Through this season, Connect Groups and Dream Teams have been the backbone through which God has poured out His Spirit and so many blessings on our church.
Remarkably, it’s been a year where many dreams and visions have been birthed. Even in a pandemic, we seek to be a people of faith; we’re determined to put our faith in God, the Future, the Church, and the People.
Even when we’ve steered off course, God finds a way to bring us back on track with His plans. In Mark 14:66-72, before Jesus goes to the cross, Peter denies knowing Jesus thrice. In the days following the crucifixion, Peter, in bitter regret and disappointment at his actions, walks away from his calling. Later, following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus makes it a special point of reminding Peter of his calling and reinstates him into what we’ve come to know as one of the great leaders in the early church.
It’s so good to know that God can see a repentant heart. And although we’ve a hard time forgiving ourselves, God has no trouble forgiving us.
Even in a hard year, like the one we find ourselves in right now–a year where we could’ve made mistakes like that of Peter, God doesn’t go, “Oops, I take that calling back!” He looks deeply into our lives to see what we’ll do next.
In Acts 2:17-21, God tells us through His Word about what His next move will be—to pour out His spirit on everybody. It is comprised of you and me, our children, and our children’s children:
Acts 2:17-21 TPT
“This is what I will do in the last days—I will pour out my Spirit on everybody and cause your sons and daughters to prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will experience dreams from God. The Holy Spirit will come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. I will reveal startling signs and wonders in the sky above and mighty miracles on the earth below. Blood and fire and pillars of clouds will appear. For the sun will be turned dark and the moon blood-red before that great and awesome appearance of the day of the Lord. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Recently, one of our pastors was putting his young son to bed when his son said to him, “Daddy, I believe we’re going to plant a church in Africa.” As they both prayed about that, his dad was encouraged and surprised at his son’s faith. The very next day, a pastor from one of our other campuses called this little boy’s father and told him that an African brother in his church was returning to his home in Africa and he wanted to start a connect group there–with the hope that one day it could grow into a church. The little boy’s father was amazed that God was speaking dreams and visions into someone as young as his son.
As we enter into the last part of the year, what are the dreams and visions that God’s imparting to you? Let’s speak out prophetically the dreams and visions that God’s putting into our hearts. At the same time, let’s also speak encouragement to the people around us.
Let’s leave this year stronger than we came into it. This year’s not a wasted year—but a year of getting back on track; surely a year of dreams and visions.
