April 28, 2024 • 57 mins
HAVE A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
Unlock the power of vision in your life with our inspiring journey through the lessons of Habakkuk. We’re not just reading ancient scripture; we're tapping into a source of profound wisdom that can revolutionize the way you face injustice, set goals, and lead in every sphere of your existence. This episode is a deep exploration of the personal and collective visions that drive us, and how we can articulate these visions with clarity and conviction to make an impactful change in our surroundings.
Have you ever felt the frustration of a dream deferred or the sting of inaction in the face of societal challenges? We tackle these very issues head-on, discussing the critical steps of writing down your vision, communicating it effectively to those in your circle, and the transformative influence it can have when shared with conviction. We'll guide you through the intricacies of delegation, the importance of alignment with a greater good, and the fortitude required when facing mockery or doubt. Our conversation is an intimate reflection on the art of leadership and the journey of personal growth.
This episode isn't just a conversation; it's a call to action. Embracing the waiting periods as opportunities to hone our skills, we examine the stories of biblical figures and modern-day achievers alike, illustrating the unyielding faith and preparation needed to excel. By framing problems as opportunities for prayerful solutions, we encourage you to contribute to the world in meaningful ways. Join us as we affirm the importance of a vision propelled by faith, ensuring your life's journey is as purposeful as it is powerful.
Unlock the power of vision in your life with our inspiring journey through the lessons of Habakkuk. We’re not just reading ancient scripture; we're tapping into a source of profound wisdom that can revolutionize the way you face injustice, set goals, and lead in every sphere of your existence. This episode is a deep exploration of the personal and collective visions that drive us, and how we can articulate these visions with clarity and conviction to make an impactful change in our surroundings.
Have you ever felt the frustration of a dream deferred or the sting of inaction in the face of societal challenges? We tackle these very issues head-on, discussing the critical steps of writing down your vision, communicating it effectively to those in your circle, and the transformative influence it can have when shared with conviction. We'll guide you through the intricacies of delegation, the importance of alignment with a greater good, and the fortitude required when facing mockery or doubt. Our conversation is an intimate reflection on the art of leadership and the journey of personal growth.
This episode isn't just a conversation; it's a call to action. Embracing the waiting periods as opportunities to hone our skills, we examine the stories of biblical figures and modern-day achievers alike, illustrating the unyielding faith and preparation needed to excel. By framing problems as opportunities for prayerful solutions, we encourage you to contribute to the world in meaningful ways. Join us as we affirm the importance of a vision propelled by faith, ensuring your life's journey is as purposeful as it is powerful.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brahim M Kallon (00:00):
share with you on a topic today have a vision.
Do you have a vision for yourlife?
If you don't know where you'regoing, you're stuck in life.
If you don't know your future,you don't know where you're
going.
You see, god is a God of thefuture.
(00:23):
God is a God of of tomorrow.
He knows what tomorrow is goingto look like.
He knows what the future is.
Before I actually focus on mysermon, have a vision.
I like to always let peopleknow that my focus is really for
you and I to become Biblestudents.
(00:44):
I don't want to just takesomething out of context.
I want us to really observe thecontent of the book of Habakkuk
and bring it into our day andtime, into our contemporary time
.
How it can be applicable.
I believe that the word of Godis timeless.
I believe that the word of Godis practical.
I believe that the word of Godis so much truth principles that
(01:06):
we can apply that are universal, no matter the time.
Amen.
But we need to understand thecontext.
When it was written, abacus,chapter 1, verse 1 the burden
which the prophet abacus saw.
This is very, very important.
The burden.
Some other translation used theword boarding to refer to the
(01:28):
oracle, some translation visionwhich prophet abacus saw.
So chapter one, just an outline, talks about the burden.
This is the first complaint ofthe prophet complain about the
injustice and social heals ofthe land of Judah.
That's pretty much what thebook of a backup, chapter 1,
(01:51):
focuses on a backup complain toGod about injustice and social
heals of the land of Judah.
And then he gave us a list ofsome of the social heals.
I'm not gonna read everythingyou have iniquity, trouble,
plundering, violence, strife,contention, lawlessness, the
(02:12):
wicked, perverse judgment,perverse justice.
So we see all of these thingshappening right now in our
lifetime.
So we have the right tocomplain to God.
That God, look what's happeningin our generation transgender
Nizam, our children being forcedinto sexual content, perversion
(02:34):
of justice, violence, good, whydid you allow me to see this
burden?
Why did you expose me to seethese certain things?
Sometimes God expose you and Iin trouble.
Sometimes God expose you and Ito see things.
That God, why would you allowme to see this?
So the prophet is actuallysaying that God, why did you
(02:56):
allow me to see this burden?
I cannot bear to see thisburden.
My heart aches to see thisburden.
What is going on?
He's complaining to God andthen, if you continue to read
chapter 1, the Lord's firstresponse.
So we see that a backupcomplain first, and then God
replied to a backup and thereply of God is that's a backup.
(03:20):
Chapter 1, verse 5 look what itsays look among the nations and
watch.
So okay, man of god, I want youto look among the nations and
watch.
He was a watchman.
Be utterly astounded.
I'm reading from the new kingjames version, for I will walk
and walk in your days again.
(03:42):
Mark this, this word work, it'sessential work.
I will work and work in yourdays.
You have brought yourcomplaints to me, man of god.
Guess what I'm gonna do?
I want you to look amongnations again.
These were social hills and andinjustice not only happening in
(04:02):
the land of judah, they werealso happening all over the
world.
That's exactly what we'reseeing right now injustices,
social hills affecting our world, corruption, deceits, sexual
perversion, everything.
I will work and work in yourdays, which you will not believe
(04:23):
, man of God.
Wow, though it were told you.
For indeed, I am raising up theShalindians.
So God said okay, I'm gonna doa work for you, and the work
that I'm gonna do, I am gonnaraise up another nation.
The Shalindians were babyloniansand I will use this nation to
(04:48):
punish your country.
You might wonder, man of god.
But how can god use a wickednation to punish a nation?
Sometimes god uses evil thingsto punish evil, just like you.
You, if you want to do good,you do good.
You use good things to rewardgoodness.
So if you want to, if you wantto punish evil, just like you,
you, if you want to do good, youdo good.
You use good things to rewardgoodness.
So if you want to, if you wantto punish evil, you use use evil
(05:10):
things.
So god said to abacus I'm gonnaraise up the shillelands, the
babylonians, to punish my people.
Judah that's God's response.
God's agent of punishment,judgment and justice on Judah,
is going to use another nation.
(05:30):
What on God's people?
And if you continue to readchapter 2, the Bible lists the
type of nation the Shilindian.
Sometimes we, as a nation, wecarry an attribute like, for
example, in africa um, there'san attitude among sierra
(05:53):
leoneans, there's an attitudeamong ugandans, there's an
attitude or particular actionthat we can generalize
cameroonians or congolese.
So god, god gave a list ofactions and and characteristics
that you can identify thatdescribe who the shillindians
are.
They are hasty, they are veryquick, they rush things, they
(06:20):
are very bitter, they're angrypeople, they are terrible.
Can you imagine God is the onetelling his servant who these
people are?
They are terrible, they aredreadful, they are violent, they
are mockers, they are proud.
And this is what God is goingto do, the work that God is
(06:40):
going to do to raise up a nationto punish God's people.
And god described the type ofpeople these people are.
Oh my god, they are wicked,they are terrible.
Amen.
And now we're still focusing onchapter one, prophet abacus,
second complaint.
So, okay, god, I complainedfirst.
(07:01):
He responded by telling me thatyou're gonna give, you're gonna
do a work, you're gonna raiseup a nation to punish my people.
Now the second complaint on thewickedness of the shalindians.
If you continue to read thatsame chapter, the man of God
knew about this nation, aboutthe wickedness of people.
He described the wickedness aslike, as like men treating other
(07:25):
human being like fish.
Can you imagine, using a fishnet as an illustration, how
people treat people like fish,using a net to hook a fish from
the water?
The wickedness of people, thewickedness of people.
(07:49):
How can a just God use wickedBabylonian to punish a people
more righteous than themselves.
If you look at the children ofIsrael and the Babylonians, the
children of God, they are morerighteous than the Babylonians.
But why is God using a wickednation to punish a nation more
righteous than them?
The man of God is baffled.
(08:09):
That is why he said, oh my God.
In verse 1, this is the burdenthat God has exposed my eyes to
see Sometimes in life.
How can God bless a wickednation like America?
America used to be fantastic.
How can god, oh my, how can goduse people like paul, who was a
(08:30):
murderer?
How?
These are questions that youand I we have.
How can god use somebody who,who is a prostitute and god
raised them up to become veryprominent in society?
How can god use donald trump?
How can god use jojo biden?
How can god use Donald Trump?
How can God use Joe Biden?
How can God use all thesepeople in a position of power
(08:51):
and authority?
You ask yourself.
But this is confusion.
We're expecting the best to gointo politics.
We're expecting the best tobecome pastors.
We're expecting the best tobecome doctors.
We're expecting the best tobecome judges.
We're expecting the best forthe best positions in life?
That's the question that theman of god was asking.
(09:11):
Now chapter two.
Just to um, finish up mycontext.
Now.
Chapter two focuses on the manof god waiting for an answer.
So okay, god, I want you to goto chapter two.
Let's see, amen.
It says I will stand my watch.
Again.
He's waiting, conversing withgod back and forth.
(09:33):
So okay, god, thank you foryour first response.
I will stand my watch and setmyself on the rampart and watch
to see what he will say to meand what I will answer when I'm
corrected.
Like he's having a conversationwith god, like god, this is
this.
This is too complex.
Now I'm trying to see whatyou're going to do next.
(09:53):
And what is the second?
What is the second response ofgod now?
Then the lord answered me andsaid this is the second response
write the vision and make itplain who reads it, for the
(10:13):
vision is yet for an appointedtime, but at the end it will
speak and it will not lie,though it tarries.
Wait for it, because it willsurely come.
It will not tarry.
Okay, I'm gonna get to that.
Okay, that's gonna be our focus.
Let me just finish my context.
So the second reply of god isthe vision.
(10:36):
Let me finish verse four.
It's very important.
Be all the proud, his soul isnot upright in him, but the just
shall live by his faith.
Keep that verse in mind, amen.
Now, when you continue to readchapter 2, we see the punishment
of the shillelands.
(10:58):
So god used them to punish hispeople.
God also punished them, sothey're not going to go
scot-free.
So you might think, okay, godused the Babylonians to punish
the children of Israel.
Are you going to let them gofreely, with all the invasion,
Taking other people's land byforce, with violence?
(11:18):
But if you continue to readchapter 2, from verse 8 all the
way down to verse 13.
No, verses 4 all the way toverse 20, it talks about a list
of condemnation against theShelandians.
Let me just go over themquickly.
God punishes them because oftheir plundering activities.
God condemns their greed.
(11:40):
They were greedy.
He condemns that.
God condemns their covetousness.
God condemns their violence.
God condemns their covetousness.
God condemns their violence.
God condemns their adultery.
These were all things that theywere doing that God condemns.
So God punished them as well.
At the end of this book, prophetHabakkuk made a prayer to God,
and we can break it down into aprayer of petition for God's
(12:03):
mercy.
A prayer of petition for God'smercy, a prayer of praise for
God's power and a prayer ofpromise.
If you read chapter 3, you willsee that Abakor now is no
longer complaining.
He's no longer complaining,he's praying Praying to God,
(12:26):
praising God for God's power andpleading to god for god's mercy
.
And I really like verse chapterthree.
I want you to go down to let meread it for you.
A prayer of abacoc the prophets.
Oh lord, I have heard of yourspeech and was afraid.
Oh lord, revive your work again.
You see, in the previouschapter we talk about the work
(12:49):
that god said he was going to do, right.
So now the man of god is sayingthat, god, we rev it, revive
your work in the midst of theyears, in the midst of the years
, make it knowing I like thishow it ended In wrath.
