April 2004 Newsletter

God gives Vision – God makes Promises – We have Expectation

"What is God’s will for my life?" is a question that many believers ask.

God has shown through His word what His will is for mankind individually and corporately. He has given His promise that what He says, will happen.

God’s will for our lives is for us to catch His vision, believe His promises and expect Him to perform.

Expect God to keep His word

When God brought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, He gave them a picture of the land to which He was taking them (Exodus 3:17), and a promise that He was giving them this land; "the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel" (Numbers 13:2).

Joshua and Caleb caught God’s vision for the children of Israel. They were amongst the leaders of the tribes of Israel sent to spy out the promised land. All the spies came back with a good report of the land but ten of the twelve leaders also brought a negative report of the problems to overcome. "It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there" (Numbers 13:27-28). There was no expectation that God Almighty would do what He had promised.

Caleb and Joshua believed that God would keep His promise and expected that God would also enable them to overcome the difficulties and defeat the enemy. "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30).

"The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them". (Numbers 14:7-9)

Their eyes were on the Lord, not on the problems and obstacles. They were like the young men about whom John wrote, "You are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one" (1John 2:14)

The Lord delights in those who trust in Him and fulfills His promises to such people.

Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who came out of Egypt and finally entered the promised land. All the rest perished in the wilderness.

"And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:18-19)

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (Proverbs 29:18) and so they did not enter into the promise of God.

Kingdom focus releases expectation

The will of God was to establish His kingdom. Jesus confessed before Pilate, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world" (John 18:37). He came to earth to express God.

Jesus said: "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me". (John 6:38)

When the believer remains focused on Jesus, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords"(Revelation 19:16), seated in heavenly places "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come"(Ephesians 1:21) as with Caleb and Joshua, the obstacles will be as nothing.

VISION (REVELATION) COMES FROM HEAVEN, FROM THE VERY THRONE (PLACE OF GOD’S AUTHORITY). FULFILLMENT WILL COME FROM THE ONE WHO SITS ON THE THRONE.

The people asked Jesus: "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" (John 6:29)

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (John 6:30)

We need a revelation of God’s vision for mankind. We are to take hold of God’s promises with regard to the revelation and expect that He will keep His promises.

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Surely we can expect God to fulfill His visions.

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come; it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3)

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The teams home from Myanmar and India brought reports of seeing God’s vision for the church and the nations being outworked as men and women of faith believe that God will confirm His word as they obey Him. The vision to go and "make disciples" is being fulfilled in the midst of persecution because Jesus said: "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus showed that the kingdom comes with signs. A village woman who had been married ten years without children proudly held a tiny baby and confounded other village women by telling them that God had given her this baby when the team asked Him to open her womb last year. She was baptized this year. Nothing is too hard for the One who came to give us life in abundance.

The team visiting Mauritius and the African nations is sending home encouraging reports of the Lord confirming His word. Continue to pray for them. They are due home on 27^thApril.

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CALENDAR

Training Day at Shiloh 10.30am-5pm 17^th April, 2004. Phone for details after Easter

Training Day at Shiloh 10.30am-5pm 1^st May, 2004. Welcome home team from Africa.

Mid-year Training School 28^th June – 10^th July, 2004

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