The Two Paths E-Book

Rev. Tim O'Connell

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In our journey as believers, there will be times when we will be confronted with life altering decisions. When we stand at that crossroad, what choice will we make? Will it be man’s way or God’s Way? That is the essence of the message of The Two Paths. The Lord is pleading with His church to hear what the Spirit is saying in this hour; are we hearing, are we discerning and are we responding? May the Lord help us to be among those who are not only Called, but also Chosen and found Faithful as we navigate through God’s Pathways of Life.

Leseprobe

THE TWO PATHS

Choosing the Path that Leads to the Kingdom

Foreword by

Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769.

Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from The New King James Version/Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers., Copyright© 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked “NIV” are taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Scripture quotations marked “NASB” are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

First Edition - March 2021

Published by Timothy O’Connell

P.O. Box 255 Marine Parade Central Singapore 00000

Written by: Timothy O’Connell

Cover design: Peter Sam

Graph/Chart design: Lawton Ho & Peter Sam

Published with permission as an e-book on April 2021 in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-741-3

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Phone: [phone]

Toll free: 1-877-768-7466

Fax: [phone]

www.zcpublishers.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to the editorial team: Carol Foo, Lawton Ho, Elizabeth Humphreys, Peter Sam, and Suzanne Ying.

A special thank you to Pr David Ravenhill, Gregory Vijayendran, and Wee Zi Cong for their kind endorsements.

Thank you to many others who have encouraged and helped me in this journey.

Tim O’Connell

November 14, 2020

THE FIRST PATH...

It was a cold Thursday morning in March of 1982 as I was exiting from the East Grandview Plaza in Erie Pennsylvania after receiving an order from the Loblaws meat manager. I was planning on turning left onto Pine Ave to make my way to my next destination however I gave pause before going further. Something that John Hermann, the meat manager just told me caused me to contemplate. “Do you know that Dan Caram is leaving Loblaws to become a full-time Bible minister”? I was taken aback by his statement because I have known Dan Caram for about four years and I did not know he was a Pastor. In fact, I just came from his store. What was the reason for such contemplation on my part?

Eleven days earlier I was on my knees crying out to God at 3 AM that He might bring someone along who could bring guidance and help into my life. I was a backslidden believer and I knew that I could no longer live this dual-type life. That night came back to me as I was deciding which way to turn. Do I turn left and continue onward with my work as planned or do I turn right and go back to see Dan Caram? I obeyed the prompting and returned to see Dan Caram and find out more about his life and ministry call. That decision was clearly a turning point in my life. Dan Caram is still pastoring today; he is my Pastor and I am eternally grateful to God for being steered in his direction in 1982.

On that day in 1982 I was presented with Two Paths. It would have been normal and expected if I would have turned left onto Pine Avenue and continued with my work schedule. Still, there was a prompting that could not be ignored. I was desperate, I needed more of God and it was worth the time to at least see if this was God answering a deep-rooted prayer. The fruits of that one decision changed everything. This in a nutshell is the message of Two Paths. With each passing day there is a greater awareness of no longer being able to live a status-quo type of Christian existence. Do you sense this to be true? Are you open to the leading and promptings of the Lord?

There are many people who have made a profound impact upon my life.

Dr. Brian Bailey who is referenced many times in this book is one such person. It was Dr. Bailey’s concern for the dividing church of the last days that serves as the basis for this message on the Two Paths.

Pastor Dan Caram is one who fostered within me a love for the Word of God. Anyone who knows Pastor Caram will recognize his influence through my writing and depictions of certain events. The section of this Book entitled “The Roman By-Pass” is inspired by his teaching from the Book of Romans. I am eternally grateful for the Lord prompting me on the pathway back to his store in 1982.

All in all, this book has been an approximate 6-year project. I am convinced of the need for its message, it is only hoped that it is conveyed in a meaningful and practical way for the modern-day believer. Take a look at the events transpiring before us today. You can see the eroding of middle-ground positions in politics and culture. If true in the natural you can be sure it is truer in matters of the spirit (1 Corinthians 15:46). The state of complacency and indifference in the church is alarming. Sound the alarm in Zion (Joel 2:1), Awake, Awake (Isaiah 52:1) are but a few of the clarion calls sounding forth. Who is hearing? Who is responding?

