My Dream

In 1991 I was a less than motivated seminary student. I sat in classes but my heart longed to be doing the work of ministry and not doing more preparation for it, especially since my undergraduate degree was in Bible. Often I sat in classes day dreaming or reading my Bible. While professors droned on about Old Testament history, Systematic Theology, Evangelism, Preaching, and so forth God planted a dream in my heart. A huge audacious gigantic dream that has consumed my life for the past 28 years.

The dream has required God. Brenda and I have labored. We have worked hard. We have sacrificed to see this dream come true. We have prayed much. I'm looking at my old Bible to a passage that has fueled this dream. I have read, reread, preached and taught on this passage so often the pages have yellowed from my thumbprints. Well marked notes I wrote in the margins have become smudged and faded with time. It seems I have circled most words and if not words then phrases in those verses. They are as familiar to me as driving home.

Why do I bring this up? I read a question this week in a Bible study that immediately made me think about those verses and the dream planted in my heart so long ago. Here is the question. "What are you doing in your life personally that you know cannot be accomplished unless God intervenes?" - Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God, pp. 19.

How would you answer that question? What impossible thing has God called you to believe Him for? What grand dream has God planted in your heart? What are you trying to accomplish that will never be done unless God does it? Sadly some people will live their whole lives and never have an answer to those questions.

For me the answer is simple. Those who know me best will be able to guess my answer. I live to build the Acts 2 church today. To be more specific I labor, pray, serve, sacrifice, preach, teach and to a great extent write so that I may live out and experience [Acts 2:42-47]. Read it and dream with me.

Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)
42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44  Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45  and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

For Noah it was to build an ark. For Abraham it was to be the father of a great nation. For Moses it was to deliver Israel from bondage to Egypt. For Joshua it was to possess the promised land. For Gideon it was to deliver Israel from the Midians. For David it was to slay Goliath. For the disciples it was to fulfill the Great Commission and establish the New Testament Church.

For 28 long years I have carried this cherished impossible dream. I have seen wonderful moves of God during that time. I cannot say we ever got to see [Acts 2:42-47] fully lived out in our midst in any of the places we served. I know now I never will unless God does it. It will not be me doing it, building it or organizing it.

My dream is the one God has given me. What has He given you? To build a herd. To create wealth to be lavishly given to Kingdom of God causes? To start a new ministry or possibly a new church? O how I hope we prayerfully devote ourselves and pursue God given dreams with all our might for His glory.

John 15:7-8 (NKJV)
7  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.