SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Proverbs 29:18) "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
(Proverbs 19:21) “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
(Habakkuk 2:2-3) "And the Lord answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” [3] "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end, it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
PREFACE SUMMARY
The Holy Scriptures teach that the church is a unified body of many members, and that each member has a unique function in the body.
There can be no room for jealousy in the Lord’s body because no one can accomplish what God placed in your heart to do; therefore, beloved, we must be persistent in achieving the visions God has placed within each of us.
When we make up our minds to fulfill our purpose, which drives our vision like the wind drives the rain, we can expect opposition from the enemy of our souls, who tries to steer us off course; therefore, we must make the vision plain and be persistent in following it.
We must let every opposition strengthen us and use every failure as an experience and a stepping stone, giving us greater determination to meet our goals.
To complete our vision and God-given purpose on earth, we need to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. Is that what the Holy Word of God tells us to do in Matthew 10:16?
People with a determination to walk the walk of faith will be persistent and never take no for an answer when it comes to fulfilling their vision.
My mentor, W.V. Grant, often says, The Holy Word of God does not say that you can have what God says; He says that it says that you can have what you say.”
Therefore, let us accept the challenge to fight until we get our breakthrough so that we may experience the joy of the Lord. Let us recognize who is with us, encouraging us to meet our purpose and fulfill our dreams.
In summary, if we have joy of the Lord resonating in our souls, the word of God tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. May we acknowledge that the strength of God’s purpose and vision in our hearts is far more important than any darkness the enemy may bring our way.
"FINDING YOUR PURPOSE."
In our opening statements, we spoke about our vision being like the deep calling to the deep things of God within you. We also learned that it will help steer you toward the goals that God has set for your life.
May I ask you a fundamental question? "Have you discovered what your purpose is for being on this planet, and how does it affect and drive your vision to be all you can be for the kingdom of God?
After years of experience, I believe I can describe "Purpose" as the inward clarity that gives meaning to our vision, which, in turn, motivates us to pursue and fulfill it. You might compare it to worship that resides within our hearts, which, when it is released, becomes vocalized through our praises.
Our purpose guarantees God's promises to us, much like an anchor secures a ship. It holds us steadfast in God and allows us to draw from our future rather than be tripped up by our past.
We can look at King David's life to see how many times, while his life was in danger, he had to hide in caves. David was a worshipper, and when he made the statement in (Psalms 121:1-2) [1], "I lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
From whence cometh my help." [3] "My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth; he was not speaking of the physical mountains around him.
Notice how David speaks of understanding the purpose within him, which drives his vision to fulfill God's call on his life.
The secret to David's success lies in his experiences with God while he watched over his father's sheep in the wilderness. This can be a lesson for us when we discover that his relationship with God led him to look to his heavenly Father, whom he called "my darling."
David allowed his divine purpose to motivate his vision, which prompted him to look unto the hills of the Lord, instead of his surroundings, for there he knew he could receive the strength and help to be an overcomer and fulfill the cause and purposes of God, especially when he needed direction in enemy territory.
David was a wanted man, and notice how David speaks of looking unto the hills of the Lord for his help. Let me pause here and note that other versions of the Bible speak of him looking to the physical mountains. If he looked at the hills around him, especially at night, he would see the enemy's campfires, for he had often been in unfriendly territory.
Far too many people today are trying to relive their past, and if they are, they are always focusing on what they could have done better; there is no way they can live their future.
It's touching that although David was living under the law, he was able to reach into the future of grace by stating in "Psalms 32:1-2) [1], "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." [2] "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
Years later, we will find the Apostle Paul quoting from these verses as he states in (Romans 4:6-8) [6], "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works," [7] "Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." [8] "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."
In summary, David found his purpose and allowed it to drive his vision, enabling him to envision the glory of Israel through the promised messiah. This helped him visualize the day when men will no longer be required to bring a sacrifice to a priest on earth to offer for their sins, but would be able to be forgiven by putting their faith and trust in God, who alone can forgive sins.
"WHAT IS DRIVING YOUR VISION?"
Please know and understand: “When we apply vision to our future, we can create a mental picture or image through our imagination, which can be used to direct our actions to complete our assignment.
We visualize the purpose through our vision. Hence, our vision serves as a guide and motivator, showing us our purpose.
Vision gives us direction to achieve our goals in life, not only fulfilling our purpose but also guiding us, by His Holy Spirit, in our assignment, because once we discover our purpose, we can work to complete and fulfill our vision.
When we have a vision, we come to understand that the trials we face serve a purpose. Therefore, to be successful, we must reach a point where we see things the way God sees them.
Having a vision enables us to wake up every morning with purpose, because it keeps us moving forward toward our goals.
No matter what we may face, we can find rest in knowing that the Lord our God has planned our lives before the foundation of the world.
I think I can be safe in saying that a person who wakes up every morning with a strong desire to fulfill their vision will have a bright future.
What happens when things come against Christians so severely that they soon begin to lose focus on their goals and shake them up to the point of giving up on their vision?
We live in a fallen world, and things will come against us mainly because we have an enemy who works to disrupt the plans God has for our lives.
The Holy Bible tells us that we are not ignorant of his devices; we should know that he uses people, places, and things to derail us, including orchestrated events designed to distract us from our vision and rob us of our joy. The Holy Scriptures tell us that the Joy of the Lord is our strength.
I have to admit that I have encountered these disappointments and setbacks most of my life, but one thing has kept me going: spending time in His word and in prayer. This valuable time in His presence allows the Holy Spirit to renew me and help me grasp the purpose that drives my vision.
(Jeremiah 29:11) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
(Philippians 1:6) "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
When we finally discover the purpose that drives our vision, we will learn to choose carefully whom we allow into our inner circle, because not everyone who pretends to be our friend has our best interests at heart.
In summary, we must recognize that if we do not actively pursue and develop our own vision, we risk letting external influences distract us to the point that others will have us help them work on theirs.
"WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRISTIANS FAINT?"
I believe what I am about to share with you will help you, especially when you encounter something coming out of nowhere, maybe even someone you had confidence in and gave an essential position in your ministry, only to have them tear up overnight what it took you years to accomplish, and now your vision is shattered into tiny pieces all over the ground. You're in tears, asking God what you did wrong.
I got some good news: Your vision has not gone anywhere; it is just not appearing in your imagination as big as it was. But let me tell you, God knows the plans he has for you, and he made provisions for those plans before he created the world for Adam.
God knows every piece of matter in the universe, and everything seen and unseen has a purpose for its existence, and He has carefully planned each part of your life, which I love to refer to as the allotted time we will live on this planet.
In eternity past, God worked out the course of your life, and He knows everything that will happen to you in this life span because nothing surprises this wonderful creator.
God can look at our past, present, and future simultaneously, and His Holy Spirit was there when your life span was planned.
In the beginning, the Living God carefully looked down through the ages of time and, yes, through every generation that would be born and planned every intricate detail of every life that would live on Earth.
The answer for life and our existence, which drives our vision, can be found in (John 3:16): "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
We can safely say that we exist because God wanted a family, a mirror image of himself on Earth, including a deep desire to recover as many as possible from Adam's fall and Satan’s rebellion.
We must understand that God’s divine plan for us is in the Spirit, and His Holy Spirit is in us, enforcing this plan as Spiritual law.
In summary, the Holy Spirit will take charge of the circumstances surrounding us, allowing natural law to work for or against us, and that is why we need to discover, either by revelation or through God's Holy Word, the plan He had for us before the foundation of the world, therefore, when He reveals that plan, we need to obey and follow it to strengthen our hearts and allow His purpose to drive the vision to completion, all the while doing this, realizing that books were written about what we are to accomplish on earth before our birth.
"LEARN FROM YOUR PAST, BUT DRAW FROM YOUR FUTURE."
There have been times in my younger years when, on three occasions, I attempted to take my life to end it all. How many more hurting souls are we letting slip through our fingers while we argue on anything and everything, including what hat or title we should wear?
My question is, what is wrong with just being a servant?
Looking back on how God intervened in my life, I can say that these trying experiences helped shape who I am today.
During the seven years I was driving the big rigs coast to coast while suffering through a nervous breakdown, the television show "Touch by an Angel" became a reality in my life, for the living God sent His Angels my way. And all three informed me that He had sent them to me.
Meeting those Angels who looked human, spoke of the miscalculations in my life, and one spoke of a bright future that the Lord God Jehovah had planned for me.
It took years to emerge from that nightmare, but those encounters helped awaken a purpose deep within me, leading me later to accept the call on my life and realize that I was not a mistake but was born for a specific cause and purpose.
Like so many hurting, confused people in society today, I can reflect on my life and find ways to identify with them, including her failures; however, I have decided that someone’s opinion of me does not have to become my reality, and they will not be the ones who sign my report card. Therefore, beloved, the mystery of life shows that God allows circumstances, people, and things to enter our lives for three reasons.
1. To educate us
2. To teach us
3. To elevate us to the next level
I can boldly declare today that because of God's amazing grace, I am no longer the man I used to be, because when I accepted Christ into my life, my nature was changed, and I have been forgiven. (He Loves Me)
The lesson for us to learn on how to deal with our past without re-living our past is to get an understanding that God knows the plans he has for us, and he will and does allow things to come the way that are designed to take us apart and break our human, stubborn, selfish spirit.
Sometimes this breaking leaves us vulnerable, but it helps us realize our need for Him and Him alone.
In summary, imagine an old musical instrument that may not seem worth much to some. Still, when the master musician cleans it up, tunes it, and begins to play, it suddenly becomes valuable and beloved; when we allow the master to remold us and work through us gracefully, we can gracefully say to others, "I might be marred, but I am in his hands."
This divine revelation now drives my vision to become a willing vessel for my creator, so that He may leave His signature on my life for future generations.
Reflecting on my past experiences without getting stuck in them has allowed me to gain valuable insights into the complexities of human nature in a world far from being perfect.
God has used past hurts, failures, and disappointments to mature me to walk in His plans and calling on my life today.
If I had been placed where I am now living in the Philippines, doing evangelism as the International Evangelist for a powerful ministry founded by the late A.A. Allen and carried on by Apostle Don Stewart, I would not have been confident in maintaining that position.
In a world where it's easy to criticize and tear down, let us exercise discernment and actively reach out to contribute to God's work, helping to strengthen and build up his kingdom.
The Apostle Paul not only made it into God’s Hall of Fame but was also used by God to give us most of the New Testament that we have in our hands today. He suffered through three shipwrecks, was imprisoned several times, and was beaten till the bones in his feet were broken.
Notice that we find him in (Romans 8:18) making the statement, “I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Please remember that no matter how much trouble we have, such as heartaches or sorrows, there is a reason and purpose for it, and our God is behind the scenes.
(Romans 8:28) “And we know that all things work together (good and bad) for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
The word of God teaches that the Christian race is exemplified unto us as not embracing the swift or strong as the winner, but all who win this race are those who endure to the end, which reveals to us that to be a winner in this race, we must have a spirit of endurance.
There have been instances in which runners have dropped out of a race only to realize the finish line was just around the next corner. This shows that success is closer than we think, and giving up too soon can lead to missed opportunities.
When we try to serve the kingdom of God, we should be prepared to encounter opposition. It's important to acknowledge that achieving victory won't be easy. However, finding solace in Christ's presence is crucial. As he states in his word, "His grace is sufficient for our every need," signifying that we can rely on his grace and strength to overcome any challenges we may face.
The Apostle Paul instructed his disciples to follow him as he follows Christ. Hence, if we were to follow the life of Paul, we would find a man who, once discovering his purpose in life, allowed that purpose to drive his vision.
This motivated him to a higher standard, preventing him from quitting, turning back, or giving in to peer pressure. Still, with boldness and confidence, he made a bold statement that speaks wisdom to us today, and that bold statement can be found in the third chapter of the book of Philippians and the fourteenth verse.
(Philippians 3:14) “I press (stretch) toward the mark for the prize of God's high calling in Christ Jesus.”
In summary, let us make up our mind to allow our purpose to drive our vision that we may, with joy, complete the assignment the Lord has called us to, and may we always remember that “we cannot do what you say we are unable to do until we attempt to do what we can.”
MY CONCLUSION
No matter how challenging our circumstances may be, God has a purpose for everything. (Romans 8:28) “And we know that all things work together (good and bad) for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
Our journey as Christians is not a sprint, but a marathon. It's not about being the fastest or the strongest, but about enduring until the end.
To endure, we must cultivate a spirit of endurance to triumph in this race. Just as runners who give up before they reach the finish line miss out on the joy of victory, we must not abandon our faith because success doesn't come overnight. Yet, we can find solace in the knowledge that Christ is with us, and his Grace is sufficient for our every need.
There was a time in Paul’s life when he asked his disciples to follow him as he followed Christ, and thinking on that, I can say that you can follow someone around for a day and tell where their priorities lie and whether they are committed to Christ.
Paul was a man who not only found his purpose in life but also clung to his vision with unwavering determination. He refused to quit, turn back, or succumb to others' pressure. Instead, he boldly and confidently declared in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s example should encourage us to discover our own purpose and stay committed to it, no matter the challenges we face, because in reality, it is easy to criticize others, but are we willing to lay aside the weights and the sin that so easily besets us and help in the work of God to build his kingdom?
In closing, let us allow our purpose to guide us as we work towards fulfilling the assignment the Lord has called us to. Remember, "We cannot accomplish what we believe is impossible until we first attempt to do what we can."
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse, Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
