There Is A Promised Land For You
What
do you
seek?
John 1:38
There Is A Promised
Land For You
Jesus noticed two young men walking behind Him. He asked,
“What do you seek?”
Anybody who knows the Gospel of John realizes that its language is
filled with deeper meaning.
What Christ said in an apparently artless
way carries heavier significance. Here were two very young fellows,
hardly out of their teens. They had already attended meetings
of John
the Baptist, and become disciples. Then he said, “Look the Lamb of
God…” (John 1:36) and they went after Him.
“What do you seek?” Jesus probes deep down into their souls. Was
it a Kingdom and political independence for Israel? In His question
Jesus suggested that they really wanted something more than just the
Kingdom – more than just personal gain. Much more than satisfaction,
happiness, or maybe a place in the sun.
A Dream, a Vision, a Hope
They had an instinct for greater things. Let me put it like this: They
had a dream, a vision, hope and expectancy which propelled
them forward and motivated them.
Some seek nothing. They see nothing to go after. Either they are too
easily contented or else they are miserable pessimists
fearing the
worst in the future. They see no way forward, no road, no new horizon,
no new vision. If they look ahead it is not very hopeful. They
travel without direction or purpose.
A Christian sets his sights on infinity, on nothing less than God. The
pure in heart shall see God. Tragically many people only think in
terms of what they have or what they want, more money, just a better
car, better food, better house, clothes – nothing new, just better, more
stylish,
bigger.
Jesus said, “All these things do the nations seek.” (Matthew 6:32); “A
man’s life consists not of the abundance of things which he possesses”
(Luke 12:15).
Take your Eyes off Ground Level
John and Andrew were searching. They began with John the Baptist,
and he pointed to Jesus, “Look…!” That’s the first thing: Look. Take
your eyes off ground level, stop looking over your shoulder wishing
the past wasn’t the past, or gazing at the present as if that was the
permanent situation. Look ahead! See! There is something to see. John
was a prophet – he could see, and he says: “Behold!”
Jesus opens blind eyes. He opens new horizons. He gives us a dream, a
vision that will not fail, a promised land only He can lead us into.
Jesus gave John and Andrew a vast vision - He was going to affect the
whole world. John the Baptist knew that already, saying, “Behold the
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the whole world.” (John 1:29).
Most people limit their concerns to their own family or immediate
circle. The disciples would have lived out their lives within the confines
of the Sea of Galilee and their fishing boats but Christ gave them
a world commission.
A whole world opens to believers, and a vast future. A man of faith is
a man of the future. They were men of faith and faith operates for the
future. God is the One who gives visions. Only God guarantees a future.
He promises eternal life. Many have no forward outlook because
there is no God in their future.
He puts a “Go” into Your Soul
The Christian is a follower of Jesus. Our Lord is always one step ahead,
always pressing forward to new things, new achievements, new glory.
If a man follows Christ he is bound to go forward. Jesus alters life,
gives us all a future.
Christ calls us to follow and He is the door, opening up to new vistas,
new lands, new hope – life everlasting.
His word to us is Go! He puts Go into our souls. Christians are not
status quo people, but Goers. Jesus doesn’t call us just to sing hymns
and warm pews. He calls us to be Goers, not stuck in the mud, but
adventurers, entrepreneurs of the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah in the Temple had a vision and God said, “Who will go for us?”
(Isaiah 6:8). Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
(Mark 1:17). God said to Abraham, “Go and I will lead you.”
There’s a world to be won. There’s a prize ahead.
God has Better Plans
One of the prophets of Israel once said, “Your old men shall dream
dreams and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28)
That’s God! The fathers of our faith dreamed dreams about the future
not the past. In Egypt they had no future. They served foreign gods
who promised them nothing but they could not get out of the rut.
Slavery was in their blood stream, like salt in a sailor’s blood. They
were slaves, and that was it. Their future was exactly the same as the
past, work, poverty, and oppression.
