Why The Church Needs Artististic people More

                        
It's time to be daring. To put art, creativity, passion and beauty front-and-center in the church again.

I wish there were more artists in the church.

No, not painters and sculptors. Actually, yes, those too.

Mostly I wish there were more church leaders who saw the art in their ministry.

Church leaders who put the same kind of passion and creativity into their calling that artists put into their craft.

A Prophetic Imagination

Instead of learning from artists, most of our church leadership teaching in the last forty years has taken its cue from managers, CEOs and salespeople.

Not that we can't learn a lot from them. I know I have. Good management is certainly a big part of biblical leadership and stewardship.

But we've been managing ourselves to death – or at least irrelevance – in much of the western church world.

We need artists to bring in some vital elements that the church hasn’t had enough of for a long time.

Passion.

Beauty.

Joy.

Anger.

Even a bit of holy fear.

The church needs to be filled and led by people with a prophetic imagination.

More Passion, Less Status Quo

Managers maintain the status quo by taking what we're already doing and helping us do it a little better. Artists (along with prophets, entrepreneurs and other innovators) give us something new. Or something renewed and re-imagined.

Artists honor the past without being bound by it. They propel us into the future by helping us see it. Even if we're not ready for it yet.

Artists don’t debate what style of music (or teaching, preaching and lighting) is best. They give us new ways of doing it.

Yes, the Bible says there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9). But some of us have been so bound by that verse we’ve forgotten that being made in the image of the creator means being creative.

More Artists In the Mix

Salespeople figure out what we want so they can sell us more of it.

Artists don’t give us what we want. They show us something we didn’t even know we needed.

We don’t need to get rid of the managers, of course. Administration is a spiritual gift, after all (1 Cor 12:28).

We just need to add more artists into the mix.

More risk-takers.

More visionaries.

More dreamers.

Fewer people who appease us. More people who challenge us.

Bigger than Business-As-Usual

We need church leaders who do more than tap into the latest craze.

We need passionate visionaries who will cry over their bibles until they hear what Jesus wants to tell them.

We need musicians who will craft new songs, not based on a cool musical hook, but on endless hours in prayer and the Word until they emerge with lyrics set to a melody that magnifies Jesus and melts our hearts.

We need writers who will start with a blank page or screen, then write draft after draft from the core of their God-breathed being until something emerges that is bigger than themselves.

We need painters, graphic designers, architects, dancers, sculptors, filmmakers and poets who will seize the spark of the creator within them to help us see the greatness and glory of God in ways we’ve never imagined before.

We need teachers, plumbers, farmers and accountants who see the art and beauty in their work as they do it unto the Lord.

We also need pastors who will be open to all the artists – including the artist inside themselves. The church needs brave men and women of God who will lead the church beyond business-as-usual.

We need to be daring. To try things that frighten us much as they excite us.

We need to be able to make massive mistakes, then say “that’s okay, we’ll do it better next time,” instead of being accused of heresy simply for trying and failing.

We don’t need to impose ministry into art projects. That always looks and feels as phony as it is. We need to find the art in ministry. In vocation. In everyday life.

Like Bezalel and Oholiab, who were anointed to “engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship” as they built the tabernacle (Ex 35:33), we need to put art, creativity, passion and beauty front-and-center in the church again.

Who Jesus Calls, He Inspires

The art of today won't look like the art of yesterday.

Jesus has never done the same thing twice.

The church has. Over and over. But Jesus doesn’t.

Jesus doesn’t call committees.

He calls artists and visionaries.

Holiness prophets and boundary-pushers.

Weeping hermits and life-of-the-party encouragers.

And, I'm hoping, maybe even a blogger or two.

Written by Karl Vaters

Your Church Members Don't Want a Hero,But a Pastor

                               
According to an informal poll, church members' expectations for their pastors are healthier and more balanced than you might think.

If you asked a few hundred church members from multiple churches what characteristics they were searching for in a pastor, what do you think they’d say?

You don’t have to wonder. Thom Rainer asked that question a while ago and published the top ten responces on his blog. Here they are:

1. Love of congregation
2. Effective preaching
3. Strong character
4. Good work ethic
5. Casts a vision
6. Demonstrates healthy leadership
7. Joyous
8. Does not yield to critics
9. Transparent
10. Models evangelism

When I read the list, I smiled. For three reasons.

First, it’s a really healthy list. Church members aren’t looking for super-pastors, they want basic pastoral competence, honesty and leadership. That’s what they ought to expect.

And when you look at some select quotes from church members that Thom included, their expectations look even healthier and more balanced than most pastors might have expected. Here are a few:

• “I don’t have any expectation that my preacher be one of the best in the world...”
• “No pastor is perfect...”
• “I don’t want either a workaholic pastor or a lazy pastor…”
• “(Your) supporters are in the majority. Please don’t let the minority critics dictate how you lead and serve.”

Second, I smiled when I recognized that none of the following expectations made the list:

• Administrative Prowess
• Great Fundraiser
• Facility Management
• Church Growth Strategist

It’s not that pulpit search committees won’t be looking for some of those attributes. They will. Especially for bigger churches. But it makes me smile when my suspicions are confirmed that the skills many of us obsess over aren’t what matter to the average church member.

Third, I smiled because it lines up with my own experience. It’s the basic job description of a small church pastor! It’s what most of us do every day.

Churches want their pastor to offer a basic level of care, competence and integrity. They’re not looking for perfection or greatness.

As it turns out, what church members are really looking for in a pastor … is us!

So Where’s the Pastoral Disconnect?

Surprisingly, this list caused a mini firestorm among Thom’s readers, most of whom are in the ministry.

He got a lot of comments on it. Over 90% of them were positive, but 5 to 10 percent were shockingly negative. Here are a few excerpts:

• “That’s right everybody, just keep piling on the expectations :/”
• “You’d have to be five or six people to master all the traits on the wish list churches have.”
• “Impossibly schizophrenic…this list exactly reflects the causes of stress and unrealistic heartache I wrestle with as a pastor. …Thanks for sucking the mojo right out of my soul.”

Oh my.

So what’s going on here?

I think such deeply negative comments speak to the pain that these pastors are already carrying with them. They’ve been hurt. Deeply. They need our prayers.

I get that pain. I’ve felt that pain. There was a time in my ministry when this list would have triggered my pain like it triggered theirs. But I’ve come to realize that the expectations on this list aren’t the cause of that pain.

Pastoral pain is often caused by our own obsession, not just to lead a healthy church, but to drive it to massive numerical growth as well. But very few church members expect or want that. It’s mostly self-imposed by pastors.

If those ten character traits were read without prior pain and without the underlying expectation that you have to do those ten plus grow a huge church, I don’t think pastors would feel as burdened by them.

Doing those ten adequately, but not super-humanly, in my current church, at the size it is now, with no expectation that the church has to get bigger to be successful is what pastoring a healthy small church looks like.

What People Want In a Pastor

If you still doubt that this is a reasonable list, take another look at it and answer this question. Which character trait would you remove? Good work ethic? Love of congregation? Strong character? Effective preaching?

No pastor is great at all ten. But greatness wasn’t asked for. Or expected. Yet basic competence in all ten is needed to lead a healthy church, even if the pastor equips others to do the parts they’re not as good at.

People want their pastor to be their pastor. To lead by example. To have integrity. To help them grow in their faith. And to love them along the way.

If we stop trying to do what they’re not asking us to do, that’s not a burden. It’s a privilege. And a joy.

Pastor Ray Anderson

Merkel hopes for end to Turkish airbase ban

                                   
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that she hoped Ankara would soon lift a ban on German lawmakers visiting a Turkish airbase that was imposed amid a row over the Armenian genocide.

Turkey last month stopped German MPs from visiting their troops stationed at the Incirlik base in southern Turkey, which is used to launch coalition raids against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria.

After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the G20 summit in China, Merkel said she was hopeful of progress on the issue.    

 

"I think it is possible that in the coming days we will have good news about this completely justified request," Merkel said.

