Vision and Eschatology

10/8/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to talk about vision, context, and how it relates to unity. Have you ever heard this line before?

“Get out there and do something for God!”

It may be full of passion, full of conviction, and heartily spoken, but at the end of the day the question must be asked: what is something? We must have a definition of what we are doing for God because it enables us to cast vision. According to the Bible we will have major problems without vision.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

My vision is to promote unity in the body of Christ worldwide and assist in the creation and development of sheep nations. For those unfamiliar with the term “sheep nations,” these will be entire geographies where the kingdom of God reigns in and through the hearts of men. When I say that I’m going to get out there and do something for God I know exactly what something means. As long as I hold fast to the vision, spiritual death will remain far from me. Moreover, those that come alongside me will have no question as to what we are trying to do.

I personally believe that in this hour, possibly more than any other time in history, the requirement upon the church to be strategically effective is huge. I also believe that our ability to be strategically effective in this hour is going to rest heavily upon our ability to properly divide the word of God on the topic of eschatology. Eschatology is simply a theological term denoting the study of last things.

If our eschatology is wrong, the vision that we cast will be inadequate to accommodate the impending circumstances. Let us use an example. We are going to consider two random football teams. The first team is the Cleveland Browns and the second team is the New England Patriots. Let’s take a fictional look at how their respective coaches cast vision to their teams.

Brown’s coach: Alright boys! I am just as unenthusiastic about this game as you are. Remember, if you make mistakes, God still loves you. It does not matter how the game goes because we’re going to be teleported into outer space before the game is even over. Are you ready!

Patriots coach: Alright men! We’ve been practicing very hard. Today we are going to remain focused on the goal: executing the victory. You must believe that this game is already won. Offense, you get across that goal line like your daughter’s life depends on it. Defense, your goal is to gain more yards than the offense. This is the vision. Are you ready!

After reading the two visions, which do you think is more effective? First of all, the Brown’s coach is addressing his team as children, setting a low level of expectancy. The Patriot’s coach addresses his team as men, setting a high level of expectancy. God calls us to maturity, but many leaders suppress the spiritual growth of their people by casting faulty vision that takes people nowhere. They put no demand upon their flocks.

                Furthermore, the Brown’s coach is out to make a good show. The vision he casts is completely illogical. It cannot yield victory. The catch is that the Brown’s coach doesn’t expect to be around to finish the game. He casts a vision based upon his understanding of the future. As a result of his limited foresight, he assumes that certain things will take place, thereby tainting his ability to cast a vision based around victory. His vision is based around escape and he is promoting cowardice. Unfortunately, if people are trained to escape, when hardship comes they will look for a way out.

“Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The Patriot’s coach has enforced discipline and practice among his ranks. They are prepared to win. When he stands before them to cast the vision he declares their victory. He makes no plans for escape. He is in it to win it and his team will follow his lead. His vision is based upon a proper understanding of why they are going onto the field. They are going out there to play hard, to stand face-to-face with a determined opponent and come out victorious. No one is leaving until the last play has been carried out. His vision is fixed on the prize, and he has planned properly in order to attain the declared victory.

If you haven’t figured it out already, I am speaking in part to the debate between pre-tribulation and post-tribulation rapture theology. The rapture is the point in time when Jesus returns for his church and we meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Casting vision in this hour that is based around pre-tribulation rapture theology is akin to playing football like the Browns. Casting vision based around post-tribulation rapture theology is akin to playing football like the Patriots. Who do you think will perform better?

The Bible has a lot to say about the last days. It speaks of a coming antichrist, a false prophet, and great plagues that will shake the world among other things. A pre-tribulation rapture approach to this teaches people that they have no responsibility to be spiritually, psychologically, or emotionally prepared to deal with these things. They are taught about escape. This is the most backwards approach to the Christian faith possible.  We have the victory in Jesus Christ, why would we have any need for escape?

My vision is intended to be effective under the circumstances involved with going head-to-head with the darkest forces ever released into the earth. Those that come alongside me will be trained to think like champions and not like cowards. I will see to the creation and development of sheep nations in the face of the antichrist agenda. To this end I will work to establish unity among the body of Christ because it will be necessary. How do you want to “play ball?”

