Jesus was making god's dream come true

JESUS WAS MAKING GOD'S DREAM COME TRUE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
MAKING GOD'S DREAM COME TRUE
MAKING GOD'S DREAM OUR DREAM Basedon John 12:12-19 By
PastorGlenn Pease
One of the most famous speechesDr. Martin Luther King Jr. evergave
was his "I have a dream" speech. It was a dream about a future America
where prejudice was eliminated, and there was peace and unity among all
races. This dream could only become a reality if men learned to use power in
a way that was pleasing to God. On Palm Sunday we see the King of Kings
showing the world how to use powerto make God's dream come true. All of
history and all of life is about the use or abuse of power. Jesus is the only
perfect man, and the one and only perfect king to ever reign, for he is the only
one whoeverdemonstratedthe perfect use of power. By his perfect use of
powerhe made God's dream come true.
Does Godactually dream? Notin the sense ofgoing to sleepand
dreaming, for the Bible says he never slumbers or sleeps. Godis ever
conscious andso his dreams are like those we are talking about in our 50 day
adventure. They are desires and goals and plans. Godhad all of these, and
our goalas Christians is to make His goaland purpose our own. Jesus did
that perfectly, and He submitted to the dreams of God. He prayed, "Not my
will but Thine be done." God has a will and a purpose, and we re either going
with the flow of His will, or we are resisting it.
Luke 7:30 says, "Butthe Pharisees andthe experts in the law rejected
God's purpose for themselves." Godhad a dream for them. He had a
purpose for their lives to achieve for His kingdom, but they rejectedit. We
see them on Palm Sunday, when the crowds were shouting, "Blessedis the
king of Israel," sulking and complaining. They refused to join in and

acknowledge thatJesus was their long awaitedMessiah. Thenthey became
the perfectexamples of the abuse of power, for they used their position to see
that this king was nailed to a cross.
Their abuse of powerdid not hinder God's dream, however, for He uses
their evil for good. He had a Son who used His power to serve, and one of the
ways He would serve all mankind was to die for their sin. So God even used
the abuse of power to fulfill His dream for man. God's dream will come true.
Nothing can stop that, but the big question for all of us is, will I be a partner
with God in making His dream come true, or will I be one trying to frustrate
the dream by abuse of power? The whole Bible is about God's dream for man,
and either man's cooperationorconflict with this dream. Thomas Curtis
Clark has written this poetic summary.
Dreams are they-but they are God's dreams! Shall we decry them and scorn
them? That men shall love one another, That white shall call black man
brother, That greedshall pass from the market-place, That lust shall yield to
love for the race, That man shall meet with God face to faceDreams are they
all, But shall we despise them?
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God's dreams! Dreams are they-to become man's dreams! Can we say nay as
they claim us? That men shall ceasefrom their hating, That war shall soonbe
abating, That the glory of kings and lords shall pale, That the pride of
dominion and power shall fail, That the love of humanity shall prevailDreams
are they all, But shall we despise them? God's dreams!
The leaders of Israeldid despise God's dream, and they did abuse their
power. Jesus desiredGod's dream, and He used His power to fulfill it. Palm
Sunday is about the clashbetweenGod-centeredand self-centereddreams.
Self-centereddreams are about having powerto control and manipulate
others. But God's dreams are about having power to serve others. Jesus had
it in His powerto do what the crowds hoped He would do. They hoped He
would use His powerto defect the Romans and set them free to dominate the

Gentiles like they had been dominated by them. This was the dream they
thought was about to come true as they shouted, "Blessedis he who comes in
the name of the Lord-blessedis the King of Israel."
This, however, was not God's dream at all. God's dream was that Israel
would fulfill its purpose and become a channel of God's goodnews of
salvationto the whole world. God's dream was for His Son to die for the sins
of the world and provide the goodnews to proclaim, and that Israel would
proclaim it. God's dream was that power would be used, not to control
others, but to serve others. Abuse of poweris one of the major sins of all
intelligent beings. Satanabusedhis powerand used it to try and hinder God's
purpose. He used it to manipulate man to disobey God. He tried to get Jesus
to abuse His power, and use it to turn stones to bread, and thrill the crowds
with His magic by leaping off the temple. The masses were in favor of this
abuse of power. Theylonged for a Messiahwho would feed them by miracles,
and lead them by miracles to rule the world.
The thinking of man is often like this: "Whatgoodis powerif you do not
use it to become top dog." This is the thinking that makes it true that "power
corrupts and absolute powercorrupts absolutely." Any personwho can have
powerand not abuse it is truly Christ like, for this was the major temptation
Jesus had to fight and win. He had the powerto be abusive, and to fulfill any
self-centereddream He could think of. He could have been the world's
greatestconqueror, and the king of all the world. He could have had the
Pharisees serving Him as His slaves. He could have had all His enemies at His
feet begging for mercy. Every dream Satancould dream for Jesus could have
come true if Jesus would have chosento follow those dreams. He chose
instead to dream the dreams of God. He dreamed of being the Saviorof all,
and the servant of all.
This was not easyfor Jesus. Itwas His hardest battle in life. We see Him
fighting it on Palm Sunday, even before the greatconflict in the garden of
Gethsemene. In John 12:27 Jesus says, "Now my heart is troubled, and what
shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for Page 2

MAKING GOD'S DREAM COME TRUE this very reasonI came to this
hour. Father glorify your name." In Gethsemene He had to fight the battle
all over again, and finally even on the cross He had to resistthe temptation to
call legions of angels to use heavenly power to rescue them. The power
struggles ofJesus are in a categorybeyond our comprehension, but Jesus won
every battle, and He came out of eachconflict saying, "Notmy will but thine
be done." Jesus fulfilled all of God's dreams for Him, and because it is so we
too candream God's dreams and see them come true.
We have to make the same decisionthat Jesus did, which is to abuse power
for selfishends, or to use powerfor godly goals. WhenJesus saidto deny
yourself and take up the cross and follow me, He was saying that we need to
choose whatwe are going to do with power. This will mean different things
for eachof us, but it will always mean breaking out of some comfort zone. Bill
Hybels, the pastorof the fastestgrowing church in America, tells of the choice
he had to make to fulfill God's dream for him. He was in the family business
ready to make a fortune when a camp director askedhim, "Bill, what are you
doing with your life that will last forever?" He realized that his life was self-
centeredand caught up in planes, boats, and fast cars. He gave up that life to
follow God's dream, and he went on to become one of the greatestChristian
influences in our world today.
David Mains in his book NeverToo Late To Dream says some guilt
producing things that we need to hear. They don't fit our comfort zone, and
his quote from A. W. Tozeroffends our use of our freedom of choice. They
are not pleasantthings to hear, but you determine if they are true for your
life. He writes, "Our lives have become so busy that we have little time for
God. Our lives have become obsessedwith climbing the ladder of success and
resting in the easychair of entertainment. A prayerless church exists in this
generation. We cannotget people to prayer meetings, but we have no
problem amassing large crowds for Christian entertainment. Our church
schedules are filled with events oriented towardentertainment, and we have
no time left to seek God. We have become like the Laodiceanchurch. Jesus is
on the outside knocking, wanting to come in and have fellowship with us."
"A. W. Tozer said, "Forcenturies the church stoodsolidly againstevery form
of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was-a device for wasting

time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience,a scheme to divert
attention from moral accountability. For this she gotherself abusedroundly
by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and
has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she can not
conquer the greatgod, Entertainment, she may as well join forces with him
and make what use she can of his powers."
If that produces no sense ofguilt in you, then you are a better Christian
than I am, for I do not doubt that I spend more time getting entertained than I
do in prayer. My responsibility as a pastor makes me spend a lot more time in
Bible study than in getting entertained, but most Christians do not have this
advantage, and that means the average Christianin our culture spends more
time being entertained than in Bible study, prayer, worship, and Christian
service. This is an abuse of powerand our freedom of choice. The problem is
that we are comfortable in this weak state ofcommitment to the dreams of
God because we are with the majority. There is great comfortin knowing you
are part of a large group of Christians who are comfortable in not taking any
risk for the kingdom of God. Page 3
We see it in the context of our passagewhere a goodmany of the leaders in
Israeldid believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but they became secretbelievers
because they refused to take the risk of rejection. Don't we quick to judge
them, for all of us are probably guilty of the same cowardice. Listento John
12:42 and 43, "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in
him. But because ofthe Phariseesthey would not confess their faith for fear
they would be put out of the synagogue,for they loved praise from men more
than praise from God."
They succumbed to the very temptation Jesus had to conquer in order to
save them. He had to lose His life to save it. He had to give up His dream of
acceptanceand having the crowds evercheering. He had to chose to become
despisedand rejected. He had to give up every comfort zone that the human
mind craves, and suffer the loss of all, even His life, to make God's dream for
Him come true. Many Christians refused to follow His example, and they

stayed in their comfort zone, and they failed to be a part of God's dream.
They do not lose their salvation, but they lose the chance to be what God
dreamed they would be. Theymissed life's greatestadventure, and it can
happen to any of us.
On the other hand, it is also true that everyone of us has it in our power to
choose the way of Christ, and to use our powerand resources to serve our
Lord, and the needy world for which He died. Anne Kiemel is one of the
gifted dreamers for Christ. I heard her in person and have read severalof her
books. She has a desire to love every personshe confronts and win them to
Christ. She is very successfulatit because she really does love them. Her
philosophy of life is summed up in these few sentences she wrote:"I think you
do one of two things with every human being your meet in the world. You
build a wall or a bridge, I don't know about you, but I'm out to build bridges
in my cornerof the world."
We don't all have her personality and her gifts, but all of us canhave her
dream, for it is God's dream for all of us to be bridge builders. That is what
Jesus chose to do with His power. He laid down His life on the cross to be a
bridge builder betweenGod and man, and so that man could cross overto be
reconciledto God. Jesus, the Masterbridge builder, wants us all to dream of
doing the same, and being agents ofreconciliationin a world filled with
conflict and division.
Whether we choose to be a part of His kingdom plan or not, it will happen,
and people will be reconciledto God out of every tribe, tongue and nation.
We alreadyknow the final chapter in God's book. I love the poem that
describes Jesus this way:
"I'd not give way for an Emperor, I'd hold my road for a KingTo the Triple
Crown I would not bow downBut this is a different thing. I'll not fight with
the powers of Air, Sentry pass him through! Draw bridge let fall, 'tis the Lord
of us all, The Dreamer whose dreams come true!"
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MAKING GOD'S DREAM COME TRUE The self dreams of the masses
and the leaders on Palm Sunday did not come true, but the dream of the King
did, for he dreamed the dream of God for Him, and chose the way of power to
serve rather than the way of power to control. I do not know how old the boy
was who wrote this poem, but he reveals the heart of all people. We can
identify with his dream, for it is self-centeredenoughso that even though we
may not make the same choice we can understand his.
"If I were in charge of the world I'd canceloatmeal, Mondaymornings,
Allergy shots, and also Sara Steinberg.
If I were in charge of the world There'd be brighter night lights, Healthier
hamsters, and Basketballbaskets forty-eightinches lower.
If I were in charge of the world You wouldn't have lonely. You wouldn't have
clean. You wouldn't have bedtimes. Or "Don't punch your sister." You
wouldn't even have sisters.
If I were in charge of the world A chocolate sundae with whipped cream and
nuts would be a vegetable. All 007 movies would be G. And a person who
sometimes forgotto brush, And sometimes forgotto flush, Would still be
allowedto be In charge of the world."
I love this poem for it is a perfectexample where most of us are most of the
time. Our dreams are for a world that will conform to us and our likes. That
is what the people wanted in a Messiahon Palm Sunday. They wanted
someone who would take charge and use power to fulfill their self-centered
dreams. But instead Jesus saidthat if He was in charge of the world He would
serve it, suffer for it, die for it and rise againthat it might be savedfor all
eternity. And God said that was His dream as well, and so Godput Him in
charge. He was a King who did not expect His people to serve Him, but a
King who serves His people.
RobertFulghum became quite famous for his book All I Really NeedTo
Know I Learned In Kindergarten. I discoveredhis third book and read it. I
askedmyself why I do not hesitate to read his books, and the answerI got is
that he writes to serve the reader. His dream is to serve others by his writing.

He does some mighty strange things. He walks down the street to work in a
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MAKING GOD'S DREAM COME TRUE suit and tie, and a beanie with a
propeller on his head for a hat. He gets all kinds of responses. People honk,
wave, and shout, "Go gettum grandpa." Teenagers sing the MickeyMouse
song and laugh. Why in the world does he do it?
He tells us why: "I figure the loss of my dignity was balancedby the gainin
amusement I gave other people. They got to work in a goodhumor. They had
something to talk about over coffee. I came to think of my wearing the hat
and walking to work as a public service." Ofcourse it is crazy, but that is the
point. He is willing to be a fool for service. Thatis what Paul had in mind in
being a fool for Christ. It is taking risks and getting out of your comfortzone
for the service of others.
Jesus did the craziestthing ever. He let His enemies crucify Him. He gave
up His dignity and His life, for He had learned the lessonHis Fatherwanted
Him to learn, and that is that poweris for service. Thatis God's dream for us
all, and when we learn to use our power, position, and possessions forservice,
then we are truly followers of the King, and we will be making God's dream
for us our dream as well.
God’s Dream
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There’s always been something hidden deep in Your heart,
Yet I had not given it one single thought,
I only knew that I was wand’ring, feeling lost,
Dreaming were You, and I was too, in the wilderness,
Until one day You revealed Your dream in my heart.
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Your heart’s desire is with man to mingle as one,
To dwell with man, an eternalbond to form,
’Twas for this dream You became man, uplifting man,
That God and man, heaven and earth, be joined for aye,
God’s house, heav’n’s gate, now descends, Your dream to attain.
3
From heav’n You came as my bread of eternal life,

By eating You, I can now enjoy Your life,
Brought to His house, the Father’s love for You is mine,
I’m joined, a branch, to You, the vine—union divine,
By bearing fruit, this relationship multiplies.
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Abide in love, so His life in us may flow free,
By mutual love, His disciples we will be;
The more we’re joined, the more we’re built organically,
And by His word we’re sanctified, not of the world,
As one new man, corporate God-manliving we’ll see.
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O Lord, I place myself on the altar for You,
For Your desire, that Your dream may become true.
As for my life, I’d gladly dwell in a lowly tent,
To be a drink off’ring outpoured for man
God’s pillar, stand to fulfill God’s eternal plan.
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/ns/476
Making God's Dreams Come True
By Tony Crescio

In his latestApostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis has many
beautiful things to say about the human person, but one thing in particular
caught my eye, as I read through the text for the first time about a month ago.
In paragraph 168 he writes: “Eachchild has a place in God’s heart from all
eternity; once he or she is conceived, the Creator’s eternaldream comes true.”
The language blew me away. Whoeverspeaks ofthe human personas a
dream of God coming true? To me, the fact that the language struck me as
remarkable was indicative of the fact that, for some time now, we have been
steadily losing an understanding of the profound dignity and beauty of the
human personas a society. So, how exactly is it that eachof us represents a
dream of God?
Without going into greattheologicaldepth, we might considera simple point:
eachof us, regardless ofwho we are as individuals or the specific
circumstances whichmight find ourselves in, have been marked by God in a
way which is irrevocable, present by virtue of our creation. This mark, the
imago Dei. The factthat we are createdin imago Deitells us certain things,
that is, we possesscertain“godlike”characteristics, if you will. Among these
are things like free will and intelligence, however, that which is most
important is that we have been createdfor loving communion with God and
neighbor (by virtue of their creationin the same imago Dei). That this is the
case is seenin the factthat as Augustine taught, ‘we are not createdin the
image of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, but rather, we are createdin
the image of the Trinity Itself’ (cf. St. Augustine of Hippo, On the Trinity, Bk
12; Ch. 6.7). The inner dynamics that we are meant to reflectas createdin
said Trinity, is most succinctly summed in the words of the apostle John: God
is Love (1 John 4:8).
From all of eternity, the Divine Persons ofthe Trinity have existed in a perfect
and complete exchange of self-giving love. Loving Father begets the beloved
Son, and the love sharedby the Two is so intense that it produces a Third, the
Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love. The mind-blowing thing about being createdin
the image of such a God, is that we are meant to share in this exchange oflove,
we are meant to share the very life of God! Imagine God, looking at all of
eternity as a single portrait, seeing all that would unfold in an eternal instant,
and identifying eachand every one of us and saying, “I want to share my life

with you.” What would our world look like if we really believed that this was
the case?If we truly believed that it was God’s dream to share His life with
us?
If one doubts that this is the case, thatsharing a perfectly loving relationship
with you is really God’s dream, an oft quoted passagefrom the Gospelof John
will suffice as proof: “ForGod so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal
life” (3:16). When it seemedas though the fulfillment of God’s dream was
about to slip awaywith the fall of our first parents, he kept the possibility
alive by sending the Son into the world to give his very life. Yes, with the
incarnation, death, resurrectionand ascensionofJesus Christ, our God has
definitively said to us, “Now nothing can keepme from you, exceptyou.” For
now, the only question left to be answeredas to if God’s dreams will come
true is whether or not we will love Him back. This, and only this will
determine whether or not we spend eternity partaking of the life for which we
have been created(cf. Matthew 25:31-44).
We would do well to frame our decisions with this in mind: every action we
carry out has the power to make God’s dream a reality, starting here and
now, or put that dream into peril. You represent an eternal dream of the
Creatorof all that is, will you keepthat dream alive by the way you live your
life, will you choose to help make God’s dream come true?
http://www.catholic365.com/article/4428/making-gods-dreams-come-true.html
Men, Make God's Dreams for Your Life Come True
Editor's Note:The following is a report on the practicalapplications of Kenny
Luck's new book, Dream, (WaterBrookPress,2007).
It’s natural to want to be and do something great, since God has wired you to
pursue a significantlife. Those dreams stirring in your soul cancome true if
you embrace God’s plans with passion.

Here’s how you can make God’s dreams for your life come true:
Ask God to help you see clearly. Don’t let your own agenda or other people’s
expectations cloudyour vision of what God wants your life to be like. Instead,
choose to let God decide what’s best for you, since He – your Creator– knows
you better than you know yourself. Realize that God’s ultimate dream for you
is to become more like Jesus. Understand that God wants to use your current
reality (not the fantasy of how you wish your life would be) to move you
toward His dreams for you. Expect Him to use your struggles to accomplish
goodpurposes. Rather than running from reality, let God bring glory through
it. Exchange your own limited vision for God’s unlimited, much more
powerful vision. Instead of fighting God’s process ofmaking His ultimate
dream for you come true – transforming you more into Jesus’image – accept
the discomfort, conflict, loss, and pain involved. Trust that going through
anything God deems necessaryis worth it, because He is accomplishing good
purposes in your life that can’t be accomplishedany other way. Constantly
stretch the borders of your growth by praying regularly for God to continue
changing you. Surrender every area of your life to Godand eagerlyanticipate
how He will help you grow as a result.
Pay attention to what you’re leaking. Realize that your characterqualities
leak out into the lives of the people around you – for better or for worse.
Strive to leak less sin and selfishness that stinks and leak more holiness
instead. Know that God wants you to be visibly identified with Jesus in a way
that brings Him glory, pouring out hope into the lives of people with whom
you interact. Be faithful to God’s call to representJesus, evenwhen others
rejectthe Gospel. Be available for God to use you in any situation, and depend
on the Holy Spirit to help you live out your faith with integrity. Study Jesus’
life to imitate how He interacts with people. Invite God to refine every part of
your character, holding nothing back from His work in your life.
Be humble. Know that God has declaredthat you are important to Him, and
He has approved your mission, so you’re free to be humble. Understand that
you have nothing to prove. Ask God to help you be content with yourself, to