A journey and message that begun in 1982 continues to play out in our day. In fact, it is a message that continues to take on greater meaning. No matter where you may be in your journey with God it is hoped that this book will help in defining the Two Paths and inspire you to journey on the path that leads to righteousness and holiness (Revelation 22:11).

FOREWORD

Our flesh has a tendency of thinking its way is superior to God’s way. Peter you recall took Jesus aside and rebuked Him for telling them he was about to suffer and eventually be killed. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and explained to them that ‘the natural mind doesn’t understand the things of God.’ This book could well be titled God’s Way versus Man’s Way. It sets forth the fact that there are two paths that each of us face. One path is the expressway of expediency while the other is the narrow way of excellency. While the way of the cross, humility, brokenness, righteousness etc may seem too difficult; the end result is a vessel fit for the Masters use. The expressway of expediency appeals to our flesh but ends up having to be discarded or remade by the Potter before it can be of any use to Him.

I believe that this book should be required reading for everyone entering the ministry, not to mention those already in the service of the King. This book is a keeper, to be read over and over again, preferable on your knees. I have known the writer for many years and can vouch for his integrity, humility, wisdom and passion for God and His Word.

Read, but more importantly, heed the message of this book. It may save you years of aimless wandering or more importantly, save your very soul.

David Ravenhill,

Author & Itinerant Teacher.

Lakeland, Florida

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

Anne Frank wrote: “Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.”

This book concerns discernment and decision on the binary choices Christians are confronted with at various stages of our short sojourn on earth. We make spiritual choices that then make us. The choice between the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah or the land of Canaan in Genesis 13:9-12. The choice facing the Israelites hearing Joshua’s charge to them: “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV). The alternative options facing the children of Israel hearing Elijah’s clarion call on Mount Carmel: “ How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him: but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21, NKJV). And many others.

Two winds. Two paths. Two coverings. Two offerings. Two congregations. Two confessions. Two priests. Two prophets. Two Solomons. That, in a nutshell, is what you will see clearly in a truth-surfacing, word-based, deep dive Scriptural study over the four sections of this book. Like his spiritual father Brian Bailey, Reverend Tim O’Connell wields the Word in his writing as a skilful swordsman. He uses the two-edged sword (that is alive, quick and powerful) to cut through the dividing point between soul and spirit and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

And yet, the two-edged sword pierces within the wielder-writer’s own soul as well. Reverend Tim shares rich personal anecdotes from his own life and ministry; honestly confessing his own faults in transparent testimony. Honestly, such authenticity is exceptional for a veteran minister and missionary in Christendom. His examples, like the exemplary essay, turn the spotlight on the state of our soul. We are confronted with the Truth. And each of us then need to make a choice: to obey God or not.

This is no light or easy reading. If you want milk, close this book. Solid food is for the mature, for those who have the powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14, ESV). Like the Word of God, the more you go through this book, the more this book will go through you. So, be ready saints for the Holy Spirit to speak to your spiritual ears, words of truth (even if uncomfortable) and words of life (reviving the dead and dormant)!

Anyone who knows Reverend Tim O’Connell well will know his faithfulness as a servant of the Lord Jesus who preaches and teaches in the fear of the Lord. And that godly fear (contrasted with human fear) is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). There is indeed an abundance of both God’s wisdom and understanding in this book.

As you partake, you will discern the tree you are eating from … the tree of life (Revelations 2:7) and not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The latter may be seductive. It certainly characterizes many popular manuscripts in this hour.

But you, on the other hand, made the right choice to read this book. It will give you life. It will change your life.

Gregory Vijayendran

God’s Servant & Chairman,

Law Christian Fellowship

Every now and then, you come across a book that is hard to put down. Then there are those that occasionally come by which cause you to slow down to pore over. Two Paths is a rare find that accomplishes both. Having personally known Pastor Timothy O’Connell for a number of years, this was a book that I had highly anticipated, and it has certainly been well worth the wait.

