A Young Person Who Makes a Difference! |
Those Who are Controlled by a Heavenly Vision |
Daniel was someone who saw. In Daniel 9:1-3 we read, “I, Daniel, understood by means of the Scriptures the number of the years, which came as the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet, for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, that is, seventy years. So I set my face toward the Lord God to seek Him in prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel saw something in the word. Young one, do you want to see? Read and seek the word with prayer. This is what verses 20-23 say, “And while I was still speaking, and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God, even while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning…reached me…and talked with me and said…I have come to tell you, for you are preciousness itself. Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” Whoever desires to have spiritual vision does not need to go to the North Pole or to an underground mine, but to the word and prayer. This is the formula. This is not a common vision, but a controlling vision that approves us.
Do you know why some young people are being condemned? It is because they are short of the word and prayer, which are equal to having a vision. If you go out with your friends to a party with unbelievers where many improper things happen, you are short of vision. Young one, remember that without holiness, not one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14).
Now let us look at the fourth and last key to have the vision: genuine repentance. Reuben was wrong; David was wrong when he fell into fornication (2 Sam. 11); Simeon and Levi were violent. Violence condemns you. If you are violent with the brothers, with your parents, you are disapproved. If you shout at your mother you are already condemned. Violence was what condemned Simeon and Levi (Gen. 34; 49:5-7). But there is an opportunity for us, which is repentance.
Repentance also causes us to have vision. If you are a person who gives in at the first invitation, then you need to have a vision. Repentance is for this. David sinned, but he repented (Psa. 51). We have to be sure that our repentance is genuine that there may be fruit of repentance (Matt. 3:8). Unfortunately, there are many who are clinging to the sin they have committed. They ask for forgiveness, but they do not repent. Forgiveness comes after repentance. We need to repent in order for God to forgive us. We need to be enlightened, see our condition and change our stand. We have to put ourselves on God’s side. God is against sin and you should be also. You must be against sin, repent, and change your stand. You were for sin, you liked and loved sin, but one day you were enlightened and changed your position. Now you are against sin and you hate it.
A young sister saw a car going by and said, “If this car could speak, it would have many things to say about my past.” She had all the reasons to repent of what she had done in that car. She thought that she had been forgiven, but she wasn’t because she had not repented. Surely among the young people in the church there are some who appreciate what they did in the past, their mistakes, the way they fell in love, their “sexual relationships.” On one hand, they are in the church, but on the other, they still regard iniquity in their heart (Psa. 66:18) and need to repent. We need repentance in order to see the Lord, in order to have a controlling vision. This vision will change us, will cause us to change sides, will change our team. Are you on Joseph’s team? Do you want to put your name on that list? Even Samson had his name on that list. He committed many wrongdoings, but he genuinely repented. Unfortunately, he was blind and did not do anything else. Young one, do not wait until the last day to repent. Repent now, today. Put yourself on the Lord’s side.
Psalm 38:10, 18-22 says, “My heart throbs; my strength fails me; and as for the light of my eyes, neither is it with me…for I declare my iniquity; I am anxious because of my sin. But my enemies are vigorous; they are strong; and those who wrongly hate me are many. Those who repay evil for good are my adversaries because I pursue what is good. Do not abandon me, O Jehovah; O my God, do not be far away from me. Hasten to help me, O Lord, my salvation.” If we see our iniquity and sin we will cry out, “Lord, come and save me.”
In a book like this one that speaks about strong, active young people, we only like to talk about positive things because we have the mystery of godliness, which is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). However, there is also the mystery of lawlessness that is operating today (2 Thes. 2:7) and we are forced to speak about negative things as an antidote against this evil. We need to repent and be watchful that no one takes our crown so that we may be overcomers. Today, something that is common among the teenagers is masturbation and solitary sex. This is a sexual act committed in one’s heart. In the New Testament, if your heart is coveting or you have an impure intention, you are already committing such a sin (Matt. 5:28). These things are fed with pictures from magazines, movies, television, looks, conversations and discussions. It is because of this that we say that to look at pictures wakes up the flesh, it stirs up lust. What should we do? There are many who are still walking on this road. At school the young people show one another pornographic magazines. If you have vision you will say, “No! I am a sojourner; I am not of this earth; I have a vision; I see that I am going to reign with the Lord. This is my controlling vision.”
Young one, we have many things of which to repent. Look what happened in Acts 19. Some people turned to the Lord and saw something. Whoever sees takes a stand, jumps over the barriers and declares himself to be for the Lord: “And a considerable number of those who practiced magic brought their books together and burned them before all; and they counted up the price of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of sliver. Thus, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (vv. 18-20). Do you want God’s word to grow? Then you need to turn to Him in an absolute way.
There are many young people who choose the Lord and are converted. But today you need to do something more. You need to completely change sides, put an end to what is old and take a strong and definite stand. For this you need to pray, cleanse your heart and ask the Lord to sanctify you so that you may see and have a controlling vision. Cleanse yourself from all that hinders your communication with God and that keeps you from having a controlling vision, which is able to cause you to reign as Joseph reigned. Do not only repent in word but also in deed. If there is something in you, in your house, in your room, in your friendships, at school, in the street, that causes you to continue in sin, to continue stumbling, get free of it. Have a thorough repentance and pursue the Lord positively.
Genesis 49:22 shows us how we can keep this vision: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a fountain; his branches run over the wall.” You have to be by the fountain every moment, every day, calling on the name of the Lord, praying and reading the word. This is to always be by the fountain and this will make you strong and active. Young one, you need to have such a vision that will control and motivate you.
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