Rekindle (Part 3)

The Apostle Paul received a vision from God that changed his entire life, purpose, plans, nature, and even his name. In this vision, God told Paul:

Acts 26:16-18 "Rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which though hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. "

God gave Paul a vision of the multitudes of Gentile people. The term "Gentiles" refers to everyone who is not a Jew, so it meant Paul was called to minister to nations of the world other than Israel.

When God gives you a vision, He also provides spiritual and practical strategies for fulfilling it. God gave Paul a detailed plan for ministering to the nations. Paul was to:

 -Open their spiritual eyes from darkness to light. 

-Turn them from the power of Satan to God. 

-Lead them to forgiveness of sins. 

-Reveal their spiritual inheritance made possible by faith  
Paul’s rekindled vision became the central focus of his life. It was the force that compelled him to endure hardship, persecution, discouragement, shipwreck, and physical abuse. It motivated his writing. It directed his travels. It dictated his life style.

Paul remained true to his God-given vision. Despite discouragement, rejection, and persecution, he never lost his focus. God raised him up to be one of the greatest leaders in New Testament times and his ministry is still impacting multitudes through the tremendous books he authored under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul reflected back over his ministry and declared in Acts 26:19 “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” 

God is looking for men and women who will remain true to their vision.  Abraham caught a vision and never looked back.  Moses was able to lead Israel to the edge of their  Promised Land because he had  a vision.  Joshua and Caleb held on to their visions for forty long years in the wilderness as their generation perished. 

In order to fulfill God's will for your life, you must live out His will for each day.  Then, at the end of your journey you will be able to look back over a lifetime of fulfilling God's plan. You, too, will be able to say "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." If your eyes have grown dim from the weight of the journey, then let God rekindle the flame inside them. You can see once again the fire of God that fell on Pentecost and with your eyes refocused on the prize.