Two Paths is sound, rich with insight, and it puts a thirst in you to delve deep into the Word of God for yourself. It is written with prophetic unction and urgency, and no doubt it will challenge you to soberly examine yourself. As we approach the final hour, we cannot but remain circumspect and discerned of the times that we live in. May this book help you to do just that and encourage you to stay on the Narrow Path until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wee Zi Cong

Author of A Rose in the Wilderness

We are living in the world where your single entity as a person is being split into two elements. A data and a soul. Practically every decision that a person (soul) make will leave breadcrumbs of information (data). Designers will use the information to chart several graphs. Marketers will analyse them. And social media platforms will narrow your choice to present the best paths to choose to satisfy your soul.

For the last 6 exciting years, Pastor Tim and I have been meeting in a café discussing about the choices that people make and the eventual paths they’ll end up taking. I hope this book will feed us enough, for us, to choose wisely. The glamour of ‘Broadway’ has to be fed and added constantly, but the narrow way requires an unloading of much baggage, resulting in a choice that places us in one of Two Paths in our journey to Spiritual Zion. “Which path, will it be for you?”

Peter Sam

L. Pastor, Cornerstone Bahasa Indonesia Fellowship

PREFACE / INTRODUCTON

This book began as a series of individualised sermons and messages delivered over several years. The common theme running through them falls under the subject heading of Two Paths. I taught this in seminar settings in several countries, and a constant request from participants was for this topic to be presented in book form.

I sent my finished chapters for editing just before heading off to the Bible College of Wales with my wife Joanne in the autumn of 2017. The plan was to complete a three-month assignment as dean of the college from September to November, return to Singapore, finalise the manuscript, and hand it over to the publisher. However, it turned out that more revisions were needed before the book could be completed.

A significant incident took place while I was at the Bible College of Wales that added credence and urgency to the message of Two Paths. It took place in the Blue Room known as the site where prayer and intercession led by college founder Rees Howell during the Second World War helped turn developments around, in favour of the Allies.

It was in that same room soaked with such a rich history that the Lord brought forth a unique prophetic word on Monday, 25 September 2017. During our weekly prayer meeting that evening, there was a very strong sense of the Lord’s anointing. An intercessor was strongly impacted by a thought of two powerful winds blowing through the Church. She did not have further insight into its meaning, but when she shared it with the group, the Lord impressed the interpretation upon me.

I strongly sensed in my spirit that the first wind was one that the Lord was directing us to face up to as opposed to avoiding or dismissing it. There was a strong emphasis that this wind was permitted of God, and though powerful in its fury, it was meant for the Church to square up to and even embrace. I felt that a warning was being given to those who would mislabel this first wind or try to sidestep it altogether.

As for the second wind, I sensed that it was likened to the southern winds which brought a time of refreshing, as cited in Song of Songs 4:16. It was clear that the magnitude of the blessing contained in the second wind was directly linked to the extent to which the first wind was embraced.

Ten days later, that same intercessor came across a prophetic word entitled Two Winds Coming to the Church. (https://www.northwestprophetic.com/2009/07/two-winds-coming-to-church.html).

TWO WINDS COMING TO THE CHURCH

BY DAVID MINOR

This word is not from a “major prophet” with a big name. David Minor was (simply) a youth or associate pastor from Longview Wa. and that prophetic word was circulated humbly typed and then recopied. I believe that this 22-year-old word is speaking to us in this season. God is again speaking to His prophets about the winds. I believe these winds are beginning to come upon us; we would be wise to turn our face into the wind.

The Spirit of God would say to you that the wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing through the land. The church however, is incapable of fully recognizing this wind. Just as your nation has given names to its hurricanes, so I have put My name on this wind. This wind shall be named “Holiness unto the Lord”.

Because of a lack of understanding, some of My people will try to find shelter from the wind, but in so doing, they shall miss My work. For this wind has been sent to blow through every institution that has been raised in My Name. In those institutions that have substituted their name for Mine, they shall fall by the impact of My wind. Those institutions shall fall like cardboard shacks in a gale. Ministries that have not walked in up-righteousness before Me shall be broken and fall.

This is My Wind.

For this reason, man will be tempted to brand this as a work of Satan, but do not be misled. This is My Wind. I cannot tolerate My church in its present form, nor will I tolerate it. Ministries and organizations will shake and fall in the face of this wind and even some will seek to hide from that wind. They shall not escape. It shall blow against your lives and all around you will appear crumbling and so it shall.

But never forget, this is MY WIND, says the Lord. With tornado force it will come and appear to leave devastation, but the word of the Lord comes and says, “Turn your face into the wind and let it blow, for only that which is not of Me shall be devastated.” You must see this as necessary.

A second wind.

Be not dismayed for after this, My wind shall blow again. Have you not read how My breath blew on the valley of dry bones? So it shall breathe on you. This wind will come in equal force as the first wind. This wind too will have a name. It shall be called “The Kingdom of God”.

It shall bring government and order. Along with that, it shall bring My power. The supernatural shall come in that wind. The world will laugh at you because of the devastation of the first wind, but they will laugh no more. For this wind will come with force and power that will produce the miraculous among My people and the fear of God shall fall on the nation. My people will be willing in the day of My power says the Lord. In the first wind that is upon you now, I shall blow out pride, lust, greed, competition and jealousy and you will feel devastated, but haven’t you read “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?” So out of your poverty of spirit, I will establish My kingdom. Have you not read the kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost? So by My spirit, My kingdom will be established and made manifest.

Know this also, there will be those who will seek to hide from this present wind and they will try to flow in the second wind. But again, they will be blown away by it. Only those who have turned their faces into the present wind shall be allowed to be propelled by the second wind.

You have longed for revival and a return of the miraculous and the supernatural. You and your generation shall see it, but it shall only come by My process says the Lord. The church of this nation cannot contain My power in its present form. But as it turns to the wind of Holiness unto the Lord, it shall be purged and changed to contain my Glory. This is the judgment that has begun to the house of God, but it is not the end. When the second wind has come and brought in My harvest, then the end shall come.

by David Minor midnight 6th April, 1987

This 1987 prophetic word gripped the attention of all of us at the Bible College of Wales. Is it possible that the spiritual wind called ‘Holiness unto the Lord’ is beginning to churn in its effort to get to the root of sin among God’s people? And if it is, are we willing to subject ourselves to this wind so that the Lord can accomplish His purpose of cleansing us—the temple of the living God? Are we truly hearing what the Spirit of God is speaking to the Church of our day?

‘Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place’ (Isaiah 28:16–17).

‘But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness’ (Malachi 3:2–3).

There is an urgency to the prophecy of Two Winds Coming to the Church due to the lateness of the hour. Remember it as you journey through this book Two Paths, for they are twin messages that dovetail.

The first wind serves as the key to the full expression of God’s kingdom. It helps us to understand how we can stay on the path that leads to righteousness and holiness. It helps ensure that our feet are firmly planted on the narrow path that leads to life:

‘Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it’ (Matthew 7:13–14).

Most of today’s Church is opting for a bypass instead, choosing the easier path which dismisses the first wind while expecting to flow in the blessings of the second wind. Let us not join them for we are called to walk in the narrow way that leads to Zion, the city of our God!

‘There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High’ (Psalm 46:4).

TWO PATHS

The stakes are high as we draw closer to the period of our Lord Jesus Christ’s return. The divide in the Church is widening, yet most believers remain asleep and indifferent to this reality. The middle ground where many Christians seek to live is eroding. The ability to straddle the world and the kingdom of God is no longer an option; a choice is required between the two paths that exist in most of today’s Church. The challenge that Elijah the Prophet issued to his audience on Mount Carmel is sounding forth again: ‘How long halt ye between two opinions?’ (1 Kings 18:21)

Let’s travel back in time to a 1982 Leadership Conference attended by pastors from a fellowship of churches in America’s New York state. I was not present but I had the opportunity to listen to the recorded messages. The featured speaker was Dr. Brian Bailey who founded Zion Fellowship and Zion Christian University. In a message entitled The Two Streams, he focused on what the Church would look like in the last days. His primary premise was that the end time Church would divide. At first, this divide would be subtle and easy to bridge, but over time, the separation would become distinct and clearer, as illustrated in Revelation 3:16 and 22:11.

