IF YOU MUST HAVE A FUTURE, YOU MUST BEGIN WITH A PICTURE
SOME PEOPLE’S PROBLEM IS NOT LACK OF VISION BUT LACK OF KNOWING WHAT TO DO TO TAKE VISION TO REALIZATION
THE BACKING OF GOD FOR YOUR VISION IS ONLY SECURED IF IT’S HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU
WHAT PAPA OYEDEPO DID AFTER THEY GOT LICENSE TO OPERATE COVENANT UNIVERSITY
DOCUMENTATION GIVES YOUR VISION A LIFE AND AN IDENTITY OF ITS OWN
IN THE JOURNEY OF VISION, YOU CHANGE POSITION AS YOU CHANGE STEPS
KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT IS IMPORTANT BUT KNOWING WHAT TO DO TO ARRIVE AT WHAT YOU WANT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT
OUR LONDON CRUSADE WAS DISRUPTED SO WE ARE GOING TO OKPO – KOGI STATE – WE CANNOT REMAIN IDLE
PROFIT COMES ONLY FROM LABOUR; ORDINARY TALK WILL ONLY RESULT IN EMPTY HANDEDNESS
IF YOUR VISION IS IN THE MULTIMILLION REALM, YOU CAN GET IT WITHOUT FRAUD BUT THROUGH LABOUR
- Pastor Dr. Paul Enenche on ” THE PURSUIT OF VISION” || Midweek Power Communion Service || Dunamis International Gospel Centre || The Glory Dome, Abuja.
Hallelujah! This is the day the Lord has made and whether the devil likes it or not, somebody say, “we shall be glad”. We shall rejoice and be glad in it.
Just very quickly tonight, our subject is, “THE PURSUIT OF VISION”. Habakkuk 2:1-4. Church Gist. Our objective tonight is understanding what it takes to move from vision to realization. What does it take to move from vision to realization? By introduction, we know that one of the most potent forces for destiny fulfillment is the force of vision. Church Gist. Also, we know that the vision of today is the reality of tomorrow. If there’ll be reality tomorrow, there must be vision today. The picture of today becomes our future with time. If I must have a future, I must begin with a picture. However, not everyone is able to move from vision to reality, not everyone is able to move from the picture to the future. Church Gist. I remember when we were growing up, we had several people who had vision, vision to be an Evangelist. “I’ll be ministering in South Africa, I’ll be ministering in this and that”, several of them. Not many of them, maybe 90 percent never saw the light of day.
People who claim to have a vision are plenty but people who manifest realization are few. Church Gist. So, we have a lot of people, the problem is not that they lack a vision, the problem is that they don’t know what to do to take vision to realization. And moving vision to realization takes a process called pursuit – the pursuit of vision. Church Gist. Pursuit is required for possession and manifestation. So we are going to look at a 10-step process today that borders on the pursuit of vision.
So, what do I do to move from vision to realization?
- Receive the vision.
Receive the vision means, receive the vision of the Lord. Habakkuk 2:1. Receive the vision means, ensure that it is not mere ambition, that what you’re talking about is not just an ambition. Church Gist. When it’s an ambition, you have to make it happen, when it is vision, God makes it happen. In the vision you claim to have, ensure that the purpose of God is clear. Let there be that conviction that God is behind the vision, whatever it is, however you arrive at it. Church Gist. Ensure that there’s that conviction that God is behind the vision. Let there be that conviction that this vision originated from God. This is very important. Why is it important? God will only back what He starts. The backing of God is only secured if it’s the purpose of God. He will only back what He starts. Church Gist. So, receive the vision. It is in your heart to do this and do that, take it before God.
God’s servant, Papa Oyedepo said when they were pursuing the vision of the Covenant University, by the time the NUC, Nigerian Universities Commission, already gave them the license to run the University, he presented it before God and said, “Lord, I came to cross-check whether you’re the one that asked us to do this or we’re trying to just do something. Church Gist. He said, “if you’re not the one, Lord, I will tear it now” and God said, “I am the one”. When the University was commissioned, the very first day, he said while they were dancing and moving, as they came to the gate of the University, God asked him to lie down flat in front of the University gate and hand it over to Him. Church Gist. He said, he laid down flat in the heat of the afternoon and heat from the ground entered his body and God said, “the heat you just felt now is the last heat you’ll feel concerning this University. You won’t know what it means”. So, today, they’re running the University like they run a bicycle, they feel nothing as if like running a nursery school. That is, He already has license but he said, “Lord, if it is not you, tell me, I will tear it”. Church Gist. So, the backing is secured if the beginning was from God. That is why it’s important, whatever vision it is, ensure that it is received of the Lord or that there’s the conviction that God is behind it.
