Without a Vision

Without a Vision

What if you had a secret formula with the power to cure a thousand ills of the human race? Would you not then freely give up this formula to be distributed to all in need and thereby prevent the death of multitudes?

I am sure you would, unless you were without conscience, and filled with greed, intending to profit from the suffering of others.

I am assuming, however, that you and I are not of that kind and do everything in our power to prevent millions of our generation from perishing.

My point is that we do have that secret formula that has the power to save our generation from a fate worse than death.

Where [there is] no vision, the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 – AKJV)

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 – NASB)

We have such a vision: the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has been revealed to us:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 – NASB)

No one need perish once the Gospel has been communicated to them. The Gospel is still the primary responsibility of the church:

 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 – NASB)

It is up to you and me to communicate this “vision” to the masses.

Without a Vision

 © Tuesday 21st March 1995 – by Christopher Shennan)

Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 – AKJV)

“Without a vision the people perish,”

Without a vision the multitudes die.

For the eyes grow dim; hope can’t flourish

When the heart can’t lift in search of the sky.

The human spirit has to dream and reach for

The highest and best that God can provide,

But often, it seems, there’s nothing to search for,

And nothing to stir cold hearts deep inside.

Grant a vision, Lord, to hearts made of stone,

To eyes that are blinded, or growing dim.

Reveal all your glory to those alone —

And those still hungering and thirsting for Him.

Why should those perish who have never heard,

While I hold in my heart Christ’s living Word?

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Engraved illustration of the “chariot vision” of the Biblical book of Ezekiel, chapter 1, after an earlier illustration by Matthaeus (Matthäus) Merian (1593-1650), for his “Icones Biblicae” (a.k.a. “Iconum Biblicarum”).Copy by unknown artist after illustration by Matthaeus (Matthäus) Merian the elder (1593-1650.) This work is in the public domain the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.

Called to CHALLENGE

Called to CHALLENGE

Findphotoat http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2011_Green_Flight_Challenge.jpg.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ² Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³ and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3 – NASB)

Peter was an under-shepherd of the Chief Shepherd. As such he was not only called to gently guide the sheep and feed them in green pastures. He was also called to challenge the goats among the flock, gentle to the straying sheep he may be, but bold and uncompromising toward those who would seek to lead them astray.

The entire second chapter of Second Peter is a denunciation and condemnation of false teachers and false teachings. If your pastor is faithful to his calling he will challenge as well as plead; he will rebuke as well as comfort; he will expose error as well as proclaim truth.

Pastor’s and teachers are not the only ones who need to challenge false teaching. No believer is exempt from the need to search the Scriptures daily to determine whether what a teacher is teaching is indeed solidly based upon Scripture. If we are deceived, those doing the deceiving will face judgment. If we are deceived, we too bear a large slice of responsibility for your own deception, since we did not take responsibility for searching out the truth.

In Acts chapter 17, we are told of some Jews in a Synagogue in Berea and how they responded to Paul’s teaching:

 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. (Acts 17:10-12 – NASB)

We, like those in Berea, need to examine the Scriptures daily, to ensure that what we are being taught is indeed the truth. If we do not, we bear the responsibility for our own deception.

I Won’t

(© Wednesday 1^st October 2003)

                        I won’t soften it up

Or water it down,

Or change the message because

Of a frown that comes my way.

The Truth is as sharp as a doctor’s

Scalpel, and is meant to heal, not harm —

To blunt its edge is a cruel invention,

Revealing an evil, base intention.

So, I won’t soften it up

Or water it down:

I’ll preach it straight and

Make it plain,

Regardless of whether it

Administers pain, or pleasure,

Or ecstatic joy. I’ll spread

God’s truth — without alloy.

I’ll serve it up in the spirit of Love,

With the help of Heaven and the

Host of Light:

I’m not alone as I stand my ground:

By the mercy of God

In His truth I’m found.

I won’t soften it up

Or water it down,

Or change the message because

Of a frown that comes my way,

But I need the prayers of

God’s people each day,

To keep me walking the straight,

Narrow way.

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