Modern day Americans have forgotten how to dream. The average man or woman is so consumed with daily affairs—paying the mortgage, paying the car bill, advancing a career—that they have neglected to imagine what God Almighty could with our lives if His hand were revealed.
Early explorers who left the comforts of Europe in search of a New World dreamed of a land of riches and religious freedom. We are heirs of that dream. The great movement of America westward was spurred forward by the idealistic, dreamlike consciousness that our Manifest Destiny was to spread across the continent. We poured over mountain ranges searching for fruitful land and golden treasure with dreams of conquering the earth and bringing a vast wilderness into subjection.
Early inventors planned elaborate, time-saving devices which would bring electricity, railroad, telegraph, and telephone to shorten the spaces across the nation. John F. Kennedy gave the nation a dream of putting a man on the moon in his generation. Martin Luther King simultaneously dreamed of a nation of racial equality, where little black children would hold hands with little white children and sing the song Free at Last.
Dreams are the substance of nations. Dreams are the infancy of ministries, movements, revolutions, and reformations. Yet many of us have turned off our dream machines. We must allow ourselves to imagine the impossible.
In 2 Kings 7, the nation of Israel was experiencing a time of dire famine. The city was under siege, no food was to be found, and prices were unbearable. All hope was lost when suddenly the word of the Lord came through the prophet Elisha that tomorrow they would be able to buy anything for almost nothing because of such an outpouring of God's abundance. The message was unbelievable, and one of the king's lords remarked, "Even if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" (2 Kings 7:2)
Such doubt hinders God and mocks His position of Almighty. Such an attitude is found in those too afraid to dream. The prophet replies, "You will see it, but you will not partake of it." (v.2) Likewise in our days a miracle is coming. God says, “If I were to tell you about it, you would not believe it.” The time of outpouring and open windows of heaven is on the way, but the question for young dreamers is whether they will simply be spectators in this move of God, or will they partake of the fruit and be used of Him in the field. In order to be there, you must allow yourself to dream.
Join us on this journey of a dreamer that begins in the Book of Genesis, chapter 37. We will follow the dreamer line by line.
God, ignite my dream machine to envision things I’ve never seen.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Dreams of the King
One night I was awakened by a severe thunderstorm. As I rose upon my bed, a haunting phrase rang in my mind. The words sounded clearly in my mind like the thunder that was surrounding me. I propped up, looked into the darkness, and repeated the phrase as loud as the thunder, "Are your dreams such that I can make them reality?"
Are your dreams such that God can make them reality? Could He breathe upon the desires of your heart and create them into tangible realities that glorify Him? This is the beginning question for dreamers.
Are your dreams the dreams of the King?
"This is the generation of them that seek Him, the generation (or children) of Jacob, who seek His face." (Ps. 24:6) The generation of Jacob is typified in the beloved son Joseph. If you are to partake of the historic outpouring and revival of these last days, if God is going to use your life to preserve many as he did Joseph's, the most fundamental question for you to consider is “How do your dreams align with the dreams of the King?”
Are your dreams such that God can make them reality?
For if they are, you are well on your way to making history. Once you have understood the plans of the King, submitted to his purposes and timing in your life, and overcome the tests that accompany a vision from God, you will be ready and prepared for the positions of prominence God has intended for His people in these final times.
These pages will shed light on that process of preparation and reveal the King's dreams exposed and interpreted by the Biblical story of Joseph. The voice of thunder that awoke me that night is again awakening the spirits of His people in these days. God's promise is to pour out His Spirit on the young men and women of our age, and his desire is to grant them dreams that become visions and then reality. Allow Him to breathe your deepest desires, and you will find yourself caught up into the most amazing adventure of your life.
Dream the dreams of the King.
God, may Your voice like thunder within me ring,
Awaken my heart to dream the dreams of the King.
Are your dreams such that God can make them reality? Could He breathe upon the desires of your heart and create them into tangible realities that glorify Him? This is the beginning question for dreamers.
