From Vision to Action*
Introduction
Jackie Pullinger has spent her life working with the poor and destitute, triad gang members, heroin and opium addicts. She has helped thousands to come off drugs through the power of the Holy Spirit. She has seen transformation in numerous lives and has made a huge impact on the city of Hong Kong.
Jackie wrote, ‘I have spent over half my life in a dark, foul smelling place because I had a “vision” of another city ablaze with light, it was my dream. There was no more crying, no more death or pain. The sick were healed, addicts set free, the hungry filled. There were families for orphans, homes for the homeless, and new dignity for those who lived in shame. I had no idea how to bring this about but with “visionary zeal” imagined introducing the Walled City people to the one who could change it all: Jesus.’
Vision is a ‘holy discontent’ – a deep dissatisfaction with what is, combined with a clear grasp of what could be. It is a picture – ‘a mental sight’ – of the future that inspires hope.
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare! But vision combined with action can change the world.
Proverbs 29:10–18
10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.
11 Fools give full vent to their rage,
but the wise bring calm in the end.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.
15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
Commentary
The importance of vision
‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ (v.18, KJV).
The Hebrew word used can be translated as ‘revelation’ (NIV) or ‘vision’ (KJV). It refers to God’s communication to his prophets. Where there is no revelatory vision from God, there is often spiritual and political anarchy – ‘the people cast off restraint’ (v.18).
Vision and restraint should go together. The passion and moral outrage that drives vision can lead to ‘uncontrolled anger’. But, says the writer, ‘Fools give vent to their anger, but the wise keep themselves under control’ (v.11). Jackie Pullinger, alongside Martin Luther King, William Wilberforce and many others, is a superb example of a leader holding together the tension between vision and restraint.
In the rest of the passage we see the results of both good and bad leadership. ‘When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild’ (v.16, MSG), whereas ‘leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly’ (v.14, MSG).
Prayer
1 John 2:28–3:10
God’s Children and Sin
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Commentary
The power of vision
Jesus had a very clear vision for his life and he combined that vision with action: ‘he appeared so that he might take away our sins’ (3:5).
John goes on to say, ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work’ (v.8). Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has taken away your sins and destroyed the devil’s work.
Do you realise how much God loves you? ‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (v.1).
God had a very clear vision in sending his Son to die for you. He wants to lavish his love on you. His vision for you is that, one day, you will become like Jesus and see Jesus ‘as he is’ (v.2).
God has a vision for your life. You too should have a vision for your life. Your overarching vision should be to become as much like Jesus now as possible (v.3, MSG).
You become like the God you worship. If we think of God as anger, we become more angry, if we think of God as judgmental, we become more judgmental, if we worship a God of love, we become more loving. When we experience God’s love lavished on us, we will love like him.
‘The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test’ (v.10, MSG). Love and right living are the two indicators that you are a child of God.
Joyce Meyer writes, ‘I used to be a full-time sinner, and once in a while I “accidentally” did something right. But now that I have spent many years developing a deep, personal relationship with God… I still make mistakes, but not nearly as many as I once did, I am not where I need to be, but thank God, I am not where I used to be. I do not do everything right, but I do know that the attitude of my heart is right.’
Your vision should be to stay close to Jesus: ‘stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ... with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives’ (2:28, MSG).
This should be your primary vision for your life. It is possible to focus on specific things that we (usually rightly) believe God has called us to do, and yet neglect this overarching vision for our lives. God is much more concerned about how you live your life than what you achieve. Our individual callings are good and important – but our primary vision for life should always be to draw nearer to Jesus.
Prayer
Daniel 8:15–9:19
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame —the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favour of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
Commentary
The fulfilment of vision
Daniel was a ‘visionary’ in both senses of the word. He received divine revelation (‘vision’ – a word that appears seven times in Daniel 8:15–27) and had visionary goals for his life.
In the first half of today’s passage, Daniel is given the interpretation of his vision (divine revelation) by the angel Gabriel (v.16, this is the first place in Scripture where an angel is mentioned by name). Gabriel explains to Daniel that the vision he has seen ‘concerns the time of the end’ (v.17). ‘This vision... is accurate... It refers to the far future’ (v.26, MSG).
There is both a historical fulfilment of this vision and a long-term fulfilment. The historical fulfilment is probably to be found in a particularly dark period in Jewish history. Between 175 and 164 BC they were ruled by a foreign king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He persecuted the Jews, outlawing the worship of God, desecrating the temple and killing thousands. But the spirit that possessed Antiochus and allowed him to achieve earthly success (vv.23–25) is the same spirit that will inspire the final antichrist in the last days (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8; Romans 13:11,14).
Daniel prophesied that ‘he will be destroyed, but not by human power’ (Daniel 8:25). Antiochus’ troops marched into Jerusalem and massacred 80,000 Jews and enforced the worship of Zeus. He died suddenly and unexpectedly in 164 BC from an unknown disease. This prophecy will find its final fulfilment when Jesus returns and destroys the devil ‘with the breath of his mouth’ (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Daniel was also a visionary in the other sense. He understood ‘from the Scriptures’: ‘I, Daniel, was meditating on the Scriptures... according to the word of God to the prophet Jeremiah’ (Daniel 9:2, MSG; see also Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10), that the exile would last seventy years (this is from 587 BC to the rebuilding of the temple in 516 BC).
If you want God to give you a specific vision for your life, we see in this passage that there are two essential keys. First, all godly vision needs to come from, and be earthed in, our understanding ‘from the Scriptures’. Second, fulfilment of vision begins with prayer. Daniel turned to the Lord in prayer (Daniel 9:4).
It was a free-flowing outpouring of his heart to God. He was conscious throughout of God’s greatness and mercy and his own unworthiness. But he was also confident of God’s ability to answer his prayer.
God longs for you to talk to him about what is on your heart. You don’t need to hold back or censor what you talk to him about or try to come across as something you are not. He already knows everything about you; he wants to hear it from you and to talk it through with you. Be yourself with God when you pray – not the way you think you should be.
Daniel confesses that they have sinned in every way imaginable, ignoring God and doing what they please. They are filled with guilt and shame (vv.3–16, MSG).
Yet Daniel knew that God would never give up on those who love him (v.4, MSG) and that ‘compassion is our only hope’ (v.9, MSG).
On that basis, he prayed for his city and his nation (vv.17–19). Daniel’s prayer was answered. You too can cry out to God for your city and nation, and believe that God will answer your prayers and fulfil the vision he gives you.
Prayer
Pippa adds
1 John 3:1 says:
‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!’
‘Lavish’ is such an extravagant word.
Verse of the Day
1 John 3:1
‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!’
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References
*Tricia Neill, From Vision to Action (Alpha International, 2006). In her book, Tricia draws on years of experience at HTB and Alpha International and offers valuable insights to church leaders on how to form a vision and turn it into reality.
Jackie Pullinger, Crack in the Wall (Hodder & Stoughton, 1997) p.15.
Joyce Meyer, The Everyday Life Bible (Faithwords, 2018) p.2101.
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.