- Write the vision, document the vision.
Habakkuk 2:2. Why is that important?
2a. Documentation imparts seriousness and commitment. Church Gist. When you write it, you’re confirming that it is not just a mere thought or a wish, this is serious and requires commitment.
2b. Secondly, in documenting, you’re giving the vision a life of its own, you’re giving it identity. Church Gist. When you document, you give it identity, it is no longer vague in the mind. You give it identity, you give it a life of its own.
2c. Thirdly, you’re bringing the vision form the invisible realm to the visible. That is, the beginning of the process of bringing the vision from the invisible realm, it is in your mind, it’s in your mind, nobody sees it and now you’re bringing it to the visible. Church Gist. It’s the beginning of the process. This house (Glory Dome) was invisible before in the mind, then it was put on paper in architectural drawing and then, it was constructed. It’s the beginning of the process.
2d. Finally, documentation makes it feasible and easy to be acted upon. Church Gist. You put it on paper makes it feasible and easy to act upon. So, receive the vision, write the vision. Habakkuk 2:2.
- Identify necessary action steps.
Take note of the following:
3a. Action translates vision into reality. When a person claims to have a vision without action steps, that is mere wishes or day dreaming.
3b. Positions only change when steps are taken. If your position must change, steps must be taken. Church Gist. In the journey of vision, you change position as you change steps.
3c. You leave where you are only when you know what to do. Church Gist. That is, you don’t leave where you are until you know what to do.
3d. Knowing what you want, which is called vision, is just a tiny percentage of realizing it. And I’ll tell you the major percentage. Knowing what you want is important but knowing what to do to arrive at what you want is far more important than just knowing what you want. Knowing what you want is important, but knowing what to do to arrive at what you want, “This is what I want but this is what I need to do” You need to sit down, you need to think, you need to pray. “This is what must be achieved. What do I do to achieve it, to arrive at it?”
Knowing what you want is important but knowing but knowing what to do to achieve it is far more important.
- Is somebody getting anything here? Say Amen.
So, receive the vision, write the vision, identity action steps in the fulfillment of the vision. Habakkuk 2:2. “That he may run that readeth it”. Identify action steps
4: Identify timelines for required actions, timelines. Identity timelines. Why? Habakkuk 2:3. Vision is what must be fulfilled at an appointed time. Church Gist. It’s not what is to be fulfilled everlasting. There must be time. There is a time element in fulfilment of vision. Timelines.
4a: Vision action steps must be time bound to produce desired outcome. They must be time bound. Those that said “I want to do this kind of business. But I don’t even have a business name or even a company. So I have this schedule now, the first thing to do is to register a company and where will I register a company? Church Gist. This registration of this company must be done before the middle of September. We’re in August. (Do you understand?) Or by the end of September, I should have a company in my hands and then the next thing, I move to the next level and then the next level” There must be timelines. You don’t leave it open ended. There must be timelines.
4b: (Which was what my mother told me). Whatever does not have a timeline may not come to pass. Anything that does not have a target, a timeline, a time frame, I don’t want to use the word deadline, may not come to pass, because life is measured in time, when you say somebody is 70 years, you are measuring time, it may not come to pass. Church Gist. She told me, “So, how is your relationship going?” I said fine. “When are you planning to marry?” I said, well, I don’t have an exact time yet, we’re looking at…she said “No, no, no, don’t do that. Give it time. Give it time” I was thinking of resources and other things, “Give it time” So, I gave it time. I gave it April and I gave it a particular season of April and it happened at that season of April, 1994. Hallelujah! It came to pass.
4c: Every goal or vision without timelines has no power of accomplishment, every goal, vision or desirable action, have no right to fulfilment.
4d: It is not only important to know what to do, it is important to know when to do it. Ecclesiastes 3:11. Church Gist. It is not only important to know what to do, it is important to know when to do them. “This is what I want to do but when do I do them?” It’s important. Somebody, say Amen.
4e: Purpose must marry season. Ecclesiastes 3:1. Purpose must marry season if result must be birthed, must be born. There must be a marriage of purpose and of season. This is the purpose and this is the season. You see, somebody say “I am interested in playing professional football”. Church Gist. You are 56 years, you are 60 years, that interest is too late. Somebody wants to join the military, the interest is too late. You want to become an army officer and you’re trying to fill NDA form at age 55. No, that’s one year to retirement. They retire at 56. That’s one year to retirement. You didn’t commit a crime for being interested, just that the interest came too late. Church Gist. How I wish that interest was 30 years ago or even 40 years when you were in your 16, 17, 18. That is how time sensitive life is. There are people who delay to do the right thing until the time pass. Somebody received a vision from the Lord 30 years ago, 40 years ago, 45 years ago. You say “What are you doing?” “I’m taking my time” God will wait for you?
