I want to add one more thought in this short series about who we are in Christ. Our church staff just completed a planning retreat in the hill country of Texas at a beautiful sight on the Guadalupe River. A gorgeous country chapel made of Austin stone stood serenely on a hill just above here we were staying. Each morning we hiked up the hill to have a devotional. One of the prominent features of the chapel was its tall stained-glass windows depicting saints who were always dressed in flowing robes with angelic faces. Some were notable while others were not recognized by us since we do not honor “the saints” in the same way in our community church.

I was reminded, however, that the title of “saint” has been reserved for a few outstanding men and women of faith in many branches of the Lord’s body leaving most believers with the impression that the term is only applied to a few “super-Christians” in each generation. However, that is not the biblical use of the term. The term “saint” is used about 60 times in the New Testament but never attached to the name of an individual such as St. Paul, St. Peter, etc. Those accolades were attached decades and centuries later by the church –especially the Catholic Church.

Biblically, the word translated “saint” is from the Greek word hagioi and refers to all believers as “holy ones.” To be holy is to be sanctified and to be sanctified is literally to be “specially set apart for service unto God.” In the Jewish temple, items were set apart and often labeled for use in either sacred ceremonies or for profane or ordinary circumstances. Those set apart for sacred used were termed “Holy Unto Jehovah.” Once designated for sacred service, they were never again to be used for profane, ordinary, or secular functions.

As a believer, you are a saint. You have been especially set apart for service unto Jehovah. You are Holy Unto Jehovah and your life should reflect that special position. Remember, Jesus told his disciples that they did not choose him but that he had chosen them (Jn.15:16). You have been chosen by God and having been chosen you have been separated from the world and declared holy in his sight. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col.3:12).

The temple of God in Jerusalem was holy and everything in it was sacred because the presence of God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. But now, you are the temple of God and his presence dwells within you. As a believer, in the eyes of God you are different from all other men or women in the world. I think it is likely that in the spiritual realm there is a designation on you that marks you as belonging to Jehovah and, perhaps, the very phrase Holy Unto Jehovah identifies you as one who belongs to him. That sets you apart from all those in both the natural and spiritual realms who have no faith in God and who are not in Christ Jesus. You are one of his Saints. Maybe your condition does not yet always reflect that sacredness as much as it should, but your position in the kingdom is definitely a saint of the Most High God.

Remember who you are and the next time you step into a chapel or a cathedral full of stain glass depicting “the saints” you may sincerely ask, “So…where is my window?”

So far in this short series about our identity in Christ we have highlighted the truth that in Christ you are a new creation, born again with the full potential of a new life and a new heart within you. In addition, every believer is a child of God, a priest, and a king on the earth placed here to rule as representatives of the Great King. With that position, you are royalty anointed with God’s Holy Spirit and by that Spirit you may exercise the authority of Christ to do everything Jesus did as Son of Man and more.

Since you are a man or woman of authority, it might be good to discuss how to exercise that authority on behalf of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. The key to understanding our authority and how to exercise it is found in remembering that God determined to partner with his children by ruling the earth through them. He could impose his will on the earth at anytime without involving us, but he has chosen not to do so. Jesus is our model.

The Father could have healed any sick person or infirm person at anytime or could have sent any demon on the run without any human involvement. However, he chose to do those things through Jesus. It was Jesus who laid hands on the sick. It was Jesus who commanded healing. It was Jesus who called Lazarus out of the tomb, and Jesus who commanded unclean spirits to leave. The Father exercised his authority through the Son and did so with the Son’s touch, his prayers, his commands, and his declarations.

In Jeremiah 1, we get a sense of how that works. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer.1:8-10). In Isaiah the Lord also declares, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isa.55:11).

What we discover is that God’s word fulfills it’s purpose whether is goes forth from his mouth or from one who represents him. It is still God’s word going forth. A study of Jeremiah makes it clear that the prophet uprooted and tore down kingdoms by declaring the word of God over those kingdoms, not by any power of his own. The same is true with us. We rule just as Jeremiah did. We rule by declaring God’s word over situations, over people, and over nations. They key is that we declare what we have heard from the Father either by a fresh word whispered by his Spirit or by his clear will and direction derived from his written word. We do so in commands and declarations. We also rule through prayer because our prayers coupled with the authority of our position, release heaven to move in powerful ways on the earth.

In the book or Revelation, we see that there are golden bowls or censors that are filled with the prayers of the saints (Rev.5:8).   Dutch Sheets points out that when those bowls have been filled sufficiently with our prayers then fire is added to the bowls and they are poured out on the earth with great power – thunder, lightening, and earthquakes. The idea is that when God’s saints have prayed into a situation with enough faith and perseverance, then the power of heaven is added to the prayers and heaven’s power breaks out on the earth. It seems that our prayers, our declarations, and our commands that release the word and will of God over situations and people also release and direct the power of God because he has chosen, to a great extent, to let us determine when and where he will work on the earth.

We rule by declaring his word over the earth just as Jeremiah did so that God’s will is done on the earth as it is in heaven. We are people of authority who partner with God to release the power of heaven over those things and people we care enough about to engage the enemy in war and assault him with the very words of God that come from our lips. You are a very powerful person in Christ and with your own lips often direct the artillery of heaven in the Kingdom’s war against the dominion of darkness. Pray more. Command more. Declare more.

Once you have discovered that you are royalty, you must understand how royalty operates. In the kingdom of God it is not about perks, servants, living large, or living in constant comfort with every material desire coming your way. It is about relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It is about contentment with what we have. It is about expanding the borders of the kingdom through faith, love, and sometimes war.

To be successful in your role of governing earth on God’s behalf, you must understand that you have authority as a member of the royal family and as an ambassador of Christ. Many believers today have no sense of authority or power in their Christian life. They believe that Jesus has all authority but have no concept that they also walk in authority and should exercise that authority on behalf of their king.

Jesus demonstrated the authority that a man in fellowship with God can wield on the earth. He demonstrated it as Son of Man not as Son of God. We know this to be true because Jesus declared, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (Jn.14:11-15).

Jesus clearly says that those who have faith in him will do what he had been doing which he clearly identifies as his miracles – healing, casting out demons, raising the dead, stilling the storm, etc. He goes on to say that those who have faith will do even greater things than he did. Hard to imagine isn’t it, but that is what he said. As a member of the royal family and as a representative of Jesus on earth (who should re-present Jesus) you should expect Jesus to do miracles through you. If you read the context above, he not only gives you that opportunity but also commands you to ask him to do miracles through you for the glory of the Father.

Jesus modeled his plan for the church by exercising the authority of heaven himself and then delegating that authority to others. First he delegated his authority to those he called apostles. “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Mt.10:1). Secondly, he delegated heavenly authority to a wider circle of followers who go unnamed in the scriptures. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Lk.10:17-20). Snakes and scorpions in this context are metaphors for demonic spirits.

After modeling his “delegation strategy” he continued with his declaration that those who had faith in him (any believer in any century) would do what he had been doing and would do even greater things. He then delegated his power and authority to his church by the distribution of spiritual gifts through his Spirit. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues”(1 Cor. 12:7-10). Notice that power and authority are the benchmarks of the Kingdom. As a member of that Kingdom and the household of God, power and authority are attached to your position. You are appointed in the Kingdom and no appointing comes without anointing. Your anointing is the Holy Spirit who releases power and authority through you.

It’s interesting that we often teach people to pray for healing by asking Jesus to come and heal. That’s not a bad prayer but it is not what Jesus commanded. He told us to go and heal rather than to go and pray and ask him to come and heal. We often approach healing and deliverance like deputies who have been given authority to enforce the law but every time we should make an arrest we locate the criminal but then call the sheriff to come make the arrest. Deputies have been delegated power and authority to enforce the law. We have been given power and authority to enforce the laws of heaven. When we begin to walk in the knowledge of that authority and begin to exercise it for kingdom purposes, then we will be living as royalty.

That is who you are in Christ – appointed, anointed, empowered!

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (Gen.1:26)

It was always the Father’s intention to rule his creation through his representatives on earth. Adam and Eve were created by the hand of God and then placed in a geographic setting where they could learn the art of ruling and then were told to, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen.1:28). The idea of “subdue” is to conquer or to bring under one’s control. Apparently, outside the Garden environment the earth was not all it could be. The concept was that representatives of heaven would rule or govern the earth as the Father himself would do if he were physically present. In a sense, Adam and Eve were given charge to extend the culture of heaven across the earth. They were to not only cultivate the earth but to make sure that all cultures springing up from their offspring would be aligned with the Father’s will.

In addition, they were not just going to rule as political appointees but would rule with the status of sons and daughters. In Luke’s gospel he gives the genealogy of Jesus in reverse listing from Jesus back to Adam. Notice the finishing language. “the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Lk.3:38). Adam was not the Son of God in the sense that Jesus is but, like us, was given the standing of a son. So, God intended to rule the earth through sons and daughters who were given dominion over his creation. They were rulers who had been attached to God’s household and were, therefore, royalty. David put it this way. “You made him (man) a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” (Ps. 8:5-6). Man, Adam and Eve, were crowned with glory and honor and given rule. They were king and queen of God’s physical creation.

Here’s what every believer needs to know. Although Adam sinned and forfeited his rule to Satan, God’s original intent was reestablished through Christ. John declares, “Yet to all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God” (Jn.1:12-13).

So we, like Adam and Eve have been given the standing of children of God – sons and daughters of the Great King. Not only that, but you are a priest and not just a priest but a royal priest. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9). John phrased it this way. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Rev.1:5-6, KJV). Additionally, Paul tells us in Ephesians that, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph.2:6).

In summary, you are a child of God, a priest and a king, already seated with Christ in heavenly realms. This is your position in Christ. Through Jesus, the Father once again established his plan to rule the earth through his representatives – sons and daughters who would extend the culture of heaven across the earth. In Christ you are royalty. You are a son or daughter of the Great King. You are his personal representative on the earth and have been given authority and power to rule. You have even been given power over demons and sickness. Whatever Jesus did with the authority he was given while on the earth you can do. This identity is not just for preachers of mega-churches or men and women with extraordinary spiritual gifts. It is your identity as well. If you then are a son or daughter of the King and his royal representative on the earth, then you should know that all the resources of heaven are available to you when you ask in faith.

Bur how do we rule? For the most part we rule with prayer and by declaring the word of God over situations. We pray – heaven establishes. We declare – heaven enforces. We do not establish our will but his will. We exercise authority over demons and disease. We, like Jesus, heal broken hearts and set captives free through the authority of Christ. You have such standing in heaven that Paul tells us that, in time, you will even judge angels (I Cor.6:3).

All of that makes you a very significant person on this earth. Knowing who you are, you should walk in holiness, confidence, power, authority and love. You are not an orphan or a nobody. You are a king and a priest and an ambassador of Christ. Now, by faith, begin to live up to who you are!

Once I believe that I have been born again and that God has deposited within me the capacity to become a new creation, the enemy will whisper his accusations that I have not become a new creation after all because I still experience sin in my life. He points out each one, continues to drag up my past, and tries to convince me that my present sins prove that I was not sincere in my faith and my repentance and that insincerity puts my relationship with God at risk. As he whispers that a believer can feel the weight of mounting condemnation and begin to walk in doubt about God’s love for him and his love for God.

Let’s be clear. Christians – even mature Christians – still sin. Writing to believers, John said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness…I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (1 Jn. 1:8-9, 2:1).