But God had better plans for Israel than working in brick kilns for
Ramses. He sent Moses and reminded them again of the ancient hope
of Israel – a nation in their own land. He stirred them and they made
their exit, their exodus. Notice what they did. They put their trust
in God and went. They didn’t put their trust in God and have a naive
long sleep.
They started on the greatest adventure of all history. Don’t tell me
that being a believer turns people into bovine, unglamorous, dull and
mousy people. You don’t bury yourself when you come to Jesus – you
were dead already but He has given you resurrection and life.
Was Jesus a sad, humorless character, meek and mild and always
on the defensive,
back to the wall? Not my Jesus! What about the
apostles? Was Paul a little twittering mouse? Single-handedly he
challenged 1000 years of paganism in Europe. There was more life
in little Paul than in all the Roman army. A brave man? Not at all. He
describes himself as trembling and nervous when he walked into the
major city of Corinth. Christians have another perspective. The opposite
of fear is not courage, but faith: “In what time I am afraid I will
trust and not be afraid.” (Psalm 56:3).
Start going now!
Go! The winds of God are blowing. The Spirit of God has come like
a tornado from heaven to blow the dampness out of our souls, blow
the fog out of our spiritual system. God is moving! Set your sails to
catch the heavenly winds. “There go the ships,” the Psalmist said in
Psalm 104:26. Do they? Or are we going to lie in a cozy harbor, never
venturing on the high seas, our sails reefed?
The man who sees Calvary can never rest again. He is too excited, full
of God-given dreams of great possibilities.
Every dream can be realized – in Christ!
There’s a promised land for you, waiting to be taken.
Start going now!
Reinhard Bonnke
Years
Jahre
Every dream
can be realized –
in Christ!
There’s a promised land for
you waiting to be taken.
Postfach 60 05 74
60335 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel +49 (69) 4 78 78 0
Fax +49 (69) 4 78 78 1020
info@cfan.eu
www.cfan.eu
English
August 2015
do you
seek?
John 1:38
There Is A Promised
Land For You
Jesus noticed two young men walking behind Him. He asked,
“What do you seek?”
Anybody who knows the Gospel of John realizes that its language is
filled with deeper meaning.
What Christ said in an apparently artless
way carries heavier significance. Here were two very young fellows,
hardly out of their teens. They had already attended meetings
of John
the Baptist, and become disciples. Then he said, “Look the Lamb of
God…” (John 1:36) and they went after Him.
“What do you seek?” Jesus probes deep down into their souls. Was
it a Kingdom and political independence for Israel? In His question
Jesus suggested that they really wanted something more than just the
Kingdom – more than just personal gain. Much more than satisfaction,
happiness, or maybe a place in the sun.
A Dream, a Vision, a Hope
They had an instinct for greater things. Let me put it like this: They
had a dream, a vision, hope and expectancy which propelled
them forward and motivated them.
Some seek nothing. They see nothing to go after. Either they are too
easily contented or else they are miserable pessimists
fearing the
worst in the future. They see no way forward, no road, no new horizon,
no new vision. If they look ahead it is not very hopeful. They
travel without direction or purpose.
A Christian sets his sights on infinity, on nothing less than God. The
pure in heart shall see God. Tragically many people only think in
terms of what they have or what they want, more money, just a better
car, better food, better house, clothes – nothing new, just better, more
stylish,
bigger.
Jesus said, “All these things do the nations seek.” (Matthew 6:32); “A
man’s life consists not of the abundance of things which he possesses”
(Luke 12:15).
Take your Eyes off Ground Level
John and Andrew were searching. They began with John the Baptist,
and he pointed to Jesus, “Look…!” That’s the first thing: Look. Take
your eyes off ground level, stop looking over your shoulder wishing
the past wasn’t the past, or gazing at the present as if that was the
permanent situation. Look ahead! See! There is something to see. John
was a prophet – he could see, and he says: “Behold!”
Jesus opens blind eyes. He opens new horizons. He gives us a dream, a
vision that will not fail, a promised land only He can lead us into.
Jesus gave John and Andrew a vast vision - He was going to affect the
whole world. John the Baptist knew that already, saying, “Behold the
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the whole world.” (John 1:29).
Most people limit their concerns to their own family or immediate
circle. The disciples would have lived out their lives within the confines
of the Sea of Galilee and their fishing boats but Christ gave them
a world commission.
A whole world opens to believers, and a vast future. A man of faith is
a man of the future. They were men of faith and faith operates for the
future. God is the One who gives visions. Only God guarantees a future.
He promises eternal life. Many have no forward outlook because
there is no God in their future.
He puts a “Go” into Your Soul
The Christian is a follower of Jesus. Our Lord is always one step ahead,
always pressing forward to new things, new achievements, new glory.
If a man follows Christ he is bound to go forward. Jesus alters life,
gives us all a future.
Christ calls us to follow and He is the door, opening up to new vistas,
new lands, new hope – life everlasting.
His word to us is Go! He puts Go into our souls. Christians are not
status quo people, but Goers. Jesus doesn’t call us just to sing hymns
and warm pews. He calls us to be Goers, not stuck in the mud, but
adventurers, entrepreneurs of the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah in the Temple had a vision and God said, “Who will go for us?”
(Isaiah 6:8). Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
(Mark 1:17). God said to Abraham, “Go and I will lead you.”
There’s a world to be won. There’s a prize ahead.
God has Better Plans
One of the prophets of Israel once said, “Your old men shall dream
dreams and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28)
That’s God! The fathers of our faith dreamed dreams about the future
not the past. In Egypt they had no future. They served foreign gods
who promised them nothing but they could not get out of the rut.
Slavery was in their blood stream, like salt in a sailor’s blood. They
were slaves, and that was it. Their future was exactly the same as the
past, work, poverty, and oppression.
But God had better plans for Israel than working in brick kilns for
Ramses. He sent Moses and reminded them again of the ancient hope
of Israel – a nation in their own land. He stirred them and they made
their exit, their exodus. Notice what they did. They put their trust
in God and went. They didn’t put their trust in God and have a naive
long sleep.
They started on the greatest adventure of all history. Don’t tell me
that being a believer turns people into bovine, unglamorous, dull and
mousy people. You don’t bury yourself when you come to Jesus – you
were dead already but He has given you resurrection and life.
Was Jesus a sad, humorless character, meek and mild and always
on the defensive,
back to the wall? Not my Jesus! What about the
apostles? Was Paul a little twittering mouse? Single-handedly he
challenged 1000 years of paganism in Europe. There was more life
in little Paul than in all the Roman army. A brave man? Not at all. He
describes himself as trembling and nervous when he walked into the
major city of Corinth. Christians have another perspective. The opposite
of fear is not courage, but faith: “In what time I am afraid I will
trust and not be afraid.” (Psalm 56:3).
Start going now!
Go! The winds of God are blowing. The Spirit of God has come like
a tornado from heaven to blow the dampness out of our souls, blow
the fog out of our spiritual system. God is moving! Set your sails to
catch the heavenly winds. “There go the ships,” the Psalmist said in
Psalm 104:26. Do they? Or are we going to lie in a cozy harbor, never
venturing on the high seas, our sails reefed?
The man who sees Calvary can never rest again. He is too excited, full
of God-given dreams of great possibilities.
Every dream can be realized – in Christ!
There’s a promised land for you, waiting to be taken.
Start going now!
Reinhard Bonnke
Years
Jahre
Every dream
can be realized –
in Christ!
There’s a promised land for
you waiting to be taken.
Postfach 60 05 74
60335 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel +49 (69) 4 78 78 0
Fax +49 (69) 4 78 78 1020
info@cfan.eu
www.cfan.eu
English
August 2015
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