Seeing in the heart what hasn't been seen with eyes, hearing in the heart what hasn't been heard with ears, grasping in the heart what hasn't been handled by hands, moving in the heart what hasn't been traversed by feet, purchasing in the heart what hasn't been financed by material wealth, building in the heart what hasn't been built in the earth:  this is the heart of visionaries.   Visionaries are the seers of things not yet revealed or manifested.  (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

All of us are visionaries to a certain extent when we walk with God.  We are called to walk by faith and not by sight  (2 Corinthians 5:7).  This faith leads us to believe and receive the substance of things not yet seen, and to possess the evidence of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1).  We are to have vision for all the new things that life in Jesus Christ is, and for the passing away of all the old things that it it not (2 Corinthians 5:17).  And above all things, we are called to have our vision filled with Jesus Christ the Lord (Hebrews 12:1-2).  He is the source and wellspring of all heavenly kingdom vision. And He needs to become our consuming vision.

Throughout the Bible we have examples of men and women who were given revelations from God that became their consuming vision.  These lives were changed because of the revelations that they carried in their hearts.  The lives of those around them and often those of us after them have also been changed by the fulfillment of what was revealed to them.  The same thing happens to us when we carry in our hearts God given revelation concerning what He wants to do in us, with us and through us.  

But true visionaries are more than this.  Just because we have had revelations of God's purposes, and understand He has made us to be visionaries doesn't automatically mean that these visions will come to pass.  There is something that must be done.  God will do His part, but we also must do our part.  We cannot just go around talking vision, we must live it in obedience to the vision.  Paul said it this way in Acts 26:19.  "...I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision..." James exhorted us in this manner.  "...faith without works is dead." (James 2:26) Recently I heard Les Young, pastor of Living Word Fellowship in Voluntown, CT say it this way:  "The strength of what a man believes is revealed by what he is willing to suffer for what he believes"  I would say it this way:  True visionaries live out the vision that they have in their hearts, no matter what it costs.  

Finally, here is a list of some things that will help us fulfill the vision we carry in our hearts

• Keep the vision alive by nurturing it in prayer, and scriptural patterns
• Keep the vision current by rehearsing it often, reviewing it and declaring it to yourself and God
• Keep your heart enlarged by looking to Jesus, and not at all the things that say it can't be done
• Avoid boasting in it to others to make yourself self-important (stay humble)
• Be careful not to share your vision with dream killers and those that don't believe
• Continue to seek the Lord for the steps of faith that need to be taken
• Don't give up!
• Join together with others of like precious faith.

There are many other things that can bring fruition to a heart full of vision.  I invite you to share them by posting a comment to this blog entry.