CLEAR VISION
FBC Family!
It’s a joy for me to be able to write the first blog of February. It’s been a great first month, and I’m grateful to you all for your hospitality and welcoming spirit to my family and me. I’m also grateful for how gracious everyone has been when we struggle to remember your names and stories, and work to know you better.
One of my early observations was that this blog was going out so often that people were not engaging with it. As a result, we decided that we would publish one blog post per week, and to put important church announcements with the blog so that you could find both encouragement and refreshment through the author’s insights about what God has been teaching them, as well as be able to see important events coming up in our body life here at FBC. With their reduced frequency, these blog posts will no longer need to be tied to the One Year Bible reading plan.
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About ¾ of the way through pilot training, I got my first set of glasses. I wasn’t happy about it – I had always had pride at how good my vision was – but the doctor suggested that to fly my vision needed to be corrected to be perfect to fly in the Air Force. I had a slight astigmatism and a mild case where my eyes weren’t perfectly fusing their individual pictures well. The doctor indicated this caused (very) minor depth perception issues but required that I wear glasses to correct this while flying. These depth perception problems also gave reason why I could never quite see the “Magic Eye” 3D pictures.
Vision is a tricky and tenuous thing. Eyes can be strained, and sometimes get worse. Eyes can also be strengthened! There are exercises that people can do to strengthen their eye muscles, from focusing on moving objects, to trying to see 3D pictures like the ones I couldn’t see. In fact, WebMD suggests that eye exercises might be prescribed for several reasons, including “trouble with depth perception.” (see https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-exercises). After trying some of these, I found myself staring at a magic eye poster trying to discern the image hidden behind the strange pixels and figures.
This reminds me of the sanctifying gaze of looking at – beholding, gazing at – the image of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." It’s interesting to me that the picture Jesus uses of what He would accomplish on the cross was like the serpent in the wilderness. John 3:14 says “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” In Numbers 21 fiery serpents were fatally biting the people, and they had to glance at the bronze serpent in order to live.
The serpent originally caused death in the garden of Eden. The serpent of my sin bit me. A glance at the One who became sin on my behalf and was lifted up will save me from eternal death. God doesn’t just want to save me from sin’s penalty, but also from its power. That transformation – becoming more like His image, comes by gazing at His glory…by spending time with Him in His word and prayer. By spending time in fellowship with other people who are living out His image in their lives. The glance saves, but the gaze sanctifies. One day we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2). As a citizen of heaven, I eagerly wait for this.
Eventually I could see the Magic Eye 3D images. I still have to focus and concentrate for a moment, but often as the details become clear the effort is worth it. May God give us all the eyes to see Him more clearly as He works in our hearts, our circumstances, our church, and our community!
It’s a joy for me to be able to write the first blog of February. It’s been a great first month, and I’m grateful to you all for your hospitality and welcoming spirit to my family and me. I’m also grateful for how gracious everyone has been when we struggle to remember your names and stories, and work to know you better.
One of my early observations was that this blog was going out so often that people were not engaging with it. As a result, we decided that we would publish one blog post per week, and to put important church announcements with the blog so that you could find both encouragement and refreshment through the author’s insights about what God has been teaching them, as well as be able to see important events coming up in our body life here at FBC. With their reduced frequency, these blog posts will no longer need to be tied to the One Year Bible reading plan.
=-=-=-=
About ¾ of the way through pilot training, I got my first set of glasses. I wasn’t happy about it – I had always had pride at how good my vision was – but the doctor suggested that to fly my vision needed to be corrected to be perfect to fly in the Air Force. I had a slight astigmatism and a mild case where my eyes weren’t perfectly fusing their individual pictures well. The doctor indicated this caused (very) minor depth perception issues but required that I wear glasses to correct this while flying. These depth perception problems also gave reason why I could never quite see the “Magic Eye” 3D pictures.
Vision is a tricky and tenuous thing. Eyes can be strained, and sometimes get worse. Eyes can also be strengthened! There are exercises that people can do to strengthen their eye muscles, from focusing on moving objects, to trying to see 3D pictures like the ones I couldn’t see. In fact, WebMD suggests that eye exercises might be prescribed for several reasons, including “trouble with depth perception.” (see https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-exercises). After trying some of these, I found myself staring at a magic eye poster trying to discern the image hidden behind the strange pixels and figures.
This reminds me of the sanctifying gaze of looking at – beholding, gazing at – the image of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." It’s interesting to me that the picture Jesus uses of what He would accomplish on the cross was like the serpent in the wilderness. John 3:14 says “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” In Numbers 21 fiery serpents were fatally biting the people, and they had to glance at the bronze serpent in order to live.
The serpent originally caused death in the garden of Eden. The serpent of my sin bit me. A glance at the One who became sin on my behalf and was lifted up will save me from eternal death. God doesn’t just want to save me from sin’s penalty, but also from its power. That transformation – becoming more like His image, comes by gazing at His glory…by spending time with Him in His word and prayer. By spending time in fellowship with other people who are living out His image in their lives. The glance saves, but the gaze sanctifies. One day we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2). As a citizen of heaven, I eagerly wait for this.
Eventually I could see the Magic Eye 3D images. I still have to focus and concentrate for a moment, but often as the details become clear the effort is worth it. May God give us all the eyes to see Him more clearly as He works in our hearts, our circumstances, our church, and our community!
by Mike Hogue, Senior Pastor
Posted in Faith Blogs
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1 Comment
Great post, very encouraging. I always thought you looked great with your glasses :)