desire recognitiononly from Him, to trust Him with your station in life, to
refrain from threatening others, to be at ease withthe weak, to be easyfor
people to embrace, to not feel any need to get credit from others, and to
refrain from competition with others. Strive for influence without ego. In
conflict, choose reconciliationinsteadof retaliation. Pass up power for
yourself in order to increase God’s influence. Submit to God’s plans versus
presuming them. Freely notice others. Empty yourself instead of holding onto
a sense ofself-entitlement. Be willing to humbly obey God’s purposes. Wait
for Godto honor your efforts in His time rather than trying to force results
yourself. Be willing to exchange:comfort for discomfort, flattery for
faithfulness, status for service, harshness forgraciousness,titles for treasures
in heaven, and safety for suffering. Don’t forget how important God and other
people are, and keepyour sense ofyour own importance in perspective. Learn
all you can from Jesus. Focuson Him more than on yourself. Reachout to
others in service as God leads you, humbly sharing God’s love.
Serve others. Instead of seeking to have others serve you, seek to serve them.
Realize that powerand prestige aren’t what make you a truly greatman;
what distinguishes you is your willingness to serve. Remember that when
Jesus came to Earth, he didn’t choose to be served, but to serve. Ask God to
help you reachout beyond your family and friends to strangers who are
different from you and even make you uncomfortable. Don’t place any
borders around the scope of your service;be open to following God’s leading
anywhere. Every day, try to make decisions that help you serve others rather
than just yourself.
Make sacrifices. Be willing to give up whateveryou need to in order to become
more like Jesus. Understand that if you’re willing to sacrifice now for God,
you’ll experience the joy of your reward later. Expectthat God will honor
your faithfulness in His time and in His way. Know that every one of these
sacrifices youmake for God is an opportunity to bring Him glory: an attitude,
a behavior, a response, a comfort, a right to strike back, a feeling, an impulse,
a chance to control, a grab for power, a portion of your time, a pattern of your
old life, a financial bonus, a freedom, a way of doing something, or a golden

opportunity. Trust that God’s glory is more important than anything you give
up for Him.
Don’t run from suffering. Recognize thatsuffering canbuild your character
in powerful ways, and that God often uses the suffering you go through to
accomplishgoodpurposes in your life. When suffering comes your way,
acceptit and ask God to help you endure it for the cause ofsomething greater
than yourself. Pursue Christlikeness overcomfort. Ask yourself honestly how
much you’re willing to endure for Jesus in your times of pain, or whether you
tend to seek your own safety. Trust in God’s ultimate control of all that He
allows to happen to you, and know that through your suffering, you will grow
as a person and become united to Jesus.
Discoverand do God’s will. Know that it’s crucial to find out God’s will and
commit to following it when making decisions. LetGod’s unconditional love
for you give you the confidence you need to be free of worrying about other
people’s acceptanceorapproval. Ask God to give you the courage you need to
pursue God’s priorities for your life with great focus. Cooperatewith God to
fulfill His purposes in your life. Pray eachday for the ability to do less of your
own will and more of God’s will for you.
Experience the joy of being God’s child. Embrace the specialconnectionyou
have to your heavenly Father as His beloved child. Be assuredthat, through
Jesus, Godhas adopted you into His family and anointed your special
relationship with Him. Regularlyseek a specialrevelationfrom God
concerning your life. Be authentic with Him, knowing that you can’t hide
anything from Him, and that He loves you completely, scabs and all. Share
private conversations withGod through prayer every day. Rather than
seeking validationfrom other people, live to please Godalone and don’t worry
about other people’s opinions. Learn to trust your heavenly Father intuitively
and implicitly.

Be compassionate.Understand that God wants you to be strong and secure in
Him so the compassionofJesus could flow freely through your life to those
who need your touch. Acknowledge the reality of the situations around you
and work with it instead of running awayfrom it. Be willing to be undignified
in order to meet the needs of others. Don’t give into apathy when you
encounter other people’s pain. Instead, respond right awayto urgent
situations. Allow yourself to see, feel, and act like Jesus in the face of pain
instead of dismissing needs. Ask God to help you become tender and fearless
when confronted with pain.
Dig down deep. Don’t settle for superficialrelationships. Instead, learn how to
discern people’s deepestemotions and concerns, andrespond to them. Ask the
Holy Spirit to help you know what lies inside the heart of eachpersonwith
whom you’re relating – hurts, fears, insecurities, sin, mixed motives, lust,
wounds, abandonment, shame, pride, loss, anger, etc. Ask people thoughtful,
caring questions to help revealthe issues behind their thoughts, words, and
behaviors. Learn how to recognize the differences betweenappearancesand
reality, public images and private struggles, angerand hurt, pride and fear,
goodand bad intentions, right and wrong agendas, and healthy and unhealthy
spiritual patterns. Pray regularly for the ability to see yourself and other
people more clearly.
Express God’s grace. Know that while you may hate sin, Jesus calls you to
love sinners – just as He does. Pray for the courage you need to affirm people
apart from their sin. Rememberthat Jesus died for every person; ask Him to
help you see eachpersonyou encounter as someone He loves and wants to
help. Let your gratitude for how much grace Godhas given you motivate you
to express grace to others, even when you disagree with their attitudes or
behaviors. Ask God to help you overcome pride and engage otherpeople
without walls, giving grace to them as freely as you have receivedit yourself.
Embrace reality. Avoid fantasies that deceive you and acceptreality as it is –
not as you would like it to be. Be committed to the truth, even when it hurts.
Invite Jesus to shine His light over the dark places in your life – morally,
emotionally, relationally, and spiritually – and expose whatyou need to deal
with so you can grow into the person He wants you to become. Let truth guide

your actions. Speak the truth. Encourage others to face the truth. Accept
responsibility and evaluate your own shortcomings. Seek constructive
feedback from others and embrace consequences.Acknowledge anddeal with
negative emotions instead of swallowing them. Make the hard and better call
in situations early. Grieve losses andhurts rather than hiding from them.
Don’t blame others to cover for your mistakes. Don’tseek affirmation to
compensate for insecurity. Speak up with others, to them, and for them when
the Holy Spirit leads you to do so. Pray for the ability to seek life as it really is
and to trust God for how it will be.
Fight evil. Pray for the courage andstrength you need to fight spiritual
battles. Remember that you cancount on the Holy Spirit to help you
overcome evil with good. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and memorize the
truths of Scripture so you’ll be prepared to quickly and effectively resist
Satan’s attempts to tempt, distract, or destroy you. Have the confidence that
God will help you win every time to engage in battle. Realize your place as
God’s beloved child. RespectSatan’s tactics andpower to influence lives.
Revere truth so you can spottwisted manipulations of it. Responddecisively
when you encounterevil. Rely on the Holy Spirit for spiritual insight. Restin
grace. Make choicesforgoodover evil every day, such as by forgiving
someone who has hurt you instead of attacking him or her, saying no to
unhealthy appetites rather than feeding them, and encouraging people instead
of criticizing them.
Say “no” to temptation in order to say“yes” to God. Realize that your time
here on Earth is just a temporary layover on your way to your final
destination – heaven. Keep heaven in mind when you make decisions every
day, doing your best to live in a way that pleases Godand will give you no
regrets when you meet Him face to face one day. Rely on the Holy Spirit’s
help to flee whatevertemptation you encounter.
Finish well. Let your exceptionaldestiny drive you to continue to live
faithfully until the end. Ask God to help you stay committed to serving Him in
all aspects ofyour life. Know that discipline in your commitment to living out

God’s dream of Christlikeness will far outweighthe regretof getting to the
end of your life and wishing you had. Ask God to remind you of your personal
mission, help you be consistentwith your spiritual disciplines, keeplearning,
manage your time well, and live to please Godinstead of other people.
Adapted from Dream: How to Act on Your Passion, DiscoverYour Plan &
Achieve God's Purpose, copyright 2007 by Kenny Luck. Published by
WaterBrook Press,a division of Random House, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co.,
www.waterbrookpress.com.
Kenny Luck is the Men’s Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,
California. He is also the founder and president of Every Man Ministries,
which helps churches worldwide developand grow healthy men’s
communities. Kenny is an ECPA Platinum Award-winning author, who has
written or coauthored17 books. He is a graduate of UCLA, where he met his
wife Chrissy. They have three children – Cara, Ryan and Jenna – and live in
Trabuco Canyon, California. He plays in a men’s soccerleague,mountain
bikes and loves flag football on Thanksgiving mornings.
"DreamGod's Dream"
(Chorus)
Dream God's dream
Holy Spirit, help us dream...
Of a world where there is justice, and where everyone is free
To build and grow and love
And to simply have enough
The world will change when we dream God's dream

I'm dreaming of a world where the colorof one's skin
Will mean less than what's within the person's heart
A world where water's clean, and where air is safe to breathe
And every child born has enough to eat.
(Chorus)
I'm dreaming of the call God is offering to me
How to use my energy and my best gifts
To do the work of Christ -- to say, God please use my life
To spread Your healing love -- and to live your Truth
(Chorus)
I'm dreaming of the way that I want my life to go
I've gothopes and I've got goals I'd like to meet
I'm reaching for the stars, but I won't forgetthe scars
Of Christ who died to show that the Dream's for all...
(Chorus)
Credits:

Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio
CrosswindMusic, 1991.
God’s Dream for You
By PastorJoe|May11th, 2003|Do WhatYou Were Made to Do,
Sermons|Comments Off
on God’s Dreamfor You
“I have a dream!” Who made that speech? MartinLuther King, Jr. One of
the greatestspeechesin American history! King had a dream for our nation, a
dream of freedom and equality for every American, regardless ofrace.
God has a dream too. “I have a dream,” God says. God’s dream is for you. He
made you for a purpose. He has a plan for you, a dream for you. And when
you discoverthe dream that God has wired into the way He made you, and
then begin to live God’s dream for you—look out! You will be what you were
made to be. You will do what you were made to do. You will be happier than
you’ve everbeen. And you will change the world.
Today, I want to talk about God’s dream for you. I want to fire you up with
confidence that Godhas a plan and a purpose…a dream for you. And then
we’re going to take the next four weekends to talk about how to identify and
live God’s dream for you.
Every person is a dream of God. He createdyou for a purpose.

