VOAA Ep 4: What Are You Looking At? What Are You Seeing?

The speaker reflects on a passage from Genesis and explores the idea of perception and the influence of what we listen to on our perspective. They discuss how our minds are shaped by what we fill them with and how this affects what we see. The speaker raises questions about Eve's decision to eat the forbidden fruit and the serpent's knowledge of the tree. They emphasize the importance of being intentional about what we fill our minds with and how it shapes our perception. The speaker concludes by encouraging listeners to consider what they are looking at and what they are truly seeing. Hi, let's discuss the world we've got together. I was listening to my audio bible two to three days ago. I was listening to Genesis 1 through 3 and something struck me in chapter 3. Let's go through it together. Genesis chapter 3, reading from verse 1 through 6. Now, the sentence was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God hath made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, had God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the servant, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the servant said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die, for God does know that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree to be desired to make one wise, she took up the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband, and he did eat. Genesis 3, I beg your pardon. Genesis 3, 1 through 6. The part that struck me was chapter 6 rather. It says, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree to be desired to make one wise, she took up the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her. Hold on. Question. Prior to the serpent speaking to her, did she not see that tree? Did she not see that fruit? Was it not desirable for consumption? Was it not pleasing to the eyes? Was it not a tree good for food? So I am going to title this podcast episode, What are you looking at and what are you seeing? What are you looking at and what are you seeing? I am not a very good sales person. But I have had to buy a few things from people because of what they said or how they said it. So your ability to see things or to create a perspective of a thing is dependent on what you are listening to. Let me say that again. The ability for you to have a perspective about something is dependent on what you are listening to. So what helps you create a conviction about something is based upon how you are seeing that thing. This tree in the midst of the garden has been there. God created Eden and put Adam in it. God gave Adam instruction. God Adam is going to this tree. God created Eden. Now let's say Eve and Adam, newlyweds, honeymooning. They were out sun tanning, sun bathing. And right there, maybe Adam is wondering about, maybe they are tasting, enjoying the beauty of life. And Eve, because mind of a woman is always busy, she turns. She doesn't have an iPhone to press and look through Instagram so she is probably looking for something to keep her mind busy. And this serpent. Now because God caused the serpent to crawl on his belly. So I am assuming before then, the serpent was walking on four feet, four legs, two legs. I can't really know. Maybe six. Maybe a hundred. And then he comes to talk to Eve. Now I don't want to go to the part where Adam is not listening. Because I am beginning to think of it like men from the beginning have selective listening. But let's cast that out. It's not my area of focus. So this serpent is talking to Eve. Is that a normal thing? Do they really have normal conversations with animals? And maybe Adam here becomes like, nothing important, they just probably having a conversation. Or maybe he was actually. I don't know. What if Eve, simple instruction, don't eat of this tree. So all the million trees I have given to you, eat from it. But don't eat from this one. And as soon as God said don't eat from this one, the fruit was not pleasing in her eyes. This is my understanding. It was not pleasant for food. It was not looked upon pleasantly. But as soon as the serpent said to Adam, the serpent sowed the unique selling proposition, the godly proposition of that tree. For God knows that in the day that you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be as God knowing good and evil. This is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Another question. If it was man and woman created in the image of God, how could the serpent know? I am not saying Satan. I am saying the serpent. How did the serpent know that that is the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Pondering and pondering. Maybe someday my Bible story will allow for that answer. It was as soon as the devil dropped the value proposition for this tree, that suddenly became good for food in these eyes. Like this woman never ever looked at, let's call it up here or away. How could you not look at it? As soon as you are told, if you eat this fruit, your hair will strengthen by 20%. Or, if you go to this place, you will have more friends than what you have now. Or, if you commit this atrocity, you will have more money than what you have now. As soon as the devil dropped the value proposition for that thing, the way you look at it, suddenly changes. This is applicable to our everyday life. The moment someone tells you, ah, this is overwhelming, eat it. Nothing dead here now, maybe they do have. Even the ones we know, they do have. And then suddenly your mind plays that, it's true. What are you looking at? What are you seeing? And I dare say, who was you listening to? One way to fill your mind, because the devil makes me to understand that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is from what you have to fill with, that your mouth speaks. And that is what you will desire. That is what your eyes will see. That is what your life will reflect. I don't want to be caught up, or you cannot be caught up listening to the likes of Asha Kher every day. And you think that when you go to praise God, you will not have Asha Kher playing in your head. That happens to me a lot of the time. When you are listening to John Drew, you are listening to Chee K, you are listening to World, you see me every day. And then