Are your dreams the dreams of the King?
"This is the generation of them that seek Him, the generation (or children) of Jacob, who seek His face." (Ps. 24:6) The generation of Jacob is typified in the beloved son Joseph. If you are to partake of the historic outpouring and revival of these last days, if God is going to use your life to preserve many as he did Joseph's, the most fundamental question for you to consider is “How do your dreams align with the dreams of the King?”
Are your dreams such that God can make them reality?
For if they are, you are well on your way to making history. Once you have understood the plans of the King, submitted to his purposes and timing in your life, and overcome the tests that accompany a vision from God, you will be ready and prepared for the positions of prominence God has intended for His people in these final times.
These pages will shed light on that process of preparation and reveal the King's dreams exposed and interpreted by the Biblical story of Joseph. The voice of thunder that awoke me that night is again awakening the spirits of His people in these days. God's promise is to pour out His Spirit on the young men and women of our age, and his desire is to grant them dreams that become visions and then reality. Allow Him to breathe your deepest desires, and you will find yourself caught up into the most amazing adventure of your life.
Dream the dreams of the King.
God, may Your voice like thunder within me ring,
Awaken my heart to dream the dreams of the King.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Introduction
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions. - Joel 2:28b
Has God given you a dream? Has He put a vision in your heart that you are willing to give your life to see accomplished? The story of Joseph, God's original dreamer, is an encouragement to men young and old who are pursuing what the Spirit of God is envisioning in these last days.
Habakkuk 2:4 offers this admonition to those with vision. "It is for an appointed time, therefore wait for it. Though it tarries, surely it will come." Few words are as tasteless to a young man with his heels in the starting blocks. "Wait for it." Wait—a lost art in a society driven by immediate gratification. But waiting is the appointed lot for the young man of God.
WAIT FOR IT! It will surely come.
Never before has there been such a need for dreamers, for men with vision. God has promised to pour out His Spirit upon the generation who will pray for His kingdom to come upon the earth. These are the days foretold by the prophet Joel, and those who have positioned themselves will lead society and the church into the most glorious hours. As you read this book, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will make you one of these young men consumed by his vision and committed to pursuing the dreams of the King.
This story is also a love story. It is the kind of dream that delights both men and boys who picture one day finding true love. For of all the dreams that the Lord God set into the heart of man, the dream of true love is most powerful. “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it,” says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 8:7), and the dream of love is as much a part of our destiny as any calling to a ministry or profession. From the tale of young love, I offer to you the lessons of pain, waiting, and miraculous timing that only God could produce to make everything beautiful in His time.
Many books are written about making your life count for history, but for our purposes one book serves as the authoritative guide to young dreamers. The Bible, specifically the story of Joseph, describes the greatest dreamer of all. The story of Joseph presents a heroic plot which mirrors the “creation which groans and earnestly waits for the revelation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19)
Many have felt led to predict some end time hour and, in the process, have missed God’s timetable. Joseph was not a man to rush prophetic events. His story teaches that for God’s kingdom to come, we must go through a time of patience and waiting guaranteed to mold us more into the image of His Son.
Your young men shall see visions. - Joel 2:28b
Has God given you a dream? Has He put a vision in your heart that you are willing to give your life to see accomplished? The story of Joseph, God's original dreamer, is an encouragement to men young and old who are pursuing what the Spirit of God is envisioning in these last days.
Habakkuk 2:4 offers this admonition to those with vision. "It is for an appointed time, therefore wait for it. Though it tarries, surely it will come." Few words are as tasteless to a young man with his heels in the starting blocks. "Wait for it." Wait—a lost art in a society driven by immediate gratification. But waiting is the appointed lot for the young man of God.
WAIT FOR IT! It will surely come.
Never before has there been such a need for dreamers, for men with vision. God has promised to pour out His Spirit upon the generation who will pray for His kingdom to come upon the earth. These are the days foretold by the prophet Joel, and those who have positioned themselves will lead society and the church into the most glorious hours. As you read this book, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will make you one of these young men consumed by his vision and committed to pursuing the dreams of the King.
This story is also a love story. It is the kind of dream that delights both men and boys who picture one day finding true love. For of all the dreams that the Lord God set into the heart of man, the dream of true love is most powerful. “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it,” says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 8:7), and the dream of love is as much a part of our destiny as any calling to a ministry or profession. From the tale of young love, I offer to you the lessons of pain, waiting, and miraculous timing that only God could produce to make everything beautiful in His time.
Many books are written about making your life count for history, but for our purposes one book serves as the authoritative guide to young dreamers. The Bible, specifically the story of Joseph, describes the greatest dreamer of all. The story of Joseph presents a heroic plot which mirrors the “creation which groans and earnestly waits for the revelation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19)
Many have felt led to predict some end time hour and, in the process, have missed God’s timetable. Joseph was not a man to rush prophetic events. His story teaches that for God’s kingdom to come, we must go through a time of patience and waiting guaranteed to mold us more into the image of His Son.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A Year of Perfect Completion
I don't know about you, but I'm excited about 2010. God does great things with 10's as it is a number of completion for many events.
What I would like to do, unless ill advised by an editor, is take this year and post 100 pieces of prose from a book I've put together called the Joseph Factor. It will be available on Amazon.com, but my goal is to get the word out ahead of time and just get some feedback and hopefully bless some people on the way. My second goal is the selfish one of contributing to 500 sales so that I don't have to pay the publisher anything to pick it up.
So, for the next 100 posts, we will be entering the story of Joseph, God's original dreamer, complete with typos and all for your viewing pleasure. This is a piece that chronicals Joseph's rise to prominence and parallels his life with my own search for the dream of getting married to my wife Amy. A process of preparation emerges that applies to everyone with a dream.
Starting next week I'll put the posts up one by one, but if no one is watching or reading them, I'll probably stop. So help me here, join in the read, and I hope you'll be blessed.
What I would like to do, unless ill advised by an editor, is take this year and post 100 pieces of prose from a book I've put together called the Joseph Factor. It will be available on Amazon.com, but my goal is to get the word out ahead of time and just get some feedback and hopefully bless some people on the way. My second goal is the selfish one of contributing to 500 sales so that I don't have to pay the publisher anything to pick it up.
So, for the next 100 posts, we will be entering the story of Joseph, God's original dreamer, complete with typos and all for your viewing pleasure. This is a piece that chronicals Joseph's rise to prominence and parallels his life with my own search for the dream of getting married to my wife Amy. A process of preparation emerges that applies to everyone with a dream.
Starting next week I'll put the posts up one by one, but if no one is watching or reading them, I'll probably stop. So help me here, join in the read, and I hope you'll be blessed.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
This Week is Thanksgiving
All know the fruit, few know the root. The Pilgrims, a rag-tag bunch of seperatist "harried" out of the land of England decide to make a new nation. The "were enlightened by the word of God" and decided to reform their ways, "no matter what it costs them. And cost them something it would," writes William Bradford in his History of Plymouth Plantation.
For ten years now I've studied the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving. They are the faithful minority that changed history. Here's how:
Radical Obedience to the word of God--Their promise was that they would walk in all the ways of God known to them, and that He would make known to them.
Covenanted Relationship--They binded themselves together first into a church and later into a "civil body polick" in the Mayflower Compact which became the foundation for the American system of government by consent.
Perseverence--Man, they went through some trials. Separated from loved ones, persecuted, starving, dying, freezing, landing in a "barren and desolate wilderness" with no houses or friend to welcome their weatherbeaten bodies. (66 days on a ship.)
And Gratefulness--No matter what the Pilgrims faced, it seemed like they always saw His face. His hand was guiding them, and they were accutely aware that their sufferings were a part of a bigger picture. Oh, to have this perspective.
So now I sit in my paneled home, my lighted and warm computer, civil government providing my every need, worshipping freely and I have the gall to be unthankful. Oh for mercy.
The season calls me to remember sacrifice, and to be grateful for oh so many blessings. Few such examples are left from which nations can spring.
All know the fruit, few know the root. The Pilgrims, a rag-tag bunch of seperatist "harried" out of the land of England decide to make a new nation. The "were enlightened by the word of God" and decided to reform their ways, "no matter what it costs them. And cost them something it would," writes William Bradford in his History of Plymouth Plantation.
For ten years now I've studied the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving. They are the faithful minority that changed history. Here's how:
Radical Obedience to the word of God--Their promise was that they would walk in all the ways of God known to them, and that He would make known to them.
Covenanted Relationship--They binded themselves together first into a church and later into a "civil body polick" in the Mayflower Compact which became the foundation for the American system of government by consent.
Perseverence--Man, they went through some trials. Separated from loved ones, persecuted, starving, dying, freezing, landing in a "barren and desolate wilderness" with no houses or friend to welcome their weatherbeaten bodies. (66 days on a ship.)
And Gratefulness--No matter what the Pilgrims faced, it seemed like they always saw His face. His hand was guiding them, and they were accutely aware that their sufferings were a part of a bigger picture. Oh, to have this perspective.
So now I sit in my paneled home, my lighted and warm computer, civil government providing my every need, worshipping freely and I have the gall to be unthankful. Oh for mercy.
The season calls me to remember sacrifice, and to be grateful for oh so many blessings. Few such examples are left from which nations can spring.
Friday, September 18, 2009
HOPE
For the past couple of days, I've had a good time feeding on hope. Hope does not disappoint because the Love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Here's another fun one, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."-Somewhere in Romans 10 or 11. This was such a fun passage for me because it showed me the desperate desire I have to have even hope as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes you can't just drum up hope if you know what I mean. The past week or two, I've just been angry. Angry at kids, angry at wives, angry at employees, at the world, at God I'm sure and no matter what I tried I just couldn't get over my pessimism. I had no reason to complain, but for lack of a better explanation, I was just p.m.s.
So finally, I had it out with God and asked for help. Help to Hope. Help to know why I was feeling so mad. He took me to Psalms 42 on the drive to Raleigh today, and I meditated in it all the way down 264. "Why are you downcast Oh my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?" It's not like we ever get a clear answer.
No major problems. Have great job, family, health, money, etc. No reason to be down, but why is my soul disquieted. The Psalmest says, "I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy." No doubt we have an enemy. No doubt he oppresses. But the questions is how to get out of this.
David gives a couple of ways out. 1) I remember Your lovingkindness in the land of the Jordan.--all those times it seemed impossible that God bailed me out. This gives me hope for now and hope for today that it will be OK. 2) "He will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me." You've got to find your Song in the night. In the times of darkness, when your soul is down, you must find a song of praise to lift you out of our misery.
The song of the Lord, the rememberance of His deliverance. Put those two together and they can give me hope when nothing in my PMA overcomes my Pms. God is the God of all hope, and my prayer is He will fill you with joy and peace in believing, and with a song of faith, your soul will continue to hope in God. We need HIM.
Sometimes you can't just drum up hope if you know what I mean. The past week or two, I've just been angry. Angry at kids, angry at wives, angry at employees, at the world, at God I'm sure and no matter what I tried I just couldn't get over my pessimism. I had no reason to complain, but for lack of a better explanation, I was just p.m.s.
So finally, I had it out with God and asked for help. Help to Hope. Help to know why I was feeling so mad. He took me to Psalms 42 on the drive to Raleigh today, and I meditated in it all the way down 264. "Why are you downcast Oh my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?" It's not like we ever get a clear answer.
No major problems. Have great job, family, health, money, etc. No reason to be down, but why is my soul disquieted. The Psalmest says, "I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy." No doubt we have an enemy. No doubt he oppresses. But the questions is how to get out of this.
