SIGHT VS VISION: MAKING EXCUSES

Proverbs chapter 29




Today we are walking in: Sight VS. Vision: Making Excuses




Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.








VISION








Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide









The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:









The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​





Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.








The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.





Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.







Making Excuses




Sometimes, we know what we should be doing, but we’re hesitant to take that first step. We always intend to do it, but we never do. Instead, we make excuses, such as “When my life gets less complicated,” “When I feel more confident,” or “After I pray about it more.”




There is a story of two fishermen who were lost in a storm on a lake. The storm was blowing so fiercely that they couldn’t see a thing. One of the fishermen said to his colleague, “We have two choices. We can pray or row. Which one should we do?” The other answered, “Let’s do both!” That’s the way you need to live. Instead of deliberating about what you need to do, just say, “Let’s row.” Even though you’re scared, keep on rowing. Set a destination even while you’re praying, and Yah will guide you where you need to go.




Another group of people who have trouble carrying vision through to the end is what I call the “professional starters.” They’re always beginning something, but they never finish anything. For example, they have books they’ve never finished, yet they keep starting new ones. Nothing in the world feels as good as reading through to the last page of a book because then you know that that book is in you and no one can take it away from you. Everything you leave unfinished will discourage you from completing other projects. The unfinished has a way of haunting your life.




Seeking “Balance”




Some people don’t want to focus on a specific goal because they fear their lives might not be well-balanced. They say things such as these: “I don’t really want to go after anything in particular because then I will be closing off other options. I don’t want to become too narrow,” or “If I become too serious about something, I might miss what I really want to do in life.” The problem is that people will say things like these for forty- five years and never end up doing anything at all! What they call a pursuit of balance is really an excuse for not making a decision. They end up being average, mediocre people.




True balance is the maintenance of equilibrium while moving toward a destination. A good example of this truth is the way a ship functions on the ocean. A ship always needs to maintain its balance. Wouldn’t it be a waste of precious time and fuel, however, for a boat to expend all its energy just trying to balance on the water so that it didn’t tip over? Some people live for sixty-five years, seventy-five years, ninety years, just balancing. Yet balance is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. A ship keeps its balance as it makes its way to a specific port. Likewise, we need to have a destination while we’re maintaining balance in our lives.




Trying to Do Everything




A common reason people aren’t specific about their visions is that they’re trying to do too much. Their problem isn’t that they’re hesitant about getting started, but that they’re running around attempting too many things. Even though they are constantly constructing something, they’re actually building nothing at all because they never complete anything.




Why does this happen? Because most people make the mistake of believing that the main goal in life is to stay busy. Yet this way of thinking is a trap. Busyness does not necessarily equal progress; staying busy does not necessarily mean that you are heading toward a specific destination.




I have learned this very important truth that has set me free from both indecision and ineffective busyness: I was not born or created to do everything. This statement might be a good thing to put at the top of your office or household calendar. When we aim at everything, we usually hit nothing. Yet most of us are breaking our necks trying to hit everything in sight. Let me assure you: You were not born to meet all the needs on earth.




It is very easy to become concerned about the many problems we face in this world. Compassion is not only an admirable quality, but it is also an essential element of vision. However, you cannot try to meet every need around you and still be effective in helping people. The more needs you attempt to meet, the less attention you’ll be able to devote to each individual need.




All the needs that you see in your nation cannot be met by you. All the trouble that you see in your community cannot be solved by you. All the problems that you see on your street cannot be addressed by you. This reality is the reason why you must discover your personal vision from Yah and then stay on track with it. You were meant to meet certain needs, not every need. Yah created you for a purpose, and that purpose is supposed to be your focus. It is what must motivate you and keep you centered on what is most important for you to be involved in. While you should be open to the various ways in which Yah may direct you to help others, you must not become sidetracked by a myriad of needs, because there will always be more needs than you can personally handle.




Being Perplexed over Multiple Talents




Some people never pursue their true visions because they have the “problem” of being multi-talented, of being able to do many things. A misunderstanding of their gifts causes many talented and intelligent people to be ineffective and unsuccessful in life. These people say, “I have so many gifts that I don’t know which ones I’m supposed to use. I want to develop all of them.” As a result, they develop none of them to proficiency. I have many interests myself. I’m a teacher, a preacher, a speaker, and a writer. I can also paint, sculpt, and write and play music. However, I have had to focus on specific gifts in order to be effective in life.




Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen anyone who became successful in life by doing everything? Think about people such as Helen Keller, Picasso, Marie Curie, Tiger Woods, tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams, Bill Gates. Each of these people did one or two things very well, and it became the source of their life and their prosperity. It made room for them in the world.




When a person tries to do everything, he ends up becoming a “jack-of-all-trades and master of none.” I’m sure you know some multi-gifted people who seem to have the best chances of success but who aren’t doing anything with their lives. You have to guard against the temptation to try to do everything. No matter how many gifts you have, don’t let them distract you. You must decide to concentrate on one or two gifts, and then stir them up. Don’t worry about losing the other gifts. Decide which gift you are going to stir up; as you stir that one up, the other gifts will follow it. Yah will not waste what He has given you.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO VISION

Proverbs chapter 29




Today we are walking in: Overcoming Obstacles to Vision







Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.








VISION








Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide









The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:









The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​





Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.








The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.





Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.




Overcoming Obstacles to Vision




Mediocrity is a region bordered on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by a lack of vision.

—John Mason




Understanding the source of vision is the first step in the process of fulfilling it. The next step is to be aware of potential obstacles in your life that can derail your vision. If you are aware of these obstacles ahead of time, you will be prepared to recognize and overcome them. Three major obstacles to fulfilling vision are




1. not understanding the nature of vision




2. not recognizing the cost of vision




3. not knowing the principles of vision




Most people live in mediocrity—a “region bordered on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by a lack of vision.” This chapter will show you how to leave behind the region of mediocrity and move into the realm of the exceptional.




Not Understanding the Nature of Vision




The main thing about vision is that it is specific. One of the greatest causes of failure among people who are pursuing their visions is that they don’t identify their objective of success.




This may sound simple, but it is very true: People fail because they don’t know what they want to succeed in. Much of our frustration and depression comes from not making any headway toward achieving our visions—even when we know we’re working hard. This inability to reach our visions occurs when we don’t aim at a specific target.




Suppose I came to you and said, “Let’s meet.” You say, “Okay; where?” I reply, “Oh, anywhere.” You ask, “Well, when do you want to meet?” and I say, “Anytime.” What do you think are the chances that we will actually meet? Practically zero. Vision must be specific rather than general or vague.




Misunderstanding the Difference between Vision, Goals, and Mission




I have asked many people, “What are you going to do with your life? What is your vision?” and I usually receive responses such as these: “I’m going to build a big house, own several cars, and have a good family.” “I want to get married.” “I want to open a restaurant someday.” These are not visions, but mere goals.




When I ask pastors the same question, they generally give me one of the following answers: “My vision is to win my city to Hamachiach.” “My vision is to ‘preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15 kjv).” “Our vision as a ministry is to know Him and to make Him known.” “Our vision is to equip people for the work of the ministry.”




None of the above answers are visions. They are missions. Why? They are too general for visions. Vision and mission are related, but they are not the same thing. A mission is a general statement of purpose that declares the overall idea of what you want to accomplish. It is philosophical and abstract, not practical and concrete. Moreover, it is open-ended, so that you could spend hours, even days, talking about its many aspects and applications. In contrast, a vision is a very precise statement that has a specific emphasis and definable boundaries.




I sometimes wonder how some people have made it as far as they have without understanding vision. It is essential that you learn the difference between vision and mission because Yah is not vague about your life. You were designed to be unique and to fulfill a particular purpose. If you are to carry out this specific purpose, your vision has to be specific. Otherwise, you will be just like everyone else around you. Remember, your vision—like your fingerprints—is meant to distinguish you from every other person in the world.




Let me use the Hebrew ministries as an example. The assignment that the young Hebrew rabbi, Yahusha, gave His followers two thousand years ago—“Go into all the world and preach the good news” (Mark 16:15)—is called the Great Commission. It is the “co-mission,” the joint or corporate mission of the Hebrews. It is every Hebrew’s mission. What sincere ministry does not want to preach the Gospel to every person, bring people to Yah, and equip people to minister to others? Therefore, if a ministry thinks its particular vision is to preach the Gospel, then it has a mistaken idea of vision. It knows its mission, but it hasn’t yet found its true vision, that one thing that distinguishes it from all other ministries.




One ministry is not assigned where another ministry is assigned. That is why an individual ministry shouldn’t compare itself with other ministries in its city or nation or use another ministry as a measure of its own success. Vision is a distinctive direction or approach for accomplishing a mission. There is a unique way in which Yah wants each ministry to carry out the overall mission of the Great Commission. Each ministry is to fulfill its part of the mission through the specific emphasis or approach that Yah has given it. The same general principle holds true for individuals, companies, and other organizations.




One time a woman came to me and said, “Dr. J, I have a vision. I’m going to open up a shoe store.” I said, “Fine.” Then she said, “There are already so many shoe stores in this area, but I know the Lord has told me that I must go into this business.” I asked her, “What kind of shoes do you want to sell?” She said, “I want to sell only children’s and babies’ shoes.” When I heard that, I told her, “Then you understand vision. Those other stores sell all kinds of adult shoes, but your store will be unique. When anyone wants children’s shoes or babies’ shoes, they’re going to walk right past those other stores. They’re going to look for you.”




When you truly understand the difference between mission and vision, you will be protected from jealousy. You won’t become sidetracked from your purpose by constantly looking over your shoulder to see what others who share your mission are doing. Let’s return to the analogy of the Hebrew ministries. Although every ministry in the world is in the same business of “discipling the nations,” if someone were to build a ministry right next to another ministry, a big fight might ensue. The first ministry might say, “This is my territory. Yah gave me this neighborhood. Get your ministry out of here.” The members of the two ministries might end up suspicious of one another, fighting all the time and putting each other down. That is what happens when ministries don’t understand vision.




When you’ve discovered your own vision, however, you do not need to be jealous of anyone because there’s no need for competition. This truth was demonstrated to me in a very tangible way. One day, I was talking with a man who owns a McDonald’s franchise. While we were talking, the owner of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise stopped by. He introduced himself to me, and I said, “It’s good to meet you.” I was curious, so I added, “What are you doing here?” He gestured toward my friend and said, “We’re going to have lunch together.” I decided to go with them, because I wanted to see where they would end up eating. They went to Pizza Hut!




I sat at a table eating pizza with them and observing them while they talked. Finally, I said, “Excuse me, gentlemen. First of all, aren’t you competitors?” They both said, “No.” I asked, “What do you mean?” My friend answered, “He doesn’t sell what I sell. I don’t sell what he sells. How can we be in competition?” Then I said, “Second question. Why did you come here?” He replied, “We didn’t feel like eating burgers or chicken. We felt like eating pizza!”




There is a place for all three establishments because each restaurant has its own specific vision. Each offers a different product in the overall mission of serving food. Businesses, organizations, ministries, and individuals can learn the true nature of vision from the example of these two men.




We must be true to our own visions. Each of us must measure the success of our visions by Yah’s assignment to us. We need to ask ourselves this question: “Am I doing what Yah told me to do?”




Engaging in Wishful Thinking




Another reason people aren’t specific about their visions is that they’re caught in a trap of wishful thinking. Their dreaming doesn’t go beyond vague ideas of what they would like to do “someday.” Yet dreaming is only the beginning of vision. We should have wills rather than mere wishes. In other words, instead of wishing that things would get better, we must make concrete resolutions. We have to say, “Things must get better, and here, specifically, is what I’m going to do about it.” For example, instead of saying, “I wish I could go to college,” sit down today, write specific colleges with requests for applications, and when they arrive, start filling them out. Instead of saying, “I wish I could lose weight,” see your doctor and go on a specific weight-loss plan. Make a decision, and then take the first step.




People’s success or failure in life is not dependent on the color of their skin. You can be black, white, brown, yellow, or red, and that won’t affect the fulfillment of your vision. The real problem is the color of some people’s lives; their lives are “gray.” Such people don’t have a precise way of living. They’re just here. They drift along, allowing life to happen to them.




Yah doesn’t want anyone to live in a gray zone. When someone is living in the gray, it means that person is not saying yes or no, but maybe. He never quite settles on one thing in his heart. There are millions of people who still aren’t sure who they are, what they’re about, and what they’re doing. These people are living in the gray. They have no real intention of doing anything with their lives. What a depressing reality. Yah has invested so much in us. He hates to see us wasting our lives in wishful thinking. He wants us to place our feet on the solid ground of vision.




Living with Indecision




Many people’s visions never take specific shape because they can’t make up their minds what they want to do in life. The only decision they make is not to decide. Prolonged indecisiveness is a vision-killer, and it also drains the joy out of life. I’ve noticed that the most miserable people in the world are those who can never make a decision. The Bible expresses their situation well: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8 kjv, emphasis added). Indecisiveness carries over into all areas of life. A person who is indecisive is unsettled; he’s on shaky ground.




Many of us make shopping lists before we go to the store, but few of us make lists of what we want for our lives. As I said in the previous teaching, many people—perhaps yourself—have been trying to decide to do something for years, yet they still haven’t made a solid decision about it. Sometimes, they impose this delay on themselves because of uncertainty or fear of failure; other times they worry about what other people might say or think about their ideas. Yet these people are putting themselves in a dangerous position: the middle of the road. When you are indecisive, life keeps running you over.




I am committed to fulfilling what Yah gave me birth to do. I resolved years ago that I would look only to Yah’s Word and the vision He put in my heart to know what I could accomplish. In this way, Yah’s purposes and principles have determined what I’m going to be and do rather than my own fears or others’ opinions. I am set on my vision, just as Yahusha was set on His. The Bible says, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for [Yahusha] to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 nkjv). Yahusha set His face “steadfastly” or “like flint” (Isaiah 50:7) in His determination to fulfill His purpose. Flint is one of the hardest rocks you can find. This analogy means that after Yahusha had set His goal to go to the crucifixion stake, it was too late to talk Him out of it. He was set and determined to accomplish His vision.




Are you living that way? Is there something you have decided to follow through with, no matter what? Are you committed to a vision that is bigger than your life?

VISION IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL BRING YOU FULFILLMENT

Proverbs chapter 29










Today we are walking in: Vision Is the Only Thing That Will Bring You Fulfillment







Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.








VISION








Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide









The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:









The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​





Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.








The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.





Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.




Vision Is the Only Thing That Will Bring You Fulfillment Another way you can know that a vision is real is when it is the only thing that gives you true satisfaction. Merely working at a job is disheartening. Going to work is a dismal experience for many people because, day after day, they are doing something they hate. That is not what you were meant for. Ecclesiastes 3:13 says, “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of Yah.” It is Yah’s desire for us to enjoy our work, but this can happen only when we’re doing the right work. Therefore, until you follow Yah’s dream, you will be unfulfilled. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” No matter what you are busy doing, no matter what you are accomplishing, if it’s not what Yah wants you to do, you won’t be completely successful in it. Why? Because true success is not in what you accomplish; it is in doing what Yah told you to do. That’s why people who build big projects or gain great fame can be successful and depressed at the same time. Going against your purpose may be a personal issue, but it’s never a private one. You can mess up others’ lives if you aren’t supposed to be where you are, or if you are supposed to be somewhere that you refuse to go. Remember the story of Jonah in the Bible? Yah told him that his purpose was to go to Nineveh to warn the people there to turn to Yah. Jonah’s response was, in effect, “I’m not going!” He got on a ship headed for Tarshish, instead. Yah had purposed that Jonah would go to Nineveh even before the prophet was born. His purpose had already been completed in eternity, and now Yah was sending him to fulfill it. Yah didn’t want Jonah to be on a ship going to Tarshish when he was meant to go to Nineveh. If you get on any other “ship” than the one you were meant to get on, you are going to cause others to have problems. In Jonah’s case, the ship he got on came in danger of sinking in a terrible storm. He knew Yah’s hand was in the situation, so he told the sailors that the storm would stop if they would throw him overboard. When the sailors did this, the sea became calm, and Yah provided a great fish to swallow Jonah—protecting him from the sea until he agreed to do what Yah had called him to do. (See Jonah 1– 2.) I urge you not to board the wrong ship, but to remain on course in Yah’s purpose. Maybe you’re in the fish’s belly right now. You can find your way back to dry land by returning to what Yah has purposed for you to do. Vision Requires a Vital Connection with Yah Many people don’t recognize the vision Yah has placed within them because they don’t have a vital connection with Yah. This connection with Him needs to be restored before they can see their true purpose. Humankind as a whole lost its relationship with the Creator when man and woman turned their backs on Yah and tried to pursue their own ways. Yah’s purpose, however, never changes, and since His purpose is woven into our desires, our own ways are never ultimately satisfying. Yah is committed to your purpose, and He provided salvation through Hamachiach to salvage His will and purpose in your life. He said, in effect, “I’m not going to lose what I gave you birth to do. I’m going to save you for your own sake and so I can redeem what I want to accomplish through you.” He restores us to Himself so we can do the works He had in mind for us before the world began. Again, “we are Yah’s workmanship, created in Hamachiach Yahusha to do good works, which Yah prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). We are not saved by doing good works but for the purpose of doing good works. In other words, we are redeemed to fulfill our earthly visions. If we are redeemed just so that we can go to heaven, then Yah is taking a long time to accomplish His plan. The quickest way to heaven is death. If Yah wanted us in heaven immediately, He would redeem us and then cause us to die the next day. Yah wants us to accomplish the purposes He’s given us to fulfill on earth; that is why He saves us, sanctifies us, and keeps us here for a time. Once we are restored to Yah, we receive His Ruach HaQadesh and can see and understand the vision He has placed in our hearts. We learn to discern true vision through our relationship with Him and by reading His Word, because genuine vision is always in alignment with His nature and character. The Bible says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Yah” (2 Corinthians 10:5 kjv). This verse is talking about ideas. It continues, “Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Hamachiach.” Any idea that isn’t contrary to the Word of Yah, or to obedience to Hamachiach’s wishes for your life, is a Yah idea. Yah ideas are always in agreement with His will. Yah would never give you an idea that is contrary to the Bible. That is impossible. Therefore, you are to cast down any ideas that are contrary to His Word. You are to ignore them. If an idea is not in keeping with Yah’s will, set it aside. Corporate Vision and Personal Vision The fifth key to understanding vision is to realize that it is both personal and corporate; personal vision will always be found within a larger corporate vision. It is not Yah’s method to give a vision to a group. He gives the vision to an individual who shares his vision with the group and transfers it to them. The members of the group then run with the vision because they find in it a place for their own personal visions to be fulfilled. Moses was constrained by a vision to deliver the people of Israel and lead them to the Promised Land. Joshua was motivated by a vision to possess that land. David was driven by a vision to settle Yah’s people. Nehemiah was possessed by a vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In every case, the vision was given to an individual who was ultimately responsible for seeing it through, and the individual transferred it to a group. Working Together to Fulfill the Vision When a person starts to sense his purpose and gift, he often interprets this as a call to autonomy and separation. However, nothing could be further from the truth. A sense of personal vision is birthed within a broader vision, and it will also be fulfilled in the context of a larger purpose. This is how Yah weaves personal and corporate vision together. In order to accomplish a corporate purpose or make a larger vision come to pass, Yah brings together many people’s personal gifts and unique visions. Yah wants you to bring your time, energy, resources, and creative power to be part of a larger vision to which your vision is connected. We know that a car functions only when all the parts of the engine are working together. Although each part has its unique characteristics and private functions, all the parts “submit” to one another to make the car run. The same principle holds true for corporate and personal vision. No great work was ever done by just one person. Many people are needed to fulfill a vision. Read history. Read the Bible. A group of men, for example, supported and helped Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in fulfilling his vision. We all know Dr. King’s name, but we hear very little about these other men, even though they were essential to his purpose. Dr. King could not have fulfilled his vision without their assistance. Likewise, we don’t know the names of those who helped Moses judge and arbitrate between the people of Israel, but they were an essential support element in the purpose of leading the people that Yah had given Moses. Those men worked hard. They had to execute judgment and keep everyone in order, yet we know only Moses’ name. Moses received a personal vision, but all these men were needed to see the corporate vision through. (See Exodus 18:13–26.) Yah will bring together private purposes and visions in order to facilitate corporate success. When people don’t understand or accept the relationship between personal and corporate vision, there can be problems. If the members of the group think they are inferior to the person with the original vision, or the leader starts to think he is more important than the members, or if one or more of the members wants to supplant the person who has the larger vision, that is when the trouble will begin. Moses had the latter problem with Miriam and Aaron, his sister and brother. Yah had appointed them all as leaders. (See Micah 6:4.) Moses, however, was the one who had received the original vision, and he was the one with whom Yah met directly and through whom Yah spoke. When Miriam and Aaron became jealous of Moses and wanted to usurp his role, it caused turmoil within that leadership group. Yah had to remind Miriam and Aaron in a very graphic way that it is His purposes that prevail, not our private ambitions. (See Numbers 12:4–15.) However, if we are in line with Yah’s nature and character, we will desire what He desires, and we will be fulfilled in a way we never could have been by following our own ambitions. We must have an attitude of cooperation with those with whom we share corporate vision. Fulfilling your vision requires your being able to submit to others in the larger purpose. It means working with your boss and coworkers in a productive way. It means not trying to undermine the leaders of your group or letting jealousy get in the way of the vision. It means not going off and trying to fulfill a corporate vision all on your own. If we are going to do something for Yah so that the world will be better off because we were here, we can’t do that with a private, individualist attitude. It is important for us to be cautious when we’re dealing with vision. Let us be cognizant of Yah’s ways and work with them rather than against them. Drawing Out the Vision When we understand the relationship between personal and corporate vision, we will know a chief way in which Yah fulfills people’s dreams. Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purposes of a man’s heart are [like] deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” In other words, everyone has a vision in his heart, but a person of understanding causes that dream, that purpose, that vision to be brought out so it can become reality. A person of understanding will figuratively lower a bucket into the deep well-waters of your soul and begin to draw out what you are dreaming and thinking. He will give life to your desires and thoughts and thereby help make them a reality. What is the process by which this occurs? After Yah conveys a vision to a leader, you will then—in one way or another—come into contact with this person, who will present the corporate vision, and you will become excited about participating in it because you will see how your private vision finds fulfillment in it. It is essential for you to understand that Yah brings the corporate vision into your life not to give you vision, which He has already given you, but to stir up your personal vision. In other words, you don’t receive your vision from other people, but you are enabled to fulfill it through others. The leader of the corporate vision helps to activate your passions, dreams, gifts, and talents. In a sense, that is what I hope to do through this teaching. It is my desire to stir up your vision. As I wrote earlier, my own vision is to inspire and draw out the hidden leader in every person I meet. You are a leader in the specific purpose Yah has given you to accomplish through your gift because no one else but you can fulfill it. I hope my vision of your potential for leadership will excite and motivate you to fulfill the vision in your heart. Perhaps something has already begun to happen within you. Are you starting to think differently? Are you beginning to dream? Are you able to believe in the possibility of things you never thought possible before? Then you have started to catch the vision for your life. The corporate vision in which your personal vision will ultimately be fulfilled might be that of a company, a church, a non-profit organization, or even your own family. That is why, when you hear of something that is related to your vision, you should pay attention to it, because it may be that you’re supposed to attach yourself to it. You yourself may be given the corporate vision, such as starting a business or organizing a community project. Yet none of us is meant to complete our visions on our own. The joy of Yah’s plan for personal and corporate vision is that nothing we are born to do is to be done by ourselves or for ourselves. If you and I are part of the same corporate vision, then I need your vision, and you need mine. Therefore, we must stay together and work together. We are not to isolate ourselves in our private successes. I’m not involved in the work that I’m doing to build a name for myself. My life’s work is to complete the assignment Yah gave me. Every member of my staff and organization has a part to play in our vision. My part is to stir up their individual dreams, and their part is to stir up mine. When we stir up each other’s visions, the divine deposit of destiny starts flowing. Vision generates vision. Dreams always stir up other dreams. Whenever I begin to feel discouraged, I always telephone my friends who have big dreams. One day, I called my friend Peter Morgan. When he heard my voice, he said, “What’s going on?” I said, “I just called to talk to you.” He said, “What’s wrong?” “Nothing; just talk to me.” “What do you mean?” “Just talk to me. Tell me what you are going to do with your life. Tell me where you are headed. Let me know I’m not alone in pursuing a vision.” You need people around you who believe in dreams that are even bigger than your own so you can keep stirring up your vision. There are too many other people who will tell you to settle down and do nothing. Yet a person of understanding will stir up your purposes. A person of understanding will cause your dream to rise from that deep well within you and will help you make real progress toward your vision. You’ll begin to believe that, no matter where you came from, where you’re going is better. Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision •Take half an hour and allow yourself to dream about what you would like to do in life. What ideas and desires do you have? What have you always wanted to do? •Think about your primary gifts or talents. How do your dreams and your gifts go together? •Write down your ideas, desires, and gifts and read them over every evening for a week. Then ask yourself, “Do these ideas hold true? Are they what I want to do?” If the answer is yes, keep them where you can refer to them as you read this teaching and watch them form into a specific vision and concrete goals that will move you along toward the completion of your purpose. Chapter Principles 1.Vision comes frompurpose. 2.Yah created everything and everyone with a purpose. 3.Yah has placed His eternal purpose in your heart. 4.You were given a burden or “responsible urge” to complete your purpose. 5.You were born at the right time to fulfill your purpose. 6.Your purpose is already completed in Yah. 7.Yah completed you before He created you. 8.The fact that you were started is proof that you are completed. 9.You were designed to perfectly accomplish your purpose. 10.When you know and understand what you were born to accomplish, that is purpose. When you can see it in your mind by faith, that is vision. 11.Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight. 12.Vision isn’t about us. It’s about Yah and His purposes. 13.You already know your vision. It is as close as your most persistent thoughts and deepest desires. 14.To have vision is to have more than a mere interest in something; it is to have a real desire and passion for it. 15.Vision persists, no matter what the odds. 16.Vision is unselfish. 17.Vision is the only thing that brings true fulfillment. 18.Vision requires a vital connection with Yah. 19.Personal vision will always be found within a larger corporate vision. 20.Those who are in the same corporate vision must work together harmoniously to achieve it. 21.The leader of corporate vision “draws out” the personal visions of those in the group by helping them to activate their passions, dreams, gifts, and talents. 22.Vision generates vision.

VISION IS ABOUT YAH

Proverbs chapter 29










Today we are walking in: Vision Is about Yah







Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.








VISION








Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide









The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:









The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​





Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.








The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.





Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.







Vision Is about Yah Purpose, therefore, is the source of your vision. Your purpose existed before you did. What you were born to do was accomplished by Yah before you even arrived on the scene, and He ordained your birth in order to carry it out. Yah did not create you and then say, “Let Me see what I can do with this one.” He doesn’t create something and then decide what to use it for. He knows what He wants first, and then He assigns someone or something to accomplish it for Him. Consequently, at its essence, vision isn’t about us—it’s about Yah. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” True vision is not a human invention. It’s about the desires Yah imparts to us. It is not our private view of the future; rather, it is the view of our future inspired by Yah. Vision is what Yah wants us to contribute in building His kingdom on earth. His purpose was established well before we had any plans for our lives. We were meant to consult Yah to find out His purposes for us so we can make the right plans. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “I know that everything Yah does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. Yah does it so that men will revere him.” You Already Know Your Vision Fourth, we must understand the key to recognizing personal vision. After hearing these teachings, many people say, “Okay, I heard your teachings. It’s wonderful, it changed my life, and I’m ready to go, except that I don’t know what my vision is. Tell me how to find it.” To find your vision, you have to look within yourself, where Yah has placed it. The key is this: Yah’s will is as close to us as our most persistent thoughts and deepest desires. Vision Is as Close as Your Deepest Desires Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your....” Desires of your what? “Your heart” (v. 4). Wait a minute. Doesn’t Yah give us desires from heaven? Yes, He does. Our desires originated there, but remember that Yah has placed His desires for you within your heart. He put the plans for your life within you when you were born, and they have never left you. The heart, in this case, means your subconscious mind. Yah put His plans there because He wants to make sure you find them. Sometimes, His ideas come in multiples. Yah may put five or six things in your mind that He wants you to do, each one for a different season of your life. Yet whether He gives you one idea or six ideas, the thoughts of Yah are consistent. They will be present throughout your life. No matter how old you grow, the same thoughts will keep coming back to you, and the desires will never leave you. This is because the will of Yah for you never changes. The Bible says, “Yah’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). The specifics of your plans may change as your purpose unfolds, but your purpose is permanent. No matter what happens in life, you’ll never get away from what Yah has put in your heart to do. Vision possesses you; you don’t possess it. All the thoughts, ideas, plans, and dreams that remain consistent within you were put there by Yah. No matter how many times you may temporarily forget about them, they always come back into your mind. Vision is the idea that never leaves you, the dream that won’t go away, the passion that won’t subside, the “irritating” desire that’s so deep you can’t enjoy your current job because you’re always thinking about what you wish you were doing. Vision is what you keep seeing, even when you close your eyes. I have found that people are constantly waiting for Yah to tell them what to do when it has been given to them already. Religious people, especially Christian people, have been looking for Yah’s will everywhere except within themselves. It’s necessary for them to realize that they don’t receive their purposes after they are born again; they were already given their purposes when they were physically born. Yah has saved us because He gave us assignments that He doesn’t want to lose. You’re not saved for the sole purpose of going to heaven; you’re saved to finish your assignment on earth. As a matter of fact, Yah redeems you because of the vision you are carrying. The Bible says, “We are Yah’s workmanship, created in Hamachiach Yahusha to do good works, which Yah prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10, emphasis added). Many people ask me how Yah speaks to us. They say, “I want to hear from Yah. Does He speak in an audible voice? Does He come in the night and whisper in my ear? Does He speak through some animal or write on the wall like He did in the Old Testament?” They don’t realize that Yah has been speaking to them since they were born, and He is still speaking to them now. He speaks to them through the thoughts, ideas, and visions they keep having in their minds. If you are unclear about your vision, you can ask Yah to reveal to you the deepest desires He has placed within you. Some people call psychic hotlines to get others to tell them their futures. You don’t need to consult psychics or read tarot cards. The sad thing is that some Christians do nearly the equivalent of this when they run from meeting to meeting, asking people to prophesy over them concerning their futures, not understanding that Yah has given them their visions directly. A prophet can confirm your vision, but he or she will not give you your vision. Yah gives you that directly, and He reveals it to you as you listen to Him and follow Him. Yah says, “If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you” (Proverbs 1:23), and “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). Yah puts His thoughts within us through the Holy Spirit. What we have to do is listen to what Yah has given us in our hearts and minds. Vision Is Much More than Mere “Interest” One way to discern whether something is a vision from Yah is to determine whether you have a real desire to do it or merely a passing interest in it. You can be interested in something, yet not really have a passion to do it. If you have passion, though, you will actively pursue your vision and things will start happening to bring it to pass. Remember that one person with vision is greater than the passive force of ninety-nine people who are merely interested in doing or becoming something. Vision Will Persist against the Odds Another way to recognize true vision is when you persevere in your dream regardless of great obstacles. When many people think about their dreams, they say, “Oh, no, that’s impossible for me to do,” so they settle down to do something lesser and end up being unfulfilled. The problem is often that we have been trained and brainwashed by our societies to dream small, think small, expect small, and not try to do anything too big. When we compare what we are told to see in the “real” world with our own dreams, our visions seem unrealistic and start to fade away. Yet if a vision is truly from Yah, we are meant to continue on, no matter what the difficulty. Therefore, if you have a genuine vision from Yah, you will need to develop persistence, which we’ll talk more about in a later chapter. Vision Is Unselfish True vision is also unselfish. Its purpose is to bring about Yah’s kingdom on earth and to turn people to Him. A vision, therefore, should always focus on helping humanity or building up others in some way. This means, first of all, that Yah will never have you pursue your vision at the expense of your family. An older man, who is a very beloved friend of mine, went to a conference, and a supposed prophet spoke to him about what Yah wanted for his life. He came to me afterward and said, “Did you hear what the prophet said?” I said, “Yes.” He asked, “What do you think?” I replied, “Well, let’s pray over that prophecy. Let’s take our time, get counsel, and find Yah’s will on it.” The next time I heard from him, he had already set up a plan to fulfill this prophecy. He left his family and went to another country. Was this really Yah’s purpose? There are instances when members of a family will agree to be apart for a time in order to serve a certain purpose. However, this was not the case with this man. When he pursued this prophecy, his wife was frustrated and his children were confused and angered. He was breaking up his family and causing all kinds of problems and difficulties for them. If pursuing your vision is causing turmoil in your family, stop and do some serious praying and soul-searching about the situation. Talk with your family members and listen to what they have to say. While you can expect to face some opposition to your vision, and while your family will not always understand or support your dream, pursuing it shouldn’t destroy the lives of your loved ones. Vision should always be accompanied by compassion. You need to be careful and sensitive not to hurt anyone on the way to achieving your goal. The second thing we should be aware of in regard to the unselfish nature of vision is that a true vision will not take the form of building a big business just so you can have millions of dollars, an expensive home, a sleek car, and a vacation house on the beach. These things are goals, but they are not vision— in fact, they are probably selfish ambition. Why? Because they build your kingdom rather than Yah’s kingdom. Your vision might well involve making a large amount of money. The difference, however, is in your motivation and attitude toward the money. Your perspective on your finances should be Yah- centered, not self-centered. You need to treat your finances as a resource Yah has provided to fulfill your vision, not as a tool to fill your life with luxuries.

THE SOURCE OF VISION

Proverbs chapter 29










Today we are walking in: The Source of Vision













Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.








VISION








Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide









The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:









The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​





Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.








The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.





Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.







The Source of Vision




Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.

The first step to fulfilling your reason for existence is realizing that you have been given a vision. Yet how exactly do you receive, recognize, and activate your vision? When you understand the source of vision, you will learn the secrets to its origin and working in your life. This knowledge will help you take your dream from initial idea all the way to fulfillment.




Vision Comes from Purpose




The first key to understanding vision is to realize that it always emanates from purpose. Why? Yah is the Author of vision, and it is His nature to be purposeful in everything He does. Every time He appeared on the scene in human history, it was because He wanted something specific accomplished and was actively working it out through people’s lives.




Therefore, Yah is a Yah of action based on purpose. Moreover, His purposes are eternal. Psalm 33:11 says, “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations,” and Isaiah 14:24 says, “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’” Nothing can get in the way of Yah’s purposes; they always come to pass.




Yah Created You with a Purpose




Second, we must understand that Yah created everything to fulfill a purpose in life. Whether we are talking about a mammal, reptile, plant, star, or person, everything and everyone Yah created serves a unique purpose. That includes you. You may have been a surprise to your parents, but you were not a surprise to Yah; He has given you a special purpose to fulfill. The Scriptures say you were chosen in Him before the world began. (See Ephesians 1:4–5.) Yah planned in advance all that you were born to be and accomplish.




I am continually positive about life because I know that Yah created me for a purpose and that He will bring that purpose to pass. I believe that I’m not a mistake, and I know that my life is significant. Yah created me to do something, and no one else can do it for me. Do you believe that about yourself? Do you know that your life has a purpose? I hope you will become more and more confident of this truth as you progress through this book.




You Were Born at the Right Time




In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read about the revelation of Yah’s purposes to the hearts of humankind. The third chapter begins, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 nkjv). Yah has not only given you a purpose, but, according to this Scripture, He has also determined the time for that purpose to be accomplished. There is “a time for every purpose.” Whatever you were born to do, Yah has assigned a season in which it is to be done—and that season is the duration of your life. Do you see why it is crucial for you to know the vision that is in your heart? Your purpose can be fulfilled only during the time you are given on earth to accomplish it.




Within this season called life, Yah has also appointed specific times for portions of your purpose to be accomplished. As you pursue the dream Yah has given you, He will bring it to fruition during the period of your life when it is meant to be completed. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”




Some people wish they had been born during a different time in history. Yet if you had been born a thousand years ago, or even a hundred years ago, you would have been miserable because you would have been living in the wrong time to complete your purpose and vision. Yah chose when and where you were born for a reason. You didn’t just show up on earth. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says that there is “a time to be born.” You were born at the right time to accomplish your vision during your generation.




You Were Given a Sense of Purpose




Ecclesiastes 3:10 says, “I have seen the burden Yah has laid on men.” The word “burden” in the Hebrew could actually be translated as “a heavy responsibility,” “occupation,” or “task.” It could also be described as a “responsible urge.” Every human being comes to earth with a purpose that, in a sense, weighs on him. Whether you are twenty, sixty, or ninety years old, there is a burden within you, a “responsible urge” to carry out all that you were designed to do. It is a cry of the heart—a cry of purpose that says, “I was born to do something that I must fulfill.”




Do you sense that cry? Do you feel that you were born to do something with your life? Almost everybody does, even if they have never expressed it. That feeling, longing, or burden comes from Yah. Yah has placed a “responsible urge” on your heart because of His purpose for you.




Yah Placed His Eternal Purpose in Your Heart




In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we read, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” That is a powerful statement. There is something within you that is being called by eternity. Unless we have turned a deaf ear to it, then every day we wake up hearing a call that comes from outside this world. We live in time and space, but time and space are connected to eternity, and Yah has put something into your heart that calls the unseen into the seen.




The vision Yah has put in your heart is “a piece of eternity” that He gave you to deliver in time and space—that is, on the earth during your lifetime. What Yah put into your heart is also what is in His own heart. I think this is what the Bible means when it talks about “deep calling unto deep.” (See Psalm 42:7.) Therefore, Yah has done something awesome. He lives in eternity, yet He has specifically placed you in time so that others on earth will be able to see a piece of eternity that is in Him.




It is this piece of eternity that makes you uncomfortable or dissatisfied with your present life because you are not yet manifesting your purpose.




Your Purpose Is Already Completed in Yah




The third key to understanding vision is realizing that not only has your purpose been given to you to manifest, but it has also been completed in eternity. The following passage entirely changed my perspective on the fulfillment of vision:




I am Yah, and there is no other; I am Yah, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.(Isaiah 46:9–10)




In this Scripture, Yah mentions two things that He does. First, He establishes the end before the beginning. This means that He finishes things first in the spiritual realm, and then He goes back and starts them up in the physical realm. Second, He reveals the end result of something when it is just beginning.




I have noticed in the Scriptures the principle that purpose is established before production. In other words, Yah first institutes a purpose, then He creates someone or something to fulfill that purpose. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We often don’t recognize the fact that when Yah starts something, He has already completed it in eternity. “Yet they cannot fathom what Yah has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We need to remember His order of working: He first tells us what the end of the matter is to be, and then He backs up and begins the process of fulfilling that end—just as a builder first develops an idea and a blueprint and then starts building.




We can see this principle in Creation. Everything was already finished in Yah’s mind before He laid the foundation of the world. After He had imagined and planned how He wanted everything to be, then He initiated the beginning by creating the heavens, the earth, and humankind. In the book of Genesis, which means “origin” or “source,” we are really reading about the start-up of the project called “earth.” Those of you who are involved in project management know that start-up is a significant step in the process of building. When you reach the start-up phase, it means that you have all the plans drawn, all the physical resources in place, and all the management resources in order. Before you start a project, all these things must be in place. Only then can you begin.




When do you start building a house? Is it when you dig the foundation? Essentially, you begin building whenever the idea for the house is conceived. The finished house is still in the unseen; other people pass by the property, and they don’t see it. However, to you, who understand and know what is going to happen, the house is already finished. Digging the foundation is simply the beginning of bringing your purpose to pass. Therefore, after you dig the foundation, and somebody asks you, “What are you doing?” your answer is very definite. You point to the architect’s rendering of the house and say, “I am building this.”




There is a street near where I live and at one time, there was a parking lot there. One day when I was driving along that street, I saw a large sign with a beautifully painted picture of a building. There was no building on the site yet, but there was a big sign and the name of the building. It showed the landscape, the color of the building, the windows, everything; it was a very detailed picture of what the completed building would look like. The sign said, “Coming soon.”




I drove past the lot and sensed Yah saying to me, “Did you see that?” I said, “See what?” He said, “Did you see the finish?” So I turned my car around and went back to take a closer look at the sign. By showing the completed picture of the building, the construction company was revealing the end of its purpose. To have vision means to see something coming into view as if it were already there. The company had a vision for that building because it saw the finished product before construction had even begun.




Yah essentially completed us before He created us. Not only does He establish our ends, but He also gives us glimpses of them through the visions He puts in our hearts. We must pay attention to His work within us so that we will be able to understand more of what He “has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).




Your Beginning Is Proof of Your Completion




Yah wants you to “see” the completion of your vision by knowing that He already planned and established it before you were born. The fact that you were started is proof that you are already completed because Yah always finishes before He starts and accomplishes His purposes. Therefore, instead of striving to fulfill what Yah has given you to do, you can rely on Him to finish it as you allow Him to guide you in the specifics of carrying it out.




For example, as I move forward in the development of Fiveamprayer Ministries, I am not trying to “finish” it. Yah has already completed a world-class center for leadership training in all its facets. He finished it in eternity, and now He is bringing it to pass. He purposed it, and then He backed up and said, “Now let me go to a little city in Mississippi and prompt a young woman who lives in a house in a family of eleven kids so she can start the process of completing the vision.” The process is Yah’s way of preparing me and those involved in Fiveamprayer for the end result.




You are not an experiment. Yah wouldn’t have allowed you to start your life and your purpose unless they were already completed in eternity. You were born to manifest something that is already finished. You must realize, however, that your end doesn’t look anything like your beginning—or like any other point in the process, for that matter. This is why you must live by faith, looking forward with expectation for what Yah has already completed; otherwise, you will believe only what you see with your physical eyes rather than the vision you see in your heart.




At this point, I want to clarify the difference between purpose and vision. Purpose is the intent for which Yah created you, the reason why you were born. Purpose is what Yah has already decided in His own mind that you’re supposed to begin to fulfill. Therefore,

purpose is when you know and understand what you were born to accomplish, and vision is when you can see it in your mind by faith and begin to imagine it.




When you are able to see your purpose, your vision comes to life.




I like this definition: “Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.” We have insight into Yah’s purpose for us based on what we know Yah has already accomplished in eternity. Vision is a glimpse of our future that Yah has purposed. We don’t know all the details of how our purposes will unfold, but we see their “ends” because Yah reveals them to us in the visions He gives us. This is why we can be confident that they will come to pass.




Suppose you don’t have the money you need to fulfill your vision. Yah says to you, in effect, “I’ve already been where you are going, and you will have everything you need.” He tells us that our visions will be completed, and this is what gives us courage and keeps us from being depressed when things don’t look as if they will work out.




You Were Designed Perfectly to Complete Your Purpose




When Yah created you with a purpose, He also designed you perfectly to be able to fulfill it. This means He wired you in a specific way so that you would have all the essential components necessary for fulfilling the vision He gave you. You never have to worry if you are able to fulfill your life’s vision. The fact that you were created to complete it means that you have everything you need to accomplish it. Yah always gives us the ability to do whatever He calls us to do.

STIRRING UP YOUR GIFT

Proverbs chapter 29








Today we are walking in: Stirring Up Your Gift










Habakkuk 2:2


And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.






VISION






Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide







The Torah testifies........


Numbers 24:4


He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:


Numbers 24:16


He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:







The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1


And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​



Jeremiah 14:14


Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.






The writings bear witness.........


1​ ​Chronicles 17:15


According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.



Psalm 89:19


Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.






Stirring Up Your Gift


While the gift is in us, we have the responsibility to stir it up. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of Yah, which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6). In the New King James Version, the verse is translated, “Stir up the gift of Yah.” The gift is not something we learn. It is something Yah gave us. It is something we need to discover and then stir up. No one else can activate your gift for you. You have to do it yourself.


You stir up your gift by developing, refining, enhancing, and using it. That’s where education comes in. Education can’t give you your gift, but it can help you develop it so that it can be used to the maximum. Proverbs 17:8 says, “A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth” (kjv). In other words, a gift is like a precious stone to the one who has it, and whenever he stirs it up, it turns into prosperity. If you use your gift, it will prosper you. Many people are working for money. That’s an inferior reason to work. We must work for the vision within us.


Moreover, you are not to mimic the gifts of others. You are to stir up your own gift. Unfortunately, many people are jealous of other people’s gifts. Let me encourage you not to waste your time on jealousy. Jealousy is a gift robber. It is an energy drain that will always take away the passion of life from you. You should be so busy stirring up your gift that you don’t have time to be jealous of anyone else or to feel sorry for yourself.


I once read an article about Louis Armstrong, the jazz artist, who reportedly applied to go to music school when he was a young man. At his audition, he was given scales to sing, but he could sing only the first two notes properly, and he was told he didn’t have what it takes to be a musician. The story said that he cried at first because he had been rejected from the music program, but that he told his friends afterward, “I know there’s music in me, and they can’t keep it out.” He eventually became one of the most successful and beloved jazz musicians. He sold more records and made more money than scores of others who were more talented at singing. Now he is forever etched in the history of music.


What made the difference? Louis Armstrong put his life into the gift he knew he had, and this gift made room for him. He was an original, and he knew it. He wasn’t about to waste time feeling sorry for himself. Instead, he put his energies into developing the musical gift within him.


Although we are all born as originals, most of us become imitators. I used to think about becoming like everyone else and joining the rat race. Yet I soon realized that if all the rats are in a race, and you win, you simply become the Big Rat. I recommend that you get out of the rat race, stop competing with the community, stop being in a contest with society, stop trying to keep up with the Joneses, stop trying to please everybody, and decide, “I’m not going to be a rat. I’m going to find my own niche. I’m going to make room for myself in the world by using my gift.”


Perhaps you are fifty-eight, sixty-five, seventy years old. You’re looking back over the last fifty years and asking, “What have I done with my life? What have I contributed to the human race? What have I really left for the next generation to know that I was here? I have left no footprint in the sands of history.” Do you wish you had had a better understanding of vision when you were younger? Are you thinking, “I’m too old now. I don’t have the energy or time to stir up a gift”?


I am deeply sorry that many people in the world have worked very hard all their lives and accomplished little. Yet if you believe you’re too old to use your gift, you’re believing a lie. We read in the Bible that Yah went to people who were already past retirement age, and He recharged them. They have become noteworthy in history because they started over when others (even they themselves) thought their lives were almost over. (See the stories of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18:11– 15; 21:1–8, and Elizabeth and Zechariah in Luke 1.) Your gift will give you your youth back. Your gift will give you energy and strength. You’ll be healthier. You’ll stop talking about dying and start talking about living.


Realizing Your Vision


If you have a dream, or if you want to discover your vision, remember this: Yah loves dreamers. He gives visions, and He is attracted to people who love to dream big. Don’t forget that you are unique, special, and irreplaceable. You are not meant to be like anyone else. When you decide to be part of the norm, your destiny is shortchanged. Yah wants you to stir up the gift He has given you and to develop it to the fullest.


What is the difference between the dreamer who realizes his dream and the dreamer whose dream becomes a nightmare of unfulfilled hopes? The dreamer who succeeds is someone who has a clear vision and acts on it. As long as a person can hold on to his vision, then there is always a chance for him to move out of his present circumstances and toward the fulfillment of his purpose.


If you feel trapped, underemployed, or underutilized in your job; if you own your own business and want it to grow; if you want to know how to pursue your goals in life; if you are the leader of an organization or group; if your children are grown or in school now, and you are considering reviving old interests; or wherever you are in life right now, The Principles and Power of Vision will enable you to—


understand vision and why it is essential to your success.
discover and live out your purpose in life.
identify your vision’s goals and stay on course.
overcome obstacles to your vision.
learn the key principles necessary for fulfilling your life's dream.
develop a specific plan for achieving your vision. live the life you were always meant to live.


My desire is that you will be inspired, motivated, and challenged to get back in the race toward your dream, to get back the passion for fulfilling your goal. I want you to achieve your greatest in Yah’s purpose for your life. I want you to get off the rocking horse and find a living stallion—your life’s vision.


To do this, you need to understand and practice principles that transcend current trends and even conventional wisdom. Your success will not depend on the state of the economy, what careers are currently in demand, or what the job market is like. You will not be hindered by your initial lack of resources or by what people think you can or cannot do. Instead, the time-tested principles of this book will enable you to fulfill your vision no matter who you are or what your background is.


You are the sum total of the choices and decisions you make every day. You can choose to stay where you are right now, or you can choose to move forward in life by pursuing your dream. I want to challenge you to stop making excuses for why you can’t accomplish what you were born to do. Take your life out of neutral. Yah has given you the power and the responsibility to achieve your life’s vision.


Most people do things because they have to. Wouldn’t you like to do things because you have decided to, based on your purpose? You must choose to be on the offensive rather than the defensive. I hope you will decide you have had enough of being “normal” and that you will declare your distinction. Remember, you were created to stand out, not to blend in. You were designed not only to be special and unique, but also to specialize. You were created to accomplish something that no one else can accomplish.


Never expect anything less than the highest thing you can go after. Don’t let people tell you, “You shouldn’t have high expectations.” Always expect more than what you have, more than what you are currently doing. Dream big. Somewhere inside you there is always the ability to dream. No matter how challenging it gets, don’t give up, because your vision is the key to fulfilling your life’s purpose.


Chapter Principles


1. The poorest person in the world is a person without a dream.


2. The most frustrated person in the world is someone who has a dream but doesn’t know how to make it come to pass.


3. Every person was created by Yah to be unique and distinct.


4. Yah has placed in every human being a unique vision and call that is designed to give purpose and meaning to life.


5. No person can give you your vision. It is Yah- given.


6. Every human being was created to accomplish something that no one else can accomplish.


7. Every person was created to be known for something special.


8. One person with vision is greater than the passive force of ninety-nine people who are merely interested in doing or becoming something.


9. Your gift will make a way for you in the world and enable you to fulfill your vision.


10. You are responsible for stirring up the gift within you.


11. Yah loves dreamers. He gives visions, and He is attracted to people who love to dream big.


12. As long as a person can hold on to his vision, then there is always a chance for him to move out of his present circumstances and toward the fulfillment of his purpose.

BORN WITH A UNIQUE VISION

Proverbs chapter 29






Today we are walking in: Born with a Unique Vision








Habakkuk 2:2


And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.






VISION






Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide







The Torah testifies........


Numbers 24:4


He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:


Numbers 24:16


He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:







The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1


And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​



Jeremiah 14:14


Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.






The writings bear witness.........


1​ ​Chronicles 17:15


According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.



Psalm 89:19


Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.








Born with a Unique Vision


Yah not only created each person on earth with a distinct design, but He also placed in everyone a unique vision. No person can give you this vision. It is only Yah-given. You can go to as many seminars as possible and receive all kinds of wonderful instruction, but no one except Yah can give you the idea you were born to fulfill.


The poor man, the rich man, the black man, the white man— every person has a dream in his heart. Your vision may already be clear to you, or it may still be buried somewhere deep in your heart, waiting to be discovered. Fulfilling this dream is what gives purpose and meaning to life. In other words, the very substance of life is for you to find Yah’s purpose and fulfill it. Until you do that, you are not really living.


Yah has a dream and a vision for you that’s supposed to carry you right out into eternity because that’s what is pulling it. When you die, you’re meant to leave this earth not on a pension but on a purpose. You need to make sure you can say at the end of your life, as Yahusha did, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and not just, “I am retired,” for your dream is much bigger than mere retirement.


Yahusha said, “For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). You must have a clear reason for your life, as Yahusha did. I know what mine is. I was born to raise up leaders and to train them so they can impact their entire nations for generations to come. That is my reason for living. I was born to inspire and draw out the hidden leader in every human being I meet. When you are around me, suddenly you are going to feel good about yourself. If you stay around me long enough, you’ll start being your true self. Why? I was born for that. I was wired for that. What has Yah wired you for?


Born to Be Known for Something


Every human being was created to accomplish something specific that no one else can accomplish. It is crucial for you to understand this truth: You were designed to be known for something special. You are meant to do something that will make you unforgettable. You were born to do something that the world will not be able to ignore.


The Bible is a great Book for recording the stories of people who did little things that the world can’t forget. One example is Rahab, the prostitute, who risked her life for people she didn’t even know. She was born to hide Joshua’s spies so that the Israelites could defeat Jericho. (See Joshua 2, 6.) Everyone who reads the Old Testament knows about her act of courage.


In the New Testament, there is the story of the woman who took an alabaster jar of perfume and anointed Yahusha’ head with it. This woman was taking a chance by violating the accepted social code of the day and interrupting a group of men who had gathered for a meal. Yet she decided to pour out her life in gratitude to Yahusha, no matter what the consequences. Some of those present severely criticized her because she had “wasted” costly perfume on Yahusha when it could have been sold for charitable purposes. Yet Yahusha said to them, “Leave her alone....I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Mark 14:6, 9). No matter how small the act may be, if you put your whole life into it, it won’t be forgotten.


A Vision for Your Life


It is a deeply distressing fact that, while we all have been given unique visions, too many of us bury our dreams in a lesser existence, making ourselves a graveyard of Yah’s precious treasure.


Perhaps you are eighteen years old. What have you done so far? Have you spent so much time trying to please your friends that you don’t know who you are or what your life is about? If so, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. You aren’t fulfilling your purpose. You may say you are just reacting to “peer pressure.” In reality, you are allowing others to rule your life.


Maybe you are forty years old. What have you done so far that the world can’t forget? How long will you drift along without working toward your dream? Procrastination can become a full-time occupation. Some people are experts at it. They know how to avoid the real issues of life with precision. They know how to do nothing all day, or they know how to do everything except what is really important. It’s depressing to be around people who are just existing, but it’s exciting to be around people who know that they are doing what they were born to do.


Many people spend a lifetime wandering away from who Yah made them to be because they have never recognized who they are in the first place. For example, perhaps you have been a secretary for twenty years. You are at the same level as when you started, even though you dream of being an administrator. You should move from being a secretary to an executive secretary, from an executive secretary to an administrative assistant, and from an administrative assistant to an administrator. People don’t fulfill their visions because they have no sense of destiny. They say, “Well, I have a job. I just want to keep it.” Merely holding on to a job is like treading water. Every job should put you on a track toward a goal that is bigger than the present one so that you can fulfill your vision.


We need to be like the apostles, who were known for their acts, not their talk. The biblical book about them is called The Acts of the Apostles because they were doers. They had a destination, and they were busily working toward it. They weren’t on a rocking horse. Instead, they were changing systems. They were affecting government. They were transforming the world. Nations were afraid of them, and towns became nervous when they showed up because they were said to have “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 nkjv). How do people feel when you show up? Do they say, “Oh, here she comes again. She probably has another new idea”? Change will always upset people who are content to be stagnant, but that shouldn’t stop you. You should be known for your vision.


What Your Vision Will Give You


It has been said that there are three kinds of people in the world: First, there are those who never seem to be aware that things are happening around them. Second, there are those who ask, “What just happened?” Third, there are those who make things happen.


I have observed firsthand the truth of this statement, paraphrased from John Stuart Mill: One person with vision is greater than the passive force of ninety-nine people who are merely interested in doing or becoming something. Most people have an interest in their destinies, but they have no passion or drive to fulfill them. They don’t really believe the dreams Yah has put in their hearts. If they do believe them, they don’t do the things that will take them in the direction of fulfilling them. Yet that is what separates the people who make an impact in the world and those who just exist on the planet.


Have you discovered what your vision is? Finding something you can put your whole self into will fill your life with new hope and purpose. It will give you a reason for living. My purpose has become my passion. It wakes me up in the morning, and it keeps me going when I’m tired. It is an antidote to depression. It causes me to have joy in the midst of great opposition because I know that what Yah has given me to accomplish cannot be stopped by anyone.


When you discover your vision, it will give you energy and passion. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” The vision in your heart is the spark that will enable you to pursue your dream because, unless you do so with all your enthusiasm and strength, it will not happen. I believe this Scripture expresses a truth that most people miss: You accomplish only what you fight for. Again, if you are merely interested in your dream, it will never come to pass. However, if you are willing to put all your energy into it, then nobody can stop it from succeeding.


I believe this Scripture also implies that if you set your hands to do something, there will inevitably be resistance, opposition, and difficulties; therefore, you have to apply pressure in order to fulfill your dream. You must put your whole might behind it. Hard work and diligence are essential ingredients to success, but they require an internal motivation. That internal motivation is vision.


Vision is the primary motivator of human action, and, therefore, everything we do should be because of the vision Yah has placed in our hearts. Vision influences the way you conduct your entire life, such as what you spend your time and money on and what your priorities are. Without vision, you have no values to guide your living. Life has no sense of direction. Activity has no meaning. Time has no purpose. Resources have no application.


Vision is the juice of life. It is the prerequisite for passion and the source of persistence. When you have vision, you know how to stay in the race and complete it.


Your Gift Will Make a Way for You


How is the fulfillment of vision meant to work in practical terms? Proverbs 18:16 is a powerful statement that reveals the answer: “A man’s gift makes room for him” (nkjv). You were designed to be known for your gift. Yah has put a gift or talent into every person that the world will make room for. It is this gift that will enable you to fulfill your vision. It will make a way for you in life. It is in exercising this gift that you will find real fulfillment, purpose, and contentment in your work.


It is interesting to note that the Bible does not say that a man’s education makes room for him, but that his gift does. Somehow we have swallowed the idea that education is the key to success. Our families and society have reinforced this idea, but we will have to change our perspective if we are to be truly successful. Education is not the key to success. Don’t misunderstand me. I believe in education. I’ll talk more about the importance of education shortly. However, if education were the key to success, then everyone who has a Ph.D. should be financially secure and happy.


If you are intelligent but are not exercising your gift, you’re probably going to be poor. If you’re educated but have not developed your talent, you’re likely to be depressed, frustrated, and tired; you will hate going to work on Monday mornings. There are those who have degrees in finance who have a hard time making ends meet. Doesn’t it make you nervous when people who don’t have any money try to tell you how to make a million dollars?


Education, in itself, doesn’t guarantee anything; it is your gift that is the key to your success. The second part of Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift...brings him before great men” (nkjv). You don’t realize that the gift you’re sitting on is loaded. The world won’t move over for you just because you’re smart. Whenever you exercise your gift, however, the world will not only make room for you, but it will also pay you for it. Anyone—yourself included—who discovers his or her gift and develops it will become a commodity. If you’re a young person in high school or college who is planning your career, don’t do what people say will make you wealthy. Do what you were born to do, because that is where you will make your money. No matter how big the world is, there’s a place for you in it when you discover and manifest your gift.


Michelangelo poured his life into his art. That’s why we still remember him five hundred years after he lived. Beethoven and Bach put themselves wholly into their work, and their music lives forever. Alexander Graham Bell believed that sound could be converted into electrical impulses and transmitted by wire. No one remembers all the people who thought Bell was crazy; we remember only the man who had vision enough to create the telephone. Thomas Edison reportedly would spend eight or nine days straight locked up in a room working on his experiments. He didn’t just happen to make a mistake and create a lightbulb; he had a dream. Although it took him a long time, he believed that we could harness energy and that it could produce light. Because he believed it, he stayed with it until he saw the fulfillment of his vision. That’s what makes him unforgettable.


If you do things in a halfway manner, you will probably always be able to find some sort of job, yet you are going to be simply a mediocre employee. It is when you decide that you’re going to find something that is truly yours that you will find your gift, fulfill your vision, and be remembered by others.