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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Loss of Vision In 2008 at least 50 people in India experienced loss of vision after gazing at the sun hoping to see an image of the Virgin Mary. It happened in the Kottayam district at the house of a hotel owner, where a solar image of the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared. People flocked to the area, hastily christened Rosa Mystica Mountain, and gazed up at the sun, hoping to see the image for themselves. What they got was vision loss. St Joseph’s ENT and Eye Hospital in Kanjirappally recorded 48 cases of vision loss among the sun-gazers due to photochemical burns on the retina. Said an ophthalmologist, “All our patients have similar … symptoms. The damage is to the macula, the most sensitive part of retina. They have developed photochemical, not thermal, burns after continuously gazing at the sun.” The health department put a sign at the house, warning people against exposing their eyes to the sun. Whether it is by looking to the sun for a sign or through a myriad of other distractions and deceptions, “the god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Scriptures, however, illuminate the truth: To be saved from sin, we must not look to the sun, but to the SON! Sin "blinds" us to the glory of Christ and consequently, "binds" us to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46; Romans 6:23). However, because of His great love for us, God sent his SON into the world to reveal the Way to eternal life. Jesus opened up the Way by dying on the cross for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Through Jesus, we may have the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Titus 1:2). God will forgive those who respond to Him by: placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will CONTINUE to cleanse those who CONTINUE to follow Him faithfully, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The
key to eternal life is not in the sun, but in the Son!
Look to Jesus in trusting obedience for
salvation. Won’t
YOU? David
A. Sargent, Minister Church
of Christ at Creekwood Reference: Don Sebastion, “50 people looking for solar image of Mary lose sight,” www.dnaindia.com (2-26-08) via www.illustrationsforsermons.com To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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