Many prominent ministers in attendance at this conference strongly assented to Dr. Bailey’s warning. I recognised their voices and names, yet sadly, many of them turned aside to contrary paths just a few years later. How could this have happened to such a mature group of leaders? If it could happen to them, it could happen to anyone of us, so let’s explore why they left the narrow way and learn how we can keep from turning aside.

While The Two Streams message was first delivered several decades ago, the Lord has placed an increased burden on this subject in recent years. He made it clear to me that this important topic must be brought to life in a meaningful way. Firstly, it must be made relevant to Christians of today—expressed in real terms and made practical. Secondly, it is imperative that the Word of God comes alive for readers of Two Paths by taking them into biblical narratives that are presented throughout the book. This is to provide ample opportunity for each of us to be open and honest about our true spiritual condition under the spotlight of God’s Word.

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES

Going further back in time to the 1960s, let’s consider Joe South, an American singer-songwriter who penned an instructive song in the midst of the changing culture of his era. Called Walk a Mile in My Shoes, the lyrics reminded listeners to try to put on the shoes of those whom they sought to ‘accuse, criticise or abuse’. This is good advice for many believers who are quick to judge biblical characters without making an effort to place themselves into the narrative.

How would you have responded if you had been Adam or Eve in the Garden of Eden? Without the benefit of knowing the consequences, what would you have done if you had been in their shoes? An ability to inject yourself into biblical storylines is important if you are to properly appropriate the potent Two Paths message.

It’s easy to preach powerful messages on scriptural characters and their shortcomings while picturing ourselves as unflinching heroes of the faith. (Deny Jesus three times? Not me!) But we must remember that we have a much higher degree of accountability because of the light shed by thousands of years of biblical history and the many examples found in God’s Word. This should certainly put a measure of the fear of the Lord in each of us!

There is ample evidence to confirm that the Church of today is dividing. This awareness should provoke every Christian to pursue the path that ‘leads unto life’. A primary objective of this book is to help each reader honestly assess where you would be placed within familiar biblical narratives, so that you’ll recognise and understand which of the two paths you are currently walking in.

FOUR SECTIONS

I have divided this book into four sections. In the first part, we will examine the lines of separation between the two paths and the steps leading up to that point of demarcation.

The second section is entitled The Romans Highway. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans serves as a blueprint for modern Christian living. It also helps to shed light on a clear point of separation that addresses many hotly-

debated doctrinal issues facing today’s Church. While The Romans Highway is a subject that deserves its own book, I’m including it here as it blends well with the presiding theme. In addition, the core message of Two Paths is enhanced through this unique approach.

In the third section of the book, a selected series of seven contrasts helps to place the central message within a modern-day Church context. This healthy yet sobering exercise will allow us to see ourselves through a unique mirror.

This is what will be covered:

1. The Two Coverings (Genesis 3)

2. The Two Offerings (Genesis 4)

3. The Two Congregations (Exodus 31:18 to 32:1–6)

4. The Two Confessions (Numbers 13:30–31)

5. The Two Priests (Ithamar/Eleazar)

6. The Two Prophets (Elijah/Balaam)

7. The Two Solomons (Song of Solomon/Ecclesiastes)

The fourth section seeks to address the question as to Where do we go from here. It is important that we first have an understanding as to where we are in our individual journey with God. Once this is known it is important to have practical guidelines to help establish and keep us on the good path. Simple everyday disciplines go a long way in helping this to become a life-long reality.

The urgent wake-up call contained in both The Two Paths and Two Winds must be taken seriously. With greater awareness of diverging paths, it is critical for all of us to know how to get onto or stay on the path that leads towards glory, righteousness and holiness.

‘But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day’ (Proverbs 4:18).

CHAPTER ONE

WHY THE MESSAGE OF TWO PATHS?

In short, Two Paths is a message on discernment—warning that all is about to change and helping to clarify which of the two ways we are walking in. Let’s be clear: most Christians seek to have it both ways in the way they lead their lives. Do you have the desire and ability to be intentional in seeking to lead a life separated unto God? Will you recognise the distinct lines of demarcation?

