Vision

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Vision

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we shared with you the diagram the Lord gave me many years ago. Briefly, that diagram starts with the Word of God (the logos or living Word of God) and proceeding clockwise, we have vision, hearing, faith, obedience, righteousness, holiness, the word becomes flesh, and then the cycle repeats. That orderly sequence is very scriptural from the Book of Romans and represents the maturity pattern for a believer. We also shared a few thoughts about prophetic ministry and the need for a higher vision. Perhaps the greatest function of a true prophet is to help to enlarge the vision of the members of the body of Christ.

The essence of vision means that we see things from God's perspective, not Christian man's perspective. That means that vision has little, if anything, to do with natural eyesight because God is Spirit. Further, we must walk by faith, not by natural eyesight. We want to always stress that, "Where there is no vision the people perish." (Proverbs 29:13) And where there is little, or a small vision, the people are weak and sickly and many sleep.

Before proceeding further, we need to state very clearly three things: 

(1) We need to be very clear what vision refers to. 

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:2-4

Many believers have "a vision." There are a large number of different "a visions," many of which seem to be scriptural, but not necessarily led by the Spirit. But "The Vision" is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Make it plain upon tables" speaks of tables of the heart, so we are to have the reality of Jesus Christ written upon our hearts. "The just shall live by his faith" again speaks about Jesus. "His faith" does not mean "our faith." Jesus is the ONLY Just One! Jesus is also the first great Person of Faith. Every "a vision" must relate to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and to His ways, His purposes, and His plan for each one of us. There is a song called, Be Thou My Vision. The title and the words of that song are very appropriate.

(2) Vision speaks of a heavenly vision, not a natural vision.

Acts 26:12-19

When the Lord sovereignly apprehended Paul on the road to Damascus, he saw a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about him.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

(3) Whatever your vision is, it is too small; whatever my vision is, it is too small. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. 

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Isaiah 54:2-3

The Lord desires for us to see and hear Him more than we want to. The problem is in our vision and our hearing. As we stated in our previous message, one of the major functions of a prophet is to help to expand and enlarge the vision of the people. Frequently some believers say, "Lord, please come down and heal.." or more commonly "be healed in the name of Jesus Christ." In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus physically healed 10 lepers, but only one was made whole (or saved).

Some ministers today think that it is a marvelous meeting if some people get healed physically. That indeed stirs the emotions. But the healing the Lord is after is in the realm of the spirit. The Lord wants us to rise up to where He is. Jesus said, in John 17:24, 

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." 

Where was Jesus when He said that? on earth but in the realm of the Spirit.

Two separate verses in Revelation contain the commandment from the Lord to come up hither. 

1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3 And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:1-3

A somewhat similar verse in Revelation 11:12 also says to Come up hither.
Then we read in Numbers 11:24-30

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad [God has loved], and the name of the other Medad [affectionate, in the sense of loving]: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

I believe that Verse speaks of the love and grace of God in action. Although we are admonished in Hebrews 13:13 to go forth unto Him without the camp, the Lord will, for at least a season, leave some prophetic voices inside the camp. 

27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put His spirit upon them!

30 And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. Exodus 33:7

Now what is the "camp?" What does that mean for us today? I believe the camp speaks of organized, named churches. When Jesus walked the face of the earth, the camp was the religion of the Pharisees and Sadducees. We hope to share much more about "names" in a later message. Now let us turn to Isaiah 6.

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

Many years ago, as I was reading that verse for perhaps the 20th time, I found myself reading it this way: In the year that king self died I saw also the Lord, high and lifted up. Now Uzziah does not mean "self." But sometimes the Holy Spirit has a way of putting into context some things that normally are not in context. In any event, the latter interpretation is a good one. The very essence and basis of sin is to put self in the preeminent place of God. Sin is when a man thinks more highly of himself instead of God. Whenever we see the Lord high and lifted up, king self must die. The Lord told Moses, in Exodus 33:20, "And He said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." That is true in the natural realm; it is also true in the spiritual realm.

2 Above it [the throne] stood the seraphims [burning ones]: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone [cut off or lost]; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

The essence of true conviction is a concern for what I am, not for what I have done or not done.

In 2nd Chronicles 26 we read about king Uzziah who, because of his pride, invaded the priests' office and was smitten with leprosy. Contrast this leprous king with the all glorious King of Isaiah 3 and 5. Uzziah died in a separate house. Uzziah means "strength of the Lord". The Lord had created Uzziah to become and show forth the strength of the Lord. But instead, he showed forth the strength of man. Pride. He traded the strength of the Lord for his own strength. The Lord lives forever in a temple filled with His train. What is His train? I believe it is all those saints over all eternity who were considered worthy to walk with God.

9 And He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Did Isaiah make the heart of the people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes? No! But he did speak forth that word or declare it or foretell it. Isaiah could do no more.

Note that it all started with vision. Job had a similar experience.

5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6

One of the most compelling verses which illustrate our need for a higher vision is found in the first chapter of the Book of Ephesians. Paul wrote the letter to the Church at Ephesus some 6 years after he had taught them for three years, day and night. Now very few, if any, believers have had a better teacher than Paul.

Ephesians 1:15-18

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

From Verse 15, Paul praised them for their faith and love, quite a compliment coming from the great apostle Paul. 

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Why would Paul pray that they might receive something which they already were walking in? So the Ephesians needed the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. From Verse 18, they needed their eyes of understanding to be enlightened. That is vision! May the Lord open our spiritual eyes to see what is the hope of His calling and to see the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

2 Kings 6:8-18 

8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Samuel ... (1 Samuel 3:19) the Lord did let none of his words drop to the ground. 

Now just in case anyone should say that those types of miracles do not occur today, I want to share a few experiences which I have witnessed.

Don M. brick wall; another state, heard our conversation

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Ken Bennett: blueberries, trees, doors to house

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1

Another man; Speak to a little tree, rotunda of Capitol building

Word of knowledge in house church

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

Is that verse still true? I can think of some rather incredible things that the Lord has done and can do. But 

"He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." 

Ephesians 3:20

Although vision is necessary, it is not sufficient. Secular research has proven that a stimulus from two or more of our natural senses reinforces learning. Secular research can only verify the truth of God. Therefore God has provided an opportunity for us to have not only spiritual eyes to see but also spiritual ears to hear.

In our next 2 messages we will share about hearing the voice of the Lord for one's self. Until then, may the Lord make His face to shine upon you; may the Lord be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Amen.