God does not expect us to live a sinless life although he expects us to be sensitive to our sins, acknowledge them, and continue to grow in Christ so that we do sin less and less. Jesus shed his blood not only for our past sins but for all our present and future sins as well. As long as our hearts are turned toward God the sacrifice of Jesus continues to wash away our sins. Remember that you have a position of righteousness in heaven because Jesus “became sin so that you might become the righteousness of God” (see 2 Cor. 5:21).

The truth is that once you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior the devil has lost all legal claims on you. His accusations and condemnation are designed to discourage you and hopefully cause you to abandon your walk with Christ altogether. But the writer of the Hebrew letter declares, “By one sacrifice, he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14). In other words, the blood of Christ has given you the standing of perfection in heaven while God works to mature you on the earth. Satan wants to you to believe the contrary. He wants you to believe that you were saved by grace but to stay saved you must now live a sinless or nearly life. Nonsense. We were saved by grace and we will continue by grace until we enter the Heavenly City and beyond.

Paul capped that truth off in Romans 8:1. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom.8:1). In Christ, death does not follow sin but grace and forgiveness follow and with God there is no remembrance of sin once it has been washed away by the blood of his Beloved.

In Christ then, as part of your identity, you can and should declare, “I am a child of God, free forever from all condemnation and any condemnation is a lie from the evil one!” When sin comes, simply acknowledge it before the Father, ask him to give you strength to overcome the sin, lay it at the foot of the cross and move on knowing that it has been removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Then, quickly and reject any condemnation that comes your way in the name of Jesus! No child of God needs to wear and form of condemnation at any time because Jesus has set you free from your past and from all condemnation. Be blessed!

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Pet.1:23)

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom.6:4)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor.5:17).

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. (Gal.6:15)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph.4:22-24)

As I said in my last blog, your identity or your self-image is essential to living the life that God has ordained for you. We live up or we live down to the expectations we have for ourselves and our identity determines those expectations. Typically, our biggest hindrance to being like Jesus, other than our fallen nature, is our past which was directed by our fallen nature. This isn’t true for every believer but is probably true for the vast majority. Somewhere in our past is a trauma or a season of sin that defined us in our own minds. Whether we see ourselves as a gross sinner, a victim, an addict, a loser, etc. that self-image was created in the past and the enemy whispers confirmations of shame, accusation, condemnation, and rejection daily in an effort to reinforce that broken, inadequate view we hold toward ourselves. When we carry that identity into our Christian life we never feel adequate to serve or worthy of blessing.

The first thing you must settle on in your heart is that when you came to Christ you were born again and that the only power your past has over you is the power you give it. You are a new creation. In Christ all things are new. But we must also understand that the “newness” is in the form of potential. Many things come to us in the kingdom in seed form. That seed of a new creation has to be watered, nurtured and prayed over. That new creation will begin to blossom and bloom when we do the things that nurture spiritual life – Bible study, quiet times with God, obedience, prayer, fellowship with people who encourage us and stretch us, and stepping out in faith to do scary things in the name of Jesus. Those are the things that water and nurture the capacity in us to leave our past behind and become a truly new creation.

Many of us continue to do what we have always done except for an hour of church on Sunday morning. Doing what we always did will not cause this new and transformed life to emerge. Doing what we always did reinforces our old identity rather than enforcing our new identity in Christ. Even ceasing to do what we used to do will not change our old ways of thinking and feeling. We must actually take on new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking in order to overwrite our old habitual lifestyle.

God wants us to take on a new, vibrant identity but it takes some effort. Here’s the thing. God will not do that for us but will do it with us. Just know that because the Spirit of God lives in you, the capacity for a brand new life and a break from your past is present. It won’t take years. You can experience that in months but you must take God at his word and then do the things needed to nurture that new life. Remember – Jesus called us to be doers of the word not just hearers.

Your past has no legal claim on you. Being born again is a positional promise in the sense that God has actually delivered you from the dominion of darkness into his kingdom of light. You have a position of being a new creation but your condition will need to come alongside that position. A slave, even though released, will continue to feel like a slave until he begins to act and speak as a free man. The beginning of your new identity in Christ is to declare each day that you have been born again, that you are a new creation, and that your past no longer has a hold on you. You are free to walk into your destiny because when “the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (Jn.8:36).

On several occasions I have talked about the essential need to know who we are in Christ. Our view of ourselves – our self-image – either places limits or lifts the limits on what we believe we can do in life or even receive in life. There is a concept in social sciences called “ the self-fulfilling prophecy.” It is the idea that we act in ways that confirm our already existing beliefs about ourselves.

For example, if a young woman grows up in a home where she is ignored or even abused she will likely believe that there is something wrong with her and that she is unworthy of love or success in life. Otherwise, why would her parents or other significant people in her life have neglected her or treated in in such hurtful ways? Because she experienced so much rejection at home she will anticipate experiencing the same rejection in all of her relationships because, as a child, she will believe that she is the problem rather than broken parents.

Lets say that she carries that view of herself to her first day at school. Believing that others won’t like her and fearing some level of rejection, she will probably find a seat in the back, she will avoid making eye contact with the kids coming in her class, she will be anxious and her “non-verbal’s” will telegraph those feelings. She will probably look unhappy or sullen. As the other new kids come into the room they will sense all of that but will interpret her actions and her body language as someone who is unfriendly and maybe a little hostile. From their perspective all those things say, “stay away” and they will probably honor that message. They will avoid sitting next to her until no other seats are available and may not even start a conversation with her when they have taken their seat. At the end of the day, she will go home having her beliefs confirmed that something is wrong with her and that she is unworthy of love and friendship because the other children were “so unfriendly” to her. In actuality, she was the unfriendly child but her own preconceived beliefs about herself caused her to act in ways that confirmed those beliefs and she is now even more convinced that her destiny is to be friendless and loveless.

On the other hand, if a young girl grows up in a home where she is affirmed and encouraged and given lots of opportunities to face appropriate challenges and succeed, she will go to her first day of school with entirely different expectations. She will expect others to like her and value her and will expect to do well in school. Her openness and confidence will invite others to start conversations and even sit next to her so that at the end of the day her positive self-image will also be confirmed in her mind. We act in ways that confirm our beliefs about ourselves so that belief becomes more ingrained than ever.

How we view ourselves and how we feel about ourselves sets us up for success or failure in many arenas of life. Our view of our worth, our significance, and our competence will encourage us to embrace life or hide from it. It’s not that a negative self-image or identity cannot be overcome but it must be overcome in order to fulfill our God-given potential. Knowing that, God has said many things about us that are intended to shape our identity or our self-image in Christ. For the next few blogs, I want to explore some of the specific truths about who we are in Christ to help us further accept the identity that is ours in Jesus Christ.

In my next blog I will begin with the truth that we have been “born again” and that we are “new creations.” If we can believe that, then who we used to be no longer has power over us. More about that on Monday. Be blessed and know who you are in Jesus.

He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matt.13:33).

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.   “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matt.5:13-16)

In both of the above scriptures, Jesus spoke about the influence of believers on the world. If we are to make disciples of all nations, we must not only share the gospel with the lost but we must influence culture and nations as well. The enemy has had dominion over culture and nations since the Garden but Jesus commanded his church to take back those things so that the values of heaven are lived out the earth. Even our prayers should reflect that mission. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Unfortunately, too many Christians have interpreted that statement from the Lord’s Prayer to mean that once Jesus returns to establish his kingdom on earth, then and only then will God’s will be done on earth. But the Great Commission which commands us to make disciples of nations establishes a mandate to effect cultures and territories before his return. Until he returns to personally sit on the throne we are to be expanding the kingdom not only in individual hearts but also as salt, light, and leaven we are to be making our influence felt whenever and wherever we can support and promote righteousness. With mid-term elections just a few weeks away, we have an opportunity to be God’s salt, light, and leaven in America. To withdraw from political involvement because it is “too worldly” is to abdicate our responsibility to be an influence for good is this world.

