IllumiNations!

THE NEW REFORMED MOVEMENT: TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION.

This article is WORLD MAGAZINE reports the growing movement within Western Christianity back toward Reformed Theology or Calvinism.  The "New Calvinism" as some would call this movement has been gaining great momentum the last decade or so, and has been very good for the church in my opinion.

As a Charismatic with a root system in what has generally been considered an Arminian movement, I have felt a little out of place at times because of Reformed leanings within my own heart.  Reformed Theology to me makes God bigger, man's lost-ness greater, and Christ's Incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension more glorious!  Reformed Theology keeps the focus of the Gospel on the glory of God, and the initiative of God in bringing men to saving faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly makes "Grace Amazing!" 

However, with that said, I am not a 5 point, T.U.L.I.P. Calvinist.  I know, I know, to the true 5 pointer, I am not a Reformed guy at all then!  One of the things that has so frustrated me over the years about some Reformed guys is their inability to see the work of God through the great non-Calvinist Christians throughout church history.  If you are not a 5 pointer in their minds, then you are probably not even a child of God. 

Anyway, the article I have a link to really gives me hope that a new attitude is developing which may make room for guys like me with certain leanings.  This quote from Mark Driscoll really captures some of the values that have been real to me for many years, "Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll, dressed in an all-black anti-suit of jeans and zippered jacket, cited four TGC emphases: engaging rather than separating from culture, moving into not out of cities, openness to charismatic gifts, and building bridges to other Christians."  AMEN!

WE ARE CHANGED BY THE POWER OF THE UNCHANGING ONE!

Everything on this planet is in a constant state of change.  Nothing ever remains the same.  The only Unchanging entity in the universe is the Lord God Almighty.  HE CHANGES NOT!  The human creature, (myself included) though constantly looking for that Utopian State of bliss and perfection, is dogged by the reality of decay and breakdown.  We must daily behold the reality of change even while we gaze into our mirrors.  

The Apostle Paul declared that, "though our outward man is perishing, our inward man is renewed day by day."  The outward man is winding down to death, while the inward man is being prepared for the eternal state of resurrection life.  Whether in the corporate world, or the church world, we understand by the amazing and rapid changes going on around us that change is happening at a rate we can never keep up with.

With this as my backdrop, I have been so very aware of my need to change as a man, husband, father, and local church pastor.  If all that I do would avoid fossilization, I must be a man in the process of ongoing transformation.  Alas, there is hope for this sinner, and stubborn man. 

In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, I am reminded that the great key to true change, (that is, Christ-likeness) comes by "beholding Christ in His word."  Since we become like whatever we meditate on or behold, we can become like Jesus by looking on Him daily and often.  This truth gives me hope, since it takes the pressure off of me and my various self-salvation projects, and puts it on Jesus, the "Author and the finisher of my faith."  He has promised to transform you and I as we spend time beholding His beauty, majesty and power.  WE ARE CHANGED BY THE POWER OF THE UNCHANGING ONE!

THE BLESSING OF GODLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Tonight, my wife Peggy and I hosted 17 wonderful youth for a barbeque, and had such a great time eating and laughing with them.  Our time with them reminded me of how powerful friendship can be in forming a person.  Many times, parents spend an amazing amount of time complaining about their children's friends, but very little celebrating good and godly friendships!

Well, here is my contribution to celebration!  The young men and women we had at our home tonight (and that is truly what they are - young men and women), are among the greatest blessings Peggy and I have ever partaken of!  Peer influence can literally make or break the moral, ethical, and spiritual life of a child.  Most of us can remember the good, the bad, and the ugly connections we made while growing up, confirming my point.

However, when our children develop friendships with other young people raised in similar value structures that reinforce ours, we can experience an amazing relational synergy that accelerates our children's moral, ethical, and spiritual growth!  These kind of friendships are worth their weight in gold and worthy of much praise!  THANKS BE UNTO GOD ALONE FOR THE BLESSING OF GODLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR OUR CHILDREN! 

EASTER: The Spring Season in the Life of the Christian!

Spring, that magical time of year when bird songs return to greet us in the morning, when flowers bloom,  trees bud, and new life seems to be bursting out all around us.  Spring is that season that offers to us the hope of new life as we emerge from the general grayness and drabness of the winter months.  Spring is that time of year when our children emerge from the cave of our homes and play outside again.  When I think of spring, I remember the years when my children would venture outside to rediscover bugs, birds, and the warmth of sunshine.  The thing I most appreciate about spring is the picture it paints to us of the most important miracle in human history.  The miracle I speak of is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the premier event of all time.

    In all of our brief time on this planet, there is nothing that holds more significance to our everyday lives than the person of Jesus Christ and what He did for us mortals when He died a torturous, pain-filled death and then rose from the dead after three days in a sealed grave. The entire Christian faith, as well as any hope we have as human beings is wrapped up in these events.  If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then our “faith is in vain”(I Corinthians 15:17) and sin still has the power to pull us down and lead us to an eternity without God or hope.  In this one event we have the only true hope in our struggle to cheat death and milk all we can out of this life.    

    Each of us is continually faced with the very real prospect of death on a daily basis as we listen to the news, experience our own close calls and grapple with the death or dying of a loved one.  Death, as we all know is even more sure than taxes.  No matter how much we advance in medical technology, or exercise and eat right, we all know we are going to die.  In our culture, we dress up death to look a little nicer, or try to hide it by putting it in the hands of others who will soften the blow and make it more presentable.  Unfortunately, we do ourselves and others no favors when we engage in this form of denial.  Death is real, and, according to the Scriptures, it is our greatest enemy.  It is waiting for all of us and we cannot avoid it.   

    It is precisely this admission which makes the resurrection of Jesus Christ so powerful and liberating to those who have come to know and believe in Him.  When Adam sinned, death spread to all of us through his sin tainted blood. Each one of us understands sin's power, and how it affects our everyday life and entangles us in its chains.  As much as sin is a concept most of us hate to talk about anymore in this therapy minded culture, (which makes all of us a victim of our environment, upbringing or genes) none of us can deny the reality of it in our experience.  As the Scriptures teach, “ the wages of sin is death...” and all of us must receive that paycheck whether we like it or not.   

    This is where the resurrection of Jesus Christ becomes so powerful and relevant for all of us.  As the sinless Son of God and very God in human form, Jesus’ death on a Roman cross was more than just a martyrs sacrifice for a good cause.  Jesus was the only qualified God-man who could die in our place and receive our judgment in His own body. Though innocent of any wrong, though completely pure and without original sin or personal sin, Jesus was sentenced to die an unjust death as a sacrifice for us.  This death alone could satisfy the righteous requirement of God the Father for an atoning death.  Through this death, our sin was atoned for and cleansed once and for all.   

    This story is called the Gospel, which means, good news.  This story would be nothing more than a sad tragedy if it was not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus rose from a grave sealed by the Roman Government, He put the exclamation point on His whole mission and proved He was truly God in a human body.      

    Jesus’ resurrection sealed for us the hope of eternal life with God in a New Creation. This New Creation will be a world without sin, sickness, suffering, sorrow, war, famine, strife, pain, and most importantly, death.  The resurrection of Jesus makes it possible for those who exercise child-like trust in Christ to receive the power of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables His followers to overcome sin, and live without the fear of death any longer.      

    Truly, the Spring of creation was and is the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The resurrection is the most wonderful and powerful event in human history! The resurrection is the reason believers consider this Holiday to be the ultimate time for reflection and celebration.

    This Spring as you emerge from your winter grave clothes to enjoy all of the new life bursting forth, imagine Jesus Christ coming out of the tomb and bringing new life to those who believe in Him.  Think of a God in heaven who loved His children so much that He had to become one of them, so that He might die and reverse the curse of sin and death. Behold the God whose love is so powerful that not even death could keep Him in the grave!  HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

ME CHURCH!

This is a YOUTUBE clip that poignantly captures the dilemma facing many churches and pastors.  We live in an age when all of the marketing and focus of the media is about ME and what I want.  As a pastor, I too am regularly tempted to try to do all I can to make our church comfortable and pleasing to those who might attend.  While I think it is OK to be a little "SEEKER FRIENDLY", we must fight to truly make our churches more Holy Spirit friendly, and be a place that is welcoming to God and his Presence.  We must also contend to do all we can to not feed the selfish tendencies of fallen human nature.  ENJOY!

