To Hell and Back Part 1: The Great Chasm

As I stood outside of my French doors which marked the entrance into my office, I felt as if I were Jesus looking at the gates of Hell moments after His death on the cross.  I realized my office was not an office, but rather a cemetery of dead dreams, relationships, ministries, and businesses that died in 2008 and prior.  Papers, books, business and ministry plans, files, folders, pictures, and many other shards were scattered on the floor, bookcases, chair, and desk.  A place that had once been my sanctuary of thought and contemplation, where G0d would speak to clearly to me, was now a haven of disorder, chaos,  and obvious demonic activity.  I began to see the entire year of 2008 flash before my eyes and the events of 2007 that led up to 2008 being the year of resurrection.    Like Jesus, my soul experienced the fiery  inferno of Hell and my office served as the tomb where my crucified body had lain. Also like Jesus, a woman discovered the resurrected me at the entrance of my tomb-like office.  My dear friend, Superwoman, entered into the gates of hell and pulled out the articles for me to judge as life or death (keep or throw away).  And after  5 hours, what I could not do alone in a year was done by the power of the Holy Spirit working in concert with Superwoman and me.   In that moment at 10:00 p.m. on News Years Day 2009, my office, like me, was resurrected to a glorious form–a glory greater than its former glory. 

In this series, I want to discuss the topic, To Hell and Back, in the light of Jesus’ resurrection story and Genesis 1:1-5 with my life in 2008 as the dark canvas for His light to reveal spiritual insight.  The purpose of this series is share the path of resurrection when your life deviated from God.  This is not an easy task as Hebrews 6:4-6 declares.  Actually, according to the text,  it is impossible for anyone to convince or recover a former Christian that deviates and renounces his allegiance to God (through their lifestyle and deeds). It is only the power of God.  God will allow Satan access to them and give them the opportunity to return to Him.  In essence, this is the very experience of Jesus between the cross and the tomb three days later.  When Jesus was on the cross He became sin and thus created a “Great Chasm” between He and God. But at what exact moment did He become sin?  It was not when He was beat, nor hung on a tree.  But rather, it was when Jesus separated his soul from His Holy Spirit with the words, “Father, into your Hands I commit my Spirit”.  At that very moment on the cross, Jesus became sin because it was the power of the Holy Spirit which had kept Him from sin (and keeps us from sinning) was given up.  Jesus had to submit to death through sin.  He then went to Hell preached the gospel to His dead ancestors in Abraham’s bosom, took away the power of death, and then was resurrected by the Holy Spirit on the third day.     I will break down each part of Jesus Hell experience and its correlation to getting back on track, but first I must focus on the “Great Chasm” as it holds keys to prevention and promotion.

Genesis 1:1-5 (AMP)

 1IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.

    2The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

    3And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

    4And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.

5And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

 April 12, 2008 marked the official four year anniversary of me rededicating my life to Christ.  God did so much between April 12, 2004 and April 12, 2006. Here’s the quick version: rededicated life, doubled income, blessed with 4 bed/ 3 bath home in prime real estate location, began tutoring services, started motivational speaking, delivered first sermon where many souls were touched (see Defying Darkness), became spiritual son/mentee of pastor, passed PhD qualifying exam, restored health (in the best shape), and had a prophetic gift released.  By the end of 2006, God had formed me. I was like the earth in Genesis 1:1.  I had been formed, fashioned, and prepared for whatever God wanted to do next in my life.  But something happened in 2007 and by News Years day 2008, I was verse 2 of Genesis 1.  I was without form, an empty waste, and darkness covered me.  I felt so hopeless, tormented, cursed, damned, and distraught.  Satan had been given access to me as it had been granted with Job.  The clinical diagnosis for my condition as termed in February 2008 was “Moderate to severe depression with symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome.”  The spiritual diagnosis was “the price for consciously and unconsciously disobeying God with symptoms of a backslidden and reprobate mind.”  

Clearly a chasm in the fabric of time and space had occurred wherein I was much different from myself in 2006 or even 2007.  My chasm was eerily similar to the chasm between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1.  In Genesis 1:1, the earth is beautiful, formed, fashioned, and ready.  Then in verse 2, the earth is a hot mess, jacked up, run amuck, unblessed, etc.  Ever wondered what happened between verse 1 and 2?  Well, I will tell you.  There was a war in heaven between God and Lucifer.  Michael kicked Satan (Lucifer’s earthly name) and his angels down to earth because there was no room for them any longer in heaven (Ref Isaiah 14 and Rev 12).  This war released astronomical amounts of energy (1/3 in all the universe at the time).  In doing so, the earth was damaged and left the condition described in Genesis 1:2.  At the root of this release of energy, is the collision between God’s ways and the ways of Satan.  Of course God is infinitely and ultimately powerful. God created Satan to be a powerful, beautiful, and crafty angelic being as described in Isaiah 14 and Genesis 3.  However, the lust for power and esteem corrupted Satan.  This lust created the Great Chasm of sin in the fabric of space and time. 

Any Christian, if they are not careful to fear, worship, and obey God, can fall prey to the sin of Lucifer.  I was not so careful and therefore experienced the Great Chasm.  In late 2006, after God had released so much anointing in my life, I began to drift so subtly out of God’s will. It was hardly noticeable because I had covered my sin with godly busyness and activity.  I served in many ministries and helped lots of people.  God still used me because He loves His children.  The people whom I helped and served with would never have thought that what I did was out of God’s will.  I did many great things in Jesus name.  But my heart was deceived by my own pursuit of glory.  The deception was not in what God had said, but when.  You can do what God had called you to do in error if it is before His appointed and ordained time.  This is a great sin because you are calling God a liar through mistrust and anxiousness masked as lust. 

When you trust yourself and lean upon your own understanding more than God, then you doing exactly what Lucifer did.  What does this lifestyle look like?  Decisions are made by influences other than God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit.  Think about the last five major decisions that you made.  Was it brought before the Lord in prayer? Did you look for scriptural wisdom? Did you seek Godly counsel?  Did you listen to the Holy Spirit?  Did you have the peace of God?  I spent a season where I did not earnestly seek God in my decisions and made them in dependence of self and worldly wisdom.  I did not have peace in making those decisions, but the lust for the promised glory numbed my sensitivity to peace.   During this season, I made decisions concerning which church I attended, what I did in my education, career, health, business and investing, and finally relationships.  By the end of the season of deception, the consequence of my decisions led to death in every area of life.  Hence, the Great Chasm was finally finished between me and God and I cried out like Jesus on the cross, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” 

In closing part 1 of this series, I want you to think about the decisions you’ve made the past year.  I want you to examine if God was pleased by your decisions.  I want you to examine your heart.  Is Jesus  lord over your heart?  Have you granted Him the authority to have final say in all your decisions?  Or does self interest, wealth, power, marriage, sex, a career, a degree, or fear drive you.  Why do you think Paul penned Colossians 2:6 (AMP) ”As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.”  I pray that your strength if God shows areas of error.  Repent and ask God to help you rectify the situation or situations.  This is hard.  I had to do this in 2008.  I experienced a grave depression that can last anywhere from a 18 months to many years. But with God, I was healed, delivered, restored, and propelled in 9 months.  It cost me dearly.  Literally, I had to go through Hell. I am so fortunate and grateful to God for His grace, mercy, and power.  In the next post, I will share the importance and purpose of the Hell experience.  Until then, keep fighting for your dream!  

