RIGHT IN THE EYES

"The eye is the lamp of the body; If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light."- (Matthew 6:22)

Growing up in the bustling NorthEastern United States, just outside of New York City, many axioms of conduct and rules of social behavior were imparted to me. One of the first laws of survival was simply "Keep your head down and never look anyone in the eyes". In a city fraught with veritable maniacs on the verge of violent explosions from the pressures of a life without a horizon line, this made intellectual sense. At any given moment, someone who was a maniac, demoniac or a normal person harboring too much stress could attack... Or at least, that is what the paranoid masses believed. And I was throughout my youth a registered member of the paranoid masses of society. For many years, that is how I lived... Head down, eyes averting contact with anyone. The enemy loves this non-committal, passive approach to social behavior. It divides us.

Only in the past few years have I been given access to the revelation of the truth of the matter. God WANTS us to look each other in the eyes. He wants us to remain connected, just as He is connected to us. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the Earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him".-(2 Chronicles 16:9) We are made in His image, and therefore are made to do as He does. God WANTS us to look at Him, and to Him at all times. "My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare".-(Psalm 25:16) Catch this principle, it is powerful.

The eyes are truly the windows of the soul. When we shutter those windows or avert our "soul to soul" contacts, we close communion or communication with our neighbors. People crave and need love. "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart".-(Proverbs 15:30) When we offer our eyes to another, we operate as Christ did here on Earth. Jesus did NOT avert His gaze to anyone. On the contrary, He was filled with utter compassion at all times, and for all people, even as He hung on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.". -(Luke 23:34) We cannot have compassion for the lost, dying and hungry of this world if we do not see them as they truly are. That only comes from seeing them completely, inside and out. I encourage you to not feel convicted right now... It happens to every single one of us. The enemy tries to convince us and condition us into the belief that we are somehow "safer" or "protected" when we insulate our gaze. While I believe that to be true for the sake of guarding our eye-gates from sin, I know that it is not God's will that we should be divided by our defenses. The adversary is intent on dividing us by any means he can. "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."-(Mark 3:24) Even the very word "division" means "split vision"or "di (meaning two) visions". Think about it. Try looking at someone with the eyes and mind of Christ Jesus, and see what happens. The hurt and wounded will be moved by your contact. Hope will be instilled and perhaps healing can begin. The insecure may avert their eyes, but at least they will see the love in yours. Keep in mind, this may actually scare some people because it has become an almost totally foreign concept. After all, we have been operating under the misunderstanding that we are to be a society of islands unto ourselves. When in truth, the Lord wishes us to be completely connected and in one accord, in Him.

One of our dear friends and an incredible teacher of Personal Mastery and trainer of "Compassionate Samurai", Brian Klemmer teaches a very powerful concept called "Being with". Mr. Klemmer uses an exercise where he has pairs sit facing each other and simply look into one another's eyes. Not merely for a moment, but for long periods of time. Why does this exercise matter? Because in today's society, we have become so self-centered that the power of simply "being with" someone else without spouting our own agendas or touting our accomplishments or venting our complaints is alien. We have forgotten, as a race, how to look INTO one another. Without words, some laugh, others become confused, and some even break down into tears. It is a walled and veiled area of our hearts and minds that was never meant to be as such, but has been trained into that state. Your spirit-man can SEE and be SEEN both in the spirit and the natural. When you dare to connect with another, you make yourself vulnerable and see into their vulnerability. Remember, this is ONLY if you are filled with the Holy Spirit and have the compassionate heart and mind of Christ. If you have evil within you, or fear, you have no protection from the repercussions that may ensue. But on the other end of the spectrum, if you are filled with the Love of God, that is what makes "your eyes good" and "your whole body full of light". And the Love of God is the most powerful creative and defensive force in existence.

While this paramount truth will impact the lost and hurting surrounding us, it is also an effective weapon against the forces of evil. I mentioned early that Jesus the Messiah did not avert His gaze to anyone, in that, I also believe that He NEVER looked away from those who were His enemies either. We are taught from an early age never to make direct eye-contact with dogs. It is widely taught that dogs will attack if they feel threatened by your gaze. But in truth, I believe that it is not the direct stare that causes the attack, but rather the smell of fear. The enemy, like a dog, can sense and smell the spirit of fear. It comes from him. The spirit of fear is NOT of God, and therefore smells like Satan himself. When the enemy or his minions sense that familiar scent, they attack, just like a wild animal or a dog... I have received what I consider tremendous revelation regarding this. You see, not only does it aid the wounded to look into their eyes and thereby their spirit-man, but it will crumble the greatest of foes to pierce their hearts with the inward gaze of that same Love of Christ. When someone filled with evil, be they demonized or simply heartbroken, angry, and lashing out, see the absolutely pure Love that comes from the Holy Spirit LIVING within you, they have no authority over you. When you walk in the boldness of the authority of the blood of Jesus Christ, you cannot be beaten in a good vs. evil staring contest. Evil will always blink. Beware that when they do, you may have some who press the matter further with queries like "Whattayoulookin'at?"; I advise you to use the standard reply for the Sinner and Saint alike: "Jesus Loves You".

This is a basic, powerful principle that is a necessity to become your authentic self. God never designed us to be hermits. Quite the contrary, He created us for fellowship. Why would the Creator make us to be reclusive and self-existing when He himself sought to have communion with us? Therefore, we were made to commune not only with God, but with our fellow man. I believe the most powerful relationships, whether they are marriages of love or purpose, are those where there is absolute connection and thereby, TRUST. Imagine if you will, a couple who, (although blessed with perfect eyesight), never gaze into one another's eyes. They will be, no matter how close they ever become, incomplete. We were made to "see" into each other. Your eyes are a LAMP! I believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world", it meant that His light would shine before men through us. YOUR EYES ARE A LAMP. If He is within you, He will enlighten you. That is they key to all of this.

In order to be the "light of the world", you must have Him dwelling within you. To truly and effectively touch others by looking into them and to look through our adversaries, we need Jesus to be looking outwardly from inside of us. That can only be if you welcome Him into your heart, soul, mind and surrender your spirit and life to Him. You need His saving blood, His working power and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of the Living God. If you do not have the gift of salvation, or know that Love of God, receive it RIGHT NOW. It is the greatest gift of all creation, and it is FREE. Ask Jesus the Messiah to come into your heart, into your life and allow Him to be your EYES... TODAY, and see the world and other people in a different light.