What will I do?

Wow, what a statement! I was reading Perry Noble's blog this morning, he is a pastor in South Carolina I believe the church is called New Spring, he was telling about having Matthew Barnett speak at their churhc. Matthew Barnett leads the Dream Center in the city of angels in California (that is LA for the uninitiated), I have read his account of God building that incredible church and ministry and it is fascinating. As Barnett spoke at New Spring Perry Noble recounted some of his statements, but one really hit me today. The quote from Barnett was "I know of people in the Bible who stood in the way of God's dreams - and they died". Wow, what a statement!

My eyes filled with tears as read and re-read that statement. Then I prayed and begged God not to let that be said of me. I want to be a dream follower of God's, not a dream killer. I want to see and follow God's dreams and plans for me and my church. I have always considered myself somewhat of a visionary, but I have to face the facts that I have not been that way in the past few years. I allowed some stuff to quench the dreaming part of me. That is a crushing realization.

Reading Matthew Barnett's comments was a bit of a wake up call for me. I have said often, mostly in the past, that if you are going to dream you might as well dream big, after all dreams are free. It is following and fulfilling them that is costly. But they are worth the price when they are God's dreams. It is worth it to a life transformed by Christ. It is worth it to see hope restored to someone who thought their life or situation was hopeless. It is worth it be a part of God's miracle movement in a church body. It is worth to see families restored. It is worth it to follow God's dream even if you don't see all of it fulfilled. It is worth it, period.

I want to see so much more in my church. I believe that God has positioned us to really make a difference in our town, county and region. I believe that God has great things, true "God things", in mind for us. We must beleive and follow the dream. We must pray for it, work for it, give to it and give God all the credit when it happens. I have to lead the way. I haven't been doing that, forgive me.

What are you dreaming for from God? What you believing God to do in your life, family, church and community? What has God already shown you that He wants to do?

Here's hoping you see God's dreams. Here's hoping you will take the opportunity and work for God's dreams. Here's hoping that Easter Sunday is a beginning for some of those dreams. Here's hoping that I can really get back to dreaming, vision casting, big thing believing ways.