That sketchis a light-hearted look at a very real dilemma: there is a volunteer
shortage!Mostvolunteer-driven organizations, including churches, are
desperate for more volunteers. There’s more work than there are workers.
ILL: Someone saidthat a football game consists of22 athletes on the field in
need of rest being watchedby 50,000fans in the stands in need of exercise!
What’s wrong with this picture?
Churches are often like football games. There’s a team on the field in need of
rest, and lots of fans in the stands badly in need of exercise. Churches need
more volunteers.
But when we approach the problem from that angle, this is what you end up
with—churches who use people to get jobs done, when we ought to be using
jobs to get people done. In God’s work, getting tasks done is not the ultimate
goal. Instead, God’s work is about getting people done, helping people grow
and become all God wants them to be. Our goalisn’t to use people to get
ministry done, but to use ministry to getpeople done! God is in the people-
building business!
ILL: A number of years ago, the Lord confrontedme about this as I prayed. I
had just read the story in Luke 14 of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, and
the religious leaders were so angry that they beganto plot his death. In my
journal I wrote, “The difference betweenJesus and the Pharisees is that Jesus
really cared about this man, but the Pharisees only caredabout their
institutions: the Law, the Sabbath, the synagogue. Jesus had a personal
agenda;the Phariseeshad an institutional agenda.” I put my pen down and
the Lord said to me, “You’re more like the Pharisees than Jesus.”Thatgot
my attention. I spent the next two hours praying and repenting as God
showedme how I had become a Pharisee that was more interestedin building
the church than building people.
The Lord told me, “I don’t have a vision for your church, but I do have one
for every personwho goes there, and for every person who doesn’t.” God has
a vision for you…a dream for you…eachone of you. My job is to help you
find it and live.

The Lord told me, “There won’t be a Life Center in heaven; but lots of people
who come to Life Center will be there.” Our church isn’t eternal—churches
come and go, but people last forever.
The Lord told me, “I’m not asking you to build a big church, but to build big
people!”
God is in the people-building business, and He uses ministry to do it. That’s
why I’m not ashamedto ask you to help out with kids, or anything else. If I’m
just asking you to help me out, then I’d be apologetic.But I’m asking you to
help to help you! When you help out, you will discoverand live God’s dream
for you—in two ways.
First, when you help out, you may discover God’s unique dream for you. You
may discoverthat you really love what you’re doing, that you’re goodat it,
gifted…that God has wired you for this particular thing. That’s how lots of us
have discoveredGod’s dream for us—by trying something. Give it a try! You
may discoverthe unique dream that Godhas for you. Or you may really
dislike what you’re doing or be really bad at it—but that’s not a failure!
You’ve just eliminated one option and gotten a little closerto discovering
what God’s dream is!
Second, when you help out, you are already living one part of God’s dream
for all of us: God dreams that we’ll be servants. There are jobs that have to be
done but may not be your dream. In our sketch, Joe the janitor pointed out
that no one enjoys cleaning toilets, but they still have to be cleaned. I’ll bet at
your house there are some jobs that no one dreams of doing.
Who has a gift for doing dishes?
Who feels calledto vacuum?
Who has a passionfor mowing the lawn? Or cleaning the toilet?
But those things have to be done, and in doing them, we do begin to live one of
God’s dreams for us: that we become servants.
For the next few weeks,I want to help you think about God’s dream for you.
What did He make you to be and do? What is His purpose and plan for you? I

want to help you identify how God wired you: what spiritual gifts, natural
abilities and talents He’s given you, what experience has shaped you, what
passions make your heart beatfaster, and what personality traits make you
who you are.
My prayer is that eachof you will discoverGod’s dream for you, and that we
could help you start living the dream!
1. God has a dream for you.
Does Godreally have a dream for you? Could He have plans and purposes for
you that match exactly how He made you?
Jeremiah1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were
born I setyou apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
God told Jeremiahthat He knew him before Jeremiahwas even conceived,
and that before Jeremiahwas born, God had alreadyset him apart for a
specialpurpose or assignment:he was to be a prophet to the nations. Is it
possible that God knew you before you were conceived? ThatGod had an
assignmentplanned for you even before you were born?
ILL: When I was six years old, I sat on my Grandmother’s lap and she told
me that I was her favorite grandson. I reminded her that I was her only
grandson! And then she told me that God had a plan for my life, and that one
day I would be a pastor. I was six. I wasn’t even a Christian yet, and wouldn’t
become one for another 7 years. But when I did, on the night that I said yes to
God, I knew that I would be a pastor. I can’t tell you how, but I just knew in
my knower.
You might be thinking, “Ah, the powerof suggestion.”Maybe. Or maybe the
powerof God, who made me for this and directed my steps through my
grandma.
Maybe God knew before I was born what I was made to do…and used my
grandma to plant the seedwhen I was six. Could God do that? Of course…if
He has a dream for you.

I believe that every personis a dream of God. God dreamed you up…for a
reason. Godhas a plan and purpose for you, and you will be the happiest and
most effective when you are living God’s dream for you. Let’s look at just a
few verses from the Bible.
Psalm139:13-18 Foryou createdmy inmost being; you knit me togetherin
my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15Myframe was not
hidden from you when I was made in the secretplace. When I was woven
togetherin the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All
the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came
to be. 17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vastis the sum
of them! 18Were Ito count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, Iam still with you.
I call Psalm139 the “searchme psalm” because it begins “Oh Lord you have
searchedme and you know me.” And it ends, “Searchme, O God, and know
my heart.” In between, the psalmist writes of God’s intimate knowledge of
him going clearback to creation. God designedand createdyou. Before you
existed in the womb of your mother, you existed in the mind of God.
ILL: Walt Disney died before Disney World in Florida was completed. At the
dedication, someone commentedto a Disneyexecutive, “It’s too bad that Walt
Disney didn’t live to see this.” And the executive said, “Ohhe did see it, and
that’s why it’s here!”
He saw it in his mind, in his imagination. Walt Disneydreamed Disneyland
long before it came to be. And God saw you in His mind; He dreamed you
long before you were born. And Disney’s dream had a purpose: his purpose
was to create a place where people could have a wonderful time together—the
happiest place on earth. And God, who dreamed you up, has a purpose for
you.
Notice too that God ordained your days, and thinks vast thoughts about you.
God has plans for you!e

Jeremiah29:11 ForI know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.
God has plans for you, and they are goodplans! Godsaid this to the Israelites
who were in captivity in Babylon. Imagine being invaded by a foreign army,
takenprisoner and hauled off to live in your captor’s country—strange
language, strange customs—being forcedto start over in a new place. The
future would look pretty bleak. But God says, “I have plans for you—good
plans.”
If God had plans for these Jewishexiles in Babylon, could He have plans for
you? Yes!
Acts 13:36 “Forwhen David had servedGod’s purpose in his own generation,
he fell asleep;he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
David served God’s purpose in his own generation. Godhad a purpose for
David and His timing was perfect. God had David right where He wanted
him—in that generation, at that time in history. If God createdDavid for His
purposes in that generation, do you think He might have createdyou for this
time and place? Maybe God has you right where He wants you! Or maybe
you’ve run from God and you need to get where God wants you. Let me show
you what I mean.
Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejectedGod’s purpose for
themselves, because theyhad not been baptized by John.
The Pharisees rejectedGod’s purpose for themselves. Isn’t that an interesting
statement? It is possible to reject God’s purpose for you. Remember the story
of Jonah? God told Jonahto go to Nineveh and preach. But Jonahran away
from God and setsail the other direction. He rejectedGod’s purpose for

himself and ran away. Fortunately, God ran after him, and God was the faster
runner! He caught Jonahand turned him around.
Does everyone discoverand live God’s dream for them? No. Some Jonah’s sail
awayand never come back. Some people rejectGod’s purposes and never
repent. And what do you think that does to God? It must break His heart!
Please,don’t be one of those people.
God’s dreams for you take two forms. God has specific dreams for you
alone—unique dreams just for you. And God has generaldreams for all of His
children.
Romans 8:28-29 And we know that in all things God works for the goodof
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For
those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness ofhis
Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God calledyou “according to His purpose”. What is that purpose? To make
you like Jesus. He predestined you to be conformed to the likeness ofHis Son.
Don’t be put off by “predestined”—the word means to pick a destination
aheadof time. You do it every time you get in your car. When you leave here,
where will you go? Home, work, out to eat, to a movie. You have a destination
in mind, already picked—predestined. What is God’s destination for you and
me? That we become like Jesus. This is His dream for all of us—to make us
more like Christ—a generaldream for all of us.
Ephesians 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the
purpose of his will.
Look at the words in that one verse: chosen, predestined, plan, purpose and
will. Those describe God’s actions toward you: He has chosenyou, He has a
destiny for you, He has a plan for you, a purpose for you, a will for you. God
has a dream for all of us: to make us more like Jesus. And God has a unique
dream for you.
“But what could God dream for me? I’m so ordinary?”

2. God sees notjust what you are, but what you can be!
ILL: Imagine a potter throwing a pot. He begins with a dream, an idea; the
pot exists in his mind first. Then he starts to spin the wheeland shape the pot.
But then he runs into a problem: there are imperfections in the clay, small
pebbles. Sometimes he has to stopthe wheeland dig out a pebble. He may be
able to keepgoing, but sometimes the gouge is deep, and he has to smash the
clay and start over. A friend might walk into his shop in the middle of this
process and say, “Man, that’s an ugly pot.” But the potter just smiles and
says, “I’m not done yet.” The friend sees whatis right now, but the potter sees
what it will be, what he dreamed.
God is the potter, and you are the clay. He sees not just what you are right
now, but what you can be.
Jeremiah18:1-6 This is the word that came to Jeremiahfrom the Lord: 2“Go
down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”3So Iwent
down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4But the pot
he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it
into another pot, shaping it as seemedbest to him.
5Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6“O house of Israel, canI not do
with you as this potter does?” declaresthe Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the
potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
God is shaping you into what He wants you to be; and God sees notjust what
you are, but what you can be. Look at these examples from the Bible.
Joseph:God saw a man he could trust. Genesis 37-50
Josephwas a dreamer. He had dreams of his brothers bowing down to him.
His brothers hated him because he was already their father’s favorite; he
wore a specialmulti-colored robe that was a daily reminder of their father’s
favoritism. Now these dreams just made them hate him even more. They
wanted to kill him, but one of the brothers talked the others into selling him

into slavery instead. Talk about a dysfunctional family! They lookedat Joseph
and saw a pampered and spoiled pet, and an egotisticaldreamer.
But God lookedat Josephand saw a man he could trust. God knew that tough
times were coming, and if the family was going to survive, God needed a man
he could trust in a position of authority. God gave Josephthose dreams, and
other dreams, because Godhad a dream for Joseph. God didn’t see a spoiled
boy; God saw the next administrator of Egypt, and the savior of Jacob’s
family.
Moses:God saw a leader. Exodus 1-4
Moses was raisedin privilege, in Pharaoh’s court, but he always caredabout
his people, the Israelites, who were enslavedby Pharaoh. One day he decided
to take matters into his own hands, and he killed an Egyptian slave driver,
thinking the Israelites wouldfollow his lead and free themselves. Theydidn’t,
and Moses ranfor his life to the desert of Midian where he because a
shepherd. From the prince of Egypt to a desert shepherd: this makes Mike
Price’s fall look small!
If you were a head-hunter for God, looking for a world-class leaderto free
your people, I doubt that you’d be in the backside ofthe desertkicking Moses’
tires! The guy was a first-class screw-up;and besides, he couldn’t talk. He
stuttered. Definitely not CEO material.
But God saw a leader hiding inside the shepherd—a greatleader—andHe
calledMoses to go back to Egypt and setthe people free. God gave Moses that
dream of freeing Israel, and even though he had failed miserably on his first
try, God saw a leader…andthat’s what Mosesbecame.
Rahab: God saw a womanof vision. Joshua 2
Who was Rahab? She was a Canaanite prostitute living in the walled city of
Jericho when the Israelites came up out of Egypt. When two Israelite spies
came to Jericho, they went to Rahab’s house. I think God directed them to
Rahab. When the police came looking for them, she hid them and later helped
them escape, making them promise to save her and her family when the

