Churches Aren’t Cafeterias

August 21, 2010 — Leave a comment

by John Bevere

As I was reading scripture and praying this morning, I came across this article by John Bevere – a well-respected author, teacher and writer in the charismatic movement.  Thanks to Doug Fortune, a fellow pastor who posted this on his Face Book page.  Enjoy!

Churches Aren’t Cafeterias

Today men and women leave churches so readily if they see something wrong in the leadership. Perhaps it is the way the pastor takes offerings. Maybe it is the way the money is spent. If they don’t like what the pastor preaches, they leave. He is either not approachable, or he is too familiar. This list doesn’t end. Rather than face the difficulties and maintain hope, they run to where there appears to be no conflict.

Let’s face it: Jesus is the only perfect pastor. So why do we run from difficulties in America instead of facing them and working through them? When we don’t hit these conflicts head on, we usually leave offended. Sometimes we say our prophetic ministry just was not received. We then go from church to church looking for a place with flawless leadership.

As I write this book, I have been a member at only two churches in two different states in the last fourteen years. I have had more than two — in fact, numerous — opportunities to become offended with the leadership over me (most of which, I might add, stemmed from my own fault or immaturity). I had the chance to become critical and judgmental with leadership; but leaving was not the answer. In the midst of a very trying circumstance, one day the Lord spoke to me through a Scripture verse and said, “This is the way I want you to leave a church”:

For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. ~ Isaiah 55:12

Most do not leave this way. They think churches are like cafeterias; they can pick and choose what they like! They feel the freedom to stay as long as there are no problems. But this does not agree at all with what the Bible teaches. You are not the one who chooses where you go to church. God does! The Bible does not say, “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as ‘they’ please.” Rather is says, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as ‘He’ pleased” (1 Cor. 12:18. Emphasis added).

Remember that, if you’re in the place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend you to get you out. He wants to uproot men and women from the place where God plants them. If he can get you out, he has been successful. If you will not budge, even in the midst of great conflict, you will spoil his plans.

The Critical Deception

Offended people react to the situation and do things that appear right even though they are not inspired by God. We are not called to react but to act.

If we are obedient to God and have sought Him, and He is not speaking, then do you know what the answer is? He is probably saying, “Stay right where you are. Don’t change a thing.”

Often when we feel pressure we look for a word from God to bring us relief. But God puts us in these very uncomfortable crucibles to mature, refine, and strengthen, not to destroy us!

The Planted Flourish

The Bible says in Psalm 92:13, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.”

Notice that those who flourish are “planted” in the house of the Lord. What happens to a plant if you transplant it every three weeks? Most of you know that its root system will diminish, and it will not blossom or prosper. If you keep transplanting it, the plant will die of shock!

Many people go from church to church, ministry team to ministry team, trying to develop their ministry. If God puts them in a place where they are not recognized and encouraged, they are easily offended. If they don’t agree with the way something is done, they are offended and go. They then leave, blaming the leadership. They are blind to any of their own character flaws and do not realize God wanted to refine and mature them through the pressure they were under.

Let’s learn from the examples God gives with plants and trees. When a fruit tree is put in the ground it has to face rainstorms, hot sun, and wind. If a young tree could talk, it might say, “Please get me out of here! Put me in a place where there is no sweltering heat or windy storms!”

If the gardener listened to the tree, he would actually harm it. Trees endure the hot sun and rainstorms by sending their roots down deeper. The adversity they face is eventually the source of great stability. The harshness of the elements surrounding them causes them to seek another source of life. They will one day come to the place that even the greatest of windstorms cannot affect their ability to produce fruit.

I live in Florida, a citrus capital. Most Floridians know that the colder the winter is for the trees, the sweeter the oranges. If we did not run so fast from spiritual resistance, our root systems would have a chance to become stronger and deeper, and our fruit would be plentiful and sweeter in the eyes of God and more palatable to His people! We would be mature trees that the Lord delights in, rather than ones uprooted for their lack of fruit (Luke 13:6-9). We should not resist the very thing God sends to mature us.

The psalmist David, inspired by the Holy Ghost, made a powerful connection between offense, the law of God and our spiritual growth. He wrote in Psalm 1:Blessed is the man… [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law he meditates day and night (1:1-2).

Then in Psalm 119:165 he gave us more insight into people who love God’s laws.Great peace have they which love [or delight in] thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Verse 3 of Psalm 1 finally describes the destiny of such a person.He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

In other words, a believer who chooses to delight in the Word of God in the midst of adversity will avoid being offended. That person will be like a tree whose roots search deep to where the Spirit provides strength and nourishment. He will draw from the well of God deep within his spirit. This will mature him to the point where adversity will now be the catalyst for fruit. Hallelujah!

Now we gain insight into Jesus’ interpretation of the parable of the sower.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. ~ Mark 4:16-17.

Once you leave the place God has chosen for you, your root system begins to dwarf. The next time it will be easier for you to flee from adversity because you have been careful not to root yourself too deeply. You end up coming to the place where you have little or no strength to endure hardship or persecution.

You then become a spiritual vagabond, wandering from place to place, suspicious and afraid that others will mistreat you. Crippled and hindered in your ability to produce true spiritual fruit, you struggle in a self-centered life, eating the remains of the fruit of others.

Look at Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam. Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the works of his own hands, the fruit of his vineyard. It was brought forth with much toil. He had to clear the ground of rocks, stumps, and other debris. He had to plow and cultivate the soil. He had to plant, water, fertilize, and protect his crops. He put much effort in his service toward God. But it was his own sacrifice rather than obedience toward God’s way. It symbolized the worship of God by one’s own strength and ability rather than by God’s grace.

Abel, on the other hand, brought an offering of obedience, the choice firstborn of his flock and their fat. He did not labor as Cain did to bring this forth, but it was dear to him. Both brothers would have heard how their mother and father had attempted to cover their nakedness with fig leaves which represented their own works to cover their sin. But God demonstrated acceptable sacrifice by covering Adam and Eve with the skin of an innocent animal. Adam and Eve were ignorant of this unacceptable covering of their sin. But having been shown God’s way they were no longer ignorant, nor were their children.

Cain had tried to win God’s acceptance apart from His counsel. God responded by showing He would accept those who came to Him under His parameters of grace (Abel’s sacrifice) and would reject what was attempted under the domain of the “knowledge of good and evil” (Cain’s religious works). He then instructed Cain that if he would do good, he’d be accepted; but if he would not choose life, then sin would master him.

Cain was offended with the Lord. Rather than repent and do what was right, allowing this situation to strengthen his character, he vented on Abel his anger and offense with God. He murdered Abel. God said to Cain:So now you are cursed from the earth, which had opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth. ~ Genesis 4:11-12

The thing Cain feared most, to be rejected by God, he brought as a judgment on himself. The very medium through which he tried to win God’s approval was now cursed by his own hand. The bloodshed now brought a curse. The ground would no longer give up its strength to him. Fruit would come only through great effort.

Offended Christians also cut off their own ability to produce fruit. Jesus compared the heart with soil in the parable of the sower. Just as Cain’s fields were barren, the soil of an offended heart is barren, poisoned by bitterness. Offended people still may experience miracles, words of utterance, strong preaching, and healing in their lives. But these are gifts of the Spirit, not fruits. We will be judged according to fruit, not gifting. A gift is given. Fruit is cultivated.

Notice that God said Cain would become a fugitive and a vagabond as a result of his actions. There are numerous spiritual fugitives and vagabonds in our churches today. Their gifts of singing, preaching, prophesying, and so on are not received by the leadership in their previous church, so off they go. They are running aimlessly and carry an offense, looking for that perfect church that will receive their gift and heal their hurts.

They feel beat up and persecuted. They feel as if they are modern-day Jeremiahs. It is “just them and God,” with everyone else out to get them. They become unteachable. They get what I call a persecution complex: “Everyone is out to get me.” They comfort themselves that they are just a persecuted saint or prophet of God. They are suspicious of everyone. This is exactly what happened to Cain. Look what he says:I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me. ~ Genesis 4:14

Consider that Cain had the persecution complex — everyone was out to get him! It is the same today. Offended people believe everyone is out to get them. With this attitude it is difficult for them to see areas in their own lives that need change. They isolate themselves and conduct themselves in such a manner that invites abuse.

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment. ~ Proverbs 18:1

God never created us to live separately and independently of each other. He likes it when His children care for and nurture each other. He is frustrated when we sulk and feel sorry for ourselves, making everyone else responsible for our happiness. He wants us to be active members of the family. He wants us to get our life from Him. An isolated person seeks only his own desire, not God’s. He receives no counsel and sets himself up for deception.

I am not talking about seasons in which God calls individuals apart to equip and refresh them. I’m describing those who have imprisoned themselves. They wander from church to church, relationship to relationship, and isolate themselves in their own world. They think that all who do not agree with them are wrong and are against them. They protect themselves in their isolation and feel safe in the controlled environment they have set up for themselves. They no longer have to confront their own character flaws. Rather than facing the difficulties, they try to escape the test. The character development that comes only as they work through conflicts with others is lost as the cycle of offense begins again.

In Guest Posts
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Sunday Night Praize!

August 2, 2010 — Leave a comment

This last week has been nothing less than overwhelming! Here are a few thoughts of thankfulness!

* Over 40 volunteers came together and planned and executed the
best VBS that Victory has ever had.

* They all showed up on time with amazing attitudes and willing
hearts to SERVE!

* For three days we broke records of previous VBS’s.

* The last night of our VBS, 36 children walked forward to confess Jesus Christ
as the Lord of their lives.

* This morning, we had 2 Fresh Starts in Christ (new conversions) – that will
never get old!

* We had scheduled 3 people to be water baptized. It became 6
this morning. Hallelujah!

* Perry Reginelli has already taken this Usher’s Team to a whole new level
of excellence.

* Lori Busby has done an absolutely amazing job building our children’s
ministry. As she retires, we welcome Haley Vest into that position. Pray
for God’s blessing on Haley’s ministry.

* Last Monday night, we had 23 attending Purple Book Group. That was
with several regulars out.

* All of our children’s ministries have set capacity records this Summer.

* Youth had 17 attend last week. God is putting together a fantastic
team to develop our next generation leaders.

* In the midst of summer, we have continued to grow and see attendance
and offerings increase.

* God is moving in the hearts of the men of our congregation – perhaps
the beginning of true Biblical revival in the delta.

* There is a refreshing of the Spirit of God among us! Praise Him!

I love the people of Victory and the new spirit that’s in the house. Honestly, we’ve seen God do more in the last 12 months than we have in the last 10 years. It’s a new day! “Arise! Shine! For your light is come. And the glory of the Lord is risen up on you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Equipping You to Advance His Kingdom!

Pastor Michael

In Uncategorized
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“What Do You See Grasshopper?

July 19, 2010 — Leave a comment

“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Numbers 13:33b (NIV)

What we see is certainly affected by how we observe.  We all wear a set of glasses – look through the lenses of life experiences, belief systems and worldviews.  Varied perspectives of circumstances are quickly revealed when on-the-scene witnesses give sometimes very different accounts of what they “saw” happen.  Heaven help the law enforcement officer who has to piece all of those  “eyewitness” accounts together in hopes of somehow arriving at the reality of what happened.  The awareness of this shouts our need for corporate vision that comes from the safety and protection of God-designed community.

Yes – God will raise up leaders who are the “first” to see, but they will not remain the only ones who see.  The spirit of the Lord will always bring a sense of confirmation to hearts that are willing and open to hear the voice of the Lord.  I need you.  We need them.  And we all need Jesus and His perspective on things.

Numbers 13 is the account of Israel’s tribal leaders going on the 40-day expedition into the land God had promised to give them.  Somewhere along the way, the mission was confused.  A trip that was supposed to be a sight-seeing tour revealing to the leaders the fruits of the long awaited promised homeland that God said HE would give them somehow became a “feasibility study” that questioned whether or not THEY were able to possess it.  WRONG VIEWPOINT!  They never were able to possess it from the get go!  God didn’t send them to “see if they could handle this project!” They weren’t strong enough – there were giants inhabiting the land.  They weren’t powerful enough – no military experience and there were walled cities awaiting them.

You know the story – they came back and 10 out of 12 said – we can’t do this – we aren’t able!  Well d’uh!  Of course you can’t – you were never expected to do this in your strength.  Those leaders wrong perspectives and their loose mouths infected the hearts of the congregation of Israel.  2 guys remained faithful to the heavenly vision.  Caleb and Joshua rose to still the hearts of the people – but it was too late.  The seeds of strife and division had been planted and the vision of God’s ability to provide His Promise had been obscured.  They just couldn’t see it.  Their outer vision of the circumstances was skewed because their inner vision of themselves – who they were in God’s sight and what He’d called them to do (not in their own strength, but through His alone) had been covered with the fog of doubt and unbelief through strife.  Out of their own mouths they said, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”  (Numbers 13:33)  Someone once said,

“We don’t see things as they really are.  We see things as we are.”

My own identity and how I see myself has a huge effect on how I see the world as it relates to me.  The person with a deep wound due to rejection tends to see everyone continuously rejecting him (even when that’s NOT the case).  This is why we desperately need to understand the finished work of Christ in our lives and the fact that God calls us His own and sees us as “holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:22b – NIV)  God has a spiritual land full of His Promises that you are to inherit and possess, but they can’t be obtained in your own strength or ability.  It took the finished work of the all-powerful conqueror to obtain them and it will take your trust in Him to see them complete in your experience.

God has a destiny for your life – but it’s not for you alone.  It can only be realized in the context of your God-ordained relationships (spiritual family).  When we isolate ourselves, we risk the peril of an impaired vision that is singularly focused due to limited personal perspective.  We all need to be soaked in the renewing “water of the Word” so that we can see that God is making all things new and that regularly includes our ability to see and perceive that.  We need the challenge of relationships that “sharpen us” (Proverbs 27:17) and keep our perspective focused on the Greater One who rules over all things.  You are NOT a grasshopper and you can take the giants that are squatting on your Promised Land!

In Vision
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Sunday Night Praize!

July 19, 2010 — Leave a comment

* It’s a new day in Victory Church – we’ve been baptized in a servant
spirit. About 40 people have volunteered to help in our upcoming
VBS – unheard of! Thank God for willing hearts with servant’s attitudes.

* My long-time friend, Chip Buhler did a bang-up job teaching
Colossians 2 today – “Rooted in the Revelation of Christ.” Thank God
for true lasting friendships – Chip is one of them.

* Thankful for hungry hearts to build a foundation in their lives.
19 people in the Purple Book Group last week.

* We witnessed the true spirit of restoration in Kody and Whitney’s
testimony this morning in how God put their marriage back
together. We serve the “God of another chance!”

* Lives are being changed weekly – that never gets old. Over 25 Fresh
Starts last Sunday; 4 today. God is moving!

* So thankful for the indescribable presence of God in our worship. It
continues to increase and amaze me weekly.

* I have to pinch myself. What I’ve dreamed of and prayed for and stood in
faith for years has actually been happening for months now at Victory.

* The Lord continues to add talented, capable, skilled leaders with right hearts
and willing spirits. There is more true TEAM in Victory right now than
there ever has been in our history. God has delivered us from territorialism –
the spirit that says, “this is mine!” and a true spirit has been birthed that says
“this is God’s!” and I’m privileged to be a part!

* God shook us to change us so that He might fill us this last year. True
SHIFT has happened in Victory. This next year will be even more dramatic
as God shows up to say, “Now I can use you for my glory!” Hallelujah!

Open your eyes to see the King of Glory working in your life this week! Open
your mouth and tell others what He’s doing! Pray for God’s continuing and increasing FAVOR on Victory Church.  I want everyone to know how much I love each of you and all that God is doing in and through your lives.  Have a crazy amazing week!

Pastor Michael

In Sunday NIght Praize
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Great Advice for Leaders

July 16, 2010 — 1 Comment

Mark Driscoll is saying it like no one else today!

In Criticism, Leadership
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Sunday Night Praize!

July 5, 2010 — 1 Comment

Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians while in prison, yet he said over and over how THANKFUL he was for the work of God going on among the Colossian believers. No matter how difficult your circumstances, you can still CHOOSE to be thankful. Folks can tell the choice I’ve made by what comes out of my mouth. Let’s BE THANKFUL!

Worship was through the roof this morning! Thanks Holy Spirit and team!

7 Fresh Starts this morning – 1 new salvation, 6 in response to the Lordship of Christ over every area of their lives, 3 baptisms. Praise God!

There is a REVIVAL of servanthood in Victory! I’ve never seen so many people calling, emailing, coming forward and sharing with team leaders their desire to serve. May your tribe increase!

There honestly is a true spirit of TEAM that is developing and building among us. (This is not just hope so – I’m serious!) Nothing is impossible when people covenant to walk together in faith and in unity!

I can’t wait to see how God is going to “show out” in all of our lives this week! Expect it!

In Sunday NIght Praize
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“Let’s Get After It”

June 23, 2010 — 1 Comment

“A leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”  ~ John Maxwell

3 critical principles are found in that one quote –

Vision

Practice

Demonstration

A leader must be convinced of calling and vision by having a clear picture of what he/she is charged by God to do – because multitudes of voices will attempt to alter it to fit their ideas and agendas.    Clear conviction and proven confidence in the God who gave the vision must drown out all the other voices.

Jesus knew “The Cross” was in the plan for him.  The disciples couldn’t even imagine it – because such a demonstration of defeat couldn’t be a part of their scheme of what the Kingdom was supposed to look like.  “Not so, Lord!” Jesus looked at Peter, one of his closest confidants one day and had to say, “Get behind me Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.”  You just don’t get it.  (Matthew 16:21-23)

One must have a good assessment of what it’s going to cost – and then be willing to pay the price by living it out in practice.  There’s the rub.  It’s too easy to tell everyone else what he needs to do.  It’s something entirely different to commit to doing it.  But then, that’s the difference between wise and foolish men.  (Luke 6:46-49)  Both HEARD the words of Jesus– but only the wise man put them into practice.  When the storms hit, the foundations were revealed.  That’s what storms do – they show what otherwise is never seen – the strength of a foundation, the integrity of past decisions, the character of private life.

Knowing the way and going the way is most of the challenge, but if we intend to have a lasting impact, touching generations beyond our own, we have to commit to the task of showing the next generation “how to.”  Nothing beats Jesus pattern for demonstration.  He personified it entirely.  He’s the only one who can ever say, “I am the way!” (John 14:6).  He knows it, goes it and shows it!  That’s what a master does – he builds disciples.  In the end, they become like the teacher.  (Matthew 10:25)  Jesus DID it.  Jesus DID it and the disciples watched.  The disciples DID it and Jesus watched.  Finally, the disciples DID it.  Multiplication has taken place.

Paul said in Philippians 4:9 (ESV) “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  We must know it, go it and show it!  Let’s get after it!

In Leadership
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Sunday Night Praize!

June 21, 2010 — Leave a comment

“Giving thanks to the Father. . .” (Colossians 1:12)

So very thankful for all that the Lord is doing among us at Victory.

* It was a tremendous weekend with the best Ministry Team Meeting we
have ever had. People are stepping up to the plate and taking
responsibility to see that needed areas of service are covered. I have to
say how wonderful it is to do Kingdom work when we have a team of
leaders who all have hearts that want to, and abilities that can get the
job done with excellence and all of that with a right spirit and attitude.
With that combination, we really can take the Delta for Christ!

* The Presence of God in our services – can never get enough of that!

* “When you make the main thing the main thing, God takes care of all the
other things!” ~ from “The Principle of Importance” One Thing #3

* 8 Fresh Starts Sunday morning – that’s always a rush to see God working
in people’s lives.

* Thanks to Burney, Abbey and Scott – you nailed it on “Born Again”

* Thanks to all the various teams who come early and stay late to make
everything flow smoothly!

* Thanks to Michael Rushing for the new carpet in both nurseries.

In Sunday NIght Praize
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“Show Me How!”

June 15, 2010 — Leave a comment

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Ezra 7:10 (ESV)

After the Babylonian captivity, God brought the Israelites back to their homeland.  70 years away, along with God’s judgment meant that everything was just about in shambles.  Though the land had gotten its Sabbath rests, the city of Jerusalem was without a wall, the Temple destroyed, the law of God seemingly forgotten, the priesthood lost – all the infrastructure of spiritual and civil life had to be rebuilt.

On to the scene God tag-teamed two powerful leaders – Nehemiah and Ezra.  Nehemiah’s burden was in the marketplace, civil life.  Under his leadership and because of the willingness of God’s people, the wall went up in record time – 52 days.  Certainly not without opposition.  That is an amazing story in itself.

While Nehemiah’s work was concentrated in the community, Ezra’s focus was on restoring the spiritual life of the people – laying the foundation for the Temple, reinstalling a valid priesthood and teaching the people to understand and live out the law of God.  He recognized that no amount of human ingenuity and labor would produce anything lasting apart from the observance of God’s law-word and the blessing of God that comes as its consequence.  Oh how America needs to remember this!

In this one verse above, Ezra shows every leader the necessary steps to prepare for and carry out a reformation that will be the epicenter of God’s movement of restoration of a nation.  There are four principles here.  Before we look at those, let’s get this verse in a couple more translations for the sake of clarity.

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”  (KJV)

“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (NIV)

“Ezra had worked hard to know and obey the Teachings of the Lord and to teach his rules and commands to the Israelites.”  (NCV)

“This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.” (NLT)

“Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways.”  (MSG)

Here are the four principles every godly leader needs:

1)  HEART – lasting change begins in my own heart.  That’s not some sappy emotional, “feelings only” kind of thing either.  The Hebrew understanding didn’t have this false separation of “heart and head” that we do in the West.  Wrapped up in that was an understanding of involvement of the intellect as well as the emotional.   The point is Ezra “set his heart, prepared it, committed, determined, devoted, worked hard.”  In other words, it was more than a feeling.  It was a conviction that he chose to act out of.  Its focus was the Law of the Lord.

2)  WORK – the actual work that He had committed to and determined to do was the STUDY of the Law of the Lord.  Hosea 4:6 is still being proven throughout the body of Christ daily.  “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  We can’t celebrate “ignorance on fire” and call it anointing!  Growing up as a young Pentecostal, we lived by this adage – “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice!”  It was meant to disparage the deadness of our more educated denominational brothers.  Personally, I don’t want either one.  Why can’t we press in and have “knowledge on fire?”  Be fully equipped with the tools that God will give us to rebuild individual spiritual lives and the larger society around us and do it with a spirit of excellence and a passion that is undeniable!  Amen! (2 Timothy 2:15)

3) JUST DO IT! – yes I know it’s the Nike tagline that’s been way overused – but can you really say it any better than that?  The best and only lasting form of leadership is by EXAMPLE.  To observe it, I have to live it and obey it.  That means if I’m honest, I have a growing edge just like everybody else does.  People are looking for leaders that are real – that are committed to walking it as well as talking it and are honest about their struggles.  Paul was able to say – “watch me and do this!”

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:9 (NIV)

4)  TEACH – we have to set our hearts to study so that we might live it in front of people so that we have a voice – so that they will listen to what we have to say.  Then we must communicate it by employing every available technological means possible to say, sing, write, blog, text, tweet it to every hungry heart that will listen . . . until the whole world hears!

May God raise up a generation of Ezras who won’t stop until they see the dream of God fulfilled!

In Leadership
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“Where There is NO Vision . . .”

June 14, 2010 — Leave a comment

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

When it comes to the subject of vision, this has to be the most incompletely over quoted verse of scripture in the Bible.  What I mean by “incompletely over quoted” is that the first section is included in books and blogs and in sermons of the leadership genre in a ubiquitous manner – but for some reason it always is to the exclusion of the latter part. . . “but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”  This is “cherry picking” at its finest!  Go on and use the parts we do like, but conveniently leave out the parts that we don’t like or don’t fit our message.

I am picking no battles with the leadership guys.  God knows I have gleaned so much from them – my church thanks you.  Though this principle of vision is a good one – it has given us an inspired view of the future, which has provided us with something to pray for and work toward – it isn’t at all what this specific scripture is about.  Maybe a couple of other translations would help.

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; 
but blessed is he who keeps the law.”  (NIV)

“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” (ESV)

“Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.” (NCV)

“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
 But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” (NLT)

“If people can’t see what God is doing, 
they stumble all over themselves; 
But when they attend to what he reveals, 
they are most blessed.” (MSG)

After reading through these other translations and paraphrases, one can get a clearer vision of what’s being said here.  It doesn’t have nearly so much to do with imagining a vivid picture of a better future as much as it does embracing God’s revealed law word that secures our blessing if we keep it.  If we would only do that, a better future would be guaranteed.  “But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed” (MSG) is pretty clear.  Where we don’t have an “open vision” of God’s revealed law, we become lawless (we cast off restraint, go wild, stumble over ourselves and perish because of it) and happiness is never a consequence of lawlessness.  To say there is an antinomian (against the law) spirit in the church today is an understatement.

In our attempt to varnish the purpose of God with humanism, our man-centeredness has taught us to come up with whatever our hearts desire, take it to God and ask Him to bless it.  I’m convinced that the abundant life for which Jesus died so that we could have it, has little to do with what materialistic Christian America has claimed.

God’s vision (the one we ought to be pursing) of an ever-increasing Kingdom where righteousness and justice are revealed in every area of life is what God is doing.  It is THE WORD from God.  His Kingdom is the prophetic vision and the revelation of the Scripture from beginning to end.  The church is to take this vision and with His revealed law-word (the tool) exercise godly dominion in the earth until all creation is stamped with the name of its owner – the Lord Jesus Christ.

“In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign does not declare, ‘That is mine!’”

~ Abraham Kuyper

Hear the words of Joshua in preparation for the Israelites possession and dominion of the Promised Land (the type of the Church claiming possession and dominion of the whole earth):

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

In Vision
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