Some Like It Cold... (Conclusion)

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In case you haven’t read it yet, here’s the beginning of this blog post: Some Like It Hot... Part I

One thought that crossed my mind, regarding being hot, cold or indifferent, had to do with shock value.

Stepping into an extremely hot or extremely cold pool of water will shock our body. It will make us feel uncomfortable, at least until we acclimate. When the body of Christ becomes lukewarm, the world looks at us and sees no difference between us and themselves; they’re not uncomfortable around us.

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NOT in a theatrical way at all, I think there needs to be a sense of shock or a feeling of discomfort to get their attention and show them that there IS a difference. We ARE different. We’re not necessarily better people; we’re not of greater value in God’s eyes – He loves us all equally. But WE get to experience His love on a whole new level! We get to have the God of the universe living inside of us and empowering us! When they scoff at that notion, it breaks my heart. They don’t even know what they’re missing. Christianity is not a magical ticket to a mythical place called heaven; it’s eternity in the arms of our loving Creator that begins the second we let Him into our heart.

When we’re lukewarm, we’re not advancing the kingdom of God; we’re blending into our surroundings.

When we have little value for the gospel, I think it means we haven’t actually experienced the joy it contains yet. (Keep searching with all of your heart! God said, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV)

Experiencing freedom in Christ fills us with joy and we HAVE to tell someone, anyone – everyone! When God gave sight to a blind man – he had to tell somebody. The widow whose son was raised from the dead? She surely had to tell everyone! How do you keep that kind of joy to yourself? When your sins are forgiven and your shame has been removed and you feel the embrace of your loving heavenly Father, how can you not want to tell someone?

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When I first became a Christian I had a whole lot of zeal, but no wisdom and very little knowledge. When I tried to share my joy, I sometimes went overboard in a crazy direction that actually pushed people away instead of drawing them into the gospel. That’s one of the primary reasons we need to be discipled and share fellowship with fellow believers, but also study the Bible for ourselves, and to seek out the answers to the questions WE come up with.

It’s God’s kindness that leads men to repentance, not my zeal. But I hope my zeal and my joy and my love will get their attention so they can ask questions, whether they ask me or seek out answers on their own. We should want them to notice we’re different. We need to come in hot or ice cold (and we can do that gently when necessary). By now I know I need to use wisdom, as well. Once we’re intimate with Jesus, there’s no going back. We don’t want to live without that intimate love. We may cool off and become lukewarm when we let the cares and affairs of this world crowd the seed that’s been planted in our heart. That’s when we need a brother or sister in Christ to come along and throw some hot or cold water on us! But we may also become lukewarm when we fail to see our purpose in the body of Christ. Ice water has a purpose, hot water has a purpose, but lukewarm water is like water searching for its purpose. My last blog series was on discovering God’s vision for our lives. If you haven’t read it yet, look for it.

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What does being hot or cold or lukewarm mean to YOU? I’d love to hear your input. That’s what the comment section below is for! AND – if this conclusion is too wordy for you, let me know that in the comments, too.

The whole “spew you out of My mouth” thing could take up a whole new blog post of its own. But for now, I’ll suffice it to say, He can’t spew you out of His mouth if He’s never had you there. The analogy sounds a little gross, but I look back to the fact that God said He would never leave us or forsake us. I don’t think this means that He will disown us for becoming complacent or for not discovering our purpose in His kingdom. He wants the very best for us, and when we settle for mediocre it surely breaks His heart and apparently makes Him sick to His stomach over it. He’s provided the best of everything for us, and He expects us to come after it.

Some Like It Hot.... (Part one of two)

 

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“I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!” – Revelation 3:15-16 AMPC

Ouch! Hard statement! Check out the AMP translation, it’s even more intense:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. Revelation 3:15-16 AMP

So, who or what is hot, cold or lukewarm?

Pastor’s sermon the other morning explored these scriptures, mentioning that cold water can be invigorating or refreshing, and hot water can be healing and therapeutic. (He must have read that AMP translation.) I’ve been in ridiculously hot “healing hot springs” that could burn your skin off. But hot water can be relaxing and therapeutic.

We’ve all enjoyed a refreshing glass of ice water. But an ice water bath? No thank you. It may be invigorating, but you won’t catch me in one!

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After church, we talked with friends about the sermon.

We drew from another scripture that Pastor referenced, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses its flavor…it’s good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot... (or on icy roads?)”. - Matthew 5:13

Salt can lose its savor; hot water can cool off and ice water can warm to room temperature. These examples pointed us to the conclusion that we’re losing something along the way. Can we lose our zeal for the gospel? If we understand the price Jesus paid to bring us this good news (gospel), we’d share it with everyone. But when we get busy, some of us let our priorities slip; we place Jesus on a shelf in the background of our lives, as if He isn’t important at all. Or what if….we lose our purpose, or our sense of purpose – or fail to even discover our purpose?

Another comment led us to a discussion about our comfort zone. When we do something that we’re skilled at and comfortable with, it’s not challenging, but we can feel good about doing it. When it’s something big and exciting that God is leading us to do, it’ll take us out of our comfort zone so that we’ll know that it was Christ in us accomplishing the task. If we’re sitting in water that is either too hot or too cold, we’re not comfortable at all. But if we settle into a lukewarm tub, it doesn’t disturb us or prompt us to move at all.

One thought that crossed my mind, regarding being hot, cold or indifferent; could it have to do with shock value….

BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD this is where people lose interest in a blog post, around the 500-word mark. Sometimes I go over it a bit. Sometimes I go over it a bit too much. I’m being loquacious again so, I’ll break this up into two parts, so I don’t lose you. I’ll share my conclusion quickly.

I Thought I Had No Vision.... Conclusion

 

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Beginning with one topic has become a conversation (if you’re giving me your thoughts, too) that’s encompassing much more than I thought it would. But, without understanding our position and our authority in Christ, we will never comprehend His vision for us.

Going back to one of the scriptures we started with in Habakkuk 2:2 (AMPC), “And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.”

 We know now that God’s response was to the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk who had a question, we’ve all asked God. “What are you going to do about this mess down here on earth?!” We’re looking into God’s response to him, because it’s the same answer He gives to us.

Write the vision. What vision? The vision God has for mankind. The vision that shows us our part in God’s Master Plan.

To discover that vision will require spending intimate time with Him, reading His Word, studying His Word and meditating on it. I’m not attempting to expound on or sum up Mark Cowart’s book here, I’m sharing what I got from it. I’ve read it twice now and I may read it a third time soon. It’s a small book, so if you choose to buy it, don’t think that reading it more than once is a daunting or intimidating task. (The book is available here: The Power of Vision or The Power of Vision Amazon )

(picture from Amazon)

Where do we go from here to discover God’s heavenly vision for us? I feel like God’s Word for me this year is “discover” – which is so appropriate for what I find myself doing already. I’m discovering God’s vision for ME!

I don’t say this to sound high and mighty, or to sound chastising and condescending at all, I say it with all the love in my heart and I say it from experience. If we don’t already know God’s vision for us, we are not spending enough time in His Word to discover it.

“Ouch! That hurts!

“I read the Bible every day! Sometimes I even go to a commentary or a concordance to investigate what something means. Though, I have to admit, I usually just go to a friend and ask what THEY think it means.”

“I pray every day, well, sometimes just over my meals. Okay, sometimes I let myself get too busy. But God knows my heart. He knows what I need to pray before I even say it.”   

“And, of course, I go to church. Well, most Sundays. Okay, most weeks I just watch online and listen to teachings from preachers and teachers I like throughout the week when I have time. But sometimes I even go to special events the church hosts!”

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I’ve said those same things, believe me. I’ve tried to justify my lifestyle, too. I’ve gotten too busy to spend quality time reading and studying for myself and meditating on what the Bible says. How can God speak His vision to me, or for that matter, how can He speak His love to me, if I’m not reading the Bible daily? How do I think I’m listening for what He has to say to me if too busy to pay attention? How can I appreciate His love for me if I don’t spend any time enjoying it?

I was challenged to do the very things I’m telling you to do. I’ve been setting my alarm early (and I am NOT a morning person) and I’m getting out of bed, going downstairs to make a cup of coffee – and sitting quietly, without disruptions – reading the Bible, with a commentary and pondering what I’m reading. I’m looking into the parts that I don’t understand. I’m literally searching out God’s wisdom, knowledge and His understanding. The written Word is becoming the living Word inside of me! And I’m discovering just how much God actually loves me, and I’m allowing myself to receive from Him – His love and therefore, His vision for me. And I'm writing it down. Powerful stuff!

Dare you try? And write it down! See for yourself. After all, isn't that what Jesus invites us to do? Come and see!

I Thought I Had No Vision.... Part IV

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This is turning into a longer blog post than I thought it would be when we started with this topic. I haven’t gotten very far into the conversation yet (assuming you’re conversing with me) and we’re already on part four!

