There are some who have gone before and paved the way to a great extent for others. So that, as the others come in behind, they find themselves in advantages they may not have otherwise had. A good example of this is the quote about America that says, "Freedom is not free - a price was paid and it still has payments."
So it is in the Spiritual realm as well. There are those who pay a price that others might be blessed. It all comes down again to the same old issue of good versus evil. And if you are like me, let's get rid of the evil!
Some protocols are easy for us to catch on to, some are not. Sometimes we catch onto it or grew up in it, but realize "There must be more!" and so we seek to find it, only to find out that not everyone is as excited or as interested in finding and gaining "the more" as we are.
Some protocols are not worth the trouble and some are. Some are not understood and are worth learning. Some are the price that must be paid to receive the blessing.
The vision then is tested by the fire and if we are committed, we will press it through and struggle it out. If we think the vision is worth it, we strive for it, and if others do, they often join us or we join them. Visions can go through the fires of mockery, indifference, ridicule, shame and even personal attacks.
Some visions are so big that we can only move forward a bit in the right direction. Some visions are big and are led by other leaders so that we feel fulfilled when we find that we can fit in in a way that brings us satisfaction. Some visions are small and we are soon bored and need more, or we can find a vision was false and become disinterested. Or sometimes we don't want to pay the price!
But some visions are birthed within us for this day and time and we just cannot let them go. Such is the Gospel in our lives. It is a Seed leavening the earth and has different expressions from and for the same Cause. The Light of the Glorious Gospel will change our lives and the lives of others. When we go from darkness into Light, we can see more, and see things that we have never seen before that help us.
But taking this ground is not always as easy as it looks. It's true that once a light is switched on that darkness flees, but sometimes there is a battle for the light switch! Protocol serves a purpose of maximizing or intensifying, particularly through agreement.
Jesus mentored His disciples and then gave them free time. But He instructed them according to the Big Plan going on and those disciples found themselves carrying key roles.
Why did they endure so much persecution, especially as apostles? Because the king of darkness did not want the Light on nor others finding the switch! But the disciples had tasted and seen that the Lord is good and that His mercy endures forever and they wanted to share the good news! They were even commanded to share it and they were willing. But they also knew a discipline was involved and that they were to go and teach others.
As times changed in the early Church, the people scattered and the leadership grew. First the Gospel went to the Jews and the Jews carried it, but then it came time for the Good News to be carried to the gentiles (or the other nations who had not heard). After they all hear, according the Bibilical Plan (Romans 11) again it will be presented to the Jews, and the Body who wills, will become One in Him in response to Jesus' prayer in John 17:21.
The New Testament is the story of the Life of Christ and the disciples who follow Him, along with the instructions. Some of those instructions include the guidelines and needs for spiritual warfare because there are still some who resist the Light being turned on. But the good works and ministry inspired by God are a blessing and contain a blessing and sometimes (and some seasons) we are called to follow and then other times to lead.
At any rate, we are taking territory from the enemy but we can only do it in faith. It is faith that pleases God, true belief in Him. That is why we are challenged in meaningful ways. That is why support and agreement are so powerful and needed in overcoming strongholds. We can do more together (called synergism) than we can apart as singles. The enemy also can synergize and will work to pick off those he can isolate from the Body. That is why it is important that we do stay together as believers, but it sometimes can be hard finding "our place."
Faith is the bottom line. We will be tested and we do want to maximize our strengths. We need to find out what proper protocols are. We can only do this fully in our own prayer closet of faith. Others can offer good ideas and programs and if you are happy staying there, so be it. But sometimes that Leaven gets to work inside of you and starts growing and God wants to manifest Himself in a new way or additional helpful way through you!
Then the vision will need to be made plain so that those who see it can run with it. The fires will test it, but if it can stand the heat, God will prosper and bless it to the glory of His Name!
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