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A few nights ago, I saw (for my first time) a re-run of one of the more creative episodes of Star Trek, (the Science Fiction American TV show), where the Star-Ship Enterprise explores a new planet and discovers a non-descript animated arch with irresistible allure, especially to “Bones” (Dr. Leonard McCoy) the ship’s physician.

An alien personality known only as “Guardian,” says that he is a combination of man and machine but warns the Star-Ship landing party that he is also neither man nor machine.

Through this mysterious arch, scenes of the history of the world are shown with rapid-fire-fast-forward-speed. Hardly without thought, Dr. McCoy plunges headlong through the arch, which it was later learned was also a portal - to enter a kind of “time machine.”

When Captain James Kirk asks the part-machine-part-man, “Guardian,” what happened to Dr. McCoy, Guardian replied that Dr. McCoy chose to become “a permanent part of the past.”

Random brief visits into various points of the world’s historic past are visited by “Bones” with some narrow escapes. Finally, Dr. McCoy wants to escape his entry into the past and wanted desperately to break loose for the freedom of his re-entry into the present.

Somehow, Kirk and Spock managed to rescue McCoy during the final two minutes of the episode, and “Bones” returned to the present - just in time. Whew!

Speaking personally, I have no desire to become a permanent part of the past, or the present, but my heart’s desire is to help touch tomorrow today, while still armed with a sense of my personal history with God and with the global harvest.

I especially enjoy being with creative people - - whether young or old. While preaching a special Sunday with my friend, Dr. Darrell Waller Pastor in Winchester, Virginia, I disclosed to him a recent night vision that God had given me about a new direction in my ministry and I discussed with him about the realities of launching the biggest initiative of my entire life and ministry at my age and stage in life.

He responded later through an e-mail which I received as a “Rhema Word” from the Lord. We had talked some about Caleb and he wrote an e-mail which I kept in my permanent files, and a portion of which I share with you now.

“Caleb is a man that never lost his spiritual edge. I believe it is because of what the Scripture says about him in Joshua 14:14: He followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. For me, the key word there is “wholeheartedly.” He never lost sight of the promises of God. It was almost as if his age was never even considered to be a factor; the will of God was what mattered to him. As you are aware, he faced some of the most formidable foes in the entire land. Hebron was a tough and rugged place, but the vastness of the challenge inspired him. . . In my humble opinion, Carl, that if the dream or vision is demanding enough and daring enough, finding passionate people should not be a problem They are out there with “fire in their bellies” just waiting for some leader with a big enough challenge to merit their involvement Many of them have already experienced in their own lives greater and more exciting challenges than today’s church is offering them. They need a mountain. Rolling hills and flatlands are just too comfortable. Go for it, Brother Richardson. Go for it!” - Darrell Waller. Pastor Winchester, Virginia

Since then, through studying Caleb’s life, I have learned some other important principles:

At age 85, Caleb passionately requested “Give me this mountain.” He could have opted for an easier life by choosing a big and fertile portion in the lush, green valleys of the “Promised Land” which stretched before him. Instead, he asked for Mount Hebron where the giant warriors, the sons of Anak, were entrenched and were armed to the teeth in the uncounted dark caves there. Waging his campaign at age 85 to liberate Mount Hebron took him and his tribe 7 full years to achieve victory to make it safe for the other tribes to dwell safely in the valleys of “milk and honey.”

Caleb wasn’t looking for a pleasant retirement community to settle down in and “rock” his way toward heaven. If he were alive today, somehow I don’t feel that he would be looking for the comfort of a good easy-chair and a good book. He was looking for something more significant than he had ever accomplished before. He was looking for a new challenge because there was a passion for a battle in him. While others longed for Egypt and the “promised land,” he longed for Hebron and the challenge of the battle.

In the past few years, I have felt some temptation, at times, to build a bridge to the past. After all, the past is comfortable because at least we know what happened back then and in retrospect we will know better how to cope with what has already happened rather than what might or might not happen in our lives in the present and in the future.

After all, I reasoned with myself, I’m now entering the “Caleb season” of my life and ministry (though I still have nearly two decades to reach age 85).

After the night vision God gave me months ago and I awakened at 3:47 a.m. and went immediately into the same Study where I am now writing this and waited before the Lord in prayer at this same desk where I waited those months ago for Him to make even more clear the vision He has just presented to me, I asked the Lord for further instructions. As God began to unfold the details of the vision, I first started to write by hand, but the application of the vision was presented to me with such clarity and speed that I immediately began to type on my desktop computer the Global Vision that is found in such detail on this website by clicking on a different icon on the homepage.

The months have passed, some struggles have ensued and I am aware, like Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy who chose to become a permanent part of the past, that although the past was very exciting for me, yet I am more determined than ever before that I have no intention or desire to become a permanent part of the past. I am determined to make a grand effort to touch tomorrow today through informal mentoring of others, through Schools of Ministry and Conferences on Care in important places globally.

Through these intervening months of preparation, I have learned many other important things from people who are important to me:

“When things are at their worst, God is at His best.” - Bishop Tim Hill

“Discouragement is a weight that weakens even the strongest man.” - Paul Richardson (our son and full partner with Beverly and me in our global ministry)

“When you are down to nothing, God is up to something.” Bishop Tim Hill

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” - Anonymous

“One dream is more exciting than a thousand dull realities.” - Anonymous

Not unlike Caleb, Beverly and I along with our ministry team can honestly say that our vision for the future exceeds our dreams of the past.

God has presented us with a Global Vision that goes beyond all borders and will impact the souls of more than 40 nations on 6 continents.

After the decision is made, then destiny begins.

Special blessings upon you!

- Carl Richardson International Evangelist