Dreaming with God

Jul 12

One of the most remarkable discoveries in my life is that God wants to co-labor with me. While I am thrilled with the concept, I’ve never been able to grasp the reason why. Everything He’s called me to do, He can do better—infinitely better. It’s become apparent that He did not choose me for what I can do for Him. He chose me because He loves me. Period. The reality of co-laboring has also invaded my dream life, meaning He has interest in my desires. While I’m sure this includes the dreams in our sleep, it’s my life’s dreams that He seems to like. Why else would He repeat His statement, “Whatever you desire, I will give to you”?

Jesus gave this “blank check” to His disciples four different times in John 14–16. Each time, He invited them to dream. I don’t think He was inviting them, and now us, into dreaming about building our own empires or creating some acceptable form of a self-centered gospel. But He was inviting us to dream just the same. When James and John wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans in Luke 9, Jesus said no, rebuking them for such corrupt desires. I guess it might seem like a contradiction to some for Jesus to invite them to bring any desire to Him, and then have Him say no to their request. It’ll help us when we realize that God always reserves the right to deny any request that undermines our purpose.

The Scriptures tell us to “seek first the kingdom of God...and all these things will be added to us.” I think all these things are what we dream about. The kingdom of God is what He dreams about. It seems to be consistent with the implications of this verse to say, If we dream His dreams, He’ll dream ours.

Proverbs 13:12b says, “Desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” The Tree of Life connects us to our eternal purpose, which basically means we were created to co-labor with God, seeing dreams and desires fulfilled. The fulfillment of dreams is, in part, our reason for being. God is looking for the God-like dreams from His people shaping the course of history on planet earth. This is our privilege. By this process of co-laboring, God is delighted and glorified.

BethelBill Johnson

Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson is the Senior Pastor of Bethel Church. Bill is a fifth generation pastor with a rich heritage in the things of the Spirit. This apostolic network has crossed denominational lines in building relationships that enable church leaders to walk in both purity and power. The present move of God has brought Bill into a deeper understanding of the phrase, "on earth as it is in heaven." Heaven is the model for our life and ministry. Jesus lived with this principle by only doing what He saw His Father doing. Learning to recognize the Holy Spirit's presence, and how to follow His lead will enable us to do the works of Christ, destroying the works of the devil. Healing and deliverance must become the common expression of this gospel of power once again. Bill and the Bethel Church family have taken on this theme for life and ministry. Healings, ranging from cancer to broken bones, to learning disorders and emotional healing, happen with regularity. This is the children's bread. And these works of God are not limited to revival meetings. The church is learning how to take this anointing to the schools, workplace, and neighborhoods with similar results. Bill teaches that we owe the world an encounter with God, and that a Gospel without power is not the Gospel that Jesus preached.

Dreaming with God

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