“Dreaming With God” by Bill Johnson

It never ceases to amaze me that God somehow places just the right book into my hands at just the right time. It is a phenomenon that tends to happen a lot – especially lately….

I guess God knows I’m a reader and, as such, He is busy keeping me in line by stacking the desk so to speak. (and, yes – I meant “desk” not “deck” as all my to-read books are stack on my desk and not outside on the deck getting ruined by the rain!)

This time around, it was Bill Johnson’s book “Dreaming With God: Co-Laboring With God For Cultural Transformation” that spoke to my heart.

Drawing from his long experience as the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California, Johnson weaves a story full of imaginary and common-down-home phrases to help encourage excite people to following God’s mission to transform the cultural around them.

“Having the heart and the ability from God leaves us with an unlimited potential in resourcing earth with Heaven’s resources. That connection to His world will prove necessary as we boldly invade the kingdoms of this world that are becoming the Kingdom of our Lord and Christ!”

Yet, as powerful as this call to action is – the real reason this book was so timely is because of Johnson’s call to dream the dreams of God:

“We’ve been given the capacity to dream and, more importantly, to dream with God. His language continues to be unveiled, His heart is being imparted, and permission has been given to try to exaggerate His goodness. We have been given the right to surpass the accomplishments of previous generations using creativity through wisdom to solve the issues facing us. Their ceiling is our floor. This is our time to run.”

As several of you know, I have had to lay down a lot of my ‘dreams’ and goals over the course of the last two months in an effort to follow the moving hand of the Wild Goose. There was a time when all I could think about was getting out of Idaho and move overseas somewhere.  God’s call to learn so that I could have something to give to His people was turned into an escape hatch (i.e. I would have to move in order to finish my masters degree).

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.” – Prov 19:21

Now I can see myself in Sweet for many a moon – ten or twenty years in fact. It seems that things are falling into place and that I’m in the right place for once… There is a sweetness to the day and a vibe of passion running through the church.  God is on the move and we get to play a part in His mission.

Sometimes it seems that this new vibe and heart has come too quickly. Shoot, it has only been a month of so since Em and I stepped up as senior pastors…perhaps I’m reading too much into things…I don’t know. I just know that I’m no longer driven to try to leave. I am content with being in Sweet, Idaho. This is where the Creator of Heaven and Earth has called me.

Replace, O’Lord, my dreams with Your dreams.

May I learn not for the sake of learn nor for the prestige of man;

But so that I may give it away to all whom I happen upon in this journey of life.

Open my eyes Lord that I might see Your dancing hand.

Guide me, Spirit, upon the wild trails of yonder.

To You be the glory.