you go to church, and you are not trying to, sometimes in that part where they say, look for a song and praise God and worship God by yourself, the quiet one again. I am searching my mind for a song that is gospel. And a lot of times I can't find it. Because what has filled my heart is contemporary songs. And I am not saying there is anything wrong with listening to contemporary songs. There is a lot of people you listen to, and you listen to music that has filled your heart. But be careful of what you are feeling your mind with. Because what your mind is feeling is what your eyes are seeing. And what your eyes are seeing may be different from what you are looking at. That is why people lust over people. So I am looking at a young man, who has kids, he is tall, he is wearing his finer garter. That is all I am looking at. But guess what I am seeing? A tall glass of dark chocolate drink. I am looking at this woman, she is curvy, she is beautifully made, well crafted by the hand man himself. And I am admiring God's relations. That is what I am looking at. But what am I seeing? I am seeing a woman who has art and police. And who will probably be good in bed. What are you looking at? And what are you seeing? Sometimes what you are looking at is what you are seeing. But a lot of the time, unless you are intentional about it, and you are helped by the human spirit, sometimes what you are looking at is not what you are seeing. Eve has been looking at that tree. And maybe many times she has wondered, why is this tree here? Eve, God no more may cut your path. Why are you coming this way? What is your sole purpose in this place? Have you ever been driven by this tree and then you are like, why is this plant here? Why is this tree planted here? Has this ever happened to you? Because my mind is very confused right now. I think of a lot of things like, why did they put this bridge here? Why made this other bridge? Why did they put the walk over bridge on this road? Why made this other bridge? Why is it turning on this road here? Can I make a use of this? I can make a use of this. It can really be nothing. It is just my mind, it would be different if it was different. It would have been better if it was different. Why does one come before two? Would it have made any difference if it was five first and then one? If the first number was five and then the second one was three and then it was nine and then it was four. How do we make sense of this? Maybe Eve has laid down on this land and she has picked up this tree. She is just telling us that the tree is in the midst of a battle. It is a country and it is tall and it is red like fruit. People say apple but I don't like to think of it as an apple. It is an apple and I don't want to start thinking of it as an apple. Maybe she has been looking at it prior to then but not seeing anything. Something told her. God knows. If you can hear her, God knows. You will know like he knows. You will know good and bad. Why did Eve think she wants her to know good and bad? Why did she think that was important to her? Maybe I will find my answer in my study. Maybe I will just add it to my list of questions I want to ask when I get to heaven. I must get to heaven anyway and I will carry a fan of heaven because I cannot miss this. So why did Eve think it was necessary for her to know good and bad? Very valid question. I like to think that Eve could not have been a good person. I know there has been a lot of talk about how Adam and Eve are white people but I like to think that if they were not human, she could never have been a good woman. Eve could not have been a good person. As certain as the fear is, forgive me if that came out to be a misuse of me. But the big question is what are you looking at? Are you just looking at your job like a midwife? Are you looking at it as a road map for good? Are you seeing a money blessing? Or are you seeing a good plan? Are you looking at your spouse? Or when you look at your spouse, are you seeing a partner? Or are you seeing somebody who is your partner? Do you see your husband as your partner, as the crown of your head? Or are you seeing him like a bondmaster? Are you looking at your wife like my helpmate, the bone of my bone, like support system? Or are you looking at her like she is paid most of the money because she paid the right price? She doesn't pay the right price. The right price she pays is worth your wife. Or you think your wife is worth the right price she pays? Are you looking at your children like a responsibility God put in your hands to see how you can manage yourself? Or are you looking at them like a burden or maybe a long time investment so that they can come and take care of you back? I hear a lot of people say I can bond plenty so that when you go to bed plenty will be taken care of. That's not bad thinking if you ask me. But what if all of them are not your children? What if none of them is your children? What if you die before they are able to start taking care of you? So again, I ask you, what are you looking at? And what are you seeing? Are you seeing your friends as your partner in the relay race of life? And this person is just helping me to my goal. I am here because I know that I have a purpose to fulfill in this person's life. Or are you looking at them like leeches and parasites? Or maybe you are the leech and parasite so you are looking at them as a host where you can benefit from. Again, what are you looking at? And what are you seeing? I hope I am making sense here and I am not just blabbing because I am really hoping that you will understand the message that I was giving to you from Genesis Chapter 3. Another person can read that and get another message. So you are asking me to read the direction. That's fine. Share with me if you get something different. Share with me if you have some more insight into the topic. I am open to listen. I am open to listen. But then again, the way you perceive something, the perception of something, is largely dependent on what you know about that thing, what you have heard about that thing, what you have seen about that thing. I don't think it ever happened to you where mummy buys ice cream. You know when we were younger, we would buy ice cream and I would say don't touch it. And I would lie and say don't touch it. What would result is maybe your senior sister or your younger brother has gone to the toilet and has taken it and they come and tease you about it. Ice cream, don't touch it. Ice cream is sweet. Bah! Ah! It's sweet as die. And now I am not very good at treating it. It's not creamy. So now that's what I have been doing. And in a split second, we have gone from being very obedient to wanting to take it to the dentist. It happens. It's a regular phase of life. I am using the very minutest and most relatable illustration so that we get the picture here. I think it happened to you before where you are not this much entitled. But in a moment, in an idle moment, you know they say an idle mind is an idle structure. In an idle moment that your mind is searching for what to do, someone comes and tells you, just take a few puffs, they won't do you anything. All you need is one puff, two and three and you are finishing one stick and you are finishing a pack of ice cream. Someone brings it to you and you are like, you are so dull, you know they give you the screw, you know they give you the high, just take one pill, I don't even know what it is, but just take this one pill. Someone is like, ah take this one, they call it ecstasy and you are like, ah I am ecstatic, I am ecstatic, I am ecstatic, I am ecstatic, I am ecstatic, and the answer is that happiness is a pill. Happiness is a pill. Ok, let's say we are having this pill, ecstasy pill, we go high, we go low, we don't do you anything, we just stay happy and all of a sudden you are beginning to see that it is more than just a colored pill. You are beginning to see that it is a happy pill because it has happy colors anyway. You go money, it has happy colors. I am complaining, that's why I am saying it. Yes now, blue and pink and green, that's not my topic of discussion but you get the point. What are you looking at and what are you seeing? You will be looking at yourself in the mirror and you will see a wealth of architectural, structural and constructional limits. A wealth of architectural structure built to perfect design, constructed to perfection. Has it never occurred to you that God formed man, Adam from dust, while he carved woman from bone. This is a topic some other day. When you are looking at yourself in the mirror and you are seeing this beauty that God made. Maybe something someone has said to you before or something you have seen in the eye of the bush has to be standing to be perfect. Your bones have to have a certain core for you to have a perfect bone. You don't need to have hip piece, I have hip piece, your body is not perfect. After that, stretch your muscle, find your body, then you start seeing yourself. Have it never happened to you? Because it has happened to me before. You start looking at your sluggish own body and you start seeing it not beautiful, then you start digesting it. You start seeing it less pretty, less sexy. This is what a master craftsman can do. A master craftsman. See, if you have ever done any of these art and crafts where you actually do a moulding, sculpting and you actually play with clay, you will see that the way the clay looks like, however you make it, and because you are the artist, I am going to explain that to someone who is an artist. Because you are the artist, however you make it is perfect. So when you go to sleep and paint and you are painting and doing the painting activity, however you produce your work is perfect because you are the artist. Why would you let somebody or something or some things make you feel less of yourself? You are literally insulting God when you do that. I had to have that remark from the Holy Spirit. You are insulting God when you look down on yourself as being insignificant or less valuable. And less pretty. Because that is what you are seeing. Even if that is not what you are looking at. So what are you looking at? And what are you seeing? Very important question. You should ask yourself every time you are moving about, every time you are doing life. Am I seeing a television? Am I seeing a billboard? Am I seeing a channel to watch everything that I want to watch on TV or Netflix? As I am looking at this chair, as I am holding this chair, am I seeing a chair? Am I seeing a furniture that should carry my weight at some point and make me comfortable? Am I seeing a table where I can climb on top and maybe set my food or something? As I am looking at this stool, am I seeing a stool? Or am I seeing the same thing? Because it depends on how you look at it. Sometimes the six and nine are the same depending on where you are standing. So what are you looking at? What are you seeing? If you are looking at six, what you are seeing nine, what is your perspective? Have you noticed that the letter B, D, P and Q all are lowercase? They are the same thing. But they are different things depending on where you are standing. If you have B, letter B, small letter B, lowercase letter B, and the tummy is facing the right, when I say tummy that is the cross, it is facing the right, you have a D. If you have a D, let the cross be at the bottom right, you have a D. If it is at the bottom left, you have a B. If it is at the top right, you have the letter P and if it is at the top left, you have the letter Q. Do you know that? Sometimes if it is at the top left, you can even say it is at number nine, depending on how you write it. I know sometimes the small letter Q will not look like something that looks like a stroke, like a short stroke that goes up. Sometimes you can say it is something cute but a lot of times you don't have that. But then, are you looking at B and saying D? Are you looking at Q and saying nine? I am trying to make this illustration as relatable as possible, because it is your perspective. I don't entirely know what is your perspective, it is a simple question, what are you looking at, and what are you seeing? I hope this message is as much as I hope it is, or as much as it blessed me when I got that revelation. I know that I will speak to you again soon, so think on this thing that I asked you, because I will speak to you again soon. What are you looking at? What are you seeing? This is a person I met today. Thank you. Thank you.