Jesus grew up in Mary and Joseph’s household, increasing in wisdom and stature at least as it pertained to His humanity.

Luke 2:51-52

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

I believe He must have lived and walked by faith in those growing years, otherwise how could He have ‘pleased’ God as the baptism account highlights.

Luke 3:21-22

21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Never before had anyone, whether they are a prophet, priest or even a king, heard these special words from God.

“You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Vs 22).

First, God focused on Jesus’ sonship. Jesus was His ‘beloved Son’ a – covenant term of endearment. Then He went on to say that He was ‘well pleased’ with Jesus! Notice this was before Jesus had even begun His ministry. He had not performed any miracles – His first was to come later at the Cana wedding where He turned the water into wine. He had not called any disciples, nor had He faced any of the temptations in the wilderness. He was in the starting blocks of His public ministry, yet God was already well pleased. How so?

Jesus had pleased God because of His faith. The book of Hebrews teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

This applied to Jesus too. He obviously lived by faith all these years as He was being prepared to launch into public ministry.

It was not Jesus determination, talent, obedience to His parents or even His regular synagogue and temple attendance as He grew up that pleased God, good as all these were. No, it was His simple faith or trust in God’s goodness towards Him that pleased His heavenly Father, and which precipitated the favorable public endorsement He received at His baptism in the Jordan.

Likewise, in our own walk with God, we ought to be encouraged that He is pleased with our faith when it is rooted in what Jesus has done for us at the cross, and not in our own efforts. It was at the cross that Jesus paid the price for the total forgiveness of our sin. No amount of obedience to the Ten Commandments, hard work, witnessing, church attendance and service can ever measure up to what Jesus has purchased for us at the cross. We enjoy all that Jesus accomplished by simply receiving His gift by faith.

When we seek Him, we will be greatly rewarded for our faith. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Nothing has changed since those early days.

As children of God born again of His Spirit let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and His completed work, and not ‘fall from grace’ by relying on our own efforts to try to please God in some sort of Christianized works or behavior modification program. We live and grow in Him by faith and faith alone.

He knows we will fall short of His glory every time, so has provided a way out of this dilemma of sin through His Son. Jesus came as our perfect sacrificial substitute who fulfilled all the Law requirements on our behalf. This is grace: the unmerited favor of God.

Let us gratefully receive the abundance of this grace and the gift of righteousness so that we can reign in the realm of life.

Romans 5:16-17

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Very importantly, the works we ‘do’ therefore are the natural fruit that spring from our abiding relationship with Him. They do not make our faith alive (this would negate Jesus’ role), they merely express His life within (James 2:20).

Recently, we have made a major geographical move from California to Washington State with plans to pioneer a new church called Seattle Life Church on the Eastside. See www.seattlelifechurch.org

All the start up stuff needed when you move into a new area can get overwhelming if you don’t keep your eyes on the foundational reason you made the move in the first place: Jesus is still building His Church, His way, and for His purposes. Really, all else misses the mark and is a waste of time energy and money.

This scripture has challenged me as a vital checklist: is anything (and everything) I do finding its source in Christ, relying on His life and focussed on Him? Here it is:

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things…” Romans 11:36 (Emphasis added).

Yes that’s all things: no separation between the secular and sacred here – nothing excluded. Whatever we do must start with Him, be played out with His ways and land up bringing Him glory.

Thankfully, we can ask Him for wisdom in whatever we do, starting each day knowing that the abundance of His grace will empower, cover us and put a stamp of His favor on anything we do. His grace and mercy is a great catch-net which gives us the confidence to step out and be the witness He has called us to be.

He’s our benevolent Father and wants us to do well, and bring Him glory in our sphere of influence.

So ‘no worries, mate’ – or as the Bible says: “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

He’s got you covered!

(For more resources to help you fulfill your calling and destiny in Christ, see: www.edhorak.com )

Expect The Victory

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

God is a winner, and when you stay close to Him, following His ways, you will be a winner too. Do not start anything without an assurance of God’s victory. Victory is not a matter of chance but of covenant and choice. Why would you start a fight that you knew you were going to lose!?

Victory is all about God’s presence. Joshua experienced good success in his ministry, not because he was inherently better than the person next to him. No, he enjoyed God continuing presence. God was with him as He was with Moses.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

He advanced knowing that God had already won the victory. The land was his already. He simply had to follow the steps outlined for him. He was not fighting to gain the victory, he already had it! Today, in Christ, it is no less, only better. In Christ we already have the victory. He is the conqueror; and we are more than conquerors, because of what He has done.

Embrace The Cross

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25 

Everything of value comes with a price. Jesus has paid the ultimate price, dying on the cross for all mankind. Any minister is not above His master and in some way will have to pay a price. Before the crown comes the cross. Something always has to be denied. Every minister of excellence has to forsake the things that weigh him down: maybe appetite, or personal ambition, arrogance, anger, or even ambiguity. Every life must come to a point where that which blocks the door to your future must die. Only God can truly focus on those hidden issues and give you the courage to endure the shame.

Enlarge Your Own Heart

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 1 Kings 4:29-30

Solomon had been chosen to lead the nation and he asked for wisdom and got so much more. His humility enlarged his capacity to receive from God all the things he needed as king. He excelled going way beyond His peers, thus bringing God glory in the eyes of the world.

Your passion determines your provision, and what you ask for speaks about your heart. As a minister of excellence, ask for things of eternal value.

Eliminate Presumption

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:6-7

In an age of instant and sometimes overwhelming communication, good ideas from other ministries can sway you to pursue some form of ministry with God’s permission. Good ideas or not automatically God ideas and time must be taken to process the dealings of God. The Holy Spirit has veto rights to your zeal. What God has anointed someone to impart to His people, their part, may not be your part too. Envy and competition can be deadly introducing confusion and every evil thing.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:16

We are taught to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. You cannot presume that everything you feel capable of has God’s stamp of approval. He has a place and purpose for everything and any ministry must fit into the bigger picture of His strategy.

Enrich And Equip the People

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,… Ephesians 4:11-12

God is committed to reproducing Himself in His children, bringing them to maturity through the gifts He positions in the body of Christ. Ministry is all about raising up God’s people to reach and function in their greatest potential. The ministry gifts are there for the people, not the other way round. Ministry is about laying down self for others. The measure of ministry is whether people are enriched, edified and equipped for their part in glorifying God.

Excel In All Things

But as you abound in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us–see that you abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7

No part of the minister’s life is his private domain. Jesus is either Lord of all or not at all. The excellence of Christ must be found in all parts of our lives: family relationships, eating habits, preaching, entertainment and recreation activities, giving, and even physical exercise. It has been said that Jesus should be given the keys to every room in your house. After all, nothing is hidden from His sight, so why not let Him into your innermost thoughts, and allow the good work He has begun to diffuse through to everything. He will bring His excellence to everything so that His abundance can overflow in and through your spirit, soul and body.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 2

It will show in your life and ministry.

Bad things do happen to good people. Joseph is a case in point. He was a good young lad, rather cocky and somewhat unwise. He shared his dreams with his family prematurely and without much sensitivity at all. His envious brothers sold him off into slavery and Joseph then underwent 13 years of difficulty, tests and trials before being launched suddenly into his destiny as God’s man for the hour. Joseph was not responsible for his brothers evil actions, something out of his control, but he was responsible for his own attitudes, something within his control. Things turned around for Joseph just when things looked like they would never change for the better. Who knows what would have happened had Joseph given up in despair while languishing in that Egyptian prison so long ago?

In the above scripture Joseph assures his fearful brothers, now aware that he was alive and wondering whether he would punish them for their callous duplicity, that what they intended for evil, God was able to turn it around for good. Not that God engineered the tragic events over those lonely years, but rather that God was with Him and as his faith remained intact and his attitude sound through all the trials. It is not what happens to Joseph that is key here, but what happened in him. His heart was refined and his excellent spirit rose above the circumstances so that he could become a type of Jesus who withstood betrayal of the worst kind to come through for us and stand in the gap as our savior. There may be circumstances outside of your control that are harassing you, but with God’s strength, you can take control of your attitude. Attitude is sometimes the only difference between deliverance and continuing captivity.

Throughout history God has come through for people in tight spots. He is their master in turning bad things around, if we let Him. Our faith and patience keeps the door to His deliverance open. Yet God does not work in a vacuum, He needs our cooperation. He does not capriciously favor this one and holding that one down. Joseph’s humility kept him from developing a victim mentality that would have cut him off God’s mercy and grace.