Remember mercy, oh my God, inwrath.
Remember mercy In judgment, god, remember mercy.
(13:14):
Now let's focus on my sermon.
Do you have a vision?
Do you truly have a vision foryour life?
Sometimes, when we talk aboutvision, we think that only
corporations, companies orministries that should create a
vision.
But what about you as anindividual?
(13:34):
Do you have a vision for yourprofessional life?
Do you have a vision for yourfamily?
Let's talk.
Do you have a vision for yourfamily?
Do you have a vision for yourministry, your personal ministry
?
Do you have a vision for thefuture, or you just wake up and
(13:56):
just walk with the flow of life,or do you have goals that you
want to accomplish?
Do you anticipate a future thatsome things are going to change
in your life?
Serious talk.
We read the visions ofbusinesses, we read the visions
of churches, but what about youas an individual?
(14:17):
Do you have a vision?
Let's examine Habakkuk, chapter2, from verse 2 to 3.
We see that God is a source ofvision, because he was the one
who responded to Habakkuk and hesaid write the vision.
If you don't have a vision now,it's okay, but you can have one
(14:41):
.
I don't want you to live todaythinking that, okay, man of God,
you have talked about have avision, now it's okay, but you
can have one.
I don't want you to live todaythinking that, okay, man of god,
you have talked about having avision.
How am I gonna make it happenagain?
Talk to god, go to your fatherand say, god, I've heard your
word.
Today.
I need a vision for my family.
I need a vision for my life.
I need to understand the visionof this church because if you
(15:02):
are going to be part of anorganization, you need to know
where the organization is going.
Just like some of us, we go towork, we're there for the money,
but we don't even know in thefive-year plan of the company.
How many of you know the visionof canada?
You're in canada, toronto wejust had an election.
How many of you know the planof of our mayor plan, the future
of toronto?
But every day we wake up.
(15:22):
There's new projects, there'smetro links, there's new
condominium being builtreplacing the old ones.
Do we know?
Oh boy, that is why the Biblesays my people perish for lack
of knowledge.
It's true.
It didn't say you perish forlack of prayer.
It didn't say you perish forlack of fasting.
It said you are perishing,meaning that you are going down
(15:43):
in life, you are degrading inlife because of your lack of
knowledge.
When you know, when you haveknowledge, you will create a
vision.
Serious talk, children of God.
God commanded his prophet writea vision, don't just have it in
your head when God speaks toyou or God reveals something to
(16:06):
you in a dream.
I mean, if you, when you have adream, do you write something
or do you record it on yourphone that we can remember, or
or your, or your brain is like Icall it, uh, ai that can recall
things.
No, write things down.
Learn to write things that,even when you come to church,
bring your notepad, write thingsdown.
What makes you think?
God gave us a bible hard copyback in the day.
(16:28):
They will memorize these things.
But now we have technology.
Even at that, that was notenough.
God, god, from memorization torecording in in scrolls and
pamphlets.
Now we have digital copies ofthe Bible.
Write the vision, whatevervision that God is gonna give
you for your personal life.
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Write it down.
Transcribe it to a paper.
It says write the vision whichI'm about to reveal.
You have to.
You have to prepare yourselfwhen God speaks.
You clear your mind to listento God.
When God speaks, you take awayall distractions.
Some of us were so distracted wecan't even hear the voice of
(17:10):
God.
We're so occupied with work.
God wants to speak.
The next step into your life.
God wants to direct your life.
The only time we have theprivilege to really hear from
God when we come to church onSunday, but our day-to-day
activity?
But we focus so much on workwe're not going anywhere.
I remember somebody else tellingme sister was telling me that,
(17:31):
brian, I work, I work five years.
I said $50,000 and I becamesick.
All that money is gone.
Life is funny.
You can work your butt off forhow many years and that money is
gone.
What's the point?
I want you to go to god and saygive me a vision.
When god gives you a vision,child of god, write it down.
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Don't procrastinate, don'tpostpone it.
Like our sister was saying, thebest time of your life or the
best day of your life is the dayof your death.
I'm telling you because that'sthe day you're gonna stand
before god.
You're gonna spend the rest ofyour life either in eternity, in
heaven or in hell.
Work with god.
(18:16):
And the bible says in chaptertwo make it plain.
On tablets again, god isemphasizing write it down when
you write it down.
Make it plain, let tabletsagain god is emphasizing write
it down when you write it down.
Make it plain, let it be simple, let it be readable, something
that you can read.
Some of us will write.
We can't even read our ownwriting and, like I can, I can
speak for myself.
Me too, sometimes I write,funny.
You understand.
(18:36):
That's how I like to digitalize.
Write things down, type thingsdown.
Amen, I want you to write itdown, make it plain.
That way, you yourself, thevision bearer, you can
understand the vision of god.
Make it plain what god issaying, that this vision I'm
gonna give you, it's gonna, it'snot gonna be vivid at times
when god speaks to us.
God speaks in a very symbolicway.
(18:57):
You understand.
The bible is full of symbols.
That is what we have to studyit.
So god has said okay, I havegiven you a dream, I have given
you a vision for your life.
Now make it plain, look forinterpretation, simplify it,
make it blank and also mean cutit down into chunks.
So my some of us, we havelong-term goals.
Oh, I want to buy a mansion.
(19:18):
Ah, start first with the otherunits.
You understand, work little bylittle.
Simplify it doesn't mean thatyou cannot accomplish that big
goal in business.
In school, we have learnedabout the smart goal some, do
something, measure, measure yourgoals, focus on the little
(19:39):
things first and then worktowards the bigger stuff.
That also means make it plain.
Make it plain small chunks ontablets, readable, usable.
Make it play can also meanusable.
So of course, we have big, bigvision.
I want to fly, you want to flyto.
You can even walk.
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You want to fly.
Is that vision that you have?
Is it plain?
So of course we haveunrealistic goals.
You want to have 10 children.
Are you mad in canada?
Make it plain, make it usable,child of god.
These are things that we arelearning just from these few
(20:20):
verses.
Make it plain means make itsimple, make it readable, make
it usable on tablets.
We don't have tablets.
We have books.
We have not pads.
We have iPhones, we have alaptop, we have PC computers.
We have all these things.
Put it down, write it down.
This is for your own life.
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Make it large, put in largeletters everywhere you go, put
it.
Put it.
Put in a place where you'reable to see the vision.
When you go to a corporateoffice, you see your vision in
your office.
They did.
They did it on purpose, notjust for the branding.
That way to remind you that,okay, this is our vision, this
is what we stand for.
Look at the LGBT agenda.
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Everywhere you go, you seetheir logos.
Everywhere you go, you seetheir vision.
They push it right in front ofour face, but we, as child of
God, we don't even have a vision.
I work to push their agenda onus.
That's a vision.
You know what they're trying todo.
Oh boy, oh God, this visionthat they have trying to
sexualize the entire humanitystarted long back.
(21:22):
Now they're targeting ourchildren.
Now they're targeting women.
Women don't even have their ownhome.
They don't even have their owndressing room anymore.
Any man can go into a woman'sdressing room, identify as a man
and the government will.
Oh God, that's the vision.
And our children in school,teaching them sexual content?
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That's the vision of their plan.
Do we have a vision as a church?
Do we have a vision as a nation?
Do you have a vision for yourpersonal life?
2023 is coming to an end.
Do you have a vision for 2024?
Or are you just going to sitback and know what God?
Let things flow.
You know what I've learned inthis life.
Some of us, we say God, I wantGod to be in control.
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No, god is in control when youlet him be in control.
You have to work with God.
You have to get God involved.
The Bible says in all your ways, acknowledge me and I will
direct your path.
Look what the Bible says in allyour ways.
Or do you only acknowledge Godwhen you're in church hallelujah
.
Or do you only acknowledge godwhen you're sick?
(22:26):
Or do you acknowledge god, thegod?
What is the next move in myprofessional life?
God, I just got married.
What is the next move in mymarriage?
Could I guide?
I just have children.
What is it?
Oh, my god.
God cares about every aspect ofyour life.
Child of god, take advantage ofthat.
God is into your every detailsof your life.
Take advantage of that.
He is your creator, he's yourteacher, he's your father.
(22:49):
He knows from the beginning.
It knows tomorrow, you don'tknow.
So plan your life with God.
Are you with me now?
Let's go that he may run.
Who reads it?
What?
What we see here?
Child of god, communicate thevision we see.
(23:13):
Capture the vision.
Plan the vision by writing itdown now, we see.
Communicate the vision, becausesometimes we want to do things
by ourselves.
Okay, you as a mother, you as afather, do you have a vision
for your family?
If you do, do you communicatethat vision to your wife?
Do you communicate that visionto your husband.
Do you communicate that visionto your children so they can
(23:35):
also run with it?
You see, a vision, usually it'sit's it's for the good of
everyone, ah, m of everyone, ah,divine vision, or a vision that
is inspired by god is for thegood, the betterment of everyone
.
It is not a selfish vision.
The difference between a visionand an ambition is that
ambition is selfishness,ambition is personalized,
(23:57):
ambition is all about you,whereas vision is for the good
of everyone.
So you, as somebody in a placeof authority, when you have that
vision, that vision that Godhas given you, it's not just for
you, it's for your family, isfor the church, is for the
corporate world, is for yourcountry.
Share the vision, communicateit to the right people.
(24:19):
Mom, shadow, that is what wemake mistakes.
First of all, communicate thevision right when you, because
the Bible says that he may, thathe may, run who reads it.
Communicate the vision now.
Delegate the vision.
Delegate the vision, becausewhen you communicate the vision
(24:40):
to people, hmmm, sister Adama,what a wonderful idea for the
church.
Hmm, thank you, adama.
God is using you to for us todo something new in this church,
to go house to house evangelism.
Hmm, what we should do shouldlisten to that vision or that
idea that God has given anyonein this church.
(25:03):
Again, like I said, the visionis for the betterment of
everybody.
But if you have that vision andyou sit on it and you close
your mouth, god is going to holdyou accountable, just like your
gifts.
Oh, just like jesus said, Iwill hold you accountable,
because I gave you gifts and yourefused to use them.
You sat on them.
(25:24):
You bury your god-given giftsand people are perishing.
You want god to raise you up,but you don't want to utilize
opportunities that god has givenyou.
The bible says if you arefaithful in what is little,
you'll be faithful in much.
Sometimes we think that we canbe faithful in much.
It's a lie.
If you have not been tested inthe league little, there's no
way you can be proven in much.
Let me say that again if youhave not been tested in little
(25:47):
you, there's no way you can beproven in much.
That's how god works.
Oh god, let's move five milliondollars.
Oh god, if you give me fivemillion dollars, this is what
I'm gonna do with that money,even five dollars.
You can even divide it among topay, to pay expenses.
Now, what makes you thinkyou'll be able to utilize ten
thousand dollars effectively?
(26:08):
We deceive ourselves.
Practice makes perfect,delicate that vision.
Communicate it to the people.
Now you're asking yourself okay,how can I delegate this vision?
Human resources, we need that.
Helpers support system, we needa team.
I was trying to sound like TDJakes.
(26:29):
I'm like, oh boy, please, bro,sit down and go to sleep.
Go to sleep.
Sit down and go to sleep.
Be yourself.
I didn't know who I was.
I'm like God.
Who am I?
God introduced me to myself,amen.
So come here, be yourself.
Don't try to be like nobodyelse.
Be you, be your own unique way.
If you like to shout, shout.
If you're quiet, like Tatiana,please be quiet too.
(26:52):
So delegate the vision forhuman resources, for help, for
support system, for team.
You might wonder, wonder, but ifI share my vision, how people
receive it, how people respondto it.
Make sure, is it the right?
People run with it?
But people are not right.
They will not run with it.
The word run means people willtake it or mash.
(27:15):
No, put speed into it.
Ah, have you done a projectwith the wrong people?
Have you ever done a projectwith the wrong people?
Have you ever done a projectwith the wrong people or started
a business with the wrongpeople?