The airbase ban came with tensions running high between Berlin and Ankara over a resolution by the lower house of the German parliament calling the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces during World War I a genocide.

Turkey vehemently rejects the genocide claim, arguing it was a collective tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians died.

The German government has stressed the Bundestag vote was non-binding, a move widely interpreted as a step to soothe Ankara, a key player in both the fight against IS and the European migrant crisis.

How to Stay Healthy While Pastoring an Unhealthy Church

                           
Hurting churches hurt people. Including pastors who try to help them. Here are 9 principles to help you stay strong.

A healthy church is a great place of healing.

But an unhealthy church causes problems for everyone who touches it – including the pastor who’s called to help turn it around.

More people get sick in hospitals than anywhere else. Because that’s where the sick people are. Health care professionals know this, so they have stringent protocols to keep themselves from contracting the diseases they’re trying to cure.

Churches are the same.

So how does a pastor keep spiritually and emotionally healthy while living, worshiping and leading in an unhealthy environment?

I’ve pastored in three church turnaround situations – two of which worked, one that didn’t. Turning an unhealthy church around is one of the hardest tasks any pastor will ever be called to do. Don’t attempt it without observing these nine principles to protect yourself and your family:

1. Be Proactive, not Just Reactive

This was the first, and one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in pastoring.

Don’t stay in fix-it mode, responding to every need, crisis and emergency that arises. Yes, those have to be responded to, especially in a turnaround situation. But if that’s all you’re doing – or even the main thing you’re doing – the church and you will suffer for it.

When we stay in reactive mode, the squeaky wheels are in control. Not us. Not Jesus.

A pastor who wants to stay healthy while bringing a church into health needs a plan. Something designed to replace the current toxic environment.

It’s not enough to drain the swamp. We need to replace it with something of value.

This is essential for the pastors’ mental and emotional health, because there are fewer things that will draw us into an unhealthy church’s drama than constantly living in reaction to that drama.

2. Invest in Teachable People

There’s a great scene from the movie The Untouchables, where they’re trying to figure out how to build a team of agents in Al Capone’s Chicago who aren’t already on the take. The older cop (played by Sean Connery) tells Elliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner) “If you're afraid of getting a rotten apple, don't go to the barrel. Get it off the tree.”

The next shot in the movie shows them at the police academy, looking through the qualifications of new recruits. They haven’t been in the police department yet, so they cannot possibly have been corrupted by it. Thus, they’re untouchable.

That scene is a turning point in the movie, and that idea can be a turning point in the life of a toxic church – and in a turnaround pastors’ ministry.

Instead of depending on dug-in church members, a turnaround pastor needs to look for those who are willing to be teachable. Often, that means investing your time into the young, the new and the untested. It may even mean going outside the walls of the church to bring them in.

This also assures that the pastor will spend some time in life-giving, forward-looking discipleship, not just problem-solving.

3. Meet With a Coach, Mentor or Spiritual Director

Too many pastors are trying to go it alone. That’s hard to do in a healthy church. In an unhealthy one, it can kill you.

Find a mentor, coach and/or spiritual director. If you can’t find someone who does that as their ministerial calling, get together with a local pastor (active or retired) who you can trust.

If you live in a rural area with few options, pick up the phone and call some of your old seminary professors, your denominational officials or a former pastor (of yours, not of the church you’re serving). It may take a few calls to find the right fit, but don’t give up until you find someone.

It’s best if you can find someone who’s done a church turnaround themselves, but it isn’t a requirement. What matters is that you have a mature minister who can listen to you, pray with you and offer Godly wisdom – not just about the church, but about your own emotional and spiritual health.

And no, this can’t be your spouse. Although you should lean on each other, each of you needs someone else to bounce things off of.

4. Make Your Own Spiritual Life a Priority

The Bible is more than a collection of sermon texts. Prayer is more than petitions we make on behalf of others. The spiritual disciplines must be lived and strengthened within our own lives before we can teach them to others.

Don’t neglect your own spiritual nourishment.

