WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

Not long ago I got my eyes on me instead of on Jesus. Confusion and feelings of doubt and insecurity grew within me. I honestly did not know what my problem was. For months I been experiencing the most peaceful spiritual state of mind that I had enjoyed in years, then slowly it all began to ebb away.

"What have I done, Lord?" I cried. " Where is my sin that I may confess it and find forgiveness?" Having had a background of tons of legalism and works oriented theology, I found it easy to condemn myself with the thought that I was not doing all I should be doing to maintain a spiritual frame of mind. This usually leads me into fasting. Nothing wrong with fasting, but for me, when fasting is introduced, I begin a perfect circle of agony. No matter what the nature or extent of the fast, I usually come short of my goal, so I find myself under more condemnation. This compels me to try harder and off I go again toward more fasting and more defeat and more condemnation.

While in the midst of this struggle, I went by a friend's house and without my mentioning to him my spiritual battle, just casually, out of his mouth came the light I needed. "Bob, God spoke to me today as I was praying about my healing rally at the Holiday Inn. I said, 'Lord, what can I tell the people that will help them receive their healing?' The Lord said, 'Just tell them to look at Jesus and that will be enough.' I was reminded of how Moses lifted up the brass serpent in the midst of the camp and those who were dying from snake bite, when they looked at the brass serpent were healed on the spot."

As I heard those words, I knew the Lord had spoken to my own need. In my case, it was not a physical healing that I needed, but release from a spirit of condemnation that kept me ever looking inward at my shortcomings, mistakes and weaknesses rather than looking to Jesus for a life of victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.

"PRAISE THE LORD, JIM!" I shouted. "God just opened my eyes! You have given me just what I needed. There is nothing more simple and easy than a look. There is no work or effort involved. It is just a matter of which way we point our eyes."

The simplicity of faith broke upon me and I suddenly saw that it didn't require a conscious meditation on a verse of scripture or on a certain truth in order to be walking in faith. I didn't have to be audibly confessing or praying or praising, though all of that is right and good. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Jesus as our life, our healer, our helper, our Savior! Paul said, "You are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." God both justifies and sanctifies through faith in the finished work of Christ, and that faith is a constant attitude of trust in the indwelling Christ who will live his victorious life in us and through us.

God's plan is not to prune back and reform the old man, but to put on a new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness, and that new man is Jesus! Our tendency is to always be looking at ourselves and what we are doing for God, or what we are not doing; to measure our worth before God in accordance with how well we are doing in our Bible reading, praying, witnessing, church attendance, giving, going, doing, doing, doing. But the question is, what are you looking at?



Robert & Joni Fitts


Where it all Starts
All fruitfulness flows out of intimacy. Out of the womb of prayer, praise and worship all things in the kingdom of God are conceived, nurtured, and brought to birth to the glory of God and for the good of mankind.

A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!

Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Prayer for More Workers and More Miracles
Father, send more laborers into this harvest and grant us boldness to speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus.

Winning the War on Terrorism Through Prayer
"Father, give every terrorist in the world an encounter with Jesus like Saul of Tarsus had on the road to Damascus."

LAW, NO! GRACE, YES!
The law demands, demands, demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands.
Now Grace and Truth are better things, they bid me fly and give me wings!