Robin McMillan once told me that he could "smell a breakthrough." I thought that was a funny way to put it, but I had to admit that I could too. It was as if there was a special energy in the air, and you could actually smell a coming release in the Spirit. For about a year we had been in a holding pattern with many of our projects, and sure enough, soon after Robin and I had this conversation, there seemed to be a breakthrough on every front. 

 

Of course, when you are advancing it is important that you not take more land than you can hold. I was recently in a meeting with the head of the largest bank in America. He told us how they had been asked by the government to provide about five hundred million dollars for inner city projects. This was to enable those who had successful small businesses in the inner cities to expand them. However, the result was that all of this money ended up hurting these small businesses more than helping them. By giving them so much money, they were able to take a huge leap in size, but these people were not given the training on how to run a large business. Many of those who were successful on one level went bankrupt on the next level because they were given resources for which they were not ready. Has this not also been the reason for the failure of many churches and ministries?

 

It is good to have a big vision, but many who are vision-driven are prone to take on responsibilities for which they are not yet prepared. There is an old saying that "Any job can be accomplished if it is broken down into small enough steps." It is good to have a clear vision of our ultimate purpose, but if we are overly focused on the ultimate purpose rather than the next step, it is likely that we are going to be stumbling over some things. It was for this reason that the Lord made Israel conquer their Promised Land one battle at a time. He told them that He was not going to let them do it too quickly because the beasts of the field would take it over (see Exodus 23:29). He did not want them to conquer land until they were strong enough to hold it. The same is true with us.

 

The most encouraging thing to me about what is happening at our local congregations is that many of the spiritual exploits are not coming through the full time leaders, but through individuals and small groups who are hearing the Lord's voice and responding. Every week I hear of remarkable things that are happening completely without orchestration from our office. The church office is not supposed to be the head of the church, but Jesus is. To me this is real Christianity, with the Lord moving through the different members of the body as it pleases Him. As we read yesterday from Ephesians 4:12-13, let's look at the next couple of verses.

 

       but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,

       from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies,

       according to the proper working of each individual part,

       causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (Ephesians 4:15-16).