In the end, after so many years of persecution and seeming delay, all things did work out for good for Joseph. His dream was fulfilled, and God extended Grace and provision to His covenant people. Joseph truly loved God, obeyed His commandments and was called according to His purposes. His story is a classic example of what Paul writes about in Romans.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

In my experience, sad to say, all too often things do not always work together for good for some. I know I am not in a position to be the final judge, but there are some people I know who say they love God, but their lifestyles do not show that they obey His commandments nor do they cooperate with His purposes. They are really off doing their own thing, in their own way at their own time. Everything they do seems to be coated with a religious veneer, but God is really peripheral to their lives.

When something bad happens, God gets the blame as they begin to question His integrity and their hearts become hardened. This is sad. When God’s nature and ways are understood, and they can, He is seen to be the loving Father who pities His children while working out His divine purposes in and through us in an imperfect world full of uncertainty outside of God.

It is fair to say that in today’s perilous times faith and obedience are not optional extras for some select super saints, but absolutely necessary to please God and survive this life, let alone thrive!

This passage refers to ‘mature’ sons. Maturity is the condition of being able to produce and reproduce according to God’s will. An immature ‘son’ will always be a son, but it not grown up enough to fulfill the call on his life. God’s plan for every ‘son’ or child of God – male and female, is to be led by the Holy Spirit in the words they speak, and in their actions and reactions.

There is a close connection between growing in the Word of God and being led by the Spirit. He does not ever lead you apart from His already revealed will as given to you in the Word. When you make it your custom to saturate your life with God’s ways (His Word), you gain a heavenly perspective that the Holy Spirit can work with in helping you make wise Godly choices. Learning to hear His voice in the unique situations of your life is a lifelong privilege.

Make a habit of worshipping Him, waiting upon Him, and writing down what you see and hear so as to be accountable and accurate.

Realize also that because of your unique life, you will need to cultivate openness to new and fresh things that your eyes have not yet seen. Being led by the Holy Spirit is often a creative consequence of your relationship with Him. In Chapter 7, we look at how to get to know Him better. When you know a person’s nature, you begin to know how they will act or react in any given situation.

God actually wants you to know Him intimately, and be like Him, His representative or ambassador in any situation.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us…

The Different Ways He Leads You

The different ways in which the Holy Spirit leads you, always occur within the framework of, and in confirmation of God’s Word and include the following:

Impressing upon your heart a specific scripture that speaks to your situation – a passage ‘jumps off’ the page (Daniel 9:2).

An inward impression about something or someone – an inner ‘knowing’ (Acts 17:22).

A point made by an anointed minister – you witness that what is being said or written in a book etc is for you (Luke 24:32).

A vision or spiritual dream – these make a greater than normal impression upon you than simple daydreaming (Acts 10:3).

Night vision or spiritual dream (Daniel 2:19 / Acts 18:9).

A prophecy or tongue and interpretation (usually in confirmation of what you already perceive in your heart).

Be open to any and all of these ways.

‘Testing’ Or Seeking Confirmation Of What You Have Heard Or Seen

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.

It is not wrong to seek clarity or confirmation of your ‘leading’. Avoid falling into dangerous waters by glibly grabbing at any ‘spiritual’ encounter without being sure that it is from God. Many have gone astray because they wrongly assumed that just because something appears supernatural it is automatically from God. Satan is the master deceiver, and the Bible teaches that we are to ‘test the spirits’ (1 John 4:1).

Then too, you may be driven by something that you personally want, and the impression you have actually originates in your own heart and not from God. You may even desire something that is good in itself, but not God’s specific plan for you at this time.

Here are some ways in which you can ‘test’ what you feel are Holy Spirit leadings.

Does it agree with scripture?
Does it make you more like Christ?
Does your trusted church oversight confirm it?
Is it within your call?
What is the time frame?

God does not mind you being cautious while you learn to accurately discern His voice. You certainly don’t want to be distracted or even deceived into thinking what you have heard or seen in the spirit is from God when it is not.

The first thing to recognize is that He is full of goodness to give! Unfortunately, many have a warped understanding of God: that He is looking down on us, waiting for us to slip up so that He can punish us in some way. This cannot be further from the truth.

The record shows that the punishment for man’s sin has already fallen on Jesus at the cross. Jesus has already suffered in our place and paid the price for our salvation.

The way is now open for all mankind to receive God’s abundant forgiveness and blessing…this is the good news that we spread.

‘With Fervent Desire’

Jesus made this remarkable statement when He celebrated the last supper on earth with His disciples:

Luke 22:14-15

14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ..

He had celebrated at least two other Passover meals with them before, but His focus and fervent desire had all along been on this one. He knew He was about to suffer for them and us, and knew that His substitutionary sacrifice would open the way into the Father’s presence in a brand new way never experienced before.

He was fulfilling prophecy before their eyes, and was totally committed to establishing a permanent relationship with His disciples. His death would lead to their life for eternity and His desire was rooted in all consuming love. He ‘burned’ to consummate His life’s work with the greatest act of love ever, and so He sat with them and shared these moments of intimacy before His betrayal.

The disciples had only to receive what He was to about to do. At this point none of them comprehended the magnitude of God’s love about to be poured out on them, yet He pursued them nevertheless. This is the heart of God: He pursues, we eventually respond.

God’s goodness must be received, for He will not force His will on anyone. The following scriptures highlight God’s goodness towards us.

 Psalm 86:15

15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

 John 1:12

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Romans 2:3-4

 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 5:16-17

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

1 John 4:9

9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Each scripture describes some benefit that we enjoy because of God’s love for us.

God’s nature and will are perfectly made manifest to us in the person and work of Jesus. Jesus said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).  At the Last Supper When He blessed the bread, broke it and then gave it to His disciples, He was in essence giving Himself to them. His heart’s intent was to bless them through this covenant meal.

This was not the time for discipline or even self examination. He had just washed their feet in an act of supreme self sacrifice. They were cleansed by what He had done for them, and not by what they had done or even were later to do for Him. Grace (God’s unmerited favor and enablement) was abounding towards them, and all they had to do was to sit and receive it.

A Celebration Of Blessing

 Celebrate

‘To move in a circle, reel to and fro, dance’

The Lord’s Supper has always been and ought still to be a celebration of His goodness and mercy, where the focus is on His grace and not on self introspection. When Paul wrote his first letter of correction to the Corinthians it was in response to gross error and selfishness in that church at that time. To rightly divide the Word today his words of correction, as they apply to the Lord’s Supper, ought not to be the standard for the church today every time it is celebrated.

God has created us for close fellowship with Him, and thankfully His blood alone has paid the price for this. No amount of human effort, repentance or even self examination brings us closer than we already are through His blood.

Ephesians 1:7-8

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

The redemption and forgiveness we enjoy is according to the ‘riches of His grace’ and not according to the depth of our repentance, our sorrow or even our religious efforts to in some way prove to God we are worthy to receive His blessing. An ‘unnatural and religious’ fear of God may seem appropriate to some, but is rooted in self effort and not in the completed work or grace of Christ.

Neither is our intimacy with God guaranteed simply because we are familiar with a particular way of celebrating The Lord’s Supper. In fact familiarity and ritual can sometimes stand in the way of intimacy. Expectant faith is always the essential ingredient of a vital relationship with God through Jesus (Hebrews 11:6).

God’s intended blessing through the Lord’s Supper is freely given and must be freely received with thanksgiving. His kingdom rule is marked by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) where joy is that deep sense of well being that is the fruit of an abiding trust in what the Lord has already done for us. Kingdom joy is represented by the wine of the Lord’s Supper. 

God is a joyful happy God who enjoys celebrating! (Sadly many have a picture of God as still angry with mankind despite the fact that it was poured out and exhausted on Christ at the cross!)

He has often put a celebratory stamp on His dealings with us. For example, the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament speaks of an outbreak of joyful abandon as the Holy Spirit was poured out on receptive and yielded disciples. This was no somber religious moment; rather a time where so much blessing flowed into and through their hearts that the onlookers thought the disciples were ‘drunk’ (Acts 2: 12-21)!  It was in fact totally different to the first Pentecost at Mt Sinai, fifty days after the first Passover in the Wilderness when the Israelites received the Law. That fateful day three thousand died, whereas Pentecost in the New Testament saw three thousand come to the Lord in joyful salvation! Whereas the letter kills, the Spirit now gives life! This ought to be the focus of our celebration.