BACK AFTER A VERY LONG ABSENCE!

I don't know what to say about my absence, other than the fact that I kind of lost the vision for blogging for awhile.  So much has happened since my last post on September 11th, 2006, it would be almost impossible to tell all, but here are some highlights and lowlights;

1. Our oldest son, Stephen, left to Kirkland, Washington, and The City Church GENERATION INTERN PROGRAM.  Peggy and I have marveled at God's grace as we have watched our son be challenged and then respond with maturity to almost every challenge.  The growth we have observed as a result of this intensive leadership program would be similar in some ways to what a parent sees when their son has returned from boot-camp as a man instead of a boy.  I guess the main difference would be the fact that Stephen has been formed inwardly and is manifesting the nature of Christ more than at any other time!  PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS!!!
2. I traveled with 2 other people from our church to the Philippines for a short term missions trip at the end of November.  Our goals were to train church leaders, visit the orphanage we support, and be a blessing to the Filipino church.  As usual, the Filipino people blessed our lives far beyond anything we could ever do for them.  The trip was very successful and fruitful but for me it had to be cut short due to some of the most difficult news I have ever received...
3. Larry Brice, my dearest friend of 18 years, associate pastor of 9 years, and one of my true heroes in the faith was diagnosed with colon cancer which had spread to his liver.  I returned home immediately to be with him as he navigated through the difficult decisions facing him, his wife Shirley, and their 11 year old daughter, Madison.  Larry determined to fore-go chemotherapy and is asking God, along with thousands of others from around the world, for a miracle of healing.  Larry is truly one of the godliest men I have ever know, and as GENUINE A CHRIST-FOLLOWER as I have observed in my 23 years as a believer.  Larry has a passion for God and His kingdom, and desperately wants to "See the Lord do amazing things in Moses Lake and the world!" PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER AS WE CALL ON OUR MIRACLE WORKING GOD TO DO THE AMAZING AND IMPOSSIBLE IN LARRY.
4. Simultaneously to all of these things, our church is growing, people are being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are starting to move forward in a building campaign.  Truly, this is a time of FAITH STRETCHING and DOUG STRETCHING!  GRACE HARVEST CHURCH seems to be in a time of harvest, blessing and momentum, and our leaders are in need of much support in prayer and encouragement.  PLEASE PRAY FOR MY FAMILY AND I AS WELL.

Well, it's good to be back and get some of this off my mind.  PLEASE POST COMMENTS AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE READING.  COMMENTS ARE A BLOGGER'S PAY FOR HIS/HER EFFORTS.

Blessings,
Doug

THE SAD DEATH OF THE CROCODILE HUNTER

The most widely covered news story of the last day has no doubt been the tragic death of Steve Irwin, the famous Crocodile Hunter of Animal Planet fame.  It seems that Steve was doing a documentary on ocean predators and had his heart pierced by a stingray. 

I have seen very few people in my life who loved what they did more than Steve Irwin.  I have witnessed even fewer who were so completely sold out to a vision and life passion like he was.  I already miss him!

I have marveled for years at the man's incredible abandonment to the cause of animal conservation and making the most fearful creatures in the world lovable in an awe-inspiring kind of way.  Steve himself said on many occasions that one of his main goals was to expose people to the beauty and wonder of animals most of us have nightmares about. He knew that if people saw and experienced the animals as he did, they would do more to protect them.

I don't know if Steve Irwin knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, but based upon things he said on his program, I doubt it.  I do know that God is the great Designer and Creator, and that it was He who put this passion in Steve Irwin so that all of us could experience the glory of the creation.  I only hope that Steve's wife and two children will follow the link that exists between Creator and creature and find comfort and refuge in the one who made this man who pursued His life call with such wide-eyed wonder.