We all know that morality and spirituality cannot be legislated and faith cannot and should not be forced on others by law or coercion. Yet God’s intention for government is that governments should promote good and restrain evil while the gospel is having its way with the hearts of men. Governments should be “under God” and see themselves as instruments of his purposes. As these mid-terms approach, I hope that every believer will choose to vote as a representative of the kingdom of God who is representing God on the earth by being, slat, light, and leaven in America and in her voting booths.

I do not presume to choose candidates for people but every believer should know what is at stake in an election and vote for those whose values and platforms are most closely aligned with the values and goals of heaven. I’m not saying that we only vote when platforms are perfectly aligned but we must support the candidate or the party that is closest to those values. Prayer is always essential and is also a powerful way of influencing our culture and nature. Since I don’t always know the heart of a man or a woman, may I suggest a prayer as we approach these final two weeks of campaigning?

            Father in heaven, I ask that you continue to have mercy on this nation. We have strayed and we have often sinned against you. But Father, I ask you to remember the faithful in this nation now and the faithful of this nation who have served you in centuries and decades past. I pray that you restore faith in this nation and exalt your name and the name of Jesus once again in America. Lord I simply ask that you remove every leader who has no regard for you or your commands. I ask that you remove everyone from authority who has no fear of you and no love for you. I ask that you remove all favor from those who are enemies of the cross and that you totally confuse the counsel of those who oppose you and your church.

            And Lord I ask that you raise up courageous men and women of faith who regard you and love your name and who will not fear man but only you. Lord give them favor even among their opponents and undeniable wisdom in their words. I pray that you will put your people in high places of leadership and authority so that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven in this nation. And Father, may your Spirit lead me as I step into the voting booth or have conversations with friends about America. Lord you said that righteousness exalts a nation so by your Spirit and by your mercy will you make America a righteous nation again. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Prov.29:18 (KJV)

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters

will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  (Acts 2:17)

Vision is central to the life of a believer. Proverbs tells us that people perish where no vision exists. Other versions translate that scripture to say, “Where there is no vision, the people throw off restraint.” The idea is that without a driving vision in the heart of a people they lose direction, have no sense of purpose, and often drift away from their faith which may lead to death.

In his sermon in the temple courtyard on Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel and applied his prophecy to the launch of the New Testament Church, which had just been commissioned to make disciples of all nations. He said that one manifestation of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit would be dreams and visions. Not only does the church need a vision for world evangelism but individual churches and individual believers need a vision for their part in the Great Commission as well.

Individual believers who do not have a vision for how God will use them in significant ways typically drift through their Christian life without making much of an impact for the kingdom. Typically, moral living, regular attendance, and occasionally giving to good causes define their mission in the Kingdom of God. Those are not bad things but God has much more in mind for every believer. According to Psalm 139 and Ephesians 2:10, God has a hand in the creation, giftings, and destiny of every believer.

I believe it is impossible for God to ordain an ordinary destiny for any one of his children. Being average or ordinary is not in God’s nature. It is not in his nature to plan average or ordinary events. Therefore, I believe he has destined every child of God to be highly significant “impact players” in the Kingdom. Because many of us have no vision for our lives beyond the ordinary, we live without passion and simply slide into a mediocrity of living that we hope is barely acceptable to the Father. The danger is that we may eventually drift away and live without restraint because we have no compelling vision that we will not risk by giving into temptation or risk by becoming careless in our spiritual lives.

