My strange Dream

I woke up agitated the other night. My dream was like no dream I have ever had before. It was so vivid and the sense of loss stayed with me for days. Even now as I think about this dream it brings back that same sense of loss. So before I tell you about the dream let me give you a bible verse that goes along with it.

James 4:14  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

This is not a verse I knew from memory. I actually had to google for the reference. I am currently reading Colossians so not even in this book of the bible, but a few nights ago I dreamt of two top hats. You know the kind that you pull white rabbits out of. They were large and into them the souls of everyone in existence were being poured. As the souls went in a vapor arose. White for those who knew Jesus and Dark for those who did not. I was standing there observing all of this. As I watched I felt my heart breaking. So many lost souls. I cried out in sorrow and then was told you can change all of this. One soul at a time.....................

Now that may seem like a crazy dream to you. It was one like nothing I have ever dreamt before, but the message was clear. Life is short and there are so many lost souls out there. What am I doing daily to bring those souls to Christ? My dream was an outcry against complacency. We cannot as Christian men and women sit back and let those lost souls go. Not without a fight. 

So how do we bring those souls to Christ? I believe that there is a simple 4 letter word that outlines it pretty well, LOVE. Through love we show others that we are different. Remember your language counts. Watch your words, be different than society. Show love to those who don't deserve it. Bless those who come to you in anger and most of all cover everything you do in prayer. If you live differently those around you will notice. If you have Jesus and your heart is full of love; those who are seeking will be drawn to you. When they are remember we are all sinners, do not judge them, but show them the amazing power and love of the Savior that came to die for them. The Savior who loves them despite anything they have done or will do.

Because every soul that is lost in eternity is heartbreaking to God, and what breaks his heart should break ours too............... Every lost soul was once a baby, formed in his perfection, somebody's child, a brother, a sister, and most importantly they have the potential to be an earth shaking leader, the next Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, or C.S. Lewis could be sitting next you right now..........What will you do about it?

Hillsong United

 I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

Yeeeah

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest 
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours

Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

A to do list

I'm not big on lists, but there are some great things I want to do this year, and if I write them down maybe I will get them done.

1. Read the books on my list
2. Make goodie baskets for all my neighbors and invite them to church at Christmas
3. Sponsor a child
4. Give money to missionaries
5. Memorize 10 bible verses
6. Complete the family ID
7.Serve others  at least once in a way I have not previously, i.e. soup kitchen or other community outreach
8. Run a 5K
9.
10.

So 9 and 10 are up for debate still................

Obstacle=Divine Opportunity

Your prison can be your pulpit. This is the message of Paul in Philippians. It's all about perspective and Paul's is that anything that furthers the gospel of Christ is gain.

God specializes in using our trials for his gain. Often we find ourselves in impossible situations. We see these situations as setbacks, but God sees then as setups. He's got it all figured out and all you have to do is stop asking why and start saying "What now God?" Your trials today are the testimony of tomorrow.

There are so many examples out there of people who struggled through their trials and came out on top! They were better for what they went through. Psalm 66: 10-12 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.¹¹ You brought us into the net;You laid affliction on our backs.¹² You have caused men to ride over our heads;We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.  Notice the underlined portion of this verse. It's really all about Perspective. 

I know that trials will come. Some of them will seem insurmountable and others will seem tiny. God doesn't bring us to the trial to hurt us, but to bring us through the trial. Look at Paul in Philippians he was chained to the Roman soldiers. Paul wanted nothing more than to bring Christianity to Rome. He longed to teach of Christ in Rome, but that seemed impossible. However, here he was chained to soldiers. These influential men were a captive audience and one by one Paul preached to them. He could have cried out in agony at his plight in prison. He could have asked God, "Why me?" He could have grown angry with God and turned away. Surely imprisonment was terrible, but Paul saw that some things are bigger than our dicomfort.


I've said it before and I am sure I will say  it again: what it comes down to is your faith. No matter the trial you have to ask yourself, "Do I have enough faith for this?" Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.  He won't desert you in your time of need, and that time may be the opportunity for you to witness to someone who wouldn't hear the message if it weren't for you. In the situation that seems impossible will you have the faith to ask God, "What Now?" No more asking why, No more making Excuses, set your pride aside, and ask him what he wants from you in this situation. A lot of things that we worry about don't really matter. Ask yourself 100 years from now will this matter? If the answer is no then you need to stop worrying and start doing!
Philippians 3:8   Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 

James1:2  ² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

Lead me to the Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
Te word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart