Twenty Building Blocks Of Vision

1.     A vision begins as a concern.

As a pastor, you probably have a vision of great revival for your city. But it began as a concern for souls, then it grew into a burden for souls. It grew till it consumed your thoughts. This is the birthplace of vision. God has placed that vision there.

2.     A vision does not necessarily require immediate action.

When God speaks to you, he may not be giving you a vision for the immediate.  God’s timing is not our timing. When David was anointed king, he did not take the throne for many years.  He went through many hardships before he finally became king.

3.     Pray for opportunities and plan as if you expect God to answer your prayers.

The Bible says that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. Begin to pray for the right people and opportunities to be brought into your life...God will order your steps.

God Sees You!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 

 Luke 1:26-27

Late last year, I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land. It was my second trip, and it was so meaningful. One afternoon, we made the trip to Nazareth, a very busy, Islamic city today … but a very, very, very small Jewish community at the time of Christ, perhaps as low as 35 families. 

In fact, Nazareth was so small, forgotten, and disrespected that Nathanael even said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). (I believe we know the answer to that one.)

When the Weeds in Your Life Keep Growing

Most of us hate weeds. They take over our yards and our gardens and make life generally miserable. But what about the weeds in our lives? Can they serve a greater purpose?

Don’t touch those weeds! Here’s a story I wrote several years ago that illustrates what I’m talking about:

Saved by the Weeds

Photo by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Farming, like other high-risk occupations, requires a great deal of faith, dependence, and trust in God’s timing and goodness.

What to Do When God Seems Slow to Act

Photo by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear varied opinions on what God is doing in the world today. Is God about to pull the plug on time as we know it? Are the bad guys winning? How do we make the most of our time here on earth? And when God seems slow to act on our behalf, what’s our next step?

Heavy questions. I was reminiscing about a woman named Martha the other day, and this incident prompted my response to one of those questions:


Several years ago I was with a group in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. On a small-scale “Holy Land” tour that same day, we met a woman regaled in biblical garb and walking about in a cool, dark cave.

She introduced herself as the character “Martha,” a keeper of the cave where Jesus was born. She and her retired husband had moved to Eureka Springs, she told us, with nothing but an availability and willingness to serve God. Her voice increased a few decibels with each sentence as she narrated her familiar script.

The Lost Is Found

PASTOR DEANNA MUELLER

 

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(© Werg/StockFreeImages.com)

There are moments in time that invade our everyday lives—circumstances in which the paths of strangers cross as part of a God-designed plan. The end result causes us to stand in awe knowing that He is and He delights even in the small details of our lives.

My husband, Mark, and I had traveled many hours on I-10 across the Florida panhandle on our way to Baton Rouge, La. After a quick pit stop and fresh lipstick, my legs were ready to hit the trail around the rest area. Mark was still in the restroom with the keys to Bella (our Mini-Cooper), so I wedged my small black zippered make-up bag between the locked car’s side mirror and window.

When we later re-entered the highway with increased speed, the little bag flew from its perch, and I knew right away I had forgotten to retrieve it. “It’s OK, Mark.” I quickly directed, “No need to go back. The bag is old and lipsticks are easy to replace. Let’s not take the time.”

How many times have we faced a horrifying moment when reality hits? So it was as we stopped for lunch and I reached into my purse for my wedding ring—the wedding ring I had slipped into the make-up bag the night before for safekeeping.

Oh, no! I couldn’t believe this was really happening. But in the midst of regret and self-condemnation, the Lord brought comfort, strength and even—surprisingly—the words of a song that brought my focus back to Him. “Lord, You are more precious than silver. Lord, you are more costly than gold. Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds. And nothing I desire compares with You!”

Wait for the LORD

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." - Psalm 27:14

It's difficult sometimes to wait for the Lord's time, but it's important to stay strong and remember that His time is the right time. 


As you go into this weekend, remember that and keep your eyes on Jesus.


Have a great day!

GodVine.com

When God's Timing Is Taking Too Long

by Joyce Meyer

We all want good things to happen in our lives, but too often we want it now...not later. When it doesn't happen that way, we are tempted to ask, "When, God, when?" Most of us need to grow in the area of trusting God instead of focusing on the "when" question. If you're missing joy and peace, you're not trusting God. If your mind feels worn out all the time, you're not trusting God.

The tendency to want to know about everything that's going on can be detrimental to your Christian walk. Sometimes knowing everything can be uncomfortable and can even hurt you. I spent a large part of my life being impatient, frustrated and disappointed because there were things I didn't know. God had to teach me to leave things alone and quit feeling that I needed to know everything. I finally learned to trust the One who knows all things and accept that some questions may never be answered. We prove that we trust God when we refuse to worry. 

God’s clock and timing are always crucially important

Jesus goes on to develop this whole theme and we have Christ’s last public sermon and teaching, recorded by John in Chapter 12. 

Jesus is saying – before I go to the Greeks – before I go to the Gentiles – I am going to the cross. I have to die. The hour is approaching. The road My Father has willed me to walk is the road of personal sacrifice. If I came to you Greeks now, that would be a short term policy.

These are Christ’s last words to the public, and in verse 26 it is an ultimatum.

The hour had come. God’s clock is important. God’s timing is vital. It was nearing the end of Jesus’ life, and this coming hour was to become the pivotal point of all human affairs.

It is good to be sufficiently sensitive enough to God to know that God’s Hour has come for you to do his will.