Every person who ever lived sought the presence of God. For many they are not aware of what or who they are seeking, but they most definitely are on a search. God created us to have communion with him. The aching desire inside of every heart to find purpose and love leads people to fill it with many things. There is only one thing that satisfies the longing and that is the presence of God.

Generally speaking the presence of God is why we even exist. If He were not present, we would not be present. A person’s understanding and experience of the presence of God can be wide-ranging. Some deny His presence completely. Others claim His presence is unknowable. Still more think that His presence is far off and unattainable. These different views reflect the state of the observer’s heart. For those of us that believe that God is here and wants to be with us, there are different realities of His presence, as well.

Omnipresence

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17

God is everywhere. Without Him there is nothing. His words spoke everything we see and do not see into existence. The “Christianese” term often associated with this level of God’s presence is omnipresence. You will not find that exact term in the Bible but the concept is clearly there. This is not pantheism which states that God is everything in the universe. Everything in the universe is a result of God, but it is not God. On the other hand, God is definitely anywhere we go. At any time any person can have an encounter with God.

Salvation

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44

Every deep interaction with God starts from this encounter. The Holy Spirit draws us in to a relationship with Father through Jesus’ sacrifice. When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior our spirit comes alive. The presence of God is now alive in us through the Holy Spirit. We can now move forward and experience the presence of God for ourselves in a very personal, intimate fashion.

Filled With the Spirit

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8

Accepting Jesus is a powerful and Holy Spirit influenced occasion, but there is even more of the presence of God to have. Your spirit alive in Christ is amazing. Your spirit filled with the Holy Spirit is even better. Now it is not just about you. It is about the presence of God in you for the sake of others. Jesus clearly stated the power of the Holy Spirit is to be a witness. A witness testifies of what they have seen, heard or experienced. Our powerful encounter with God now becomes an advertisement to the world that God is real and that He wants to be present in the lives of people everywhere.

Corporate Worship

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Matthew 18:20

When we come together under the name of Jesus, He has promised that He will be present. This can be two people praying together or a stadium full of worshipers at conference. In these circumstances, we often have a greater sense of the presence of God. The combined faith of two or more results in God showing up and moving in a more powerful way. Once again, He created us to be in communion. We are stronger together as is the presence of God. Revivals and outpourings of the Spirit of God are amplified because of the unity of God’s people seeking Him.

In A Dream or A Vision

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Acts 9:3-5

You can either come to Jesus or Jesus can come to you. This type of presence of God is not as common as others but interacting with God in a dream or vision is a life-changing event. You could be asleep or awake. Either way it has an eternal impact. Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the most famous Christians after a single visionary encounter with Jesus. Many unevangelized areas of the world are seeing an increase in dream and vision encounters with Jesus. They too are having “Road-to-Damascus” conversions after Jesus shows up.

In the Body Or Out of the Body

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the bodyor out of the body I do not know, God knows.
2 Corinthians 12:2

The Bible has a few examples of men that either with their body (Enoch, Moses) or in their spirit (Isaiah, John) were transported into the very presence of God. This type of encounter often leaves the person in a state of disarray. For instance Isaiah was a hot mess when this happened to him:

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Isaiah 6:5

Other testimonies of men and women of God who have experienced this level of the presence of God are similar. Intense does not begin to explain their encounter with the Creator of heaven and earth.

Death

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8

While we may or may not experience some of these encounters with God, every one us will face the Lord in death. Hebrews tells us it is appointed that men will die. Those that have been washed in the blood of Jesus have the reward of eternity in the presence of God. The greatest loss for those that reject the love of God is an eternity outside of His presence, the very thing we have all desired to have. Psalm 116:15 reminds us that the death of the Lord’s saints is precious. It is a party when we come home to the place we were created to thrive in — the presence of God.

Every day we get closer to the reality of Jesus living on the Earth again. As that time draws near, the beat of our hearts and the thirst of our spirit for the presence of God grows stronger. Nothing else will do outside of being with our Father. Whenever we can we must go to Him. Constantly seeking His face and His presence will be the only thing that satisfies. May your heart find it’s home in the arms of the Father.

My father, Dennis Rowan, is a visionary. He was born in the farmhouse that I grew up in. This family dairy farm in Gap Mills, WV was the genesis of his life and dreams. If you have never heard of Gap Mills, don’t be concerned. It is not covered in most geography classes. The small town, farm life influenced his career decisions as he went on to earn three college degrees in animal sciences.

Before I knew what was happening in the world, he led the animal science department in a Missouri college. He basically built the entire program while there. By the time I was five years old, he decided to leave the security of his job, move the family back to his parent’s farm and follow his heart.

Not long after relocating to West Virginia, part of the dream came alive as he and my mother, Glenda, started a free camp for local children. The camp grew into a service oriented ministry in which church groups from all over America would come in to help the less fortunate through home improvement and service projects.

Throughout my high school and college years it was my honor to serve my dad’s vision of helping others. He is one example of great vision being borne out of small beginnings. In the foundational years of my life I learned the importance of serving and putting the needs of others before my own. I had firsthand experience in leading volunteers and developing interpersonal skills helpful in relating to many different people.

This is not the only vision that was not mine that I bought into. Like you there are many times that I have developed someone else’s dream before my own. The paradox here is that in assisting others you are actually building your own destiny. Without these valuable experiences, we would not become the person, the leader, the visionary that we need to be to see our dream come alive.

Your dream will never be fulfilled outside of being a part of the fulfillment of someone else’s dream. Not one person has been made in a vacuum. We all have significant influence from multiple sources. Every journey will include playing a part in assisting the vision of others. Half-hearted service during these times will only result in the extension of training until we learn the lessons that are necessary. Go all in. Partial buy-in will leave you unsatisfied and the task at hand unfinished.

Jacob’s Dream

Not the one with the angels on the ladder. We are talking about his dream woman! Jacob had a vision for his life with Rachel and was willing to go all in. He gave seven years of service to her father Laban in exchange for her hand in marriage.

Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
Genesis 29:18

Laban had other plans and passed off his older daughter Leah as Rachel. Tricky! But Jacob was not wavering. He served another seven years to get the dream wife he always desired.

So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
Genesis 29:30

Two significant events happened through Jacob’s service to Laban. What looked like a major delay and redirection of Jacob’s purpose led to his biggest blessing and legacy.

Vision for Provision

Jacob proposed a plan to his father-in-law in which he would take all the spotted and speckled lambs as his wages. Laban agreed and thus began the exit strategy for Jacob. Whenever the stronger animals would come to drink he would throw sticks in trough which actually affected the coloring of the animals. If you want to know more about how that is possible do a study on epigenetics which is how external environmental factors can affect genetics. Sorry, I got all sciencey on you.

Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 30:37-43

This plan worked great and strengthened Jacob’s financial position so that he and his family could move on from Laban’s control. His success actually led to Laban no longer favoring Jacob. God then instructed him to move back to the land of his fathers. The fourteen years of service had multiple benefits for Jacob including his character development and financial blessing. When the time of training and development was over he had to move on.

We may serve the vision of someone else for a lengthy time, but overstaying could lead to trust issues. You may be viewed as a threat. In healthy relationships this will not be the case. Godly leadership will recognize the call on your life and set you up for success in the next stage of your journey.

Legacy of Salvation

Jacob longed for Rachel but had to “settle” for Leah, as well. Leah whose name means “weary” was not the first choice for Jacob. It was his duty to marry the older daughter first. I imagine being with someone you do not want to marry would make you quite weary. Despite this uncomfortable arrangement Jacob and Leah had several children together. The Bible scholar in you may recognize their sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

Of those six sons, two of them had a very significant Biblical lineage. Levi was the father of the Levites who were chosen to serve God as priests. This tribe served in the temple and performed the animal sacrifices needed for atonement. The Levites were the vessel that God used to bring forgiveness of sins to His people.

Judah’s line led to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah … Jesus. Our forever sacrifice came through an unwanted, inconvenient relationship between Jacob and Leah. Judah was God’s choice to birth Jesus who brought forgiveness of sins to all of mankind. Jacob did not want Leah, but God used that troubled relationship to bring healing to all relationships through Jesus Christ.

Jacob’s journey had many twists and turns much like yours. The unwanted moments when you are serving someone else’s dream could very well lead to your most valuable legacy. Be one that recognizes the majesty that can be borne of the mundane.

The other day I went to a football game with my dad. If you asked him about it, he probably would deny it. No, my father is not embarrassed to be associated with me. This event happened in a dream. Although, I have been to a game with my dad in real life it is not a common occurrence. I follow football fairly closely my dad has never been too interested in the gridiron. A psychologist may take this dream as sign of some latent desire to connect with my father with activity that I wished that he would do with me. That would be a pile of nonsense. On to the dream to see the real meaning.

