I can, I will, I must Part IV, How to work with God and walk worthy of the purpose Bible Study 09/25/09

I will, I can, I must Part IV
How to Work with God and walk worthy of the purpose God has given you
Synopsis of bible study 09/23/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
When we look at working with God, we come up with ideas in our head on our own and then we ask God to work with us on it. It’s like we are saying, “Here it is; now you bless it”. This is not how it is supposed to be. God wants us to get with what he is doing instead. We ought to want to know what God’s intended purpose for us and then we ought to want to get in line and onboard with that purpose. Ephesians 4:1-3: 1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.- it is important for us to understand that God desires for us to work alongside him in what he is doing. There has to be a sense that our purpose is not something that we just do. Our purpose is something that we are. It doesn’t mean that we are defined by it, we still maintain our identity. In other words we don’t get so consumed by what we do (purpose) that we lose ourselves. Once we see the difference between doing our purpose and being it, then doing it makes us step up our being to match what we are doing (our purpose). If it is a high calling or Holy calling, then we work on areas in our life so we don’t misrepresent God. It is significant that we look how he wants us to look, while we do what he wants us to do. Paul says walking worthy of our vocation. God is putting his reputation on the line, by trusting us to do what he wants us to do. God trusts us to do what he ordained us to do.
I. God calls every person to do four things
1. He calls us to salvation. He calls us from sin. He saved us and we are on the way to heaven, but we got to live down here. In other words, God saved us for more than to just sit on our hands. God saved us not only to allow us a chance to be with him in heaven, but to give us time to do our purpose here in the earth realm. Many of us are not ready to die, because we have other things we have yet to do.
2. Sanctification- this is the process of maturing in the righteousness of Christ. We were naughty by nature. When we got saved, we turned away from the stuff we were caught up in. The truth is this is like detailing a car and still driving it in the rain. The car is going to get dirty, because the car is exposed to the elements of the weather. In like manner, as long as we are exposed to life’s elements, we will get dirty with issues. God has to sanctify us every day so our old self won’t rise up and taint who we are trying to become.
3. Service-we recognize we are called to serve. Whatever our assignment is, we are not called to serve ourselves. It is not about us to be served, so we can stop crying about being called in different directions. We are called to serve and not be of ourselves. We are called to be a blessing to other people.
4. Accountability-God wants us to have accountability partners in our lives. When you are working in your purpose, the things that God is going to do in your life is so awesome, you will read your own press, causing no one to be able to hold you accountable. When you are in purpose and people are looking up to you, it is easy to lose your accountability. If everyone is under you, because they look up to you, then they are afraid to hold you accountable. You need some people in your life that can tell you when you are wrong and who will help keep it real for you. People that love you, hold you accountable. The sad thing to say is these are usually the people that we run away, but we really need them.
II. What defines us worthy of our walk?
It is our wisdom faith and transparency. Ephesians 5:15: 15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, -when you begin to look at this, it suggest that we have to recognize that we must walk in faith and purpose. In other words, we want to be in step with God and his agenda for our life.
1. This requires:
a. Surrender-Lots of people do what you do, but they haven’t surrendered. When you surrender you let go and say God I am in your hands. Ex-Lots of preachers preach, but they haven’t surrendered their lives. They have their own agenda. Surrender is moving when God says to move. If you are still holding stuff back from God, then you have not totally surrendered to God. A good example of total surrender is Jesus on the cross.
b. Sensitivity-we must develop the discernment to listen to God. John 8:28-29: 28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. – Having sensitivity means we are sensitive to what God is saying to us. Vision has a set time that it will speak. We have to be sensitive to what God says so we don’t miss it. Ex-Many of us have gotten or experienced some discernment, when it comes to horizontal relationships. This means you can see foolishment in people before they even cross our path. We now have to develop vertical discernment. How do you know what God is saying? There is a thin line between hearing from God and schizophrenia. God wants you to develop discernment and hear what he is saying to you. This may mean we have to get clutter out of our life. We hear the word of God, but by the time it filters through the clutter in our life, we make ourselves believe God has said something that he didn’t.
c. Proper Position. Ex- You can be talking on the cell phone to someone and all of a sudden you can’t hear them anymore. There is nothing wrong with their phone, but you want them to stop talking, because you can’t hear them. You continue to move from place to place trying to get a signal. You even try getting into awkward positions trying to get a signal so you can hear and finally you have gotten down on your knees. In like manner, you might have to get in that awkward position on your knees to hear God. God might not hear you until you get on your knees.
