Matthew chapter 19
Today we are walking in: Use Persistence in Achieving the 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), visions (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.
Principle #10:
Use Persistence in Achieving the Vision
Every true vision will be tested for authenticity.
The tenth principle is that we must be persistent if we are going to achieve the visions Yah has given us. As I wrote earlier, you must realize that obstacles are going to come against you and your vision. Even though Yah gave the vision, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to obtain. Please don’t think that you are exempt from this reality. Trouble isn’t going to say about you, “I guess I’ll just leave him alone.” When you decide to be somebody, everything is going to try to get in the way of your vision. You must be prepared for the challenges, for they are coming.
Think about it: There’s no resistance if you’re not moving. People who aren’t doing anything have nothing to worry about. If you don’t want problems, just don’t do anything important in life. However, if you are following your vision and you encounter problems, you can say, “Thank you, Lord; at least I’m moving forward!”
Yah says that, even though there will be times of stress, disappointment, and pressure, the vision will come to pass. It is not a matter of whether it’s going to be fulfilled; it’s a matter of whether we’re going to be true to it in the midst of trials so that Yah can bring it to pass. One of the words that describes the essence of Yah’s nature is faithfulness. This is because He is true to what He has decided to accomplish, and nothing can stop Him. We need to manifest this characteristic in our own lives.
Another word that helps us understand Yah’s nature in relation to persistence in purpose is the word steadfast. To be steadfast means to stand fast or stand steady in the face of resistance. If you are steadfast, then, when opposition comes, you don’t turn and go back where you were. You push forward. Opposition should strengthen your resolve and revive your stamina.
Courage is another key word in regard to persistence. It is the ability to stand up in the face of fear. It is impossible, in fact, to have courage without fear. In a sense, if we don’t have any fear, we’re not living in faith. That may sound like a strange statement, yet faith always demands that we do something we know we can’t do on our own, and this challenge often causes us to fear at first. Yah told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6, 9). Why did He say that? Clearly, Joshua must have been scared! Fear, however, is a positive thing when it gives birth to courage. If you’re afraid to step out in your vision because it’s so big, then let your courage come to life as you trust Yah. Courage means, “I’m afraid, but I’m still moving.” Yahusha loves for us to do the impossible because the impossible is always possible with Yah. (See Matthew 19:26.)
When a person finds his purpose, then, if trouble comes, he can smile and say, “This won’t last. With Yah, I’m tougher than this.” When you draw on Yah’s strength, you are tougher than your trials because you see them in a different light. You realize that every resistance to your vision gives you the opportunity to become wiser, not weaker. Let every opposition strengthen you rather than stop you. Paul said that trials refine our faith and make us better. That is why we can say, “Bring on the challenges!”
Overcoming Challenges
There are many types of challenges and pressures in life. During His time on earth, Yahusha showed us how to bring a vision to pass in the midst of such challenges. He faced similar problems and obstacles to what you and I face today, yet His vision came to pass. He is our greatest Teacher when it comes to learning how to overcome challenges.
Difficult Family Background
Life is tough even at the start for some of us. Perhaps your parents were divorced when you were just a child. Maybe your father is an alcoholic and your mother is a drug addict. Perhaps you aren’t even sure who your father is. Or if you know who he is, you wish you didn’t. Yahusha knows what it feels like to have a difficult family background, because He was called “illegitimate.” He was born under what the world considered “questionable circumstances.” (See Matthew 1:18–25.) Y et that did not stop Him from knowing His relationship to His heavenly Father and fulfilling His purpose as Yah’s Son. No matter what your background is, your relationship with your Father in heaven will help you overcome your difficult circumstances and fulfill your purpose as Yah’s child.
Family Expectations
Do you feel pressured by family expectations to pursue a certain career or lifestyle when you know that isn’t Yah’s plan for you? You don’t always have to wait until you’re older or “have it all together” before you know Yah’s will for your life. Perhaps your parents have told you, “You are going to do this,” but you feel called to do something else. Yahusha faced a similar challenge. When He was twelve, He knew what He was born to do. Yet Yahusha’ earthly parents didn’t understand His vision or why He was pursuing it, even when He said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49; see verse 50). Then, when Yahusha grew older, His mother tried to push Him into fulfilling His vision prematurely, and He had to tell her, “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4). Even though Yahusha respected and honored His parents (see Luke 2:51–52), He had to follow Yah’s purpose for His life. As difficult as it might be to experience the disapproval of family members, you must follow the vision Yah has given you. At the same time, you should always show them love and respect.
The Jealousy and Scheming of Others
Yahusha went through everything you can imagine. There were people who were against Him, who continually schemed to make Him fail. There were those who liked to set Him up for a fall by asking Him trick questions. A crowd once tried to push Him off a cliff. The religious leaders plotted to kill Him. Do you think people call you names? They called Yahusha names, too. They called Him demon-possessed and illegitimate. They said He was a glutton and a drunkard. They hit Him with everything. The harshest taunt and the highest evil, however, was when they said He was full of the devil.
How did Yahusha overcome? How did He succeed in His vision? How did He finish the work the Father had sent Him to do when He faced all that opposition? Yahusha was able to remain composed through all those trials because what He had in His heart was bigger than all their threats, accusations, and insults. He knew how to persevere with a dream. Likewise, the vision in your heart needs to be larger than any opposition that comes against you so you can persist in your life’s purpose.
Destiny Demands Diligence
Destiny demands diligence. I recommend that you write that statement down on a piece of paper and put it where you can see it every day. If you are going to quit after a couple of fights, you will never win. Persistence is the desire to withstand every opposition. Whenever obstacles come along, persistence responds with attitudes such as these:
“You might as well give up, because I’m not going to stop.”
“Get out of my way, because I’m coming through.”
“No matter what I lose, I still have me, so I’ll be back!”
Persistence says to life what Jacob said to the Lord: “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26).
Nehemiah could have stopped his work on the wall of Jerusalem because of all the problems, slander, and jeers, but he was persistent. He was determined to complete his vision. You will never be successful unless you have the spirit of persistence. Persistence means that
• you insist on having what you are going after.
• you stand up against resistance until you wear it down.
• you make people who are against you so tired of fighting
• that they either become your friends or leave you alone.
• you stop only after you’ve finished.
How badly do you want your vision? Yahusha told a story in Luke 18 about a persistent woman. She tirelessly appealed to the judge with her request for justice until he said, in essence, “Give it to her!” (See Luke 18:2–8.) Yah wants you to do the same. He wants you to say, “Life, this belongs to me.” If Life refuses on Monday, then go back on Tuesday and say, “This belongs to me.” If Life says no on Tuesday, then go back on Wednesday and say, “This belongs to me!” If Life says no on Thursday, go back on Friday morning and say the same thing, and so on. Life will eventually say, “Here, take it!” Then you can calmly say, “Thank you very much.” Many people lose because they quit when Life says no the first time, but persistent people win. They never take no for an answer when it comes to their visions.
Stay in the Fight
Once, when I was staying at a hotel in Israel, I couldn’t sleep because I wasn’t yet used to the time difference. At about two in the morning, I was up watching a boxing match on television. It was a twelve-round title match, and the boxer from Mexico was pummeling the boxer from the United States. Every time the American boxer moved forward to fight, the other boxer pounded him.
By the sixth round, the U.S. boxer was getting beaten badly, and at the end of the round, he stumbled back into his corner, sat down on the stool, and sagged as if he were a sack of potatoes. Then I saw something happen. In seconds, several men went to work on him. One grabbed a bucket of water and doused him with it. The next grabbed a soaking-wet sponge and squeezed water all over his face. Another applied ointment to soothe his wounds. These men were all talking to him at once, and they were rubbing him down as they talked. Even though he was getting trounced, they were telling him,“You can do this. You can get back out there. You're strong! You're better than he is!” One of the men said,“Keep your left hook, okay? Keep your left hook. He’s a slow left. You can get him with that left.” After about two minutes, the boxer jumped up, saying,“Yeah! Oh, yeah!” He ran back out there, and everything changed in the seventh round.
Guess who won the fight? The one who had been about to quit in the sixth round won the fight and received the prize. There was blood everywhere, but under that blood was the champion. When he won the decision, all his strength came back. He ran around the room screaming. When you win, you forget all the pounding you received during the fight.
Sometimes, you will get beaten up pretty badly in life, but stay in the fight. Fight until you feel the joy of victory. When you think you’re going to lose, and you stumble back into the corner of life, the Lord will come and pour the cool water of His Word on your head. He will take the ointment of the Holy Spirit and bring healing to your wounds. He will rub life back into your spirit so you can jump back out and say, “Hey! Come on, Life!” Just like the boxer’s coaching team, the Holy Spirit speaks good things into your spirit, such as “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 kjv). Life will be tough, but get back out there and start throwing blows. Keep your left up. That’s persistence.
We know that Yah wants us to be fighters because the Bible calls us soldiers. (See 2 Timothy 2:3–4.) We are warriors. We are people of battle. The Bible also refers to us as those who “wrestle” (Ephesians 6:12 nkjv). This is because we don’t just receive medals from Yah. We earn them. If Yah didn’t want you to fight, He would have given you the medal without the conflict.
The Bible says,“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). Some people don’t have a testimony of overcoming. Their testimony is, “I went through the fire, and I got burned. I went under the water and almost drowned. I have scars in my life! Let me testify about how I’ve been beaten up.” Other people are so spiritually“clean-cut” that you know they have never yet had a scrimmage with the devil. Yet those who have a true testimony usually don’t even have to talk about it because it is evident in their lives.
You may have many bumps and bruises, but keep on walking toward your goal, trusting in Yah. It’s going to get tough, but you have what it takes to win because Yah has promised that He will stay with you and work out the steps of your plan. I like what Paul said in Romans 8:
Who shall separate us from the love of Hamachiach? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us [and called us and gave us our visions].(vv. 35, 37)
Yah has put so much in you that if you are willing to capture it, nothing can stop you. There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light Yah has put within you. The light of Yah’s vision in your heart is so strong and bright that all the darkness of the planet, all the darkness of people’s opinions, and all the darkness of past failures can never put it out.
Bear Up under Pressure
Perseverance actually means “to bear up under pressure.” I like this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, which actually applies to all people: “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” Here’s a similar analogy: People who are successful are like tea bags. When they get in hot water, they make tea. When life squeezes them, they don’t become angry; they do something constructive with the pressure. They persevere under it and use it for their own benefit. People who have vision are stronger than the pressure life brings.
I have discovered that sometimes you don’t get the scent from the rose until you crush it. In order to draw the fragrance of His glory from your life, Yah will allow you to be put under stress. We forget too easily that character is formed by pressure. The purpose of pressure is to get rid of what is not of Yah and to leave what is pure gold.
Perhaps you’re in the fire right now. It’s a good place to be. Go ahead and make tea. Surprise your enemies with the scent of Yah. Let them pressure you to release His glory. No matter what people may say about you, don’t retaliate. Let them talk about you on your job. It doesn’t matter what they think. You can smile, knowing that you will come through the situation. The Scriptures say it is not those who are swift, but those who endure to the end, who succeed. (See Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; James 5:11.)
Therefore, don’t run—stay in the fight! There is no stopping a person who understands that pressure is good for him because pressure is one of the keys to perseverance.
Accept the Cost
Let me confess something to you: I wish I didn’t have to be doing what I’m doing. I didn’t say that I don’t want to. I said I wish I didn’t have to. That is not a negative statement, just a realistic one, because I know what the cost of my vision is going to be. In the next twenty or thirty years of my life, I know the cost is going to be high. That’s why I thank Yah that, earlier in my life, I had the privilege of observing firsthand the cost to another visionary, who told me, “Myles, my son, get ready for the price.” Because of that experience, I have been prepared to accept the cost.
At times, you will find it difficult to remain in your vision. I understand. It’s tough for me to stay in mine. The demands that Yah is making on my ministry are high because the call requires it. There’s a price. Vision always demands a cost. Someone has to pay the price. Are you willing to do it? We need to be like Paul, who was obedient to the vision Yah had given him to do, even at great sacrifice.
Tested for Authenticity
Every true vision will be tested for authenticity. If your vision is authentic, life is going to try it, just to make sure. Don’t be afraid when you make a declaration of what you’re going to do in life and difficulty follows; it comes to test your resolve. All of us will encounter crises in life, but these crises don’t have to be setbacks. We should realize that a crisis can be a turning point at which our understanding of and commitment to the vision is tested and matured. A crisis can lead us to greater challenge and victory.
If a vision is stopped or terminated by trials or tests, then perhaps it was not really a vision from Yah. Knowing this truth can help you when you are considering whether or not to become part of a corporate vision. Be careful not to become involved in superficial enterprises. Check things out beforehand. Put the vision to the test.
Ready to Face the Opposition
When Yah showed Abraham the land that his descendants would inherit, He told him that everything as far as he could see would be his. However, the land was full of Moabites, Hittites, Caananites, and Amorites—the Israelites’ future enemies! Likewise, whenever Yah shows us a vision, it is full of “enemies” or opposition that we can’t see at first. Instead, the vision looks great. But the enemies are still there. For example, perhaps Yah has shown you a business He wants you to build. You are excited about it, so you start to make plans. Yet, in the land that Yah has shown you, there are a number of people who are saying, “Just try to come and get it! You have to get past us first!” Even though the promise is already yours, there are certain enemies you’ll have to work through before you can see its fulfillment. Yah doesn’t show you the “ites” right away because He doesn’t want to frighten you. He’s building up your faith to prepare you for the time when you are ready to face the opposition and overcome it.
Therefore, if you are just now encountering some of the “enemies of the land,” be encouraged that your faith is being strengthened and that Yah is not only enabling you to stand strong in the face of opposition to your vision, but also to overcome it—to His glory and praise.
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
• In what areas of your life/vision are you in need of perseverance?
• What have you given up on that you need to pick up again and continue on with?
• Ask Yah to develop faithfulness, steadfastness, and courage in you.
• Write down the saying, “Destiny demands diligence,” on a piece of paper and put it where you can be reminded of it every day.
Chapter Principles
1 Obstacles will come against you and your vision. You must be persistent if you are going to achieve the vision Yah has given you.
2 Faithfulness means being true to what you have decided to accomplish and letting nothing stop you.
3 Steadfastness means to stand fast or stand steady in the face of resistance.
4 Courage is the ability to stand up in the face of fear.
5 Fear is a positive thing when it gives birth to courage.
6 Even though there will be times of stress, disappointment, and pressure, your vision will come to pass.
7 Every resistance to your vision comes to make you wiser, not weaker. Every opposition comes to strengthen you, not to stop you.
8 Destiny demands diligence.
9 Many people lose because they quit when life says no the first time, but persistent people win. They never take no for an answer when it comes to their visions.
10 There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light Yah has put within you.
11 Perseverance means “to bear up under pressure.”
12 Character is formed by pressure. The purpose of pressure is to get rid of what is not of Yah and to leave what is pure gold.
13 There is no stopping a person who understands that pres-sure is good for him because pressure is one of the keys to perseverance.
14 It is not those who are swift, but those who endure to the end, who succeed. (See Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; James 5:11.)
15 Vision always demands a cost.
16 Every true vision will be tested for authenticity
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