I keep thinking that I wrote about this before. I glanced over the posts I have written in this blog. This is the third blog I have had: 1) from the depth of my heart to you 2) foodthatspoilsnot.blogspot.com 3) speakingtruthinlovecom.blog

What amazes me is how much I have grown in the Lord and how much I need to grow. The message is still the same in all the blogs, as well as the purpose for writing the blogs: To draw all men unto Jesus.

What is your filter?

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory (NKJV says from glory to glory), which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit.” Read 2Corinthians 3:7-18 (NIV) to fully understand this passage that I am sharing.

When I think of the word, “veil”, I think of the word, “filter”. A dear friend of mine once stated a filter is whatever a person sees when they look at us due to our past: hurts, wounds, bitterness, unforgiveness, shame, disappointments, etc. It doesn’t always have to be negative. It could be our education, accomplishments, possessions, station in life. It could be our family, culture, race, mindset, traditions. Whatever the filter is, it is what a person sees when they see us.

The only filter that people should see is JESUS. The thicker our filter the less of Jesus a person sees; the less of Jesus they can receive from us. That is why our filters must decrease so the image of Christ in us can increase. John 3:30 (NKJV). For all of our desire to serve our Lord Jesus and to share the Good News is only as effective as our willingness to die to ourselves (to lay our filters down and pick up our cross daily). Matthew 10:37-39; 16:24,25; Luke 14:25-27; 17:32,33; John 12:23-26.

Think about this for a moment: Can we minister healing out of our wounds; peace out of our anxiety; confidence out of our fear; forgiveness out of our bitterness; freedom out our bondages; hope/faith out of our disappointments/unbelief; joy out of our depression; obedience out of our rebelliousness; Life when we are shrouded in death (our life before Christ)?

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He grant would you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJV)

To me this poem, Portrait, (From the poem, “Portrait of a Christian”, written by Beatrice Clelland) and musical arrangement by Phil Keaggy says it all.