 

 

The Manifestation of Faith

 “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”  Sounds of discouragement muffled the cry.  Then above a wall of resistance came an even greater shout, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus, now engulfed by the determined sound wave of passion, stopped.  Then, He commanded, “Call him.”  Hearing the call, the blind, homeless, dirty-rag-adorned man crawled as an infant child toward his Father.  He threw off the soiled rags that covered his bruised and hardened knees.  As he stood, the stained cloak which covered his back fell to the ground. There blind Bartimaeus heard the question that would answer his prayers, “Son, what may I do for you?” He answered Jesus, “That I may see.” In the moment that Jesus decreed, “Go, your faith has healed you,” the darkness that Bartimaeus had known his entire life became foreign to him as his eyes enjoyed light for the first time.  (Mark 10:46-52 paraphrased)         

Oftentimes, faulty mentalities cover the object of our faith.  When God calls us to be, do, or have anything, we are bombarded with discouraging thoughts, “factual-ized” truth, and suffocating fear that stagnate us.  If we are not careful, we will build an altar of accusations, a pulpit of plights, and a church of consternation.  We become blind in your faith much like blind Bartimaeus.  In spite of this challenge, how does one manifest faith or receive what they are praying for?   

In short, faith is manifested via the R.A.G. principle.  

R-Remove and RenewLike Bartimaeus, you have to remove your attention from nay-sayers, distracting relationships, and destructive mentalities (Hebrews 12:1). Bartimaeus ignored the crowd, focused his attention on Jesus, and removed his cloak.  This is accomplished by renewing your mind through praying, studying and reciting scriptures relevant to your situation, and getting around people whom have obtained what you desire (Romans 12:2).  In doing so, you claim the object of your faith in your spirit.  You cannot have anything unless you have first claimed it in your spirit.   

A-Acquire and AssessBartimaeus had acquired knowledge about Jesus prior to his pursuit thereof.  Renewing your mind is necessary, but not sufficient.  You must acquire wisdom and information about that which you are pursuing.  This can be done via books, experts, or experiences.   It is not enough to just believe God for a house, spouse, or a new job, because faith without works is dead; but rather, you must study real estate, talk to married couples or review how you obtained your current job.  Then, you can assess (“count the cost”) the acquisition of that which you are praying for.    

G-Go and GrabThe final step in manifesting your faith is to go and grab.  During this phase, faith becomes a verb.  The Greek word for faith is a verb!  You have to pursue the object of your faith.  Jesus told Bartimaeus to go!  Do you realize that an abundant life comes to us through risk-taking, and even moving when everything is not perfect?  Bartimaeus could not see when he was crying out to Jesus.  And, Bartimaeus could not see when he through off his cloak as he stood before Jesus.  However, when he moved, he grabbed his sight.  God will supply the faith to go and the faith to grab.  Recall that Elisha received the double portion of Elijah’s anointing when he grabbed Elijah’s mantle.  

In closing, remember that God delights in giving his children what they desire in their heart(Pslam 37:4;Psalm84:11).  So what’s keeping your from manifesting your faith?   Is there a cloak of insecurity, ignorance, or inactivity keeping you from manifesting your faith?  Is it the excuse of time, not enough money, or placement?  Use the R.A.G. that God has supplied you to wipe away fear, to clean your mind, and to take hold of your faith.      

A Dark Period Unposted

For those who keep up with my blog, you may have wondered why I have been so silent.  I have been through a tough stretch in relation to my calling.  But, God has laid it on my heart to open up more to you all and share even more.  So, over the next few blogs, I will share some posts that I did not publish.  I pray it comforts you as you fight for your dream!  Enjoy this post, written on July 10th. 

Do you give of yourself too much? Or, do you ever feel like people are always pulling on you?  Have you ever wanted to just disappear for awhile?  Well, from time to time I feel that way.  Is this shocking?  Why do most people assume that optimist, inspiring people, or upbeat individuals never have a bad day?  I am an optimist.  I inspire people. And, I am an upbeat individual.  I love the way God made me.  But, that does not exempt me from being irritated every now and again from the pleothora of people who attempt to suck the life out of me. 

Last night, I hit the wall.  I attempted to go to sleep, but could not.  I was terribly exhausted from an arduous weekend filled with ministry work, two road trips, and some late night spiritual warfare, not to mention my sweet 16 year old neice is visiting.  All of the things God has called me to do had been weighing on me for weeks, but on this night, it finally crushed me.   I cried without shedding tears.  I screamed for help, but no air left my mouth.  I attempted to run, but my legs were too weary.  Where is my God?  Why is He so silent? Does He see my pain?  Does He care? 