d. Supplication-Mark 1:35: 35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.-Jesus thought enough to get up early in the morning and spend time with his father (God). If Jesus did it, we should too. Try getting up early in the morning before the sun comes up and before you day starts and spend time alone with God. During this time, you can be very specific about things you need.
e. Self -denial- Galatians 2:20: 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. -You have so many desires. How many of you have magnified desired in spiritual places. Every fleshly thing that we desire does not just rise up in the world. Sometimes it will rise up in church. The truth is you have to crucify these desires every day. When you are in purpose, you have moved your agenda out of the way, making it easier to do that which God called you to do.
III. What is holding your back?
What is holding you back from writing your list for your vision and the steps to getting it accomplished?
1. Is it Fear?-Sometimes fear manifests itself in the form of xenophobia-This is the fear of fear. God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.
2. Is it Apathy?-means that you are saying that you are going to get around to it, but you never do. You keep putting off. Watching TV and watching “Dancing with the stars” is not going to get your vision into action.
3. Is it bondage to sin? Sin takes time. You got to plan it, do it, and then take the long way home to get it out of you. You have so much sin, you don’t have time.
4. Is it debt? Remember whenever God gives a vision; he always wants that vision to be under Devine Supervision, because at that point he gives provision, there is not a need for division, and very seldom a need for revision. God never wants you to finance vision on your credit card. We got too much to do for God to be in debt.
5. Is it Disillusionment-the means you don’t see life as you should. You are not really sure what to do.
6. Is it Deep wounds or hurt? Have past hurts hindered you from doing God’s work? Could even be church hurt.
7. Is it Bitterness and resentment? Do you have the Jonah complex? Are you refusing to work with the people that God sent you to work with?
8. Is it No vision or purpose? Are you simply confused on what your purpose is?
9. Is it Repeated failures? Are you scared you may fail? Michael Jordon was recently placed into the Hall of Fame. Do you know how many times he missed shots before this honor was given to him? You learn from your failures. When you walk in purpose, God will take care of you as long as you take care of what you are supposed to take care for him. ; Philippians 4:19: 19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – God said this because the church was helping with Gods business and his Ministry. Psalm 36:8: 8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.- God will take care of you if your help him.
10. Useful Quote
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”… Don’t let anyone steal your dreams!-Woodrow Wilson.
This series that we have been in is going to be part of a book. We have a book now called “In pursuit of purpose”. In that book Bishop tried to guide some people along to help them in finding their purpose. Here are more principles that we think will also help in further progressing towards that goal.
9 steps to help in the progression towards purpose
1. Predestination-before your grandmother met your grandfather, God had preordained your destined. Jeremiah 1:5: 5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. All we need to do is be born. The two most important days to us ought to be when we were born and when God called us.
2. Petition-when I when God called us to our purpose. We must know when God is summoning us. We know we have been called when we feel isolated around lots of people. Lots of people are talking, but we do not hear them, because God has muted them out. God has called us out from among them.
3. Problem (the thing your purpose solves). The purpose in you is to solve a problem. God sees a problem and puts something in you to solve the problem. If God sees something in you to solve a problem and you don’t walk in your purpose, then you allow problems to exist that God ordained you to solve. Every problem in the world has a solution. You can’t cognitively work through it to figure it out. It is spiritual.
a. The problem of two generations ago has become normal to us. Ex-Your grandparents wondered how they would heat the house. Now we just turn on the thermostat. Ex-Bishop’s father had an outhouse when he was growing up. They had a toilet outside in a shack in the back of the house. You can’t even imagine this problem now days. The problem of one generation is normalcy to another. Two generations ago, when you had bad eyes, you just got bigger glasses. Now you can get laser surgery and see better than you did at the age of 25. This vision problem was solved because somebody walked in their purpose. The cure to cancer is probably in prison right today (failing to solve a problem). The cure to AIDS could be sitting here right now. In our generation, you are supposed to solve the problem assigned to you so it doesn’t go to the next generation. God put the answers in you so you wouldn’t allow problems to go to the next generation. Ex- Bishop explains that it is part of purpose is to solve problems by teaching about financing, relationship, purpose, and etc… He takes the blows that the world gives him, because he knows he has problems to solve on our behalf. He has to do what he has to do so that we may fulfill our purpose. Many of us went to Universities that our ancestors paid the price for. If they hadn’t paid that price in their generation, then we might not even have been accepted at that University.
