AWAKE THE VISIONARY IN YOU

I would like to approach the subject of our purpose in life by talking about Vision and Dreams. Usually Vision is an experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance. Dream is a series of thoughts, images, and sensations appearing in ones mind during sleep. When I will speak of dreams and vision in this message, I will be referring to the dreams and vision you see inside your mind while awake.

Without a Vision for the future we cannot have any goals. Spiritual Blindness is much worse than Physical Blindness because the end result is death.
Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: (King James)
Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained (American Standard Version)
1 Samuel 3:1 we read, "The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision."
Lamentations 2:9 "...her prophets also find no vision from the Lord," (that is, no message from God.)
Illustration
Walt Disney - The monarch of this magic kingdom is no man but a mouse -- Mickey Mouse. The Walt Disney Company is the world's #2 media conglomerate (behind Time Warner) with assets encompassing movies, music, publishing, television, and theme parks. Its TV holdings include the ABC television network and 10 broadcast stations, as well as a portfolio of cable networks including ABC Family, Lifetime Entertainment (50%-owned), and ESPN (80%). Walt Disney Studios produces films through such imprints as Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, Pixar, and Miramax. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is one of the top theme park operators in the world, anchored by its popular Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts.
Disney executives and shareholders gather every 5 years to watch a series of movies left by Walt Disney himself. Walt died many years ago in 1966 but he left a series of short messages that are kept in a vault where we sets goals and projects for future generations of leaders. Walt Disney was a visionary and his company has great success because they follow the goals of a visionary.
A vision can be political, religious, environmental, social, or technological in nature. By extension, a visionary can also be a person with a clear, distinctive and specific (in some details) vision of the future, usually connected with advances in technology or social/political arrangements.

A Visionary according to the Dictionary

• Characterized by vision or foresight.
• Characterized by or given to apparitions, prophecies, or revelations.
• Given to daydreams or reverie; dreamy.
• One who is given to impractical or speculative ideas; a dreamer.
• One who has visions; a seer.

Illustration
One of the greatest tragedies for people would be to live in darkness when they could live in the light... Rose Crawford had been blind for 50 years. Then she had an operation in an Ontario hospital. She said, "I just can't believe it," as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes. She wept - when for the 1st time in her life she saw a dazzling and beautiful world of form and color greeted her eyes and she could now see. The amazing thing about her story, however, was that 20 years of her blindness was unnecessary. She didn't know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of 30. The Dr. said, "She just figured there was nothing that could be done for her condition. Much of her life could have been different." (Sermon Central)
Your Life can be different if you start to have Spiritual Vision!
The reason why mankind has progress and society advances is because of visionaries. Without them society stops in History and in time.
Let me give you a very strong argument to prove the superiority of Jewish and Christians above all other religions. Just compare Hindu or Muslim societies with the Eastern World. Where do you see more progress and achievements? I don't want to diminish and culture or civilization, please do not interpret me wrong...but when we talk about great thinkers and achievers like Albert Einstein. 52% of all Pulitzer Prizes for Non-Fiction were awarded to Jews. Jews have won more than 50% of all music-related Academy Awards, and Tony Awards! Jews have won at least 20% of all Nobel Prizes. Jews have won 38% of all US National Medal of Science awards. Now let me tell you that Famous Christians have won almost the rest of all the awards.
Well just look at the dream that Muslim extremists have for society as we learn more about Afghanistan and the Taliban lifestyle. Compare it with Judeo-Christian societies and tell me where do you want to live? I am not saying that Christian and Jews are smarter. I don't believe they are. So what would be the determinant factor for this simple observation? My conviction is that the difference resides in GOD GIVEN DREAMS.

God gave us the Holy Spirit so we can become dreamers and people of vision
In Acts 2:17 we read,
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
1. Dream - What you see when you are imagining a hypothetical scenario.
2. Vision - What you see when you look to the future without hypothesizing, wishing or imagining.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE DREAMS AND VISIONS

1. In a dream you usually interact with the scene in some way.
2. In a vision you are the observer, you have no interaction.
We all have such dreams and vision; and both are an integral function of human consciousness. The dreams you see while asleep at night are a metaphor for the kind of thinking that happens when you fantasize while awake. We often call this "day dreaming" or creative imagination.
We need to have goals for God. The Bible says in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." To have goals in life for God, to have personal goals, to have dreams to believe in, to have a vision to serve God, to be determined to see it through.
If we don't a vision, we don't have a focus. We perish for lack of drive. We perish for a lack of vision, and don't achieve things in life. To have a dream, to aim for a vision to believe in, to have something that so grips us that we will not let it go; to have that vision for God, to be purpose driven in God, to believe in a vision and see it come to pass.

YOUR DREAM IS GOD'S BEST FOR YOUR LIFE

Psalm 126:1
1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
1. A dream is a picture in your mind of God's best for your life.
2. You will never see God's dream clearly in your mind until your heart is healed and restored. The psalmist made a connection between the two things: "When the Lord restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!"
3. In your finances, family, health, and ministry, God wants to give you His dream. He wants to make what you see in your spirit to come true. The biggest obstacle, however, to seeing your dream fulfilled is rejection.
REJECTION IS A DREAM KILLER

7 STEPS TO BECOMING A VISIONARY PERSON

Now that you understand the basics of what a visionary is, it's time to transform the person you are today into a new person for brighter tomorrows! By following the steps listed below, you can become a visionary:
1. Be filled with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit gives you dreams and visions (Acts 2:17).
2. If you don't have many dreams while asleep learn how to be a dreamer and a doer by meditating and thinking in your own goals and planning the ways to achieve them. Take action to make your dreams come true.
3. Appreciate people. This means ALL people - not just certain people you care about. Each and every person on Earth has a special mission or a unique purpose in life.
4. Accept responsibility. You should never accept the position that you're a victim of circumstance. You alone are responsible for the things you experience, the choices you make, and the outcomes of those choices and experiences.
5. Strive to learn and improve. You should know and understand that the job of self-improvement is never ending. It's a constant cycle, and it revolves consistently as we advance through life.
6. Fight the Spirit of Rejection. Rejection is a dream killer. A child who is never validated by a father is insecure. Validation results from discipline, affection, and acceptance. Acceptance is the opposite of rejection. He was despised and rejected that we might be accepted (Eph.1:6). That word, accepted, means to be "wrapped in the arms of." All believers must know that God the Father has accepted them, validated them, and pronounced them to be well-pleasing to Him.
7. Overcome opposition. You must understand and approach all situations as if they're a lesson and you should always strive to learn something from them. Make sure you surround yourself with men and women of faith and avoid people that are dream killers. If you have them in your family learn how to be quiet and don't share all your visions. Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers because he was a visionary person.
As you can see, you can learn how to become a visionary. Grab hold of your dreams and then get up and make those dreams come true. If you start to follow these steps in your everyday life, you'll soon find that you'll become well liked, happier, healthier, and more successful in every facet of life!

WE NEED CONTAGIOUS DREAMS AND VISIONS

No one ever accomplished anything without first having a vision. There are no exceptions. Not one invention. Not one artistic endeavor. Not one building. A vision; a dream; a hope is the foundation of all accomplishment.
Until we know God's dream for our life, we must obey his day-to-day will.
Contagious congregations act on the vision immediately.
Conform all your activity to the vision or dream
Place yourself and your resources at the disposal of God's vision.
When we're obedient, God reveals his vision!
Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: (King James)

THE BLESSING OF STRESS

STRESSED IS DESSERTS SPELLED BACKWARDS!
A. LEARN TO REST BY THE WELL
John 4:6 - And Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down [to rest] by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (about noon).

1. Jesus was tired of the Way and sat down close to the well of Jacob.
2. We need to sit close to the well whenever we are tired.
   
3. I've learned that the place to rest is not watching T.V. but by the well of Jacob (and we still have time there for a little bit of ministry)
   

B. LEARN TO SLEEP DURING THE STORM

Mathew 8:23-25
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
1. Jesus was able to sleep in the middle of the storm. Can you do it?
2. Storms will come into your life. Jesus was sleeping so well that he didn't wake up with the storm. He trusted that his 12 where able to deal with the situation.
3. Only supernatural peace will allow us to sleep during the storm.

C. LEARN HOW JESUS HANDLED STRESS

1. He was moving constantly - Mathew 8:19,20
2. Herod wanted to kill him as a child - Mathew 2:13
3. The Pharisees wanted to kill Him - Mathew 12:14,15
4. Herod (the other Herod) wanted to kill Him - Luke 13:31,32
5. Priests, Scribes and Politicians wanted to kill Him - Luke 19:47
How could we handle the stress of having so many people wanting to kill ourselves? This was a great amount of stress upon Him! If we follow His steps we will have to know how to handle stress in our life.

D. LEARN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STRESS

1. Stress is the way to achieve the greatest things in our life and ministry if we recognize it and learn how to make it work for us instead of against us! "Stress is a burst of energy," says psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Tan of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "It's our body telling us what we need to do." Moderate amounts of stress - the kind of short-term buzz we get from a sudden burst of hormones - can help people perform tasks more efficiently and can improve memory.
2. Jesus Worked on Saturdays because he lived on the limit of His human strength. (Mathew 7:19-26). Indeed, stress is a doubled-edged sword that affects everyone differently. It's mostly a matter of perception. A speeding ride on a roller coaster is torture for some, while others race for the next ride. Multi-tasking or living in a hectic urban environment is a thrill for some, a confusing sensory overload for others.
3. Our goal isn't an absence of stress. It's an unavoidable reality. Besides, without it, life would be a pretty dull existence. The key is channeling stress energy into productive action instead of feeling overwhelmed.
FACT 1: PRODUCTION INCREASES WHEN WE ARE UNDER STRESS
FACT 2: IF WE FEEL TIRED WE NEED TO REST BEFORE WE GET BURNED OUT

E. WE NEED TO REST AFTER A CYLE OF INTENSE WORK

1. After 6 Days God had His rest - Genesis 2:1-3
2. We need to rest in Him - Mathew 11:28
3. I have learned that Stress can be good for us. We don't really like it, but without stress we wouldn't be as much productive. I am not a workaholic but I trust in God to provide for my Sabbaths.

CONCLUSION

Romans 5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
1. We have peace with God
2. We gain access to God using our faith
3. We rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God (We rejoice when things go well but we also rejoice in our sufferings)
Suffering > Perseverance > Character > Hope > No Disappointment
When we have faith we don't look at the sufferings but we see the victories ahead of us. The way to Overcome Stress is to have peace, faith, and a rejoicing attitude.

HE TAKES AWAY THE FIRST THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THE SECOND

HEBREWS 10:9  THE LIVING BIBLE : He then added, "Here I am. I have come to give my life."
HE CANCELS THE FIRST SYSTEM IN FAVOR OF A FAR BETTER ONE
NEW KING JAMES
Then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God."
He takes away the first that He may establish the second.

Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
LUKE 5:37-38
37"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38"But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
God wants to give you the best! He cancels the old in order to give you the new. He takes away the first that he may establish the second.
Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23
So the evening and the morning were the first day
God established a Pattern: The days of God Start in the evening

1. First Darkness then Light
2. Evening Day
3. Death Life
4. Lose your life Have a New Life
5. Old Wineskins New Wineskins

A. GOD TAKES AWAY THE FIRST THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THE SECOND.

1. Some of us came to Christ after a negative experience. God removes certain things in order to give something better.
2. Not all the bad things that happened in our life where really bad but God allowed those to happen so that he would give us something better. God takes away the first that He may establish the second.
3. The devil is to blame on the evil things that happen in the world but God is still in control. When something precious was taken rejoice because God takes away the first that He may establish the second. The devil will not take anything from a son of God without the permission of the Lord. With Jesus in our lives we will experiment problems, trials, persecution, but after the night you will have a new day.
4. When a problem comes don't ask God "What did I do wrong?" but you can face it confessing that God takes away the first that He may establish the second.

Even Satan is an instrument in the hands of God so we can be molded and perfected. God is interested in our character, not in our better home or in our favorite car. He removes things and He gives things. God gave and He can take it away, blessed be the Name of the Lord

B. WE NEED TO DESIRE THE NEW

Luke 5:39
"And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.'

• We don't like to change! We drive home by the same street.
  
• We ask our coffee the same way.
  
• We go to church and we seat on the same pew.
  
• Some Christians want to have church services always the same way.

God wants to make a change in our life because he has something better, something new!

C. THE BROOK OF YOUR LIFE HAS TO DRY OUT

1 Kings 17:1-7
1And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 2Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3"Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4"And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

1. The brook dried out! Elijah was feeling good in that place: Nice view and Pizza Hut delivery, but God takes away the first that He may establish the second.
2. Has the brook of your life dried out?
3. Verse 8 says 8Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying. Its after the brook dried that the voice of God comes.
4. It's after the river of our life dried that we are ready for a new thing. God takes away the first that He may establish the second.
5. If you have lost a good job, or a good position and you have God in your life, if you live according to His Word I want to tell you what you already now by now: God takes away the first that He may establish the second.

God gave a dream to a young man called Joseph. In that dream he was going to rule over his brothers. He said Hallelujah! What happened next? The brook dried out... God takes away the first that He may establish the second.

CONCLUSION

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground
In order for God to pour water in your life you need to be dried ground. If you are feeling that the river is not flowing as you want, rejoice because God takes away the first that He may establish the second.
1 Corinthians 2:9
9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

DAILY PRAYER COVERING

(This Prayer is an example; please modify it spontaneously as you pray it)

1. Address the Father and cover yourself with the Blood of Jesus

• Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• I thank you now for Jesus’ precious powerful blood, which has cleansing power, healing power and restoration power that cleanses, heals and restores my mind and my body. Your Word says (Hebrews 10:19) that I need "…boldness to enter into the holiest place by the Blood of Jesus". I take that precious and powerful blood, and by the Holy Spirit I pour it over my head and let it saturate my body from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. 
• In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of His Cross and blood, I bind the spirits, powers and forces of the earth, the underground, the air, the water, the fire, the netherworld and the satanic forces of nature. I rebuke any curses, hexes, or spells sent against me and send back from where they came from in Jesus Name. Thank you for your protection over my spirit, my soul and my body.
  

2. Put on the Armor of God

• I am God's child.  I resist the devil.  No weapon formed against me shall prosper.  I put on the whole armor of God. (Picture yourself putting on the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:11-18) 
• Lord I put on The Helmet of Salvation. I celebrate your salvation. I ask You to give me Your mind and thoughts.
• I put on The Breastplate of Righteousness. God I confess my sin and I ask for your forgiveness. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  I am God's property.  
• I put on The Belt of Truth. Lord I ask you to show me the truth about myself. I ask for discernment to know where I am going and what to do.
• I put on The Sandals of Peace. I invite the Holy Spirit to show me today anyone with whom I need to be reconciled. God, I pray for the ministry you have for me.  Anoint me God for all you have called me to do for you.  I call forth divine appointments, open doors of opportunity, God ordained encounters and ministry positions.
• I put on The Shield of Faith. I envision myself with a mighty shield, capturing and extinguishing all doubts and temptations sent by the enemy. Satan you are bound from my family, my mind, my body, my home, and my finances. I extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy in Jesus Name. 
• I put on The Sword of the Spirit. I cut myself free from anything that restricts me from living in faith and health. I take authority over this day, in Jesus name.  Let it be prosperous for me, let me walk in your love, Lord. The Holy Spirit leads and guides me today.  I discern between the righteous and the wicked.  I take authority over Satan and all his demons, and those people who are influenced by them.  I declare Satan is under my feet and shall remain there all day. I declare that the Word of God is in my heart and in my mouth and I will confess it through out this day.
  

3. Silence the enemy and bind evil spirits and curses spoken against you

• I now bind all interplay, interaction, and communication of evil spirits. I claim the protection of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ over me.
• In the Name of Jesus Christ I bind, rebuke and bring to no effect: all division, discord, disunity, strife, anger, wrath, murder, criticism, condemnation, pride, envy, jealousy, gossip, slander, evil speaking, complaining, lying, false teaching, false gifts, false manifestations, lying signs and wonders, poverty, fear of lack, fear spirits, murmuring spirits, complaining spirits, hindering spirits, retaliatory spirits, deceiving spirits, religious spirits, occult spirits, witchcraft spirits (including Jezebel, Delilah, and Apollyon), and spirits of Antichrist.
• I bind all curses that have been spoken against me.  I bless those who curse me, and pray blessings on those who despitefully use me.  I bind all spoken judgments made against me and judgments I have made against others.  I bind the power of negative words from others, and I bind and render useless all prayers not inspired by the Holy Spirit; whether psychic, soul force, witchcraft or counterfeit tongues that have been prayed against me.
• I confess that I am healed and whole.  I flourish, am long lived, stable, durable, incorruptible, fruitful, virtuous, full of peace, patience and love.  Whatsoever I set my hands to do shall prosper, for God supplies all my needs.  I have all authority over Satan, all demons, and beasts of the field.
• I now proclaim in Jesus' name that His Blood, which has cleansing power, healing power and restoration power now cleanses, heals and restores my brain, my conscious mind, my subconscious mind, my head, my central nervous system, my heart and all my body. (Name areas of your body that you have symptoms of weakness or infirmity)
  

4. Claim a Hedge of Protection around your Spiritual and Natural Family

• I claim a hedge of protection around my spouse and children (name). I thank you for Salvation, healing and deliverance over their lives. I thank you for the Blood of Jesus that is around my Church, Pastors and leaders throughout this day and night.  I ask you God, in the name of Jesus, to dispatch angels to surround spouse, my children and me today and to put them throughout my house and around our cars, souls and bodies.  
• I ask you to send your angels to protect my house from any intrusion and to protect me and my family from any harmful demonic or other physical or mental attacks.
• I thank you now for my disciples (mention individually the names of your [12] disciples and people that you are mentoring in Christ).
• I pray for the protection of your blood over their lives, families, and properties.
  

I now give to you and dedicate myself to you, to be obedient to you and my heart totally worships you, loves you and adores you my dearest God.

I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus.  Amen. (Finish with Praise and Worship, and speaking in tongues