The ‘new wine’ of God’s freedom in Christ still perplexes many. Even Jesus’ first miracle where He turned water into wine at a wedding feast shows that God is in fact pro joyful celebrations. He is not sour but sweet. Who are we to turn The Lord’s Supper into a time where we focus on our shortcomings instead of His majesty and perfection? When we focus on our imperfections we take the focus off the very one who is able to change us from glory to glory.

Moreover, the ‘cup’ of communion is described as the ‘cup of blessing’ (1 Corinthians 10:16). It is not a cup of cursing, but a cup that signifies an overflowing, ‘more than enough’ blessing. Let us therefore purpose to open our hearts to God’s intended blessing through The Lord’s Supper, something that can be enjoyed both at home and ‘in church’.

First, you can delay your destiny by faulty theology where you believe God as responsible for absolutely everything: good or bad. Offense can get in if you believe God is responsible for the bad things in your life. There is no accountability for human sin in this way of thinking.

Second, scripture teaches that destiny can be delayed when you do not aggressively pursue your future with the authority God has given you. He has made His move, paid the price, paved the way and now it is your turn to press in and lay hold of what He has promised you. You must be doer of the Word.

Third, delays come when you presumptuously step out ahead of God in the flesh without enquiring of Him as to His timing or strategy in the pursuit of His purposes (future).

In cases like these, you will hear a voice behind you saying: ‘This is the way, walk in it’ (Isaiah 30:21). The reason God is behind you is because you have gone ahead of Him and turned to your own way. You may have started well with Him leading you, but if you are not diligent, you can go astray by getting ahead of God.

Fourth, if you accurately hear God’s instructions at first you will make good progress. But if you then slip into ‘cruise’ mode, inertia will lull you into a sort of spiritual ‘sleep walking’. God expects you to be wide awake and make the necessary mid course corrections to hit your target.

Make choices to avoid these causes, and although delays seem irredeemable to us, God is well able and willing to turn things around when we cooperate with Him.

How to Make Each Day a Masterpiece

To bring an order to each day so that it does not point aimlessly at some vague future hope, consider doing the following.

First, value your day the same way God does, He does not waste a single one. Treat it as God’s gift to you. You will have to give an account to God for the stewardship of your time. It is not yours to do with as you please. Like Jesus, we are to work while it is day (John 9:4) and ‘redeem’ the time (Ephesians 5:16), or make the most of the opportunities God gives us each day.

Second, find out from God the chief purpose for each day. In this way you can order any sub goals to fit into the God given framework for that day. For example, if Sunday is a day for rest and spiritual replenishment, why would you want to dishonor that day’s purpose by not going to church, and rather working in the yard, running all over town shopping, and finishing up drained and exhausted? Look ahead at your day and ask yourself whether what you plan to do will bring you closer to your life goals or not. Change your plans if they do not. Live an examined life.

If the day is primarily for preparation, then prepare, don’t clutter up the day with other pursuits. Start small, win often and build momentum that way. David killed the bear and lion, before he took on a giant. Things build over time.

Third, decide not to carry any regrets from yesterday’s failures, disappointments and frustrations into today. They only suck the life out of you. Don’t be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who said to Jesus, ‘We were hoping’ (Luke 24:21) as they looked back on the disappointment of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus just three days earlier. Here Jesus was with right there with them, very much alive in their midst, and yet they did not recognize Him because of their consuming sorrow. It took this act of God to come to them, arrest their descent into mediocrity and bring them back on the path to their destiny. What will it take for you to see Jesus in your present, without looking back in the rear view mirror of regret? Make sure you are headed in the right direction.

Fourth, and connected to this, is to have an attitude of gratitude each day for the good and perfect gifts God He gives you. Learn to rejoice in the positives and reject the negatives. A thankful heart keeps the ‘switch’ of faith turned on. Grumbling and complaining keeps you from your better tomorrows. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness of unfruitful living for forty long years because they grumbled and complained on what should have been a short two to three week journey towards the Promised Land.

Fifth, consecrate each day in prayer to the Lord in the morning. The rest of the day is sanctified this way, and things go smoother when you release your faith ‘with your mouth’ in the morning before the day starts. Speak God’s promises over your day. This gives God a chance to direct your day, rather than let it wash over you like an indiscriminate incoming tide. How is this so? God backs up His promises, and when you speak them in faith, He is there to watch over them.

Sixth, at the end of the day take time to relax, reflect on your progress and replenish your spirit soul and body. If indeed each day is God’s gift to us, then thanksgiving at the end of a day is always appropriate. If you have had a hard day, find something in it to rejoice over. Focus on that, rather than the negatives. Keep a personal journal where you write down the Lord’s encouragements, promises, and insights. Your end of day reflections will definitely propel you forward into the next day with greater wisdom and confidence. Writing things down in a journal gives God a chance to help you clarify the issues and get His perspective on what happens.

James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…    

Everything that comes from God is good. This includes the dreams He gives. They are worth living for, are never empty of His power to bring them to pass. That makes them good.

Dreams are the language of the future, and when you place proper value on what you are sensing from the Lord, His dreams become His gift to you. Dreams determine your destiny and also of those you influence. Whatever you do always has an impact on someone else’s life in some way at some time.

 God wants you to leave a positive life imparting legacy behind you, and the dream He has given you is the means to that end.

Dreams in General

A dream is any picture, thought, vision, hope or aspiration of a preferred or better future. Dreams may come while asleep (the typical definition) or while awake: a daydream. In a general sense, your desires, imagination, goals and personal convictions are the stuff of dreams. We are all dreamers in some way, and ‘see’ or imagine some future possibility.

Dreams are not empty ‘fairy’ tale wishes but the powerful mechanism by which you create something out of ‘nothing’. In this way you fulfill that aspect of your make up that is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26a). He made you to be ‘like’ Him.

In this context, God is the creator, and wants you to play your part in ‘creating’ your future in accordance with His revealed will. Think about it. God has set it up that you have an integral part to play in ‘creating’ your own future. You don’t live in a vacuum. God has made His move, and now it is up to you to understand His ways and respond in faith to fulfill your destiny.

What the Bible Says About Dreams

First, both the Old and New Testaments record many accounts of people having dreams that either informed, or inspired or warned them of things to come.

Joseph dreamt of his future leadership role in the family (Genesis 35:5-10), Solomon had God appear to Him in a dream challenging him to ask for what he wanted (1 Kings 3:5), and Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, was comforted about her innocence when you fell pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-21). Later Joseph is warned by an angel in another dream to flee to Egypt with his young family (Matthew 2:13). Even Pilate’s wife is troubled by a dream about her husband’s dealings with Jesus at His sham trial (Matthew 27:19), and the great apostle Paul’s ministry is directed in a new path to Macedonia (Greece) by a ‘night vision’ or dream (Acts 16:9).

In these and many other instances, there is a manifest supernatural element evident in God given dreams. God is supernatural, and reserves the right to communicate with mankind this way. We would do well to open up to God in this area of communication and pay more attention to our dream life.

Of course there are some dreams that replay in some form life’s fears, hopes, unresolved postures and attitudes. Generally these dreams are quickly forgotten. However, God given spiritual dreams are not easily forgotten, but remembered years later. They have a definite impact on our aspirations and hopes and form the seed for our futures.

These dreams must be properly interpreted as there is a tendency to read additional things into the dream when we awaken. Specifically ask God to help you interpret a dream you feel is from Him. It is good to test all things. God doesn’t mind, and it could save you a lot of later disappointment. Be prepared to receive clarification or even correction as you walk humbly before God in this.

The Bible record shows that the people who had these supernatural dreams did not have them every night. They certainly did not run around saying: ‘God said thus and so’ one day, and then say another thing the next day as the circumstances changed. God is not the author of confusion. Such ‘religious super-spirituality’ should be avoided. It is always wise to check things out before presumptively stepping out. God has a process and a plan, provision and even a specific set of people to link up with. There is also a precious sense of timing that needs to be followed. Young Joseph found out all this after a thirteen year ‘delay’.

Regarding dreams in a general sense, the Bible does teach us that when we consecrate our lives to God, He will interact with us to show us things to come by means of His Word and His Spirit. As we grow in our relationship with Him, and trust and maturity grows, the thoughts we have about the future become an integral part of our dream arsenal.

God wants us to closely follow His promptings and develop a level of sensitivity to His voice so that what seems good to Him will also seem good to us.    

 Acts 15:28-29

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

There was agreement between the Holy Spirit and the leadership as to what to say. In this instance of guidance, it was ‘naturally’ supernatural. No hype, fanfare, bombast, just a simple, but no less supernatural ‘it seemed good’. Never force anything with God. He is not obliged to operate in spectacular ways, nor according to your timetable. If His leading is indeed spectacular, so be it. When Moses and the Israelites saw the Red Sea parting in front of them it surely was a spectacular sight. But note it only took them three short days after this great event to start complaining. Faith expressed through obedience is what sustains you far better in the long run. Dramatic displays of the miraculous get your attention, but faith that comes by hearing God’s Word will always stand the test of time and circumstance.

Faith is the connector between your dream and the realization of that dream in the future. Faith comes when you stay ‘hooked’ up to God. He wants you to hear and keep on hearing His Word as a cornerstone of your devotion and resultant lifestyle.

Romans 10:17-18

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Conviction grows as faith grows. Conviction leads to change, and change impacts the future.

            But know this, that in the last days

            perilous times will come:

            For men will be lovers of themselves,

            lovers of money, boasters, proud,

            blasphemers, disobedient to parents,

            unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,

            slanderers, without self-control, brutal,

            despisers of good, traitors, headstrong,

            haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than

            lovers of God, having a form of godliness

            but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Perilous times are here. We now live in the last days where even the church is not exempt from the influences of this spiritual environment. Churchgoers will have a ‘form’ of godliness, but in reality when all the pomp and circumstance is taken away, their lifestyle is in opposition to God.

As the Lord positions His leaders for the challenges of the 21^st century, the time for playing’ church is over. In fact there has never been such a time. Leaders need to be keenly aware of the immediacy of these perilous times and have the courage to conform to God’s pattern of servant leadership. The church is being called to account with greater urgency, and God has begun the process with His leaders. He is shaping a new breed and is turning the hearts of these ‘spiritual fathers’ towards their ‘children.’

Change in God’s kingdom starts at the ‘top.’ The new generation of leader will lead God’s people into His purposes for these end times. As the pace of life accelerates, these leaders’ adaptability and sensitivity to changing circumstances will carry them further than their predecessors. The new breed is captivated with a vision of the glorious church spurring them to pursue Christ likeness as never before.

Their newfound zeal is directed firstly towards changing self. They are not prepared to hypocritically demand change in their followers without first being submitted to the Lord’s dealings in their own lives. A keener sense of the calling to serve is being breathed into the church as leaders respond the Holy Spirit’s purity.

            You know that the rulers of the Gentiles

            lord it over them, and those who are great

            exercise authority over them.

            Yet it shall not be so among you;

            but whoever desires to be become great

            among you, let him be your servant….

            just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… Matthew 20: 25-28

The Challenge

God is issuing a fresh challenge for His leaders to conform to His standards in leadership. He is commanding them to take up the towel and serve. It requires change. 

The body of Christ will not rise above its leadership and the call is stronger than ever for leaders to conform to a level of servant hood that will see the church fulfill her glorious calling.

The lifestyle of humility and repentance will keep the door open to spiritual growth.

He overcame disappointment by developing a trust in the integrity of God’s word despite the immediate circumstances. He knew that God would come through and watch over His covenant word. As the word works in our own lives, we will be able to share God’s faithfulness with conviction and authority.

The servant-leader will recognize that the closer we get to the Lord’s return, the more ministries will begin to overlap, cross-pollinate and flow together, bringing their own resources together like tributaries to the mainstream. There is a level of corporate unity that the Lord wants to establish in His body.  To establish this, leaders will have to be prepared to ‘let go’ of the control they exercise in ‘their’ territories. In order for the Holy Spirit to lead the body to glory, the spirit of control has to be broken off leadership first.

Unity will be founded on love. Perfected love casts out fear. Love will see things from God’s perspective, for He is love. Fellowship centered on truth, honesty and genuine faith will not be characterized by defensiveness. So many ministries are ‘owned’ by leaders fearful of losing the identity they worked so hard to attain. The thought of losing one’s identity in the body has caused different denominations to miss out on what God has been trying to restore to His body as a whole.

The end-time church will be led by servant-leaders consumed with a passion for the Lord and His pure purposes. Led by and in submission to the Spirit it will not tolerate ritual and meaningless religious activity that draws it away from a simple devotion to Christ. Like Queen Esther it will be received into the presence of the King to rule with Him and fulfill its destiny.