5. Protect Yourself Against Known Temptations and Triggers

Everyone has a unique set of temptations and triggers. Don’t ignore them or beat yourself up for them. Acknowledge them and protect yourself against them.

Find an accountability partner if needed (maybe your mentor or coach, as seen above). Moderate your behavior so you don’t allow triggers to enter your life. Stay away from places, behaviors and people that pull you into temptations. Note your body clock and seasonal weaknesses, so you can get extra help when you know you’ll be vulnerable.

Written by Karl Vaters

12 Signs you are dealing with a ‘Church Terrorist’

                      
Churches, like any group of people, have systems and behaviours that develop as communities interact over time. Churches can have healthy systems that allow the community to welcome many voices, have positive interactions and new ideas. Churches can also have unhealthy systems and behaviours that causes conflict and grief. Like a family or workplace or neghbourhood, working through disagreement and conflict is simply a part of life. We all have unhealthy ways of interacting with others.
As a pastor, I have seen people act in such a way that I can only shake my head.  People go beyond normal disagreement and conflict, and are simply unwilling to give up their issue, their idea, their point for the sake of community.
 I call these people ‘Church Terrorists’.

Church Terrorists are people who hold churches and communities hostage in order to get their own way. Different than bullies who hurt and abuse communities, Church Terrorists are only concerned with getting their own way and taking care of themselves. They are the “all-or-nothing” type of people.  And yet, nice church members often have trouble identifying when a Church Terrorist is holding them hostage.