Men like Steve Irwin are a great example to us of the kind of single-focused vision that is lacking in so much of the church world today.  He knew what he was made to do and did it with a zeal and love that puts many of us to shame.  It is not my goal to condemn or judge, but to merely point out the great need we have in our time to be completely captivated by a vision of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. 

After all, we know the One who made "the beauties" that Steve Irwin always excitedly exclaimed praise for.  We know the One who made Steve Irwin such a pleasure and joy to watch.  It is His image in Steve that left all of us continually saying, "WOW, did you see that?"

HERE IS A NICE TRIBUTE VIDEO

BE A REAL MAN!

I Corinthians 16:13 - Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong; TLB.    

John 15:13- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  NKJV.

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, NKJV.    

Nehemiah 4:14- And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." NKJV.

I am leaving today to join about 35-40 men on a MEN'S ADVANCE in a beautiful wooded area just North of Spokane, Washington.  As I embark on what always turns into an interesting adventure, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a man and why manhood seems to be under such attack today from cultural forces that seek to make "maleness" a bad thing.    

Many men these days seem to be confused about manhood because they have been told for several decades now that aggression, strength, passion, drive and decisive action are qualities to be avoided.  Men are being forced into a mold of "niceness" where the highest virtue to be achieved is to be "nice" to one and all.  Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that being manly is defined by being harsh or caustic, just that our highest goal in life should not be to make everybody happy with a kind of sappy sweetness.

As a man, I find that I am most inspired by great stories of love, sacrifice, brotherhood, courage and protection.  Though I hate war, I recognize that it is a sad necessity at those times in history when to avoid it is to risk our very existence as human beings.  War though seems to be one of those endeavors that brings out both the best and worst in men.  Whether it is the story of Sergeant York, or movies like Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List or Hotel Rwanda, there is something so powerful about men who put it all on the line to risk life, limb, property, comfort and privilege to rescue, protect and sacrifice for others.  It seems that when men live like this, they are fulfilling what it truly means to be "manly".  This is precisely why Jesus Christ is the ultimate man and the greatest model ever of what a REAL MAN looks like!    

As the above Scripture references make clear," laying down our lives, loving sacrificially, and fighting for our brothers, children, wives and houses", calls out to the "deep unto deep" within us and inspires something that often lies dormant in the day to day drudgery we call life.  The good news is that it doesn't take a war or some kind of heroic act to live our lives this way.  We were made to give up our rights, desires and comforts to assure that others may live well.  It is in "losing our lives" that we truly "find our lives" and become REAL MEN.  Men were made to give all for the sake of others and to put it all on the line to assure that the weak, the poor, the widows and the orphans are protected, provided for and loved.  We are called to live heroically by loving our wives as they deserve to be loved, and by providing an example for our sons and daughters to follow.

One day, some of us will be called upon to literally put our lives on the line for our families, nation or Lord, but until we do, we must make it a practice in the rhythms of our homes, workplaces and churches.  My friend and associate pastor Larry always reminds me that "we get good at what we practice at most often."  If we practice loving, giving, sacrifice and true manhood, we will be the kind of man we want to be in the day of testing and when we stand in the presence of the Almighty and hear Him pronounce, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!"    

Powered by QumanaTags: Men, Manhood, Marriage, Family, War, Sacrifice, Love, Jesus

One More Help To Refute THE DA VINCI CODE

Maybe you are saying as many are, "enough on THE DA VINCI CODE already", but I thought it might be helpful to give you one more tool to help you refute Da Vinci quite simply.  Here is an article from Associate Editor Collin Hansen of CHRISTIANITY TODAY, that deals with THE FIVE BIG QUESTIONS FROM THE DA VINCI CODE.  I have simply copied and pasted it into my post as it appears on the site.

5 Big Questions from The Da Vinci Code
A brief guide.
by Christianity Today magazine Associate Editor Collin Hansen

Already an international publishing sensation, The Da Vinci Code now is a feature film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. The compelling story written by Dan Brown blurs the line between fact and fiction, so moviegoers have joined readers wondering about the origins and legitimacy of orthodox Christianity. This guide offers brief answers to five important questions.

1. Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
No. Mary Magdalene was certainly close to Jesus. She wept at Jesus' tomb (John 20). Jesus even entrusted her to return and tell the disciples about his resurrection. But we have no reason to believe they were married. Brown says that Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper reveals the secret. He writes that the figure to Jesus' right, traditionally known as the apostle John, is actually Mary. Not true. Artists often gave characters feminine features to portray youth. John was the youngest of the disciples.

Brown correctly observes that few Jewish men of Jesus' day did not marry. But why, then, did the apostle Paul, himself celibate, not mention Jesus and Mary when he argued that apostles could marry (1 Cor. 9:5)?

2. What about these alternative gospels that aren't in the New Testament?
It's true that the Bible did not arrive as a "fax from heaven," as Brown writes. The New Testament canon in its current form was first formally attested in 367. Nevertheless, church leaders applied important standards when compiling the Bible. Authors of accepted writings needed to have walked and talked with Jesus, or at least with his leading disciples. Their teaching could not contradict what other apostles had written, and their documents must have been accepted by the entire church, from Jerusalem to Rome. Church leaders considered earlier letters and reports more credible than later documents. Finally, they prayed and trusted the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions.

The so-called Gnostic gospels, many discovered just last century, did not meet these criteria. Many appeared much later than the Bible and were dubiously attributed to major Christian leaders. Their teachings contrasted with what apostles like Paul had written. For example, many Gnostic writings argued that Jesus did not appear in the flesh, because flesh is evil, or they rejected the Old Testament.

3. Were there really competing Christianities during the early church?
Yes—in the sense there were many disputes about the nature of Jesus. And the church has done its best to vanquish challengers to orthodoxy. Once the church decided against the Gnostic writings, they gathered and burned all the Gnostic manuscripts they could find.

Later church councils convened to discuss other threats to Christian orthodoxy. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to make Christianity legal, called the most important of these meetings in 325. Leaders from around the Christian world gathered in Nicea, where they debated Arianism, which taught that God created Jesus. Brown writes that Constantine called this council so he could introduce a new divine Jesus on par with the Father. On the contrary, documents from before Nicea show that most followers of Jesus already called him LORD, the Yahweh of the Old Testament. The church leaders at Nicea rejected Arianism and affirmed that God and Jesus existed together from the beginning in the Trinity. This council produced the first drafts of what became the Nicene Creed, a landmark explanation of Christian belief.

4. What is Opus Dei?
A conservative religious group within the Roman Catholic Church. Opus Dei urges priests and laypeople to strenuously pursue sanctification through everyday discipline. The group has taken criticism for its conservative views, zeal, and secretive practices. There is no evidence that Opus Dei has resorted to murder; nor has the Vatican entrusted Opus Dei to violently guard the church's deepest secrets, as Dan Brown claims in The Da Vinci Code.

5. Does the Priory of Sion really exist?
Yes, but not as described by Brown. Researchers suspect that members of the real-life Priory of Sion, founded in 1956, forged documents that placed major historical figures—such as Isaac Newton and Leonard da Vinci—in an ancient secret society. There is no evidence for this group beyond dubious documents. Any story relating this group to a dynasty begun by Jesus and Mary Magdalene is a fanciful work of fiction.

Collin Hansen is associate editor of Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com). For more Christianity Today coverage, visit www.ChristianityToday.com/go/DaVinci

Tags: Da Vinci Code, Movies, Books, Christianity, Jesus, Mary Magdalene

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BE THOU MY VISION

Where there is no vision (prophetic revelation), the people perish... Proverbs 29:18  

I hear a call going out in our land in this day for men and women of vision as never before. It is a desperate call, really more of a cry for leaders with a vision that will inspire us to reach for higher heights than ever before. This cry seems to manifest itself most clearly in the political arena as aspiring leaders and candidates assure us of the great vision they have for our nation and its future.

Being a person of vision has always been important to me as I have found hope and encouragement flows from having a vision for life and ministry. I have found that vision-less people are direction-less people without much hope for the future and no plan to get where they aren't going. On the other hand, I have found that many people are calling their own dreams, presumptions and desires, a vision from God, and are therefore setting themselves up for big disappointment. Take a few minutes with me and look at the most important and fulfilling aspect of “getting a vision”, namely an encounter with the living God.

