That Vision Thing

“The burden of the valley of vision...For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.” Isaiah 22:1-5

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

“And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.” Genesis 42:9

“Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions.” Job 7:14

Dreams versus Visions

Visions and dreams are used interchangeably in the bible. Both can be either from God or the flesh. Jacob was a dreamer. Joseph was a dreamer. But, even though Peter and Paul had dreams, we do not call them dreamers. We call them visionaries.

Dreams seem to be a premonition of the future. Visions seem to be understandings of the future. Dreams wait to be fulfilled. Visions call for action and active faith. But our use of the words dream and vision today differ from the language of the Bible. Today, vision relates more to tomorrow; dream relates more to yesterday.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

Visions are for the future.

Dreams are for the past.

Dreams focus on what was or what might have been.

Visions focus on what has not yet happened or what will be.

A dream needs no basis in reality in order to have value.

A vision has value precisely because it is based in reality.

A dream needs no connection to the present.

A vision thrives on its connection to the present.

Dreams happen when your eyes are shut.

Visions happen with your eyes wide open.

Everybody can dream.

Vision requires something more.

Dreams may be nothing more than fantasy.

Visions are ventures of faith.

Dreams are cheap.

Visions are expensive.

Unfulfilled dreams often fade without a second thought.

Unfulfilled visions lead to extreme discontent and frustration.

"When you say “I will do this or that” you are expressing your vision; when you say “I will not do this or that” you are also expressing your vision.

You must have a vision for the future. You cannot dream about it.

If you dream about the future, you are treating it as if it were the past.

Dreams deceive the dreamer with a false sense of rest and fulfillment.

Visions demand high energy, commitment and work.

A Dream or a Vision: Which one do you want?

The future will happen whether or not you have a vision.

Without a vision, you will perish.

With a vision, you will flourish.

Which do you want to do? Perish or flourish?

Ne Plus Ultra

In Spain , a mountain rises from the bottom of the ocean 1,500 feet above the surface, called the Rock of Gibraltar. Only a little more than 500 years ago (in history, 500 years is a very short time) the Spanish government still had carved on the Rock of Gibraltar to protect people from falling off the cliff of a flat world, the words, “Ne Plus Ultra” It means, “there is nothing beyond! Stop! Don’t go any farther!” When Columbus discovered that the world didn’t stop at Gibraltar , Spain removed the letter “ne.” “Ne plus ultra” became “Plus Ultra”, there is something beyond!

Vision recognizes something exists beyond where you stand!

The vision of Joshua and Caleb.

Your vision defines your attitude and action. In Numbers 13:1-33, God told Moses to send spies to explore the land of Canaan that he bequeathed to the Israelites. Moses recruited twelve men and instructed them to see what the land was like and to assess the strength and numbers of the people who lived there. He especially wanted to know whether the land was fertile. He told them to bring back some produce so he could judge for himself.

The men went as requested, but brought back an ambiguous report. The land, they said, "flowed with milk and honey," but powerful giants who inhabited large, fortified cities lived there. Despite Caleb's strong assertion that the Israelites could prevail, ten of the twelve spies were dead set against it. Fear of failure overwhelmed them. "We seemed like grasshoppers in their eyes," they cried. Their faith rose no higher than their vision.

Your vision informs your feelings how to feel.

When you envision weakness, you make yourself weak.

When you envision God’s strength, you will be strong.

Negative visions are as contagious as positive ones. When the evil spies’ pessimistic report was published throughout Israel , the entire nation began grumbling en mass against Moses. They spewed their bitterness out with such fury that they even cursed their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt ! An unthinkable scenario developed: they were ready to pick a new leader who would take them back to slavery.

In dramatic fashion, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the people to counteract the negative report. Joshua and Caleb then stood up and pled with Israel to change their minds and move forward. They assured everyone that Canaan was a luxuriant and fertile country and that God would give them victory over the inhabitants, even though they seemed like giants. They repeatedly pressed the people not to be afraid of the obstacles before them. Although Israel rejected their plea, dooming the people to wander thirty-eight more years in the wilderness, the vision of Joshua and Caleb never died. It took the passing of a generation, but they saw the walls of Jericho fall.