4. Preparation -there is no way we could solve the problem without preparing for it. Many mean go to school. As soon as God called bishop, he went to seminary. What if a surgeon did that and waiting on God to give him the answer when you came with him with the problem. Learn how to work a business plan.
5. Perspective /vision-God is not going to give you vision, if you are not investing in it. Once you make preparation, God will show you something so awesome you won’t be able to stand it.
6. Passion-after investing into your vision, you starting getting that passion for it. Passion is what wakes you up in the morning; it is what drives you, and what helps you through the hard times.
7. Plan-you need the passion to help you develop the plan. What’s the game plan to get there? You can’t go to the bank and borrow money if you don’t have specifics. What’s the plan? Passion without a plan is zeal without knowledge.
8. People-the plan you develop will connect you with the right people. Nobody is going to leave their job and come and join in your vision, if you don’t have a plan. Nobody will invest in your vision without a plan. If you a leader and no one is following you, then you are just walking. What made the disciples leave their father and follow Jesus? Jesus said he had a plan to make them better (referring to making them fisher of men). The plan you have will draw the right people. Where there is no vision, people perish. Imagine being a pastor and thinking you can carry on a vision of building a church without people. You are the Pastor, the Deacons, the congregation, the choir, the ushers and etc… This makes no since. It takes people to make it work.
9. Produce- the people will always help produce it. John 15:1-2: 1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.-He says to every branch, you are the employees. If you don’t bear fruit, you are fired.
a. Verse 3 – John 15:3: 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.- he will keep you stretching so you can grow.
b. Verse 4- John 15:4: 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.-a branch can’t do anything by itself.
c. Verse 5 – John 15:5: 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. -He said he is the vine, the CEO and we are the branches; the employees that bear fruit or in other words is productive.
d. Verse 6 – John 15:6: 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. -if we the branches try to do things ourselves, then we will be severed from the source of our life (God). We might prosper for a while, but eventually we see everything begin to wither. Men then will gather you or you will become subject to the hands of men. You have to kiss but to make it.
e. Verse 7 – John 15:7: 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. – If you do what God asks, then you can ask what you will and he will give it to you.
f. Verse 8 – John 15:8: 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. – We want to get the glory, then produce. What is the point of being a good Pastor and a poor Christian? What good is it to be a good teacher and a horrible Christian?

I can, I will, I must Part II , Bible Study 09/10/09

I can, I will, I must Part II
“Purpose and Vision”
Synopsis of Bible Study 09/10/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
The bible says in Proverbs 29:18: 18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. You cannot talk about purpose without talking about vision, because purpose gives birth to vision. In other words God has a purpose for your life and what is revealed to you becomes vision. God has a purpose on your life and the moment of revelation or the moment it gets revealed, it becomes vision.
The question is what is vision? `Vision can be defined as having an insight or a revelation of God’s plan and purpose for an individual or nation. So when we have knowledge of God’s plan and purpose for our life, then we can say that we have a vision for our existence. In other words, to have vision means to have an understanding of God’s intentions for creating us. Vision really is saying that we understand why God created us.
There is an idea we must discuss in terms of vision and dreams. We really want to know if our dreams are tied to our visions. What is this all about? We will give you some dreams that are found in the bible as a frame of reference. It is good to know where these dreams and visions are located throughout the bible. We will tell you some things about them as a systematic point of reference.
Dreams:
Old Testament
Abimelech’s dream – Gen 20:3-7
Jacob’s Ladders Dream-Gen 28: 12- 17
Jacob and Laban’s guidance dream – Gen 31: 10 -24. Laban is Jacob’s uncle and so you have this dream given in terms of guidance.
Joseph’s Dream – Gen 37: 5 – 11. God showed Joseph a dream showing that he was going to rule over his brother’s. He made the mistake of sharing that dream with his brothers.
Baker and Butler Dream – Gen 40: 5 – 8. Joseph was the interpreter of those dreams while he was in prison and he explained to one that he was going to die and the other one would be elevated.
Pharaoh’s Dreams – Gen 41. This was the dream that spawned the stock market. Our modern day stock market came out of Pharaoh’s dream, because when he dreamed this dream he called all the magi or magicians to interpret the dream and they couldn’t. He called Joseph and he told them that there would be 7 yrs of famine. He told him to save up and he would have seven years of plenty.
