Vanguard of Visions and Dreams: The Lifestyle and Warfare of God's Visionary

© 2013 Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 1/3/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8459-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8461-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8460-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920361

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Prophetic Preface

Introduction

1. The Visionary’s Cup

2. The Visionary’s Inspiration

3. The Journey of a Vision

4. God Give Us Righteous Visionaries

5. The Visionary’s Discernment

6. Married to a Visionary

7. Enemies of the Vision And the Visionary

8. Why Do Visions Fail?

9. Birthing Finances for the Vision

10. A Vanguard is Born

11. Vanguard Roll Call

12. The Vanguard’s Prayer Life

13. The Vanguard Scribe

14. Forerunner Blues

15. The Rested Vanguard

16. The Vanguard’s Bamboo Tree

17. Vanguard Honor and Dishonor

18. Vanguard Watch Over the Third World

19. Vanguard Watch Over Israel

20. Vanguard Women

21. Vanguards Living in Two Places at the Same Time

22. The Vanguard Church

23. God’s Vanguards Deployed In Babylon

Acknowledgements

Suggested Reading List for Vanguards, Visionaries and Dreamers

Endnotes

The Author’s Prayer for the Visionary

As you open this book

I have already prayed for you,

that the Spirit of God would draw you specifically,

and bring the gift of salvation to you, bestow restoration upon you

and bring forth His vision and dreams destined through you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

thank you for drawing this person who holds this book in their hand to You.

Empower them and encourage them to live out Your vision and dreams for their life.

Bless everyone who purchases, promotes, translates, distributes, teaches and reads

Vanguard of Visions and Dreams.

Let there be a profound impartation of wisdom and discernment,

as they discern the times and seasons of the visions.

May the spirit of frustration, impatience and discouragement be broken off their lives.

Let Your Kingdom come and Your perfect will be done in each reader.

May the angels of the Lord usher the message of this book

to those who need it most,

In The Name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ , Amen.

Write the vision on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it with a glance (or while running) and rush to tell others. But these things won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not delay. Behold, he whose soul is not upright in Him shall fail, but the righteous will live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2-4

(Paraphrased by Jack Dennison with DAWN, l995)

Dedication

To my spiritual sons and daughters in America and in Africa who have held on

to their visions and dreams from the Lord.

***************

To my Spiritual Son

Apostle Joseph Kammata, Blantyre, Malawi, Africa

Who discerned that I was his spiritual mother and

he held on seventeen years and did not let go of the heavenly vision.

Because of his vision, intercession and tenacity,

we were reunited to fulfill the destiny of a nation.

To God be the glory!

Foreword

God has a great plan (vision) for His Church but much more interesting is the fact that He has a plan for each member of His Body. You are not created to roam about in life purposelessly but you are designed for a specific placement. Your placement in the grand master plan of God is located by vision.

In this book, Apostle Jackie Green presents scriptural truth on the vision that is simple, timely and applicable to your life. The message in this book is important for the Church today. This book was not written lightly but was written with much prayer by a woman who has walked closely with the Lord for many years, and who has been a servant of God whether preaching to a large crowd or to a small group of believers in the remotest villages of Malawi, Africa. She has been a vanguard of the vision she saw in 1995 when I met her and she fulfilled it in 2012. I feel privileged to witness the fulfillment of the vision. She has been carrying the vision to return to Malawi for seventeen years. She is a mother to many sons and daughters in the Lord who have vision. She is a mentor.

It is true that without the vision, people perish. But without proper knowledge of how to run with the vision, the vision will perish as well. Many people has been frustrated and many visions destroyed because of lack of working knowledge of the vision, for nothing is more valuable than the insight and experiences that she shares on the journey of life.

In this book, Apostle Jackie Green shares pertinent information on the vision which is a key factor to your success in the race of life, a gate way to your advancement and cure for all your frustration. You cannot fail with the facts and revelation shared in this book.

The main problem the Body of Christ suffers from is the lack of appropriate information. The light is about to break forth in your life. I see the light coming from the information in this book. It is not just a ray of hope to visionaries but it is an answer to the horrific darkness of ignorance which has resulted in the destruction of many visions and leaving the visionary in the state of frustration. The darkness overshadowing your vision and ministry is not strong enough to stop the light of the truth which is been presented by Apostle Jackie Bishop Mother in this book.

Many people want to fly but few want to soar. Flying is good but soaring is great. This book is full of instruction to those that want to soar with the vision. Apostle Jackie has revealed in this book what will help the visionaries to continue soaring in life when the winds of life blows against your vision. Flying birds take refuge but the soaring eagle ride with the winds. The information in this book will give the Body of Christ stamina to ride with the crisis of life that opposes your vision.

Apostle Jackie is a Bishop who has gone through the winds of life and has stood with the vision. Her passion in life is to inspire, motivate and enlighten people towards their path of God’s destiny for their lives. Through this book the Vanguard of Visions and Dreams, she encourages us that meeting difficult times when fulfilling vision does not mean it is over, rather it is an avenue to chart a different path. So when you encounter roadblocks in life don’t give up, find another way to get the vision done.

This is a must read book for every visionary and I encourage you to read the scriptures in this book over and over again until they become firmly planted in your mind. This will help you to begin applying the principles presented here in your life.

I am encouraging you to pass this book on to others in order to help spread the Word of God.

Apostle Joseph Chimwemwe Kammata

Word of Truth Pentecostal Ministries

Blantyre, Malawi, Africa

Prophetic Preface

Vanguard, vanguard, a book of must be

Vanguard, vanguard, O what do you mean?

Vanguard, vanguard is the book you must read

For it has the revelation of what a vanguard must be.

Vanguard, vanguard

So different than in the days of old,

This vanguard, this vanguard is for the now

And this vanguard will show you how to overcome your now.

It is an end time, for time, and a must time that must be part of the chronicles for history.

I have called this servant of mine to walk the walk,

To talk the talk-

To instruct even in a time she was struck to provide a source for your resource.

For you who read will step into places that you have been called work the works you have been called to do.

This is a monumental breakthrough for the cries of you who have called to Me.

O Lord, what shall we do? How will we do and can we do?

It is a light, it is a walk, it is revelation.

Read this book and join the celebration.

For there is an impartation and an anointing to succeed

Come from your weariness and read all to be set free from you curiosity!

A new century commentary that will help the very ordinary.

This book will open the eyes of the blind for the end time!

Vanguard, vanguard

That’s how God sees you

Receive the anointing, vanguard

God has called you.

By Prophet Cathy Fontenot

The Gathering Place, Lancaster, California

Introduction

There are many visionaries but not all visionaries are vanguards.

I am a vanguard sent to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever the Lord has commanded.

I am a vanguard sent by the Lord to raise up armies of intercessors to stand the gap between heaven and hell, calling forth the divine will and purposes of God in the earth.

I am a vanguard sent to set the captives free and to equip the Body of Christ in the restoring of the full ministry of Jesus Christ through deliverance and healing.

I am a vanguard sent by the Lord to take territories, communities, cities and nations for the Kingdom of God and occupy those territories until He comes.

I am a vanguard and spiritual mother especially for women and girls. I am called to pave the way for their future, making sure they are ready and able to step into their purpose and destiny and are healed of their hurts. I want them to succeed mentally, emotionally, educationally, economically, physically, socially and spiritually on life’s journey.

I am a vanguard and ready scribe sent by the Lord to write chronicles, curriculum and commentaries to equip the end time church for effective ministry. This includes establishing schools of ministry, New Testament Churches and strong apostolic and prophetic ministers and ministries.

I am a vanguard sent to usher in the destiny of the United States of America, the destiny of Malawi, Africa and the destiny of the Church.

Thank God you were drawn to this book and something was quickened on the inside of you. Some of you reading this book are asking what is a vanguard? Never heard of it. So glad you want to know.

A righteous vanguard=One chosen by God to lead and guard the future plans and purposes of God; leading position or people; the leading position of a movement of God; a spiritual military officer that leads at the front of the battle.

An evil vanguard= One chosen by Satan to lead people away from God’s purpose and a future of hope; one leading an evil movement of the Devil; one that is sent to deceive multitudes and lead them straight to hell.

Vanguards point the way for others. They run forward to scout the future. They advance ahead of others to see what awaits the main body. As forerunners, they have the ability to live in the present and look into the future. They stand in the gap between two generations. 1

As a vanguard I feel a constant sense of urgency. This urgency is the hand of the Lord upon my life to keep me moving forward on the assignments I have been given by the Lord. Vanguards are very time conscious and hate to waste their days, weeks, months and years on frivolous things. Vanguards are very fruit production conscious, knowing that their days are numbered and that they have a set time in the earth to finish the visions and assignments of the Lord.

As a vanguard I live by the unction of the Holy Spirit. I am always seeking God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. As a vanguard we will make mistakes in life, but our mistakes are very costly because so many lives are depending on our leadership. Therefore we learn as vanguards to live and move by the unction of the Holy Spirit. An unction is the influence, assurance, direction and power of God, knowing that the Holy Spirit is leading you. It is the anointing. This is so powerful when you consider that if we just trust the Lord and consult Him first, we would make very few mistakes in life.

I John 2:20

King James Version (KJV)

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

Vanguards usually love history and books. They are intentional on understanding and discerning the times we live in. They love to study. They are like unto the Tribe of Issachar.

1 Chronicles 12:32

32 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

As a vanguard I strive to be bold as lion. We have been given the gift of faith by the Lord. We are not afraid to tread into places where others fear to go. Vanguards are adventurous and they are bold as lions. They are radical and risky. They don’t have a religious bone in them and that is why they can confront religious systems that make the Word of God ineffective. God’s vanguards don’t accept no for an answer when people, principalities and powers try to stand in their way, but they stand firm on God’s plan and command.

It’s the lifestyle of the vanguard to be out front leading the way! It’s the way of the visionary who is pregnant with the promises of God to be bold enough to go forward. Vanguards are visionaries that go forward when other retreat and go backwards or just stand still. Vanguards are visionaries on the frontline while others are comfortable on the sidelines. Vanguards are visionaries that are bold and confrontational while others talk about them behind their back like a coward. Vanguards are out in the deep and thick of things while others remain at the shoreline. Vanguards are ones that lay their lives down for the vision while others preserve their lives for the temporal things in life.

As a vanguard I must be known foremost for being humble. Though vanguards can be aggressive, they are never arrogant or argumentative. Humility is what exalts them. They are aware of their sins and shortcomings like no other. They fear the Lord most of all and have no fear of man. They know that God’s people don’t belong to them. They are just stewards of all that God has entrusted to them. They know they will be judged by a stricter judgment and they are held to a higher standard than others. Their influence is a gift from God and they are careful how they use their influence for the Kingdom.

As a vanguard I am a spiritual military strategist. They usually have been given many stealth assignments by the Lord for they can be trusted and will follow through. They understand spiritual warfare and have a career of spiritual warfare. They live to train others and train others so that many might live. They love discipline and do not compromise the Word of God. Yet, they have compassion and passion in all that they do.

As a vanguard there is a parenting or mothering anointing to bring generations up with sound doctrine and spiritual integrity. Vanguards are concerned that they are raising up successors to carry the work on in the same spirit of the vanguard.

As a vanguard I am constantly striving for balance in my life because of multiple mantles and multiple giftings. These mantles are not for me but for the sake of others. These mantles are so that I can be effective in the various arenas that God has called me to impact.

Vanguards are true servants. They have learned how to follow well so that they can lead well. They know how to serve in the latrine as well as sit among presidents, kings and queens.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Vanguards are not afraid of persecution, death, suffering and sacrifice. These traits separate them out from the ordinary. They lay their lives down for Christ and for the sake of future generations. They know their visions will outlive them.

Vanguards are elite watchmen on the wall. They spend most of their time in intercession and seeking the Lord, seated in heavenly places but know they must come down to earth to get the job done. From a heavenly perspective, I believe this book is very timely and had to be published in 2012. I felt such a sense of urgency to get this book done now. That’s the life of the vanguard. They never want to miss the timing and plan of God because so many lives are dependent on their obedience. This year 2012, marks the governmental anointing upon the vanguards in the earth. It is time to raise the bar of righteousness and call together the righteous visionaries and righteous vanguards in the land.

I don’t know why the Lord chose me or gifted me in the way that He has. But I am humbled and I want to finish all my assignments well. May this book launch forward the righteous vanguards and righteous visionaries everywhere and help them identify and carry out their mandate in the last days.

Exodus 14:15 (KJV)

15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Forward!

That is the word this hour for the righteous vanguards, and God’s visionaries and the whole army of the Lord. This is the hour, season and the century to go forward for the Kingdom!

On My Vanguard Watch,

Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green

1

The Visionary’s Cup

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Matthew 20:22

There is a cup for every visionary and dreamer. The cup represents the plan of God for your life and the blueprints for that vision. It is a cup full of adventure and adversity mixed with the anointing of God. Anyone that claims to be God’s visionary but refuses to walk by faith will not be able to drink of this cup. Anyone that claims to be a visionary and is impatient and lacks stamina to wait upon the Lord, will not be able drink of this cup.

There are many believers and leaders in the Body of Christ who love to boast of being a founder, the CEO, the visionary, or the set man or set woman, but they can only boast of being the visionary outwardly because their inner lives are a full of trauma drama, tantrums, whining and unbelief as they complain to God about His timing and the inconvenience the vision has caused them. They are what I call visionaries on the sippy cup. They are like toddlers in the Spirit and they have to drink from a sippy cup like a child who might spill what’s in the cup. They are sippy cup saints. They whine, they have tantrums, they complain, they have to have a time out from the process that God is taking them through. Most of all they want credit for being the visionary but they are not able to drink ye all of it, that comes with being a visionary. They actually will get in the way of the vision as time goes on unless they are able to drink of the cup.

The lifestyle of God’s visionary is bitter and sweet. It is rewarding yet full of rejection. It has a victorious ending but with vexations along the way. It singles you out from among the rest, and you can’t do or live like other people for it may require your time, resources and secluded time with God. It is a bittersweet lifestyle.

At the writing of the book I am almost 60 years old and facing another crossroad as a visionary. To a visionary the crossroads is a way of life. We find ourselves at intersections, bridges, on the edge of cliffs of life, strapped for money and resources that seem to come easy for the wicked, lacking honor and appreciation by those you have labored and sacrificed with for years. People defect and flake out without notice and leave you hanging with the vision. The buck stops here is a familiar place the visionary knows right well. I began drinking from the visionary’s cup at nine years old. That’s when I got my first glimpse of what God wanted to show me. I didn’t tell anybody that I had begun to drink from the visionary’s and dreamers cup.

The problem with most upcoming visionaries is that there was no one around to mentor and teach you about the cup that you must drink of as a visionary or dreamer. No one tells you when you have a vision that the cup you must drink from will be filled with suffering and sacrifice; rejection and resentment; problems and provision; faith and fruitfulness; prayer and pressure; accusation and discrimination; uncertain timing; uncertain income, trials and tribulation; waiting and watching; betrayal by those you trusted and buffeting by demonic spirits; miracles, signs and wonders, great favor, prophecy and the promises of God to name a few.

The visionary’s cup could also include years or decades of watching, waiting, working and worshipping until the vision comes to pass.

As visionaries we follow the Voice of God and sometimes end up wondering how we got from point A to point B. Visionaries live at a place called the point of no return. We will not return back to the mundane and the normal. As I look back over my life, I know now how I arrived at this point in my life of no return. I vowed never to return to a life of unbelief and panic. I vowed never return to a life of religion and traditions of men.

I am out of the box and that is truly a definition of the visionary and the dreamer. I said to the Lord Lord show me and Lord use me, lest I die. This is the prayer of the true dreamer and visionary.

We are hard on ourselves and most of the time give ourselves a failing grade because we know our own weaknesses and frailties. We blame ourselves when things go wrong even if it’s not in our control to fix it. We carry the burden of the vision and when others have gone their way, we are still in deep conversation with the Lord. When it looks like the vision is dried up and dead to others, we are still holding on to God’s unchanging hand. The cup of the visionary is a cup of burden bearing. The visionary therefore is set on finishing well and rejoicing that the burden has lifted because God is pleased and the fulfillment has come.

I remember the birth of each one of my children. Every time I found myself back on the table in a birthing position in the delivery room, I could slap myself and I would say I can’t believe I am back here again giving birth. I promised myself that the last baby would be the last one. But when I think about it now, it was somewhat of a silly vow to make, especially because pregnancy comes with intimacy. I was not going to give up intimacy with my husband therefore the possibility of becoming pregnant again remained a possibility.

And if you intend to remain intimate with God, you will continue to become pregnant with visions and dreams. Therefore, as visionaries we find ourselves in uncomfortable positions, pushing through the contractions of the vision until we have reached God’s intended purpose.

As visionaries we hope to live out our days and fulfill all that we have seen, but we know we must pass the baton and need a successor to carry on lest our labor be in vain. We are tormented by the enemy and accused of not doing enough or doing too much with our lives. We are looking at the time in a day wondering how we can be less wasteful each day and accomplish more with a little of nothing. We are counting the cost of where we have come and where we are headed. Our math and our intellectual calculations don’t always add up, but God comes through and makes the impossible bow every time. The visionary learns to trust God’s math more and more. They learn firsthand that the just shall live by faith. They learn that "going without always knowing every detail" is a life of faith for the visionary.

My life has been such a joy following on the heels of Jesus and not wanting to get too far away from Him or the sound of His voice. The life and warfare of the visionary is a strange thing. You can only measure your distance by the fruit that remains. It’s all about fruit. And though I feel I am a fruitful branch for the Lord, I feel that I have not done enough to advance the Kingdom of God. There is yet a hunger and thirsting to do more.

The visionary is never satisfied as long as there is Kingdom work to be done. They are only fulfilled as long as they are working on a vision and passing that vision on to others to be fulfilled. When Jesus calls my name, I am sure, I will be in the midst of drinking from the cup that visionaries drink from, or at another crossroad trying to get across to a place called fulfillment avenue."

As I have studied the lives of visionaries in scriptures, as well as modern day visionaries, some of them spent their whole lives on the fulfillment of one long term vision, while others may have had several short term visions to accomplish. It doesn’t matter whether God gives you one vision or multiple visions, you must be able to drink of the cup.

Drinking from the cup of the visionary I have learned some priceless lessons:

1. When it’s God’s vision, you’ll know it. He never takes the easy road; only the roads and freeway exits that say supernatural or by faith only.

2. Two words that describe the visionaries life are prayer and pressure.

3. God does His best handiwork and you will see His signature on empty bank accounts revived, small numbers of people doing great exploits, and in the midst of facing giants and against all odds you still come out on top!

4. Four familiar words of the visionary: Yes Lord, but how?

5. The visionary learns to live by the unction of the Holy Spirit, not by sight or feelings or pressure points.

6. Visionaries learn to live in two realms at the same time; the possible and the impossible; the natural and the supernatural; Babylon(unholy) and the holy.

7. Visionaries must learn the ways of God and the timing of God. This may take a lifetime, but it’s worth learning if you want to live a balanced life.

8. The sooner we learn as visionaries that we are different and we have to drink of the cup that is designated for us, the sooner the peace of God will be upon our lives, and the less control people have over our lives and visions.

9. Those that have been called to drink of the cup of multi-visions will have to trust God to bring in multi-millions of dollars as well. This calls for one to pace themselves lest they become disqualified by