The Dream

In the dream my dad and I are sitting on a bench outside of high school football stadium before the game and I noticed a monument. At the top of the monument is Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and his passing statistics. The monument sloped downward and had more quarterbacks with their stats throughout the years. Looking at it I realized the school was commemorating their history of excellence in quarterback play. There were some older gentlemen standing in front of us and my father engaged them in conversation. He mentioned that I loved the four-wide style of football that this team played.

As I mentioned my dad is not a football fan so his use of terminology in the game was odd. This is a clue in dream interpretation. If something is strange, out of proportion or out of place take notice. Something is hidden there. At the time, the meaning “four-wide style of football” is hidden from me, but I will continue to seek the Lord to look for what He is saying. Even with training and some understanding not all dreams will be clear immediately.

Edit: Nearly a year and a half later, I believe I have greater insight on “four-wide style of football.” I haven’t thought about this dream since I originally wrote this post, but taking a fresh look at it has given me new insight. I believe my father speaking of my love for the “four-wide” is in reference to my four children. The entire dream speaks of generations which you will see as you read on.

The Interpretation

The first part of the dream is clear. It is indicating that there are generational accomplishments being passed down. The monument and the statistics of the quarterbacks speak of that. Also, the fact that I am with my father gives a clue that the dream is about generations. The older gentleman are another hint that those that go before us have something to leave to the rest of us.

One other interesting element of the dream to take note of is the use of Joe Montana. Sports fans will recognize him as one of footballs greatest heroes. He is a good fit for a football dream but there is a hidden message in his name. First of all his name was at the top and his last name “Montana” means “mountain.” Joe is at the top of the mountain passing down his legacy to those below him.

Leaving a Legacy

For those that failed out of Sunday School, Joe is short for Joseph which is in the Bible. We know Joseph as one of our main dreamers and subjects matters in this book. His name in Hebrew means “Jehovah has added.” If you are not connecting the dots, yet … God is adding to the generations. What God did in one generation He will add to the next.

Our God dreams will always be generational. This is the way of God. He sees multiple generations at once.

And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Exodus 3:6

God’s plan for you includes adding to the advancements of those that went before you. The next generation will be adding on to what you do. He is moving from glory to glory in your life.

We must ask ourselves, “What am I building that will last?” The dream implanted in your heart by your Heavenly Father is eternal in nature. The desires of this world are not. Every day we have a choice to make. Which inheritance am I passing down? One that is incorruptible or something that will only have minor benefits in this life.

This dream pursuit we are on is the heavenly treasure kind. Nice houses, great jobs, fun-filled vacations, and relaxing retirements are all wonderful in their own right, but if that is the ultimate achievement of our lives, we are falling short of the mark.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

Jesus is wise. Here’s a little twist on that scripture. Your heart holds your treasure. Mine your heart for the treasure that God wants the world to see. The mission you were brought to earth to fulfill is there waiting to be unearthed and brought out into the light. God has so much He wants to do with this treasure in you.

One day at the office, a co-worker of mine walked up and I noticed a dark splotch of some kind on his eye. No, it wasn’t a growth. It turns out he was helping another co-worker dislodge their car from the mud and he got hit with flying debris. He didn’t seem too pleased. I don’t think he was aware of the benefits that mud can bring to your skin.

At first glance, mud doesn’t seem like something you would want to smear all over your body. Much of the time we avoid getting dirty so to do it on purpose is counter-intuitive, but people have been doing it for thousands of years. Some of the benefits include:

• skin rejuvenation
• anti-flammatory properties
• improve spinal issues

Rejuvenating your skin is not a bad idea as it protects and regulates your body. Also, it’s how we feel things. I’m sure we can all use some ant-inflamation to soothe our muscles. Of course, our spine is very important as it carries signals to the rest of body on what needs to be done in the body. I’m sure you are grateful for this biology refresher, but there’s more to this story.

Have you ever had those moments when your dream seems like it is stuck in the mud? The finances aren’t showing up the way you thought they would. The people you thought were going to help you take the next step have mysteriously vanished. The idea you that would really make a difference falls flat. The second guessing starts creeping in and the negativity starts to flow more easily. I’ve never had that experience so you’re on your own here. Well, that’s not true. We all face these momentary afflictions. It may seem like everything is going nowhere or backwards but that is not the case at all.

The behind the scenes work for your life that God is directly involved in never stops moving forward. From our vantage point it may look hopeless, stagnate or unproductive despite our best efforts, but the unseen machinations of the Holy Spirit are busy building up our protection, instilling strength in our inner man and aligning us properly so He can flow through us.

Moving forward with your dreams takes tough skin. Inevitably there will be moments that test your resolve. Before you get to the big moments where everything is happening and it is all on the line, the times where you were “stuck” have prepared you to persevere. If you can make it through the inflammation of stagnation, you will knock down those obstacles that impede your progress. No backbone means you will fold under the slightest pressure. Your dream mud bath just made it that much easier to stand tall under any circumstances.

I love the story of Jesus putting mud in a beggar’s eyes to heal him. It wasn’t regular mud even. He made it from his spit! I’m still waiting to see that gift of the Spirit in the church!

He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
John 9:6-7

Talk about being stuck. This blind beggar wasn’t going anywhere. He was relegated to pleading for handouts from those who walked by every day. But Jesus. Aren’t those words the best? When all seems lost our Savior is there to slap some mud on our face and make everything better. Spit and mud?! Seems humiliating but through Jesus’ mud mask true freedom was given to this man.

You may experience some humbling moments in the mud. There may be times of seemingly no progress. But that mud is for healing, for restoration, for preparation for your future journey. The once blind man can now clearly see the path he must travel to reach his destination.

Fear of the dark is a fairly common phobia kids deal with. Growing up my closet was right next to my bed. At night the closet door was always open and dark. I remember trying to go to sleep wondering what creepiness lie within the darkness among my clothes and toys. The anxiety would be heightened when I decided to turn my back towards the closet. I lived a life of danger! I’m not sure why I didn’t just shut the door. That fear I had tried to steal my precious sleep but I overcame! Thankfully I got over that fear last year.

Fear often leads to sleepless nights whether or not you are afraid of your closet. Worrying about things out of your control can cause serious mental and health issues. Fear, worry and depression are closely linked. No one thinks, “I should really get some more fear in my life.” General consensus is that being fearful is not beneficial, but we all continue to deal with it. The enemy knows that this tactic works. He has been using it for millennia and will continue to do so until his time is up.

Many young children who have a gift for dreams and visions will often experience night terrors or nightmares as the enemy will try to discourage them from dreaming at all. He wants to scare you away from the very thing that God wants to use to bring great blessing into your life and the lives of others. He would like to use fear to attack your dreams, too. You do not have to let him, though.

According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health fear is mostly unfounded.

• 60% of things feared will never take place
• 30% of things feared happened in the past and can’t be changed
• 90% of things feared are considered to be insignificant issues
• 88% of things feared in relation to health will not happen

The most damaging aspect of fear is not the expectation of a bad thing happening. The worst part of fear is its ability to keep us from the good things God has for us. The more time we spend in fear the more we are out of faith and not moving in a positive direction. Faith and fear are fighting to occupy the same space in the future.

Stepping in to the unknown is facing your fears. It is possible that there will be failure and discomfort but also there is the opportunity to grow and succeed. God is for you! Who can be against you! Doing nothing will result in nothing happening every single time. Statistics prove that listening to the lies of fear is a waste of your time. You might as well do something constructive with the time you previously used for being afraid of stuff.

Although, I do think its okay if your epic dream scares you a little bit. Just enough for you to realize it cannot be done on your own. A wake up scare to let you know this dream dropped in you from heaven and you will need the Holy Spirit to make it happen. But after that momentary scare it is all about faith from here on out. You taking action. God filling in the blanks. Trust me there will be a lot of blanks to fill in but that is what makes this dream journey exciting.

The fear that is holding back your dream is no different than my childhood closet. It was a tiny room that was only meant for storage. Nothing insidious in there. Fear keeps you enclosed in a small space that has little potential. It can keep you focused on things from your past that you have no use for now. Turn your focus to peace and rest where your dreams come alive and the future is full of hope and promise. I dare you to turn your back on your closet. It’s just a pile of Tonka trucks anyway.

Despite slavery being illegal in every country in the world, there are now more slaves than at any time in human history. More than 27 million people are entrapped by this tragedy. Humans desiring to control other humans has been around since there were just two of us. Slavery is the ultimate corruption of this eternal desire. People want to feel in control. They are not so interested in self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. The lack of self-control or self-leadership leads a corrupt heart that wants to control others.

The control issue originated with the devil himself. In his prideful heart he assumed that he could overtake God and control the throne of heaven. He failed miserably and has taken the desire to control to humanity as he imposes his hellish plan on unsuspecting men and women across earth.

You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
Isaiah 14:13-15

The children of Israel were slaves multiple times but not because God wanted them to suffer. They made wrong choices including enslaving one another which eventually led to other kingdoms ruling over them. Even their own kingdom was outside the plan of God. In 1 Samuel 8, He warned them that having a king would result in their sons being taken away from them, their possessions being used and their animals taken for the kingdom’s purposes. Instead of working together the Israelites began working for a king who many times did not have their best interest in mind.

Satan ran around earth for a few thousand years causing trouble and enslaving as many as possible without much resistance. That all ended when Jesus the Messiah showed up. His name meant salvation and that was what He was bringing. In one of His first public speeches He proclaimed is mission statement out of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19

You will notice one of first things listed is “to proclaim liberty to the captives.” As far as priorities go, this a major one for God. Set the slaves free! Satan’s reign is over. Now God’s Kingdom is advancing.

There is an innate desire in man to have dominion. It is a God created desire. He created the earth so that we could expand his Kingdom on it and see it flourish. He wants to work with and through us. Through the fall, sin entered into the hearts of man and distorted the original purpose. Instead of having dominion over all that God had given him, man now tries to exercise control over each other. The most powerful thing that God created was man. The unredeemed man will see this power in his fellow man and try to control it in some fashion.

This lie of controlling others to gain power is actually binding the enslaver more than the enslaved. They think they have power but they cannot enjoy anything they have. Peace is absent. Joy is unable to be found in their hearts. Keeping others from what they were created to be actually shrinks the world of the slave master. Their view is clouded by lies and greed and can only be set free by the saving grace of Jesus.

God gave man to each other to partner together – first as man and wife, then as a family and finally as a community. This unity creates great power especially under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Limitless power is available to us through partnering together, championing one another and fighting for righteous causes side by side. The blindness of sin keeps the world from seeing this so they default back to trying to control each other.

When we are actively working together building the Kingdom of God, we assist each other in awakening the God dreams inside of us. We are supposed to have dominion over the ground God has given us. It starts with the seed form in our hearts and continues on until we are walking in our promise land. With the ability to lead ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit, our dreams will move forward. Otherwise we will begin to focus outwardly and how we need other people to do something in order for success to come. With God as our focus and heart set on His purposes, the right people to help us will come alongside of us.

Slavery may be in larger numbers than ever today. The enemy may be trying to control the hearts of man more than ever but every single day he loses. Every day the kingdom of God wins. It is advancing. It is advancing through you as you follow hard after the ways of God. It is advancing through your family as your purposes are multiplied together. It is advancing through your church as a unified body of sold-out believers realizes the potential inside them. It is advancing in your community, city, state and nation as churches see that we are not separate. We are one body called to reign as righteous rulers.

On May 3, 2012, Stig Severinsen held his breath underwater for 22 minutes. Stig did not simply wake up that morning and decide to give it a go. Starting at the age of 6 Stig has had a lifetime of pursuing water activities including underwater rugby and underwater hockey (Who knew?) not to mention he is a four-time freediving champion. Besides that he has a degree in biology and a Ph.D. in medicine. He spent his entire life developing his mind and body to be able to hold his breath longer than anyone else.

If you or I decided to take a crack at that 22 minute mark, there would only be one result. Death. Well, I guess there is a possibility that we could escape with severe brain damage. Either way, the point is we do not have the lung capacity to compete with Stig’s astounding accomplishments. If we were able to invest 30 plus years of experience and training, we may be able to take on Mr. Severinsen. Until then he has the decided advantage.

Stig not only developed a record-breaking lung capacity but he also developed capacity in other parts of his life, as well. Capacity is defined as the ability to do something: a mental, emotional or physical ability. Staying underwater that long takes more than physical ability. Mental and emotional capacity was a large part of his feat.

We all carry a capacity. Your current capacity is realized potential. Everyone has the potential to do great things, but until capacity is developed that great thing will remain in a state of hope. Hope is essential but it actually means that you have not obtained the thing you desire. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for. While hope is a necessary mental and emotional exercise, faith is where capacity expands. Faith is an action that expands who you are.

Our dream is God-sized which means we must expand in order for this dream to materialize. The Spirit of God alive in you has no restrictions. The restrictions that keep your dreams at bay are your incorrect thoughts and misled actions.

You may see a big dream in your heart but your mind tells you that it is impossible. The enemy will also take this opportunity of doubt and reinforce it with lies about not being good enough, smart enough, skilled enough, etc. Limiting thoughts and listening to lies keep your dream in infancy. Gratefully, the faith inside of you in the form of the Holy Spirit is pushing against that wrong thought.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

Instead of listening to your natural mind, tap in to the supernatural mind of Christ. Jesus’ thoughts towards you and the plans He has for you are hard to believe because they are so full of life, expectation and purpose. But that is the catch … you have to believe. God who cannot lie believes that you can be the biggest dream of your heart. Who are you to doubt Him?

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:13-16

Just before these verses Paul quotes Isaiah, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” The amazing things God has for you are not normal thoughts and dreams. Mere man cannot comprehend such awesomeness. How do you expand your capacity to reach these heights? I believe 1 Corinthians 2 has some clues.

Verse 13 – Your dream is spiritual.

God engineered it and He is spirit. Trying to use natural means to find meaning, purpose and direction for your dream will end in confusion and stunted growth. Man’s wisdom has its place but in this case ditch it. Only in the counsel and wisdom of God can you expand yourself.

Verse 14 – It’s foolishness.

At least to the world’s eyes the faith steps you take to see greatness come alive on the inside of you will look like a big pile of dumb. Be like David and have a heart that says I will look much more foolish than this to honor God with what He gave me. There are times when expanding your capacity looks like you are moving in the wrong direction. A fool’s errand to some, but to you it will be the next step in growing big enough to carry the weight of the dream.

Verse 15 – Judge all things.

As you expand, you will identify the people and activities to align with and those to avoid. Those that you involve in your dream journey will have a significant impact on its success. Having the mind of Christ to guide you will be essential. Joining with the wrong people or wrong activities can lead to unnecessary delays. The right people beside you will accelerate your development and challenge you to go further than you have in the past.

Increasing your capacity is a lifelong adventure. Being able to see what God sees in you and in others does not happen overnight. Your Father is not impatiently tapping His foot waiting for you to become a better Christian, though. He is excited to spend time with you and in that special intimate place where capacity enlarges. God is too big to describe. The more you are drawn to Him and His nature the more you become like Him. Big.

Billions in unclaimed cash! Sounds like a late night infomercial and it probably is. Despite the “to good to be true” nature of that statement, it is a fact. Every state has a website in which you can search a database to see if your long lost uncle left you a multi-million dollar inheritance. You can pick any state you or one of your family members have lived in. You might want to check on that.

As incredulous as it sounds to have that many people missing their monetary rewards, think about the spiritual inheritance that is unclaimed! We won’t even consider those those who have yet to come into the Kingdom. There are many children of God that have yet to lay claim to all of their inheritance.

God seems to be fairly interested in our inheritance. It is mentioned over 180 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament and inheritance of land was very important. It should be no surprise that the book of Joshua speaks more on this subject than any other book of the Bible. This book documents the journey of Children of Israel as they take the land that God had given them.

The Promise Land was the dream of the exiled Israelites. It spoke of their identity, where they came from, as well as their destiny, where they were going. Israel lost and reclaimed their inheritance multiple times. The last instance they were without it for nearly 2,000 years! God’s plan for them never changed. He always meant for people of Israel to occupy that land.

The same can be said for you. No matter how many times you have lost sight of your inheritance God’s dream for you has never faded. He has all your rewards stored in His heavenly storehouse waiting to be claimed by the rightful owner.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:22

God gives us understanding that leaving an inheritance to your grandchildren is considered the efforts of a good man. Not only that, but it also reminds us that this is God’s heart for us, as well. He has an Abraham, Isaac and Jacob mindset. He not only looks at you and your children, but also your grandkids. When He leaves something for you, He sees the maturity of it in your grandchildren.

If I have unclaimed millions from a long lost uncle, obviously I am not benefiting from that as long as it is not inherited. It does not affect me alone. My kids and their kids will also not benefit from that inheritance. Countless other people would be left out of the blessing as it sits in a bank collecting dust. The value of the unclaimed inheritance never changes but it is does not make an impact until it is claimed.

The dream lying dormant in your heart right now is an unclaimed inheritance. It is waiting for its inherent value to be unleashed. No one else can legally claim what is yours. Until you identify yourself properly as a son or daughter of the Most High God and take ownership, it will continue to sit there unused and untapped.

The inheritance of your dream starts with knowing whose you are as well as who you are. Your family name is royalty. It has access to more benefits and blessings than you can comprehend. Say yes to your destiny and the destiny of your family. It’s easier than looking up a website.

When I was five years old my family moved from Missouri to the Rowan family farm in West Virginia. My Granny and Grandpa Rowan built a small home just up the hill from the farmhouse that we would now be living in. Over the many years of living at the “big” house they had cultivated quite the garden on the north side of their home. I remember the rows of vegetables, blackberry vines, rhubarb and strawberry patches. They were fully organic way before it was cool.

Fast forward a few years and the garden was now a patch of grass I had to mow. Yay. After moving, my parents had other priorities with work, tending sheep and running a camp. Not being able to spend time tilling the soil, planting the seeds, watering the plants and pulling the weeds led to no fruits and vegetables to harvest. It was not an immediate transition from fruitful garden to an empty lot. It took years until the space was no longer recognizable as a garden plot.

Your dream needs cultivation in order to produce fruit. You may get some edible food if left to the wild, but it will be inconsistent and hardly enough to live off of. Dreams produce life. In order to get the most out of that life, you have to be intentional about tending to your dream garden.

Tilling the Soil

“… Heap it up! Heap it up! prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
Isaiah 57:14

The potting soil of your dream is your mind. The rocks and roots of old thinking must be removed first before you can expect successful new growth. In order to see the optimal growth the environment must be clear of obstructions. The Bible calls these mental blocks strongholds and they must be torn down.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6

Strongholds are wrong beliefs that actually war against the truth of God. We encounter these inner battles as we embark on taking the steps needed to see our dream activated. How often have you been caught up in an argument with yourself?

Stronghold: There’s no way this will happen!

Holy Spirit: I know I can do this. God is on my side!

The second voice is the one you need to listen to. Replace your old, untruthful thoughts with God’s thoughts. Meditate on who He is and who He says you are in His word.

Planting the Seeds

It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.
Luke 13:19

Seeds are small. What they produce are not. An entire forest lies within a single seed. What you are planting in your life today will reap a much larger harvest tomorrow. It may seem insignificant at this moment, but it will return with significance. God is rejoicing in your humble beginnings because He is also seeing the other end of your labor (Zechariah 4:10). He knows what invaluable lessons you will learn on the way and how that will shape who you are.

Seeds must be broken before growth begins. Do not mistake the growing pains you are experiencing as God’s disapproval. What was once a protective barrier for you is being stripped away so that more fruit can manifest in your life. Like the mustard tree becoming a safe haven for the birds, when your dream will provide for the needs of others.

Watering the Plants

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:3

Plants without water lead to death. A source of water is necessary for every garden as it provides refreshing life. You need refreshment first from the Holy Spirit and secondly from those with the Holy Spirit. You cannot go at this alone. You have a unique dream but you are not meant to carry the load alone. Going the route of the Lone Ranger will end in serious danger. (Rhyming!!!) You will wear down and give up outside of the encouragement and support of Godly people who are for you.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2

The Spirit of God working in you and through your dream will cut down the harvest time. In heaven the River of Life causes trees to produce every month. The natural process of seed time and harvest usually takes quite a bit of time, but when you are flowing in the River of God, supernatural harvest takes place.

Pulling the Weeds

He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Matthew 13:37-38

Weeds are bad news. They can choke out the good plants so that they do not receive the light and water needed to thrive. Jesus didn’t mince words in His seed sowing parable. Weeds are people who align themselves with the devil. Not good. Jesus also clearly said that these people will not be removed from the world until the end of the age. They may be in the world, but they do not need to be in your life.

Who is speaking into your dream? Are you letting the world dictate how you pursue your purpose? As we let these weeds encroach on us, it makes it more difficult for the light to illuminate us. Pulling the weeds is about getting rid of the darkness. Do not listen to the lies of enemy. Darkness makes it hard to see. What we want to see is the perspective of heaven for our lives. Letting the light in immediately dispels the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5

Cultivation is not a one-time exercise. Every season brings about new soil to till and new seeds to plant. Watering and weed-pulling is a regular occurrence. There is a great harvest waiting for you and you have a part to play in seeing it go from seeds to bountiful garden.