LIVING THE DREAM
Introduction
This book started as a pome based upon meeting many people that have been deceived into living for their own (or someone else’s) “dream”, rather than living in the greatness of the reality that God desires for them to live in each and every moment of the here and now.
Living The dream
Oh the youthful bliss of imaginary dreams promising an uncertain greater reality. As naivety ponders what is perceived to afford the greatest pleasure, joy and fulfillment, it does not distinguish that in every moment of current reality is afforded each of those virtues, but most would not partake of them now based on their desired dream for an unsure promise of a future which is not assured or guaranteed.
Only in the twinkling and shimmering moment that exist during this present age is the current opportunity for one to experience the greatness of the greatest One’s Dream for each person, which is to live in the ecstasy and fulfillment of the present moment that He has graciously given to all to live in instantly upon His awareness.
While time gradually and methodically voyages towards its expiration all the lofty dreams and ambitions slowly fade from light to dark as this world does not afford the reality of the dreams but presents a much different actuality. Even in this state some who have never entered into the pleasure of the true Dream maker through experiencing Him intimately, forfeit contentedness as the shadows grow long and the grains of sand in the hour glass of life grow few. Making a last impetus as they grasp to attain and acquire the dream of becoming as valuable as a diamond of this world they invest the entirety of their soul to obtain the dream not knowing that the true Dream maker sees them as far more valuable then the greatest riches of this temporal vapor which is but for a moment.
In that same valued juncture, the adversary of all souls rejoices as the desired dream in its un-fulfillment prevails over the joy of the present offered reality given by the creator of time and all eternal Dreams. The ruler of disillusioned desires and dreams knowing all the while that if he can keep souls in a pursuit of aspirations for any dream not of the true Dream maker then the emotional and intellectual embodiment of that being will miss out on the beauty of the present presence of the One Who is the realization and fulfillment of every genuine infinite and true Dream, Desire and Destiny.
It is only those that experience deep abiding relationship with the author of all infinite and true Dreams now that will continue knowing Him throughout the ages to come in the state of His delightful presence. It is those that are not related to the true Dream maker that have the experience of their dreams slowly and consistently dissolving from the universe of each dreamer as it becomes empty, never being contented. The fantasy of imagined dream eludes the grasp and panting for it, leaving only the irritation and barrenness that perpetuates itself. The veracity of the temporal dream is that even if the attainment of itself was realized by the dreamer one could never be justly satisfy in the vanity of the dream, for satisfaction is designed to be fulfilled in each eupnea of the here and now through connection with true Dream maker, who holds each breath in His hand.
For in the realm of each instance of time exclusively dwells a treasure much greater than the aims and ambitions to live for a dream which does not come with the creator’s oath of fulfilment. All the while there exists a Dream in the heart of the One who creates all perpetual and true Dreams that are certain and with out fail. Each of His Dreams are designed to unveil the greatness of His love and His perpetual Dream for each created individual to live in common union of fullness with Him in each and every thought and lungful of His breath both now and forevermore.
Any dream not of His origin will only hinder His Dream with the intent to keep us from realizing now in our hearts and minds His great desire and love for us. All encumbering dreams have been sent from the one who desires for us to accomplish our own will and self made dreams and for our own glory which are prompted by his inspirations. All the while the One Who’s Dreams which do not turn into nightmares of unaccomplished misleading wonderings in this age observes the great loss now through our deceived wasteful pursuits of living the dream as we squander the precious time allotted to each one with the tragic results of eternal loss in the age to come.
Oh how the true Dream creator yearns for all to dwell in union with Him and His Dreams of a joy filled ecstasy presently, for it is in the unity of our minds with His Mind that the laying hold of the present occasion of the true Dream occurs. It is in this contentment and satisfaction that we consciously live in the Dream of the architect of undying Dreams that with out end will be certainly and eternally experienced.
Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
In the pome above I believe there are many Biblical paradigms expressed. Below I have
attempted to communicate what I can to bring revelation and meaning to the pome. As always my hope is for you to seek the Lord in understanding how any of what has been written applies to your relationship with Him.
When I use the term “Dream” with a capital D through out “Living the dream” I am using the term to represent God’s Heart for us “not” as the definition noted below in Merriam Webster’s definition “having no objective reality”
God does not have dreams that have no objective reality. God dwells in constant reality. Taking a look at the definition of the word imagination will help to understand the difference of mans imagination and God’s imagination.
1 : the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.