So, the first thing is – receive the vision of the Lord. The second thing is – write the vision, document it. The third thing, identify necessary action steps. Church Gist. The fourth thing, identify timelines, schedule your plan. “This is what I want to do and this is the plan. By the time we are in December 2024, this is the kind of thing I expect. This is the way I expect to be.
5: Act massively and aggressively. When you have received a vision, you have identified the action steps, you have identified the timelines, you did your documentation. Church Gist. The next thing is to act massively and aggressively. Ecclesiates 9:10. Act massively. Acts aggressively.
When we were in Leeds in the United Kingdom program the other year, (you can show us the picture on the screen). The Mayor of Leeds was in attendance. It was an incredible program. (You were there Pastor. You can show us that clip if you have it) Power, it was so awesome. When we reached the Hotel, my daughter, Debby, she said “Daddy, you are doing so much crusades. Church Gist. Just literally doing so much. What’s happening?” I told her, I said every single day of our lives usher us closer to the concluding day on the Earth. I said see today, this is night, isn’t it? This today that has passed will never come again forever. What was meant to be done today that wasn’t done remains undone. Tears welled up in her eyes. She said “This is what drives you?” Absolutely! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Act massively!
Act massively. I am sorry to say this, but when the Bible says, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, it says, behave as if tomorrow no dey (behave as if you do not have tomorrow). Don’t be bothered about tomorrow yet, just face today and tackle it. Massive action! That is, you identify that this is the step to be taken, take it excessively. Church Gist. There is a connection between success and excess. Excess of the right thing guarantees success and excess of the wrong thing equals failure. But excess of the correct thing – excess prayer, excess study, excess evangelism, excess deployment of energy. There are many people who want vision to come to pass without work.
- Outcomes are the product of action and massive outcomes are the products of massive action. If the outcome will be massive, the action must be massive.
- I heard this many years ago from God’s Servant Bishop David Oyedepo that when you give life all it takes, life gives you all it contains. Church Gist. When you give vision all it takes, the vision will give you all that it contains – that is, there is nothing you are to do about it that you haven’t done then the vision will give everything that it is capable of giving.
- The best of life answers to the best of man. We have a generation of people today who want success without effort, reward without labour. Church Gist. So they become 419 and just be doing all manner of fraudulent things.
- Finally, profit is the outcome of labour. Proverbs 14:23. Profit comes only from labour, from effort; ordinary talk will only result in empty handedness. I’ve seen people who say, “I am worldwide evangelist.” Church Gist. They have never preached to anybody on the street before. The other day I was stepping out of here and I saw a young lady and when she came close I recognised her. One of our converts from this shopping complex here – Shop Rite. “How are you doing?
Fine Sir
How far?
I have done foundation class, maturity class, I am now in both prayer band and evangelism and I am going into Dunamis School of Ministry because I perceive a call.”
I was overwhelmed; I told my driver and said, “see, one of those that we won on the street here.” I showed her to my secretary, “see the effect of our labour.” The other day, one of the officers at the Airport, NDLEA officer – those that check everybody as they go, we preached to her at the Airport there, she came to the office the other day to show her certificate – foundation class, maturity class. That is, after you have returned from worldwide evangelism you are still doing evangelism on the street. Church Gist. Meanwhile, there is somebody who says he is a global evangelist – he has no time to preach to nobody on the road, in the market and yet he wants to appear suddenly and be a Reinhard Bonnke overnight. Meanwhile, the Reinhard Bonnke kind of people are still preaching to one one person. I will be going to village in 2 days time – rural village. Our London Crusade was disrupted because venue didn’t come out on time and I said that “we cannot remain idle, how far with the other place? Are they set?” We cannot remain idle. That date that we already gave for London, we must give it to something. So we gave it to a village – Okpo – Kogi State. From London to Olamaboro Local Government. There are some people if you pay them 10 Billion, they won’t go to no village. Church Gist. “Is there water there? Is there light there?” In our own case we are not going for the sake of honorarium or nothing.
People are not ready to do no work. Yesterday I said, “we are about to commence back our international crusades – Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania, Angola and all the crusades even in Southern America, Malawi and so on.” Church Gist. They said that there is a South American Country that is mobilising almost a 100,000 – just mobilising the whole country and they are asking us to come. I told them yesterday and said, “for almost one month now I feel very idle.” This pastor said, “idle?” He said, no. That is, Commanding the Day Midnight Prayer everyday is still idleness.
Please, I want you to receive an injection of work. If your vision is in the multimillion realm, you can get it without fraud, gimmicks and 419. Church Gist. I announce to somebody here today, energy for work is released upon you!
- Nurture the vision in prayer: do you understand that vision is like a baby? A baby in the realm of the spirit that must be nurtured until it is accomplished. Galatians 4:19. Church Gist. All along the lines of vision pursuit, prayer robes it. Papa Oyedepo before stepping into the full fulfillment of his ministry prayed and fasted between 21 to 24 months – about 18 months thereabout. I’ll remember the exact time.
Three things you must know:
- Prayer helps to counter enemy agenda against the vision. Church Gist. Any vision that is from God will be confronted by the devil. You war at the place of prayer to drop the devil’s hand from the vision.
- Prayer helps to secure the help of God. “Lord this is not my work, it is yours. I am not trying to just become rich, I want to be relevant to your kingdom in the centre.”
- Prayer helps connect continual direction and inspiration. Church Gist. You are connected to continuous direction, continuous inspiration, in touch with the voice of God, “what is he saying? How does he want you to go about this thing?” He helps you.
- Avoid the wrong company: if the vision must be fulfilled, the wrong company must be avoided. The wrong company is always detrimental to vision fulfillment. You know, the wise men were led from the East, they entered the house of the wrong person and their leading, their vision disappeared. Matthew 2:9. Church Gist. The star that went before them only reappeared when they came out of Herod’s house. They would have continued to follow the star without branching Herod’s house and the star would have led them somewhere but they entered the wrong house and their direction disappeared, their vision disappeared.
Two things you must note about the wrong company:
- The wrong company interferes with mindset. When you are with the wrong company, your mindset is adjusted. Proverbs 13:20. Church Gist. You begin to change your mind concerning what you believe to be what God wants you to do.
- The wrong company affects energy and motivation. There are people who will demotivate you, deflate your enthusiasm. You hang around them for a while, their lousiness corrupts your energy. Church Gist. Evil communication, evil association corrupts good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33. So, avoid the wrong company.
- Association brings assimilation. You begin to acquire the character of people you associate with. Their compromise becomes your compromise, their laziness becomes your laziness, their lackadaisical attitude to life becomes your attitude.
Listen, I am one of those who believe that it is better to walk alone in life than to walk with the wrong crowd. It’s better to lack friends than to have the wrong friends. Many people today have been unable to become what they should become. Church Gist. Somebody couldn’t get married because of the wrong friend who advised her against a particular relationship that was meant to be a destiny relationship because she herself was not married, got out of relationship or something. Avoid the wrong company.
- Proceed in faith.
When He talked about vision, He comes all the way to Habakkuk 2:4. Proceed in faith. Two things you must understand: it takes faith in God to birth supernatural result. Church Gist. Faith which is a product of revelation. Proceed in faith. “This thing must be”. Job 14:14. So, faith, rugged faith in God.
Secondly, it takes faith to secure the participation of God in what we do. Whether it’s in business, in ministry, in politics, whatever, faith in God secures His participation. Because He said, without faith, it’s impossible to please God or to move God into action. Church Gist. It takes faith to secure the participation of God. Hallelujah. By faith, you’re connecting with Scriptures, relevant Scriptures to charge your heart and to fertilize your pursuit.
- Continually review both vision and action steps. He said that “he may run that readeth” Habakkuk 2:2. You read, you read, you’re reading, you’ll read, “that readeth”, present continuous. Church Gist. So, you read the vision, you review the vision, you review the action steps. What is the purpose of that? Three things:
9a. Vision must be reviewed for passion to be renewed. When Vision is reviewed, passion is renewed. You look at it again and again and there’s a fresh fire.
9b. Vision must be reviewed for action steps to be revised. Alright, “this is what I am trusting the Lord to do, is the step correct? Do I need to change approach?”.
9c. Vision must be reviewed for urgency to be imparted. Maybe you have begun to slack in certain things that must be done, you review it, urgency is imparted. Church Gist. Especially as you review your timelines and action steps. “I thought I said this thing will happen at this time, why is not happened yet?” Many people write the vision for 2024 in January, the next time they look at it is December 31st, 2024 and they’re wondering why nothing happened. They’re wondering why the year passed just like that and nothing was achieved. Church Gist. Meanwhile, you’re meant to review this thing, not monthly, not weekly, possibly, daily. That is, you look at something daily of what your life is about this year. So, there’s is an impartation of urgency. “That he may run that readeth”.
- somebody say Amen!
- did somebody get anything here tonight? Did you receive anything here tonight? Is it going to change anything in the way you do things? Continually review both vision and action steps.
