Spiritual

THE BIG PICTURE – SPIRITUALLY… (Continued)


Spiritual Blog - Big Picture

1 John 4:7-12 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU

 

Years ago I heard an illustration that speaks volumes regarding the attitudes and understanding of many regarding God and Love.  A missionary went to a tribal witch doctor and said, “You preach to me if you will.  If I come to you with a problem and ask you how I can reach the most high God what do you tell me?  I know you have many gods but I want to find the Big One, the Most High God.”  The witch doctor replied, “First of all you have a problem.  Because the Most High God is not interested in you, because you are not good enough for him.”  Sadly, that is where the religion of many begins.  Truthfully, you have heard the same thing in America in more sophisticated language but the same message.  Many people simply believe that God is not interested and it is incumbent upon us to just deal with life trying to make ourselves ‘good enough’ for God to care.  I had a family member tell me once, that God should not be bothered by some things, that we should just deal with them and only the really big things should be a matter of prayer.  That is not my concept of God!

Once I realize the biblical definition of the Love of God I immediately realize that our human love is totally useless in describing or defining God’s Love!  God’s love is utterly different from ours.  His love is not even in the same hemisphere as ours!  When the Bible declares that GOD IS LOVE it does not mean that God reaches out to those who are ‘in his class’ – NO! NO! NO!  It means that God reaches out to all persons and more importantly He reaches down to us!  Human love reaches up to those we consider the most beautiful or the best.  It is toward those we almost half bend the knee and develop somewhat of an attitude of worship toward.  BUT, God reaches down to us.  He reaches down to people that are clearly and utterly unworthy of ever being loved by Him.  That, to the human mind, makes no sense.

If I were to say to you, “God loves good people and makes them His friends” that would be no revelation for every religion in the world does that. But If I tell you that Christianity stands on the truth and revelation that “God loves bad, messed up people and makes them His friends,” that is utterly amazing!   Imagine that truth that the Holy God of Heaven who is love makes His best friends out of unholy, bad, messed up, rotten, selfish people!  THAT IS GOOD NEWS!  That is the Gospel!

So instead of trying to become ‘good enough’ for God to love you realize that GOD LOVES YOU now!  His coming into your life is what transforms you not something you do to earn His love!  I pray that as you go through your day realize that God loves you!  You don’t deserve it, can’t earn it and will never be good enough to receive it.  HE SIMPLY LOVES YOU!  

Blessings as you go through your day!

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THE BIG PICTURE – SPIRITUALLY…


Spiritual Blog - Picture

1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU

 

The “Big Picture” that is true for every person, even though the details might be vastly different as to how that is walked out in life is – “That we become and be the manifestation and demonstration of Who He Is.”  None of us are ‘perfect’ and there is only one who is ‘perfect’ and that is God so the highest possible call would be for us to ‘demonstrate’ Him before the world.  Therefore, the Big Picture which is His Will and Design for our lives is – “That we Manifest Who He Is.  That we become the Demonstrations of Him to the Whole World!”

WHO IS GOD?  John informed us that “God is Love!”  That is the ultimate. Everything that we KNOW about God or will KNOW about God is controlled and directed by this truth.  We think about God Almighty who is and has ALL POWER.  Remember God said, “Let there be light and there was light.”  That is Power!  Can you imagine a God of such Power who isn’t Love?  He would be an unbelievable monster of epic proportions.  LOVE controls everything else that we know about God.

We think of God as Omniscient – He knows everything past, present, and future!  Can you imagine a God who KNOWS us like that and doesn’t even like us?  We are afraid to tell some of our closest friends some of the thoughts that make their way through our minds.  Can you imagine a God who KNOWS those thoughts even before you think them and does not love us?  That would cause terror to the point of suicide.  To have the God, we know from Scripture who isn’t love – – He would be an infinite monster!

I find it interesting that in studying Scripture and when it comes to definitions in the Bible we do not find the clear definition that “God is Power” but we see it in studying.  However, when it comes to LOVE the Bible clearly says – “GOD IS LOVE!”  Sadly, in our human experience, the word “love” is almost a useless word because we have to define the word by how we understand it.  What do we mean when we say, love?  I have found that, for many, it means we reach out to somebody that we consider ‘in our class.’  If you will be completely honest you will realize that it is incredibly rare for somebody to express ‘real love’ for someone that they do not consider to be ‘in their class’.

In Europe history has demonstrated that if Royalty fell in love with a Commoner they were fired!  So, when we fall in love as humans, we tend to keep within our status.  We fall in love in our ‘tribes’.  We keep within certain boundaries.  Oh, we don’t talk about it or admit it but we tend to do it.

LOVE – – If I ‘love’ a person, it’s that individual that calls forth my highest admiration.  When I look at that person all I can see – I ADMIRE!  There is a WOW factor!  When I talk about that person, they really are something and in truth, there is an element of worship involved.  Therefore, when I LOVE someone it means – They answer to what I feel is beauty which is truly in the eye of the beholder.  Beauty is something that happens inside the head and heart!  That’s what we understand love to be.

Now, when it comes to God and the Bible declares – “GOD IS LOVE.”  Then, we assume that God is love, the same way as we are love.  Every religion in the world has a concept of God that is based on human love.  In include in that, the unconverted apostate of America.  They have equated what we say love is with God who is love!  So if God loves like we love then He comes to us and what does He find?  He finds someone who in no measure is in His class.  Immediately that eliminates us!  On that basis, if God got friendly with us He would be fired!  Secondly, He finds someone who in no measure is in harmony with Him.  We are in disharmony with Him in our unconverted state.  We do not jell with His holiness and love.  We are selfish, like it that way, and plan to remain in that condition.  Thirdly, there is nothing in us that would cause Him to say – “That is the best person I know.”  So, if God were to love like we love we, as human beings, would be finished.  Thank God He does not!

I hope to address this further but go through your day go knowing that GOD IS LOVE and He has chosen to Love Us!     

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WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR MY LIFE?


Spiritual Blog - Will of God

1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” NASU

 

Let me begin by addressing two things:   LOVE is ‘from’ God and GOD ‘is’ Love!  That is important and possibly more important than one would gather at first glance.  God does not ‘have’ love He ‘is’ love.  I may ‘have’ water but I am not water.  I may ‘have’ money but I am not money.  God, on the other hand, IS Love!  If God IS love, and love IS from God, and I say I KNOW God….  (Know) – Not know about but the word means to know intimately and personally.  It is to penetrate!  So, if I say I KNOW God then I am saying I have ‘penetrated’ God or entered into an intimate personal relationship with Him.  It is then and only then that I truly LOVE!  The mark of a Christian is LOVE! 

I find it most interesting and often frustrating that many Christians are overly obsessed with ‘discovering the will of God’ for their lives.  While that is good and something that every believer should desire to know the approach and mindset can be incredibly frustrating.  So many have adopted the mindset that the WILL OF GOD could never be what is obvious!  Heaven forbid, God would never tell you to do the obvious.  Oh no, He surely will always tell you to do something that is out of the ordinary and even unexpected because that way you will know it is God.

For example, God would never tell you to minister to your neighbor that would be too obvious and logical.  He will send you to the bush of Africa (nothing wrong with that) but why do we feel that He would not desire, as His will, for us to do something obvious?  Some seem to have the idea that if it is something they do not want to do then that is what God wants.  Really?  God is determined to make us do something we do not want to do?  Is that God?  Some have a picture or image of God that He is always ‘weird’ and never on our side.  If you were to say, “I don’t want to go there or do that,” then you can bet your booties that is exactly what God will want you to do.  We become so concerned with the minute and frivolous details that we miss the Big Picture and the purposes of God for our lives.  Some spend so much time seeking to know the will of God that they never get around to doing it.

Let me clear something up – – Before God reveals His will to you He prepares your heart!  He instills in you a ‘want to’ and then asks, “Would you like to?”  That’s how God operates. He is not trying to inflict pain and force you to do things you do not want to do.  God is not ‘weird’.  So often the will of God for my life is simply what my heart has been crying out to do.  It is not a struggle to know the will of God unless we try to complicate it with our insistence on knowing every detail of what we are to do before we do anything.  So much of the time is it simply FOLLOW YOUR HEART!  God has already conditioned your heart for what He desires!

Please know that if you are ‘in’ Him and He is ‘in’ you then you do not have to struggle with knowing His will it is in your heart!  Do not let the devil weigh you down with the minute details and miss the opportunity and blessing of doing what God has and is preparing you to do!  Simply ask, ‘What is in my heart?’

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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POSSIBILITY OR PROCRASTINATION?


Spiritual Blog - Procrastinatin

Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”  NASU

As the song of years gone by, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die,’ we often live our lives with a sense of permanence that is deceptive.  Most people I have dealt with or worked with in my years of ministry seem to believe that they will have ‘more than enough tomorrows’ to do the things they either did not do or did not want to do today.  Too often people neglect the vital, focus on the important or trivial, and demonstrate little concern because they believe that they will have time to do it later.  We call that Procrastination!

Any student of the Bible knows that there are a number of promises from God in His word that are seldom claimed, appropriated, and stood on in individual lives.  It has been my observation that too many live ‘beneath their privilege’ in God.  I’ve had people tell me that I focus too much on God’s Promises but I fully believe that God gave them because He wanted us to enjoy, appropriate them, stand on them, and live them in this present world.  I believe that each step closer to becoming ‘like Jesus’ we find more Spiritual Power in our lives, touch more Souls of men, and experience more Victory in our daily lives!

This Psalm is attributed to Moses.  He was interceding for God to remove the curse that every Israelite over the age of twenty would die before the nation could enter the Land of Canaan.  He even identifies that most are dying at seventy though some are reaching eighty years of age.  If verse 10 could somehow be attributed to us as a gauge of longevity it would produce an interesting possibility.  [80 years or 16 – 5-year segments].  I wonder how we would live if we evaluated our lives in 5-year increments?  How many have you lived?  How many do you have left?  (Please understand I do not believe that this means we only can live 70-80 years but I use it as an illustration).

Time is either the greatest asset or enemy that we have.  Paul urged his listeners to ‘redeem the time.’  Time is one thing we must learn to use effectively if we are to become the most effective in our lifespan.  We are notorious ‘time wasters,’ at least most of us are.  In order to tap the resources available to us and utilize the ability and power that God has given us there are three things that must take place.

PERCEPTION – – – We must Perceive.

We must perceive ‘who we are.’  Initially, we were sinners in need of God.  We are created in the image of God and as John 1:12 tells us we are sons/daughters of God.  Romans 8:17 identifies that we are ‘heirs of God’ and Galatians 3:29 that we are ‘heirs according to the Promise.’  We read of the Promises of God in Deuteronomy 28 and find in Hebrews 8:6 that we have a ‘better covenant established on better promises.’

We must perceive ‘where we are.’  Or the condition or level of maturity we find ourselves.  Some of us are like the little boy that fell out of the bed and when asked why he replied, ‘Because I stayed to close to the edge.’  Some of us have stayed to close to the condition we were in when we first came to Christ.

We must perceive ‘where we are going.’  That applies both spiritually and in this natural life.

PREPARATION – – We must Prepare to get where we are going.

It is vital that we KNOW the promises of the Book (Bible).  It is imperative that we understand that the Bible is a tool, a weapon, a light, and a resource.

It is vital that we KNOW our inheritance as children of the Most High God.  We must prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually.

PROCEED – – We must Proceed on the Planned and Purposed way.

It is important that we see our potential in God, understand and believe the possibilities, and trust God!  If God says we are to be a Moses, Elijah, Paul, John, Peter, or Daniel why can’t we?  The thing that made them unique was that they were fully surrendered and teachable.

It is important that we believe we can be overcomers because God says we already are in Jesus.  It is important that we believe that God can work miracles through us.  Remember who God says you are – – ‘A Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’  Remember that His charted destiny for you is to ‘do His will in this generation.’  Therefore, it is important that we allow God to guide and guard our hearts, thoughts, and lives.  Remember, ‘except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.’

So as you go through the rest of your life will you go as a POSSIBILITY or PROCRASTINATOR?  The choice is yours.  May God be with you as you go through your day in Him!

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ANOTHER LOOK AT TRUST…


Spiritual Blog - Trust

Psalm 56:3 – “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”  NASU

Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…” NASU

As we examine the record we find that there are ‘five’ separate Hebrew words translated TRUST in the Bible.

Psalm 22:8 – “He TRUSTED in the Lord…”  The word is (galal) which means ‘to roll.’  It speaks of Christ in the hours of His crucifixion.  David wrote:  “He rolled Himself on the LORD.”  He TRUSTED!  This is a picture of confidence and complete dependence.

