As we exit the year 2005 and embark upon a New Year, I thought I would share a praise report with my brothers revealing the awesomeness our God. Secondly, I purpose to share with you a recent teaching God deposited in my heart during a recent ministry trip to Orlando Florida.

Trust me as I left for Florida my hearts desire was to fulfill speaking engagements in the church, the local correctional institutions and to minister to my dear friend and a faithful supporter of Peter’s Rock Christian Fellowship (PRCF) who had recently experienced surgery.

One afternoon we were preparing to report for a doctor’s appointment. The television was on and God’s ministry gift, Miles Monroe was teaching. God used His ministry gift to speak to my heart concerning the assignment I have for June of 2006, which is to coordinate a team of missionaries for the continent of Africa.

As Pastor Monroe taught I heard a distinction being made between a mission, a vision and God’s plan.

I heard the Holy Spirit say, “the mission is general, the vision is specific and the plan is God’s.”

The difference between the mission and the vision, while they both are from God, is that the mission is general… It’s broad. The vision, unlike the mission, is a specific assignment unique to God’s plan for your life: a one of a kind designer original that always has more to do with others than you.

The example the Holy Spirit gave to me was the fast food industry. He said, “visualize McDonalds, Burger king and Captain D’s all occupying the same intersection in a city. How can they do that and be successful? Because they all share the same mission: to serve fast food. They are not in competition if they share the same mission; therefore, they occupy the same corners through out our communities.” While their mission is the same (fast foods), their vision differs. You see McDonald’s vision is the “big Mac”, Burger King’s vision is the “whopper” and captain D’s vision is “fish and chip”. Again, while their mission is the same, to me its clear that there vision is what differs.

Now concerning the plan, how many time have you set out to do something in the name of Jesus only to learn God change the way it was pursued or accomplished? I maintain that God shares with us the mission and vision but reserve the plan for Him, at least at first glance. My own experiences prove that if He were to show me the plan, in my finite attempt to assist Him, I would mess it up! Furthermore, if He allowed us to be responsible for the plan, then we would not need Him and we would in essence be independent of Him rather than interdependent of Him.

As the Holy Spirit continued to show me how God guides us into a place called “discovery” requiring that we depend on Him for all things-- even our missions, our visions and ultimately His plan as it relates to His will.

I heard Him say, “if I were sponsoring a Easter egg hunt for a group of three year olds, I would not be wise to bury the eggs in a five foot hole in the back yard and expect them to find it.” No! As parents we would want them to find (discover) the egg; therefore, we would place the egg with in their eye range relative to their level of maturity, with hopes that they not only find it but also find it quickly. Our father is training and maturing us in the things of the Spirit as He leads us by the Spirit in our discovery of his purpose for our life. He has not hidden his plan from us instead he has hidden His plan for us, and He expects us to discover His plan that he has known from the beginning of creation. The plan is only a mystery until it’s discovered.

God has not and did not hide His plan from us. He hid His plan for us…..Ephes. 3:9-10 “and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.”

God wants His plan to be crystal clear to those who have been initiated by way of His perfect plan of redemption for man.

My beloved brothers, when God gives us a mission coupled with a vision, know that he reserves the right to reveal the plan as He chooses. His desire is that as we pursue the mission and the vision, that we will discover the purpose and plan he has for our individual lives.

Case in point, When God told me to go to Africa, I was so over whelmed I could not hear the Holy Spirit for the specifics of the mission because of my emotions. It wasn’t until later that I was given the vision to establish a school of evangelism by day and revival at night. This would be the beginning of a three-year plan that will consummate with the erection of a multipurpose center at the border of southern Sudan and northern Kenya.

Since that time I have shared planning meetings with others who share the missions to Africa. And while our visions may differ what we have in common is the “co-mission” given to us by Christ.

Moreover, my friend Rosetta Davis’ vision is to address the Aids/HIV pandemic by pairing up children, families and villages with citizens, corporations and churches in America. My friend Barbara Cross’s vision is to empower the Sudanese through educational, economical and humanitarian relief.

The vision of Peter’s Rock Christian Fellowship (PRCF) is to catch the fish (evangelism), to clean the fish (discipleship) and to help them find their stream of ministry.

From the day God revealed the vision to me I started to believe Him for $100,000 to satisfy the first year of a three-year plan. What Iam I saying? I am saying that while the mission was apparent, the vision was now clear; it is the plan of God that requires continual prayer.

To affirm His word, God recently planted a “Easter egg” in my sight for discovery that I might continue to seek Him for the plan of $100,000:while in Orlando, God placed on the heart of one of my supporting families to give to me a 1988 vintage Mercedes-Benz Sl420.Glory to God!!!!

I believe this golden egg was ordered by God Himself as a visible encouragement (in the form of discovery) tangible proof that the mission, the vision and the plan is, not only attainable, but God ordained. Beloved know that God is not a respecter of person.

Just Joking!!!!

A missionary is chased by a ferocious lion, who corners him With no other option left, the missionary falls to his knees in prayer. To his surprise, the lion also begins to pray, “This is miraculous, “says the missionary,” joining me in prayer when I had given myself up for lost.” “Don’t interrupt,” says the lion,” “I am saying grace.”

Editors’ Note:

UPDATE: