THE SOURCE OF VISION

Psalm chapter 33




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.




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.




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.