Job 35:14 – “therefore trust thou in him.”  The word is (chul) which means ‘to wait or stay upon’.  It depicts ‘confidence and patience.’  Elihu said to Job, “Wait for Him.”

Job 35:15 – “Thou He slay me, yet will I TRUST Him.”  In answering his friends Job used the Hebrew word for HOPE (yachal).  Job was declaring that even in the face of death I will HOPE and TRUST in God.

Psalm 91:4 – “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou TRUST…”  The word is (Chasah) which means to ‘flee for refuge.’

The most frequently used word is (Batach) which means ‘to confide in or lean upon.’

Therefore, TRUST seems to be a ‘rolling of our needs upon God’.  It is followed by a ‘patient waiting upon Him’ to act and it is HOPE even when things seem to be hopeless and it means to ‘flee to God and His promises’ for refuge when doubt and fear make a frontal assault on us.  To TRUST is to confide in God as our most trusted friend and to lean upon Him as our strongest supporter!

Thus we find that David and Isaiah are both correct in their statements.  The difference is not in the fact that they trusted it is WHEN they got around to trusting!  David ‘trusted after’ fear had gripped his heart. Isaiah ‘trusted before’ fear took control or make its presence known.

Each of us has TRUST inherent in our natures.  We would be unable to function in normal life without it.  Therefore, the entire thing hinges upon the object of our Trust!

2 Corinthians 1:9 – Advises that we should not trust in ourselves but in God.

1 Timothy 6:17 – “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”

CONSIDER THIS:

  • Trust in SELF and you are doomed for disappointment.
  • Trust in FRIENDS and they will disappoint you.
  • Trust in MONEY and you will have it taken away.
  • Trust in REPUTATION and some slanderous tongue may blast it.
  • Trust in GOD and you will never be confounded in time or eternity.

Psalm 37:3 – “Trust in the Lord.”

Isaiah 26:4 – “Trust in the Lord forever.”

1 Timothy 6:17 – “Trust… in the Living God.”

So we can TRUST in God’s self-existence, independence, and eternality.  We can CONFIDE in and LEAN UPON His dependability and infallibility.  We can confidently DEPEND on God’s Omnipotence.  We can TRUST with absolute hope in God’s expressed love and availability.

TRUST is the basis of reliance, faith, and hope!  TRUST forms a basis for faith but it is not faith itself.  FAITH is assurance that God will do what He says.  TRUST is an inner confidence that rests and waits patiently for God’s time of action! So as you go through life TRUST God!  He is faithful!  

Blessings as you go through your day!

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TRUST…


Spiritual Blog - Trust

Psalm 56:3 – “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”  NASU

Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…” NASU

The above passages are incredibly interesting.  Both have to do with ‘fear’ and ‘trust.’  It is great that David could say, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You,” but it is even better when Isaiah could say, “I will trust and not be afraid.”  Charles Spurgeon commented on these two passages and said, “All who get on board Heaven’s train will arrive in heaven, but those who join David will ride ‘third class’ and those who join Isaiah will ride ‘first class’.  I do not want to diminish David’s faith and confidence in God but the two expressions reflect different attitudes we face in life regarding ‘trust’ and ‘fear’.

TRUST is not a product of FEAR; it is a PREVENTATIVE of FEAR!  I heard an illustration years ago that makes this point perfectly:

There was an airliner flying during a severe storm and the turbulence became so violent that even the Flight Attendants were reaching for airbags.  Terror gripped everyone.  Some began to weep, others cursed, and a few prayed.  All but one lady sitting in the first class section was terrified.  She sat calmly unmoved by the turbulence and someone asked why?  She replied, “Well, my husband is the pilot and he is well qualified to get us to the airport.”  She TRUSTED!

 It was said that Stonewall Jackson and his sister-in-law were being ferried across the river just below Niagara Falls and his sister-in-law was quizzing the ferryman until Stonewall spoke up and said, “Unless you are better qualified to ferry this boat across the river, sit down and be quite.”  He was talking about TRUST!

 TRUST according to Webster’s Dictionary is ‘assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something.  Confidence and dependence are listed as synonyms.  Isaiah was saying:  “I will have assured reliance on the character, strength, and truth of the Almighty God and I WILL NOT BE AFRAID!”  Therefore, FAITH in the general usage of Scripture is TRUSTING in God’s testimony!  It is RECEIVING all that God has revealed to us!

FAITH is not an Old Testament Word.  It is used only twice in the Old Testament but TRUST is used over 140 times.  Yet, Hebrews 11 credits its many Old Testament characters with having FAITH while the Old Testament speaks of them TRUSTING God!  Simply, they were men and women who had a ‘complete reliance upon God.’  This affected their attitudes and actions in life!

It is imperative that we TRUST God!  Failure to ‘trust’ Him will open the door to ‘fear’ which has torment and will cause us to act and react negatively in the situations of life and rob us of our ultimate victory in God’s provision of Abundant Life!

Allow the Holy Spirit to bring you to a place of ‘assured reliance’ on God’s character, strength, and truth!  May God be with you as you go through your day!

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ONE MORE LOOK AT VISION AND ITS IMPORTANCE…


Spiritual Blog - Vision

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” NASU

All of us have the capacity for vision!  All of us have vision!  God made each of us to be ‘vision containers’ or ‘vision holders.’  HIS VISION!  He created us to be men and women of purpose – HIS PURPOSE!  God wants us to love Him enough to trust His leadership and to be willing to give ourselves totally to Him, His Vision, and His Purpose.

Being VISIONLESS is a problem spiritually.  In Matthew 11:29 we read – “Take My yoke upon you….”  That signifies a commonality of vision and purpose where two or more are pulling in tandem toward the same objective!  Vision is like a Yoke!  Without that yoke, there is no restraint in the individual life or the local fellowship.  It becomes like a stampede rather than a concerted orchestrated effort that is effective and productive. It becomes confusion and chaos rather than order and productivity.

Vision from God is priceless!  Vision from God keeps us on the God-ordained course and builds a fire in our hearts spiritually.  The degree to which we acknowledge and align ourselves with the Vision of God determines what we will be and do for the Kingdom of God.  If the local fellowship is going to accomplish the purposes of God for its community and generation it must rise above the level of ‘personal’ and ‘survival visions’ and ascribe to the ‘Vision of God’.

When a church or individual has a God-given vision they do not get shook up by the shaking!  WHY?  Because they know what God has said and are yoked in tandem together and with the Holy Spirit pulling toward the God-ordained and God-inspired goal and objective.  Obstacles are only temporary problems and opportunities for God to demonstrate His might.

A God-given vision will cause an individual and a local fellowship to examine and reexamine what their purpose is and why they hold it.  It will cause us to examine and reexamine what we believe and why we believe it.  It will cause us to look at God’s government and its role, function, and authority in our lives.  It will cause us to become Kingdom conscious.

A God-given vision will cause an individual and a local fellowship to desire the will of God more than life and create a willingness in the heart to do whatever is required to fulfill the purposes of God in this generation.

My prayer and desire are God give us vision and ground us with purpose!  May God be with you as you go through your day!

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ANOTHER LOOK AT VISION…


Spiritual Blog - Vision

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” NASU

 

 We are not talking about sight but insight or the vision of the heart at to the objective and purpose of God for our lives and the Church.  Problems arise in the Body of Christ and ministries when there is either NO VISION causing people to cast off restraint or there are TOO MANY VISIONS or unrelated visions causing people to run wild in all directions without direction or purpose.  Both are destructive and detrimental to the cause of the Kingdom of God.  Without vision, none of us can stay on course.  Without vision, we will not be set on fire by the Spirit of God and develop a willingness to be harnessed together and pull in tandem toward a common goal.

Every person has a vision even if they cannot or have not articulated it or fully understood it.  If that vision is not a ‘church-related’ vision, given by God for the whole church in which we can see our special place in the Vision of the Whole that vision will be or become ‘self-centered’ or a ‘survival vision.’  This is the kind of vision in which a person says or thinks, “I will do only what is necessary for me to get along in this world.  I will do what I think will bring me happiness and satisfaction.  I will do so long as it does not interfere with my desires, goals, dreams, ambitions, and vision.”

The truth is all of us have a ‘survival vision’.  It stems from our ‘self-centered’ nature, and whenever we are not truly yoked to a higher God-given vision, the ‘survival vision’ will assert itself and take a supreme position in our lives.  This is the condition in the church when the congregants declare, “I have a right to….  I demand…. You must give me….”  Survival visions stem from a ‘self-centered’ point of view.  They cause people to look at the minister and the church and say, “What do you have to offer me?  How can I benefit from you?”  When they should be asking, “What can I add?  What can I provide?  What can I do for the cause of the Kingdom?”  The person operating in a ‘survival vision’ is not only ‘self-centered’ but they operate out of a ‘need orientation’ rather than a God-centered view of life and ministry.

The tragedy is that NO PASTOR, NO APOSTLE, NO PROPHET, NO TEACHER; NO PERSON can ever meet the needs of a church filled with ‘survival visions.’  WHY?  “The eye is never filled with seeing; the ear is never filled with hearing.”  All the needs a ‘self-centered’ person has CANNOT BE SATISFIED.  It doesn’t matter how good the music, worship, programs, ministries, preaching, leadership the needs of a ‘self-centered’ individual or church WILL NEVER BE MET!

It is incumbent upon each of us to ‘see something greater than ourselves’.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to instill in our hearts a God-centered vision.  The truth is a God-centered Vision and a Survival Vision cannot cohabit the same heart!  When a ‘survival vision’ is in operation NO ONE will rise above the level of their individual vision.  If a person reasons:  “When all my needs are met, then I will go on to a higher vision.”  He or she WILL NEVER go on, for the needs of the human heart are inexhaustible.

So, ask the Holy Spirit to help you move from a ‘survival vision’ to a ‘God-centered vision’ and plug into the Vision God has given the local fellowship and allow your individual vision to be incorporated into it making both visions stronger and more complete.

God bless you as you go through your day!

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VISION AND PURPOSE…


Spiritual Blog - Vision

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” NASU

For a number of years, I have been keenly aware of the pressure associated with public ministry.  There is incredible pressure in public ministry that many do not realize.  The pressure is applied through ‘expectations’.  The expectations of others, self, our perception of what others expect, and our perception of what God expects.  The pressure felt by preachers is also felt by many in the congregation and has resulted in far too many become casualties in the cause and moving into secular employment rather than continuing in the labor of the Kingdom.  Many have become broken-hearted, distressed, and discouraged to the point of total exhaustion and have been robbed of the fruit of their labors that God so desired for them.  It is not a new occurrence but one that, I believe is growing even more pronounced today.

There are many reasons for this but one that stands out to me, especially with regard as to how to avoid discouragement and defeat is VISION!  Then add to that PURPOSE and you will find a wonderful antidote for discouragement and defeat in spiritual things and in life.  Vision & Purpose play incredible roles in the life and health of the individual and the local body as well as the Body of Christ.  Yet, I am convinced that little is truly understood about this vital element whose absence is a major contributor to DISCOURAGEMENT, DISILLUSIONMENT, and DEFEAT!

Look at the passage above:

            NASB “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained…”

            NKJV “…cast off restraint…”

            KJV     “the people perish…”

            NLT     “the people run wild…”

         Another “… the people become demoralized…”

Every minister with any degree of experience knows that all of those are true.  For a Church or ministry to go forward, the Body must become ‘yoked’ or ‘harnessed’ together by a singular vision.

In truth VISION is like a ‘yoke’, it links two or more together so that they are able to pull in tandem.  I saw something years ago that said in research they found that if one horse could pull 9,000 pounds, two horses did not pull 18,000 but pulled 27,000 pounds are the equivalent of a third horse.  Without the yoke of vision, there is NO RESTRAINT, either in our personal lives or in the church.  We tend to pull in all directions at the same time and often are working against each other in so doing.  It is like a stampede of horses or cattle running in all directions.  It produces discouragement in the leadership and ultimately in the flock.  When everyone has a different vision about what to do, when to do, and how to do it failure is guaranteed.  Too often, it has been my observation, that there are either TOO MANY VISIONS or NO VISION.  When there is NO VISION the people are left to formulate and attempt to initiate their own visions rather than plugging individual visions into the corporate vision making it stronger, more complete, and more viable they all go unrestrained in differing directions which creates chaos and lack of continuity.  SUCCESS is impossible in that condition and situation.

Without VISION and VISION FROM GOD, none of us can stay on course.  We will become too easily distracted or sidetracked.  But if we have a VISION FROM GOD and a determined PURPOSE to fulfill that Vision we can stay on course and accomplish the purposes of God in our situation and according to His timing and plan.

Find out what the Vision of your fellowship is and then evaluate your vision to determine if it is consistent with the Vision of the Body.  If it is not, talk to the leadership about your vision, and if you can find a way to incorporate it into the overall vision great and if not, and you are totally convinced that this is a VISION FROM GOD for you it may be that you are in the wrong fellowship.  I am not trying to get anyone to leave any church but I believe that most pastors would agree that ‘two cannot walk together unless they be agreed.’

God bless you as you discover God’s Vision for you and God’s Vision for the Local Body!

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SECRETS IN PREPARING FOR WAR…


Spiritual Blog - Warfare

2 Timothy 2:1-3 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  NASU

We have discussed the ‘deposit’ each of us is to make or should be making in others.  Paul was giving Timothy, his son in the faith some counsel regarding his ministry and purpose in preparing others to join in the spiritual warfare that is going on and will until Jesus come again.  One of the things we learned is that it is important to “Pick the Right Friends.”  We observed that one of the most devastating things for the church or the individual in this walk and warfare is ‘misplaced friendships’ or ‘relationships.’  As the writer of Proverbs tells us in 25:19 – “Confidence in an unfaithful man in the time of trouble is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint.”  Painful would be an understatement and adds no benefit.

Today, I would like for us to consider another secret – “Pick Faithful People.”  That is an absolute for ‘fellowship’.  I have learned through observation and experience that ‘faithful people’ make the best fighters in spiritual warfare or any warfare!  Tragically the Church has given positions of responsibility and authority to people simply to get them involved or keep them coming to the local ‘sheep shed.’  That is absolutely disastrous and completely contrary to what the Bible teaches.  It is equally dangerous when we, as individuals, reach out in search for relationships out of desperation, due to rejection and a desire to be ‘approved’, ‘liked,’ and ‘loved’.  MISTAKE!

Who should Timothy have chosen?  Those who stayed when the others left!  Bear in mind, they probably were not necessarily the most influential, charismatic, and may not have been the most gifted.  They were likely just ‘regular people.’  BUT – They stayed true!  FAITHFUL!  I am so thankful to God for the friends who have stayed true through the years and the tears!

Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

I have learned, the hard way, that a real friend, will not sugar-coat everything and tell me only what I want to hear.  They are honest to a fault with me and as a result, they ‘sharpen me’ and sometimes the ‘wound’ of their words and truth hurts but that hurt leads to healing and betterment in my life.  I thank God for a friend who will be honest in love!

If you attempt to pour your life into an ‘unfaithful person’ it is like pouring water on the ground.  The Bible teaches that we are to ‘love all people’, ‘reach out to all people’, and we are to ‘avoid being suspicious, and judgmental.’  We are to judge righteous judgment not the judgment of the flesh.  So, beware you cannot pour your life out to or into everyone. Those you are going to WAR with must be FAITHFUL people!  That is a ‘heart quality’ not a ‘religious performance’ thing.

If you catch what Paul says to Timothy you will find valuable information for your relationships and labors:  “Timothy, you take what you have learned from me and commit that to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”   Do you see the process?

  • We RECEIVE and the GIVE OUT.
  • It is PROGRESSION through MULTIPLICATION.
  • The DISCIPLE is to become the DISCIPLER and produce DISCIPLES who will in turn DISCIPLE others. It is REPRODUCTION!

There is evangelism, discipleship, and fathering but to be a father you must have spiritual sons and daughters!  You reach out to everyone.  You evangelize whenever and wherever you can or there is the opportunity.  But, you cannot pour your life, to the point of reproduction into everyone!  The whole of Christianity is about RELATIONSHIPS!  Not positions, structures, functions, gifts, roles, rules, etc.  It is about RELATIONSHIPS!  LIFE LINKS!

Paul’s emphasis and that of the Bible is FAITHFULNESS, not ABILITY.  He did not say look for ‘qualified men’.  There are scores of them, they are abundant.  He said, look for FAITHFUL MEN!

1 Timothy 5:22 – “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partakers of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.”

The ‘laying on of hands’ here is releasing them or appointing them to position or ministry.  You must know those you are going to war with.  You do not appoint them out of need, based on previous success, influence, or charisma. You do so after you have tested them and know they are FAITHFUL!

1 Thessalonians 5:12 – “Know those who labor among you.”

So if you are in a position to disciple another carefully choose who you pour out your life to or into.  Be sure they are faithful people who will then teach others that which you are teaching them.

God bless you as you go through your day!

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