I have had seasons of my Christian life driven by a clear vision of what God was calling me to do and I have had seasons where the vision was blurred or vague. When the vision is clear I am much more intentional, much more energized, much more focused, and much more committed to maintaining alignment with the Father than at other times. Vision makes life matter and makes life fun. The vision I’m talking about is not a vision for getting ahead in the world or finding your perfect match on E-Harmony. I’m talking about a vision of how God is going to use you to change lives and heroically push back the borders of darkness. It is a vision of walking in some set of powerful spiritual gifts that make the demons tremble and make heaven shout.

How do you get such a vision? First of all, hang around others who have a vision for their own life. You can’t adopt their vision for your life because you have a distinct destiny. However, being around believers whose lives are fueled by a vision will make you hungry for the same kind of thing in your life. Secondly, ask God to begin to stir your dreams and give you a vision for your life. That was the promise Peter quoted on Pentecost and that promise was for every believer. Third, get busy discovering your spiritual gifts because God has already equipped you for the destiny he planned. Those gifts may still be in seed form but ask other believers what gifts they see in you, take spiritual gifts assessments, and involve yourself in various ministries until you demonstrate some spiritual capacity or feel a flame of passion flare up in a moment when you are serving. Pursue a hunger you find in your heart for certain spiritual gifts and press in to receive or develop those. Begin to daydream about what you would love to do for the Lord that is far beyond the ordinary and ask God to take you there.

Vision is critical. If you don’t have one get one or return to a vision you let fade away some time in your past. It will reignite your spiritual life and give you a focus that will make you an impact player for the King of Kings. Be blessed!

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Many of us are hungry for spiritual gifts. That’s the way it should be because Paul encourages us to “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (see 1 Cor.14:1) in his first letter to the church at Corinth. It has been my experience that we do not necessarily receive the spiritual gifts we desire and ask for immediately. There may be several reasons for that but Peter’s admonition above is worth considering when we are pursuing or even wanting a stronger anointing for a spiritual gift.

First of all we must use the gift God has given us or begin to pursue and learn about the gift we desire. Many gifts come in seed form and we will not experience them in powerful ways in the beginning. Often we will have to exercise the gift with little impact or effectiveness in the beginning. We will need to risk a little embarrassment at first, continue to ask for a greater anointing, ask those who have a developed gift to teach us or pray for an impartation and then we will have to continue to learn through our own experience. If we wait for a full-blown gift before we use it, we may be waiting a very long time. If we have a gift that is developing, it will not increase unless we are using it. So the first principal is to use the gift even though it may not well developed.

Secondly, our goal should be to serve others rather than ourselves through the exercise of the gift. If we desire the gift for status, power, the rush of the supernatural, affirmation, or any other self-focused motive we have missed the mark. Motives are important in the kingdom of God and our primary desire must be to exercise the gift for the benefit of others – typically out of compassion. We may need to pray for the heart of Jesus towards others before God will pour out his gifts in abundance.

We also need to exercise the gift with the sense that we are simply being conduits of God’s grace to a fallen world. We are not the source. He is the source. A water line is of no use unless water is flowing through it. We are simply a line that that remains hollow and useless unless the Spirit is flowing through us to deliver God’s grace to those who need it. It’s interesting that Peter calls on us to “faithfully” administer that grace as well. That carries the idea of being diligent in doing so as well as being obedient to the promptings of the Spirit when he directs our attention to someone or some situation. Faithfulness also implies integrity in our stewardship of God’s grace so that we do not exercise it carelessly or for personal gain.

Finally, Peter reminds us that these gifts are also signs and the signs should always point to God rather than to ourselves, our church, or our ministry. We are simply representing the Father and as representatives we should speak and act as Jesus himself would if he were standing in our place. A focus on God and on others rather than ourselves seems to be one critical element for receiving a gift or for God giving an increase to a gift we already possess. In a moment when we forget ourselves, our wants, our needs and even our dignity we are most like Jesus. As we pray and administer God’s grace in it’s various forms, we may want to remember that principle so that our heart is always positioned to receive so that we can quickly give away what God has entrusted to us.