What is Your Vision for our Future?

What is Your Vision for our Future?        8-11-24 Kelly Durant 

 

Proverbs 29:18

18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.       Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

2.I want you to answer this question. Does history just happen from circumstances or do people make the circumstances happen?

Do random events make up our past or did people plan those events? For Example, did World War II just happen, or was it planned to happen? If you think things just happen on their own, think again.

 

At that time all of the world’s leaders conspired and fought hard to obtain their positions. Everyone had a vison for the future. For example, the Germans wanted to rule the entire world and cleanse it ethnically! The Americans dreamed to stop that evil and have each country’s sovereignty and ethnicity respected! It’s the same war today; it’s either oppressive dictatorships or republics with freedom! As described in the Daniel 2 statue, either iron or clay.

 

The world’s nations have a dream or vision inspired by their leaders but note that man proposes but it is God who disposes! We know the outcome of the past; God was on the side of the Allies as it wasn’t yet time for the anti-Christ to arise. Hitler was a type of anti-Christ, led by hate and the occult, but God allowed good to conquer evil then because Christian people fought. The question for you and me today is: What is your dream as an individual? The world leaders are going to do what they do and sadly wars and misguided goals destroy millions. But what can we do within the confines of our local world?

 

3. MLK Jr. said: I have a dream…I have a dream that….

Do you know what that was? It was that all the people would one day live without discrimination being judged by their character, and not by the color of their skin. This was a good dream, and much has improved since the 1960’s. It was needed and still needs to be envisioned and practiced everywhere but man’s sin of not having love for his neighbor stubbornly persists. The world needs Jesus! 

 

People do catch visions, or idealistic dreams and often these dreams are announced by men of God onto the people who want to accomplish something of value. We all want a cause to give our life to. It is better to die for something than to live for nothing! Right?

 

So, what is your dream for us to accomplish in this city? Corps?

It is God, and only God that permits your or my dreams to become reality. I propose we teach our children and family members the ways of the Lord, and that we all shine our lights of good works in the community, and pray that, even though we are few, that the community gets impacted by the Word of God! Proverbs 11:10

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

 

4. Here is another dreamer, a globalist-conquer-the-world type one: Did you know that when Napoleon met the Russian leader at the border of Europe after he had conquered Europe, said, “I will invade Russia, I will march on the streets of Moscow”! 

 

Napoleon had a dream. But the wise Russian leader responded, “Man proposes, but it is God who disposes!” Soon the winter snow caught and froze almost all the soldiers of Napoleon’s army and so many died that Napoleon had to retreat and He returned never to reach is dream. He was from then on reduced and defeated.

 

His dream was not within God’s will. His dream was only for himself and his desires. He was building his kingdom, not God’s kingdom. This has an analogy to many churches today, they want to grow, be rich, and take over the regions, but their dreams are for their own grandeur, and not for God’s glory. And sadly, people who get burnt from being a part of a “chosen-frozen” church that dries up in scandal due to an unrighteous pastor or corrupt congregation often lose their faith, vision, and dreams to serve Jesus! We must be careful what we are following! If it is not to grow God’s Kingdom, then we know it will fail as man’s kingdoms all fall and fail! The globalist today are building a world system, but it will only last a short time because Jesus will return and destroy it!

 

5. What is your dream, for God’s glory, or for yourself?  

How many of you are planning your future right now?

How many of you had a dream say 5 years ago and now you are living that dream now? Did you plan to be where you are today? God’s grace has brought us all through a lot of trials and hard times. 

 

Many people, including immigrants, often plan big to become rich and live the American dream only to never reach their goals! They are like Napoleon, deceived they have obtained something, not seeing how it will soon all be lost when adversity comes. Adversity comes to everyone and we cannot even walk without God’s hand pulling us through! Having the wrong dream in life makes you miss God’s plan as much as not having any dream at all!

 

Here in the scripture of Proverbs 29:18 we read that the people faint, the people lose hope, they perish if there is not a vision or dream to live for. People, you and I, we all get depressed without a dream to get better. The reality is the average person does not even have dreams for their lives. Some do get rich but the ones who gain the world are going to regret it one day when judgement comes. Mark 8:36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

 

6. We know we need faith to get God’s support. We must have God’s dream for our lives, in order to have confidence that God will answer us in our prayers. Most of just want our basic needs covered, right? 

James 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

 

There are many Christians that have not quite learned to have a dream for God yet and then have faith to carry it out.

It takes work, it takes study in the Bible and trying many things to discover what God’s goal is for you, what you are called to do!

If your dream in life is within God’s dream then you are going to have success and progress, happiness, peace, and blessings.

Jesus gave us dreams to do God’s will. He said in Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 

Here we invite people to worship Jesus, we enroll the youth, and we teach the youth and adults God’s Word, and we know we are doing what will accomplish God’s blessings! 

 

7. Once your soul is saved you understand you are going to heaven to live forever in God’s Kingdom of love and happiness then after that all you want to do is live to see another soul saved too!

Your dream then will be focused on others, not yourself.

 

Jesus commanded us all in Mark 16:15

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 

Jesus imparted a tremendously huge vision on us to win others to His Kingdom and that is a big challenge! If we consider the entire world, Christians are only about 20% of all the world’s religions! Today, we must have a tremendous vision in order to convert the 80% that do not seek God on Sunday or any day, and it starts with you and me converting our neighbors, family, and coworkers.

 

8. Why is there a Salvation Army in 130 countries, with over 3,000,000 members of Soldiers and volunteers carrying out the world’s largest rehabilitation service to alcoholics, and help to the poor? Plus, it has all happened in around 150 years! How?

 

You and I are here because William Booth had a dream that was in God’s will! Why am I here with the Salvation Army doing what I do? Because I caught God’s dream for my life! I had to forsake my dreams for God’s dreams and His are so much better!

 

In the verse of today, we understand we must obey God’s law to be happy with a future. In other words, history is full of examples of people who did not dream within God’s plan and their end was frustration and losses, never achieving their goals! I challenge you today to dream God’s dreams for our children, our community, and Corps.  

 

Dreaming within God’s plan, we will be happy and blessed achieving what God intends for you and me to accomplish! And for our children and babies, are you and I challenging them to dream of becoming someone great serving God? Or is your goal for them to build a personal kingdom? All things are a loss if not done for God’s kingdom? 

 

Have you dedicated your will and your dreams to God? Today, I challenge you to do it! Do you have God’s vision or your own?

What can we do for those who are in our community to bring them to God?