I’m pondering, and I hope you’re pondering with me, over just what God wants US to do about the condition of the world. Way back in the Old Testament days of the prophet Habakkuk, he wanted to know the same thing. And the answer is the same answer God gave Habakkuk.

As today, the world was in chaos back then, too. Sometimes we’re tempted to shake our fist at God and ask Him, “What are You going to do about all of this?”

Good news, He already did His part. He’s watching us do our part.

But I’m just one person, what can I do?

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We can do what God instructs us to do. I’m not talking about things like following the ten commandments, I’m talking about what it takes TO BE ABLE TO KEEP the ten commandments. I’m talking about loving our neighbor as Jesus loves us. That was the last command, or instruction Jesus gave us before He was lifted up into the heavens right in front of His disciples. He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” – John 13:34 KJV

In John 15:12 we read it again, “This is my commandment, That you love one another as I have loved you.”

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Earlier in the Bible we read that Jesus taught His disciples to “love your neighbor as yourself”. (Matthew 22:39) Now that He has paid the price for our sin and has risen from the grave to give us new life, He’s given us the ability to love others the same way He loves us. We can let Him love them THROUGH us. And THAT – is how we’re going to “fix” the world. The only way we can do this to let God love them through us. This is where WE need clarification. We need to see and understand God’s vision of how this works. We need to understand our part in His vision. We need His vision to become our vision. We need to see what He sees; the way He sees it.

And THAT, my friends, is what having vision is all about.

In Habakkuk’s response to God, he clearly expected God to wave a magic wand and “fix” everything, which, let’s face it, is something we’d like Him to do, too. Sometimes we insist, there must be an easier way! Yet, God tells us that His ways are higher (and better) than our ways. In Isaiah 55:9 (KJV) we read, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

He is, after all, God. We are His creation. We are the works of His hands. He created us. And He created us in HIS image. He created us to be like Him. He is creative, He designed us to be creative. He is love. He created us to hold or contain His love, so that He can love through us. He wants us to live in Him and He wants to live inside of us. He created us to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. His desire is to live and love through us. We're vessels to contain His glory. An empty vessel helps no man.

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Or didn’t you know? Paul wrote to us in the New Testament, to those of us who have put our faith and complete trust in Jesus the Christ, our salvation, our redemption – our liberator. He said, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV

He asked the Christians of that day the same question He might ask us, “Don’t you know that you are the house of God? Don’t you know that the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you? You are not your own, you’ve surrendered to God and His ownership and instruction!”

Summing up part four of this pondering, we need to wrap our minds around what it means to be “in Christ” and to have Him living in us. Before we can uncover God’s vision for our lives, and for the lives of all men, we need to be surrendered to Jesus Christ, body, soul and spirit. Some things are only discerned spiritually (1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”). Our carnal minds (perceived through our senses) cannot comprehend the things of God. Once we’re born again, redeemed, or saved – we need to renew our minds with the Word of God (both logos and rhema) before we can discern the things of God. And that’s what this is about, discerning God’s vision for us.

Part five is coming soon! (It’s already written.)

I Thought I Had No Vision.... Part III

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Now, let’s get back to what Habakkuk 2:2-3 said in The Message Bible. We’ve chewed on the thoughts about why I think God is speaking personally to me (and you) in these verses. Let’s cut off another bite to chew on.

“And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.”

If God wants me to write out what I see, I need to make time to allow Him to show me what He wants me to see. It’s looking now like we’ll be chewing on these verses for a while. It’s not that they’re like tough meat that we chew on just to get it down. But I want to enjoy chewing on this bit, I want to enjoy the morsel and savor what He’s telling us here.

Before God told us to write, this scripture tells us that God is replying to Habakkuk. What had he asked him that prompted God to give him this answer? I went back to chapter one to see what the whole conversation is about. THAT is rather eye-opening. 

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In chapter one we read,

“The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it:

God, how long do I have to cry out for help
    before you listen?
How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!”
    before you come to the rescue?
Why do you force me to look at evil,
    stare trouble in the face day after day?
Anarchy and violence break out,
    quarrels and fights all over the place.
Law and order fall to pieces.
    Justice is a joke.
The wicked have the righteous hamstrung
    and stand justice on its head.”

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Well, Habakkuk, welcome to the year 2025! That’s the same thing WE’RE asking God! Perfect.

So, let’s take a look at THEIR dialog. God’s response to him shocked me! I thought to myself, “God, I don’t want to share THAT part with people! We’re not living in Old Testament times, what does this have to do with us?” Not that history is repeating itself exactly as it happened in Old Testament days, because now we have covenant with Jesus, through the blood He shed for our redemption from sin. 

