I had the privilege of riding my bike along with some good friends of mine, and we rode up to a town in Oklahoma to eat some fried catfish at a well known, but secluded restaurant. When I say secluded, I really mean some where deep in the woods, and unless you knew it was there you would not know it even existed. In fact, I learned after finally getting there, that people actually flew their private airplanes from all over the country to rendezvous with other friends with airplanes just to eat at this place. Imagine, an eating establishment with an air strip on location, now there's a new concept. Maybe, I should have an air strip next to my church. But then again, I don't know if I have any friends with airplanes so it might not be that good of an idea.
As we turned off the main highway on to a barely paved road, I immediately began looking for this restaurant, but I soon learned we were still a great deal further from being there as I watched the tail lights of the other bikes getting smaller as they traveled ahead of me with a faster pace. Through several twist and turns around various cow pastures and farms, we eventually arrived safe and sound to our destination. My point in sharing this story, is that the Holy Spirit revealed to me something that ties directly into this weeks devotional. As I sat there eating that day thinking under the inspired influences of the Spirit, how many other unknown places of delightful, out of the way destinations are left to be discovered within my lifetime. I wondered to myself, how many other folks I would have the privilege to connect with in this life who know of such wonderful places that are deeply hidden away from the unadventurous bunch and would introduce me to them?
These undetected treasures are those just out-of-sight places that others miss, as they make their journey just doing life with its routines filled with daily boredom and lacking the luster to live life as it was meant to be lived? Then it occurred to me that I have now just added another adventure or experience to my own life that I will one day be able to take or share with someone else, and allow them to have their own experience just as I was during this very moment. It's an incredible gift from God when there is a knowledgeable person that comes along in your life that has experienced something so fantastic and unheard of and that are willing to show it to you that you may share its joy too. Suddenly it dawned on me, isn't this exactly the same thing that we should do whenever we receive a revelation from God? I want to make a statement here as we begin sharing this teaching today, "Vision from God: speaks to the heart of the realities of what belongs to you, or is meant to be yours."
This becomes an inward fuel that ignites your attitude, affects you're creativity, and initiates you into an action that refuses to be deprived of anything that is yours no matter what the opposition may be. It's a reliable source deep in you that speaks forcefully in your spirit that this belongs to you by birth right. This impression is not from outside of you, but is a divine witness within you that cannot be dampened or put out. It's a Word of confidence that evolves from some creative place deep inside of you whose Author if He were fully known, is simply the God of all creation. In fact, the Bible teaches us that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Only those who know Him intimately as one of His very own, can see and understand this place of incubation for dreams, as it will remain a mystery to those who stay unacquainted with Him.
What are your expectations in life? What is it that speaks to your spirit and says, "Come this is the way?" There are many people who listen to all the wrong things in life and never fully recover themselves to realize the awesome things that God has prepared for them. It's much like the convict who is on death row. His date to be executed is set for tomorrow in the early hours of the morning. Do you think that his thoughts are on writing a new book? Would he be contemplating how many children he was going to have when he gets out of jail? Of course not! This man's predicted destination swallows up his remaining hours of what could have been possible if he would have only had more time. What is devouring your time in order to shorten you're possibilities? I assure you that we all listen to the voices that help promote or add to some sort of vision within us, whether that vision is cast from a true friend such as the Lord Jesus Christ which speaks out of His Word, or an enemy of you're soul. Sadly, there are too many believers that are listening to the negative voices who are propagating a vision of gloom and doom.Therefore, destroying all creativity, dreams, and vision to enter upon their purposes had they kept their focus on the right things. When the wood in a fire is completely consumed, that fire will go out.
But, when you have a divine Word that comes from God and it speaks of why you were created; why you have received the Holy Ghost; and why you are chosen of God for such a time as this. When it speaks that you are to be healthy and not sick; why you are rich when you thought you were poor: it will add fuel to all of your activities, dreams, and aspirations with power to travel through this life with great success. We need to become "expectation" people! An expectation of good things and not bad. We have a reason to be excited and full of life. Why? Because of the divine seed planted within those of us that are born again in Christ. There is a faithful Word that we must abide in, and if we do, it will afford us to inherit everything that that Word invokes as a promise. The key is in abiding in it. We must be one with it, without variance, or hesitation to believe that it is what it says it is; and that we can have exactly what it says we can have. Look over in the gospel of John for a moment.
John 8:32 (KJV)
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
It's not knowing something that can cheat you, or rob you of what rightfully belongs to you. Therefore, God the Father sent His "Truth" in the form of His Son to this world to reveal the hidden secrets of life, undetected nuggets, undiscovered riches, and over-looked treasures to those who would be it's rightful inheritors. This perfect Son who is called Jesus, would cast vision into the hearts of the true sons and daughters of God the Father. He would broadcast the real truth about our righteousness, instead of the familiar voice of our accusers that are always casting a vision of death over us. The rules have now changed due to the "Truth" that has now been revealed to those of us who are listening and abiding in it. Can I ask you a question in Scripture terms, "How are you hearing?" "And Be careful what you hear." These are the kind of articulate expressions that are being heard in the hearts of God's people that are spiritually awake. These are the privileged and informed ones that are being guided into safety. These privileged people of God know things well in advance before they ever happen, and they are experiencing the constant divine interventions of their loving Father. Truth has filled their hearts undeniably with a vision of purpose that they know cannot be denied them! Why? Because of what they know!
