Welcome to the second part of my first series! In this post, we're going to look at the first part of Jesus' prophetic vision for us in Luke 24:47-49. I want to challenge the thought that we need to have some great personal vision, that is tailor-made to us individually, although we each have our own expression as individuals, and look at the vision the greatest Prophet to walk the planet had for His followers. #personalvision #propheticvision #luke24vs47 #proverbs29vs18 #stories
When you're a gamer, and increasingly more with just having anything with a computer chip in it, a big part of life is updates. An update gives us new features, increases security, amends privacy, and speeds things up (and sometimes, drains batteries quicker!). Basically, it enhances our tech to give us additional things we may or may not see but is designed to help us be more efficient in life. With a game update, the essence of the game stays the same, although there may be a new map, new characters and new stages or challenges added to the game. I find the same is true in our walk with God at times. He longs for us to grow, and is constantly updating our internal 'interface'.
What does Luke 24 say? "He supernaturally unlocked their understanding to receive the revelation of the scriptures, and said to them, "Everything that has happened fulfils what the Scriptures prophesied of me. The Messiah was destined to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Now you must go into all the nations and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins so that they will turn to me. Start right here in Jerusalem, for you are my witnesses and have seen for yourselves all that has transpired. I will send the fulfilment of the Father's promise to you, so stay here in the city until you are clothed with the mighty power of heaven." Taken from The Passion Translation (https://www.thepassiontranslation.com/read-online/)
When Jesus "supernaturally unlocks" the disciples' understanding, it is like a game update. The scripture becomes new and they begin to see the Word differently. How often has that happened to you, where you may have read the same passage one hundred times, but on the hundred and first, it's suddenly completely different? Let's take Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish:" (King James Version). Often we hear this part of the verse, and it's been preached that it is referring to our need to have our very own personal vision. That, if we don't know where we are going in life then we are going to DIE. It's a bit dramatic I know, however, it has been preached that way. Growing up during the late '90s, I read this passage in exactly that way too. I'd heard it shared in multiple sermons that you needed to have a personal vision. You NEED to get your vision, if you don't have your vision, you're missing something. Can I please just say that I don't think I have ever HAD my own personal vision? I've always just given things a go, had a bash, but never had a specific vision for my life in God.
If you're operating under that same understanding of that scripture, and it's making you feel like God has nothing in life for you, let me take a moment to reassure you that God does have space for you in His Kingdom, let's pray that off in Jesus' Name and release you to see something new in scripture for you.
In The Passion Translation of the Bible, Proverbs 29:18 says it like this; "When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray." Jesus was the most prophetic person to walk on Earth, and as we saw earlier his prophetic vision for your life looks something like "...Now you must go into all the nations and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins so that they will turn to me..." (Luke 24:47). That's the vision Jesus has set for each of us. This is followed up by Jesus saying in verse 48, "...for you are my witnesses and have seen for yourselves all that has transpired..." So what have you seen Jesus do?
What's your testimony? What are you testifying to?
In other words, what's your testimony? What has Jesus done for you? Has he forgiven you for things in your life you're not proud of? Has He rescued or saved you from certain death (and I'm not being sarcastic about this either, both my husband and I have tales of when God has come to our rescue in certain life-taking situations!) Revelation 12:11 tells us "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (New King James Version) Our testimony of what Christ did for us, by His death and resurrection, bears witness to those around us. There is power in His blood and by sharing what Jesus has done in our lives. Have you written down, or recorded your testimony somewhere? Do you keep a diary and is it marked with stories of what Jesus has done in your day? Have you set markers in your daily life of thanks to God for what He's done for you?
But again I would ask you, what's your location? Where's your starting point? What neighbourhood do you belong to?
The next question is where are you positioned in the world? The disciples were in Jerusalem and Jesus told them to start there, chances are that you're not. So often we tend to complicate things and think that we have to be travelling across the globe or the country to be effective for Jesus. But again I would ask you, what's your location? Where's your starting point? What neighbourhood do you belong to? That's your start point, the new map within your 'game update', or your life, may take you out to new parts of your country or the wider world, but your start point is usually where God has put you already. "Start right here in (insert your town, city, neighbourhood here)..." (Luke 24:47)
I encourage you over the next week to sit with God and ask Him what things you can testify to of His goodness in your life. Take time to think about the location and starting point He has you positioned in. How do you best share His love for those around you? Remember that as we share the goodness of Christ in our lives we come from a position of love for the people around us. 1 Corinthians 13:1 says "If I were to speak with eloquence in earth's many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn't express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal." (The Passion Translation)
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