Dreaming Great Dreams

DREAMING GREAT DREAMS

(Healthy Habits by Luis Palau, June 2001)

 

When I was about seventeen years old and beginning to take the

Word of God seriously, one verse bothered me. I just couldn’t

believe that it meant what it said. I checked other translations

to see if I could find a better rendering. But the verse says

essentially the same thing in each translation.

 

Jesus Christ declares in that verse, “I tell you the truth,

anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.”

(John 14:12)

 

That is a fantastic, almost incredible promise, but there it is.

It came from the lips of the Lord Jesus and has been proven

many times. Have you proven it true in your own life?

 

As a teenager growing up in Argentina, I felt frustrated about

evangelizing the unsaved. “Lord, there are millions of people

in this country alone,” I realized. “Yet here we sit, Sunday

after Sunday, the same people doing the same thing. We have

to reach out.”

 

So several of us began to pray together, “Lord, get us out of

here. Do something. Use us.” Slowly, in my heart and in the

hearts of the others, a vision began to grow -- a vision of

reaching millions of people.

 

Some of my dreams were so wild that I didn’t tell anyone except

my mother about them, and I didn’t even tell her all of them.

She encouraged us, saying, “Come on. You don’t need a special

message from the Lord. He gave the order centuries ago to preach

the good news to everyone. So go. Don’t keep waiting for more

instructions.”

 

So we began to evangelize -- slowly, in a small way. Now I am

constantly amazed how the Lord has fulfilled so many of our

great dreams the past thirty years. “Praise the Lord!” we’ve said

again and again. “It’s happening!”

 

While Jesus Christ was here among us, He deliberately limited

Himself to three years of ministry in Palestine -- to a small area

for a short time -- before dying and rising from the dead to save us.

 

Today Christ is calling you and me, His ambassadors, to dream

great dreams because anyone who believes in Him can do the

great works He did. How is that possible? The key to this promise

is twofold.

 

First, because Christ was going to the Father, He would send

the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Now that the Spirit indwells us

as believers, Christ does His works through us!

 

Second, Christ adds a condition to His promise: “Anyone who has

faith in me will do what I have been doing.” The Lord challenges

us to have faith -- not necessarily to have more faith, but faith

in Him. It is an ongoing faith. Another translation puts it this

way: “He who continues to believe in me will also do the works

that I do.”

 

Have you stopped seeing great things happen in your life? Perhaps

you have stopped believing that God can work in a mighty way

even in our generation.

 

What limits the work of God here on earth? Is God somehow

incapable of reviving the churches? Of turning the hearts of

multiplied thousands to Himself? Of causing the fires of revival

to spread throughout this country and beyond? Of course not!

 

In a sense, though, God has chosen to limit His works to those

things we trust Him to do through us.

Lighting The Fires Of Revival

LIGHTING THE FIRES OF REVIVAL

(Healthy Habits by Luis Palau, June 2001)

 

The apostle Paul’s desire to win the world to Jesus Christ always

challenges me. Despite the stonings, beatings, and other

hardships he endured, he sought to fan the fires of revival still

brighter.

 

Paul used strategic thinking to carry out his ministry as an

ambassador of Christ. His missionary journeys were carefully

planned to saturate major cities and provinces with the Gospel of

Jesus Christ. He never considered it carnal or beneath his

dignity to make such plans.

 

Even though Paul had a definite strategy to win his generation to

Christ, he wasn’t bound to it. He remained sensitive to the

Spirit’s leading. You remember how the Spirit compelled him to go

to Macedonia, for instance, even though he had other plans (Acts

16).

 

This is an exciting concept to me. On the one hand, God intends

for us to use logical, strategic planning in fulfilling the Great

Commission. On the other hand, if we are sensitive to the

prompting of the Spirit, God can redirect our plans when

necessary. One doesn’t cancel out the need for the other.

 

Like Paul, we need to think strategically if the whole world is

to hear the voice of God. We must work and pray not only for the

salvation of specific individuals, but also for the masses in

large cities and nations. What would it take for them to hear and

believe God’s voice?

 

After studying the lives of Paul and other great evangelists in

church history, I am convinced that God is using evangelistic

festivals to touch millions of lives and bring hundreds of

thousands into His kingdom. I am equally convinced that God uses

other methods as well.

 

To say one form of evangelism in God’s eyes is superior to

another form is a serious theological flaw heralded by some

critics. Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that

by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22)

Witnessing to a friend is no better or worse than preaching to a

multitude. God does the work, no matter what method we use. It is

through the power of the Holy Spirit and by God’s grace that

people are saved.

 

The Scriptures repeatedly testify that God moves both individuals

and multitudes of individuals, often after the church experiences

a fresh touch of God’s hand. Church history confirms this, too.

But why do we always have to read about past revivals? Why can’t

we live revival in our own flesh and blood?

 

As Evan Roberts, the “silent evangelist” of the great Welsh

revival, reminded each audience to whom he spoke, God will pour

out the fires of revival only when four things happen:

 * public confession of Jesus Christ as Savior,

 * confession of every known sin,

 * the forsaking of every doubtful activity, and

 * prompt, complete obedience to the Spirit.

 

If these four things take place in lives throughout this land,

the flames of revival could spread around the world. But what must

happen before revival starts -- with you?

Catching A Vision For Evangelism

CATCHING A VISION FOR EVANGELISM

(Healthy Habits by Luis Palau, June 2001)

 

 At the end of World War II, Robert Woodruff declared, “In my

generation it is my desire that everyone in the world have a

taste of Coca Cola.” Talk about vision!

 

Today Coca Cola is sold from the deserts of Africa to the

interior of China. Why? Because Woodruff motivated his colleagues

to reach their generation around the world for Coke.

 

How big is your vision? Have you ever dreamed about what God

could do through you to help win the world in our generation to

Jesus Christ? After all, as Oswald Smith said, the only

generation that can reach this generation is our generation.

 

Even though the Lord limited His own public ministry to the

Palestine area, He came and lived and died for the whole world.

After His resurrection He commissioned His disciples to “make

disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) He sent them as His

ambassadors first to Jerusalem, then to all Judea and Samaria,

and ultimately to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

 

Those first-century Christians were hesitant to dream about

how God would fulfill Christ’s last commands. The apostle Paul

challenged their complacency by devoting his life after his

conversion to traveling and proclaiming Christ.

 

Paul explained his vision for evangelism in Romans 15. First,

he could report, “From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum,

I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:19)

Even his enemies admitted that Paul had saturated entire

provinces with the Gospel (Acts 19:26) and had turned the world

upside down (Acts 17:6).

 

Paul was not content to saturate one small area with the

Gospel at the expense of the rest of the world. He had a strategy

for reaching the entire Roman Empire. “But now that there is no

more place for me to work in these regions [Jerusalem to

Illyricum], and since I have been longing for many years to see

you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain.” (Romans 15:23-24)

 

Paul went on to explain his itinerary. In his mind he

visualized every major city he would stop at on his way to Rome.

He longed to win the people of this influential capital city to

Christ -- just as I long to see key cities around the world hear

the voice of God. But beyond Rome, Paul ultimately wanted to

reach the entire known world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Like Paul, as God’s ambassadors our vision should be “to win

as many people as possible to Jesus Christ throughout the world.”

That is part of my evangelistic association’s statement of vision

and reason for existence. Following the example of Paul, we

actively and aggressively seek to evangelize the masses from city

to city using every means possible.

 

Evangelism is not an option in the Christian life. Paul

admitted, “When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am

compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

(1 Corinthians 9:16) Whether by preaching or praying, traveling

around the globe or speaking to those next door, we should all

have a part in winning the world to Jesus Christ.

Experiencing The Greatest Thrill

EXPERIENCING THE GREATEST THRILL

(Healthy Habits by Luis Palau, June 2001)

 

As a young man I was excited about preaching the Gospel of

Jesus Christ at street meetings, children’s meetings, and

rallies. I prayed and studied and preached, but felt frustrated.

 

The day came when I finally decided I didn’t have the gift of

evangelism, after all. It was obvious. No matter how zealously I

preached, no one was coming to Jesus Christ. Nothing I did seemed

to make a difference. I was inspired by the things I read and

heard about Billy Graham’s ministry, but I knew I didn’t have

what he had.

 

I gave God a deadline: “If I don’t see any converts through

my preaching by the end of the year, I’m quitting.” Oh, I would

still be an active Christian, but I would dedicate myself to

teaching believers rather than evangelizing the lost.

 

The end of the year came and went. No converts. My mind was

made up: I was through preaching. Now I was sure I didn’t have

the gift.

 

On Saturday morning about four days into the new year, the

small church I attended held a home Bible study. I didn’t feel

like going, but I went anyway out of loyalty to the elders.

 

The fellow who was supposed to teach the Bible never showed up.

So the man of the house said, “Luis, you are going to have to

say something.” I was completely unprepared.

 

However, I had been reading a book by Dr. Graham called “The

Secret of Happiness,” which is based on the Beatitudes. So I asked

for a New Testament and read Matthew 5:1-12. Then I repeated

whatever I remembered from Dr. Graham’s book.

 

As I was commenting on the beatitude “Blessed are the pure in

heart, for they will see God,” a lady suddenly stood up. She

began to cry and said, “My heart is not pure. How can I see God?

Somebody tell me how I can get a pure heart.” How delightful it

was to lead her to Jesus Christ!

 

I don’t remember the woman’s name, but I will never forget

her words: “Somebody tell me how I can get a pure heart.”

Together we read in the Bible, “The blood of Jesus, his Son,

purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This woman found peace

with God and went home with a pure heart overflowing with joy.

 

When you win people to Jesus Christ, it’s the greatest joy.

Your graduation is exciting, your wedding day is exciting, and

your first baby is exciting, but the most thrilling thing you can

ever do is win someone to Christ. And it’s contagious. Once you

do it, you don’t want to stop.

 

I challenge you to pray, “Dear God, I want that experience. I

want to know what it is to serve as your ambassador and win

someone to Jesus Christ.”

 

Whatever our place in the body of Christ, let’s enlarge our

vision to invite one more person into God’s kingdom. After all,

God doesn’t have a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C for

evangelizing the world. He has only one plan -- and that’s you

and me.

Don't Forget To Pray

DON’T FORGET TO PRAY

 

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not

inquire of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14, NIV)

 

After the days of Moses when the armies of Israel, led by

Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land marked out for

them by God, the surrounding kings and nations were

understandably terrified. This was because God was with the

Israelites giving them great victories wherever they went.

 

However, the men of Gibeon, a nearby country, resorted to

trickery and outsmarted Joshua. They sent a delegation to

Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant

land so they could deceive Joshua into making a treaty with

them. Their donkeys carried worn-out sacks and old wineskins

that were cracked and had been mended. They wore old

clothes, and worn and patched sandals, and the bread they

carried with them was dry and moldy.

 

Their ruse worked. Joshua signed a treaty with them and only

afterwards discovered they were a neighboring people among

those countries God had told Joshua to destroy because of

their wickedness. They had to live with the consequences as

a result.

 

Joshua’s mistake was that he made this treaty without

praying and inquiring of the Lord! An extremely valuable

lesson for all of us to learn!

 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for including this

story in your Word, the Bible, as a graphic reminder for me

to seek your guidance and direction for every aspect of my

life, so that I will continuously live in harmony with your

perfect will. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Thoughts for the Week

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Thought for the week: “The opposite of courage is not

cowardice but conformity.” -- Unknown

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WORDS OF WISDOM

 

 1.  The best way to get even is to forget.

 2.  Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

 3.  God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

 4.  Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL

      have to be maintained on earth.

 5.  Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up.

 6.  Words are windows to the heart.

 7.  A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting

      on the wall, claims it’s a forgery.

 8.  It isn’t difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill,

      just add a little dirt.

 9.  A successful marriage isn’t finding the right person-it’s

       being the right person.

10. The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

11. To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover

      the prisoner was you.

12. You’ll notice that a turtle only makes progress when

       it sticks out its neck.

13. If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,

      you can bet the water bill is higher!

 

       -- Submitted by Melinda Stone

 

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CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

 

If a child lives with criticism

He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility

He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule

He learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy

He learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance

He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement

He learns self-confidence.

If a child lives with praise

He learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness

He learns justice.

If a child lives with approval

He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with security

He learns to have faith.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship

He learns to find love in the world.

      -- Author Unknown

 

 

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WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

 

How true is the saying that what you see is what you get!

As Steve Goodier in his book, Are You Living on the Past?

shared how both the vulture and hummingbird fly over the

same desert. The vulture sees rotting flesh. The hummingbird

sees colorful desert plants.

 

What we hunger for and thrive on is what we look for and

find. Frederick Langbridge put it this way: “Two men look

out the same prison bars, one sees mud and the other stars.”

 

If we hunger for evil, that’s what we’ll find.

If for good, that’s what we’ll find,

If for illicit love, that’s what we’ll find,

If for pure love, that’s what we’ll find,

If for righteousness, that’s what we’ll find, and

If we hunger for God, he is what we will find!

 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a pure heart

so I will always hunger and seek after what is pure, what is

true, what is right, and after you. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name.

Amen.”

 

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Have a “God” week and a great forever!

 

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace.”