DREAM OF FAITH

Last night I had the most amazing dream. You know those scenes in movies when you come to the perfect neighborhood and every guy is mowing the lawn in unison as his wife stands at the door way waving and the kids are biking down the street? It was that kind of dream. But you were in it, yes, all of you. As I walked down the street I saw each one of my friends and family members were those people in the houses. And these weren’t normal little houses; each one of them was a big beautiful house. And in the drive way of each house were these beautiful and expensive luxury cars. As I walked down the streets you would all look up at me with the biggest smiles on your faces and wave at me. This was my dream.

Now to most of you, this is in fact only a dream. As a matter of fact, I don’t doubt that for 95% of you, as you read that, immediately to your head came "yeah right" and maybe 4% of you said "I wish". But, I know that there is at least one person who after reading this, didn’t say "yeah right" or "I wish", they said "I WILL". "I WILL" have big beautiful houses. "I WILL" will have the most beautiful cars. "I WILL" have the best things in life. And why can I be so bold to say this? Because my Father which is in heaven says I can have it.

Jesus himself told us to ask for it when we prayed, "on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10), does that sound familiar? Everybody talks about how were going to have mansions in heaven and have everything we need, want and desire in heaven. We are going to be rich in heaven. Well, how much simpler does God need to make it? Say it with me now. "ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN". If were going to be living in mansions in heaven, then we can have mansions on earth. If were going to have all our needs, wants and desires meant in heaven then we should have them the same here on earth. If were going to be rich in heaven then we should be rich on earth, and for you people who think they mean spiritually rich, trust me when I tell you, if you’re not spiritually rich already then there’s no chance in hell you’re going to see heaven. Jesus said (I’m paraphrasing) "whatever you touch, you will have" (Matthew 18:19), do I need to explain that one to you to, or you think you got it?

Now here’s the kicker. The Bible says that all things happen by faith. Oh wait, what? I know what you’re thinking, "Just because I believe for something doesn’t mean Ill have it". Well, you’re doing it right now. You believe negative and that’s what you’re getting. You believe for lack and that’s what you have. ". . . of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45), what you believe in your heart is what you speak, and what you get in life. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21), the wisest man to ever live says that we live by our words. How much easier can God make it for us? But what do we do? We make some lame excuses. "I don’t understand the Bible" (rebuttal-II Timothy 3:150-Arent you smarter than a child?). "Nobody knows what Gods will is for us" (rebuttal-Romans 12:2-How are we supposed to fulfill Gods will if we don’t know it?). "Money is evil" (rebuttal-I Timothy 6:10-First of all, the LOVE of money is evil and if you LOVE money then even if you have it I know you're not happy, but God will give it to us with the peace that goes along with it. Plus if money was so evil, then why do we need it to live?)

See, the sad thing is that all these excuses show one thing; Christians are lazy. Instead of reading the Bible and knowing it for themselves, they are content with what they think they know. They’re okay with what you tell them, as long as they don’t have to walk out of their comfort level to do anything. Remember the "Faithful Servant" (Matthew 25)? After all was said and done, what did his master say to him? "Well done good and faithful servant". He didn’t call him perfect. He didn’t expect him to be perfect. He called him faithful. He judged him according to his faith. What did he say to the lesser servant who did nothing? "You wicked and slothful servant". He combined slothfulness with wickedness.

What does this tell us? Faith takes work. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). God sees how faithful we are by the works we do to get to where we want to be. Our salvation is a gift from God according to his grace, but the blessings we receive in life is according the faith we have to belief for them. So I end with this, stop telling God what he can and cannot do. God who created the universe can get you that house or that car or that career. God who created the world can give to you what is on it. God who created your body has the power to heal it. But, God is limited by only one thing, your lack of faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen . . . But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Show God your faith and he will show you amazing blessings, but give God no faith and he will give you nothing in return. What you give to God, he gives to you.