But, seriously, have people and our thoughts and actions changed all that much? Have us Christians made the impact on culture that Jesus told us to? He told us to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (the good news of the new covenant we can have with God) to all creatures.” Have we done this? Have we reached everyone with the good news that we CAN live in love? That God WILL love and forgive through us? If we had, life as we know it would look completely different.

God’s response that I DIDN”T want to share with you here, because I felt unqualified to expound on it reads:

““Look around at the godless nations.
    Look long and hard. Brace yourself for a shock.
Something’s about to take place
    and you’re going to find it hard to believe.
I’m about to raise up Babylonians to punish you….”

Habakkuk 1:5-6

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God instructs Habakkuk to look at the condition the world is in around us. We think we already see the condition of the world around us. We have news on our electronic devices, it’s constantly thrown in our faces, and STILL – WE DON’T SEE IT! We see the crime and the wars and the evil that man perpetrates against man. But look behind it all, what do you see? I see a world that’s lost and going to hell – and God wants us to do our part to do something about it. Jesus suffered and went to the cross for us, because of the joy that was set before Him! He didn’t enjoy the torment man put Him through, He dreaded it. In the Garden of Gethsemane as He prepared to go to the cross, He asked His Father in heaven if He could pass on this, He pushed through and obeyed, saying, “Not my will but Yours be done.”  (Luke 22:42) He and His Father had already agreed on this plan since before mankind brought sin into the world. The JOY He saw set before Him was seeing us enjoying freedom, freedom from the rule of sin and death. His joy was in setting us free! He went through hell to give us freedom and to give us back the authority God first gave to us in the Garden of Eden, authority that Adam and Eve gave to Satan through their disobedience.

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We can have that freedom and that authority today, Jesus died to give it to us. We simply need to believe God’s Word; we just need to accept that Jesus paid the cost FOR us. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23 KJV  Jesus died in our place – for us.

After God shows us the condition of the heart of the world, we might ask Him, as Habakkuk did, “What do you want ME to do about it?”

And that’s what this is all about. I’ll continue in part four….

I Thought I Had No Vision.... Part II

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PART II

In part one, we read scripture from the Old Testament book, Habakkuk 2:2. I’m continuing to explore what it says in various translations. This one from The Message Bible, makes it pretty plain and simple to understand, and this time I’m including the following verse as well.

“And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.”

Digging in to chew and digest what I’m reading, I’ll pull it apart like I would the turkey from its bones.

God says to write what you see, meaning what He is showing ME, as He wanted Habakkuk to do all those years ago. Why do I presume that God is speaking to me the same instructions he spoke to an Old Testament prophet? I don’t make that presumption with the instructions God gave to all the writers of the Bible. I’m taking this one personally because I believe that He has certain instructions for all of us, some instructions that are for only specific individuals. But His vision for His people involves all of us. We are on a co-mission with Him. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam cultivated the garden, but God provided the life for every living thing in the garden. Adam could have done all he did to cultivate a garden, but if God didn’t make or allow the plants to grow, it would all have been in vain. If God provided the life but Adam refused to do his part in the garden, he would have been in disobedience. I’m born again, I am in Christ, I’m in covenant with God Himself, through the blood of His Son Jesus. I joyfully choose to obey God, because I have a revelation of how much He loves me – and you. He has more to reveal to me (and to you) and I want us to get to the place of continuous revelation. Surely in our lifetime we won’t exhaust the knowledge and wisdom of the God of everything.

(theheavenguy. org)

So, what do I see now that I didn’t see before? The way I’m going to explain this is that I now actually understand that I have a role to play in all of this. I knew it before, intellectually. Of course, we all understand that we’re responsible for how we live our lives. Well, let me take that back, as I look at the behavior in the world around me, it’s evident that this isn’t true. Many people refuse to take responsibility for their own lives. I am not one of them. I choose to be a part of what happens in my life. God has great plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11), but I have my part to play. I DO NOT provide my own salvation – I needed Jesus to redeem my life just like everyone else does. But fulfilling His will in my life isn’t an automatic thing. “Whatever happens happens” is not how life works. We have input as to what happens. Now that Jesus HAS redeemed my life, I belong to Him. I’m His daughter and He wants only the best for me. Note: what is best for me is not always what I think is best for me. Coming to this point of recognition is a huge part of finding God’s vision for my life and life for all of us.

(from slideplayer .com)

I’ll wrap up today’s thoughts with a place to ponder this. A space to think about how we fit into God’s plans. Take a minute right now to ask God what He wants to do with your life – then give Him a few minutes of your time to listen to what He wants to say to you – right now, today.

Looking forward to part III!

I Thought I Had No Vision.... Part I

 

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Publish the Good News

PART I

Okay, it’s time to “write the vision and make it plain….”

“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” – Psalm 119:18 NLT

Not feeling like I have a vision has helped me to procrastinate about writing one down. But the vision is already there, I just need to discover it or uncover it.

I’ve always thought about vision as in a vision board that crafty women and people desiring to be high-powered go-getters created to help them focus on what they wanted to get out of life. I actually made one once. A change in my thinking has begun to occur simply because of a book I read, helping me to understand and focus on what God wants to do with me. Pastor Mark Cowart, of Church For All Nations, in Colorado Springs, Colorado wrote the small book, The Power of Vision, Charting Your Spiritual Course. (The book is available here: The Power of Vision )

Hopefully the desire to quote directly from the book can be dismissed. But he provides some very tasty nuggets you’ll want to read for yourself. Revelation comes through a myriad of channels. But the revelation of God and His Kingdom come only through His Word, both logos and rhema. (The written word of God is (the Greek word) logos. It becomes (the Greek word) rhema when we believe it. Reading the Bible and believing what it says are two different things. Mark Cowart goes into much more detail about this in his book.) God can, will and does speak to us through whomever and whatever He chooses.

Knowing that I want whatever lot God has prepared for me, good or scary, easy or requiring more faith than I think I have, I’ve left things up to Him. I’m, by nature, a Pantzer; one who flies by the seat of my pants. I detest calendars filled with plans and appointments. My brain just isn’t made that way, I’m not generally organized. I try to be from time to time, and it works for a project or two, like cleaning and organizing a drawer or the kitchen. But life? How can I put into finite, detailed plans what God destines to do with me? Especially since from day to day, that may change. Or will it? My movements or daily assignments will change. But the vision does not.

Vision is there waiting to be uncovered. Like new life sprouting from the ground before the snow has melted, it’s already there. Now, the snow is melting and I’m beginning to see the tiny sprout poke through. In the past when this happened, I looked away. Was it fear? Was it laziness? No matter. Today that all changes.

The Lord has instructed us, even from the Old Testament.

“And the Lord answered me, and said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it.”  - Habakkuk 2:2 KJV

When I read that, I’m straining my brain to understand what looks like it should be simple to grasp. I’m sifting through the grate of various translations to discover what God says to ME through those verses. The Complete Jewish Bible reads this way, a little easier to understand: “Then Adonai answered me; he said, “Write down the vision clearly on tablets, so that even a runner can read it.”

(from 9newsng. com)

So, write it clearly and LARGE! If I were to run, the words on the paper would jiggle around and my focus would be unclear, jumping up and down, making it hard to read. So, when I write out this vision the Lord unveils for me, I’ll write it down plainly and in a very large font, so that I cannot ignore it at all. Hopefully He intends to show it to me in plain, easy to understand language. However, it kind of feels like a significant part of the vision is in the unveiling of it – because there I am becoming more intimate with Him, I’m allowing Him to express Himself inside of me! This is time well spent; time and experiences meant to be savored.

The Amplified, Classic Edition puts it this way: “And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.”

So, where are these tables or tablets that everyone can pass by and see them? A week or so ago, God spoke to me, “Publish the Gospel”. So far, what I’m getting from that is to write – and let people see what I write. Coincidentally, that’s the premise of the life group I facilitate. Is this that tablet?

It’s easiest for me to write here on my laptop. But no one sees what I write here unless I share it through social media or through my blogsite. I consider myself a writer. Maybe God does, too! Publish doesn’t necessarily mean to publish a book. Publish means to make known. Paul Revere published throughout the land that the British were coming on horseback with his bellowing voice. Words painted on the side of a barn publish a message.

(fromzazzle. com)

The Good News Translation makes it even clearer to me. It says, “The Lord gave me this answer: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.” In place of the word vision, it reads “what I reveal to you”. I love this! So, everything that God reveals to me (through His logos and rhema word)– is part of the heavenly vision! Part of the picture that God sees when He sees man and His plans for man – includes me. I’m a piece of the puzzle that’s still being put together right now. Look, on the table before God’s comfy chair is a puzzle. He has the box; He knows what the picture will look like when it’s complete; when His bride is perfect and His story continues with her. I’m one of those pieces! And so are YOU! You share a piece of this vision, too. Without you and me, the puzzle is incomplete.

More in part two. Stay tuned as I “publish the Gospel [the Good News]”.