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Hi, I'm Craig...
I like to help people grow spiritually, communicate ideas in a way people can easily understand & develop leaders. I try to lead my life with purpose, on purpose. With God's help, I'm becoming a better, husband, father, and man... Everyday.
Find out more about me & what I do.- Email Me
The Dream: One Thing
Our vision for 2009-2010 for 180remix is Dream. Over the next few weeks Pastor Josh and myself will be talking about “The Dream” for 180remix. I thought it would be fitting to show a few clips of one of my favorite movies along with this post. Before we get into anything I would like to encourage you, as you read this may you be encouraged to call your shot when it comes to THE DREAM in your life.
Have you ever been in a pickle? I think we all can say that at one point in our lives we were in a pickle of some sort.
Maybe it was a situation we were in or the bad habit we just can’t kick… Maybe it was this thing we did in our past that we just can’t get away from or our DREAM looks like it’s about to die…
But one thing is for sure… we’re in a pickle. There was a man by the name of Saul in the NT and he was in a pickle. This was a man who killed Christians for a living in the name of God. In fact, Saul thought he was right in doing so when in fact he was very wrong.
Acts 9:1-4 [NKJV]
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting
Saul persecuted Jesus. Maybe some of us can relate. At one time we persecuted the very Jesus we now serve. And it haunts you. You can’t get away from it. No matter how much you try to get away, it is just this nagging beast that is always there.
A beast can be defining - not only to yourself but to others around you. You walk into a room and immediately feel the whispers about your past mistakes real or imagined. It’s not that you don’t want to be a part of THE DREAM God has for your life, you just feel like you can’t.
Acts 9:8-13 [NKJV]
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
Let’s be honest, haven’t you ever thought, how can I be a part of THE DREAM when I’ve done so much harm to Jesus. How could I ever really give everything to God? He can’t forgive me because I can’t forgive myself. The worst part is that just when I think I do something great, I mess it all up again.
Acts 9:17-22 [NKJV]
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. 21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Some of us need to have the spiritual scales fall off of your eyes. For too long you’ve believed that lie that you’re not good enough, you’ve messed to much up, you can never break your bad habits, you’ll never get rid of your sin, you’ll never attain YOUR DREAM.
But here is the reality. God has given you THE DREAM. No one else but you can fulfill YOUR DREAM. It’s time to remember that you are different now, you’re not the same person you once were. It’s time for some of us to realize the destiny that in on our lives. It’s time to stop taking the miracle of salvation in our lives for granted and start to immediately preach Christ with our lives.
Some of us have forgotten that THE DREAM in our lives is another PERSON, not a PULPIT (or another ministry). It’s time for some of us to become legends and IMMEDIATELY PREACH CHRIST with our lives.
Paul was the original VILLAIN. He was everything Jesus preached against.But once his life was changed he didn’t become a HERO he became a LEGEND.
Philippians 3:12-14 [NKJV]
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 [AMP]
12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
The same man that killed Christians is the same man who said, ONE THING I do, FORGETTING what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
It’s time to forget your past and immediately preach Christ.
We need some LEGENDS in the Kingdom again.
