WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

Motivational speakers love to use this verse.  Life isn't static.  If one does not have a vision of what he or she can achieve and aspire to then one is doomed to a life of being ordinary and under achievement.  When the motivational speaker talks about vision he is talking about setting lofty goals and having great aspirations because anything less is not fulfilling the purpose for which God put us on this earth for.  There is a lot of truth in the motivational approach to this verse, but that is not the purpose for which it was written.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law (Proverbs 29:18 NIV).

The New International Version makes the purpose of the verse a little more clear.  The vision spoken of in the King James Version is a prophetic vision--it is a word from God.  If people do not get a word from the Lord, they cast off restraint, doing what ever seems right in their own eyes.  In the days before all Scripture was recorded in the Bible, prophetic vision was essential for the guidance of God's people, but now that Scripture is freely available to anyone who desires, there is no need for additional revelation.  After John wrote the book of Revelation on Patmos, the need for miraculous revelation through visions ended.

I'm not saying that God will not give us a vision for what is possible in our personal lives and in our churches because when the Holy Spirit is involved, things beyond all that we can ask or think can happen!  However, in terms of new prophetic doctrinal revelation, Holy Spirit pronounces a curse on any who would add or subtract from the words of this book.

Father in Heaven, give me a vision of service and achievement in your kingdom.  May I not be found as a lazy and slothful servant because I had no vision.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

WIFE IS GOOD

A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies (Proverbs 31:10).

Helen and I finally returned home after delivering three of our grand children, Faith, Deacon and Parker home to their parents in California.  If was a long drive, but we enjoy driving, and it was even more fun for half the journey with the kids along too.  With Helen along, it was all very easy for me, as she did most of the work--and even some of the driving from the "back seat."

So when I saw the guy in Kearney, Nebraska with the T-shirt that was inscribed with "Wife is good," I could concur, Yes! wife is good!  Now I have always said, "Life is good and it is going to get gooder,"  but it could also be said, "Wife is good and she is getting gooder."

There are a million things to do to catch up, but I will be back to dreams and visions soon.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

DREAMS AND VISIONS

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17).

This is a subject that I will revisit at a later time because present family priorities take precedence over research.  What has peeked my interest in the subject was hearing that many Muslims convert to Christ because of the influence of dreams and visions.  Indeed, I did a quick "google" search of the factors that influence Muslims to convert to Christ and found that dreams and visions were the 4th leading dynamic which influenced Muslims to convert.  Is this a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy as quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17?
Is every dream psychologically significant?  Is every dream spiritually significant?  These are questions I will attempt to answer when I visit this subject again in a couple of weeks.

I tend to dream a lot, though I remember very few of them.  I am of the opinion that one needs to be intentional about remembering dreams and keep a note pad by the bed so that the minute one naturally awakens he is able to write it down.  While I was serving as dorm dad a month ago at church camp, I had a very vivid dream of being involved in a fight with another man.  When I kicked him I fell out of bed and the very next sensation I had was of laying on the cold concrete floor and it sounded like everyone was laughing at me.  As my head cleared from the two-foot fall, I saw that everyone was still fast asleep.  Evidently the laughing was part of the dream.  My chest and shoulder are still sore as a result of that fall, though I am healing nicely. So far, I have not had a recurrence of this dream, but it was so vivid that it does seem as if it should be significant either spiritually or psychologically.  We will deal with this dream, and perhaps, some others in a couple of weeks.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom