SHILOH MESSENGER - April 2012
















 

 An Enlightened Heart

“the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18)

Years ago I saw a cartoon caption that got my attention in such a way that I have not forgotten it. The depiction was that of two men crawling on their knees with the blazing hot sun upon their backs in a desert wilderness; both of these men being desperate of thirst crying out. It is quite interesting how they both had the same need, but yet much different requests. One man cried out for water and nothing more, yet the other cried out for a large glass of water with a twist of lemon, and an oatmeal raisin cookie. This comical cartoon illustration has some profound truth in it, and poses a question, HOW HIGH IS YOUR VISION? We are here not to the satisfaction of the immediate appetite only, but to something bigger, grander, and more eternal. The God of The Universe delights in big, gigantic, huge vision from HIS people. We were born to create, to build, and to advance. In fact God’s Word tells us “without vision, people perish.” Proverbs 29:18. When we do not live out that in which we were created for, we shrivel up and die. We may live in the natural, but Our Spirit Man the part of us that will live for all of eternity becomes weak, fragile, apathetic, indifferent and atrophic (wasting away.) We are challenged to cultivate a life of worship unto God; Worship is the manifestation of one that is truly HIS and it is a full time occupation. There is no separation of secular and sacred. ALL IS SACRED. Out of this ardent life style of Divine order, we cannot help but to ask of Our Father Big Requests, because we have and are coming into knowing THIS GOD, (ONLY TRUE GOD) (HE IS NOT LIMITED.) We will not only believe and act upon HUGE VISION which is GLOBAL VISION for us, but believe Global Vision for The Entire Body of Christ. He alone broadens our requests to reach beyond our local community, city, State and Nation. He impresses us to pray and to reach out to the Nations. Evangelism in its purist form is simply an overflow of worship. Each one of us can testify that we have come out of very selfish lifestyles. In our past we would have never thought about other people on the other side of the planet much less pray for them or provide for Missionaries to go to them. God desires to deliver us from a (me, my, mine mentality). His heart is to open our eyes to see THE WORLD. “For God so loved THE WORLD, that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTON SON. John 3:16” In the secret place, we get HIS HEART. Our vision is broadened when we find ourselves praying and believing for those who live next door to us and also the least evangelized on the planet such as the Aoka of China, living in the 10/40 window that at this present time has NO BIBLE in their own language. * check out…. www. Joshua Project.net.  (10/40 window: The rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude where 95 percent of the world’s least evangelized people are found). That part of the world that we call the 10/40 window is covered in spiritual darkness. One day we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Have you ever given much thought that you will be judged on your impact in this world in which we live? How great is the sphere in which you had a part for HIS GLORY? If you think your sphere of influence is only in your family, and perhaps Church Family, and local community is this not a bit of myopia? (NARROW VIEW) and because of vast technology to us, we are really like no other generation before us without excuse in knowing about others on the planet who need JESUS. If we cannot go to them, we best be sending and praying. How is it working for you, all those technical gadgets at your disposal, Gone Global for JESUS ? All of our labor must flow from a life of worship. Not only are we being challenged to pray and give out for greater distant geographical locations of people to have encounters with God. We are held accountable for those who we come in direct contact with. The ones we can see up close and reach out and touch. Should we not be lifting our vision higher as we come in direct contact with them, and as a result see the lame walk, deaf ears opened, blind eyes  see, the dead raised and The Good News preached. Are we merely asking for water when all the while we could be asking for the tall glass of water with the lemon twist and the oatmeal raisin cookie as illustrated above in the cartoon sketch? HE said, “Signs, miracles and wonders would follow those who believe.”  Could we not each truly say we have limited THE GOSPEL on display in and through us?  Is it not past time for us as The Body of Christ to live and move in THE SUPERNATURAL like never before and to advance in our vision lifting it higher and broader? And finally and foremost should not our activities be aligned in such a fashion that we leave plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence. This is more of a challenge today than ever before in history as social media’s scream for our attention. Seems like few desire to get alone and truly to BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD. (Psalm 46:10) yet out of this discipline of LOVE, we will be catapulted to see and hear and act upon that which is IN THE FATHER’S HEART. JESUS DID NOT SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT THE FATHER SAID, AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT THE FATHER SAID DO. “We can be straight as a gun barrel theologically and as empty as one spiritually” “If we major on knowing God, and cultivate a sense of HIS presence in our daily lives, and do what Brother Lawrence advices by Practicing the Presence of God daily, and seek to know The Holy Spirit in the scriptures, we will go a long way in serving our generation for God.” A.W. Tozer. It is a weighty question to ask ourselves, how high is our vision? However, much more the significant and weighty to ask The Holy Spirit to reveal to us how largely extensive is our vision. HE WILL ALWAYS TELL US THE TRUTH. How we spend our God-given resources is of paramount importance. We will appear before The Lord one day to give an account of what we did while we were on the earth. Can we honestly say that we are being good stewards of the riches God has given us? Each person must take an inventory of our expenditures. Billions of people are perishing without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The time is short. Strengthened by HIS help, are we going to wholly accept the responsibility He has entrusted to us? Seek God’s heart for the lost and perishing. Ask HIM to motivate you with HIS LOVE and COMPASSION to do your part to fulfill the GREAT COMMISSION. To whom much is given, much is required. We owe everyone an encounter with God.


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