A number of years ago as my wife and I drove to Spokane to attend a conference, we were enjoying a great worship tape when a line to a song jumped into my heart and the Lord seemed to speak to me about vision.  The line I refer to is from a Vineyard song on the HUNGRY CD called, “BE THE CENTRE.”  The third verse starts, “Jesus, be my vision.”  As I heard this verse it suddenly struck me, as things often do with God, that the Lord has been refocusing me on Himself as the “center” and “vision” of my life. 

As I thought about these things, I began to revisit the disappointments of ministry, the “hope deferred that makes the heart sick” and the lack of fulfilled vision in my own life.  I realized that Jesus is the essence of all I have ever wanted to be and that knowing Him intimately is the greatest vision a person could ever have.  These things may seem obvious to you the reader, as they did and do to me, but at that moment they became a revelation to me of the greatest pursuit and adventure to life.  These things have become more real to me as I have noticed the general lack of vision many of God’s people have to know God intimately.  Jesus himself must become our vision.  As He fills our gaze, we will see the things that are important to Him and He will call us to become involved with Him in the things that make His heart beat.

Consider with me several Biblical examples of this truth as we gaze into the Scriptures.  Moses had truly experienced what it meant to be broken and brought to the point of having very little self confidence.  Educated in Egypt by the best educators of his time, “mighty in word and deed”, Moses somehow came into contact with his ethnic background and heritage.  This revelation brought him into a great conflict one day as he observed his own people being oppressed in their slavery and decided to deliver them in his own strength.  In a moment of rage Moses was downgraded in status from possible ruler of Egypt to a hunted fugitive! 

After fleeing Egypt he became a shepherd on the back side of the desert and learned the lessons of waiting, trusting and contentment.  After forty years of leading sheep around the desert he encountered a bush that would forever change his life as well as ours.  As he stared at a bush that was burning and yet not consumed, the voice of the one true God began to speak to him and call him to a special work.  Moses would be the one who would deliver the people of God out of Egypt and into the promise land.  When most of us read this account, we miss the most important aspect of the story, specifically the fact that God first identified Himself and called Moses to remove his sandals and worship on Holy Ground. 

Before Moses could ever become a deliverer he had to first encounter the Great Deliverer Himself, the I Am.  This one vision and the many that would follow would become the springboard for the most powerful and important ministry of the entire Old Testament.  This encounter ruined Moses and caused him to continually seek the presence of the Lord to the point where he had the audacity to ask to see the Glory of the Lord!  This vision of the Person of the Lord led to a revelation of the Purpose of the Lord.  This is the clear Biblical pattern and still the way our God manifests Himself today. 

            This pattern continues throughout the Scriptures with Joshua as he sees the Captain of the Lord’s armies and worships on Holy ground.  This happened before receiving instructions to conquer Jericho, the gateway to the rest of the Promise land.  Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up before he heard, “who will go for us...?”  Jeremiah had a revelation of God the rejected Lover, before he could go forth into a ministry of rejection, sorrow and destruction.  Only the open revelation of the Lord could keep him through the persecution and sorrow he would have to endure. 

            The Apostle Paul gives us another example of this truth as he stands before the angry mob in Jerusalem and recounts his conversion; Acts 22:6-10 - 6 “As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 “ ‘Who are you, sir?’ I asked. And he replied, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’  9 The people with me saw the light but didn't hear the voice.  10 “I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.’  Paul understood the proper order when he asked, “Who are you, sir?” before, “What shall I do, Lord?”  We often get these questions backwards as we zealously seek to do something for God instead of concentrating on knowing His Person first.  A true vision for ministry will always issue from an encounter with the Lord in private as we seek to know Him and see His beauty and glory

        I close these thoughts with a Psalm and a classic Hymn that both capture the heart of being God-vision seekers far better than I can.  Psalm 27:4 - One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.  The third verse of, “Be Thou My Vision” really speaks to this thought beautifully.  Read, meditate and enjoy the Presence of the Lord.  “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise - Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart - High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.”  May the Lord bless your seeking hearts!

Tags: Jesus Christ, religion, Christianity, visions, purpose, life direction