Discussion

1.       According to the Bible, what happens when there is no vision?

2.       When you consider doing something for God, have you defined what that something is?

3.       What are you going to do to allow God to speak His vision for you to you?

4.       What is the vision of BRIDE Ministries (my vision)?

5.       When you consider your approach to Christianity, is it closer to a Brown’s approach or a Patriot’s approach?

Vision and Unity

8/6/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to discuss the power of vision as it pertains to unity. There are three types of vision. One is the kind that we have because of our eyes. For many people this is the only type of vision they have. If they see a golden brick and you ask them what they see, they will tell you they see a golden brick. It they see a pile of cow dung and you ask them what they see; they will tell you a pile of cow dung.

                Although this is a type of vision, it is not the most important type of vision. The Bible talks about something called the eyes of our understanding.

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18)

The eyes of our understanding allow us to have greater sight. They allow us to have vision of spiritual realities and potential. This kind of vision is far beyond the vision that our eyes will give us. When someone has true vision, they can sit in front of a golden brick and when asked what they see, they will tell you that they see a resource. When they sit in front of a pile of cow dung and you ask them what they see, they will tell you fertilizer.

This is the kind of vision that God wants us to have. When we don’t have it, it’s actually offensive to God. This is what God was referring to when He said:

“Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not” (Jeremiah 5:21)

How can a person have eyes and not see? It isn’t because their physical eyes don’t work; it’s because they have no vision. The eyes of their understanding are shut. However, once we get beyond the vision of our physical eyes there are really two additional types of vision. There is limited vision, and then there is God’s vision. Both of these are better than no vision, however only one requires God.

There have been many visionaries throughout history that have done great things without God. Conversely, there have been many Christians throughout history that have done nothing even though they had God. Do you see a problem with this picture?

Some people believe that Christianity consists of saying a prayer of conversion and becoming a faithful attendee of a church. Is attending a church regularly a vision from God, or a beneficial habit? The answer is that it is a beneficial habit. God never intended your faith to climax at a weekly church service. God has a vision for your life that you are responsible to pursue. In light of this, many people wonder why there are so many problems in the church. Consider the following passage:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

Visionless Christianity is a death wish.

Now that we have established the importance of vision in regard to our faith, we are going to consider it in light of unity. Whenever any great societal or cultural change came about, it required people. It may have started with a few visionaries, but ultimately many people wound up creating the change that the visionaries saw. It is impossible to execute vision without generating unity. I have a vision to bring about unity in the body of Christ. However, the purpose isn’t the unity in and of itself. There is a greater purpose and a greater vision.

Many people have no idea what this world is about to face. Continual increases in earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, and various other types of natural disasters including famine are coming (Matthew 24:6-8). In addition to this, the trans-humanist agenda is pushing the boundaries of “what it means to be human.” The development of enhanced humans having genetic enhancements, synthetic biological implants, robotic components, nanotechnology that impacts them on the cellular level, and artificial intelligence uplinks, are quickly becoming science fact. Of course, we will eventually see the rise of an antichrist figure who will seek to enforce satanic principles and agendas upon the world.

A change is coming to the world, and ultimately there is going to be a great divide between light and dark. Unity within the church will be required to successfully transition into the darkest age humanity will ever see. Part of this transition will involve the agenda of creating sheep nations—entire geographies where the kingdom of God reigns in the hearts of men. This is why my vision is to promote unity in the body of Christ worldwide and assist in the creation and development of sheep nations. I see what is coming, but I also see God’s solution.

In this hour God is giving larger and larger visions to those that will listen. These visions will ultimately produce God’s vision for the church. It is spelled out so clearly and so plainly that it is impossible to miss. However, it is so big we know it can only come from Him.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)

Discussion

1.           What kind of vision do you have: none, limited, or God’s vision?

2.           Why do you believe this is the type of vision that you have?

3.           What do you think you need to do in order to expand your vision?

4.           What is visionless Christianity?

5.           What is God’s vision for the church?