Solomon’s dream – 1 Kings 3: 5- 9. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the image you have in Daniel 2. Daniel interprets this dream. Daniel also interprets the dream in Daniel 4. .
Daniels dream of the Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a tree – Daniel 4
Daniel’s dream of four beasts – Daniel 7.
In the New Testament:
Joseph’s dream – Matt 1:20. This is the dream of Joseph Mary’s husband. This was the dream concerning Joseph’s wife.
Pilate’s wife’s dream -Matt 27:19. This is the dream that the Holy Spirit gave to Pilate’s wife telling Pilate not to mess with the man name Jesus. This was why he was apprehensive to send Jesus to crucifixion.
Abraham’s 2nd call vision – Gen 15
Isaiah’s call – Isaiah 6 – It was a vision. He said I the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. This was vision.
Ezekiel’s call was given in a vision or dream – Ezekiel also gets this vision of the temple judgment in Ezekiel chapter 8 – chapter 10.
Valley of Dry Bones – Ezekiel 37. This was vision.
Ezekiel then get’s another Temple vision – Found in chapters Ezekiel 40-48
Daniels Visions – Daniel had several visions found in chapters Daniel 8-12
Zechariah had several visions – Zech 1 – 6.
The man from Macedonia – Acts 16:9-10 – This was an instance where Paul and Silas are on their 2nd missionary journey headed in one direction and received what is known as the Macedonia Plea. It was men that said come over and help him. They take this detour to go help this man and go preach the word of God in Philippi. The bible declares on the way there, they were taken captive and they were falsely accused and beaten and put into a Roman jail cell and the bible says at midnight they sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them and the chains and doors were opened. All of this happened because of a dream, a vision.
The Entire Book of Revelation – this entire book is based on a vision an angel of the Lord showed to John.
Visions
1. This is a vision statement: Whatever God reveals to us in a dream has a divine plan, not a personal agenda. – You will dream about personal things, but that has nothing to do with God.
2. Whatever God reveals in a dream will always line up with his word. God won’t give you a dream about somebody’s wife for instance. When you have a dream, you need to ask yourself is your dream about divine agenda or a personal agenda and you need to ask if it consistent with God’s word.
7 characteristics of vision
1. Godly vision involves prophetic revelation from the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 29:18: 18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. – Your vision is bigger than you. The Holy Spirit is so powerful that when he gives you vision, we must realize that it is bigger than we are.
a. You can’t localize your vision. Sometimes we want to hold on to something like it is ours, but it is not. Vision belongs to God. God implements vision through us to help others. Proverbs 18:1: 1Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. – Your vision will not make sense to others because God didn’t show it to them, he showed it to you.
b. Revelations between dreams and visions: The day of Pentecost had come and Peter was giving a response to the people saying that they were not drunk. Peter was saying that this was in fact what was prophesied by Joel in the last days. Acts 2:17: 17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. – This scripture lists visions and dreams separately, so it implies that visions and dreams are two separate things. This is how they work together. What we see here is a dream is something an older person sees, but it is unattainable in their lifetime. Whereas a younger person sees a vision, which motivates them to apprehend something that they can make come to pass during their earthly time. People that see vision will one day dream dreams for the next generation. Dreams of the old become visions of the young. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, but it was never fulfilled in his lifetime. Barack Obama had a vision, but that vision was birth out of a dream.
c. There is a famous quote concerning dreams from T.E. Lawrence of Arabia: “All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” T.E. Lawrence. We dream with our eyes open, because we make things happen.
2. Godly vision is a basic human need. Without God, you will be like a car that runs out of gas. God gives vision motivated by the word of God. Like gas in a car, the word of God keeps motivating us to aspire to what we see. Happy is he that keeps the laws. The word is what keeps us in between the time of when vision is revealed and the time vision is manifested.
a. The two most important things in your life is the day you were born and the day you realize why you were born. Why is this? It is because we got a word that made us realize why we were here.