I was so tired spiritually that I had no unction to pray.  My flesh has numbed the Word of God to my heart.  Darkness has now covered me.  I am afraid.  I am afraid that the old man who was so familiar with sin would be resurrected.  I am afraid that the darkness of old would attempt to kill my dream.  What do I do?    Tired, but restless I mustered up enough energy to move from my bed.  I drifted through my dark house downstairs to my living room.  My blood red sofa caressed my carcacus as I collapsed in it. 

Have you ever felt this way?  I wish more people would be honest enough to admit they have felt the pressure or have felt like giving up.  So, many of us walk around with this cloak of invincibility, but in reality we are so vulnerable, even fragile.  God did not make us to be independent, but rather interdependent.  It sometimes bothers me that people assume that I don’t struggle or have bad days.  It was not until I read about  the struggles of Jesus.  In particular, His vulnerable period in the garden of Gethsemane.  He was alone crying out to God.  His disciples, who were supposed to be on post, were asleep.  Jesus was distressed about the bitter cup of His calling.  The weight of the salvation of mankind pressed His soul.  Don’t we dare forget that Jesus was a man. He bled just like you and me.  His humanity is sometimes lost in religious rituals.   It is the bleeding side of Calvary that inspires me so much in times of peril.  God always sends a word to encourage me:

2 Corinthians 4:16-19

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Past Encouragement

I received an e-mail yesterday from my dear friend, Shaundra.  She is such an inspiration to me.  She has been fighting to birth her business, a Christian bookstore( www.edenchristianbookstore.com )the past year. It seems no matter how discouraged she gets, she still believes.  No matter how many setbacks she experiences, she still believes.  No matter how longs she has to wait, she still believes.  As I write this, I can feel the love that Shaundra has for her dream.  It is her precious child, yet born.  She will not let her baby die.  That is one of the qualities that I love about Shaundra; she is a fighter. 

In the e-mail from Shaundra, she reported that the space she had picked to open her bookstore has been leased to another business.  It was a devastating blow to Shaundra.  My heart was broken.  As her friend, do I do what most “Christians” do? Do I give a scripture on patience or a story about the children of Israel conquering Canaan and pat myself on the back?  Do I say, I will pray for you? That would not be good enough.  I felt Shaundra was past encouragement.  Her faith was at a level where the Word of God spoken is not enough.  Her faith needs action.  Faith is a verb!  The Word of God must now become living through action.  Recall James 2:17 “Faith without works is dead.”  So, I responded to her plea by insisting that we go out on Saturday and find a home for her business. 

I have learned that you will have setbacks and very discouraging moments where words of encouragement are not enough.  There must come a time when you are encouraged through actions and pursuit.  You cannot spend your entire life on your knees praying for God to bring your dream to pass.  You must take action.  It is not enough to tell someone you love them, you must have works to support your claim.  1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word and tongue, but in deed and in truth.”  The ten lepers that Jesus healed did not see the manifestation of their healing until they began to walk.  Therefore, if you want to encourage someone or yourself, take action.  Take the initiative and get moving. 

If you are out there fighting for your dream and are past encouragement, then it is time to take action.  Go network.  Get on the phone and call potential clients. Take a bath to soothe your mind.  Review your business plan.  Just do it!

And above all else, keep fighting for your dream!

Overcoming Discouragement

February 13, 2007 entry:

Have you ever had a dream, vision, or calling seem so distant? Has the perceived distance been so discouraging that you’ve felt like giving up? Well, know that you are not alone. For the past two months, I have been so discouraged in my aspirations to become inspirational speaker and energy engineer that I am called to become. I’ve had speaking engagements canceled, reduced preaching opportunities in the youth ministry, research challenges, not mention the death of my dear Uncle Bobby, all of which have compounded my frustrations. But, there is a silver lining in all of this. It is in the dark days of discouragement, which serve to humble, drive desire, and develop our characters for the brighter days. Isaiah 45:3 declares, “I will give you the treasures of darkness.” During the past two months I have discovered three treasures in my darkness of discouragement:

1. Strength: I can still smile and have joy. When you can still have joy, that is the evidence of strength. Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I received joy from friends and family who have encouraged me with their humor and perspective.

2. Passion: I have realized how much I love to speak and solve problems. There is an undeniable passion that is on the inside of me. It is through your passions that you have confirmation about the purpose and calling of your life.

3. Patience: James 1:5, “Let patience have her perfect work in you, so that you may be complete lacking nothing.” Sometimes, we can be in such a hurry that we never realize the voids in our lives. Not having to rush off to speaking engagements or do extra preparation work has revealed relationship voids in my life that I had not filled. In this time, I have cultivated closer and more fulfilling relationships with close friends and have birthed a new purposeful relationship. I have discovered a new fulfillment in having these relationships.

So, in your dark days of discouragement, don’t lose heart; for blessings shall be brought to light soon enough. I leave you with a scripture that has held me together during this time:

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

The Battle for Greatness

November 24, 2006 entry:

Romans 7:21-23 “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”

I woke up this morning ready to study for my management test which is on Monday. I had cleared my schedule today with every intention of studying for seven hours. Did I study for my test? It pains to me to report to you that I studied for about thirty minutes. This is my last test of the semester for I am nearing the end of my formal education. I will Dr. J. Chris by May 2008. One would think that a person who has been in school for the past nine years would have figured out how to study. Well, I still struggle with it. I passed the rigorous Ph.D. qualifying exams last spring only after failing it the first time. The reason was because of study habits. My entire education career has been marred with poor study habits. The book on J. Chris is that he is brilliant and gifted, but he lacks the fire in his belly to become great. I had a thought the other day that I will be the first underachieving Ph.D. Now, as a man who has read the entire Bible and study it daily, Proverb 23:7 is so true, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

It is as if every time I make an effort to move toward greatness, a law is working against me as Roman 7:21 describes. Why does this law exist? More importantly, how is this law overcome? I believe this law, the law of resistance, is intended to build strength and unlock the greatness that is inside of us all. Now, I believe the amount of resistance is directly proportional to the amount of greatness that is locked inside of you. Furthermore, God desires to develop our character in such a way that we will be appreciative of the blessings He will bestow upon us due to our success. The book of Joshua describes this very principle with the children of Israel. The Israelites, who had survived the wilderness, had not known war. So, they had to fight for the land of Canaan which God was “giving them.”

Many people never achieve the greatness that God intended for them due to this law of resistance. However, I believe that no matter your age, whether young or old, you can still overcome the law of resistance and unleash the greatness that resides in you. I believe it is simple as 1-2-3. You have to submit, commit, and don’t quit:

1. You have to submit to God’s will for your life.
God desires for you to be great for it will bring glory to His name. God desires for you to be successful in everything that you do. I mean everything. Success in your career, family, health, finances, and relationships. However, we get conditioned to thinking that success happens to other people and bad experiences are just to be expected for they are apart of life. So, we develop this subconscious mentality that sabotages our daily lives and robs us of the success God desires for us. We live the lies that the law of resistance tells us and live in disobedience to God in our thought lives. The solution to the lies of the law resistance is the truth serum of God–His Word. You have to speak it to reap it! You must confess His specific word for your specific problem. About three years ago, I was about forty pounds overweight. One day I looked the mirror and asked God is this the way that He intended for me to be. Then, Proverbs 23:7 came to mind. At that moment, I realized that I was mentally conditioned to being a overweight man. Determined to overcome this lie, I quoted Romans 12:1″Therefore, I urge you brethren, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” everyday for six weeks. I lost twenty pounds over that period. Within in a year, I lost all of the weight and people did not associate me as being overweight anymore. By confessing the word, I submitted to God’s will for me to be healthy.