It slows or delays too muchbecause why?
There's no interest in thatvision.
I've done a business withsomebody.
That person there's no interestin that vision.
That person actually slows medown.
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Oh my god, the slowness is justtoo much.
But somebody who's right forthat vision don't run with it.
Oh, but, alex, let's promisethis is an opportunity for us to
make millions of dollars.
I understand where you're going.
It's.
These are the strategies.
That is why you make it clear,since you have communicated that
vision.
It's so clear to you first.
(27:57):
Sometimes we, we ourselves thevision bearer.
The vision is never clear to us.
So how can we make it clear toothers?
You understand.
So there's a process.
Let that vision be clear to youfirst.
Let that vision make sense toyou first.
You yourself, who's the visionbearer?
Believe in that vision beforeyou even try to get people to
believe in it.
Most times we want to getpeople to believe in our vision,
to believe in us.
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We don't believe in ourselves.
It's a lie.
Oh, I believe in you.
Believe in yourself first,before you try to get people to
believe in you.
So, after, after you havecommunicated that vision, you
make it plain, when I understandthat vision, god, what brother
alex is saying, and when I seethat there's value in this
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vision, not just for brotheralex, but also for me.
Sometimes the reason why we, asafricans, we don't work as a
team is because we don't see thevalue from it.
Sometimes, with the vision,sometimes we communicate that
vision in a very selfish,self-centered way.
It's all about me, my church.
Oh, who says your church?
It's god's church.
That is why, right now, the waychristianity is going, we talk
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about the kingdom, kingdom,kingdom.
Who owns the kingdom?
God?
Who's the king?
God, my church.
Have you ever gone to a churchwhere he says this is the only
place where deliverance takesplace?
Who?
This is your god.
And then a sister, like asister, approached me trying to
evangelize to me come to mychurch.
Ah, that's where I bless you,that's the only church where I
said, my sister, that's not theonly place blessings will happen
(29:23):
.
Amen, that's not the only placehealing will take place.
When you call upon that name,anything can happen.
So, women of god, children ofgod, delegate the vision to the
right people that he may run.
Run, in a sense that work, walkwith that vision.
We want people that will walkwith that vision.
You don't want lazy people.
You see, god is not a god oflaziness, oh my.
(29:45):
That is why the disciples ofgod, all of them, were
preoccupied amen.
All of them were preoccupied.
Even one of them waspreoccupied by was killing.
Even one of them waspreoccupied with collecting tax,
but all of them were doingsomething with your lives.
How can a God use a lazy man todo ministry?
When I said I want you to walkfrom Kenema to to to Congo, god,
(30:09):
I need, I need, I need anairplane, because I know start
from the bottom first.
We want, we want, we want aspaceship.
Laziness is not good, so findpeople who are hard working, who
are valuable, who believe inyou, who believe in the vision,
who share the same value withyou.
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Amen, that they may run with it.
That word is very important.
When somebody, when you runwith somebody, it's speed, speed
.
If you have the right people inyour life, your life will move
forward very fast.
I'm telling you this if you'rein a wrong relationship, your
life will move slow.
Of any sorts family, business,even ministry.
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Let's say you are the onepraying, praying.
That person is always sleeping.
What do you do?
Serious amen, vision, visionthat he may run.
Who reads it?
You, as the vision bearer, makeit.
That is why god is in that.
Make it plain so that peoplecan read it.
You see, when you make it plain, this is what you're doing.
People are going to identifytheir skill, their personality
(31:20):
in accomplishing that vision.
I think they need a marketingdepartment pastor.
I think, in the marketing sense, I can.
That's something that's reallymy strong call.
I can really help.
But if pastor did not mentionthat we need people that will be
able to promote this church, ifyou don't mention that, then
you, who, who?
God knows that you're skilledin marketing, it will not come
out.
Ah, that is why it's good tomake it plain.
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Make the vision plan, explain it.
You see, whether you, if youhave worked in the corporate
center setting or if you havedone business presentation, the
vision is always communicatedfirst.
When you go for a job interview, it will take you how many
hours for that.
It's like, oh, just just, Iwant you to go to the money
about the peanuts.
Go to the money.
How much they're paying us.
Go to the money.
(32:02):
How much they're paying us.
I was going to drop theinterview.
I'm like, just go quickly.
I'm like, please, please, justfinish all this presentation.
Just get to how much money I'mmaking.
All that we care about what'sin for us.
We ask for them like no,they're very wise.
I'm like, no, you're not goingto take our money for nothing.
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You need to understand ourvision before you get paid.
Amen.
Same with the church too.
These people come to church toget healed.
They get, they get, uh,delivered.
But we don't want to take thetime to understand where god is
taking this church.
You see, the vision is notabout you, it's for everybody.
That's why god gave the prophetwrite the vision that he who
runs with it, who reads it, mayrun with it.
Amen.
Now let's go to people.
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Don't follow what they don'tunderstand.
People will not follow whatthey don't understand.
People will not do that exceptthe blind will lead the blind,
except if you're blind.
But people who are very smart,who are very focused in life,
who are very strategic in life,who don't want people to waste
their time sometimes you have tolearn those things in a hard
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way.
Your friend will just call yourandomly Brian, let's go
clubbing, bro, I've doneclubbing since high school.
Go clubbing for what?
My time is so important rightnow I don't even have time for
foolishness.
But if you don't have a vision,oh, marika, you know, you see,
when you have a vision, yourlife is focused, your life is
prioritized.
But we don't have a vision,your life is drifted away.
(33:34):
Anybody can come into your life.
Oh, let's go and do this, yougo, let's go and do this, you go
.
When you have a vision, when youwake up every morning, god,
this is my next target for this,this is my next commitment.
We don't have a vision, youjust go by the flow.
Do you want to go by the flowin life?
Is that the way to live?
Just to wake up in the morning?
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Okay.
What's there to eat, eat, sleepand go to work nine to five?
What are your plans?
Okay, plans about?
Okay, god, I want to buy ahouse.
What do I need to do?
Build my credit.
What do I need to do?
Start small, start small.
You don't think it's possibleto pay off a forty thousand
dollar debt.
It's possible, child of god.
Start small, you see.
You see, sometimes we it's whenwe act by faith.
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We take that step of faith,you'll be powerful, god, god
begins to work.
God begins to step in.
We're too afraid that god, thisvision is too big for my head.
That's a vision.
A vision will never be toosmall for you.
It will be bigger than yourhead, something that you cannot
carry.
That is why you need people.
That is why god says he make itplain.
He will risk it, will run withit because that vision is too
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big for you.
Amen.
Let's go to the other point.
Um, for the vision is yet foran appointed time, but at the
end it will speak and it wouldnot lie, though it tarries.
Wait for it, because it willsurely come, it will not tarry,
let me.
Let me tell you, guys, that thefirst part is your part.
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The seventh of the vision likewrite the vision.
That is your responsibility,it's not god's responsibility.
All that god, god, god will dois to give the vision, reveal it
to you in a dream or or or inyour heart.
That's what god would do.
He's the source of that vision.
But it is your responsibility,child of god, your part, to
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write the vision, make it plain,communicate that vision,
delegate that vision.
It is your part.
God is not going to it plaincommunicate that vision,
delegate that vision.
It is your part.
God is not going to do that foryou.
That's why sometimes we makemistakes, that in this life we
are partners with god.
God is not going to come andfeed you so you can eat matoki.
It's not doing that.
It's not doing that.
It's not doing that now.
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This is god's part, for thevision is yet for an appointed
time.
You're not in control of thefulfillment of that vision.
There's a time for everything.
So don't, don't, don't startkilling yourself.
God, I've been doing thisbusiness.
Sometimes we quit easily, likeme.
Oh, I'm using myself as anexample.
We quit easily.
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I've been working on the god.
I've been working on thisproject for 10 years.
Oh god, I've been.
I've been seven.
And faith in the bible churchfor how many years?
Hey, anything great will taketime.
Tatiana was asking me thatjesus only spent three years of
ministry.
What about the remaining years?
Because that three years?
Because that three years did somuch for humanity.
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But the remaining years,substance roots was being built.
Do you want to be a fad, a trendthat will just come and go,
because that's what our worldwants?
Oh, look at me now.
I'm a preacher Just because godused you to to speak in tongues
(36:44):
.
Now you think that I am motherteresa.
You want to start your ministry?
Get ready for demons andwitches.
If god not call you, don't callyourself.
Hey, if you want to die young,if god not call you, don't call
yourself, because you'retreading into a dangerous ground
of spiritual battles.
Because you are treading into adangerous ground of spiritual
(37:05):
battles because you need God'sprotection and preparation.
If your child sent into thebattlefield, like Pastor
Adolphos will always say, whenyou just hear the gunshot will
you run?
A true soldier will hear thegunshot and remain.
I've heard this before, becauseexperience, amen, god.
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This is God's part.
Source of the vision.
The vision giver For the visionis yet for an appointed time.
Timing of the vision For thevision is yet for an appointed
time.
Timing of the vision for thevision is yet for appointed time
.
It doesn't matter how long youhave been working on that
business, that project, thatministry, that book writing,
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that dream, that house that youwant to buy.
You're asking God for aparticular thing.
I could have been praying forthis, that marriage, that
relationship, that child.
Doesn't matter how long.
I know sometimes delays can bean issue, but if it's, god has
said it.
God promised you.
God has given you that visionand you know, deep down in your
(38:08):
heart, be encouraged by this,for the vision that God has
given you is yet for anappointed time.
God has assigned a time for thefulfillment of that vision.
God has appointed a time forthe fulfillment of that vision.
If you look at it, appointedtime.
(38:30):
You make appointment, right.
What is an appointment?
It's a time specific set foryou to meet somebody, right?
So God has a time specificallyset for that vision to come into
fruition.
So was telling his prophet manof God.
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He has written down his vision.
You have communicated it.
So you see, sometimes whenthere's a gap, people laugh at
you.
You have been saying that faithin the Bible Church will find
his own place.
How many years now, oh, youhave been saying this business.
People mock at you, they mockat Jesus.
They're mocking at us asChristians.
Oh, jesus is gonna come.
When is he gonna come?
You know, don't look at you.
(39:11):
Look at when I might was tryingto rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem, sambalak and to bear,you were mocking him.
If this wallet, even if you, ifan ox, a fox, would just poke
and all he will fall down.
They were mocking what the manwas doing.
Expect people like that.
I will come to mock your vision.
We have been working on thisbusiness.
You don't have no customer, nocustomer or all of your
(39:32):
customers only give you smallmoney.
I have a friend of mine who'sinto media business.
He used to do all these small,small customers.
He's posted a video of of ofdoing live streaming of football
matches.
I'm like and that's somethinghe revealed to me that he was
going to do the prime.
Oh boy.
My goal now is to just I wantto stop making small money.
I really love media.
I'm passionate about it.
(39:52):
I'm doing it for churches andthe money that I'm making.
Now I want to make thisfull-time job and I'm trusting
God.
Yeah, he bought all theequipment.
When I saw the video doing livestreaming for a football match
in Toronto, I'm like wow,because why he believed in his
vision?
Oh, all I did was I said it canbe done.
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Sometimes, if you have nothingto tell somebody, somebody come
and tell you about your vision.
If you have nothing good to say, just shut up, hold your peace.
Hold your peace.
If you're not careful, you saythings that person remember the
10 spies.
The only people that understoodthe vision of god was joshua
and caleb.
Because of them, people withyour bad reports, with their own
(40:35):
belief and fear, persuadedgod's people not to believe in
the promised land.
You know why god wanted todestroy them and moses intervene
?
Because they wanted to kill thetwo servants of god who believe
in the vision.
How dare these people trying tokill my two servants, caleb and
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Joshua, befriend spirit in them?
They believe in me and theywere doing it for the people.
They were doing it not forthemselves.
They were doing it for thepeople, but the people want to
stone these two people.
You see how powerful vision andfaith is.
That is why the Bible says thechurch shall lead by faith.
You can't just have a vision,thinking it's gonna happen
(41:17):
overnight.
You have to persevere thatbusiness.
You have to persevere that landyou want to build.
You have to persevere yourhealth.
You have to don't give up.
I've learned in this life aslong as God is on the throne,
you don't give up on yourself.
You can get tired, it's okay.
You can get tired.
Life can knock you down.
You can get tired, it's okay.
(41:37):
Get up again and keep fighting.
As long as god is on the throne, you rise up again.
God's timing for thefulfillment of the vision will
be perfect.
It will be perfect just likewhen you, when you're pregnant,
you don't expect the child, youdon't.
You're an experience,everybody's experience.
(41:58):
I mean, I don't know, you don'texperience, you don't expect
that child just to come.
You're pregnant, to do, andthen you expect that child to to
come overnight.
We want microwave christianity,like my pastor will always say
microwave christianity,microwave miracles, microwave
promotion, microwave everything.
Microwave success in marriage,microwave ministry.
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You see, god focuses on who youare becoming than what you're
doing.
Who you are becoming is moreimportant than what you do.
When you're a child of god,there's two things how you
approach god, how you relatewith god.
When you're a child of god,there's two things how you
approach god, how you relatewith god when you, when you're a
mature christian or immaturechristian, your focus is on the
doings of god.
When you are a mature christian, your focus is on the being of
(42:45):
god.
See the difference your focusis on the doings of god, the
acts of god which the childrenof israel knew about.
God, all signs and wonders, oh,god is going to do miracles.
Today.
That's their focus, whereas theBible says Moses knew the ways
of God.
Like when we talk about the waysof somebody, you know how,
their mannerism, their attitude,their action, their
characteristics.
You can actually predict whatthey're going to do next.
(43:07):
Right, because you know theirways.
I know your way of life, I knowhow you.
That's exactly how she talks.
That's exactly who she is.
God actually wants us to knowhis ways, his being.
That is what our pastor alwayssaid.
I believe in God, not becauseof miracles, because I believe
in God's integrity, because aperson is his integrity.
I believe in God'scharacteristics.
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That's a mature Christian.
You come to that level where Godis not about doing, doing,
doing doing it's about being.
You're focused on who God is.
That is why you love people,not just for what they do for
you.
You love them for their being.
She's such a lovely person.
She had values to my life.
She wakes me up because of whothey are.
That's their nature.
If it's just doing because theygive you money, give you sex,
(43:50):
you sex they'll get tired,they'll become broke.
But if they are being, they aregood nature, amen.
So this vision will come in theright time.
Don't give up.
And then I also see thatreassuring of the vision.
Look what it says, but at theend it will speak and will not
(44:11):
lie.
Sometimes even God was tryingto reassure the man of god.
He said sometimes people mightthink that, oh, that vision is
fake, oh, your vision is notworking.
How long?
Right, god, we are sure of thevision.
It will not lie.
It's not a lie.
Have you got?
Have you?
Sometimes, when you, oh god,when you share your vision with
wrong people, like the, god willreally speak to you.
(44:32):
Is it?
Is that what you're called todo?
Just because you display avision, you don't see profit,
you don't see physical evidence.
They think that God did notcall you and they don't believe
in you.
Because you don't havecustomers.
They think that your businessis not real.
Can you imagine you don't havebrick and mortar?
(44:53):
Your business is not real.
Can you imagine you have brickand mortar?
Your business on social media.
How many of you are yourbusiness on social media?
You sell your business or youhave a business idea.
Your first action is let mecreate an instagram account, let
me create a facebook page.
Back in the day, facebook page,I created one.
No customer.
That's how vision starts.
You start small.
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My pastor will say that back inthe day they will go to street,
they will preach.
That's the vision.
But us, we want the vision tocome in a very ground style.
We want that, but we don't getthat.
God, you are lying, I knewyou're lying, but God is saying
that.
Okay, I want you, brother Alex,just to start a small farmland,
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very basics.
Hey God, we despise smallbeginnings.
Oh, sister Juliet, I have a bigministry for you, but I just
want you to start a home sale,home ministry.
Visit just a few people.
God, I thought you said I'mgoing to have something big, but
we despise that small beginning.
(45:55):
What God is trying to do totest.
Look at David.
For him to kill Goliath, godtested David with lions and
bears.
For him to become king, godtested him to take care of sheep
in the forest.
We despise more beginnings.
Ah, this is very hard.
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This is very, very hard.
Do it tires?
Look, you see, though, it tires.
There might be delay because ofcircumstances in life.
Wait for it, wait again,repetition wait for it, wait,
wait.
The three p's.
When it comes to all you'rewaiting for this vision.
Three p's patience,productivity and perseverance,
(46:42):
patience, productivity, meaningthat operation things are still
going.
Every sunday, people are here.
Every friday, people are here,things are still going still,
things are still in operation.
Perseverance, even thoughyou're tired.
Patience is pretty much youjust waiting.
But to persevere is like ah,you keep pressing, you keep
(47:03):
pressing.
Ah, people have discouraged you, members have left, members
have called all sort of names,but you keep going.
It takes perseverance, god.
I have no customer.
How long am I doing thisbusiness?
Hey, god, you know I don't havea full-time job.
I focus, I put all my moneyinto this business.
It takes perseverance, child ofgod, even to work with god to
(47:25):
fulfill your ministry.
God is saying that, yes, Icalled you because now I want
you, I want to take selfishnessfrom you.
That is why, child of god,allow god to walk in you first,
before god use you.
Your prayer should be that, god, I know you have called me to
be.
Sometimes we think that we can.
We can handle greatness.
It's a lie.
If god not prepare you forgreatness, greatness will break
(47:46):
you.
If god does not prepare you forgreatness or success, it will
break you.
It will not make you.
You are having so much money.
Money will expose.
You believe, some of you thinkthat certain things, certain
things I cannot do, wait tillyou have money.
Every woman that you have nevertried, you want to try.
Every food that you have nevereaten, you want to eat.
(48:10):
I remember when I had a goodjob, first time in my life I
went to the store.
I tricked myself.
Hundred dollar fish just for me, just for fish.
Fish, you know, rice andsardine was my delicacy.
I'm telling you this, I'mtelling you true talks.
(48:31):
You understand, when I had agood job, I'm like god.
I went, I went to the store, Ibought it.
I don't even know the name ofthe fish.
I bought different types offish.
I said today, brian, today isyour day.
You have been yearning to eatfish.
You know what?
Because I've been yearning toeat fish.
I hate fish.
I got tired of it.
God taught me a lesson.
Yes, brian, you can have allthis money, you can have all
(48:54):
this fish, and then you gettired of it.
Sometimes I even look at it andah.
That is why excess in thingsthat are temporary is not good.
Excess in anything that is notGod is not good.
If you want excess in life, letGod be excess.
So let prayer be excess, letBible study be excess, but
(49:14):
anything else, even sex excess,is not good.
Even you loving people so muchin excess that you, that you
neglect god, is not good.
So we should allow moderation,amen.
So, patience, productivity,perseverance, that's what it's
going to take for you to waitwhile you're working on the
(49:34):
vision.
Sometimes we wait but we don'twork.
Ah, so, god, we're so funny.
Okay, I'm waiting for you, lord.
I'm waiting for you to be ableto get married.
You're not preparing yourselfto be a wife.
Wait, I'm waiting for myhusband, but you refuse to be a
wife.
I'm waiting for my wife, butyou refuse to be a husband.
Oh, I'm waiting to have aministry, but you refuse to be
discipled.
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La machi caraba, that waitingperiod is a period of
preparation and work, a periodof what preparation and work he
wants to perform.
You think people like ronaldomessi, all these people just
perform mubape.
We enjoy them.
You know how many hours theyspend in the gym and then we,
(50:24):
when we applaud them, wecelebrate their lives.
You know how many hours thesemusicians they when we hear your
songs that song is so sweet, weare moved by it hours when we
see men of god doing signs andwonders.
I was in prayer.
That waiting period is a periodof just.
It's not just for you just tosit down and relax.
Don't do anything.
Prepare your hearts, allow Godto change your character.
Own your skills, develop yourskills.
(50:45):
If you have been called to be aminister, you don't need to go
to Bible school if you don'thave money.
But at least get an inductivebible study book and learn the
word, how to divide the word.
If you want to sing, learnabout music theory, prepare
yourself so that you can be thebest.
Sometimes you want to give godpoor results.
There's a difference betweenken and abel.
(51:06):
Abel gave his very best.
God is expecting you to preachyour very best, good inspection
to sing your very best.
God is not looking for poorquality and that's why the Bible
says you will stand before Godfaithful servant, faithfulness
in excellence.
You can't give God average.
God demands the best, the bestof the best.
And then look what it says.
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To conclude with this, becauseit will surely come and will not
tarry, this is what I callfulfilling of the vision.
So we see, on God's part, thisis three parts from God.
Our part is also three.
Our part is capturing.
Planning the vision, that's ourpart.
And the second part that wehave to do communicate the
vision and then delegate thevision.
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Vision carries progress.
That is what's killing Africa.
The only time we know thevision of the president is
during election.
After that, the manifesto.
After that, nothing else, ohGod, but white people.
They will have meetings, weeklymeetings, meetings, monthly
(52:17):
meetings.
Only people who attend thosemeetings.
They don't know the worth ofthose meetings.
Those meetings will tell youabout the target of the company
and those who are wise will meetthe target of the companies.
And those who meet the targetof the company, those are people
who are promoted because whythey attended the meeting, they
understood the next target ofthe of the company and you're
(52:39):
able to achieve what the companydemands.
But some of us, we only want togo there clock in, clock out,
clock in, clock out.
Say that with me.
Clock in, clock out, that's howwe live in life.
We clock in, we clock out,clock out.
To where clock in?
(53:02):
Where this is serious, child ofGod, if you guys are not going
to do it, I will do it, pastor,when it comes.
Plan the vision, communicatethe vision, delegate the vision,
because we need to know visioncarries progress.
That is our path as a team, asindividual.
Now, that is, that is the partof god the timing of the vision,
(53:24):
reassuring of the vision andthe fulfillment of vision.
Where vision springs from.
Or how a vision comes about.
Where vision springs from, orhow a vision comes about.
Complaints, because how did thisAbba, god, obtain this vision?
He complained.
Now you wonder okay, god, Ineed a vision.
Look at problems.
As Marot said, if you want toknow your purpose in life, look
(53:50):
at problems.
True leaders spring from chaos,out of the greatest problem of
humanity, which is sin.
We hear people about Jesus.
Problems, complaints, personalor people's problem.
It's a way for us to obtain avision, because that's exactly
(54:11):
what Abakor did.
He complained to God.
God, there's so much injustice,there's so much social hills.
What are we going to do aboutit?
Complain about sierra leone?
Complain about congo?
Complain about musa venni?
Complain about trudeau.
Yes, it's good to complain.
We, as african, we complain, wecomplain, but we don't do
anything else.
It's good to complain, but whatis your next action when you
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complain?
What about God did he call?
When you complain, do you callon God?
Say God, I've been complainingto you.
Let's brainstorm.
He said come, let us reasontogether.
Do your sins so that, likescarlet, shall be white as snow.
Do you reason to God with yourprayer, even when you have
problems at home, when you havecares.
You see, don't ever seeproblems as problems.
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See problems as opportunitiesfor solutions.
You call Okay, god.
You call through your knees,you call through prayer, and the
purpose is for God to provideyou solution.
And then the final C iscontribution.
This is what God said he wasgoing to do through prophet
(55:16):
Habakkuk write a vision.
You complain, you call on God,and then you contribute.
Don't just complain and don'tcontribute.
Don't just complain, you don'tcall on God.
When you have a complaint,don't take it to a pastor, don't
take it to your husband, don'ttake it to your wife, don't take
it to your fellow members.
Take it to God call.
Take it to your husband.
Don't take it to your wife,don't take it to your fellow
members.
Take it to god, call on godfirst, because that that issue
(55:37):
is even bigger than your pastor,bigger than your husband,
bigger than your wife, biggerthan your colleague or bigger
than your family member.
Take it to god.
That is it.
Abacus never took thiscomplaint to the, to the king of
judah he didn't or to otherprophets.
He took it to god.
He called on god, amen.
And then when you complain andyou call on god, don't just
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complain and call contribute,contribute, because that's where
the solution we're going to seethe evidence of the solution
participation, vision and thefulfillment.
Now, lastly, vision and faith.
Vision and faith.
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It takes faith to accomplishanything in this life.
People going to the moon is anact of faith.
You waking up the next is anact of faith.
You believing that your bosswill pay you the next day is an
act of faith.
You hoping that when you go tothat Chinese store, that
Nigerian store, that Africanstore, those markets that the
food is good, it's an act offaith, because you don't know.
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So you need faith to believethat the vision God has given
you will come to pass, thatbusiness will come to pass, you
will find your husband, you willget healed.
Your life will not be the same,because he said to Habakkuk the
just shall to abacoc, the Joshshall live by faith.
The Josh shall live by faith,righteous shall live by faith.
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Faith is not just a one act,it's a lifestyle.
It's a lifestyle of who you are.
It's a lifestyle, how you goabout your life.
So, as we have heard this wordtoday, child of God, I want to
leave you with this have avision for your personal life.
share with you on a topic today have a vision.
Do you have a vision for yourlife?
If you don't know where you'regoing, you're stuck in life.
If you don't know your future,you don't know where you're
going.
You see, god is a God of thefuture.
(00:23):
God is a God of of tomorrow.
He knows what tomorrow is goingto look like.
He knows what the future is.
Before I actually focus on mysermon, have a vision.
I like to always let peopleknow that my focus is really for
you and I to become Biblestudents.
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I don't want to just takesomething out of context.
I want us to really observe thecontent of the book of Habakkuk
and bring it into our day andtime, into our contemporary time
.
How it can be applicable.
I believe that the word of Godis timeless.
I believe that the word of Godis practical.
I believe that the word of Godis so much truth principles that
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we can apply that are universal, no matter the time.
Amen.
But we need to understand thecontext.
When it was written, abacus,chapter 1, verse 1 the burden
which the prophet abacus saw.
This is very, very important.
The burden.
Some other translation used theword boarding to refer to the
(01:28):
oracle, some translation visionwhich prophet abacus saw.
So chapter one, just an outline, talks about the burden.
This is the first complaint ofthe prophet complain about the
injustice and social heals ofthe land of Judah.
That's pretty much what thebook of a backup, chapter 1,
(01:51):
focuses on a backup complain toGod about injustice and social
heals of the land of Judah.
And then he gave us a list ofsome of the social heals.
I'm not gonna read everythingyou have iniquity, trouble,
plundering, violence, strife,contention, lawlessness, the
(02:12):
wicked, perverse judgment,perverse justice.
So we see all of these thingshappening right now in our
lifetime.
So we have the right tocomplain to God.
That God, look what's happeningin our generation transgender
Nizam, our children being forcedinto sexual content, perversion
(02:34):
of justice, violence, good, whydid you allow me to see this
burden?
Why did you expose me to seethese certain things?
Sometimes God expose you and Iin trouble.
Sometimes God expose you and Ito see things.
That God, why would you allowme to see this?
So the prophet is actuallysaying that God, why did you
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allow me to see this burden?
I cannot bear to see thisburden.
My heart aches to see thisburden.
What is going on?
He's complaining to God andthen, if you continue to read
chapter 1, the Lord's firstresponse.
So we see that a backupcomplain first, and then God
replied to a backup and thereply of God is that's a backup.
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Chapter 1, verse 5 look what itsays look among the nations and
watch.
So okay, man of god, I want youto look among the nations and
watch.
He was a watchman.
Be utterly astounded.
I'm reading from the new kingjames version, for I will walk
and walk in your days again.
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Mark this, this word work, it'sessential work.
I will work and work in yourdays.
You have brought yourcomplaints to me, man of god.
Guess what I'm gonna do?
I want you to look amongnations again.
These were social hills and andinjustice not only happening in
(04:02):
the land of judah, they werealso happening all over the
world.
That's exactly what we'reseeing right now injustices,
social hills affecting our world, corruption, deceits, sexual
perversion, everything.
I will work and work in yourdays, which you will not believe
(04:23):
, man of God.
Wow, though it were told you.
For indeed, I am raising up theShalindians.
So God said okay, I'm gonna doa work for you, and the work
that I'm gonna do, I am gonnaraise up another nation.
The Shalindians were babyloniansand I will use this nation to
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punish your country.
You might wonder, man of god.
But how can god use a wickednation to punish a nation?
Sometimes god uses evil thingsto punish evil, just like you.
You, if you want to do good,you do good.
You use good things to rewardgoodness.
So if you want to, if you wantto punish evil, just like you,
you, if you want to do good, youdo good.
You use good things to rewardgoodness.
So if you want to, if you wantto punish evil, you use use evil
(05:10):
things.
So god said to abacus I'm gonnaraise up the shillelands, the
babylonians, to punish my people.
Judah that's God's response.
God's agent of punishment,judgment and justice on Judah,
is going to use another nation.
(05:30):
What on God's people?
And if you continue to readchapter 2, the Bible lists the
type of nation the Shilindian.
Sometimes we, as a nation, wecarry an attribute like, for
example, in africa um, there'san attitude among sierra
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leoneans, there's an attitudeamong ugandans, there's an
attitude or particular actionthat we can generalize
cameroonians or congolese.
So god, god gave a list ofactions and and characteristics
that you can identify thatdescribe who the shillindians
are.
They are hasty, they are veryquick, they rush things, they
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are very bitter, they're angrypeople, they are terrible.
Can you imagine God is the onetelling his servant who these
people are?
They are terrible, they aredreadful, they are violent, they
are mockers, they are proud.
And this is what God is goingto do, the work that God is
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going to do to raise up a nationto punish God's people.
And god described the type ofpeople these people are.
Oh my god, they are wicked,they are terrible.
Amen.
And now we're still focusing onchapter one, prophet abacus,
second complaint.
So, okay, god, I complainedfirst.
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He responded by telling me thatyou're gonna give, you're gonna
do a work, you're gonna raiseup a nation to punish my people.
Now the second complaint on thewickedness of the shalindians.
If you continue to read thatsame chapter, the man of God
knew about this nation, aboutthe wickedness of people.
He described the wickedness aslike, as like men treating other
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human being like fish.
Can you imagine, using a fishnet as an illustration, how
people treat people like fish,using a net to hook a fish from
the water?
The wickedness of people, thewickedness of people.
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How can a just God use wickedBabylonian to punish a people
more righteous than themselves.
If you look at the children ofIsrael and the Babylonians, the
children of God, they are morerighteous than the Babylonians.
But why is God using a wickednation to punish a nation more
righteous than them?
The man of God is baffled.
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That is why he said, oh my God.
In verse 1, this is the burdenthat God has exposed my eyes to
see Sometimes in life.
How can God bless a wickednation like America?
America used to be fantastic.
How can god, oh my, how can goduse people like paul, who was a
(08:30):
murderer?
How?
These are questions that youand I we have.
How can god use somebody who,who is a prostitute and god
raised them up to become veryprominent in society?
How can god use donald trump?
How can god use jojo biden?
How can god use Donald Trump?
How can God use Joe Biden?
How can God use all thesepeople in a position of power
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and authority?
You ask yourself.
But this is confusion.
We're expecting the best to gointo politics.
We're expecting the best tobecome pastors.
We're expecting the best tobecome doctors.
We're expecting the best tobecome judges.
We're expecting the best forthe best positions in life?
That's the question that theman of god was asking.
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Now chapter two.
Just to um, finish up mycontext.
Now.
Chapter two focuses on the manof god waiting for an answer.
So okay, god, I want you to goto chapter two.
Let's see, amen.
It says I will stand my watch.
Again.
He's waiting, conversing withgod back and forth.
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So okay, god, thank you foryour first response.
I will stand my watch and setmyself on the rampart and watch
to see what he will say to meand what I will answer when I'm
corrected.
Like he's having a conversationwith god, like god, this is
this.
This is too complex.
Now I'm trying to see whatyou're going to do next.
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And what is the second?
What is the second response ofgod now?
Then the lord answered me andsaid this is the second response
write the vision and make itplain who reads it, for the
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vision is yet for an appointedtime, but at the end it will
speak and it will not lie,though it tarries.
Wait for it, because it willsurely come.
It will not tarry.
Okay, I'm gonna get to that.
Okay, that's gonna be our focus.
Let me just finish my context.
So the second reply of god isthe vision.
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Let me finish verse four.
It's very important.
Be all the proud, his soul isnot upright in him, but the just
shall live by his faith.
Keep that verse in mind, amen.
Now, when you continue to readchapter 2, we see the punishment
of the shillelands.
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So god used them to punish hispeople.
God also punished them, sothey're not going to go
scot-free.
So you might think, okay, godused the Babylonians to punish
the children of Israel.
Are you going to let them gofreely, with all the invasion,
Taking other people's land byforce, with violence?
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But if you continue to readchapter 2, from verse 8 all the
way down to verse 13.
No, verses 4 all the way toverse 20, it talks about a list
of condemnation against theShelandians.
Let me just go over themquickly.
God punishes them because oftheir plundering activities.
God condemns their greed.
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They were greedy.
He condemns that.
God condemns their covetousness.
God condemns their violence.
God condemns their covetousness.
God condemns their violence.
God condemns their adultery.
These were all things that theywere doing that God condemns.
So God punished them as well.
At the end of this book, prophetHabakkuk made a prayer to God,
and we can break it down into aprayer of petition for God's
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mercy.
A prayer of petition for God'smercy, a prayer of praise for
God's power and a prayer ofpromise.
If you read chapter 3, you willsee that Abakor now is no
longer complaining.
He's no longer complaining,he's praying Praying to God,
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praising God for God's power andpleading to god for god's mercy
.
And I really like verse chapterthree.
I want you to go down to let meread it for you.
A prayer of abacoc the prophets.
Oh lord, I have heard of yourspeech and was afraid.
Oh lord, revive your work again.
You see, in the previouschapter we talk about the work
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that god said he was going to do, right.
So now the man of god is sayingthat, god, we rev it, revive
your work in the midst of theyears, in the midst of the years
, make it knowing I like thishow it ended In wrath.
Remember mercy, oh my God, inwrath.
Remember mercy In judgment, god, remember mercy.
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Now let's focus on my sermon.
Do you have a vision?
Do you truly have a vision foryour life?
Sometimes, when we talk aboutvision, we think that only
corporations, companies orministries that should create a
vision.
But what about you as anindividual?
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Do you have a vision for yourprofessional life?
Do you have a vision for yourfamily?
Let's talk.
Do you have a vision for yourfamily?
Do you have a vision for yourministry, your personal ministry
?
Do you have a vision for thefuture, or you just wake up and
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just walk with the flow of life,or do you have goals that you
want to accomplish?
Do you anticipate a future thatsome things are going to change
in your life?
Serious talk.
We read the visions ofbusinesses, we read the visions
of churches, but what about youas an individual?
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Do you have a vision?
Let's examine Habakkuk, chapter2, from verse 2 to 3.
We see that God is a source ofvision, because he was the one
who responded to Habakkuk and hesaid write the vision.
If you don't have a vision now,it's okay, but you can have one
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.
I don't want you to live todaythinking that, okay, man of God,
you have talked about have avision, now it's okay, but you
can have one.
I don't want you to live todaythinking that, okay, man of god,
you have talked about having avision.
How am I gonna make it happenagain?
Talk to god, go to your fatherand say, god, I've heard your
word.
Today.
I need a vision for my family.
I need a vision for my life.
I need to understand the visionof this church because if you
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are going to be part of anorganization, you need to know
where the organization is going.
Just like some of us, we go towork, we're there for the money,
but we don't even know in thefive-year plan of the company.
How many of you know the visionof canada?
You're in canada, toronto wejust had an election.
How many of you know the planof of our mayor plan, the future
of toronto?
But every day we wake up.
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There's new projects, there'smetro links, there's new
condominium being builtreplacing the old ones.
Do we know?
Oh boy, that is why the Biblesays my people perish for lack
of knowledge.
It's true.
It didn't say you perish forlack of prayer.
It didn't say you perish forlack of fasting.
It said you are perishing,meaning that you are going down
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in life, you are degrading inlife because of your lack of
knowledge.
When you know, when you haveknowledge, you will create a
vision.
Serious talk, children of God.
God commanded his prophet writea vision, don't just have it in
your head when God speaks toyou or God reveals something to
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you in a dream.
I mean, if you, when you have adream, do you write something
or do you record it on yourphone that we can remember, or
or your, or your brain is like Icall it, uh, ai that can recall
things.
No, write things down.
Learn to write things that,even when you come to church,
bring your notepad, write thingsdown.
What makes you think?
God gave us a bible hard copyback in the day.
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They will memorize these things.
But now we have technology.
Even at that, that was notenough.
God, god, from memorization torecording in in scrolls and
pamphlets.
Now we have digital copies ofthe Bible.
Write the vision, whatevervision that God is gonna give
you for your personal life.
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Write it down.
Transcribe it to a paper.
It says write the vision whichI'm about to reveal.
You have to.
You have to prepare yourselfwhen God speaks.
You clear your mind to listento God.
When God speaks, you take awayall distractions.
Some of us were so distracted wecan't even hear the voice of
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God.
We're so occupied with work.
God wants to speak.
The next step into your life.
God wants to direct your life.
The only time we have theprivilege to really hear from
God when we come to church onSunday, but our day-to-day
activity?
But we focus so much on workwe're not going anywhere.
I remember somebody else tellingme sister was telling me that,
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brian, I work, I work five years.
I said $50,000 and I becamesick.
All that money is gone.
Life is funny.
You can work your butt off forhow many years and that money is
gone.
What's the point?
I want you to go to god and saygive me a vision.
When god gives you a vision,child of god, write it down.
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Don't procrastinate, don'tpostpone it.
Like our sister was saying, thebest time of your life or the
best day of your life is the dayof your death.
I'm telling you because that'sthe day you're gonna stand
before god.
You're gonna spend the rest ofyour life either in eternity, in
heaven or in hell.
Work with god.
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And the bible says in chaptertwo make it plain.
On tablets again, god isemphasizing write it down when
you write it down.
Make it plain, let tabletsagain god is emphasizing write
it down when you write it down.
Make it plain, let it be simple, let it be readable, something
that you can read.
Some of us will write.
We can't even read our ownwriting and, like I can, I can
speak for myself.
Me too, sometimes I write,funny.
You understand.
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That's how I like to digitalize.
Write things down, type thingsdown.
Amen, I want you to write itdown, make it plain.
That way, you yourself, thevision bearer, you can
understand the vision of god.
Make it plain what god issaying, that this vision I'm
gonna give you, it's gonna, it'snot gonna be vivid at times
when god speaks to us.
God speaks in a very symbolicway.
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You understand.
The bible is full of symbols.
That is what we have to studyit.
So god has said okay, I havegiven you a dream, I have given
you a vision for your life.
Now make it plain, look forinterpretation, simplify it,
make it blank and also mean cutit down into chunks.
So my some of us, we havelong-term goals.
Oh, I want to buy a mansion.
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Ah, start first with the otherunits.
You understand, work little bylittle.
Simplify it doesn't mean thatyou cannot accomplish that big
goal in business.
In school, we have learnedabout the smart goal some, do
something, measure, measure yourgoals, focus on the little
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things first and then worktowards the bigger stuff.
That also means make it plain.
Make it plain small chunks ontablets, readable, usable.
Make it play can also meanusable.
So of course, we have big, bigvision.
I want to fly, you want to flyto.
You can even walk.
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You want to fly.
Is that vision that you have?
Is it plain?
So of course we haveunrealistic goals.
You want to have 10 children.
Are you mad in canada?
Make it plain, make it usable,child of god.
These are things that we arelearning just from these few
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verses.
Make it plain means make itsimple, make it readable, make
it usable on tablets.
We don't have tablets.
We have books.
We have not pads.
We have iPhones, we have alaptop, we have PC computers.
We have all these things.
Put it down, write it down.
This is for your own life.
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Make it large, put in largeletters everywhere you go, put
it.
Put it.
Put in a place where you'reable to see the vision.
When you go to a corporateoffice, you see your vision in
your office.
They did.
They did it on purpose, notjust for the branding.
That way to remind you that,okay, this is our vision, this
is what we stand for.
Look at the LGBT agenda.
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Everywhere you go, you seetheir logos.
Everywhere you go, you seetheir vision.
They push it right in front ofour face, but we, as child of
God, we don't even have a vision.
I work to push their agenda onus.
That's a vision.
You know what they're trying todo.
Oh boy, oh God, this visionthat they have trying to
sexualize the entire humanitystarted long back.
(21:22):
Now they're targeting ourchildren.
Now they're targeting women.
Women don't even have their ownhome.
They don't even have their owndressing room anymore.
Any man can go into a woman'sdressing room, identify as a man
and the government will.
Oh God, that's the vision.
And our children in school,teaching them sexual content?
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That's the vision of their plan.
Do we have a vision as a church?
Do we have a vision as a nation?
Do you have a vision for yourpersonal life?
2023 is coming to an end.
Do you have a vision for 2024?
Or are you just going to sitback and know what God?
Let things flow.
You know what I've learned inthis life.
Some of us, we say God, I wantGod to be in control.
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No, god is in control when youlet him be in control.
You have to work with God.
You have to get God involved.
The Bible says in all your ways, acknowledge me and I will
direct your path.
Look what the Bible says in allyour ways.
Or do you only acknowledge Godwhen you're in church hallelujah
.
Or do you only acknowledge godwhen you're sick?
(22:26):
Or do you acknowledge god, thegod?
What is the next move in myprofessional life?
God, I just got married.
What is the next move in mymarriage?
Could I guide?
I just have children.
What is it?
Oh, my god.
God cares about every aspect ofyour life.
Child of god, take advantage ofthat.
God is into your every detailsof your life.
Take advantage of that.
He is your creator, he's yourteacher, he's your father.
(22:49):
He knows from the beginning.
It knows tomorrow, you don'tknow.
So plan your life with God.
Are you with me now?
Let's go that he may run.
Who reads it?
What?
What we see here?
Child of god, communicate thevision we see.
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Capture the vision.
Plan the vision by writing itdown now, we see.
Communicate the vision, becausesometimes we want to do things
by ourselves.
Okay, you as a mother, you as afather, do you have a vision
for your family?
If you do, do you communicatethat vision to your wife?
Do you communicate that visionto your husband.
Do you communicate that visionto your children so they can
(23:35):
also run with it?
You see, a vision, usually it'sit's it's for the good of
everyone, ah, m of everyone, ah,divine vision, or a vision that
is inspired by god is for thegood, the betterment of everyone
.
It is not a selfish vision.
The difference between a visionand an ambition is that
ambition is selfishness,ambition is personalized,
(23:57):
ambition is all about you,whereas vision is for the good
of everyone.
So you, as somebody in a placeof authority, when you have that
vision, that vision that Godhas given you, it's not just for
you, it's for your family, isfor the church, is for the
corporate world, is for yourcountry.
Share the vision, communicateit to the right people.
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Mom, shadow, that is what wemake mistakes.
First of all, communicate thevision right when you, because
the Bible says that he may, thathe may, run who reads it.
Communicate the vision now.
Delegate the vision.
Delegate the vision, becausewhen you communicate the vision
(24:40):
to people, hmmm, sister Adama,what a wonderful idea for the
church.
Hmm, thank you, adama.
God is using you to for us todo something new in this church,
to go house to house evangelism.
Hmm, what we should do shouldlisten to that vision or that
idea that God has given anyonein this church.
(25:03):
Again, like I said, the visionis for the betterment of
everybody.
But if you have that vision andyou sit on it and you close
your mouth, god is going to holdyou accountable, just like your
gifts.
Oh, just like jesus said, Iwill hold you accountable,
because I gave you gifts and yourefused to use them.
You sat on them.
(25:24):
You bury your god-given giftsand people are perishing.
You want god to raise you up,but you don't want to utilize
opportunities that god has givenyou.
The bible says if you arefaithful in what is little,
you'll be faithful in much.
Sometimes we think that we canbe faithful in much.
It's a lie.
If you have not been tested inthe league little, there's no
way you can be proven in much.
Let me say that again if youhave not been tested in little
(25:47):
you, there's no way you can beproven in much.
That's how god works.
Oh god, let's move five milliondollars.
Oh god, if you give me fivemillion dollars, this is what
I'm gonna do with that money,even five dollars.
You can even divide it among topay, to pay expenses.
Now, what makes you thinkyou'll be able to utilize ten
thousand dollars effectively?
(26:08):
We deceive ourselves.
Practice makes perfect,delicate that vision.
Communicate it to the people.
Now you're asking yourself okay,how can I delegate this vision?
Human resources, we need that.
Helpers support system, we needa team.
I was trying to sound like TDJakes.
(26:29):
I'm like, oh boy, please, bro,sit down and go to sleep.
Go to sleep.
Sit down and go to sleep.
Be yourself.
I didn't know who I was.
I'm like God.
Who am I?
God introduced me to myself,amen.
So come here, be yourself.
Don't try to be like nobodyelse.
Be you, be your own unique way.
If you like to shout, shout.
If you're quiet, like Tatiana,please be quiet too.
(26:52):
So delegate the vision forhuman resources, for help, for
support system, for team.
You might wonder, wonder, but ifI share my vision, how people
receive it, how people respondto it.
Make sure, is it the right?
People run with it?
But people are not right.
They will not run with it.
The word run means people willtake it or mash.
(27:15):
No, put speed into it.
Ah, have you done a projectwith the wrong people?
Have you ever done a projectwith the wrong people?
Have you ever done a projectwith the wrong people or started
a business with the wrongpeople?
It slows or delays too muchbecause why?
There's no interest in thatvision.
I've done a business withsomebody.
That person there's no interestin that vision.
That person actually slows medown.
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Oh my god, the slowness is justtoo much.
But somebody who's right forthat vision don't run with it.
Oh, but, alex, let's promisethis is an opportunity for us to
make millions of dollars.
I understand where you're going.
It's.
These are the strategies.
That is why you make it clear,since you have communicated that
vision.
It's so clear to you first.
(27:57):
Sometimes we, we ourselves thevision bearer.
The vision is never clear to us.
So how can we make it clear toothers?
You understand.
So there's a process.
Let that vision be clear to youfirst.
Let that vision make sense toyou first.
You yourself, who's the visionbearer?
Believe in that vision beforeyou even try to get people to
believe in it.
Most times we want to getpeople to believe in our vision,
to believe in us.
(28:18):
We don't believe in ourselves.
It's a lie.
Oh, I believe in you.
Believe in yourself first,before you try to get people to
believe in you.
So, after, after you havecommunicated that vision, you
make it plain, when I understandthat vision, god, what brother
alex is saying, and when I seethat there's value in this
(28:40):
vision, not just for brotheralex, but also for me.
Sometimes the reason why we, asafricans, we don't work as a
team is because we don't see thevalue from it.
Sometimes, with the vision,sometimes we communicate that
vision in a very selfish,self-centered way.
It's all about me, my church.
Oh, who says your church?
It's god's church.
That is why, right now, the waychristianity is going, we talk
(29:02):
about the kingdom, kingdom,kingdom.
Who owns the kingdom?
God?
Who's the king?
God, my church.
Have you ever gone to a churchwhere he says this is the only
place where deliverance takesplace?
Who?
This is your god.