3. Vision quickens faith and zeal to take action and perseverance to sustain the action taken. The clearer your vision is to you, the bolder your action will be. Proverbs 28:1: 1 The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.-When God shows you something, you are bold because you have a Godly authority. Show me a zealous person, and I will show you vision. A zealous person is one that is allowing their vision to motivate them. What happens if you get people outside to motivate you, they become cynical and walk away, creating doubt within you.
a. Paul says to Timothy that he spoke God’s prophetic words to him so he could fight the fight of faith.1 Timothy 1:18: 18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.
b. Anyone who know what God told them to do, are not timid. They are bold. Daniel 11:32: 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
4. Godly vision can and should be shared with others who desire or need to hear what God is saying to them through you. – Habakkuk 2:2: 2And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. – Writing your vision down communicates to others what you are after, sets boundaries, and creates balances. If you don’t write it down, you have nothing to gauge by and show you that you are off course. People are always pulling at you and it is easy to get off course. What can happen is before you know it; you end up doing other people’s vision and yours ends up left undone. If you write your vision down, you can tell if you are being pulled away. Ex-We have a vision for Mt Zion church. Many people want a lot from Mt Zion, because it is a big church. There are people who even want to buy the membership list for marketing purposes. Mt Zion tells them no, because their agenda does not line up with our vision. We have to stay on course. If you don’t write your vision down, you don’t have a course to chart. Write it your vision down.
a. The late Dr Samuel Proctor, Bishop Walker’s mentor, says when you write your vision; no matter how big, it should be able to be summed up on T-shirt. If you can’t put it on a T-shirt, it should be summed up and defined a little more. Bishop says he is learning to say no. We have to realize that “No” is an answer. Let your vision say no when you are being pulled away from it.
5. Godly vision must be consistently obeyed to be fully realized. The Children of Israel (the parents) didn’t reach the Promised Land because of disobedience, not lack of vision. Acts 26:19: 19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. – Here is how you know you there with your vision. When you feel an overwhelming sense of divine obligation, you are there. Ex- Bishop Walker explains how he was called to preach. Many have asked did he hear God’s voice. He said no, because that would have put him in cardiac arrest. He said that the feeling was so overwhelming, he could not fight it and it would not let up until he submitted to it.
6. Godly vision leads to a change of present situations through a transformation of personal character. We know all things work together for them who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose, but we have to realize that vision involves external things along with eternal character. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.-Talents and gifts can get you there, but character is what keeps you there. There are some of you who are asking God to put you on the fast track to your blessing. In other words, you do not want to take the steps that are necessary in getting to your success. God doesn’t give you the top level yet, because you might not be ready yet. This is all about God protecting you. When you follow the steps, at this level you can mess up and it is under the radar. On the top level, there is a whole other level of exposure. If you make the same mistakes on the top level as you did on the lower level, it can lead to much destruction, so God leaves you on the lower level so that you can learn and build character. Character brings on elevation. God promotes based on what your character can handle. God want let you embarrass the kingdom. God is so serious about it; the level itself can dictate the character. In other words you act with better character, because of the level that you are on. Ex-In every school, every neighborhood, every business office, and etc…, there is someone that goes to Mt Zion, because it is so big. Now Bishop explains that he can be driving down the road and somebody cuts him off at the last minute, he doesn’t say anything when he gets even with the car though he wants to, because the last thing he would need is somebody to say, “Your Pastor cursed me out on Hwy 65”. In other words, there are things that he will not allow his character to become, because of the level that God has placed him on.
7. Godly vision leads to a mission which requires a plan to succeed. This is where vision takes on a practical mission. Proper, prior, prayerful, planning, prevents, pitifully poor performance. We don’t just do stuff without prayerfully planning. We don’t want to end up trifling. There is a strategic process involved. We strategically plan and then we perform it, because we don’t want to be pitiful.
Correlation:
1. You have purpose, vision, and assignment. Purpose is your assignment. The knowledge of your assignment is called vision. The pursuit of you vision is called ministry. Ministry is not always church related. Everything you do is ministry if it is your assignment, because it meets someone’s needs. Why would God give you something that didn’t meet people’s needs?
2. Plans and purpose: Jeremiah 29:11: 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. – Gods purpose for an individual or people are constant, but his plan to achieve that purpose may vary from time to time.
What is time?
1. Time is a short interruption in eternity. It is a period that is allocated to you, to fulfill what you were sent here to do. –When Habakkuk says it is for an appointed time, we must know that this time is given to us so we can complete our purpose. Habakkuk 2:3: 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. – If this time is not used, it is wasted time.