1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (KJV)
21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
We can never truly help one another person if we always accept each others mediocrity or excuses. We must not be the kind of friend that settles on what they are settling on when it falls short of what God says is possible for them. We are to edify one another, and bring each other to the high places that for them has not been discovered as of yet. Scriptures teach us clearly that "all" things are ours. It did not say some things. It said "all things!" This includes all special gifts within men or women to the church for our edification; it includes all things in this world; things pertaining to all of life; and we all know we have an appointment with death, so its safe to say that that too is ours [but not to be feared: its only a change of clothes for those in Christ]; things also in this present moment, they too are ours, and the things to come; all are yours, according to God's Word. We therefore, are rich not because of any wealth that we may have accumulated over time, but rather, because of our relationship with the Anointing that produces that wealth.
Colossians 1:16-17 (KJV)
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
It's obvious from this passage of Scripture that all things were made for Him. Therefore, if anything is not functioning for Him: it is either corrupt, broken, or in the wrong hands. There is a revelation in this statement if you are listening to the Spirit. What is it? That in the hands of God nothing is impossible. He is able to take that which was corrupt and make it whole; and should there be anything broken that apparently seems impossible to restore, even this too becomes a miracle that God can do. The Scriptures teach us that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous. So, by this we know if it is in the wrong hands it shall soon be brought back to its rightful owner. Are you the righteous sons and daughters of God? Then look not on your lack and assume that you are permanently in poverty; for the heathen who may hold the wealth at present, is only keeping it until the time of distribution for its intended possessors. Always remember this truth: you can't have Jesus Christ in you, and not have what He is in you!
Matthew 4:8-10 (KJV)
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
From this passage of Scripture I wanted to point out something very important before we move on to the conclusion of this article, and that is, that we must resist loving things of this world as though they would make us fulfilled. But, rather to love and worship the Lord who redeemed us from this evil generation, and not allow ourselves to become pursuers of our carnal desires such as envying riches, through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. To do so, is to find yourself on a road to destruction and a life filled with much disappointments. Now let's go to my final Scripture in this teaching today. This parable that Jesus taught in the hearing of the scribes and chief priests reveals some very crucial truths that we are to gain wisdom in order to have success over our adversaries of life. There are just way too many believers that are living beneath their privileges in God, simply because of ignorance to what this life holds at their disposal, if only they knew what this life was truly all about. Maybe this passage of Scripture can help you see it much clearer than its been up to this point in you're life.
Jesus' parable describes a land owner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it. He also loaned it out to be tended to until He returned. When that season arrived and He wanted to receive back what was His, the parable tells us that He sent one of His servants to collect what was rightfully His. What did these evil men do? They beat His servants one after another each time they arrived to collect for their owner and they sent them away beaten and empty handed. Some of the servants were even murdered. Finally, the Owner of the vineyard decided since He had one Son, that He would send Him because surely they would receive Him knowing He was the heir. But what does the parable tell us?
Mark 12:7 (KJV)
7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
As I read this and considered the many battles that we are all faced with each and every day of our lives. I realized God was showing me what the war is truly all about. As you might very well know, the Bible teaches us that the devil is a thief. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He seeks whom he may devour. The devil takes what does not belong to him from those that are the rightful heirs to it. In contrast to that, Jesus came to this world to give us life, and life more abundantly. Therefore, every born again believer in Christ has received a ministry of reconciliation, that all things might be reconciled back to Christ to whom all things were created by Him and for Him. As I meditated on this I began to see something much deeper than what was on the surface of this parable found in Mark chapter twelve.
Would you like to hear the revelation that God showed me in this study? Here it is, as best as I can describe it. Jesus took back what the devil connived and stole from Adam. How did He do this? He was crucified for us who were poor and in captivity to our sin. Therefore, for every person who is born of God by believing on the Son of God, receives a divine inheritance which is spelled out in detail within the Word of God. These are believers in the finished work of Christ, and have given their life unto Him, knowing that He purchased that right of ownership by His own shed blood on Calvary. These have been redeemed from the curses that plagued the inhabitants of this world since the fall of Adam until now. These are Christians that are properly named because of their likeness to Christ. These privileged people of God have all things because they are heirs to it, whether that is health, wealth, joy, peace, or eternal life to name a few. Therefore, every believer must learn to advance in the knowledge of the Word of God so as to fully understand what belongs to them. This is what the battle here on earth has developed into because of what the devil wants for himself. It's about the inheritance! It has always been about the inheritance, and always will be until this world ends as we know it today.
My dear friends in Christ. Learn of the Word what you have been given and refuse to give in to the devils attempts to steal it. It belongs to you by birth right, because you are an heir to it through the finished work of Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Renew your mind by the washing of it through the Word of God each day. Study the Word that you may know the things that Christ created for Himself and has now shared the same with His followers. Our adversary seeks to rob the children of God what truly belongs to them by keeping them in the dark. Jesus is light who gave us divine health, and where it is missing, its because of the thief who has stole it. Jesus delivered riches unto each of us and where riches are missing, please note that there is a thief in the house. Without question: Life in this realm has always been about the inheritance: you're inheritance as a matter of fact. What will you do right now to ensure that your inheritance stays in you're possession? I hope you will go to the Word of God diligently each day and draw from the divine truths that it reveals to those who seek to know it. It will produce a divine fuel that will afford you to make your journey here a successful one. Amen!
