In this issue:
Fan into Flame: The Eye of the Heart
Opportunities: Pastors’ Discussion Group
Resources: Monthly Revival Prayer Groups schedule
Monthly Resource: John Calvin on “Building Christ’s Church”

Fan into Flame: The Eye of the Heart
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Matthew 6.22, 23

John Calvin’s comment on these verses is worth pondering: “The substance of the present statement is, that men go wrong through carelessness, because they do not keep their eye fixed, as they ought to do, on the proper object. For whence comes it, that they so shamefully wander, or dash themselves, or stumble, but because, having corrupted their judgment by choosing rather to follow their own lusts than the righteousness of God, they not only extinguish the light of reason, which ought to have regulated their life, but change it altogether into darkness (emphasis added).”

Calvin goes on to explain that Jesus is referring primarily to what Paul calls the “eye of the heart” (Eph. 1.15ff). What we focus on with the eye of the heart will determine what fills us and, consequently, how we live. The more we are immersed in God’s Word, for Christ and His Kingdom and righteousness, the more His power will work within us to govern and regulate all the members of our bodies for the glory of the Lord.

Here is good reason to sharpen our focus and fix our gaze on unseen things, especially on Jesus, exalted in glory. We must strive to set the Lord always before us (Ps. 16.8), to fix the eye of the heart on Jesus as He rules at the Father’s right hand (Eph. 1.15-23; Col. 3.1-3), and thus to gain greater clarity concerning and vision of those unseen things which are so crucial to full faith (Heb. 11.1). Imagine if our bodies – all our physical members – were entirely bathed by and immersed in the glories of the unseen world! Then the righteousness of Christ, in the power of His Spirit, would surely flow from us like rivers of living water (Jn. 7.37-39).

See on for an opportunity to sharpen your focus and gain the “eye salve” of Jesus to sharpen your vision and brighten your eye of faith.

Opportunities: Pastors’ Discussion Group
Our Pastors’ Discussion Group for summer and fall begins this month, and is open to men in ministry, whether as full-time pastors or elders. We meet online every two weeks for six months, beginning July 28, and the focus of our study will be on my workbook, The Landscape of Unseen Things.

This workbook is divided into six sections, as follows:

Eyes Glazed Over(our blindness to unseen things)
Welcome to the Real World – Allof It!(considering the real reality in which we live)
Interface of Worlds(learning to live in the then and there, here and now)
The Landscape of Unseen Things(a guided tour of things real, but unseen)
The Promise of Unseen Things(what we can gain from a clearer focus)
The Practice of Unseen Things(how this can change our lives)

Each section is divided into four weekly studies. We will be doing one study per week, and reviewing in discussion two studies each time we meet in our online conference room.

We’ll meet every other Thursday at 4:00 pm Eastern for a one-hour discussion. Here’s an opportunity to sharpen your focus on unseen things, joining with other pastors to enlarge your spiritual vision, and growing and praying together in the Lord.

If you’d like to join our Pastors’ Discussion Group, I need to know right away. We only have room for 12 men, so write to me today at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let me know you want to join the group. I’ll send you a confirmation and mail a copy of The Landscape of Unseen Things (and an invoice for $12.95 plus shipping – be sure to include your mailing address when you respond). If you can’t join the group, but would like to take up this study on your own, you can order a copy of The Landscape of Unseen Thingsby clicking here.

Again, if you want to join this Pastors’ Discussion Group, write to me today at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The first 12 men to register will have a place reserved for this six-month study and discussion project.

Resources: Revival Prayer Groups schedule
Three groups of men meet once a month online to join their voices in praying for revival. We meet for 30-45 minutes, using a psalm to focus our prayers, and devoting our focus to seeking the Lord for revival, renewal, and awakening in our day.

We’re looking for other men to join us, and here is our schedule for this month:

Monday, July 18, 9:00 pm Eastern
Tuesday, July 19, 10:00 am Eastern
Wednesday, July 20, 9:00 pm Eastern

I urge you to download our free resource, Men of the Church, to see why it’s so important that men take up the challenge of seeking the Lord for revival. You can also order the book, Restore Us!, to learn about praying for revival and to gain the prayer guides we use in this effort (click here).\

If you would like to join one of our monthly Revival Prayer Groups, simply send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and let me know which group works for you.

Monthly Resource: John Calvin on “Building Christ’s Church”
This month’s Pastor to Pastor resource features readings from Book IV of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Here Calvin outlines his understanding of and vision for the church. The 28 readings and meditations in this resource can provide valuable instruction and encouragement for your church leaders. Building Christ’s Church is free and can be downloaded at our website by clicking here.

Please let us know how we can serve you at The Fellowship of Ailbe. May the Lord’s blessings be with you in all things.

To learn more about becoming more immersed in the Word of God, order our handbook for pastoral ministry Fan into Flamefrom our online store (click here). Here you’ll find excellent tools to review and improve your own work as a shepherd in God’s flock. Visit our bookstore to discover other resources for helping you improve your ministry of the Word.

We’re happy to provide Pastor to Pastor and other online resources at no charge. If this ministry is helpful to you, please consider joining those who support our work financially. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

You can download this month’s devotional readings, Building Christ’s Church, by clicking here.