God’s Vision vs. Man’s Vision

Old Night Vision Meets New by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

God’s vision versus man’s vision!

There are three categories of visions:

  1. God has a vision for man.
  2. Man has his own vision.
  3. Satan has a vision for man.

We get stuck in the latter two categories, that is, our own vision and Satan’s vision. God’s vision is the best vision.

If you want to know what Satan’s vision look like, look around you. It is a world full of chaos, pain, sorrow, death, destruction and trouble.

If you want to know what our vision look like, look around you as well. If there is sickness, sorrow, disease, and broken promises; it is because we have had help from the wicked one in crafting our image.

The image of God has been marred in us.

When the image of God is marred, it causes everything around us to be marred. Marred according to the Bible means “to destroy,” “to disfigure,” “to damage” See Nahum 2:2, Leviticus 19:27; 2 kings 3:19; Isaiah 52:14; Jeremiah 13:9

It is difficult to get things right when you function from a marred reality. For example, in my earlier Christian walk, I saw myself as defeated, so I made decisions based on that image. I saw myself as broke and I borrowed heavily to put gas in my car and to finance my ministry.

Proverbs 18:22, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

I became a servant to the lender. I remember many days standing in line to pay my credit card bill and my house mortgage payment. If I was late, they charged me a late fee. When the credit card provider went up on their interest rate, they said, “if you don’t agree, stop using the card.” I was so dependent on credit that I had developed a lifestyle around credit debt.

Every year I received a credit card statement of the total interest paid during the year. It always came out to over $1,000.00. Now that I am debt-free, I have money in my savings account more than the credit card debt I was carrying. I made about $1.44 in interest off my savings. I could have invested my money in a higher interest bearing account. But what I am talking about is three different visions; God’s vision, man’s vision and Satan’s vision.

God has storehouses in heaven. He instructs us to store treasure in heaven where moth can’t eat, rust corrode or thieves breakthrough and steal.

The difference between the two visions; my vision and the world’s vision is slavery. I was plowing other people’s fields.

“The global debt reached 305 trillion American dollars in 2022, including debt by both public and private debtors.” Global debt- Wikipedia

Coming out of the debtor’s prison

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

I realized, if I was going to come out of slavery to man, I had to get God’s vision. God doesn’t borrow money. He doesn’t suffer depression. He doesn’t eat out of garbage cans. He doesn’t beg for a loan. He isn’t starving!

I wish I could say the transformation was over night. It wasn’t. It was gradual, little by little, I slowly came out debt! I made a decision that I wasn’t going be in debt to man. I started giving and sowing. The harvests came in and I was able to pay off my mortgage, credit card and put a new roof on my house debt-free.

God created us in his image

In Genesis 1:26, God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over…

You have to accept the fact that you are created in the image of God. God never changed his mind about making man in his image.

The truth is, God did something about the marred image of himself in man.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

He did something more, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to tell us what his will is

Hebrews 1:2-3,

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; whom being the brightness of his glory, and the express imagine of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of his Majesty on high.”

We can also see what God is like by reading the Bible, especially these four chapters among many others that gives us a picture of what is the true image of God; Genesis, chapters 1-2 and Revelation chapters 20-22 presents a picture of the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

God uses the word “over” five times to communicate his vision for Adam and Eve. For example, God wanted them to manage the earth. They were to reproduce heaven on earth. They were to create things by speaking words! Like God did and still does!

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

The Communication Void

The communication void is the big issue. There is a chasm between what God created us to be and what we are now! We must fill that chasm by speaking God’s word into void.

Pray for God to open our eyes so that we can see what he wants us to see. Pray for God to open our ears so that we can hear clearly what he wants us to hear.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Today, I encourage you to speak light into your darkness, into the empty void of pain, sickness, disease, and lack. God created you in his image and likeness!

Grace and peace!

Shuttered St. Cyprian’s church to be reborn as community center, house of hip-hop

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/shuttered-st-cyprians-church-to-be-reborn-as-community-center-house-of-hip-hop

I don’t believe in raining on anybody dreams.

The sad reality is that church as Jesus defined it is a house of prayer for all nations.

Jesus also defined the church as light in the community. Revelation light flows from God into communities.

Over the last 40 years, churches became a place where civil rights/social issues were fought from the pulpit. Churches focused on feeding the community. They spent great effort to draw people with entertainment and social programs.

People benefited physically but remain broken spiritually!

I don’t know anything about St. Cyprians Church. But I do know, a few years ago, many pastors would’ve gone deep into debt to buy this church.

Today, large church buildings are being sold to Muslims groups or being repurposed by businesses.

Our true battle is not about food, clothes, jobs, or even health.

The true battle, the most important battle, is having a relationship with God. He is  THE SOURCE of all! Satan will use anything to keep you from coming to the truth!

The future of the Body of Christ

The real battle is raging all around us. Each believer must apply what they have learned in past years. No more entertainment. No more pep rallies. It’s about making application of the Word of God through Seed time Harvest!

The new generations in the land

The newer generations, by and large, know nothing about spiritual warfare, walking by faith or worship. They know hip-hop and government support.

When Satan comes for you, know he is coming to steal, kill, and destroy!

The world system is flipping real fast and hard. Food prices doubling, rent skyrocketing! Everything is increasing in cost every single day!

God provided seed and trees for our provision in Genesis chapter 1. He still provides the same today.

God provides seed to sowers, bread for our food. He multiplies the seed we sow and increases the fruits of our righteousness (harvests), 2 Corinthians 9:9-10

We have to live from the inside out! That means keeping the Word of God in your heart and trusting him for provision

Grace & peace!

God commanded light to shine out of darkness!

God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness…

I was a marine on aboard a navy ship on a military operation. I remember attending a roll call late one night on deck. It was the blackest night I ever witnessed. Not a light on the sea. Not a star, couldn’t see the moon, nothing, totally black. The lights on the deck of the ship were dim.

This was my first time on board a ship. Space was cramped, and the sailors curse and cursed and cursed constantly.

Sometimes, you can find yourself in a black place surrounded by blackness and bleakness on all sides.

The vast empty void

I imagine when God created the heavens and the earth, he looked at the vast empty void that was full of darkness, a watery abyss. The Bible says the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the deep. The Spirit of  God moved upon the waters.

God said, “Let there be light: and there was light. God saw the light that it was good.”

Look at 2 Corinthians 4:6,

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath light in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Keep looking into the face of Jesus Christ for answers

2 Corinthians 4:7

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

The answer is in your heart and mouth!

“… Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (That is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto righteousness.” Romans 10:6a-10

Grace & peace!

Delivered from the power of Darkness

No matter how black your blackness

NO matter how deep your darkness

NO matter how black and deep your pit is

According to Colossians 1:13

God had delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ!

1. You have obtained an inheritance, Colossians 1:12, which includes resources to help you defeat your enemies!

2. Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8. Also see, John 12:28-32

3. Jesus paid for our redemption in full on the cross. All his suffering on the way to cross, at the cross, and on the cross was designed by God for us! See Isaiah 53:10.

His suffering in hell was for us. This is why Jesus could say, “I have the keys of death and hell.” Revelation 1:18

Jesus went into the blackness and the deepest part of hell and conquered the devil, Ephesians 4:8-10!

There is no place where Jesus isn’t Lord and master! He fills all things!

Jesus tasted death for all people, Hebrews 2:9

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14-15

4. Jesus is the light of the world. Those who follow him shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life, John 8:12

5. Light shines into darkness, and darkness can not put it out! John 1:1-5

Truth

The power of darkness is in its ability to deceive you out of something. To take by convincing you that you have no power, no authority, no rights, and no choice!

God calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light, 1 Peter 2:9

We have obtained an inheritance.  Inheritance is “substance” that has been willed to us by God. This includes resources that will help you defeat your enemies!

King David’s testimony of deliverance

Psalms 40:1-5

– God brought him up from a horrible noisy pit and miry clay, set his feet on a rock. Put a new sung in his heart

-How to walk, live, and abide in the light: Read John 12:35-36,

“While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light…”

Exercise

Confess:

I am born again, child of God. I am blood brought and blood washed. I have been delivered from the power of darkness. I am in the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Darkness, I renounce you in the mighty name of Jesus. I take my deliverance by faith!

Revelation 1:5-6, Blood washed

Revelation 5:9, Redeemed by the Blood

Revelation 12:11, Victorious by the Blood

Grace & peace!