Vision Casting

A vision is a picture of the future cast in the present. It has the purpose of establishing goals and objectives. The role of the Old Testament prophets was one of "vision casting". Under the divine influence and unction of the Holy Spirit they expressed God's word. They were instruments of God, sharing His heart with His people. God was "vision casting" through them, letting people understand His goals and objectives in the earth.

In Christendom, at present, there's real interest in the "Prophetic". I had the great blessing of pastoring a church during the "River Movement", (the Pensacola, Toronto Blessing thing). To say the least it was a wild ride. For years I had longed for genuine revival, for a real move of God, for holiness in the House and for the salvation of souls. I thought maybe it had finally come. It was a renewal for sure and even with all it's "weirdnesses" God was doing things in the heart of those who were sincerely seeking Him for more. Right from the onset to its climax most hesitated to call it a revival and rightly so.

As I look back on it, for us, so much of the "prophetic" was more like the "pathetic". I'm telling you all this in hopes that it will help you understand where I'm coming from. We used to record all the prophecies that were given.They were then typed out and kept on file for any future reference. The prophetic became so extreme. It's what many lived for. Tragically, however, so much had been spoken out of "the human" rather than "the divine". Having said all this I still believe in the "prophetic". When the spoken Word comes from the Lord it's prophetic and when it comes out of the mouth of "good intentions" it's pathetic. 1 Thess. 5:20,21 - Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 

In 2 Peter 1:19 the apostle Peter stresses the "more sure word of prophecy", that which makes up a major part of our Bible. I find the context of this so interesting. Peter had been referring to his experience on the Mt.of Transfiguration. You talk about dramatic! Wow! You talk about the potential for emotionalism. This was such a powerful experience to Peter that he was prepared to build three dwellings and just camp right there. Why not? They had the Presence, the Glory and the Voice of Almighty God. Does it get any better this side of Heaven? What an experience! This is the context behind the directive of 2 P.1:19. What he's bringing out here is the absolute fact that the Word of God, the Scriptures are "more sure" than any experience and more sure than any prophecy given through people today. 

 

2 P. 1:19-21 - And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someones own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (ESV)

The Word of God makes it vividly clear that in the "last days" (the day between Jesus' ascension and His return) God would pour out His Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and that His people will prophesy, speak in tongues, see visions and have dreams. This is all of God and it's what the Apostle Peter experienced in his life and ministry from the day of Pentecost on. This is the same inspired Apostle who said we need to stay anchored in the "more sure word", the Scriptures. In this Blog Spot that exactly what I intend to do. God "casts vision" for His people through the "more sure word". If there is no Revival Ignition to be found in Scripture relevant for today then we're in error to promote such.

There is a very powerful revival message in Scripture regarding this generation, a message we need to hear, embrace and proclaim. It's what's on God's heart for us right now!

Prophetic Vision

Pr. 29:18 - Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,(ESV)  Through the prophets God was "vision casting". He was revealing His "prophetic vision", His purposes, goals and objectives. As God's people we need "prophetic vision". We need to clearly see God's goals and objectives. 

The goals and objective we have for the future determine the decisions we make today. The "prophetic vision" of God becomes the target we aim for. If there is no target or the target we have has become blurred or vague our tendency is then to wander aimlessly through life. Things can become so confused that we totally loose sight of our calling in Christ. We loose sight of the fact that our days on earth are numbered and that we only have one life to give totally to Christ as a "Thank Offering" for the salvation He purchased with His blood. We loose sight of the fact that one day we will have to give an account to the Lord for our actions while here on earth. We can loose sight of the fact that this present world is not our home and that our citizenship is in heaven. 

The church in Laodicea is an example of people who had seriously lost their way. (Rev.3:14-22)  They had lost sight of God's "prophetic vision", His goals and objectives. They were no longer aiming at the "Target of God". They were in need of revival. God graciously sent them word as to their true spiritual state and gave them instruction on how to get back on track with the Lord. I find it interesting that they were instructed to anoint their eyes with a salve. 

Without a clear vision of God's purposes in the earth today and how he purposes to accomplish it will disallow God's "prophetic vision" from being realised in our generation. God has chosen to accomplish His purposes through His people. He has chosen to engage His people in such away as to fulfill His vision on earth.

The importance of embracing God's "prophetic vision" is so vividly illustrated through Israel's exodus from Egypt. There's definitely something here we can learn from. Let's start by looking at the "original vision" God shared with them through his servant Moses. Ex. 3:8 - So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. God's vision and purposes for Israel was twofold, "up out of" and "into"! The first generation of "exodus Israelites" embraced only one aspect of the vision. They got right up to the "Promise" and yet refused to go in. God works with volunteers. He leads people who follow. He never drives people were they don't want to go. Israel balked in unbelief. They simply refused to embrace the full "prophetic vision" and as a result wandered in the wilderness of doubt fear and unbelief for the next forty years.

Did their unbelief and rebellion nulify God's "prophetic vision"? No! The second generation of "exodus Israelites" were prepared to take God at His word. They chose to look at the impossible situation of conquering the enemies and inhabitting Canaan through the eyes of God's faithfulness rather than through the eyes of humanism. God took them in and the second generation of "exodus Israelites" enable the LORD to fulfill His purposes in the earth. These people were the ones to experience God going to battle for them. They were the ones that enjoyed victory. They experienced God's faithfulness. 

Josh. 21:43-45 - Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. 

Romans 15:4 says, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."  We have hope today because of what we read regarding God's "prophetic vision" being realized by the second generation of "exodus Israelites". Just because others have not fully embraced the New Covenant "prophetic vision" of God doen't mean we can't. God has given us the divine target to aim for.

Focusing

A vision is a picture of the future cast in the present.  Without a clear understanding of what God purposes are for us individually and corporately, as the Body of Christ, we will never experience His "prophetic vision" being realized. What does He see for us? What vision does God have for my life in the "here and now". What vision does God have for the Body of Christ, the Church, in the "here and now"? What are we aiming at? What are God's spiritual goals and objectives for the Church in the 21st. century? 

In casting revival vision for the Church we should understand that there is no corporate revival unless revival is happening in the hearts and lives of individuals. A small corporate revival consists of a small number of revived individuals were a large revival consists of a large number of revived people. I've purposely said it this way to emphasize the importance that revival happens in individual people. The more people who are personally revived the larger the revival. 

There's no getting away from the need for personal involvement in God's "prophetic vision". The story is told of a young pastor who asked a seasoned revivalist how he could get revival happening in his church. Here's the answer he got, "I want you to return home and go into the living room and with a piece of chalk draw a four foot diameter circle on the floor. Then I want you to stand inside the circle and prayer this prayer. "God revive everything inside this circle". 

We're living in a very fast pasted world with so many distractions. Some seem more legitimate than others nevertheless there just seems to be so much that screams for our attention. The challenge for Believers today is to find and remain focused on God's present day vision. With this in mind let's look at God's "prophetic vision" for the Body of Christ.

What's The Target?

What are God's purposes in the earth today? It is very obvious from Old Testament Scripture that the Lord is a God vision. He has very specific plans and purposes regarding His involvement with people. If we don't understand clearly what those purposes are we will never be able to hit the target. The Scriptures are the "more sure word of prophecy" so let's turn to God's Word to find credible answers. 

Lk.19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Mt.16:18 -  I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 

Act 2:17 - And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. (the "last days" are the days between Jesus' ascension and return)

Isa 2:2 - In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 

Nothing has changed since these words were originally inspired and penned. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. (Heb.13:8) The Lord is the same and changes not. (Ps.102:27)  The point is when we find the target we have confidence that it's not going to change. What's the point of establishing and aiming at a target that fluctuates. God's Kingdom is built on faith and faith is always anchored in the unchanging "more sure Word" of God. Presently God continues to save people from their sins. He continues to build His Church, these are constants in which we are able focus our faith.

Let's now zero in on the target's "bullseye". The archers aren't satisfied with just locating the general target area they aim at the bullseye and I really feel that's what we need to do in our generation. God's vision is to call people out of sin and bring them into His eternal family, into His assembly of Believers, into the spiritual Body of Christ. 

Let's focus our attention on the "bullseye". What does that look like? God's vision is to build the Body of Christ in the earth today. What is God's vision of the Body of Spirit? What's His "prophetic vision"? How does He see it? How does He envision it functioning in the earth today?

The Best There Is

I'm personally convinced that for various reasons, the Church in Canada and the US have loss the vision of God's best for the spiritual Body of Christ. It's time to refocus on God's "prophetic vision", a vision that is as relative today as when He first released it. 

Over the years I've heard a lot of teaching, good and right teach on the Church as the Bride of Christ. It's a awesome truth for sure. I find it very interesting how God has chosen to picture one thing from various view points. Like the facets of a diamond each reflecting something different yet adding to the beauty of the whole. For example Jesus is pictures as both the Lion and the Lamb. One does not take away from the other but adds to the whole. 

Seldom do we hear of the spiritual body of Christ, the Church on earth, as "The One New Man". It's great to see the Church as the Bride but do we see the Church as the spiritual body of Christ in the earth? Do we see "Him" the Church as the spiritual "Warrior" in the earth advancing and spreading the borders of God's Kingdom. I'll just say here that I do believe that it's when Jesus returns in power and great glory that the true Son's of God will be manifest and Christ's Kingdom is fully and physically established on earth. There is however a present aspect of God's kingdom on earth and it is being established in the hearts of people. 

When we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He, by the Holy Spirit comes to live in our heart (spirit). St the same time this is happening the new believers is spiritually baptized by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual Body of Christ, thus become an integral part of the "One New Man". 

Eph 2:13-16 - But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create IN HIMSELF one new man in place of the two, so making peace,16  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 

What Jesus said to the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road to both very interesting and incredibly revealing. Paul had been on the rampage against the Christians. He was having them imprisoned and was very much an instrument of quite severe persecution. Listen again to what Jesus said to Paul as he was smitten by the Light that was brighter than the noon day sun. Act 9:3-5 - As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" 5 "Who are You, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! How could Paul be literally persecuting Jesus. He was in heaven seated at the right hand of the Father. He was well out of Paul's reach yet Jesus makes it absolutely clear that to persecute the spiritual Body of Christ, the One New Man is to persecute Him. 

There was a book written a number of years ago called "Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth". How about this: "Jesus is Alive and Well on Planet Earth". How can this be when Jesus is in heaven? By His Spirit Jesus lives in the hearts of His people and by that same spirit He lives among His people on earth. Mt.18:20 - For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. To persecute the spiritual body of Christ is to persecute Jesus. The two are inseparable and because of the Holy Spirit they are one. 

What is God's "prophetic vision" of the One New Man? There are two portions of New Testament Scripture that clearly reveal how God envisions the Body of Christ. They are Eph.1:23 and Eph.4:13

1) Eph 1:22,23  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23  which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 

2) Eph 4:11-13 - And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

What is important to notice here is concept of "FULLNESS". Let's consider the use of this expression in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Col 1:19 - For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 

Col 2:9  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 

Jesus fully and accurately revealed God to the world. He was God in physical human form. To see Jesus is to see God. 

Heb. 1:3 - The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God,  

Col. 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God, 

Jn. 12:45 - And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 

With the "fullness" of God in Christ in mind let's go back now to Eph.1:23 and Eph.4:13. The Church, the spiritual Body of Christ, the one new man is the "fullness of Christ". Just as Jesus fully and accuratley revealed God to the world so the "one new man" is to fully and accurately reveal Jesus to the world. All that Jesus is and did in word and deed is be accurately expressed through the Church. This is the "prophetic vision" of God for the spiritual Body of Christ.

Is the fullness of Christ presently being expressed through the evangelical Church in Canada or the western world? Far from it! Is there room for revival? Is there room for a powerful spiritual awakening? Is revival "vision casting" a legitimate and timely need in the Church today? Is it time to more fully embrace what God envisions for the spiritual Body of Christ? 

With this in mind let's be reminded for God's "prophetic vision" for the nation of Israel. He purposed to bring them "up out of" Egypt and "into" the promised land. Was this an impossibility? Humanly speaking it was. The first generation of "exodus Israelites" failed to enter the "prophetic vision" of God. They failed to allow the LORD to demonstrate His person and power to the nations in Canaan Land. However the next generation chose to trust and believe the Lord. They did go in. They did experience God doing for them what they could never do for themselves. They honored God by allowing Him to fulfill His "prophetic vision". Will you be one of those who in this generation chose to allow Jesus to be fully expressed to the world through His spiritual Body, the "One New Man", His Church?

Getting Started

There's a song written by Craig Docksteader called "I See A Warrior". He and Rob Critchley are two that I'm aware of who put it into music. The lyrics of this song are "prophetic" and I believe so accurately express God's heart for the Body of Christ and incorporate His "prophetic vision" for the spiritual body of Christ in Canada today. 

I SEE A WARRIOR

I see a warrior, I see a man

I see the Son of God, rising in the land

I see His army beginning to stand

I see darkness giving way to light again

I see His glory all across the land

Like the waters of the sea touching every man

He is Lord  --  He is Lord

I see the broken, I see the lame

I see the sick healed and the dead come to life again

I see the lost ones coming home

I see them pouring in returning to the fold

I hear the Lion of Judah roar

I see the nation bow down declaring He is Lord.

The starting point for revival is fundimental to all that we receive in New Covenant Christianity and that is faith. Jesus was asked "what must we do to work the works of God?" His reply was simple and yet so absolute, "BELIEVE in Me". (Jn.6:29)  Jesus said something so amazing in Jn 14:12 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. The works Jesus did all glorified the Father and the key to the disciples doing greater works is believing. That's were is starts. The second generation of "exodus Israelites" crossed the Jordan and step by step experienced God destroying every enemy that sought to resist them. 

In closing I'd like to draw our attention to Acts 1:1. Here we find Luke writing to his friend Theophilus, to whom he had previously written the Gospel of Luke. Act 1:1  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. The gospel of Luke recorded only the BEGINNING of Jesus ministry. The book of Acts records Jesus' ministry continuing through Believers, through the One New Man, the spiritual body of Christ. This is God's prophetic vision for the Church today. Are we going to embrace the vision? Are we going to begin by first believing in God's prophetic vision? Lenard Ravenhill is quoted as saying, "The opportunity of a life time must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity".

Steps of Faith

As Israel faced their opportunity of a life time they were challenged with ceasing it. God's "prophetic vision" was not mystery! He had made it as clear then as He has today. 

What God have projected as His perfect will for His people was with a doubt an absolute impossibility. Impossible through human personality, talent and power yet with the LORD all things are possible.(Mt.19:26)

With God's "prophetic vision" out where everyone could see it He gave them a promise, one that we need to hear in our generation. Josh. 1:3 - Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. (ESV) The ultimate challenge was for them to believe that the God who loved them would do for them what they could not do for themselves. Where they prepared to trust Him. Where they prepared to take Him at His Word and respond in "love obedience"? Were they prepared to take the first step of faith? Bringing it all down to where we live are we ready to steps of obedience and faith as it pertains to the pursuit of personal revival? Are we prepared to seek the Lord for greater faith? Are we prepared to give God our time as it pertains to building a more intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Jms. 4:8 - Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (ESV)

When it comes to serious revival it has always required that His people first become serious with Him. 2 Chr. 7:14 - if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.(ESV)  As God's people we must become serious about our personal holiness. We're called upon not only to pray and seek God we MUST turn away from any known sin. As new Covenant people we're not called upon to do this out of the self determination of humanism but through the power of the Holy Spirit. We're called upon to trust Jesus for all we need to glorify God.

2Pe 1:3,4 - His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (ESV) 

Faith believes the promises of God. Faith takes God at His Word. The more we're prepared to trust the Lord to honor His Word the more of His Word we'll experience being fulfilled in us. Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV)