Kevin's Blog
THE VISION OF POWER
There is an enormous power in vision, more than we realise. Many people live a Doris Day theology of "Whatever will be, will be, the futures not ours to see, so Que Sera, Sera". But, the future is ours to see, not only to see but to take a hold of and move into.
That is what vision is - seeing the future, a mental picture of a future state, or a clear picture of what you see yourself being and doing. How clear is that picture in you?
The greatest verse in the bible or statement on vision to me is in Nehemiah 2:12: "What my God had put in my heart to do." Vision is what God has put in your heart - that is why vision is a lot easire to understand than we realise. It is often a matter of just reading our hearts, understanding our true desires and passions. What is passionate in your heart for the future? When Jesus was speaking to blind Bart in Mark 10:51: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said: "Rabii, I want to see." Let's face it, Jesus would have probably notices he couldn't see, especially that he just tripped over a bunch to get to Him. But he was trying to draw out of him his hearts desire - his real passion - the inside vision of his future desires and as deep calls to deep, Jesus drew out of this man the prophet picture of Gods plan for his life..."I want to see."
JESUS WAS A VISIONARY
Thinking about vision during the day and dreaming about it at night, continual meditation on the vision will induce you to action. It is one of the most motivating principles you can release in you and others. Think about it, before there was not even one church, Jesus spoke vision and said: "I will build my church and hell won't stop it." 2000 years later there are 3.7 million churches world wide and growing at a rate of 50,000 new churches a year.
Jesus, when only having 12 workers said: "pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers into the harvest field." 2000 years later there are 4.7 million full time workers. That's not counting part time and volunteers. Jesus in vision casting said: "Life up your eyes and see that the fields are right for harvest." He said this when there was hardly any believers, now there are two billion people that would call themselves Christians of which 700 million are evangelicals - now that's the power of vision!
Jesus believed in vision that much that he had his own vision day in the synagogue - where he boldly declared his purposes for the next three years.
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." Luke 4:17-19. (I'll share that in the next Inspire).
Helen Keller, a woman born blind, deaf and dumb, later learnt how to speak and said: "There is nothing sadder in life than someone who has sight but no vision." Sight is a function of your body, but vision is a function of your heart. That is why "VISION CAN HELP YOU SEE FURTHER THAN YOU CAN SEE."
When God said: "LIFT up your eyes" in Genesis 13:14 and Jesus said to: "OPEN your eyes." in John 4:35, they were talking about seeing spiritually. They are teaching us how to see with our eyes closed. They were trying to help us to read the prophetic picture that is painted on all our hearts.
VISION IS LIVING AND ACTIVE
While in Queensland, a couple of years ago, I was speaking to an ex-policeman. I asked him, what area he worked in. He told me he was a negotiator with people that were trying to take their own lives. I asked him what his greatest key is in trying to persuade them from taking their lives? He said: 'HOPE'. Gather as much information on them concerning hope for their future, a child, a job, a family, a plan, whatever - something that will help them see another day. That's vision, a hope is like rope that pulls you through those dark moments.
We all love that scripture in Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." But sadly some people never discover these plans - they give up or check out too early.
Solomon said it this way in a well known proverb: "where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint." Proverbs 29:18. They cast off commitment, involvement in one translation it says "they die." How liturgy is that, in my city alone there are 80 to 100 a year that take their life every year. Why? Well the truth is there are a number of reasons but one is, no vision, not even for tomorrow.
WHAT MAKES VISION CLEARER IN YOU?
A number of scriptures have helped me in this - let me share this one.
"The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look North and South, East and West. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." Genesis 13:14-17
1. LET GO OF YOUR LOT
When you let go of your lot, God will give you His. It's that selfish side of us that sometimes keeps us in the dark. As soon as Abraham parted from Lot, his self absorbed relative, he could see God's plan for him. Idols in your eyes will always block the panoramic vision of the endless power of God and His destiny for you.
2. LIFT
It's challenging you to spiritual lift, see a little further from where you are right now. Don't just look at what you can see, LIFT and see what God can do. Step up higher, believe bigger, launch out further.
3. FROM WHERE YOU ARE AT
Where are you at right now? Where are you spiritually, financially, emotionally, relationally, geographically. It's no good looking from someone else's position, or where you're likely to be, but where are you at now.
4. GETTING A 360 DEGREE PERSPECTIVE
God siad: "look south, north, east and west." Get a big perspective of your community - a wide angle shot of everything that is available. Sometimes, we believers are so narrow sighted that we can with both eyes look through a keyhole. Our vision gets limited when we only look at our congregations needs and wants. We need to look into our community and discover the social, economic, spiritual and physical needs, ans ask: "Can we meet them?"
Over a year ago, one of our leaders saw a ministry called "The Seafarers Mission" which was only a kilometer from our church. It was a vision already happening, but his perspectiveof it brought our church into it and caused a number of people to find meaningful purpose in service in that vision.
5. ALL YOU CAN SEE
What can you see, because you only move into what you see and I'm talking about seeing it in the light and perspective of God, see your inheritance, the promise land that God is calling you into.
6. GET A FEEL OF IT
By walking the land as it says in verse 17, looking around, allowing God to speak to you about your sphere of influence or community - speak about His directions, plans and purposes. Through some of these simple steps and others, no doubt I've not covered, vision will become clearer and as you do remember this: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurabely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS from Kevin & Tracey
Tracey and I would like to thank everyone that has been involved in doing life and serving in the ministry whether in Soul Cafe, City Life, Ozreach or Kingdom and the many other areas we are involved in - you know who you are. Doing life is fun, doing it with others is funtastic!
We want to take time to wish everyone a warm Christmas and a joy filled new year, full of family, friends and good times.
FAMILY - Tracey and I reached 25 years of marriage this year - what an accomplishment. Tracey deserved a medal but instead gets another 25 years. This year has been good, both of the girls and doing well. Faith works in hospitality and has moved into working in her dream restaurant - a Mediterranean casual dining on Newcastle beach, she loves her job! Faith has also moved out of home with two other friends that she works with. She is now renting a great house in Cooks Hill not far from the beach and city. Rachel is still at home and doesn't plan to move out soon. She did her Bali trip this year with her school friends and had a great time. Both the girls have boyfriends, well at least at the time of writing this letter. Both are nice young guys who have dinner with us every Monday night. Tracey continues to work three days a wekk at Employment Plus as an employment consultant and works at City Life the other two days in accounts. With all the meetings and entertaining that is involved in being a local pastors wife, that also travels a lot and oversights a small group of relational churches - this also puts a number of demands on Tracey. But Tracey still finds lots of time for the girls, she loves reading and connects to her close friends.
LIFE FOR ME - I continue to divide my time to lead City Life, working alongisde Nikki in Soul Cafe and everything else that entails and I also continue to lead Ozreach (our small relationship of churches), in visiting ministers and building into their churches, organising training times and conferences, also building beyond our group into many other churches as I'm kingdom focused first and always will be. On top of this I let the pastoral gift spread into a few of my mates companies.
CITY LIFE - It has been a challenging year, firstly having to raise $150,000.00 within our congregation for our building fund, which we did. These challenges can be tough on a church as not many people enjoy parting with their hard earned cash. But to extend God's kingdom it's got to involve these kind of challenges. Also having been in three different locations for church services and more with Soul Cafe and offices. Not all of these locations were conducive to growth and were challenging at times but they were all part of the journey that led us into what we now have - two floors of a building right in the centre of town on the famous Hunter Street, 300 metres from the beach, give to us by Westpac Bank, rent free for two years, possibly more. This space is where we do Sunday church servies, Soul Cafe, functions for business, administration of which we have never had so much space. We also have invited into our office, the ministry of Drug Arm and Kingdom Works with Rick Prosser. We've lost a nd gained some good people with all the changes, but I have great sense of growth expectations in the new year - especially in the area of people coming to Jesus.
OZREACH - It's been a good year with some great friends in ministry meetings and a brilliant conference. A couple more churches have connected to Ozreach as well as a couple of small church plants on the Central Coast.
TRAVEL - I had the privilege of traveling relationally into about 20 different churches. I also got to travel to the Philippines to speak at a conference and celebrate Life Church's 6th birthday. A big highlight was flying into Cuba and Lebanon to simply just hang with one of my best mates - a real bucket list trip, what amazing countries and time!
NEWCASTLE - I am really enjoying being in Newcastle and it really feels like home. I would love to move into the city and rent our house out in the suburbs, but will have to work on Tracey for this. One of the great things this year has been getting to know Rick Prosser. He is a minister from C3 and has a huge vision for the city, the unity of churches and revival. He has been a great source of genuine encouragement to me and other ministers. He is also secreatly persuasive and has been on my case to start a ministers city connect group. I was reluctant thinking I wouldn't be the best leader of it and others wouldn't be interested - well needless to say the city ministers group is off and running and really has God's hand on it.
Tracey, Kevin, Rachel & Faith