HAVE A VISION: BE FOCUSED/ BE PATIENT & GOD WILL DO IT

My Brothers & Sisters in Christ, I want to share something with you: VISION. I preached a sermon on vision in our church this past Sunday Evening. I want to continue on that: Be very blessed because you are a blessing.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
Habakkuk 2:2-3 (King James Version)
"...And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Habakkuk 2: 2-3 (The Message - MSG)
"And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see.Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming.It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie.If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. "

"Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he." (Proverbs 29:18 - Amplified Bible)

Do you have a vision for your life?, For your church?, For the lost? If you have, write it down. The word of God says write it down, and it will surely come to pass. You need to have patience. You need to wait in faith. You cannot operate without a vision. Without a vision, you are : 'GOING NOWHERE, SLOWLY'! You need faith....". If we have a vision, we need to learn to wait in faith.

While we are waiting on God we must not allow our spirits to be troubled and discouraged!Smooth sailing is no test of faith. WAIT FOR THE PROMISE:Acts 1:4 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father....”. Job 14:14 “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come” Lam. 3:25 “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.(“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”). Psalms 37:7 “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass”. Psalms 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry". Psalms 130:5 “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” Isa. 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.” AMEN.

Vision is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through you to build His Kingdom." (not your kingdom). Where we are in life is directly connected to our vision or the lack thereof. There is a Japanese proverb that says; "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Vision will turn lukewarm, lazy, sleeping church members into red-hot, living soldiers in the grand cause of changing a generation. Vision gives us stability, guidance, joy and excitement. The God-given vision will bring glory to God and fit us into His eternal purpose. A true vision from God is not self-seeking, but praises God and brings glory to Jesus Christ. We need Vision to lead us into Divine Purpose. We need the God-kind of vision that will enable us to find our self-worth in helping to build the kingdom of God.
A. Pray for vision.
B. Pursue the vision.
C. Ponder our vision.The life-line of vision is God’s word. The church must not simply start at 10H00, sharp and end at 12H00 sharp. We all need to be involved – for ourselves and for the ministry. Vision is two-sided. You ought to have vision for yourself as a Christian, and that of your church and the Body of Christ at large.

A. Search the scriptures.
B. Sift the scriptures.
C. Share the scriptures.

We also need Vision to Keep Us Connected to Each Other. (Unity)
A few weeks ago, I preached about unity – everything revolves around unity. For God to use us individually, and as a church – we need to be in harmony with each other. Again, let me show to you how important unity is for our vision for the ministry, (and as individuals. God wants to see you getting on along with everybody, and loving them – despite their faults; Let me branch off a little bit and give you conditions for Unity:

CONDITIONS FOR UNITY:
1. "Speak the same thing."
(1 Corinthians 1:10)There must be unity in speech if our church is to make an effective impact for God. The Bible is not saying there isn’t room for disagreement among good Christians. Rather, we are encouraged, even when we do disagree, and we will, to speak in such a way as to promote harmony.Your motive for speaking and how you deliver your words are just as important as what you say. Be careful of a critical spirit. If you find yourself hyper-critical of everything done in your church and others in your church, there are two options:
a) The church may need your positive contributions to turn in the right direction, or,
b) You may need to change your attitude. Ask yourself, "Is there something else going on in my life right now that has me angry or discouraged? Am I taking my frustration out on others in my church?It’s good from time to time to pray the prayer of the Psalmist:139:23 “ Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.”

2. "Be perfectly joined together in the same mind."
(1 Corinthians 1:10) There must be unity of thought if a church is to have an effective impact for God. Once again, unity and uniformity are not the same thing. God has given all of us different perspectives to bring to the table.Prov 11:14 “ Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.”

Vision will place the church on one accord. It gives us the corporate dynamics that were present in the early church. Whenever the body of Christ can get on the same page with the Holy Spirit, the church will experience the unlimited power of God. We Need Vision as a Trampoline for Change. When we have vision, we embrace change. We embrace new people coming into our ministry to add value. We are focused on the BIGGER PICTURE of God for the ministry and for ourselves. Our eyes are taken away from useless things. We “see” spiritually, we “hear” spiritually. There is no time for petty stuff. Not at all.

Warning! Be Mindful (Be Careful), of Vision Killers. Do you know some of the well-known vision killers? I will give you some;
A. Complacency / Laziness
B. Carnality (to be carnal minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace!)
C. Carelessness – no focus, no concentration in the things of God is dangerous
D. Critics – stay away from people who criticize. Focus.
Give yourself totally to the fulfilling of your vision.
A. Be committed to everything you do
B. Have compassion
C. Contribute something – everybody has something to give !
D. Be strong and courageous – God is with you
E. Communicate

My brothers and sisters, we must strive to look at ourselves as God sees us and not as we see ourselves. We are strangers here living with a vision of the hereafter. It is our ultimate hope that our lives will make earth more like heaven. Let’s DO this!

May God Bless and Inspire Your Vision
In Christ (to serve you)
I am, His Servant,
Pastor David Ighile: JESUS FOR ALL MINISTRY
Please write to me and comment on these issues. Suggestions are also encouraged. You are blessed.
jesusforall@africamail.com
REMEMBER:
Vision is the Ability to see what others can’t. --Faith to believe what others will not. --Courage to do what others say can’t be done.