Being able to identify the Church Terrorists is an important survival skill for any pastor and/or governing board of a church. Knowing what kinds of behaviours they employ is necessary to be able to effectively deal with them. Here are 12 Signs you are dealing with a ‘Church Terrorist’ and what to do about it.
1. Church Terrorists don’t listen: Have you ever been in one of those conversations where the other person keeps making their point over and over again, and doesn’t seem to hear anything you are saying? Not listening is one of the first subtle signs that you are dealing with a Church Terrorist. He or she doesn’t listen or hear your point of view because no perspective but his or hers matters. If you don’t start calling him or her out by naming what is happening (not listening) you aren’t likely to get anywhere.
2. Failing to follow through: We all agree to do things that we eventually forget about. But you might have a Church Terrorist on your hands if someone is constantly taking on responsibilities but is rarely following through. Often this can be a well intentioned person who simply cannot say no, but then doesn’t have the time to follow through with promises, an unwitting terrorist. But sometimes, it is an undercover terrorist sabotaging the community by taking on responsibilities that others could carry out, and then purposely not fulfilling them so that no one will get the job done. When someone is failing to follow through, it is time to stop giving them responsibility.
3. Getting angry and/or crying to avoid conversation: We all have topics that we are passionate about and willing to voice our view energetically. But a Church Terrorist will get angry and/or cry about anything that makes him or her uncomfortable or that he or she doesn’t want to talk about. Few of us are interested in conversing with an angry/crying person, and so like nice little Christians we drop the issue. And Church Terrorists use the anger/cry tactic to avoid topics that are uncomfortable for them. When someone can’t talk about an important issue to the community without getting angry and or crying, you might just have to let them be angry/cry – and talk about the issue anyway.
4. Not showing up: When most people fail to show up for a meeting, project or agreed to appointment, they call ahead or they call after to apologize. Most people get in touch. But over the years, I have noticed that churches often have people who simply don’t show up. They miss meeting after meeting without explanation, they never commit to the events, projects or programs that need people to run them, or they agree to responsibilities and then simply fail to be there. When someone isn’t showing up, we would often rather ignore the behaviour than deal with it. That doesn’t help. We can forgive not showing up, without setting ourselves up to be stood up over and over again.
5. Emotional overreaction: Church Terrorists love making others responsible for their emotions. When something happens that a terrorist doesn’t like, they will let you know. They will let you know that you have ruined their day, their week, their year. They will let you know that they are so unhappy that they won’t be able to eat, sleep, stop crying, look at you the same way, or have any positive feeling towards you ever again. Not wanting to hurt a terrorist’s feelings is exactly what they want you to worry about. They want you to take responsibility for their feelings, so they don’t have to. Don’t do for others what they should do for themselves.
6. Over confidence: Church Terrorists will often assume that everyone agrees with or listens to them. They will make pronouncements and declarations at meetings or during community events like they are written in stone. Friendly, average church people often don’t know what to do with someone who seems totally sure of themselves. Going along with overconfidence is easy, disagreeing even when we aren’t totally certain is hard.
7. Having an opinion on everything: As a pastor, I have learned that not having an opinion on everything is an important way to be heard. Not weighing in on every issue allows people to know that you don’t need your way on every little thing, nor that everything in the church is your jurisdiction. But Church Terrorists want everyone to know their opinion about everything. They will hi-jack meetings or church events to make sure they have their moment to be heard. Decisions can’t be made until their point has been made. Encouraging and making room for the voices of others, in this case, is vital.
8. Shooting down change or new ideas: This may be the most common form of Church Terrorism. Perfectly loving and caring people can develop the habit of shooting down new ideas with statements like, “We tried already that and it didn’t work” or “People will never go for that” or “That is not the way we do things here.” While most people will eventually come around to trying something new, real Church Terrorists will stick to their guns and refuse change or new ides. Sticking to your guns is required to introduce new ideas.  Trying something different is the ultimate victory here.
9. Silent expectations, loud resentment: If shooting down new ideas is the most common form of Church Terrorism, this is the runner-up.  Often Church Terrorists will silently hold others to expectations they had no idea about, and then get upset when their expectations are unmet. New pastors or new members often fall victim to this one. “You are sitting in MY pew!” or “You didn’t use the microphone that my grandfather donated to this church!” or “I can’t believe we didn’t celebrate national orange sweater day, we have done it for years!” Talking about the unspoken conventions and expectations of a community is an important way to combat this form of Church Terrorism.
10. Directed giving: This is probably a contentious issue in many churches. Governing boards often feel beholden to givers to put the money to the use it was given for. And most of the time this isn’t a problem… yet Church Terrorists will use their donations as a way of telling leadership what to do. I have seen money given to churches for unplanned sanctuary renovations, new organs or pianos that were not in the plans, projectors when no system for creating projected services was in place, new carpet, new paint, new bathrooms when none of that was in the plans. Church boards need policies that allow them to use directed gifts for things in the plans, even if they have been directed for other things.
11. Withholding money: Sometime when church leadership isn’t doing what a person wants, she or he will stop giving offerings to the church as a way to “starve the beast,” which hampers the church’s ability to carry out its mission. Withholding money is another common form of Church Terrorism, yet often leadership doesn’t even know that it is happening until long after the fact and nothing can be done to resolve the situation. Withholding money just hurts everyone, and usually doesn’t help get to the heart of the matter.
12. Threatening to leave: I know many pastors who have members who hold this threat over their heads. “If this doesn’t change we are out of here” or “If the church votes to do that, we will be taking our membership elsewhere.” This is the most extreme form of Church Terrorism. It is basically saying that if you don’t do what I want, we cannot be in fellowship. It is the epitome of holding a congregation hostage, “do (or don’t do) this. Or else.” But it is theologically and ecclesiologically bankrupt behaviour to define the participation within the Body of Christ by one’s own opinion. However, this is what a terrorist will do. Yet, threatening to leave has serious implications for the terrorist if pastors and church leadership hold people to their threats. I know many pastors and leaders who have simply responded to such threats with, “We will miss you.”
Far too often I have been with leadership groups in churches, in counselling situations, or just in conversation with church people, and I have had to point out that they are experiencing Church Terrorism.  Someone is holding the community hostage by insisting on getting their own way, even when it is not for the good of the community.
And I don’t think every Church Terrorist does it on purpose, which is perhaps the biggest challenge to those of us who see it. Whether Church Terrorists feel like a caring church community is the only place in their life where they can have some control, or that getting their way is all they have known at church, or that things come up that we all have strong feelings about, it isn’t right to hold a community hostage. We all have things that we care about deeply at church. God and faith are a big deal for us. But that doesn’t give us the right to force others to feel and act the way we want.
The most important thing pastors and other leaders can do is name it. Say out loud what is happening in your community, and dealing with Church Terrorists after that will be much easier.
And remember, we don’t negotiate with terrorists because terrorists don’t negotiate with you.