Israelites attacked. She explained that she knew the Lord had given them the
land.
God needed someone to help His people. He chose Rahab. To everyone else,
she was just a woman of ill-repute; but God saw a woman of vision. Rahab
was sparedin the battle of Jericho. Latershe married and became the great-
great-grandmotherof King David, and is listed as one of the ancestors of
Jesus.
God put a dream in Rahab’s heart. She saw what was coming and chose to
follow the Lord when everyone around her fought the Lord. Others saw a
prostitute; God saw a woman of vision.
Gideon: God saw a mighty warrior. Judges 6-7
When the Midianites invaded Israel, God neededto find a champion to rally
the Israelites and drive out the invaders. Who did he find? Gideon was the
youngestboy in the weakestclanof the smallesttribe. In other words:bottom
of the totem pole! When God’s messengerfound him, Gideon was threshing
wheatin a winepress so the Midianites wouldn’t see him. Imagine this
frightened young man hiding in a wine press, and the angelsays, “The Lord is
with you, mighty warrior.” Who, me?
We usually don’t look for mighty warriors hiding in winepresses. Others saw
a young coward, but God saw a mighty warrior, a champion, and that’s what
Gideon became.
David: God saw a king. 1 Samuel 16
When it was time to choose the next king of Israel, God sentSamuel to Jesse’s
house, who had 7 sons. Samuelsaw the oldest, Eliab, who was tall and good
looking, and Samuel thought, “Here’s the next king.” But God said, “No.
You’re looking at the outward appearance. I look at the heart.” David was the
youngestof the sevenboys, and wasn’teven shaving yet, but when Samuel saw
him, God said, “That’s the one—he’s a man after my own heart.”
Others saw a boy; God saw a king! Because Godseesnot just what we are, but
what we canbecome.

Jeremiah: Godsaw a prophet. Jeremiah1
When God called Jeremiahto be a prophet to the nations, he was very young,
and he couldn’t speak. So Jeremiahprotested. “I’m too young, and I don’t
know how to speak. You want someone else.” Jeremiahsaw himself one
way—as unqualified to do God’s work. But God saw him as a prophet—not
just as he was, but as he could be. Some of you think you are too young, or not
trained enough, so Godcouldn’t use you. But God calls you now because He
sees whatyou’ll become!
Mary: God saw an extraordinary woman. Luke 1
Mary was just an ordinary young woman living in a small backwaterGalilean
village. Nothing special. But when an angelshowedup and askedif she would
be willing to sacrifice everything to do God’s work, she said yes. She willingly
put her marriage, her reputation, her future—everything—on the line to say
yes to God. Others would have looked, and never lookedagain—nothing
specialabout Mary. But God saw a woman who became extraordinary
because she saidyes to God’s plan. God saw what she could become.
You might feel very ordinary. “Whatcould God do with me?” But God sees
beyond the ordinary to inside you, and if you’re willing to sayyes, God cando
extraordinary things with ordinary people. Godhas dream for you.
Peter:God saw a rock. John 1
Peterwas a flake!One minute he was saying something fabulous and Jesus
would praise him, and the next minute he was saying something stupid and
Jesus would rebuke him. Peterwas ambidextrous; he could put either foot in
his mouth! One minute he was swearing that he defend Jesus to the death, and
the next he was swearing that he didn’t even know Jesus. Mostpeople would
look at Peterand think he was unstable. Jesus lookedathim and said, “I’m
giving you a new name: Peter. The rock!” Why did Jesus saythat? Because
He didn’t just see whatPeterwas, but what he could become!
And God’s dream came true. Peterbecame a rock, one of the foundation
stones the church was built on.

Paul: God saw a world-changer. Acts 9
Saul persecutedthe church. As far as the church was concerned, he was
enemy #1, the biggesttrouble-maker they knew. When God told Ananias to
pray for Saul, he said, “Lord, do you have the right guy? Do you know who
this is?” Godassuredhim that He did, and told Ananias, “He is my chosen
instrument to take my messageto the rest of the world.” The church lookedat
Saul and saw a trouble-maker. God saw a world-changer. Hiding inside the
skin of Saul the persecutorwas Paulthe apostle, author of 2/3 of the New
Testament, and the greatestevangelist and church planter of his century.
God didn’t just see what he was, but what He could become. Then there is…
You: God sees a .
Can you fill in the blank? What does God see in you? What dream does God
have for you? You are probably looking at what you are right now, and
thinking, “I’m too young. I’m too old. I’m not trained or prepared or gifted.
I’m not a leader or a visionary or a warrior or a world-changeror (you fill in
the blank).” Yes, but you’re looking at what you are, a half-finished pot on the
wheel; and God sees whatyou will be—the dream in His heart—the finished
pot. God sees whatyou canbe.
That’s what I want to talk about with you for the next four weeks. I hope by
the time we’re done, you’ll be able to fill in that blank, or at leastbe on your
way to discovering and living God’s dream for you.
3. Live the dream and die empty!
My friend Wayne Cordeiro says that he wants to die empty! He says that God
has placedenormous potential in eachof us, but millions of people never use
that potential. Graveyards are full of unsung melodies, unwritten poems—
unrealized dreams. We live empty and die full, when we ought to live full and
die empty, our potential reached, our resources spent, our dreams achieved.
So Wayne says, “My motto in life is ‘Die empty!’ I aim to give the graveyard

nothing but a vacantcarcassofa used-up life. I want the words on my
tombstone to read ‘Empty!’ Nothing left. No more gas.”
Paul the apostle died empty. He wrote, “I am alreadybeing poured out as a
drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7 He
lived the dream, and died empty. Pouredout! Good to the last drop!
Live the dream and die empty! Jesus saidthat God has entrusted eachof us
with a dream and the resources to realize it, and someday we’ll stand before
Him and answerfor what we’ve done. What we want to hear Him say is,
“Welldone, goodand faithful servant. Goodjob! You lived the dream and
you died empty! You gave it your all—goodto the lastdrop.”
ILL: Wayne Cordeiro was a first day student at Eugene Bible College, and
only a 3-month old Christian. At his first class, the teachertold them to turn
to Jeremiah–he turned around looking for a guy. “It’s in the Bible, stupid,” a
student whispered. All Wayne had was a NT; he couldn’t find Jeremiah
anywhere.
He went to his secondclass deflatedand discouraged. His teacher, Dr. Grace
Flint, askedeachofthem to write a paper, and the next day she gave Wayne’s
back with a note that said: “Thank you for being in my class, Wayne. Your
insight and contribution was so refreshing during our discussiontimes. Your
obvious zeal for Christ inspires us all. I look with greatanticipation for how
God will use you for His purposes.” Dr. Flint signedit, “The Kingdom of God
awaits you.”
Wayne said he must have read that lastline a dozen times that night. “The
kingdom of God awaits you.” Dr. Flint setWayne dreaming of what God
might want to do with life. Today, Wayne pastors a church in Honolulu that
9000 people attend eachweekend, and that has planted almost 50 other
churches.
God has a dream for you, and I’d like to help you discoverit, live it, and die
empty. The Kingdom of Godawaits you.

Does GodHave Dreams for His People?
Talk of God’s having dreams seems to be growing in popularity—not the fall-
asleep-and-see-strange-things kind, but the wishful, hopeful, I-really-want-
this-to-happen kind. You won’t find this kind of language in (any?) English
translations of the Bible. And you won’t find it in the writings of previous
centuries’theologians (e.g., Luther, Calvin, Owen, Edwards, Hodge,
Spurgeon, and Warfield). But it’s all throughout the popular Christian
literature of the last severaldecades.
I was reminded of this while rereading Sally Lloyd-Jones’s The Jesus
Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name with my wife and daughter
during our family Bible time. There’s much to like about the book, but I’m
not soldon the talk about God’s having dreams for His people—evenin a
book for children.
Here are three examples:
But God savedthe bestfor last. From the beginning, God had a shining dream
in his heart. He would make people to share his ForeverHappiness. They
would be his children, and the world would be their perfecthome. (25)
God loves his children too much to let the story end there. Even though he
knew he would suffer, God had a plan—a magnificent dream. One day, he
would get his children back. One day, he would make the world their perfect
home again. And one day, he would wipe awayevery tear from their eyes. (36)
That’s the end of that dreamer! they thought. But they were wrong. God had
a magnificent dream for Joseph’s life and even when it lookedlike everything
had gone wrong, God would use it all to help make the dream come true. God
would use everything that was happening to Josephto do something good. (78)

