Bible League: Living His Word "You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."— Luke 24:48-49 NIV The first thing I learned from the Bible League's church planting training 18 years ago was "vision." I learned how I should understand my vision for what God wants me to do in the place He has called me. Since that day, it has been a long battle to keep the vision. Vision helps you to stay on track, not to lose your way, not to lose time and, in the end, to get to the finish line. Jesus, as He's leaving His disciples, helps them start their journey, giving them direction! You are witnesses of mine, and you will be able to be my witnesses when you have been clothed with power from on high, until then you wait. Again, in Acts 1:4-8 He makes sure that they really understand that they have to wait to be equipped so they can fulfill the vision He has for them. What happens next we can all read in Acts chapters 2 and 3. After they are clothed with power, their testimony of Jesus Christ has the power to change lives. There are so many lessons we get from these verses and chapters, we can write books and explain theology for centuries to come, but the simple reminder I get makes me stay on the track of that first lesson. We all have our visions, for life, for ministry, work, education. But is our vision walking with God's vision. Are our visions to testify to Jesus? Or have our own visions have taken over God's vision? Are we still in the building of God's kingdom or are we laboring for our own kingdom - denominational glory, our organization's glory, our church's glory? Matthew 28:19 reminds us that we are sent, equipped, and trusted to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;" but it does not say we are to make workers, students, protocols and procedures, movements, and networks that work for their own glory. As the body of Christ, we must be in one mind, one vision in the power of the Holy Spirit, testifying to the resurrected Christ to lost souls. By Pastor Erion Cuni, Bible League International staff, Albania Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEcclesiastes 10, 11, 12 Ecclesiastes 10 -- So does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 11 -- Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 12 -- Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 2 Corinthians 11 -- Paul Defends His Apostleship; Paul's Sufferings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.Insight Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: The home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs—whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance—are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Challenge Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just because you are too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Judges 7:20 The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon's watchword, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" God must do it, it is his own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used--"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!" we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, "The sword of Gideon!" alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign forever and ever. Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 3:13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding.Proverbs 8:35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23,24 Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; • but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Philippians 3:7,8 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. • More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, Colossians 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 8:14 "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, Proverbs 1:30 "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 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