2a : creative ability
b : ability to confront and deal with a problem : RESOURCEFULNESS
use your imagination and get us out of here
c : the thinking or active mind : INTEREST
stories that fired the imagination
3a : a creation of the mind
especially : an idealized or poetic creation
b : fanciful or empty assumption
the table below charts out God’s imagination and man’s imagination apart from God imagination.
1 : the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.
God always
Man at times
2a : creative ability
God always
Man at times
2b : ability to confront and deal with a problem : RESOURCEFULNESS
use your imagination and get us out of here
God always
Man at times
2c : the thinking or active mind : INTEREST
stories that fired the imagination
God always
Man at times
3a : a creation of the mind
God always
Man at times
3b : fanciful or empty assumption
GOD Never
Man often
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dream
1 a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality.
Genesis 8:21 - And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
Luke 1:51 - He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
2 something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dream
Psalm 39:6-7
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them. “And now, Lord,
what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Rom 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
It is clear that from a biblical perspective our hope is to be in our eternal God not a temporal dream.
Strong's G1680 – elpis for Hope
1. in the Christian sense
i. joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.
Dream/Dreams usage in the Word of God. It is only used two times in one passage in the new testament in the following passage. In its context God clearly states it is something that is to happen to old men.
Act 2:17
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
Here is the word for Visions
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
akin to A, No. 7, denotes
(a) a vision (so the associated noun horama, e.g., Act 7:31; horasis signifies especially the act of seeing, horama that which is seen), Act 2:17; Rev 9:17;
(b) an appearance, Rev 4:3, translated "to look upon" (twice in the RV; in the second instance the AV has "in sight").
The KJV translates Strong's G3706 in the following manner: vision (2x), in sight (1x), look upon (1x).
the act of seeing
the sense of sight, the eyes
appearance, visible form
Revelation 9:17
And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.
Dream/Dreams usage in the Word of God in the Old Testament.
Dream occurs 72 times in 59 verses in the NKJV, including 59 exact phrases shown first. Page 1 / 2 exact matches (Genesis 20:3–Dan 4:19)
Dreams occurs 26 times in 25 verses in the NKJV, including 25 exact phrases shown first.
If you apply the law of first mention to the word dream it is found in the following passage and it is the declaration of death given by God.
Genesis 20:3
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.”
Here are more notes about living for our dreams now on earth until the end of the present age which Jesus spoke about as well as the age that is to come. Much like Martin Luther Jr. who said “I have a Dream” death can come from seeking after a dream. This is not just tongue and cheek here. Please let me make this clear, I just put the word Dream in a capital form for Martin Luther’s Dream, just as I did in the places in the writing “Living The dream’ based on a specific reason. When I used the world Dream in capital letters I was doing so to connect the word “Dream” with God’s Dream/Plan not man’s plan where I used the lower case for “dream”. I believe that Martin Luther Jr’s Dream was in alignment with God’s Dream for humanity. God’s Dream for humanity is the inspiration of Martin Luther Jr. dream when Martin stated:
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be engulfed, every hill shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains 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 will 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.”
There is much more to Martin’s speech. One thing for sure is there will come a time on this earth that this Dream will come to pass. I believe we should live with the conviction and constancy in our hearts to walk this Dream out in every thought and action in every moment of our time on the earth in this age. Knowing that the dream Martin had is certain and aimed at God’s heart.
I also believe the word of God when Jesus states what the Signs of the Times and the End of the Age are as noted in Matthew 24 as well as in Mark 13:3–13 and Luke 21:17–19
Matthew 24:3-14
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
When Martin Luther made his stamen it is clear that he was drawing from the following passages in the Bible.
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be engulfed, every hill shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains 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 certain for God said in
Isaiah 40:4
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
And in
Luke 3:5
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
This is all in the context of poly prophetic fulfilments which the final fulfilment is at the end of this age before the beginning of the next age as God noted through out His word. The fulfilment of God’s plan in Isaiah 40 and Luke 3 can not and will not fail, but will cont come until this age ends. As we live in the current age we are to live out of the revelation of His desire for the age to come as Jesus did. At the same time this age is going to come to an end before the coming of the age to come. You may not believe this prospective, but since the advent of COVID Jesus words have brought about a sobering to many Preterists.
Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”
Please not the question the disciples asked Jesus?
“And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And note Jesus response
…for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Jesus went on to say
Matthew 24:29-31
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
God also makes clear what the new age will look like as noted in following passage
Revelation 21:1-8
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
This clearly has not happened yet. You may say but the following has happened in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed
Matthew 24:15-28
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
This is where the understanding of poly prophetic fulfilments must be taken into account. The concept of poly prophetic fulfilments is all through out the Word of God. Here is an example. Jesus came into this world to save sinners (1 timothy 1:15). So in this passage it is clear that Jesus came into the world.
And in
Matthew 24:27
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23) In this passage it shows that Christ is coming again.
There was the first man Adam, and the second Adam—Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). There is the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is an old, earthly Jerusalem and a new, heavenly one (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2).
Jesus came into the world once and Jesus will come into the world again. There were many warnings of the destruction of Jerusalem. It was destroyed once before Nehemiah and then Nehemiah rebuilt it. Then the Romans destroyed it again in 70 A.D. The Jews left the land of Israel and it was called Palestine until the fulfilment of their return in May 14, 1948. Until that date those of the anti Semitic reformed replacement theology had to create the Christian Church as the replacement of Israel, because there was not a literal Israel. After that date any one who took note that God would do what He said in the following passage.
Jeramiah 31 1-6
The Lord said: Israel, I promise that someday all your tribes will again be my people,
and I will be your God. In the desert I was kind to those who escaped death. I gave them peace, and when the time is right, I’ll do the same for you. I, the Lord, have spoken. The Lord Will Rebuild Israel Some time ago, the Lord appeared to me and told me to say: Israel, I will always love you; that’s why I’ve been so patient and kind. You are precious to me, and so I will rebuild your nation. Once again you will dance for joy
and play your tambourines. You will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria and enjoy the grapes. Someday those who guard the hill country of Ephraim will shout, “Let’s go to Zion and worship the Lord our God.”
This is another form of poly prophetic fulfilment. I say poly because not only has God brought them back into the land but he will create a new heavens and a new earth and in that new heavens and earth all true Israel will be saved.
Rom 11:26-27
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
When I stated true Israel this is a passage that I believe validates the term “true Israel”
Romans 9:6-9
But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
All this is to say that when Martin Luther Jr said the following:
“With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”
I love Martin’s hearts and desire to take the actions to live and ultimately die for God’s Dream now as we all should. At the same time the end of this age must come before the age that is to come, will come. It is then that the fulfilment of all that God has said will come to pass.
This all brings us back to the idea of the dreams of man in comparison to the Dreams of God. Taking into account that when we talk about the idea of God’s Dreams we are noting His ability and power to form mental images of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality to other created beings, but not to Himself. This is because there is nothing that He has not sensed or perceived in His eternal reality. Yet there are things that out of His mind, He has and does create that are reality. On the other hand, all of humanity that is created in His image and likeness has been created with the ability to create. The potential danger in this is after the transgression of Adam all of humanity apart from Christ has the penchant to have imaginations that are self seeking. Even though a person have accepted the Gospel of salvation (Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again on the third day according to the scripture” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and to knows Jesus intimately through a personal relationship with Him (John 17:3), there is still the reality of the ability to be influenced in their minds with imaginations that are self oriented and inspired by an adversary that knows the past of everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is why it is vital to check every thought, every imagination, every dream by and thought God and His word. Remember the devil knows God’s word and quoted it to Jesus so do not think for a moment He can not use the written word of God to get you into his dream and imagination for your life. We must take every thought, dream, imagination captive as noted in the word of God. I added dream and imagination because all dreams and imaginations come from thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
All the bold print words have to do with the mind which can dream and imagine. It is in our hearts. Note the Strong’s definition for heart in the following passage is:
A. denotes the center of all physical and spiritual life
i. the vigor and sense of physical life
ii. the center and seat of spiritual life
a. the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors
b. of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence
c. of the will and character
d. of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions
Luke 9:47
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,
And again in
Act 8:22
“Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
In this we see that the heart has the mind attached to it and in the mind of the heart every dream and imagination is connected intertwined.
Deuteronomy 4:9-10
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart (mind) all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, “especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’
1 peter 1:13
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance
Pro 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Remember the heart contains the mind and the ability to create dreams and imaginations.
James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart (mind), this one’s religion is useless.
Deception starts in the thinking/mind that desires and that can lead to deception in the mind and heart.
Deuteronomy 18:6-7
“So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, “then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.
Again this is why the idea of our dreams and “holy” imaginations must be checked through the Mind of the Lord who is not deceived in any way.
Ezekiel 14:4-5
“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart/mind, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart/mind, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’
a Idol is anything that you think will and can take care of you, bring you fulfilment, bring you rest, satisfied you, protect you, bring you significance, anything you trust in, anything that bring you peace and safety. Anything that you think will bring you wealth. The reason those things are idols is because only God is to do all those things for you. Anything that is in His place in context to the above mentioned things is taking His rightful place. Idolatry is not only an old testament concept it is relevant to all new covenant believers. The last words of 1 John 5:21 state “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”
Idolatry starts in the heart and the mind. Idols can take on many forms: Marriage, Children (co-dependency), Ministry, Money, Jobs, Hobbies, Entertainment, Social Media, Fashion, Homes, Cars, Carriers, and our dreams and imaginations. The list goes on and on, but it all starts in the heart/mind, out which arise our desires and the issues of life. One of the words in the old testament for love means desire. When ever we desire anything more than God it is an Idol and there are going to end up being issues that come up from the idol.
1 john 2:15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Remember Love is associated with desire and desire is associated the heart and mind.
In the law of first mention for the word Love this in the passage
Genesis 27:4
And make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless you before I die.
In Genesis 27 it makes clear that Isaac loved savory meat. This means he desired savory meat as stated in the Strong’s definition for “Love” human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom.” There are many other aspects to the word love in Strong’s definition such as: human love for another, includes family and sexual, love for God, act of being a friend and Gods love toward man.
Gesenius who is considered to be the greatest Born again scholar who has documented his understanding of Hebrew words stated the following about the word “ahab” used in Genesis 27 which completely makes sense in all applications of the world in the bible
“(1) TO DESIRE, TO BREATHE AFTER anything. (the signification of breathing after, hence of longing is proper to the syllables. … to desire, to love…
The word in Hebrew used in Genesis is spelled in Hebrew “אָהַב” and pronounced 'ahab which is the letters Aleph, Hey and Bet. In the understanding of Hebrew letters there are symbols that represent each of the letters. When applied in this word with the application of the central axis this is one understanding of what the word means.
“Behold and look at the Head leader who is a powerfully strong servant who carries the plan of God.”
I believe this points to Jesus who is God and God is love as stated in
1 john 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Does this mean that God has desires? Yes! One thing that must be understood when we use the word desire, the word does not mean need. God does not need anything but He does have desire’s and for that we can all be glad for His greatest desire is for the good of all humanity to live in union with Him and His plan for each person to love/desire Him.
1 Timothy 2:3-4
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God desires that we desire Him first as noted in
Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
In Deuteronomy the same word is used for love which is 'Ahab. God says that our desire is to be with all our hearts soul and strength.
Looking at the Hebrew words here brings greater understanding as to what the LORD your God means. Starting with the word “Heart” here is Strong’s definition.
Outline of Biblical Usage
inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding
inner part, midst
midst (of things)
heart (of man)
soul, heart (of man)
mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
conscience
heart (of moral character)
as seat of appetites
as seat of emotions and passions
as seat of courage
In this definition I have joined together some categories in what I consider the priority of the order of usage
1) Mind/understanding/thinking/memory/conscience/character/courage
2) heart (as noted in the verse)
3) Will
Next is used the word “Soul” and here is the Strong’s definition
soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
living being
living being (with life in the blood)
the man himself, self, person or individual
seat of the appetites
seat of emotions and passions
activity of mind
dubious
activity of the will
dubious
activity of the character
dubious
There are many characteristics that are similar in “Soul” as are found in “Heart” such as “seat of the appetites, appetite, mind, will, character, seat of emotions and passions, soul, and the inner being of man.” The only thing that is different is: “that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, living being (with life in the blood)”. The final word in the list of Deuteronomy 6:5 is “Strength” and its Strong’s definition is as follows
muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
A. force, might
B. exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree)
i. exceedingly
ii. up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly
Exodus 20 3-6
“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
In the above passage it ends with “to those who love Me and keep My commandments. God is all about our desire’s being for Him with all of our being. The only way we are able to love and desire Him above all other gods, images, hopes, visions, dreams is by entering into the deepest form of relationship with Him who is Love.
1 John 4:19
We love Him because He first loved us.
To love Him we must know Him because you can not love someone with out knowing them.
John 17:3
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The word here for know is vital to understand the depth of love and relationship God desires to have with each individual. In word that is used for “know’ has the following Strong’s definition
Outline of Biblical Usage
to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
to become known
to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
to understand
to know
Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
to become acquainted with, to know
In the Strong’s definition is the statement “Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman” this is because in Genesis chapter 3 the following statement is made.
Genesis 4:1
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.”
“The word here in Hebrew is “yada” and is defined by Gesenius in the following way.
To know, to become acquainted with anyone. Often put by a euphemism for sexual intercourse of a man to know a woman to lie with her…” Here we see that when Adam knew Eve the result was “she conceived and bore Cain”. This clearly relates to the results of sexual intercourse. This may crate a dilemma in our minds as to the type of relationship we are to have with God. One thing to take into consideration is sex is and of its self is not bad or wrong or shameful. It is only those things when it is done out of God’s design for sex. On the other hand, when it is done in order with His plan is it designed in a way that is many wonderful things. Sexual relationship is a commandment
Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Being “Fruitful” means many things but undeniably one of the ways is in the fruit of the womb
Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Mal 2:15
But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
This brings us to back to the idea of sexual intercourse with God. Yikes that sound so blasphemous, but let us take a step back and consider God’s heart in the matter. God loves us so much that He desires to get sointimate with us that when we come together and spend time alone with Him the results would be that there is new life birth out of the union we have with Him. With that in mind remember what is the results God is looking for “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion… He seeks godly offspring.”
We can only live in this kind of relationship with God through faith. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is known as the Hall of Faith. In it there are many notations of individuals who lived lives of powerful faith. God in His grace does not point out their failures of faith (though there are many, of which I will not join in with the accuser of the brethren for God did not and He is my example in all things.) The end of chapter also talks of other extraordinary individuals of faith. There display of faith is not one that we often speak of or cherish, but it is the direct lead into Hebrews chapter twelve that gives us the way to live a life of intimacy and fruitfulness for God’s purposes on the earth and all eternity.
Hebrews 11:35-40 ….
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mocking’s and scourging’s, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
I believe when we live fully devoted in a life of faith that results in intimacy with God and no other god or dream of building our own kingdom, then we are “Living the Dream” that will build the world wide Dream of God. His concept of “Living the Dream” is for all to know Him primarily and intimately apart from any business, ministry or monetary status initially. Jesus did not say seek first your dream of building a business, ministry or monetary status and the things you desire will be added to you. He said…
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”
There is one ministry that Jesus has given to all that know Him and it has noting to do with building a business tied to monetary gain.
2Co 5:18
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
The American dream is not based on building the ministry of reconciliation or contentment in the necessities of life. The American dream is build on a dream to live in the excessiveness of life in order to find contentment. This is designed to keep all striving to build their own dream, business, ministry…etc. Sadly, in building any other business or ministry the contentment of relationship with God in the present moment given by Him is not fully enjoyed. It is in the following verse that “Living the Dream” is achieved from God’s perspective.
1Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
It will do all well to read the entire chapter of 1 Timothy 6 to understand God’s warnings concerning the building of the riches of this world. This is not to say that we are to not work or build anything on earth. Jesus did state in the parable of the minas the statement found in the following passage.
Luke 19:13
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
The context here is “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” Here Jesus is the nobleman who went to a far country (earth) to receive for Himself a Kingdom (the kingdom of God, which is the power or authority over the works of the devil. I say this because for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). How did He destroy the works of the devil? Through Money, an earthly kingdom, a ministry or a business dream? No! He destroyed the devil by doing His Fathers business which is the work of redemption in that He died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day to save us from our sins. So in one sense we are to be building a business on earth just as Jesus did, which is to be as Jesus was while He was on earth.
Luke 2:49
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?”
If there is any business or ministry that we are to be building on earth it is the business of building a kingdom that is eternal not of temporal riches . Which is the context of the parable of the minas. This is what Jesus is also in teaching in:
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:24-34
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you,
O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Jesus is promising your needs not your greed’s to be fulfilled. May all other dreams fall to the ground and be laid aside based on the kind of faith that those in Hebrews chapter eleven 35b through 40 lived and died for. They are the great cloud of witnesses that are experiencing the eternal reward of their faith. They are the ones who gave their lives to live for the Dream of God. This is clearly stated in the passage as well as in the Greek, for the word “witnesses” is from the Greek word for martyr “martys”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses “martys”, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is when we are living in a devoted life of intimacy with God by laying down our dreams in exchange for His Dream of redemption that we are truly “Living the Dream”.