When there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18) Their are two very weighty areas of life expressed in this proverb. The first expression is the plan, the purpose, and the reason to exist as God's people. The next would be the quality of one's relationship with their Creator. Once a very large company experience a significant drop in sales. To their surprise, this was in the immediate area where the manufacturing factory was located. All the other areas of the country were on an increase. So concerning, that the president of the company himself went to investigate. He chose to travel by bus. This he felt would give him a feel of the area, meet the public, ask questions and so on. He wanted to get a pulse on the situation. This is what he learned. His company was a major employer in the area. Most of his employees when asked about the product they produced would give a long exhortation of poor working conditions, poor management, horrible pay; adding how the wealth of the company's president was increased at their expense. Oh yes, then they would add, but it's a good product. No one had ever seen the president face to face; so, entrance into their emotional behavior was easily gained by this perfect stranger. Needless to say, the president closed the factory and relocated elsewhere. Taking only his faithful employees; all others were left to their own demise. A vision is something that one hopes and works for. Knowing this, that some day it will become a reality. If someone asked you today, "what is the vision for your church?" What would you answer? Would your answer engulf an active part or some clever mechanical lip service? Would your vision entail God as the owner, Jesus as the head and the Holy Ghost turning others from the power of darkness to the power of light? You be the judge.
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The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) Sometimes it's hard to believe that God is seeing everything. There our times when it seems that there are no rules. Day by day men's wills are being exercised without any reasoning of right or wrong. They are void of the fear of the Lord and are unaware why they have been created. So masked are Father God's eyes, that even the most cleverest of persons sometimes forgets that HE is watching! One of the joys of exercising God's gifts, is that when I am praying for people, the spirit of the Lord will talk about their personal lives. So impressed is the hearer; that sometimes they are surprised that God knows! You see the Bible is not a lifeless book of yester year. Exactly what God did in his inspired word; he does today! Seeing all, knowing all and pertaining to all. His presence is unlocked through faith. For I am fully persuaded that if his eyes are watching, his person will be there also. Jesus has said, " Behold I stand at the door and knock." As you open your heart, the floodgates will open and he will embrace your every need. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (Psalm 102:25 – 27) Sometimes when we see a most beautiful sunset or become engulfed with Father God's intricate details of this present life; it is almost unthinkable that all of this will pass away. Sometimes, even our own physical appearance seems to express a feeling that we could go on forever. Then as if a little bell goes off, we realize that all things in this life will come to an end. What a dilemma! What to do? Some years ago while visiting a hospital in the country of England, I met a young fellow named Joseph. He was in need of a kidney transplant. As I talked with him, my thoughts were all about his eternal soul. Seeing his condition and knowing the success rate of such an operation; I needed to convey to him that his soul was eternal. I flooded his mind with the gospel, God, Jesus, heaven, my journeys around the world and so on. It was a most wonderful afternoon! A few days later, Joseph went the way of all flesh. His vesture was changed and his spirit returned to God. Beloved, as your journey continues in this world and life's events seem to devalue the heavenly program; embrace Jesus! Then and only then will the picture of this life become much clearer. |
Dr. Thomas SnyderArchives
January 2019
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