Waiting, Dreaming, Running after a Vision...

I just finished reading the book by Matthew Barnett, "The Church that Never Sleeps" for the third time. It's a story of a young man who was sent to pastor a church in the inner city of Los Angeles. The church reaches out to gang members, prostitus, the homeless and every need present in the inner city. The Dream Center began as a typical local church. But with the fresh vision and desire to impact the entire city that God birthed in Matthew’s heart, the church grew from 39 members at its conception in September of 1994, to reaching more than 30,000 people each week in the Center’s 40 services and nearly two hundred ministries and outreaches today. The Dream Center houses close to 500 people who are being rehabilitated for the glory of God. Over 35,000 people a week receive food and many other services are offered to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the community. titutes, drug addicts, the hurting and almost eve

This just shows how God can work in the lives of those who have a vision and choose to trust him no matter what ...

I am reminded of Henry Varley's parting words to D.L. Moody.

The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. -Henry Varley

to which D.L. Moody responded...

“I will try my utmost to be that man.”

and went on to Evangelize most parts of Great Britain and America...

I have a vision too.

I am in the waiting part right now. The prayer and the planning stage. The dreaming leg of the journey...I guess this is the hardest part!!! Not knowing until when or how long is the wait. I guess the length of wait and preparation is a reflection of the magnitude of the task to be done. God is growing me into my vision and is at work in my life and in others behind the scene.

So WHY WAIT???

" Developing a vision or discovering a vision for a particular area of our lives takes time. Visioneering is a process. Sometimes its a painful process. Because of the time required, it can be agonizing. But it is a process that yields a product worth every bit of the agony along the way." -Andy Stanley from the book "Visioneering"

So I'll have to wait...Till when??? Only God knows. Meanwhile it will be a time for me to examine myself and become totally sold out for this God ordained vision.


ps. I highly recommend these 2 books that have impact my christian walk greatly- The Church that Never Sleeps by Matthew Barnett and Visioneering by Andy Stanley.