Six Musts of the Vision of Joshua and Caleb:

1. They desired to possess the land.

2. They believed they had a right to the land.

3. They believed that failure to act was to rebel against the Lord.

4. They believed they could defeat the enemy.

5. They refused to be ruled by fear.

6. They were ready to make their move.

The Bible brims with visionaries. Abraham saw a new land with a new city; Joseph envisioned power and influence; Moses saw deliverance for the Hebrew nation; King David envisioned building a beautiful temple to honor God; his son, Solomon, envisioned a kingdom that spread out over the earth; Peter saw a society free from racial prejudice; Paul envisioned preaching a gospel to every nation under the sun. Whether the vision was small, like Dorcas clothing the saints, or vast, like Christ saving the world, nothing significant happened without the force of vision birthing it into existence.

Your vision is waiting.

A vision for yourself . Start by acting upon your personal vision.

A vision for your family . You don’t work on your vision by telling others what to do. You work on your vision by investing yourself into your vision. Put a plan into action that brings reality to your family vision.

A vision for your ministry. What has God called you to do? Notice, I didn’t say “called to be.” Too many of us think to do something, we have to be something. You can win souls without thinking of yourself as a soulwinner. You can witness without being a preacher. You can care for people without being a pastor. You can work in ministry without the title or position of minister. Take care of what you do. Who you are will take care of itself.

A vision for your church.

Envision a loving church.

Envision a forgiving church.

Envision a caring church.

Envision a helping church.

Envision a participating church.

Envision a giving church.

Envision a growing church.

A vision is not “I want this.”

A vision is “I see this.”

A vision does not say, “If only I had this.”

A vision says, “I will get this done.”

Going after your vision will not be easy. “For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.” Isaiah 22:5.

These are your musts:

You must desire to take possession of your vision.

You must believe you have a right to your vision.

Failure to act on your vision will be rebellion against the Lord.

You must believe you can defeat the enemy of your vision.

You must refuse to be ruled by fear of your vision.

You must be ready to move toward your vision.

Revisit your dreams.

Have they faded and died?

Are they forgotten?

Turn those dreams into visions.

Inject life into your vision.

Your vision is worth everything.

Your vision is worth dying for.

Your vision will forevermore define your life.

A Plea Against Polarization

Since I have been an outspoken advocate of advertising on television, I feel compelled to voice my concerns over the impact it may have on the UPCI. Here, I have no argument to advance, no a, b, c, or 1, 2, 3 points in favor of advertising to make. Rather, I have deeply rooted sentiments to share, from my heart to yours. Whether you agree or disagree with the position I have espoused, please read the following paragraphs. I’ll spare you the oft-repeated litany of all the things the organization has meant to me, but the UPCI is my life. This is an attempt to put the matter into perspective and to let you know that I possess a profound love and appreciation for this fellowship. I hope I can change the minds of those who feel that, should we permit advertising on television, they must leave. All of us need to stay in the organization and continue working in harmony and peace. I pledge to do this. I ask you to do the same.

A wise man once said that there is a difference between simple and simplistic but the nuance is lost on most people. In the current controversy in the UPCI about advertising on television, a simple difference of opinion exists between brethren. The closer we look at the difference, the smaller it becomes. Some of us, however, not willing to let such a hard fought issue die an inconsequential death, seem intent on making it a watershed moment. It would be a sad day for the fellowship if the simplistic view wins out.

A great gulf lies between the UPCI and the rest of the Christian world. We stand united for the oneness position of the Godhead even though the balance of Christianity believes in a trinity. We passionately proclaim the new birth message as we find it in Acts 2:38, though most people who claim Christianity today embrace something we call “easy believism.” Moreover, we insist that speaking in tongues provides the only biblical proof that one has received the Holy Ghost. We remain strongly committed to the holiness lifestyle as evidenced by modesty in dress, maintaining clear gender distinctions, and separation from the world. While we have always had people on the fringe, the bulk of our fellowship clusters around the middle ground of these convictions. Together, we have been able to keep our conservative profile despite the trends of general Christianity that continue to move in the opposite direction.

I submit to you that the strength to stand firm in our Apostolic doctrine and convictions has been supplied largely by our unity. Even if this seems to be overstating the case, of what possible benefit can disunity be? Do we stand a better chance of survival in a weakened position? Some have marveled that we have stayed together as an organization for sixty-two years since the merger in 1945. I certainly don’t deny that numerous informal factions, cliques and sub-groupings flourish among us, but, despite these strains on our unity, we have managed to lumber along with good success in our home and foreign missions, our publishing house, our youth programs, our ladies and men’s ministries and many other aspects of organized work. Thousands of people have invested millions of dollars and incalculable energy and passion into the great family we call the United Pentecostal Church, International. Any notion that it is all nothing, that it is dispensable, that we can do a better job of reaching the world through division rather than unity is fundamentally unsound. Any spirit that sees greater advantage in infighting and devouring one another than in working with one another is a dangerous spirit.

I hear the voices that spur us on to a cataclysmic break up. They predict that if this controversy goes against them, we will lose everything we’ve ever stood for. While I don’t want to sound contentious, the same voices that once accepted the will of the majority because it was the will of the majority, may now reject the will of the majority for personal and parochial reasons. Different motives drive these individuals. Some have spoken so loudly that they dare not back down. Some have succumbed to the influence of stronger personalities. Some have never had much regard for the organization. Some seek revenge for a supposed wrong and would delight to see those they dislike brought down. Some see opportunity for self advancement. Some philosophize that shake-ups are cathartic. Some, innocently and with integrity, feel compelled by their own conscience to withdraw.

It is to this last group that I make an appeal. I urge you to step back and take in the larger picture of the church of Jesus Christ as it is fulfilled in the UPCI. Are the brethren with whom you have shared in the propagation of the Apostolic message for sixty-two years suddenly so different that you must part company? Are the same fellow laborers with whom you have worshipped, sacrificed, served, worked, given and upheld for many years now worthy of nothing more than a footnote in your life? Are you willing to allow one decision out of thousands to reverse all of the cooperation, all of the support, all of the commitment you have pledged and fulfilled over the years? Will you now, for the sake of one change in policy, destroy the camaraderie you have enjoyed and that has enriched your life and ministry for so long?

If the UPCI should allow this controversy to polarize us into two factions, it would generate grief of greater magnitude than any of us may imagine. Organizationally, we would cause great harm to many ministries now in place, weakening existing ones and starting the duplicates from scratch. It would threaten joint ventures and shared ministries to the point that many may not survive. Socially, it would draw a dividing line down the middle of hundreds of families among both the ministry and the laity. Politically, it would sow a spirit of disunity among Apostolics across town, throughout the nation and around the world. Publicly, it would give our true enemies reason to rejoice. Doctrinally, it would put methodology on the same plane as theology. Strategically, it would put us years behind in a cause that is already lagging woefully behind.

I especially want to sound this note of caution to those contemplating withdrawal: Whatever issue causes you to sever your connection with the organization will become your defining issue. It will overshadow all other concerns in your ministry. I do not say this as a matter of speculation. I have observed this to be the case with many others who have gone down the same path. It will ignite the fire of future partnerships; it will become the focal point of your church and ministerial vision; it will form the shibboleth of all agreements and commitments; and, astonishingly, it will assume an equal or greater motivator for you than your original call to the ministry. Ultimately, the one issue you leave for will be the issue that causes you to shrivel and die. Even worse, it will be the one issue that your progeny will come to despise. No “one-issue” political party has ever survived over the long haul. The danger of this is so great that the Apostle Paul avowed that he would only preach Christ and him crucified.

A prominent minister on the east coast, one whom certainly would not be labeled as a liberal, has written a powerful paper urging us to stay together and continue to do what we have always done. He contends that permitting fellow ministers to advertise on television does not force change on any minister’s convictions or chosen methods. I agree. No other provision in the ministerial manual will change. No other requirement for ethical and moral ministerial conduct will be deleted. No doctrine, no article of faith, no standard of holiness—nothing else—will be affected by this provision. In other words, any decision to part company with the UPCI because of a possible methods change in Tampa will be made on the smallest basis imaginable. Yet, some are looking at this as a life or death proposition. In my heart, I do not believe that perception has any substance.

The technology wars in the UPCI, from the middle 1950’s into the twenty-first century, have caused us unrelenting turmoil. This latest crisis is only another battle in the larger conflict. However this battle gets resolved has no bearing on my commitment to my organization. If the vote goes against me, I’ve had my say and I’m happy with that. I will remain a part of the UPCI and will cooperate in harmony as I always have. If it goes the way I would like for it to go, I will not gloat. I will understand the chagrin and disappointment that will settle on the hearts of the opponents. My plea is that our commitment to unity would continue to outweigh our desire to contend for our viewpoints.

To those who see this as a watershed event, you are doing a disservice to us all. I ask you to cease and desist. Do not weaken us under the guise of strengthening us. Do not injure the body by insisting you are healing the body. It may turn out that the limb you amputate has suffered only a minor scratch and could easily have been nursed back to health. If you truly have convictions against advertising on television, don’t do it. Be true to your convictions. At the same time, don’t mischaracterize my motives should I choose to avail myself of this method. If I harm you by advertising, let me know. Deal with me on the basis of actual harm rather than on supposed harm. Propose some new legislation that will protect you if you feel you need further protection. The last thing I want to do is to hurt you. Had I wanted to hurt you, I would have found dozens of ways before now to do it. Approach this in the same way we have always dealt with problems between ministers and churches. More than anything, respect my passion to reach the lost by any means possible. We are brothers in the same cause, not enemies in separate or competing causes. Just let me be free to follow my own conscience, even as I think you should be free to follow yours.

Polarization divides and weakens. I plead with my fellow ministers to refuse to let it happen. Going into Tampa, the United Pentecostal Church, International is the best oneness Pentecostal organization I know about. Coming out of Tampa, I want us to be able to say the same thing. Let us redouble our efforts to reach the world, not divide our efforts to service lesser visions. TV advertising or no TV advertising, the lost we reach will thank us for staying united. God bless you.

Learning and Leading in Ministry

Introduction

Jesus and the twelve learners? How about the twelve students? Or, pupils? Uh-h…no. Not the same. Jesus and the twelve “disciples” has a ring to it that “learners”, “students” or “pupils” don’t have. But, the core definition of disciple is “one who learns.” In training future leaders of the church, Jesus knew that learning goes with leadership like sun goes with moon and leaves go with trees. Leadership is dynamic rather than static and leaders who stop learning will lead their followers astray or lose them entirely.

Twenty-first century business gurus speak of the learning organization, “a group of people who are continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to create.” The old model led organizations to train workers for one-dimensional jobs---duties that they performed until the day they retired. Plebes down the chain of command were informed on a “need to know” basis. Inflexible and bloated, corporate methodologies descended from sacrosanct penthouse boardrooms. Today, with change measured in nanoseconds, that old construct guarantees certain disaster…quick. New ideas do not wait for osmosis. In this volatile atmosphere, learners must aggressively pursue new methods and technologies.

Age-old principles in scripture remain our guide for today’s ministry, but their effectiveness depends on how we use them. Unless we implement them through cutting edge techniques, relevant vocabulary and continual attention to the present environment, we will get disappointing results. Effective leaders are learners. Learn how to learn; learn what to learn; learn when to learn; learn what to unlearn. Greater energy, stronger convictions and better decisions will flow from learning.

1. Leadership Goes Beyond Charisma

He could charm a diamond out of a piece of coal. People flocked to his steady stream of expansive smiles, effusive compliments and engaging conversation. Unfortunately, he knew his powers, and not long into his young career, he started playing his giftedness to the hilt. He believed that his charismatic personality exempted him from banalities like honor, preparation and hard work. Early on, his appealing ways got him by. The next phase, however, took him beyond the role of an innocuous charmer. He gradually slid into sinful, even shocking behavior, knowing that he could rely on his personality to cover everything up and keep going. When his wrongs came to light, he found out that the rollicking personality that once made people laugh now infuriated them. Charisma is like a picture frame: the fanciest frame in the world won’t make a picture beautiful. Conversely, a true work of art needs only the simplest frame to accent its beauty.

In leadership, you can’t help if you have charisma. That’s just you. You can help it, however, if you rely on it instead of sound principles like planning, communication, responsibility and integrity. Don’t turn your good personality into a license to manipulate or take advantage of people. The most extreme example of this is Jim Jones, the notorious cult leader who, on the strength of his domineering personality, led 914 people to commit mass suicide in 1978. “Perhaps the single most defining characteristic of a cult is a charismatic personality like Jones who becomes the group’s defining element and a locus for absolute power. Tellingly, the so-called “ Peoples Temple ,” ultimately became known as ‘Jonestown.’”

(Rick Ross, 11-29-02 ).

2. Keep Pouring in Energy

Several years ago, I came up with a brilliant plan to mobilize the church into evangelism and new convert retention. I called it the “Evangelism Commission.” It addressed five critical areas of growth: Outreach, In-Reach, Follow-Up, Discipleship and Service. I further subdivided each of these areas into teams with specific jobs, chose a coordinator to supervise the ministry and selected heads over each area. When I presented it to the congregation, it generated tremendous excitement and it began working flawlessly…for about two months. Why? Awash in self-congratulations, I had backed away from it and turned my attention to other pressing needs. My coordinator encountered a personal slowdown due to a job situation, one departmental head moved away and two others found that their work schedules would not allow them to continue. Several other key people on different teams became discouraged and let their responsibilities go. I discovered that my long-ago high school physics lesson was true: there really is no such thing as perpetual motion!

Organizations, businesses and projects that require leadership stagnate without a constant inflow of energy. You cannot let up. Think of an eight cylinder engine when it comes to providing leadership. When half your people are satisfied and pumped, the other half are coming back for more, and none of them are on the same timing cycle. And you are more than just a spark plug; you are the battery that makes the spark plugs spark! People feed off of the leader’s energy. When he or she fails to pump that energy in, all the air goes out.

Steve Pavlina, personal development expert, says “Educate yourself on what it will take to achieve your goal. And I mean really educate yourself to the point where you become an expert. Keep pouring knowledge into your head until you succeed — continuously. Don’t just read one book on the subject. Read 10. Then read 10 more. Then 10 more. Listen to audio programs. Talk to experts. Never let up on your self-education.” (Making A Quantum Leap, StevePavlina.com).

In order for a rocket launched from earth to reach outer space, the rocket must exert a sufficient amount of sustained force to overcome the earth’s gravity. If the rocket’s engines cut out prematurely, the rocket will crash back to earth. Just as it can take a massive amount of sustained force to put a rocket into orbit, recognize that there are certain areas of your life where you may need a large force to knock you into a higher state. Small efforts over a long period of time may do absolutely nothing for you. You can read one time management book a year and be no better at your managing your time.

3. Let it Slide

If you insist that everyone dot every “i” and cross every “t”, you will destroy your rapport with your people. In the people business, you have to wink at human foibles and insignificant lapses. Someone has said, “Don’t waste a hundred dollars on a ten cent decision.” Learn to let the petty things slide. Becoming irritated over a minor detail today can cause disproportionately huge problems tomorrow.

4. The Silhouette Syndrome

A silhouette appears when light shines on everything except the actual subject. In leadership, you not only reveal your true interests and thought patterns by the things you do, but also by the things you don’t do. Ignoring a problem may be worse than mishandling it because it looks like you don’t care about it.

5. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

According to the Law of Unintended Consequences, today’s solutions often become tomorrow’s problems. But, “unintended” need not be “unforeseeable.” Ask yourself what the impact of each action will be, and then plan for it. Example: Years ago, our support of Saddam Hussein in his war with Iran was intended to stabilize the region. Instead, we created a tyrant that eventually drew us into Iraq to face the very weapons and military machine that we bought and built in the first place.

6. Differential Reciprocity.

Sorry for the big words, but they are necessary to make the point. People do not see you the same way you see them. Therefore, they will not reciprocate with the same mindset, motive or quality of effort. People tend to view their leaders from a personal, one-dimensional paradigm. Just as patients have little concern for their doctor’s other patients, followers may not care much about the full load their leader carries. If you expect people to give you back exactly what you give to them---and for the same reasons---you will live in a state of constant irritation and disappointment. Case in point: Mary and Martha. Both responded to Jesus in a completely opposite manner. Followers caught up in personal bias, narrowly defined commitment or selfish agendas will reciprocate differentially to identical appeals put forth by the leader.

7. Superman is a Fictional Character

You are headed for a crackup if you insist on being an indestructible superhero. Only the delusional or nut cases go at full tilt without a break. Consider vacations mandatory. Give your body and brain ample rest. “Divert daily; withdraw weekly; abandon annually.” If you don’t, you will have to borrow from tomorrow’s energy. When you arrive at your tomorrow, the supply will be gone.

8. Twenty-Four to Two

Jesus had two hands. His twelve disciples had twenty-four. Do the math. It is a clear reminder that the leader must decide that he will not do the work himself, even though he could do it better than his followers. Every time a leader rolls up his sleeves, pushes underlings aside and plunges into the work himself, he is doing what he could train others to do and he abandons the job that no one else can do. A general can do a soldier’s work, but a soldier cannot do the general’s work. In the end, the general’s job is far more critical to the total success of the campaign.

9. Icantdecide.

Homicide. Suicide. Patricide. Matricide. Icantdecide falls into the same category, more or less. A leader plays many roles, but only the role of decision-maker makes him the leader. You can’t just not decide. When a leader abdicates this responsibility and commits icantdecide, somebody’s going to die, figuratively if not literally. A good leader establishes criteria for decisions, assesses his options, acts boldly and endures the aftermath. Those who can’t do this need to get out of the way and let someone else lead.

10. Get Help.

Nearly every leader I’ve met who has suffered loss or failure has admitted that he or she should have called for help. As the critical point of their crisis approached, pride and prejudice seized their better judgment. They chose to betray their followers’ futures rather than show their personal weakness. Stop. Do not cling stubbornly to a losing strategy. Sacrifice your pride in order to save your people. Help is out there if you will go get it.

11. Just Stop It.

Takeru Kobayashi of Nagano , Japan has been crowned the world’s greatest competitive eater. According to the website of the Nationwide Speaker’s Bureau, Inc., Kobayashi dominated the sport of competitive eating in 2004. At a Coney Island event, he ate 53.5 hot dogs and buns in twelve minutes and sixty-nine Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes! His performance reportedly sent shock waves through the competitive eating community. The Japanese native has been named the greatest competitive eater in International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) history and some observers even consider him to be the finest athlete of our time. With dozens of records worldwide, he is undefeated in IFOCE competition. I suspect that Kobayashi, along with his fellow IFOCE athletes, never learned how to stop.

Learning when to stop---usually the mantra of those against driving drunk, overeaters or workaholics---applies to leaders all too well. When you achieve an important victory and find yourself awash in congratulations, you must put things into perspective. Has success changed your inner person? Are you still lean and hungry? Are you okay with simply doing better than the competition or do you have a need to totally obliterate it?

The moment of victory may also be the moment of greatest peril. Arrogance and overconfidence in your success create enemies. How does this happen? Here’s how: despite all insistence to the contrary, success causes a definite change to anyone who achieves it. First, you accomplished something that you never did before. Second, success relieves tension and doubt incited by prior failures. Third, winning automatically made you superior to your competitors. All winners find themselves accompanied by these new facts.

Earmarks of a True Visionary

You are a true visionary when you are willing to start something you cannot finish. Either your vision is too big for you to finish it by yourself or it will take too long for you to complete it in your lifetime. You need not harvest the glory of a completed task; indeed, it would be absurd to even think in terms of personal glory. You are content with sowing the initial seed that puts it all into motion. This is not condoning procrastination or laziness, but a testament to the magnificent dream.

The founders of the American democracy knew they could not finish their task. Abraham Lincoln did not know the full ramifications of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Apostle Peter did not know where the open Gentile door would lead the church. None of them allowed the enormity of their vision to stop them from lighting the fuse.

You are a true visionary when you are willing to go places that are not on the map. You don’t seek out the charted course. You don’t look for a dream previously accomplished. You do not need the security of the known way. You see places that others think don’t exist; you envision successes that history has not yet recorded; you hear sounds that have never been produced.

Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees not knowing where he was going. Paul launched out on his missionary journeys not sure of his destination. Christopher Columbus left “Ne Plus Ultra” behind on the basis of a dream.

You are a true visionary when you are willing to build something you cannot control. To see your success skyrocket far beyond that which you anticipated excites you. You see something so big, so wildly successful that you actually become immaterial to the end result. You realize that the thing you create may render you obsolete, but, you would rather be eclipsed by your own success than marinate in mediocrity. It was said of Jesus, “Because zeal for your house has eaten me up.” (NKJV) Robert Warburg, a Bay Area analyst jokes, "[Bill Gates] greatest fear is that some kid will brew up the next killer app in his garage in Kenosha and Microsoft won't own it!" You are willing to turn the control over to God.

You are a true visionary when you are willing to embrace something do not fully understand. Wilbur and Orville Wright did not understand the profound impact that their flying machine would have on worldwide transportation when they became airborne at Kitty Hawk , North Carolina . Bill Gates did not understand all the implications that the nascent computer field would have for the world when he designed his Microsoft Windows Ô in his garage. Frank Ewart and R. E. McAlister did not fully understand everything there was to know about oneness theology when they began preaching it in the early twentieth century. Yet, all of them took the leap because they were absolutely convinced it was the right thing to do.

The visionary suspects that there are endless possibilities in his idea or dream. He boldly lets that truth go wherever it wants to go. To insist on understanding every minuscule detail of the truth would abort the birth before the baby ever has a chance to say hello to the world.

You are a true visionary when you are willing to become who you have never been before. Securely locked within our insular definitions, most of us shut down when life tries to transition us into a new calling. When innovative ideas threaten to inflict too great a change on our status quo, our crusty old wineskins start to burst. We would rather say no and be safe rather than say yes and be infinitely better or set off vast changes on the human landscape.

Abe Lincoln started out as a farm boy, but he saw himself as a businessman, a surveyor, a postman, a lawyer, a congressman, and then as president of the United States. Neil Armstrong, from his beginnings in the small town of Wapakoneta , Ohio , started out as a navy aviator, then a test pilot, then a backup astronaut, then the first man on the moon.

John Nickerson, a UPCI missionary in Nigeria, believes that the African continent stands ready to be set ablaze with revival fires---not only for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but also to receive the revelation of the oneness of God and baptism in Jesus’ name. He has shared his vision with his many partners in missions, and readily admits that the river of his vision may overflow its banks. As the momentum builds, hundreds of pastors with roots outside of Apostolic circles have already been baptized. His passion represents the earmarks of a true visionary.

Bring me men to match my mountains,
Bring me men to match my plains,
Men with empires in their purpose
And new eras in their brains.

- Sam Foss

I Am A Person of Vision!

I have been a pew-warmer, a fence-walker, a spectator for too long.

I am getting up, getting right and getting going.

I may not see the entire picture, but I see my picture.

I can’t try everything, but I will try something.

I may fail trying, but I won’t fail to try.

I may not make much on my investment, but I won’t bury my talent in the ground.

I will act even though I receive no thanks in return.

I will pray and leave the answer up to God.

I will witness and leave the response up to the person.

I will smile even though no one smiles back.

I will give because it is right, not because I expect something in exchange for my gift.

I am blood-bought, Word-taught and miraculously-wrought.

I am divinely created, Spirit-filled, God-called and Heaven-sent.

I am saved by grace, programmed to succeed, wired for power and mission-oriented.

God is my commander-in-chief.

Jesus is my Savior.

My pastor is my coach.

The Bible is my blueprint.

The Holy Ghost is my Guide.

The world is my mission field.

I will be immune to criticism, unbowed by critics, unmoved by suffering and unashamed of the Gospel.

I will obey like Noah, sacrifice like Abraham, fight like David, pray like Daniel, be patient like Job, see God’s greatness like Isaiah, weep like Jeremiah, preach like Peter and reach out like Paul.

I have nothing greater to live for and nothing better to die for.

I am a person of vision!

-J. Mark Jordan

The Church in the 21st Century

21^st Century Concerns of the Church

Those who keep up their awareness of the vast changes in modern society have many reasons for concern. Nearly everything in the way people live their lives differs from twenty years ago. A recent article (Washington Times, 4-11-02 ) says, “…At best, religion is losing its grip on American society; at worst, growing amounts of Americans are finding the institution irrelevant.” The writer goes on to state that, “Sometimes, churches themselves are the problem.” He quotes Philip Yancy in his new book, Soul Survival: How My Faith Survived the Church. Other books echo the same sentiments critical of the church. In fact, the foundation stones of secular society have shifted. Changes of this magnitude demand a right response from the church. If we fail, we draw boundaries around ourselves and relegate our effectiveness and identity to bygone eras.

Matching the Message to the Masses. Since the “Age of Recovery” has dawned on church, the “one-size-fits-all” approach needs serious renovation. Our ministry to the alcoholic and drug addict has hit full stride in many churches, but other hurting groups who require specialized attention inundate society and the church. We reach more and more singles, single parent families, divorced persons, adult children of alcoholics, co-dependents, and people with numerous other dysfunctions. We also must target specific groups whose ethnicity, location or other criteria set them apart as a significant social group. (Acts 1:8) And going a step further, we must accept diversity as more than an outreach target, but as an integral part of the church proper. When people are saved, God places them in the church as our brothers and sisters.

Restraint of Judgment. For the last quarter-century, it has been said that the church no longer ministers to “normal” people. Indeed, streaming through our doors are addicts, felons, abused and abusers, bankrupt, neurotic and stressed-out sinners who only know one thing---they need help. Tattooed, pierced, dyed, spacey and broke, they carry with them the baggage of failed marriages, uncontrollable kids, lost jobs, counseling histories and general confusion. Because they seem so radically different from the mainstream, we tend to discount them as incapable of salvation and discipleship. Yet, the Bible tells us “such were some of you.” The church’s compassion for the lost must supercede fear of contamination from the lost.

Structuring the Church for Effective Ministry. Today’s church needs to seriously consider structural changes to be effective in its ministry. Whether it’s a major overhaul into small groups, leadership teams or different service schedules, or if it is making minor adjustments to operating programs, we must use our people, time, buildings, and resources efficiently and effectively. Let us not opt for enshrining the past to the disregard the challenges of the present and future.

Defending the Faith. Apostolics, brace yourselves for intense pressure and even persecution against us and what we believe. Our refuge lies not in the proverbial “fortress mentality”, but aggressive evangelism by thoroughly taught and trained prayer warriors. Soft, passive, “feel-good” approaches preferred by many nominal churches will set us up for loss, not gain. We have eternal truth worth proclaiming and defending. Let us treat it as such.

Halting the Hemorrhaging. Discipling and keeping the souls we reach continues to be a tough assignment for every church. The reasons are as varied as the people themselves. The solutions may also be many, but ignoring the problem is no solution at all. Ask yourself how you can intervene, how you can salvage a backslider, how you can rekindle the fire in a soul gone cold, and how you can inspire others to do the same. Don’t let your church bleed to death.

Captivating the Youth. Students of “pop culture” claim that today’s teens are bored with life and culture. All the taboos of the past, such as witchcraft, bizarre sexual and immoral acts, ancient pagan rituals and extreme fads fascinate them. Church kids are not ignorant of these trends. In the church, preached at, but not understood, too many of them stand on the sidelines, weighing everything out. Gimmickry won’t work, but a genuine, church-wide move of the Holy Ghost will. We can combat generational atrophy by ratcheting up our focus on teens.

Whole Life or Term: Commitment Levels. Whatever happened to unwavering faithfulness? The most powerful churches got that way by leading people to wholly commit their lives to God. Term contracts with God, or tentative, limited discipleship, weakens the church’s integrity. God’s church of today needs a huge infusion of sold out saints. The first church grew through absolute discipleship. So will today’s church.

The demands of the twenty-first century on the church must not be back-burnered. The need is relevant, urgent and acute. It is time to engage.