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 Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the evening withhold not thy hand.In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labor, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labor. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God. The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood's vigor, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a fourpence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work; how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom; therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. John 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 1 Corinthians 1:26,27 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; • but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. 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