2. Dr Myles writes “He who has time to burn will never give the world much light. Killing time is not murder, its suicide”. Myles Munroe
3. We need help spending the time as we should. Psalm 90:12: 12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. – The scripture is saying Lord help us to spend the time as we should. Many people say if they could get some of their time back, they would do things different. Time is so important, and you have to be careful how you guard your time. Every day you should be pursuing your purpose or ministry. When you are a person in your purpose, time is something you don’t want to waste. In fact it irritates you when people call you and want nothing. Your time is valuable. If you don’t value your time, nobody else will. When you guard your time, you are stretching right now and reaching toward your not yet.
a. Time starts when we were born and ends when we die. You have to keep having visions why you are still alive. Ex- Bishop Walker says when he comes to pray over your sick bead, he doesn’t just pray for healing. He says he prays for purpose too, because he believes even at those last moments, you have a purpose. Even if it is nothing more than to show us how to have faith in our last months, you have purpose.
b. Eternity has neither beginning nor end.
c. God who is eternal exists outside time.
d. God sees the end from the beginning and sets our course according to his overall purpose for us. God is speaking to your end. He is not looking at your right now. You just need to start what he has already finished.
e. God gives everyone purpose a time that allows it to reach perfection. Don’t miss your appointed time.
f. Time is always given for a purpose. Bishop explains this is why he doesn’t waste our time. Ex -People ask how does Mt Zion grow and he responds that he doesn’t waste his member’s time. They know when they come to church; they know bible study is going to be an hour or an hour and 10 mins at most. You can’t keep people in church all night long and expect them to go home and take of their family. They can’t do this if you have them in church until midnight. Bishop explains that he has been at conferences where it starts at 7pm and put him up at 9pm. By 9:30 he would be through and waiting in the office for the Pastor to come back and he said it would be midnight before he returned. He said he would sometimes leave and say “You can just mail it to me”.
g. Time that is not used for its intended purpose is wasted and lost.
When God first called Bishop Walker to preach, he was 20yrs old. He was going to law school, and God redirected him. He came to Nashville to go to Divinity School. He did not know anything about Nashville except for the show called “Hee Haw”. Bishop gets to Nashville and begins making an investment in his assignment (by attending Divinity School). After being here a month or so, he started seeing stuff different. People would drive by and see pastures, and Bishop would see condos and office buildings. People thought he was crazy and after a while he started questioning his sanity too. God says to him, “son this is vision”. God could not show him these visions first, because he wasn’t ready yet. God had to wait until Bishop invested into his vision. Since he made an investment in the vision by going to school, God knew he could trust him with vision. God knows we will not manage vision well if we are not willing to invest in it. God told Bishop “If you keep the vision under divine supervision, I will always give you provision, you will never have division, or very seldom a need for re-vision. If you see something and you can afford it, it is not vision, it just a good idea. Vision is always bigger than your bank account. God says if it is my will, it’s my bill.
Bishop right out of seminary got the opportunity to serve as Pastor of the Mt Zion Baptist Church. Mt Zion became Bishop’s first church. God gave a vision of new church in place for Mt Zion 2or 3 yrs inside of Bishop’s Pastor Tenure. God had shown Bishop this big Mega Church we enjoy today, but they only had $3000 in the bank for the building fund at that time. Because Bishop had seen the vision, he shouted over this often and there were some people that would look at him and think to themselves, “bless his little heart”. When the time came, Bishop launched the project around 1995 or 96 and lots of things didn’t make sense. He was struggling with his vision. There were still a lot of gaps in looking at how this was going to work. One day Bishop was working on his dissertation at Princeton in the library and he read a book called “The Republic” by Plato and he began having a conversation with himself about the discourse of a chair. It was fascinating the book implies that you are not sitting in the chair; you are sitting in a manifestation of an idea. Someone had to get a conceptualization of the chair in order for the chair to manifest. In other words, if there was no revelation of the chair, the chair maker would never have a blueprint to make the chair in which you sit. As a result, you are sitting in the end result of a revelation. The chair is really up here (the mind) instead of where you are sitting. It made Bishop think that perhaps there are two types of people inside the church. There is the revelation vs. manifestation crowd. In 2001, Mt Zion’s original intent was to have one balcony. The church kept growing and they had to add the 2nd balcony. Mt Zion marched into the church in Oct. of 2001 and they didn’t sell any candy or fish or anything like that to get into the new Church. Bishop Morton preached and Bishop Walker explains he had seen people shout that never had shouted before. Some of the Elders and Deacons were concerned that Bishop was in shouting mode. They thought if anyone would shout over the blessing, it would be him. They feared that he was burned out. After the service, Bishop had to explain to them that way back in the 1996 when God showed him the vision, he shouted then. There are people that have to have manifestation in order to thank God, but there are others that only need revelation that it is going to happen.