Have you noticed the confusion coming forth from many of today’s pulpits? On the one hand, there is conservative theological thought that can lead to exclusivity and irrelevance if taken to an extreme. On the other hand, there are contentious doctrines and teachings such as Hyper-grace, Word of Faith and Dominion Theology. Which of these theologies are sound? How do we gain clarity? Let’s begin where perhaps most of the Church can find agreement—the Lord’s address to the Church in Laodicea.

‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth’ (Revelation 3:15–16).

The Laodicean Church existed in the days when John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation, but it also serves as a picture of the end time Church. One of the dominant messages coming forth from these scriptural verses is that there will be no middle ground. The days of co-existence are over; the teachings and doctrines that we subscribe to will determine our respective paths going forward. This is an important truth! A teaching may sound right today, and even appear fruitful and relevant, but where does it lead to? This is why it’s so important for us to have a vision. What is our ultimate destination, and how do we plan to get there?

The Bible instructs us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32), and we would do well to also remember Lot, the nephew of Abraham. When Lot allowed his vision to dictate his path to Sodom, he had no clue as to what awaited him in that evil city. The same is true of some Christians today—they think that if the here and now looks good, it must be okay to move in that direction. However, even though the two paths both seem easy to navigate in the initial stages, the key question is where each way eventually leads to.

Having a good vision is important because it points us in the direction that we should follow in order to reach our desired goal. A good vision requires planning so that our long-term objective can be achieved. This is true at a personal level as well as a national one.

One of the most effective vision statements that I have ever read was delivered by American President John F Kennedy at Houston’s Rice University on 13 September 1962. What was his vision? It was the declared objective to send a man safely to the moon and back before the end of the decade. This vision was successfully fulfilled on 20 July 1969. It is not hard to paint grandiose visions; the hard part is making them come to pass.

God has set a mark and target for each of our lives. There is a specified goal that He has placed before us, a goal that was pre-determined before the foundations of the world. The Apostle Paul was well aware of this for his own life, and he reached forth to apprehend his mark and prize (Philippians 3:12–14). If God has a pre-determined course for your life, you can be assured that He has made available a personalised vision for you. Do you know what it is?

It is critical for every one of us to have an idea of God’s calling because that will determine what steps we take on our onward journey. We must be aware of the enemy’s intent to lead believers off course. The last thing Satan wants is for God’s children to discover His ordained path for their lives. One thing must be clear: our walk with God must be on His terms and in accordance with His will. The enemy is a master at presenting shortcuts and easier paths that result in a comfortable and compromised mode of Christianity.

Middle ground Christianity can no longer be sustained. We cannot stop at having a good vision; what’s more important is the means that we take to achieve that goal. In penning these thoughts, I recall an event in 1992 that will help to further establish this truth.

A 1992 FLASHBACK

It was a Thursday night in August 1992, and I had settled in to watch a message that inspired many who had the opportunity to view it. Entitled A New Covenant, this televised broadcast countered the disillusionment and struggles facing many of its viewers all across the United States. At three different points of the message, the speaker quoted this familiar Bible verse on vision: ‘Where there is no vision the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18).

A New Covenant struck a chord with the audience because it signalled a fresh beginning, birthing hope that a new thing was about to take place in every sphere of life. At the same time, the message proposed a discarding of the old, with former things giving way to the dawn of a new day. The vision it contained resonated with countless people—it addressed problems that they were coping with, coupled with a promise that the vision would be turned into reality. The closing reference was yet another Scripture, but it was paraphrased as follows, “our eyes have not yet seen, nor our ears heard, nor our minds imagined what we can build.”

If you’re thinking that the session concluded with a hymn of praise or a worship song, you would be surprised to learn that it ended with a rowdy chorus of Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by the rock group Fleetwood Mac. A New Covenant was not delivered by a Christian leader; it was a speech by the Democratic Party’s nominee for the post of US President. As I observed the party atmosphere, I wondered if then governor Bill Clinton would indeed be elected to lead America, and what kind of president he would be if he succeeded.