David gives a couple of ways out. 1) I remember Your lovingkindness in the land of the Jordan.--all those times it seemed impossible that God bailed me out. This gives me hope for now and hope for today that it will be OK. 2) "He will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me." You've got to find your Song in the night. In the times of darkness, when your soul is down, you must find a song of praise to lift you out of our misery.
The song of the Lord, the rememberance of His deliverance. Put those two together and they can give me hope when nothing in my PMA overcomes my Pms. God is the God of all hope, and my prayer is He will fill you with joy and peace in believing, and with a song of faith, your soul will continue to hope in God. We need HIM.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Coming Glory
Today, I was reviewing Jonathon Edwards' on concerted efforts of prayer by the church. His main point in asking for increased prayer for God's Kingdom to come is that many Old Testament passages promise a measure of glory and gospel coverage over the earth that was never realized before Christ and has yet to be seen since His coming. For that reason, these prophecies remain unfulfilled, and the job of the church is to pray until they come into being.
He quotes passages in Isaiah of the ends of the earth seeing His glory, the isles hearing of His love, all nations coming to worship Him, and of course, my favorite: the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord just as the waters cover the sea.
Do you believe? Can you believe this is the future God has for us. Edwards argues that although every knee will bow to Jesus in Judgement, there are other implication of He and His people inheriting the earth. It's a promise of fullness, all nations being blessed in His seed, all the land coming under the ruling of the One who created it all in the first place.
I, for one, am tired of a half-powerful Gospel which lasts just long enough to hold up against the forces of Anti-Christ. A survival mentality has stripped the church of their commission to occupy until He comes. What does it mean to occupy-to fill every enemy land. To fully possess. Not a word of all God spoke to Joshua was left undone, and we must fully believe the Gospel has the power to totally transform tribes, nations, and peoples of the earth with the mustard seed destined to grow, the leaven destined to spread throughout the whole earth.
I like Edwards because he is totally Biblical, finding passage after passage that cannot be fulfilled but for a historic outpouring of the Spirit which propels the church beyond anything we've yet to experience. He says it must start with us, being gripped with a spirit of prayer, and as people see God's people aflame, multitudes will be drawn to the heat.
Rather than gather his escatology from the Washington Post, or Hollywood snapshot of end time scenerios, or of obscure rapture passages, Edwards offers a systematic view of a growing church from Genesis to Revelations, always growing, becoming brighter, under the sovereign Hand of God, with the express purpose of spreading over every portion of God's created earth. Pray for that!
He quotes passages in Isaiah of the ends of the earth seeing His glory, the isles hearing of His love, all nations coming to worship Him, and of course, my favorite: the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord just as the waters cover the sea.
Do you believe? Can you believe this is the future God has for us. Edwards argues that although every knee will bow to Jesus in Judgement, there are other implication of He and His people inheriting the earth. It's a promise of fullness, all nations being blessed in His seed, all the land coming under the ruling of the One who created it all in the first place.
I, for one, am tired of a half-powerful Gospel which lasts just long enough to hold up against the forces of Anti-Christ. A survival mentality has stripped the church of their commission to occupy until He comes. What does it mean to occupy-to fill every enemy land. To fully possess. Not a word of all God spoke to Joshua was left undone, and we must fully believe the Gospel has the power to totally transform tribes, nations, and peoples of the earth with the mustard seed destined to grow, the leaven destined to spread throughout the whole earth.
I like Edwards because he is totally Biblical, finding passage after passage that cannot be fulfilled but for a historic outpouring of the Spirit which propels the church beyond anything we've yet to experience. He says it must start with us, being gripped with a spirit of prayer, and as people see God's people aflame, multitudes will be drawn to the heat.
Rather than gather his escatology from the Washington Post, or Hollywood snapshot of end time scenerios, or of obscure rapture passages, Edwards offers a systematic view of a growing church from Genesis to Revelations, always growing, becoming brighter, under the sovereign Hand of God, with the express purpose of spreading over every portion of God's created earth. Pray for that!
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