And then a sister, like asister, approached me trying to
evangelize to me come to mychurch.
Ah, that's where I bless you,that's the only church where I
said, my sister, that's not theonly place blessings will happen
(29:23):
.
Amen, that's not the only placehealing will take place.
When you call upon that name,anything can happen.
So, women of god, children ofgod, delegate the vision to the
right people that he may run.
Run, in a sense that work, walkwith that vision.
We want people that will walkwith that vision.
You don't want lazy people.
You see, god is not a god oflaziness, oh my.
(29:45):
That is why the disciples ofgod, all of them, were
preoccupied amen.
All of them were preoccupied.
Even one of them waspreoccupied by was killing.
Even one of them waspreoccupied with collecting tax,
but all of them were doingsomething with your lives.
How can a God use a lazy man todo ministry?
When I said I want you to walkfrom Kenema to to to Congo, god,
(30:09):
I need, I need, I need anairplane, because I know start
from the bottom first.
We want, we want, we want aspaceship.
Laziness is not good, so findpeople who are hard working, who
are valuable, who believe inyou, who believe in the vision,
who share the same value withyou.
(30:31):
Amen, that they may run with it.
That word is very important.
When somebody, when you runwith somebody, it's speed, speed
.
If you have the right people inyour life, your life will move
forward very fast.
I'm telling you this if you'rein a wrong relationship, your
life will move slow.
Of any sorts family, business,even ministry.
(30:55):
Let's say you are the onepraying, praying.
That person is always sleeping.
What do you do?
Serious amen, vision, visionthat he may run.
Who reads it?
You, as the vision bearer, makeit.
That is why god is in that.
Make it plain so that peoplecan read it.
You see, when you make it plain, this is what you're doing.
People are going to identifytheir skill, their personality
(31:20):
in accomplishing that vision.
I think they need a marketingdepartment pastor.
I think, in the marketing sense, I can.
That's something that's reallymy strong call.
I can really help.
But if pastor did not mentionthat we need people that will be
able to promote this church, ifyou don't mention that, then
you, who, who?
God knows that you're skilledin marketing, it will not come
out.
Ah, that is why it's good tomake it plain.
(31:42):
Make the vision plan, explain it.
You see, whether you, if youhave worked in the corporate
center setting or if you havedone business presentation, the
vision is always communicatedfirst.
When you go for a job interview, it will take you how many
hours for that.
It's like, oh, just just, Iwant you to go to the money
about the peanuts.
Go to the money.
How much they're paying us.
Go to the money.
(32:02):
How much they're paying us.
I was going to drop theinterview.
I'm like, just go quickly.
I'm like, please, please, justfinish all this presentation.
Just get to how much money I'mmaking.
All that we care about what'sin for us.
We ask for them like no,they're very wise.
I'm like, no, you're not goingto take our money for nothing.
(32:29):
You need to understand ourvision before you get paid.
Amen.
Same with the church too.
These people come to church toget healed.
They get, they get, uh,delivered.
But we don't want to take thetime to understand where god is
taking this church.
You see, the vision is notabout you, it's for everybody.
That's why god gave the prophetwrite the vision that he who
runs with it, who reads it, mayrun with it.
Amen.
Now let's go to people.
(32:51):
Don't follow what they don'tunderstand.
People will not follow whatthey don't understand.
People will not do that exceptthe blind will lead the blind,
except if you're blind.
But people who are very smart,who are very focused in life,
who are very strategic in life,who don't want people to waste
their time sometimes you have tolearn those things in a hard
(33:13):
way.
Your friend will just call yourandomly Brian, let's go
clubbing, bro, I've doneclubbing since high school.
Go clubbing for what?
My time is so important rightnow I don't even have time for
foolishness.
But if you don't have a vision,oh, marika, you know, you see,
when you have a vision, yourlife is focused, your life is
prioritized.
But we don't have a vision,your life is drifted away.
(33:34):
Anybody can come into your life.
Oh, let's go and do this, yougo, let's go and do this, you go
.
When you have a vision, when youwake up every morning, god,
this is my next target for this,this is my next commitment.
We don't have a vision, youjust go by the flow.
Do you want to go by the flowin life?
Is that the way to live?
Just to wake up in the morning?
(33:56):
Okay.
What's there to eat, eat, sleepand go to work nine to five?
What are your plans?
Okay, plans about?
Okay, god, I want to buy ahouse.
What do I need to do?
Build my credit.
What do I need to do?
Start small, start small.
You don't think it's possibleto pay off a forty thousand
dollar debt.
It's possible, child of god.
Start small, you see.
You see, sometimes we it's whenwe act by faith.
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We take that step of faith,you'll be powerful, god, god
begins to work.
God begins to step in.
We're too afraid that god, thisvision is too big for my head.
That's a vision.
A vision will never be toosmall for you.
It will be bigger than yourhead, something that you cannot
carry.
That is why you need people.
That is why god says he make itplain.
He will risk it, will run withit because that vision is too
(34:38):
big for you.
Amen.
Let's go to the other point.
Um, for the vision is yet foran appointed time, but at the
end it will speak and it wouldnot lie, though it tarries.
Wait for it, because it willsurely come, it will not tarry,
let me.
Let me tell you, guys, that thefirst part is your part.
(34:59):
The seventh of the vision likewrite the vision.
That is your responsibility,it's not god's responsibility.
All that god, god, god will dois to give the vision, reveal it
to you in a dream or or or inyour heart.
That's what god would do.
He's the source of that vision.
But it is your responsibility,child of god, your part, to
(35:19):
write the vision, make it plain,communicate that vision,
delegate that vision.
It is your part.
God is not going to it plaincommunicate that vision,
delegate that vision.
It is your part.
God is not going to do that foryou.
That's why sometimes we makemistakes, that in this life we
are partners with god.
God is not going to come andfeed you so you can eat matoki.
It's not doing that.
It's not doing that.
It's not doing that now.
(35:40):
This is god's part, for thevision is yet for an appointed
time.
You're not in control of thefulfillment of that vision.
There's a time for everything.
So don't, don't, don't startkilling yourself.
God, I've been doing thisbusiness.
Sometimes we quit easily, likeme.
Oh, I'm using myself as anexample.
We quit easily.
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I've been working on the god.
I've been working on thisproject for 10 years.
Oh god, I've been.
I've been seven.
And faith in the bible churchfor how many years?
Hey, anything great will taketime.
Tatiana was asking me thatjesus only spent three years of
ministry.
What about the remaining years?
Because that three years?
Because that three years did somuch for humanity.
(36:22):
But the remaining years,substance roots was being built.
Do you want to be a fad, a trendthat will just come and go,
because that's what our worldwants?
Oh, look at me now.
I'm a preacher Just because godused you to to speak in tongues
(36:44):
.
Now you think that I am motherteresa.
You want to start your ministry?
Get ready for demons andwitches.
If god not call you, don't callyourself.
Hey, if you want to die young,if god not call you, don't call
yourself, because you'retreading into a dangerous ground
of spiritual battles.
Because you are treading into adangerous ground of spiritual
(37:05):
battles because you need God'sprotection and preparation.
If your child sent into thebattlefield, like Pastor
Adolphos will always say, whenyou just hear the gunshot will
you run?
A true soldier will hear thegunshot and remain.
I've heard this before, becauseexperience, amen, god.
(37:27):
This is God's part.
Source of the vision.
The vision giver For the visionis yet for an appointed time.
Timing of the vision For thevision is yet for an appointed
time.
Timing of the vision for thevision is yet for appointed time
.
It doesn't matter how long youhave been working on that
business, that project, thatministry, that book writing,
(37:47):
that dream, that house that youwant to buy.
You're asking God for aparticular thing.
I could have been praying forthis, that marriage, that
relationship, that child.
Doesn't matter how long.
I know sometimes delays can bean issue, but if it's, god has
said it.
God promised you.
God has given you that visionand you know, deep down in your
(38:08):
heart, be encouraged by this,for the vision that God has
given you is yet for anappointed time.
God has assigned a time for thefulfillment of that vision.
God has appointed a time forthe fulfillment of that vision.
If you look at it, appointedtime.
(38:30):
You make appointment, right.
What is an appointment?
It's a time specific set foryou to meet somebody, right?
So God has a time specificallyset for that vision to come into
fruition.
So was telling his prophet manof God.
(38:50):
He has written down his vision.
You have communicated it.
So you see, sometimes whenthere's a gap, people laugh at
you.
You have been saying that faithin the Bible Church will find
his own place.
How many years now, oh, youhave been saying this business.
People mock at you, they mockat Jesus.
They're mocking at us asChristians.
Oh, jesus is gonna come.
When is he gonna come?
You know, don't look at you.
(39:11):
Look at when I might was tryingto rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem, sambalak and to bear,you were mocking him.
If this wallet, even if you, ifan ox, a fox, would just poke
and all he will fall down.
They were mocking what the manwas doing.
Expect people like that.
I will come to mock your vision.
We have been working on thisbusiness.
You don't have no customer, nocustomer or all of your
(39:32):
customers only give you smallmoney.
I have a friend of mine who'sinto media business.
He used to do all these small,small customers.
He's posted a video of of ofdoing live streaming of football
matches.
I'm like and that's somethinghe revealed to me that he was
going to do the prime.
Oh boy.
My goal now is to just I wantto stop making small money.
I really love media.
I'm passionate about it.
(39:52):
I'm doing it for churches andthe money that I'm making.
Now I want to make thisfull-time job and I'm trusting
God.
Yeah, he bought all theequipment.
When I saw the video doing livestreaming for a football match
in Toronto, I'm like wow,because why he believed in his
vision?
Oh, all I did was I said it canbe done.
(40:12):
Sometimes, if you have nothingto tell somebody, somebody come
and tell you about your vision.
If you have nothing good to say, just shut up, hold your peace.
Hold your peace.
If you're not careful, you saythings that person remember the
10 spies.
The only people that understoodthe vision of god was joshua
and caleb.
Because of them, people withyour bad reports, with their own
(40:35):
belief and fear, persuadedgod's people not to believe in
the promised land.
You know why god wanted todestroy them and moses intervene
?
Because they wanted to kill thetwo servants of god who believe
in the vision.
How dare these people trying tokill my two servants, caleb and
(40:56):
Joshua, befriend spirit in them?
They believe in me and theywere doing it for the people.
They were doing it not forthemselves.
They were doing it for thepeople, but the people want to
stone these two people.
You see how powerful vision andfaith is.
That is why the Bible says thechurch shall lead by faith.
You can't just have a vision,thinking it's gonna happen
(41:17):
overnight.
You have to persevere thatbusiness.
You have to persevere that landyou want to build.
You have to persevere yourhealth.
You have to don't give up.
I've learned in this life aslong as God is on the throne,
you don't give up on yourself.
You can get tired, it's okay.
You can get tired.
Life can knock you down.
You can get tired, it's okay.
(41:37):
Get up again and keep fighting.
As long as god is on the throne, you rise up again.
God's timing for thefulfillment of the vision will
be perfect.
It will be perfect just likewhen you, when you're pregnant,
you don't expect the child, youdon't.
You're an experience,everybody's experience.
(41:58):
I mean, I don't know, you don'texperience, you don't expect
that child just to come.
You're pregnant, to do, andthen you expect that child to to
come overnight.
We want microwave christianity,like my pastor will always say
microwave christianity,microwave miracles, microwave
promotion, microwave everything.
Microwave success in marriage,microwave ministry.
(42:21):
You see, god focuses on who youare becoming than what you're
doing.
Who you are becoming is moreimportant than what you do.
When you're a child of god,there's two things how you
approach god, how you relatewith god.
When you're a child of god,there's two things how you
approach god, how you relatewith god when you, when you're a
mature christian or immaturechristian, your focus is on the
doings of god.
When you are a mature christian, your focus is on the being of
(42:45):
god.
See the difference your focusis on the doings of god, the
acts of god which the childrenof israel knew about.
God, all signs and wonders, oh,god is going to do miracles.
Today.
