Don’t Let Your Dream Die

Every one of us is born with a dream. When we’re young, people encourage us to dream. They tell us that we can become, or do, anything we want. However, as time goes by, life happens and we let go of the dreams we were once so passionate about.

Much of what we are is because of what people have told us or even what we ourselves believe in. People can be fickle. They may have treated you indifferently but God never aborts a dream. In fact, it is God who put the dream in your heart in the first place! Our challenge is to discover God’s purpose and spend the rest of our lives being passionate about fulfilling that dream.

This is easier said than done but it is also easier done than most people would believe. When we live life in the pursuit of God’s dream for our lives, we’ll attract God’s favor to achieve it. Our Creator put a gift inside each of us to match up with our call in life. When we tap into the gift that matches with our calling, we will be successful in what we do.

Many adults make the mistake of choosing a career path based on income. While it produces a living, it robs us of our dream. A majority of people go through life never satisfied with who they are. When we follow our passion, provisions will follow. Some people say that the richest places in the world are the diamond mines of Africa or the oilfields of the Middle East. I’ve found that the richest place on earth is the graveyards where people were buried with a dream still inside of them.

Don’t let that be you. You have been put on this planet to make a statement with your life. You are a gift to mankind. No one else can do what you’re here to do. You have to believe in your dream, even when nobody else does. When you live your dream money, success, name, and fame will find you. Today, allow me to share five keys that will help your dream come true.

Examine your source. Anything from God is eternal. If your dream came from God and it has a basis in the Scriptures, you can rest assured that God will bring it to pass. One of the best ways to pass this test is to read God’s Word and stop long enough to listen to His still small voice. We can’t hear Him if we’re doing all the talking!

Consider your environment. We’re a product of our environment. Unless you’re planted in the right environment your life will be shallow, no matter how big a talent you have. There’s greatness in every seed. However, an oak seed in a little pot can only grow so much. Are you living in a limited environment?

Choose life-givers. The difference between successful people and those who are not is the people who speak into their lives. First and foremost, you want to be on speaking terms with the Creator of your dream. Then you have to have people in your inner circle who see and believe the dream in you. They will not only cheer you along but they will invest heavily in the dream God placed in you.

Reinvent yourself. There are times in life when a dream actually dies. Just because one dream dies, it doesn’t mean your life is over. Go back and ask God, “Now what?” If you wait, He will give you another dream.

Protect your dream. There will be well-meaning people who will try to steal your dream. Beware of dream-killers. Be sensitive to the timing as well. Joseph shared his dream prematurely and it delayed his destiny.

Friend, no matter how impossible it may look, never let the dream die in your heart. God is the Author of the desire He put in you. When we live a God-honoring life, He will honor you. Don’t let your dream die. He’s poised to bring it to pass.

“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).

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The Power of Our Belief

We all have a set of belief. Our belief system is either empowering or limiting our ability. Most of the time what seems impossible is only a barrier in our belief system.

What we believe can make us or break us. We can excel in life when we think, talk and believe like God. On the contrary, when we dwell in self-limiting, self-defeating, destructive thoughts, we are crippling our own future.

When my second daughter Sabrina was eight-years-old she began to complain how hard it was to finish one page of math. Normally she was very focused in school. I put her on my lap and asked her to repeat after me, “Math is easy and it is fun.” Immediately she protested, “But it is not!” After a little persuasion, she repeated, “I love math. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Long story short, she was able to finish math (90 problems) in record 13 minutes! Why am I telling you this story? My daughter’s belief changed as I helped her replace her negative belief with a positive one.

Often, we are victims of our own belief system. We are born with neutral belief. But experience, adults and our circumstances teach us to develop a set of belief that is sometimes harmful to us. We learn to believe, “We’re not attractive; we have no talent.” We believe, “I will not amount to anything. I will never be rich.” I heard that 80% of the people in our prison system were told that they will “end up in prison!” When we believe that we will be sick for the rest of our lives, it will affect our healing. When we believe that we cannot break free from addictions, we will not be overcomers. When we believe that we will remain single the rest of our lives, it will produce its result. The Bible says that our belief determines not only our mortal life but also eternal!

My kids love cats. When the kittens were very small I had installed screens on the kitchen door that leads to our backyard. We did not want the kittens to get out into the yard. They love sitting by the screen door and watch for birds and wasps. My kids say that door is their TV. Interestingly, even though the kittens are almost full grown now and only the flimsy screen door stand in their way, they have never tried to tear it down with their sharp nails and go out into the backyard. You can say that their self-limiting belief has kept them indoors. How often we too are restricted by our invisible walls or constraining belief system! We think, “I cannot close the big sale.” We believe, “I will not rise higher than the position I’m in now.” We think, “Working and retiring is all there is to life.” Friend, I’m telling you, there is much, much more!

For years people believed that it is impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes. Then in 1954, Roger Banister proved it wrong. Within one year, thirty seven athletes broke the belief barrier. The next year after that, three hundred runners broke the self-imposing belief. What happened? One man dared to break the barrier and hundreds followed.

Friend, what are your self-imposing beliefs? You may be the first in your family, but if you dare to break the self-limiting barriers, generations after you will follow. Replace “I can’t” thoughts with “I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.” If you are feeling sick in your body, say, “By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed.” If you are facing a legal battle, pray, “Thank you Lord for delivering me. Your favor surrounds me like a shield for a lifetime.” Jesus said to the blind men, “Because of your faith, it will happen” (Matthew 9:29). Then their eyes were opened! Today I am praying that your eyes will be opened to see and do all the things God has in store for you. You will live and not die and proclaim the works of the Lord. You will find love, happiness and fulfillment again. You will conceive and bare children. You will own your dream home. You will write that book. You will go on the missions trip and help the cause of world missions. Your church and business will flourish and you will become a powerful influence in your community. I believe and declare that you will go on to live every dream God has placed in your heart. Friend, I am not just saying feel-good words, I am prophesying over you. If you believe, it will come to pass. Reconsider your belief system. You will become what you believe!

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7 NAS).

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Don’t Lose Your Brand

Brand is the name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's product distinct from those of other sellers. When we think about a brand, it stands out in our mind from the masses. Our brand is our identity.

Airplanes are made to fly. Ships sail and cars drive. No matter how big, fancy and powerful they are its useless unless they perform to do what they’re made for. People spend millions trying to secure their brand. What is your brand? What do people think of when they think about you?

When people think of me I want them to think of two things – inspiration and world missions. I do a lot of things but empowering people with the Word of God and bringing the Gospel to the nations are the focus of my life. Being in the ministry, kind people offer me all sorts of opportunities because they’re trying to help our organization. I appreciate their offer but kindly I have to turn them down. I’ve learnt this principle in life: every opportunity is not for me. I must be true to the vision God gave me and that is inspiration and world missions.

If we’re to be successful in life, we have to find and cultivate our brand. In order to be effective, you cannot be a master of all. You may do many things but don’t let your brand be so broad that people can’t think of one thing that you stand for. People and businesses that thrive are those who understand and cultivate their brand.

U2 is my favorite band in the world. I love their music. I’ve been a fan of this Irish band since they became famous with their hit “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” After thirty years, they’re still writing outstanding music and fans like me are following them. If you didn’t know, U2’s front man Bono does a lot of humanitarian work, especially in Africa. He’s also a political activist. He challenges rich nations to forgive foreign debts of the poor countries. They do a lot of inspiring things but their staple is still churning good music. That is the number one reason why they’re still in business and thriving. What’s your brand? What brings out the best in you?

I find people who have great ideas and vision but they never take the time to hone down their trade. They offer multiple services and lack laser focus in their vision. It’s okay to have multiple source of income but don’t juggle two or three businesses until you’re successful at one. You only have a limited energy and resources every day. Everything you do takes your time, effort and energy. If you’re spreading yourself too thin, you won’t have the time to develop anything and you’ll miss out.

When Jesus got started in the ministry, John sent his disciples to check Him out. He wasn’t critical but John wanted to know what Jesus was about? So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Luke 7:22 NIV). Jesus was saying, “I’m the Savior, Healer and the Deliverer of mankind!”

Friend, what is your brand? Have you strayed from the original vision God gave you? Are your fingers in too many pies? Do the people think of any one thing when they think about you? Are you spread too thin? Every opportunity that comes along your way is NOT for you. Focus on the one thing God has gifted you with. Don’t be a Jack of all trades. Be a master of one thing and all Jacks will gather around you! Whatever you focus on will grow. As you become successful in one thing, you’ll be amazed how every other area of your life will also start to flourish. Stick to your brand. Go back to the basics. Do what you’re best at and you’ll rise to the top. Don’t lose your brand! I’m praying for you.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 ESV).

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Vision Brings Provision

If we want to achieve anything in life, we must have a vision for it. A vision is a mental image of something, inspired by God, energized by the Holy Spirit to bring out an idea into existence. Our dreams may vary but all of us can have a vision.

A vision is a powerful force in our lives. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Many people breathe but they don’t have life because they never started or have given up on the vision God put in their hearts. When we lose the passion for life we become insignificant. This is why we need to strive to be around people who are visionaries and going places in life.

Most of you know, my vision is to reach the unreached in Asia with the Gospel. I love talking, dreaming and helping people who have no hope. Recently, I’ve had trouble in my house with the disposal under the kitchen sink. One of my electric sockets in the front porch was also not working. When I called an acquaintance for repair he gave a quote for a hefty sum. I was not happy to hear that so I prayed for God’s help. The same afternoon, I got a call from a friend. He is a professional who knows how to repair appliances. He came by my house and fixed both the problems in less than a minute. I saved a few hundred dollars. The next day, I got a call from a pastor from India who was visiting Dallas. I knew exactly what I was to do with the money I’d saved. I took him to dinner and put the money I’d saved in repair cost in his hand. He was very grateful and greatly encouraged by the Lord. Friend, don’t just look at what you have in your hands. When we have a vision, God will bring the provision.  

In 1965, Fredrick Smith was in college. He wrote a term paper in his economics class. His big idea was a delivery service that would use a hub and spokes concept to handle the routing of parcels. He only managed to score a “C” on term paper. Soon Smith’s vision became a reality. In 1971, upon his return from the Vietnam War, he started Federal Express and the rest is history. Today Fed Ex delivers over 2.3 million packages every day worldwide!

What is so great about Smith’s vision is it began only with a concept. The delivery service took off because he had a vision for something big. The most powerful thing in the world is our imagination. When we dream visions with ideas inspired by the Holy Spirit, we too can change the world with our inventions, gifts and talents. Today, I want us to entertain the thought that you have world-changing idea that God wants to use for the advancement of His Kingdom on earth. If you can envision it, He will help you to fulfill it.

People come up to me all the time that have a vision to evangelize the world with Build International Ministries. They have a family, work, business but they also love God to partner with us in bringing the Good News of Jesus to the nations. Over the last twenty seven years, God sent hundreds of people to win tens of thousands of souls for the Lord.

Friend, I don’t know what is your vision for your life. It may be a great marriage. It may be to see your children do well in life. Your vision may be to be physically fit. Others of you have great dreams to see your business succeed. No matter how big or small your idea is never cease to have a vision for your life. Never underestimate your impact on our world. God has breathed his life into you. You’re about to give birth to a dream that has been put burning in you. No matter how long it has been, don’t abort the vision God gave to you. Others may not understand you but God does. Make plans, speak the vision and take corresponding action to see your vision come to pass. Your vision will bring the provision.

“I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Click Here to Spread the Message of Hope: www.buildinternational.org

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