Is it a Dream or message from God?

Do you have a dream? I am not talking about the bizarre imagination that you had when you slept after having too much pizza or when you have worked long exhausting hours and passed out on you desk. In your sleep, you realize that you are really a robot, controlled by this long cord that is stuck in your back. A loud ringing seems to be pulling you from a different realm of the spirit. When you wake up you find that you were sleeping on the phone. You probably know this, not all dreams are from God!

I am talking about the dream or vision that is in your heart. Yes, it may have come in a dream at night, but it may have been born over time also. A vision that is on the inside of you that at times seems more real to you than what is in front of you. A dream that burns inside of you something that is so big that you cannot imagine how it could possibly happen.

At the end of a calendar year, some people plan to change their lives. Usually setting goals that are unattainable (in their own strength) or they would have already happened. Sometimes they choose to act on things that they always wanted to do and again it falls flat in most cases. It has always been a dream of theirs. Why did it not work out? Why do some people seem to be successful and others fail? It is simple. Unless God is at the wheel, you will crash. On our own, we are powerless and even at times can be a hindrance to the plan of God for our lives. However, when we allow God to guide our every step we step into the miraculous!

Many of the great men and women you read about that changed the world, which really made a difference had one thing in common. They had a dream. Did they accomplish it all by themselves? No! Did it happen overnight? No. But it did become reality? Yes! They dared to dream and it happened. They hung onto what was real to them when others said, “It can’t be done.” When those around them said “I give up! It is hopeless!” they went on. When people came and went within their lives, they “Dared To Dream” and they held on to the dream.

In Acts 2:17-21 we see where these dreams come from. “17 ‘In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. (NLT)

I do not know about you, but I still consider myself in the vision stage. But whether it is a vision or a dream, if it is from God, I desire with all my heart for it to come to pass. We see in Numbers 12:3-8 of the Old Testament that God communicated to His leaders in visions and dreams, but with Moses He communicated directly. This foreshadows the church today. We are to communicate with God directly, through His Holy Spirit. Today, God does not communicate only through prophets in visions and dreams, but directly, by giving us our own visions and dreams concerning our future.

We see an example of being led by a dream in the New Testament in Matthew 1:20. “20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “ Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. (NLT)

Another example is in Matthew 2:13-15. “13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “ Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” (NLT)

When we are sure that the dream is of the Lord, it is up to us to act on it by faith. In Acts 18:9-11 we see how the Lord instructed Paul and what Paul did after receiving that vision.

“9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me.” 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.” (NLT)

Paul acted on the vision the Lord placed on the inside of Him and we know the rest of the story concerning his life. If he had cast it aside as a bad dream or said, “I cannot do that. What will people think of me.” type of an attitude, we would have a completely different version of the bible and a dramatically different start to the church.

I believe we can gain an important lesson from the actions of Paul in response to the vision he received. He did what he was told! So many times I hear of people hearing from the Lord and trying to do it their own way or only getting part of the vision and adding what they want to it. Both will end in disappointment.

Another common error that we can get into is seeking dreams and visions. The enemy loves to deliver High Definition, digital, and surround sound images to our mind. If we are not truly seeking God we will want to follow the spectacular vision we now have and, all too often, fall flat on our face.

A true dream or vision from God will be in your heart, not your mind. It will not be like a movie you once watched and now forget parts of it; it is now a part of you. YOU WILL NOT FORGET IT! In these dreams, God is the hero - not ourselves. The exciting part is, all you see Him doing, He will do through you, if you dare to dream!

You may say, “OK, I believe I have a dream inside me and from what you are saying it could be from God!” “Then why do I only have part of the dream.” Or, “I tried to change my life and go after what I had inside and it fell flat!” Sometimes God will only give us a part of the dream because that may be all we can handle without getting into pride or really messing up our lives. If you messed up the first part of the dream, thank God He did not give you more. Only God, working through us, can cause the dream to become reality.

Then what is our part? We can act as if it is true! When we know it is from God, then His desire becomes our desire and we will want it to walk in it with all our heart. When we place our hope in God to help us fulfil the vision He has put inside of us - that is the first step in having it come to pass!

Hebrews 11:1 “1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. (NLT)

Do you have a dream? Do you hope it will happen? Then place your confident assurance in a living God, a God that wants to help you every step of the way.

Write it down! Seek God on where to start and what your part is and wait for His timing. We see this in Habakkuk 2:2-3 “2 Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. 3 But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” (NLT)

Not everyone you tell will be as excited as you are, but that is OK. It is not their dream it is yours! As I mentioned before, not everyone that says they are excited and want to help will necessarily stick around. However, some will and you will know when God has brought you in contact with the very people that will share you dream and together you will see it become reality. That is why I have the slogan on the website, which you may have seen.

How can my vision possibly come to pass? God does not expect you to work alone! We do have a part to play, but He will bring people into our lives that have different abilities and gifts that will add to what you can do and then God will do His part to complete the vision.

When will it come to pass? Impatience is why so many Christians fail. God is a God of order and timing. It will happen but it will be in His timing. In most cases, there may be things we need to mature in, or to experience before He can take us to the next step. We need to be willing to learn every step of the way. Too many times I have felt pressured to act and when I did I soon found out it was not God that was pressuring me.

It is God’s desire that “no one shall perish.” What that means is that He desires every living person to develop a relationship with Him and realize the salvation that is available through Jesus. When God places a dream inside us it is not only to bless us, but also to be a blessing to everyone we have influence over. We are blessed - to be a blessing! When we dare to dream God will place every blessing in our path that will help us accomplish the vision before us.

So go ahead and Dare to Dream God’s dream, and He will help you live your dreams!

Philippians 4:13 “13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (NLT)

You may have had a dream like the one I have been describing. This New Years day I challenge you to revisit your dream. Ask God to reveal the first step that you are to take and when. Remember God does not expect you to accomplish it on your own. If you have not locked into a bible-believing church you may be missing the very people that can help you fulfil you dream.