That's their focus, whereas theBible says Moses knew the ways
of God.
Like when we talk about the waysof somebody, you know how,
their mannerism, their attitude,their action, their
characteristics.
You can actually predict whatthey're going to do next.
(43:07):
Right, because you know theirways.
I know your way of life, I knowhow you.
That's exactly how she talks.
That's exactly who she is.
God actually wants us to knowhis ways, his being.
That is what our pastor alwayssaid.
I believe in God, not becauseof miracles, because I believe
in God's integrity, because aperson is his integrity.
I believe in God'scharacteristics.
(43:30):
That's a mature Christian.
You come to that level where Godis not about doing, doing,
doing doing it's about being.
You're focused on who God is.
That is why you love people,not just for what they do for
you.
You love them for their being.
She's such a lovely person.
She had values to my life.
She wakes me up because of whothey are.
That's their nature.
If it's just doing because theygive you money, give you sex,
(43:50):
you sex they'll get tired,they'll become broke.
But if they are being, they aregood nature, amen.
So this vision will come in theright time.
Don't give up.
And then I also see thatreassuring of the vision.
Look what it says, but at theend it will speak and will not
(44:11):
lie.
Sometimes even God was tryingto reassure the man of god.
He said sometimes people mightthink that, oh, that vision is
fake, oh, your vision is notworking.
How long?
Right, god, we are sure of thevision.
It will not lie.
It's not a lie.
Have you got?
Have you?
Sometimes, when you, oh god,when you share your vision with
wrong people, like the, god willreally speak to you.
(44:32):
Is it?
Is that what you're called todo?
Just because you display avision, you don't see profit,
you don't see physical evidence.
They think that God did notcall you and they don't believe
in you.
Because you don't havecustomers.
They think that your businessis not real.
Can you imagine you don't havebrick and mortar?
(44:53):
Your business is not real.
Can you imagine you have brickand mortar?
Your business on social media.
How many of you are yourbusiness on social media?
You sell your business or youhave a business idea.
Your first action is let mecreate an instagram account, let
me create a facebook page.
Back in the day, facebook page,I created one.
No customer.
That's how vision starts.
You start small.
(45:13):
My pastor will say that back inthe day they will go to street,
they will preach.
That's the vision.
But us, we want the vision tocome in a very ground style.
We want that, but we don't getthat.
God, you are lying, I knewyou're lying, but God is saying
that.
Okay, I want you, brother Alex,just to start a small farmland,
(45:34):
very basics.
Hey God, we despise smallbeginnings.
Oh, sister Juliet, I have a bigministry for you, but I just
want you to start a home sale,home ministry.
Visit just a few people.
God, I thought you said I'mgoing to have something big, but
we despise that small beginning.
(45:55):
What God is trying to do totest.
Look at David.
For him to kill Goliath, godtested David with lions and
bears.
For him to become king, godtested him to take care of sheep
in the forest.
We despise more beginnings.
Ah, this is very hard.
(46:16):
This is very, very hard.
Do it tires?
Look, you see, though, it tires.
There might be delay because ofcircumstances in life.
Wait for it, wait again,repetition wait for it, wait,
wait.
The three p's.
When it comes to all you'rewaiting for this vision.
Three p's patience,productivity and perseverance,
(46:42):
patience, productivity, meaningthat operation things are still
going.
Every sunday, people are here.
Every friday, people are here,things are still going still,
things are still in operation.
Perseverance, even thoughyou're tired.
Patience is pretty much youjust waiting.
But to persevere is like ah,you keep pressing, you keep
(47:03):
pressing.
Ah, people have discouraged you, members have left, members
have called all sort of names,but you keep going.
It takes perseverance, god.
I have no customer.
How long am I doing thisbusiness?
Hey, god, you know I don't havea full-time job.
I focus, I put all my moneyinto this business.
It takes perseverance, child ofgod, even to work with god to
(47:25):
fulfill your ministry.
God is saying that, yes, Icalled you because now I want
you, I want to take selfishnessfrom you.
That is why, child of god,allow god to walk in you first,
before god use you.
Your prayer should be that, god, I know you have called me to
be.
Sometimes we think that we can.
We can handle greatness.
It's a lie.
If god not prepare you forgreatness, greatness will break
(47:46):
you.
If god does not prepare you forgreatness or success, it will
break you.
It will not make you.
You are having so much money.
Money will expose.
You believe, some of you thinkthat certain things, certain
things I cannot do, wait tillyou have money.
Every woman that you have nevertried, you want to try.
Every food that you have nevereaten, you want to eat.
(48:10):
I remember when I had a goodjob, first time in my life I
went to the store.
I tricked myself.
Hundred dollar fish just for me, just for fish.
Fish, you know, rice andsardine was my delicacy.
I'm telling you this, I'mtelling you true talks.
(48:31):
You understand, when I had agood job, I'm like god.
I went, I went to the store, Ibought it.
I don't even know the name ofthe fish.
I bought different types offish.
I said today, brian, today isyour day.
You have been yearning to eatfish.
You know what?
Because I've been yearning toeat fish.
I hate fish.
I got tired of it.
God taught me a lesson.
Yes, brian, you can have allthis money, you can have all
(48:54):
this fish, and then you gettired of it.
Sometimes I even look at it andah.
That is why excess in thingsthat are temporary is not good.
Excess in anything that is notGod is not good.
If you want excess in life, letGod be excess.
So let prayer be excess, letBible study be excess, but
(49:14):
anything else, even sex excess,is not good.
Even you loving people so muchin excess that you, that you
neglect god, is not good.
So we should allow moderation,amen.
So, patience, productivity,perseverance, that's what it's
going to take for you to waitwhile you're working on the
(49:34):
vision.
Sometimes we wait but we don'twork.
Ah, so, god, we're so funny.
Okay, I'm waiting for you, lord.
I'm waiting for you to be ableto get married.
You're not preparing yourselfto be a wife.
Wait, I'm waiting for myhusband, but you refuse to be a
wife.
I'm waiting for my wife, butyou refuse to be a husband.
Oh, I'm waiting to have aministry, but you refuse to be
discipled.
(49:55):
La machi caraba, that waitingperiod is a period of
preparation and work, a periodof what preparation and work he
wants to perform.
You think people like ronaldomessi, all these people just
perform mubape.
We enjoy them.
You know how many hours theyspend in the gym and then we,
(50:24):
when we applaud them, wecelebrate their lives.
You know how many hours thesemusicians they when we hear your
songs that song is so sweet, weare moved by it hours when we
see men of god doing signs andwonders.
I was in prayer.
That waiting period is a periodof just.
It's not just for you just tosit down and relax.
Don't do anything.
Prepare your hearts, allow Godto change your character.
Own your skills, develop yourskills.
(50:45):
If you have been called to be aminister, you don't need to go
to Bible school if you don'thave money.
But at least get an inductivebible study book and learn the
word, how to divide the word.
If you want to sing, learnabout music theory, prepare
yourself so that you can be thebest.
Sometimes you want to give godpoor results.
There's a difference betweenken and abel.
(51:06):
Abel gave his very best.
God is expecting you to preachyour very best, good inspection
to sing your very best.
God is not looking for poorquality and that's why the Bible
says you will stand before Godfaithful servant, faithfulness
in excellence.
You can't give God average.
God demands the best, the bestof the best.
And then look what it says.
(51:30):
To conclude with this, becauseit will surely come and will not
tarry, this is what I callfulfilling of the vision.
So we see, on God's part, thisis three parts from God.
Our part is also three.
Our part is capturing.
Planning the vision, that's ourpart.
And the second part that wehave to do communicate the
vision and then delegate thevision.
(51:51):
Vision carries progress.
That is what's killing Africa.
The only time we know thevision of the president is
during election.
After that, the manifesto.
After that, nothing else, ohGod, but white people.
They will have meetings, weeklymeetings, meetings, monthly
(52:17):
meetings.
Only people who attend thosemeetings.
They don't know the worth ofthose meetings.
Those meetings will tell youabout the target of the company
and those who are wise will meetthe target of the companies.
And those who meet the targetof the company, those are people
who are promoted because whythey attended the meeting, they
understood the next target ofthe of the company and you're
(52:39):
able to achieve what the companydemands.
But some of us, we only want togo there clock in, clock out,
clock in, clock out.
Say that with me.
Clock in, clock out, that's howwe live in life.
We clock in, we clock out,clock out.
To where clock in?
(53:02):
Where this is serious, child ofGod, if you guys are not going
to do it, I will do it, pastor,when it comes.
Plan the vision, communicatethe vision, delegate the vision,
because we need to know visioncarries progress.
That is our path as a team, asindividual.
Now, that is, that is the partof god the timing of the vision,
(53:24):
reassuring of the vision andthe fulfillment of vision.
Where vision springs from.
Or how a vision comes about.
Where vision springs from, orhow a vision comes about.
Complaints, because how did thisAbba, god, obtain this vision?
He complained.
Now you wonder okay, god, Ineed a vision.
Look at problems.
As Marot said, if you want toknow your purpose in life, look
(53:50):
at problems.
True leaders spring from chaos,out of the greatest problem of
humanity, which is sin.
We hear people about Jesus.
Problems, complaints, personalor people's problem.
It's a way for us to obtain avision, because that's exactly
(54:11):
what Abakor did.
He complained to God.
God, there's so much injustice,there's so much social hills.
What are we going to do aboutit?
Complain about sierra leone?
Complain about congo?
Complain about musa venni?
Complain about trudeau.
Yes, it's good to complain.
We, as african, we complain, wecomplain, but we don't do
anything else.
It's good to complain, but whatis your next action when you
(54:34):
complain?
What about God did he call?
When you complain, do you callon God?
Say God, I've been complainingto you.
Let's brainstorm.
He said come, let us reasontogether.
Do your sins so that, likescarlet, shall be white as snow.
Do you reason to God with yourprayer, even when you have
problems at home, when you havecares.
You see, don't ever seeproblems as problems.
(54:55):
See problems as opportunitiesfor solutions.
You call Okay, god.
You call through your knees,you call through prayer, and the
purpose is for God to provideyou solution.
And then the final C iscontribution.
This is what God said he wasgoing to do through prophet
(55:16):
Habakkuk write a vision.
You complain, you call on God,and then you contribute.
Don't just complain and don'tcontribute.
Don't just complain, you don'tcall on God.
When you have a complaint,don't take it to a pastor, don't
take it to your husband, don'ttake it to your wife, don't take
it to your fellow members.
Take it to God call.
Take it to your husband.
Don't take it to your wife,don't take it to your fellow
members.
Take it to god, call on godfirst, because that that issue
(55:37):
is even bigger than your pastor,bigger than your husband,
bigger than your wife, biggerthan your colleague or bigger
than your family member.
Take it to god.
That is it.
Abacus never took thiscomplaint to the, to the king of
judah he didn't or to otherprophets.
He took it to god.
He called on god, amen.
And then when you complain andyou call on god, don't just
(55:58):
complain and call contribute,contribute, because that's where
the solution we're going to seethe evidence of the solution
participation, vision and thefulfillment.
Now, lastly, vision and faith.
Vision and faith.
(56:18):
It takes faith to accomplishanything in this life.
People going to the moon is anact of faith.
You waking up the next is anact of faith.
You believing that your bosswill pay you the next day is an
act of faith.
You hoping that when you go tothat Chinese store, that
Nigerian store, that Africanstore, those markets that the
food is good, it's an act offaith, because you don't know.
(56:38):
So you need faith to believethat the vision God has given
you will come to pass, thatbusiness will come to pass, you
will find your husband, you willget healed.
Your life will not be the same,because he said to Habakkuk the
just shall to abacoc, the Joshshall live by faith.
The Josh shall live by faith,righteous shall live by faith.
(57:00):
Faith is not just a one act,it's a lifestyle.
It's a lifestyle of who you are.
It's a lifestyle, how you goabout your life.
So, as we have heard this wordtoday, child of God, I want to
leave you with this have avision for your personal life.
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