10: Persist until realization. Persist until vision is realized. Habakkuk 2:3. Church Gist. Persist. Take note of these 3 things and then we’re done.
10a: Persistence is channel to possession. Hebrews 6:12. Persistence is channel towards possession. Church Gist. Show me somebody who understands persistence, I will show you somebody who understands possession. Somebody, say a loud Amen!
10b: Vision may tarry at the beginning, but they speak at the end, at the end, it shall speak. There are times when originally, it appears as if the thing is not happening, “I have done everything that I know to do but it appears like it’s not happening”. Church Gist. Vision may tarry at the beginning but they speak at the end. That is why it is important to persist until you reach the end.
10c: Vision answers for those who won’t give up, it answers for those who will not give up. I read in the Book of Russell Conwell, Founder of Temple University, the Book was titled ‘Acres Of Diamond’ In the days of the gold rush, people would dig their ground to look for gold and there was this man who had a land and I think it was know to him that there was gold in the land and he was convinced and he dug and dug and dug and dug and found no gold. Church Gist. So, he decided to sell the land to use the money to go and look for another land or to go and look for gold. He sold the land to somebody, that person bought the land and continued digging from where he stopped and he just hit it once and there was the gold. The man who sold the land, sold it one more digging to arrive at gold. That was where he gave up. He sold gold to go look for gold. That is how life is generally. Most people give up just at the nick of time when something is just about to change, they give up.
- But you will not give up! (x5)
I heard the story of the Chinese bamboo from John Mason in his Book titled ‘The Enemy Called Average’ and he said that this Chinese bamboo grows to 90 feet tall and the Chinese bamboo will grow to 90 feet in 5 years. But it doesn’t grow in 5 years. You have to water it everyday for 5 years. When the 5th year reaches, it would grow within 5 weeks. Church Gist. After the 5th year, within 5 weeks, it becomes 90 feet. But this is the challenge, if it is not watered even one day, when the 5th year arrives, it would remain stunted. So, it is not the watering of the last 5 weeks that grew it. It is all the watering from the beginning because if you fail one, it cannot grow.
Many of us do the right things occasionally. God is looking for those who do the right things persistently because what you do occasionally will never change your life; it is what you do perpetually. There are people who pray occasionally, it doesn’t change anything, those who fast occasionally, it doesn’t change anything. Church Gist. You do it persistently, tenaciously and it changes something. Don’t give up; don’t let any devil make you to give up. Between you and the devil, it is the devil that should be tired. Did you hear that girl’s testimony the other day?
- I decree today, any area of your life where the devil wants you to give up I declare divine intervention there!
- Receive the vision
- Write the vision
- Identify necessary action steps
- Identify timelines for required action
- Act massively and aggressively
- Nurture the vision in prayer
- Avoid the wrong company
- Proceed in faith
- Continually review both vision and action steps
- Persist until vision is realized
I heard a testimony today, young man schooled in Russia. His visa expired, he couldn’t stay there and he couldn’t come home and you know Russia kind of situation. So he was always dodging from police. One day they had a terrorism attack and they began to look for all illegal immigrants. Church Gist. He was connected; they arrested him, one of the police men pitied him and released him said, “Be careful.” Long story made short, he needed to even get visa or whatever it is to return back to Nigeria. That was done; God made a way, he came back home. Now, he went and applied to the Embassy here, their Russian Embassy to return back to Russia. They said, “no, it’s not possible,” in fact the Embassy was closed because of the season of protest and so on. On the Commanding the Day Midnight Prayer said, “there is somebody whose name is Johnny or something, has a document issue,” I don’t know if I mentioned Russia or something – something like that, they will send us a testimony. Church Gist. He hooked, latched unto the declaration. Can you imagine passing through such there, returning back home and still reapplying to go there? I’m sure he must have been convinced that he belongs there for any reason. After he received that prophetic word, he sent to the Embassy that he needs visa to return back to Russia. Do you know what they did? They said, “we are closed, Embassy is closed because of the situation in the Country but we will open it for you tomorrow.” They opened the Embassy for him the next day. He went there, they gave him the visa. Church Gist. He has flown back. He was the only reason why they opened the Embassy, gave him the visa and locked it back.
If I was the one that they arrested there before and put you on a watch, it is like dog that runs with tail in the leg. Church Gist. You will be thanking God that you finally escaped. I see a change of story coming for somebody!
—Prayers—
#DrPaulEnenche
#DrMrsBeckyEnenche
#DIGC
#AboveOnly
#GloryDome
#MidweekService
#14thAugust2024
#ChurchGist