It’s obvious that she’s using dream synonymously with plan, but I’m
uncomfortable with some of the connotations and implications dream carries
with it.
Here are some other examples from popular Christian literature in the last
couple of decades:
Spending too much time on the details rather than the dreams. This is a
natural corollaryto the mistake of staying busy. When life gets busy and I get
invested in all the dirty details flowing my way, I lose site of the dreams that
God has for me. Here’s the reality: those dreams usually come when the pace
of my life slows enoughto do stuff like read, pray, rest, experience new places,
and meet new people. Dealing with the dailiness of life doesn’t allow for that.
It needs to be planned and prioritized. We need to create space to experience
God and all that he has for us.1
God’s discipline—painful though it may be—lasts for a moment. God is never
content to allow destruction and misery to have the last word. He promises to
bring beauty in place of the ashes. Life had crasheddown around the weeping
prophet’s ears, but that didn’t mean God was through. Godhad a dream, and
He meant to turn it into reality.2
The secretmessageofJesus isn’t primarily about “heavenafter you die.” It
doesn’t give us an exit ramp or escapehatchfrom this world; rather, it thrusts
us back into the here and now so we can be part of God’s dreams for planet
Earth coming true. ((Brian D. McLaren, The SecretMessageofJesus:
Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything (Nashville: W
Publishing Group, 2006), 183.))
You were given life because Godhad a dream for you. Individually,
specifically, by name. You were no accident. God willed you into existence,
and He not only gave you life, but He also invested you with promise and
potential. Within you is the opportunity to join with God in fulfilling the great
adventure birthed in His mind for you from eternity.3

No, it is not too late, even for you and me, to throw ourselves onJesus Christ,
really to take, reallyto use that strange powerthat he offers and so really
grow into his blessedlikeness, nottoo late for God’s dream of us to come
really true.4
Man was createdin the image of God. God’s dream for man was a dream of
greatness.Manwas designedfor fellowshipwith God. He was createdthat he
might be nothing less than kin to God. As Cicero, the Roman thinker, saw it,
“the only difference betweenman and God is in point of time.” Man was
essentiallyman born to be king.5
The prophets, perhaps scarcelyknowing what they were saying, had their
hints and forecastsofa time when all men of all nations would know God.
That time is not yet; but it is the dream of God that some day the knowledge
of him will coverthe earth as the waters coverthe sea, and it is the glory of
man that he can help make God’s dream come true.6
Hope cannot be for private salvation alone but for the cosmic peace.And
because things will never reach the harmony that is God’s dream for the
human community but will always be under the eschatologicalproviso,
Christians, far from trading opium, cannot settle for any human utopia but
must be ever restless for the bringing about of the elusive kingdom.7
“Godhas a way to make people right with him” (Rom. 3:21, italics mine).
How vital that we embrace this truth. God’s highest dream is not to make us
rich, not to make us successfulor popular or famous. God’s dream is to make
us right with him. ((Max Lucado and Terri A. Gibbs, Grace for the Moment:
Inspirational Thoughts for Each Dayof the Year (Nashville: J. Countryman,
2000), 304.))
Given the assumedauthority for Christians of the biblical revelation, there is
to be no doubt that, working persistently, powerfully, vulnerably, dependably,
God has a dream, a plan, and the ability to bring it to eventual reality. The
Makerof heaven and earth stands by the plan and choosesto be the ever-
present Sustainerand Redeemerof even a fallen creation.8

Martin Luther King is bestknown for his speech, “I Have a Dream.” He
dreamed of equality of the races and socialjustice for all people. The Book of
Isaiahmight be read as God saying, “I Have a Dream.” If so, we would see
that God dreamed of a future in which righteousness prevailedamong the
people and peace prevailed among the nations. God then went so far as to
foretell how He planned to redeem the world. In the most magnificent poetry
of the Old or New Testament, He foretells the coming of His servant who will
bear the names, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace” (9:6).9
How closelythe human family experience fuses with the spiritual experience.
Is this a little of what God dreamed before the foundation of the world, a
household of faith? I really do think so.10
We canclaim that power for the future as well. The people of God are those
who will dream dreams and see visions. That is the prophecy at Pentecost.
God wants to give us His dream for our personallives and for society. I am on
the board of the Union GospelMissionin Seattle, founded by a young man
from Minnesota who was given a dream by Godfifty years ago. He came here
during the depressionyears and begana work to feed the hungry, to house the
homeless, to help the alcoholic and the lonely. He had no resources excepthis
dreams. His dream is still going on. Every year the Union GospelMission
provides tens of thousands of meals and beds and caring for needy men and
women. God has a dream for you as well. Twenty-five or fifty years from now,
other people may be walking around in your dream. ((Bruce Larson and
Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, The Preacher’s Commentary26 (Nashville:Thomas
Nelson, 1983), 345–46.))
See also GodHas a Dream for Your Life by Sheila Walsh.
These authors mean to express something of God’s will, desires, or plans,
which are biblically appropriate terms and concepts. And while dream can be
roughly synonymous, I think there are goodreasons foravoiding it with
reference to God. Will, desire, and plan are more neutral terms and don’t
have carry the same baggagewith them that dream does. Dream canconvey
“a wild or vain fancy” and seems to carry with it the connotationof

powerlessnessto effectwhat is hoped for. By using the term dream, something
is—orat least, canbe—lostof the absolute sovereigntyand omnipotence of
God. Dreamdoesn’t contribute anything that other terms lack, so I see no
goodreasonto use it—especiallywith our children.
You Cannot Out-Dream God’s Plans for You
Article by MarshallSegal
Staff writer, desiringGod.org
We tend to think our dreams were too big when we were young, saywhen we
were six, and too small as we get older. But maybe our dreams never reach
high enough.
When you were six years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Give yourself a little time to remember.
When I was six, I wanted to play basketballfor Miami University (Ohio). My
dad and I went to all their home games. I could sayI wanted to play in the
NBA, but the NBA didn’t seemall that greatwhen I was six. I would play
games of five-on-five by myself in our driveway, and keepstats. Miami (I
calledit “Your-ami” back then) always won.
Why did I dream about playing for Miami? Becauseit was basketballplus
glory — what I alreadyloved to do, exceptwith the added glory of the arena
— uniforms, a finished court, a massive scoreboard, thousands of fans,
newspaperarticles, and televisioncoverage. Thatwas the bestI could imagine
for myself at six.

The reality, though, is that Miami University basketball, orthe NBA — or
whateveryour over-sized dreams have been — are like playing five-on-five
alone in the backyardcompared to what God has planned for us.
What is God’s dream for our lives? What are the highest peaks he’s put out in
front of eachof us? “Whether you eat or drink, or whateveryou do, do all to
the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). In absolutely everything we do —
even down to how we drink that Gatorade afterwe work out or sip our
favorite Starbucks — we do it for the glory of God. In front of the mountain
of purpose and happiness hidden for us in his glory, every other dream and
ambition begins to look pale and stale.
What does it mean to live for glory like that? Paul goes onto saythat he seeks
“to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but
that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). We drink and
eat, work and play, love and serve in ways that strive to win the world for
Jesus. Whateverwe do, we do it to say something about what God has done
for us and about how much he and his love mean to us. We do it for his glory,
and not our own.
A Real, But FatalGlory
Satanwill do everything he canto confuse us — to suggestsmallerdreams,
lesserglories, andother gods to our hearts. And the glory he offers is real
glory — realpleasure and real purpose. But all the glory he offers is small and
short compared with the glory for which we were made (Isaiah 43:7). And to
the degree that it distracts us from Godand his glory, any earthly dream or
pleasure can be suicidal. It’s not going anywhere good. It’s not safe, orfull, or
lasting. It expires, and it kills us in the process.
The world has an awe-inspiring glory of its own. “The devil took him to a very
high mountain and showedhim all the kingdoms of the world and their glory”
(Matthew 4:8). If Satanwasn’t afraid to try and tempt Jesus with the glory of
the world, why would he and his demons hold back with you and me?

We really can live for the glory of the world. That temptation is strong enough
to lure countless millions, perhaps especiallyin America, away from God and
his glory. But the glory the world gives, in money and fame and sex, all fades
awayand eventually leaves us alone. We spend so much of ourselves to have
it, compromising all along the way, and once we have it, it immediately begins
to break down, and it fails to ever satisfy us like we hoped it would.
Lay Up Glory in Heaven
Psalm49 says, “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his
house increases. Forwhenhe dies he will carry nothing away;his glory will
not go down after him” (Psalm 49:16–17). Yousee the wealthy person’s glory
on television and in socialmedia — largerhouses, more cars, nicerclothes.
But all of it dies with him at death. He has more, and more, and more, and
then suddenly absolutely nothing.
God’s glory will not abandon and betray you like that. Jesus says,
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures onearth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break
in and steal. Forwhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19–21)
Some wealth never wanes. The riches God supplies satisfy the heart today and
endure forever, proving their worth and reliability in this life, at death, and
for eternity in glory.
The Glory That Comes from Man
Don’t make the mistake of thinking only the mega-richare in danger. Mostof
us will not have an opportunity to make lots of money, win a major
championship, appear on the coverof a magazine, or own mansions in
multiple countries. We won’t enjoy the glory in being rich and famous, but

we’ll still look for it among our friends. We want approval. We want to be
popular. We want to be cool, whatever“cool” means in our crowd.
Jesus warnedus all when he asked, “How canyou believe, when you receive
glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only
God?” (John 5:44). He said that the men who would eventually kill him hated
him, “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that
comes from God” (John 12:43).
Those who live for the glory that comes from other people cannot also love the
glory that comes from God. Those of us who fear men should be terrified of
God. Forthose who eat and drink to get attention, the Bible says they have
their reward (Matthew 6:1) — the temporary enjoyment of what they craved
and lived for — but in the end, they lose everything.
Why would we want to exchange the glory of God for a few more likes on
Facebook,followers onInstagram, or comments about that outfit — the glory
of God for a pat on the back?
The Happiest People in the World
The people living the happiest, fullest, most meaningful lives are free to say,
“Notto us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake ofyour
steadfastlove and your faithfulness!” (Psalm 115:1). When a man truly lives,
he does “not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
One of my favorite promises in the Bible is Psalm16:11: “In your presence
there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” No
greaterjoy. No expiration date. We cannot out-dream God’s goodplans for
us. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God
has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). To receive it, we
simply have to daily come as open-handed seekers, looking to Jesus and not
the world to meet our deepestlongings.

