymns are so often filled with imagery from Scripture. The phrase "I once was lost but now am found" may very well have been alluding to the Prodigal son (see Luke 15:24). The phrase "Was blind, but now, I see" could be referring to the blind man in an account from John 9:25 but may also allude to today's Scripture text which speaks of a spiritual blindness which blinds the minds of unbelievers.
"The god of this age" is Satan. Such a statement brings a scoffing sneer from the unbeliever. But this false god is very actively at work as demonstrated in the evil we see all around us, including the false, idolatrous religious systems that will "deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord" (Jude 1:4).
The
church
has been mightily blessed by those with physical blindness such as
Fanny
Crosby and Gordon Mote, who served as a pianist for many years with the
Gaither Homecoming series. We have several blind friends who faithfully
serve the Lord
including the soloist friend in our wedding who was blind, and we
marvel at their overcoming and victorious spirit.But our text speaks of a blinding of the mind, not the eyes, "Has blinded the minds of unbelievers."
Physical blindness is one thing, but blindness of the mind brings on an awful, potentially eternal condition, "So that they (the unbeliever) cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
John MacArthur writes, "Unregenerate people cannot think properly
about spiritual truth because they have a "depraved mind" (Romans 1:28).
Only God can turn on the light in the human heart so that it can
respond in saving faith to the gospel of the glory of Christ."Following his dramatic conversion Paul received a call to ministry directly from the Lord: "I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:17,18).
May your spiritual eyes be open today making it possible for you to rejoice in "the gospel of the glory of Christ"!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, though You do not walk visibly among us You do reveal Yourself
through the minds, the hearts, and the actions of Your
followers. May the light of Jesus shine forth from us so that the
unbeliever can sift
through the confusing ungodly messages of this world and the
counterfeits of this age. May they see through our words and
actions "the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." We especially lift up
to You our friends and loved ones who have been blinded by the god of
this age. We pray
that You would dispel their doubts, fears, and unbelief, replacing
these faith destroyers with
confidence, courage and peace that comes through believing in and
knowing You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.Further study note: There are basically two outlooks in life: The personal mission statement that we include in the footers with each daily encouragement conveys one. Although a simple statement that certainly does not convey all that's true it simply asserts, "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
The other outlook denies this and so many feel they have been "enlightened" to reject what they see as a very simple and primitive religious expression. To them we are merely a product of evolution and "god" is merely a figment of imagination to the weak, simple, uneducated and unenlightened. However in reality they have not been enlightened, but rather blinded. Indeed, "they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Amazing Grace" Video Wintley Phipps
"Story of Open the Eyes of my Heart" Video Paul Baloche (Fuller song version)
"Thank You Lord, For Your Blessings On Me" Video Gordon Mote (the blind pianist mentioned in the message) & Jason Crabb This is a good song to get a perspective on our blessings!
Send
a message
to Stephen &
Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily
Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this
page
to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed
or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily
Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this
daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all
over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and
podcast listeners. See here
for more information on
supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA