“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverb 29:18
The staff at Vision Planning would like to take a moment to allay the concerns of our ministry friends who think that our Visioneering process is mystical in nature and extends beyond the authority of Scripture. To the contrary, when we use the word vision, we are not referring to an extra-Biblical expression. We believe, along with you, that Scripture is the sole source for Christian faith and practice.
There is only one God, the Manager of the universal “meta-vision”. Meta-vision is a term we have adopted that refers to God’s Master Plan for all mankind for all ages. Human beings cannot manage the meta-vision – only God can. We cannot add to it or subtract from it or change it in any way. It was pre-established by God, and He oversees every aspect of it. We do believe, however, that God calls chosen leaders with specific vision or “mega-vision”.
Specific Vision
The Bible makes a strong case for the vitality that comes from vision. Without it, people perish. With it, people thrive! As part of His management process, God gives specific mega-vision that falls under the authority of His meta-vision. We define specific vision as “revelation conferred by God to a called-out person to lead a God-designated people-group to a God-articulated destination for a God-defined purpose within a God-determined timeframe.”
The Old Testament articulates several clear examples of specific vision. Noah received specific vision to preserve a righteous remnant. Abraham was given the vision of becoming the father of many nations. Moses received specific vision to redeem God’s people and lead them to the Promised Land.
In the New Testament, Paul received specific vision to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John acted on specific vision to document the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus Himself entered humanity with specific vision for a perfect life, a sacrificial death, a bodily resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father. All of these specific visions operated under the authority of Scripture.
Today, when a righteous and surrendered believer has a specific vision to plant a church or open a Christian school or become a godly politician or actor, we believe that they have received the revelation directly from God. If the result of their work is that God’s Kingdom is expanded and pre-Christians are being won to The Lord, we attribute the growth to God, and consider the gains sufficient confirmation that the vision is from Him.
