|
 |
Lesson Thirty
Life Of Faith
10 May, 2002 revision / SMTC
|
 |
Handel saw the
glory of God and composed "The Messiah"
See The Lessons
In Your Bible Read This
Isaiah 43.18, Revelation 1, 9-18,1 Chronicles 28, 11-12
Here Is Your Memory Verse
Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that
keeps the law,
happy is he. Proverbs 29.18. (AV)
Afterwards Talk About
This
So what do you see? Share your vision, sufferings, failures
or lack of vision openly with each other.
Practical Application Work
Examine your own heart and see the vision God is beginning to
give you today.
Dont accept fate but reach out to Gods destiny for
you, your family,
ministry, church and future. Make a few notes, send a copy to your tutor.
Then put your copy away somewhere so you will look at it again in a year.
Something To Do Before
Next Time (Homework)
Develop the theme of the vultures in writing (one page). How might the
"vultures"
affect a new
vision God give you? What could happen? What would you do to protect
the vision?
Meditate On This Passage
Exodus 25.8
- Spend
a Minute to Change the World
- Pray For Mexico - 98,000,000
mainly poor people
- Dynamic growing nation,
many social & political problems
- 88% Catholic, 5%
evangelicals, long history of persecution
-
- Be sure to
teach this lesson to others.
- Always pray
and prepare well adding your own verses and stories to
bring it to life.
Jeremiah was a young man just starting off
in his walk with the Lord, serving in the temple. One day the
Lord appeared and told him that he was known even before birth,
and that he was a special young man, set apart by God to be a
prophet. Jeremiah protested that he was just a child but the Lord
reassured him and gave him some great promises. Then the Lord
asked him a question, Jeremiah 1,4-12.
- Jeremiah, What Do You See?
- Jeremiah answered correctly. He saw
the first signs of new life for his land.
- The Lord said, Correct, I am watching
over my word to perform it!
1. What Do You See From
The Lord?
Who should have a burning vision?
- Every believer for himself, his family,
his service and future.
- Every leader for an Acts 2.42-47
church and a God blessed locality and region.
- Every church for the whole world.
The Bible says that without a vision the
people perish. Proverbs 29.18. And the first one to perish is you
from boredom in your Christian life. Having vision is much more
than just a picture in a charismatic worship meeting. It is a
deep inner awareness of why you have been born now, and even more
important, why you, and not others, have been born again by the
hand of God.
2. Vision Is Prophetic
New Life From God
A glimpse of the future before it happens
provided we obey God, but watch out - the devil hates the promise
of new life. He tried to kill baby Moses who was going to be God's
deliverer of a nation. He tried to kill baby Jesus, who was going
to deliver an entire world. He attacks babies in the womb today.
He attacks all new-born Christians and in the same way a new
vision will also be attacked!
Vision And Vultures
Some years ago we were driving in the
desert in West Africa on the way to visit a remote bible
school. In the distance we saw some vultures circling and we
knew having watched too many cowboy films that something was
either dying or dead. What would it be? We changed course and
arrived within minutes.
Vultures
When we arrived we saw a gang of seven big, black
vultures on the ground and advancing upon a new born goat
whose mother was still too weak to drive them away. We
frightened them away until the kid found strength to run.
Just looking at the black hooded vultures showed us a picture
of the powers of darkness and all their attacks against new
born visions and plans. The Bible calls, the powers of
darkness, birds of the air. These vultures
advance against you as soon as you give birth to a plan. They
intend to attack your vision and give you a hard time to get
started and keep going.
3. The Birds Of The Air.
Vulture 1 Is Called Unbelief
He sits on your shoulder and squawks again and again,
"Has God really said this?"
Vulture 2 Is Called Doubt
He says, "Don't trust God, people or yourself."
Moses listened to his squawking and said to God, " Who
am I? They won't believe me! I can't speak! Please, send
someone else! "
Vulture 3 Is Called Fear
He says, "What will people say if you make a mistake,
change half way or fail." He says dont take the
risk.
Vulture 4 Is Called Discouragement
Joshua was warned by God to watch out for this black,
ugly vulture. Joshua Ch. 1, Deut. 31.6.
Vulture 5 Is Called Laziness
Haggai saw this one around, and told the people to be
strong and work. Haggai 2.4
Vulture 6 Is Called Distractions
He is a powerful vulture that sits on our shoulder and
whispers all the other things we have to do, now. Luke 8.14
Vulture 7 Is Called Impatience
He is a sly ugly brute. If he can't slow us down through
fear he will push us to run ahead of God. If faith ever turns
into presumption, what was a Spirit led vision becomes a work
of the flesh and doomed to failure! Watch out for this one,
he is very subtle and can appeal to your impatience.
Why Such An Attack From The Devil?
Its Proverbs 29.18. Even a baby vision means less
people will perish. In Matthew 25 you find wise virgins with
a vision to be ready, wise servants with a vision to fully
use their gifts and wise sheep with burning vision to
minister to others.
4. So What Do You See?
- Maybe you do not have a vision ?
- If so, do what John did and get into
the Spirit, and see Jesus!
- Revelation 1.10
Perhaps you see very little?
If your vision has failed then
bury it in the sure and certain hope of a better resurrection.
Acts 16, 6-10
Have You Run Away From A Vision?
Remember that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second
time, and to John Mark also. 2 Timothy 4.11
Are You Suffering For A Vision?
Remember Joseph had a very real vision but he suffered
for it in body and soul, Ps 105.19, and Habbakuk too in heart
and soul. Hab. 2.3. See what Daniel said in Daniel 10, 7- 8,
16 -17. He had to be strengthened by God to carry on,. Like
Daniel, 10.14, watch out for the right time, thats
vital.
And for the
many who do have vision -
Do What Abraham Did In Gen. 15, 5-10:
Add personal sacrifice to the vision.
Drive the birds of the air away, 11
Expect God to confirm the vision, 13
-
- To Close Pray For The
- World's Most
Unreached Peoples By Name
-
- Taken from the Joshua Project
2000 Unreached Peoples List
- no cell, church or mission
has committed themselves
- to prayer, adoption or church
planting among this people.
This page is modified
by SEAMIST from the original page
with permission
© Dr Les Norman | www.worldchristians.org,
UK
Permission is granted to provide copies at cost price for study purposes
but not for sale or
commercial purposes. Freely you have received, so please freely give.
|