Written by Millennial Pastor

Dreamer or Visioners(Part 2)

                              
                                    By Dr Daniel Olukoya

HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE
In the book of Genesis, we find the Holy Spirit doing the work of creation. In Exodus, we find Him empowering people to do great things. In Judges, He gives power to fight battles. In 2nd Kings, you see the Holy Spirit giving double portion of powers. In Jeremiah, you find Him as the Spirit of fire. In all the books of the Bible, you find the Holy Spirit doing one thing or the other.
The question is, are you really ready to surrender your life to the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do with you? If your answer is yes, may I caution you that He would be your senior partner, He would not take second place. He would be the one giving the instructions. If you are not ready to carry out His instructions, then you are not ready yet to receive Him. That is, you want to remain a dreamer.
Some people plan to fail, they plan to remain in a particular level all their lives. Such people are not interested in the mountain- top life, so they do not surrender to the Holy Spirit. But immediately you open up to the Holy Spirit and say, “Holy Spirit, I surrender myself to you. Reveal yourself to me,” and you do it honestly, things will begin to happen. It may mean your abstaining from certain things.
The Holy Spirit may ask you to stop doing certain things. He might ask you to stop using your make-ups, jewelry, etc. He may ask you to re-organize your life pattern. He may ask you to do extensive night vigils or go to places you do not want to go. The problem is that a lot of people are afraid of being led by the Holy Spirit, therefore, they have become occasional vessels in His hands.
LIKE THE WIND
The witch has not been manufactured, neither the familiar spirit that would trap a person filled with the Holy Spirit. Just like the wind is mysterious in action, so is a person filled with the Holy Spirit. He or she cannot be controlled by the powers of darkness. Just like the wind is powerful in movement, the movement of someone filled with the Holy Spirit is also powerful. Just like the wind is invisible in action, the same thing would happen in your life once you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as the wind is penetrating in action, you too would be like that when you are filled with the Holy Ghost.
Beloved, are you ready for the Holy Spirit? Do you really want to leave the department of the dreamer and become a visioner? If your answer is yes, then you must open up to the Holy Spirit. The beauty of a life filled with the Holy Spirit is that the powers of darkness may see you but would not be able to predict your action. If you operate like the wind, you cannot be trapped. But there is a very bitter word of lamentation which can be used to describe the present- day Christian Hosea 7:8-9
We thank God for the Bible for it makes us to understand that there is no age limit in getting filled with the Holy Spirit. If a child is ready, God will fill him up, likewise an adult that is ready. Whoever is ready gets filled up. God can never be partial.
PRESENT -DAY BELIEVER
Hosea 7: 8 –9: “Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.”
Many people have mixed themselves up with the world. Some have mixed themselves up with what we call spiritual nonentities, while others are unturned bread, that is, they remain in the same department every year. Anyone who looks at the spiritual state of the present church would know that a lot is wrong. Many people come to services yet there is no change in their life style. Many put up a different attitude in the church and a different attitude outside. Many come to meetings and receive miracles but they do not come across the God of miracles. They have miracles but do not have the miracle worker.
Many people have a lot of people around them that would never follow them to church because their life style does not glorify Jesus. How can a person convert his neigbour’s wife when he is busy making passes at her? How can a person convert someone he is drinking alcohol with? It gives me a lot of concern when I realise that some people will not get to heaven because they do not want to, not that heaven is not open. It is, but they just do not want to go there.
Some people are unserious with everything in life, including matters of heaven. This is the reason many present- day Christians are still afraid of demons, charms, incantations, enchantments, etc. They cannot withstand these things because there is sin in their lives and they know that the devil can see it. There are also many people who attend church services but lack simple faith in God. They bind the spirit of headache with paracetamol in their pocket, yet they want the miracle. Many come to meetings but they find it very difficult to conquer sin.
A man prayed in agony to God to change his life. In fact, he cried to God to give him the power to live a holy life. Suddenly, a voice sounded from heaven and said, “You have to wrestle. You must fight your flesh and conquer it. Don’t expect me to conquer your flesh for you.” You have to determine in your spirit that your flesh shall not overcome or dominate your life. It is a personal decision. It is so easy for a lady who allows herself to be put in the family way to say, “It is this man that messed up my life.” But she has forgotten that she gave him her full co-operation without which it would not have been possible.
Many people cannot hear God’s voice. To many, God is unreal. They just come to the church to gamble; therefore, satan is killing many people prematurely. Many do not have independent faith, they have become spiritually static. Many would drink concoction, take injections, drink holy water, use anointing oil, and also do deliverance at the same time; they have become gamblers because the Holy Spirit has no free flow in their lives.
The Holy Spirit you receive should not be just to speak in tongues or to pray when you are scared at night. It is to communicate with Him as a friend. When the Holy Spirit becomes your friend, it is then He will open your eyes and you can see things for yourself. This is why it is very important to pray that whatever is breaking down your communication with the Holy Spirit should be melted away.
The Bible dispensation can be divided into three:
1. The period of the tabernacle: This was the period when the Israelites built tabernacles in the wilderness. Then, God was inside the tabernacle and not in their lives. So, they messed up. Anytime they wanted to see God, they entered into the tabernacle. Nobody knew much about the devil then. That is why in the Old Testament, you do not see much about the devil. He was able to operate in hiding. But when you get to the New Testament, you see the Man of Galilee who came around and began to expose the devil.
2. The dispensation of the Son, i.e. Jesus Christ: He came physically, did His redemptive work and said, “I am going away but I shall come back. I will send you the Holy Spirit who will be staying with you and teaching you all things. He shall be your friend.” As a Christian, if you are not close to this Friend that the Lord has given us, you will have problem.
3. The dispensation of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the executive agent of God’s programme on earth now.
HINDRANCES TO VISION:

• Demonic activities: If you are involved in demonic activities, forget being a visioner. You will become a permanent dreamer.
• Unconfessed sin: If you have unconfessed sin in your life, forget the school of the visioners. You will remain a dreamer until you confess all your sin.
• Lack of true repentance: When you have not truly repented, forget the school of the visioners because you will still be a dreamer.
• Unforgiveness: If there are some people that you can never forgive, forget the school of visioners.
• Pride.
• Fear: If fear is in your heart, you will remain in the school of dreamers.
• Unbelief and doubt.
• Lack of concentration: Some people’s minds roam around. They do not really follow anything through. Such remain in the school of dreamers.
• Refusing to release yourself totally to the Holy Spirit.
• Refusal to honour your parents: This will also land you in the school of dreamers.

The choice is yours now. Joshua said to the Israelites, “Choose you this day whom you shall serve, whether the idols your father were worshipping in the wilderness or the Lord God.” He also made a confession. He said, “But as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.” Personal choice.
You must depart from the school of dreamers. Your eyes must open so that you can receive divine revelation. Remember it is a matter of personal decision. If you decide to put an end to blind Christian life, God will open your eyes. If you say, “Enough of spiritual life of the valley,” God will catapult you to the mountain-top. It is necessary to confess any hidden sin that can hinder you to the Lord. God has promised to fill all the vessels that are ready. So, readiness is the condition.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Oh, Lord, manifest your presence in my life, in the name of Jesus.
2. Let the rain of the Holy Spirit fall upon me now, in the name of Jesus.
3. Oh Lord, let your mantle of power fall upon me, in Jesus’ name.
4. Holy Ghost, fill me, in the name of Jesus.
5. Holy Spirit, open my eyes, in the name of Jesus.
6. I refuse to operate in spiritual blindness, in Jesus’ name.
7. I remove myself from every evil spiritual bus- stop, in the name of Jesus.
8. I reject every arrow fired against my spiritual life, in the name of Jesus.