Happiness like this is free — “by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5,
8) — but it is not cheap. It takes patience, hard work, and perseverance —
day after day, pouring ourselves into his words, sacrificing in his name for the
sake ofothers, and surrendering ourselves to his will. The Christian life is a
race and a fight (2 Timothy 4:7). It hurts along the way, but you’ll never
regretit. Jesus may ask a lot of you betweenhere and heaven, but he promises
to supply the strength for every step, and to give it all back a hundredfold and
more (Matthew 19:29).
It will be everything you ever could have dreamed for yourself, and infinitely
more.
MarshallSegal(@marshallsegal)is a writer and managing editor at
desiringGod.org. He’s the author of Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in
Singleness & Dating. He graduatedfrom Bethlehem College & Seminary. He
and his wife, Faye, have a sonand live in Minneapolis.
Your Calling: 5 Keys to Fulfilling God’s Dream For Your Life
Helen Calder 24 February 2015 10 Comments
on Your Calling: 5 Keys to Fulfilling God’s DreamFor Your Life
You are createdon purpose, for a purpose—to love God and to have a destiny
that impacts the lives of others. Here are 5 Biblical truths about your God-
ordained calling, with some thoughts for personalreflection:
1. Your Calling is Where Your Dreams and God’s Intersect
‘For we are God’s handiwork, createdin Christ Jesus to do goodworks,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ (Eph 2:10)

Deepin your personal DNA is the blueprint of your Creator. There is a
dream—a vision for your future—on the Father’s heart for your life. This is
your prophetic calling. Personalprophecyoften taps into this.
Becauseofthis pre-ordained destiny, there are desires that God places within
you. You dream because He dreamed first. Sometimes, those dreams are
dormant and they need to be discoveredand stirred up.
What dream (vision and desire for your future) is the Holy Spirit stirring in
your life at this time?
2. Courage Arises whenYour Desire is to Make the King’s Dreams Come
True
‘David longedfor waterand said, “Oh, that someone wouldget me a drink of
waterfrom the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three mighty
warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the
gate of Bethlehem and carriedit back to David.’ (2 Sam 23:15-16a)
What distinguished King David’s ‘mighty men’ from all the others in his
service? Theylived for the King. Their dream was to serve him and make his
dreams come true.
It was the warriors who were intimate with the King who heard the desire of
his heart. These were the ones who rose up and performed greatacts of
bravery. The king’s dream and theirs were one and the same.
Be someone whose greatest desire is to make your Father’s dreams come true.
Live for the King’s pleasure—andyou will discoverthe greatestfulfilment of
your prophetic calling possible.
3. Don’t let the Enemy Tempt you with a Counterfeit Calling
‘The thief comes only to stealand kill and destroy; I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10)

A counterfeit prophetic vision appears real, but is a false and misleading
picture of God’s purpose for our future.
For example, it canhappen when we serve fear, selfish ambition, ease, or
another person’s vision for our life. The distortion can be subtle and lead us
unwittingly down the wrong path. We are serving something other than Jesus.
A counterfeit destiny satisfies the soul for a time, but there will always feellike
there is something missing. You may be using your talents and gifts. You may
be even be fulfilling some personalaspirations, but it’s not God’s highest call
for your life. It’s not your prophetic calling.
Take time to check. Ask the Holy Spirit to align your heart and dreams with
the dream God has for your life.
4. You Can’t Fulfil God’s Dreamfor Your Life in Your Own Strength
‘Jesus said, “Peacebe with you! As the Fatherhas sent me, I am sending you.”
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.’ (John
20:21-22)
The assignmentGod has for your life is always going to be greaterthan you
can accomplishin your own strength. You cannot complete it alone. You need
the empowering of the Holy Spirit—His Presenceand enabling power.
God has provided His Spirit, and also everything that you need ahead of time
by His command. (1 Kings 17:9)
So dream big. Don’t let fear and intimidation stealyour prophetic calling and
assignmentfor God. Let God enlarge your dreams. And instead of shrinking
back, receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit for what is ahead.
5. Obedience is Costly, but the Rewardis Priceless
‘…those who live in accordancewith the Spirit have their minds set on what
the Spirit desires.’(Rom 8:5b)

Pursuing God’s calling for your life will lead you to a series ofintersections.
You may be at one right now.
And at that intersectionthere is a price to pay. You can take the easyroad,
the road of comfort or indecision—anddelay the fulfilment of God’s call on
your life. Or you can take the high road of faithfulness and obedience.
Obedience is not about performing to a standard or following a setof rules. It
is about aligning your life to the Personof the Holy Spirit.
This means dealing with issues of sin or attitudes that the Holy Spirit is
bringing into the light. It means getting out of your comfort zone to follow
God’s plan for your life and live for Him day by day. It means being available
to God to help making the dreams of others come true.
Obedience may be costly, but the reward is priceless.
The prize is unity and intimacy with the Holy Spirit now. It is in the lives of
people touched for eternity and a legacyto pass on to the next generation.
So go—live your dreams and in so doing, make the dreams of God for your
life come true.
RelatedPosts:
9 Clues to Your God-Given Identity
Your Identity and Destiny: 3 Keys from the Life of Gideon
© Helen Calder, Enliven Ministries – In the David McCrackenMinistries
Family
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When Can We Say ProphecyIs From The Holy Spirit?
10 thoughts on “Your Calling: 5 Keys to Fulfilling God’s DreamFor Your
Life”
David
28 February 2015 at6:14 am
Hi Helen,
Your third point stirred something in me as I had a situation recently in
relation to my job. I have been led in a particular direction in my job and an
opportunity came up for me, but long term it would take me off the path God
is leading me on and keepme stagnant. I had to decline, it was a great
opportunity but not a God opportunity.
I beganto think about the temptation given to Jesus, Mtt 4:1-11. Jesus would
often say I only do what my father is doing Jn 5:19. I believe it’s vital to
remain on the path marked out for us.
Blessings Helen.
Helen Calder

Postauthor
2 March 2015 at4:56 pm
Hi David, yes I believe that in situations like you have experiencedit is like
Isaiah30v21 mentions: ‘Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears
will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Holy Spirit
is directing our paths and giving us the instinct as to which direction to go,
cautioning when needed so we stay on God’s path for our lives. May you know
God’s extraordinary grace on your work in this season.
JMS
2 March 2015 at11:42 pm
Thank you Helen! Once againyou’ve hit the nail on the head! Fantastic
teaching!
This is exactly where I am … He’s calling me forward but the ‘counterfeit’ is
so appealing (and acceptable in the eyes of some). We CAN wholeheartedly
trust Him with our lives �
Thanks again.
Abijah
4 March 2015 at2:30 am
Wow!This is so timely Helen, God bless you indeed.
HHHHHhhhhhhhmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…I’ve been trusting God for a
confirmation of what I feelhe has been leading me towards, though that does
not seemto be where my hearts yearns to go, but eachtime I want to do/act
differently, he kind of brings me back to that. You nailed it here : ” And at
that intersectionthere is a price to pay. You cantake the easyroad, the road
of comfort or indecision—and delay the fulfillment of God’s call on your life.
Or you can take the high road of faithfulness and obedience. ” Thanks so

much Helen. Believing God for more clarity later in Church today. Thanks so
much and God bless you.
Helen Calder
Postauthor
4 March 2015 at9:16 pm
That’s awesome, Abijah. May the fresh touch of God on your life continue to
flow
onyebuchi okoh
19 October2016 at 2:46 am
please I want to know if I have God calling through my dreams always I see
myself healing people and also raising death people this dreams comes
repeatedly I start asking myself a question in my dreams I also discard
peolpes heart digonise their disease and all so give them a solution to their
problems a lot of different dreams has being coming pls I want know if am
really in the right place with God please tell me Thanks and God blrss you ad
you reply
Helen Calder
Postauthor
17 January 2017 at 8:22 pm
Hello Onyebuchi, what powerful dreams! If healing is a desire of your heart,
trust the work of God in you and continue to pray and take small steps as God
leads you.

okoh
9 January 2017 at2:41 am
I hard an encounter with GOD since then I have being seeing myself
performing so many miracles in my dreams and the more am asking question
the strongerthe dreams come off on and on i raise death people heal the sick
and discern people and it happens in all my dream I see myself prophecies to
people and God giving them a solutions to thire problems so please tell me
what God me to do
Robson
1 April 2017 at4:12 am
Hie Oko,
Your dreams are simply telling you God’s plan in your life. That you have
been chosento heal deliver and raise the dead. It might be not now but it shall
come to pass.
amo alexander
21 September 2018 at10:16 pm
In my dream three days ago, i saw nice looking gentleman with white neat
dress making delivances or playing and the place is so confortable so i shout
hmm here is prencess Godwhen i look back i saw an offering bow and shells
which are full of bible( those use by johoval witness)andistarted crying saying
you have seenme God, you have pass by me, am big you have been heal for
seeing me today you will do my work, you will, see whatis hidding, heal
multiples,your eyes shall see, ears have been opend, people shall hear you all
over the area you will travell to many places to do my work to give my name
grory because all this are given you free : hearing, sighting, hearing,and
singing then it took me up and said i have finished and it took me up on my
feet turing round and fall down heavy. so please any adivice

'Dreamality' Explores God's Dream for Man
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Find Powerin your inbox with God's Word
Ginny McCabe
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CINCINNATI, OH (ANS) -- Who hasn’t had a dream? Whether it’s a four-
year-old’s desire to be a cowboyor a fifty-year-old’s hope to spend the golden
years on a beach, we all dream. The human heart beats to dream and to hope.
Some of our dreams are still on the horizon. In his Howard Publishing release,
Dreamality, author Bob Coy explores the differences betweenman's dream
and God's dream for man.
Our dreams canbe endless and covera range of possibilities. We may dream
of an important promotion, a greataccomplishment, an upcoming vacation,
being old enough to drive, or graduating from high school, collegeormedical
school. The variety of dreams is as countless as our thoughts to achieve them
might be.
It is true that these dreams and more canbe summed up in humanity’s hope
to lead meaningful lives filled with purpose that transcends our own finite
existence. It is this common bond of aspiration that causes oureyes to tear,
our hearts to melt and our determination to rise when we see others’dreams
fulfilled.

But somewhere betweenchildhoodand adulthood, many of us let go of our
dreams. We stop hoping that anything could get better. We stop expecting life
to be full of excitement, anticipation, joy, fun and hope.
We let go of our dreams in exchange for the unrealistic dream world of
Hollywood or MadisonAvenue. At times, our optimism is replacedby anger,
frustration, and bitterness. But it doesn't have to be that way. Bob Coy, senior
pastor of the 17,000-memberCalvaryChapel in Fort Lauderdale, one of the
fastestgrowing churches in America, believes that hope canbe revived and we
can rekindle the expectationof something more in our hearts.
In Dreamality, Coy reveals how Heaven's dream can become your reality. He
looks to God as our dream-deliverer as well as the source ofour dreams. He
asserts that, as we come to understand God's heart towardus and the bigger
picture of our lives, we canreclaim and live out our dreams.
Dreamality deeply explores the differences betweenman's dream and God's
dream for man. Coynot only looks to biblical examples, like the life of Joseph,
but he also relates by incorporating his own life experiences into its pages.
At the age of 24, Bob Coyleft an executive position in the music industry to
serve as an associatepastorwith Calvary Chapel of Las Vegas. In 1985, Bob
and his wife, Diane, moved to South Florida and beganCalvary Chapel of
Fort Lauderdale. As seniorpastor, he has become wellknown for his unique
"life application" style in expounding the scriptures and making them come
alive and relate to those of us living in the 21stCentury.
Dreamality reveals that we all have the same quest for greatness. "We know
instinctively that God’s plans for us are bigger, grander and more meaningful
than any plans we could make, and the cry of our hearts for greatness makes
us identify with people like Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire," says Dreamality
author BobCoy.
Eric was a famous runner from Scotlandwho refused to run in his best event,
the one-hundred-meter race at the Paris Olympics in the summer of 1924,
because the heats were held on Sunday. He chose to run in the four-hundred-

meter competition instead, a race he was not expected to win. The Flying
Scotsman, as he was affectionatelycalled, wona gold metal in that race and
seta new world record. As depicted in the movie Chariots of Fire, Liddell
made this profound statement: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he
also made me fast, and when I run I feelGod’s pleasure.” He was living in the
reality of heaven’s dream and sensedthat God was pleasedwith him. He was
doing the thing he was createdto do, loved best and excelledat most. Now, we
can experience the thrill of victory through his story.
In Dreamality, Coy also talks about the feelings we all have when we are
victorious in achieving our goals and making our dreams become a reality.
We’re driven to our feet, cheering, when the long shot wins the race or when
Rockycomes back from a beating that would kill the average man to take the
World Championship in boxing. We are wired for victory.
"How did we get that way?" Dreamalityaddresses some ofthe common
questions and takes a look at dreams from a Biblical and Godly perspective.
"The Bible tells us that God made us in His own image. That’s one reasonwe
dream. God is into dreams. He’s the dream distributor and the dream
deliverer: God is in the business of giving us dreams and then fulfilling those
dreams in our lives by helping us to realize His purposes for eachof us,"
explains Coy.
Coy shares numerous examples throughout the book about how the Bible is
rich with accounts ofGod-given dreams. Whether through Abraham and his
family, Esther and her destiny, David and the temple, or Joshua and the
PromisedLand, we see Godgiving and fulfilling dreams.
Dreamality takes a closerlook at those Biblical dreams through the life of a
young dreamer named Joseph. Find out why some of his dreams go nowhere,
while others blossom. Once we’ve completedthis journey with Joseph, we'll
find out more about God-given dreams but also learn how to believe in those
dreams. God loves us deeply and only He cansay to us, with the ability to
deliver, “You canhave your dreams back, because they were made with you
in mind!”

Josephsetout in life with a dream, but along the way he encountered
opposition. Dreamality explores the importance of Joseph’s life in relation to
ours, as readers discoversome of the stark parallels betweenJosephand our
own lives today, to see what they revealabout our position as Christians.
In reading the book, you will discoverthat we all have dreams similar to
Joseph’s. Dreams that saywe’re important, that we belong to something
biggerthan our own lives and that we were meant for greatness.But what
happens to those dreams along the road of life? How do we change from
hopeful dreamers into disappointed or dutiful doers stuck in the rut of
routine? The answeris, we have an adversary - a dream destroyer. And when
he attacks, the life we thought would be a dream becomes a nightmare.
Sometimes we even lose sight of our dreams. At least, that’s what the
adversary wants us to believe. But it’s a lie.
By the time you finish reading the book, you'll discoverthat God has given
eachof us a dream and with his help we canlive it. "I wrote this book because
I hope to rekindle the expectationof something more in your heart. That’s
what we were createdfor - something more, something supernatural that is
biggerthan this world," says Coy. "I pray that through the pages ofthis book,
you’ll regain the hope and beauty of the grand dream for your life that began
in God’s heart."
A Dream From God Has These 6 ClearCharacteristics
5:00PM EDT 8/26/2017 JohnE. Thomas
Does your dream pass these six tests? (Pexels/Tookapic)
I love dreams. I love the contours of God's voice, the creativity He puts into
His relationship with eachof us. I enjoy interpreting dreams because every

dream from God is an expressionof His heart to the dreamer, and I get to see
one more facetof His love.
In my last post, I addressedthis question: "How do I know if my dream is
from God?" I explained that dreams cancome from one of three sources—the
enemy, the human soul or God—andI mentioned some of the ways we can
recognize dreams from the enemy and dreams from the soul. In this post, I
want to explore how to recognize dreams from God.
Dreams, being a form of revelation, hold to the same rules as revelation. To be
from God, a dream needs to do the following:
Agree with Scripture;
Carry the character of God and fit His personality;
Be truthful, accurate;
Beargoodfruit;
Point to Jesus and
Be full of colorand light.
The Scripture Test
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A dream from God will not violate what He has already revealedin Scripture.
Like other forms of revelation, dreams are never intended to create doctrine
or establisha rule of faith or practice for all people at all times—only the
Bible can do such a thing.
It isn't a dream from God if it tells you to steal, commit adultery, murder or
violate any other moral commandment. Similarly, it isn't a dream from God if
it tells you not to pray, that another god is God, that you shouldn't go to
church or share your faith, that you shouldn't serve or give. Dreams from
God will not change Scripture.
The CharacterTest

One of the keys to recognizing God's voice is knowing the difference between
conviction and condemnation. Conviction is about activity, whereas
condemnation is about identity. Conviction is specific, whereas condemnation
is vague. Conviction cuts to the heart but leaves hope for change, while
condemnation strips us of hope for change. When we are dealing with
condemnation, we begin to believe the weightof our sin is so greatthat we will
never be free.
The Holy Spirit shows us where we aren't living out the new life we have in
Christ, so we can repent and come back to His heart. The enemy, meanwhile,
slanders and accusesus until we are left hopeless and feeling defeated. When
the Holy Spirit brings conviction, we can repent and turn back to His ways
and the weight of the convictionlifts. But when the enemy is condemning us, it
doesn't matter how much we repent—it won't feellike enough.
A dream that leaves you feeling hopeless, like you will never be goodenough
for Godor like you've done something that forevermarks you and holds you
back from His purpose for you—that is not a dream from God. It is from the
enemy. Rebuke such dreams and don't believe them. Instead, ask Godto show
you His heart for you.
The AccuracyTest
The word "revelation" refers to something you didn't know previously. Just
because a "revelation" is accurate doesn'tmean it is from God (see Matt.
7:21–23). At the same time, God doesn't lie, so all revelationfrom Him will be
accurate.
Understanding the difference betweenwhat is from God and what is not from
God will keepus from chasing after deceptive signs, wonders and even
deceptive revelation. Though the accuracytestis important when determining
if a dream is from God, the other tests need to be employed as well.
The Fruit Test
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness,
faithfulness, gentleness andself-control(Gal. 5:22–23). A dream from God

will never direct you to hate someone, become fearful, lose control or accuse
another person.
But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, do not boastand do
not lie againstthe truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly,
unspiritual, and devilish. For where there is envying and strife, there is
confusionand every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, opento
reason, full of mercy and goodfruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy (James 3:14-17).
The Jesus Test
In Deuteronomy 13 and 18, God gives keys to recognizing true and false
revelation. When discerning the source of a dream, this is the main question
we should ask:"Does the revelationpoint us to a god other than Jesus?"The
spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:10), which means that all
true revelationwill lead us to Him.
Did the dream tempt you to put your trust in anything other than Jesus?Or
did it cause your heart to fall more in love with Him?
The ColorTest
God is light, and around His throne is a rainbow of color. The Bible often uses
"light" vs. "dark" and "day" vs. "night" as metaphors for goodand evil, God
and Satan. A dream from Godwill often be full of colorand bright light.
The Main Thing to Remember
The foundation of discerning your dreams is relationship. As you draw closer
to God, He will revealwhat is from Him and what is not. If you approach
dreams and supernatural experiences from a position of relationship, you will
find yourself walking on safe, steadyground. Your Fatheris goodand He
wants to speak to you. When you ask Him for bread, He won't give you a
stone (Luke 11:11–13).

John E. Thomas is the president of Streams Ministries and the co-author of
The Art of Praying the Scriptures: A Fresh Look at Lectio Divina with John
Paul Jackson. Teaching onprophetic ministry, dream interpretation and the
kingdom of God, he travels internationally and works to help restore the awe
of God to a world that has lost its wonder. John and his wife, Dawna, live near
Dallas, Texas.
To learn more about dreams and dream interpretation, check outDream
Foundations as wellas other resources fromJohn E. Thomas and John Paul
Jacksonatstreamsministries.com.
Dreaming Big for God (Romans 15:22-29)
RelatedMedia
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00:00
December16, 2012
In Don’t Waste Your Life ([Crossway], pp. 45-46), which you all should read,
John Piper contrasts two stories. The first story is about two women, one over
eighty, the other in her late seventies, who had given their lives to make Jesus
Christ knownamong the unreached people of Cameroon. In April, 2000, their
brakes failed, their carwent over a cliff, and they were both killed instantly.
Piper asks, “Wasthat a tragedy?” He answers, “No,that is not a tragedy.
That is a glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost.
‘Whoeverloses his life for my sake andthe gospel’s will save it’ (Mark 8:35).”

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