Persistence Of A Dream
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Persistence of A Dream
Persistence comes from the root word “Persist”. Here are a few definitions that I came across.
1. to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like.
2. to last or endure tenaciously.
3. to be insistent in a statement, request, question, etc.
In the last three weeks, we talked about several aspects of a Dream. 1- The Power of a Dream, 2- The Purpose of a dream and 3- The Passion of a dream. I believe that all of these points have and will continue to help us to dream like never before. As we come to the end of this series, I would like to leave you with one last thought. In order for you to experience the power, realize the purpose and feel the passion of a dream, you must be PERSISTENT!
Why is it important to be persistent with your dream? Because often times it is through your persistence in the process of dreaming that God will meet the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4)
The seed that was planted in your heart long ago will not come to fruition unless you are persistent in accordance to God’s will for your life.
What will it take to be persistent with your dream? The best way to answer this question is to fully understand that there is an enemy that is intent on stopping you from dreaming. This enemy comes only to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). Therefore, if that is what we are up against, then we must be fully armed to fight back (Ephesians 6:11-17). Be steadfast, stand firm, endure tenaciously and be Persistent!
What will happen when you are persistent with your dream? I thought that it would be appropriate to answer this final question with an example of a man who persisted in his dream, even at the cost of his very life. That man is Dr. Martin Luther King. Here is the last portion of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As you read this transcript, may these words inspire you to not only dream, but to be persistent with your dream.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
James
Headed To Hollywood
1 CommentThe Katinas are heading to Hollywood! No we are not going to American Idol, we are actually participating in events related to the premiere of “The Cross” movie. This movie portrays the incredible life of Arthur Blessitt and the impact his ministry has made around the world. That is not just a figure of speech as he has literally carried a 12′ wooden cross in 315 nations which covered 38, 102 miles! We are honored to have been able to provide the title track for this movie in addition to other songs which will appear on the soundtrack.
We want you all to please tune in to TBN’s “Praise The Lord” program Tuesday (3/24) and Thursday (3/26) as we will be featured alongside Arthur Blessitt and other key figures that made this film possible. “Praise The Lord” airs at 7pm Pacific, 9pm Central, and 10pm Eastern time zone. You can also view the program live via streaming through the TBN website.
Last but not least we want to encourage you to support this movie! You can find out which theater in your area is showing by visiting the official website. It is a very powerful and inspirational presentation of the Gospel so take advantage of this opportunity to witness to family, friends, neighbors & co-workers.
The Passion of a Dream
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At the age of six, I began to dream that one day I would be a part of something that would bring hope and healing to hurting people around the world. I didn’t have to look far. It has been well over twenty years that I have been traveling with my brothers fulfilling that same dream.
Do you have a dream? Do you have passion behind that dream? Psalm 37:3-4 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the Land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Your passion will be tested by these five principles:
D. R. E. A. M.
D – Devote your whole trust in no one else but the Lord
R – Release good deeds from your heart
E – Edify yourself in the presence of God
A – Acknowledge the faith and blessings of God
M – Make God happy through your talents and abilities
You may have an idea of what you want to do, but you must remember, an idea is a figment of one’s imagination. A “God idea” is birthed from the heart of God into our hearts. It then becomes that dream that becomes our life assignment and our passion.
Make a choice today to D.R.E.A.M. God’s way. He will show you His plan and you will only then understand the passion of a dream.
- Jesse
The Purpose of a Dream
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In New York Times best seller ” Purpose Driven Life”, Rick Warren gives us one of the best insights about purpose. It is this, God created everyone with a purpose, and I believe that in addition to that He created us with a purpose to dream! Here are a few thoughts that we want to leave with you today as you think about the purpose of your dream.
First of all, you must know your dream! The best way to know your dream, is to what the dream giver(God) has purposed for you from the beginning of time. One of my favorite passages is in Jer. 29:11. He knows the plans that he has for us are plans that will prosper us and not harm us. I am so thankful that God has it all mapped out for me as I continue to submit to His plan, and know his purpose for my life.
Secondly, we’ve got to “Walk the Dream”. A dream is only a dream until you grab a hold of God’s promises for your life. We have to walk into our dreams by faith, which absolutely requires us to put forth some action i.e strategic planning, research, developing your strengths etc. When we walk by faith and not by sight, we are saying “God even though I may not see it right now, I know you are able to fulfill everything you want in me”.
Last but not least, we must pass on the legacy of a dream. When I think of words like Legacy & Dream, I am reminded of the memory of my late father in law, Roger Ely, who went home to be with Jesus two weeks ago. Even in the last couple of years of his life, Roger who was 73 yrs. old, pursued every dream and goal that he had. He was a man that believed he could do anything through perseverance, determination, and hard work. My five sons and I are are so blessed to have had a true hero who taught us what it means to be a man of God, dream big, but most importantly live life to the fullest! What a man! What a legacy!
My prayer for all of us today, is that we know the dream, walk the dream, and at the end of the day we can live the reality of our dreams so that a rich legacy will be passed on to future generations. That is the “Purpose of a Dream”.
-John
The Power Of A Dream
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God has created each and everyone of us with a purpose. Often times, he reveals that purpose to us through dreams. When dreams come from God, they build us up and bring fulfillment to our lives. When we walk close to God and call upon him, we can know what dreams are from him.. Jer. 33:3 says, Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Your dreams will enable you to achieve whatever your ultimate”Why” is in life. By the age of 25, most people lose their dreams and settle for an average life.
When we were kids growing up in the early 70′s, God put a dream in our hearts. One day we would travel all over the world and sing. We cut guitars out of cardboard and set Mom’s pots and pans on the couch. We would then invite our neighborhood friends over and put on a little concert for them. It’s truly amazing to think back to the beginning days of the dream that we’re still living today.
What dreams has God put in your heart? Have you lost sight of them because someone told you that they were insignificant or perhaps too far-fetched? May today be the beginning of a new season. Its not too late. When you gave your heart to Jesus, he gave you a dream and started a good work in you. Phil 1:6 says, that He will bring it to completion.
According to God’s power that is at work within us, He will do more than we ask, imagine or dream..Eph 3:20 . Keep dreaming!
-Sam
