Renewing Your Spiritual Prescription

Remarks

It is the first Sunday of 2022.

Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

There are some who are looking back in anger. Some are looking forward in fear. What we need to do is look up to God under anointing!

Text

Stephen had just finished preaching and sharing a Word from the Lord.

Acts 7:54–8:3 KJV 1900

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 9:1–9 KJV 1900

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

“Renewing Your Spiritual Prescription”

Receiving Sight

My Vision Problem

When I was about 10 or 11, in about the 4th grade, I started experiencing headaches that wouldn’t subside.

I would go to the nurse and they would call home and let them know. And I would end up taking some sort of Tylenol or something. This went on for a great many months.

And eventually, I don’t know whether it was the nurse who got the thought, or it was that mom or a teacher noticed me squinting, but it was discovered that these headaches were a result of the fact that I was straining to see the board every day at school.

Is this a familiar story to anyone?

And so we made our way to the eye doctor one day. And they did their thing. And when I left, I felt like they had done everything but get the serial number off my eye socket.

But then, a few weeks later, there was a day that I would never, ever forget: the day my glasses arrived. I remember putting those glasses on, and all of a sudden I began to see detail that never in my life had I remembered noticing. I saw creases in my hands that I hadn’t known about. We walked out the front door of the place, and across the street there was a field full of flowers and that there was a very memorable moment. Seeing the detail of individual blades of grass moving back and forth.

I don’t believe I’m exaggerating at all when I say that the world had changed for me that day.

I had no idea just how bad my vision was - my outlook was - that entire time. But then, someone who knew what my eyes SHOULD BE SEEING gave to me some corrective lenses.

Seeing Again

And, if I may, I want to suggest that what happened to Paul is what has to happen to EVERY. ONE OF US.

You’re going along in this world, thinking that your outlook and your vision for your life is totally normal and as it should be… but through the conviction of the bright light of the glory of God, that incorrect vision is shut off!

Acts 26:18 NKJV

18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Renewing Prescription

Adjustments Needed

But, check this out...

You know what I found out? Over time, your sight changes.

Even still wearing those corrective lenses, my sight progressively changed. And the original prescription I received was no longer going to be enough to support my vision.

You know what I had to do? I had to go back to the doctor, and allow him to again look at my vision and give me a new and fresh view.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.