2. In order to lose forty pounds, I had to be committed to being healthy. There are three tools which I used to sustain the commitment to health. The first tool was a plan. A plan must consist of a goal, clearly defined steps to reaching that goal, a daily time to work toward the goal, and completion time of the goal. Plans must have all of these components in order to be effective.

The second tool was accountability. I asked God, my family, and friends to help me with my commitment to getting healthy. God would convict me when I would not exercise or make poor choices in food. My family and friends would encourage me. Also, by confessing Romans 12:1 everyday, it made me conscious of my commitment to being healthy. Consciousness is the first step in effecting change.

The third tool was visualization. I looked in the mirror and visualized my body changing. It was difficult at first because the law of resistance would start to spew lies as I looked in the mirror, but eventually my mind was changed and I began to see my body change as a result. During this process, I began to fall in love with myself. I realized that I did not love myself and therefore my poor health habits was a self-destructive by-product. Soon I loved the image of God staring back at me every morning. Psalm 139 became real to me, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Visualization is powerful. Two principles are at work in visualization: 1.”Whatever stays in your mind, becomes real in time.”2.Whatever your eye beholds becomes beautiful to your eye. I dare you to try visualization on yourself, spouse, or girlfriend and watch how much you will grow in love.

3. The final hurdle to overcoming the law of resistance is to don’t quit. This speaks to endurance and perseverance. The law of resistance is defeated through discipline. Discipline is enacted through ENDurance and perSEVERance. To ENDure, you must see the end at the beginning. During the visualization process, I saw myself as fit and healthy. I meditated on the joy of being healthy and pain free in my body. The meditation and visualization gave me the power to endure. In addition to enduring, I had to perSEVERe. I had to sever negative thoughts, words, and people out of my life. I noticed how the numerous negative thoughts I entertained daily. My thought life was so horrible. I had destructive inner conversations where I called myself fat and ugly. I had had them so long that I was numb to these reverberating lies. Then, I noticed how these negative thoughts led to negative words. Life and death are in the power of the tongue as the Proverb says. I spoke death to myself. Once, I cut out those words and replaced them with affirming words as I looked in the mirror during the visualization routine. The transformation was amazing. I then began to attract positive people thereby cutting off negative relationships. By the end of the year, I was completely transformed and made into a holistically healthy man.

I will study for my test and get an A on it. With God’s help and my obedience, I will win the battle for greatness. I desire for you to win the battle for greatness also. So I encourage you to say this short prayer with me to overcome the law of resistance. “Heavenly Father, I submit to Your good and perfect will for my life. God, I submit to Your desire for me to be successful and prosperous in absolutely everything that I do. Father, I commit to being successful and prosperous in absolutely everything that I do. Father, Your grace is sufficient for me. Therefore, through your grace I will endure and persevere through every assignment, task, and mission that You have called me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Because I’m Called

As a motivational speaker whose working on a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, I often am asked, “Why are you pursuing a Ph.D. if your heart is set on being a motivational speaker?…why go through the trouble?” I remember the first time I was asked that quesiton. It was during a seminar on how to advance your speaking career.  The sweetest, most well-meaning lady you could every imagine unleashed the million dollar question laced with a sassy New Jersey accent, “Why in the world would ya go through the trouble of a getting a Ph.D. if you really want to be in the speaking business?”  I smiled and looked her dead in the center of her dark brown eyes and replied, “Because I am called to do so.”  She had no response.

 When you are pursuing your dream, there will be people sprinkled along your path whom will question your path to destiny.  Those questions can plant seeds of doubt and harvest during challenging times.  But my friend, I have learned that God uses those seeds of doubt to build your field of faith.  God desires for you to make up your mind and commit to the dream He’s given you.  Very simply, know that you are called to accomplish your dream.    

What I always do to destroy moments of doubt, I remind myself of the vision that God showed me.  I have seen myself speaking to a massive audience in a spectacular open air venue.  It is a beautiful sunny day and the atmosphere is electric.  I pour out of my being fully confident of His presence with me.  I get so excited every time I think about it. 

Remember, Joseph in the book of Genesis was bombard with moments of doubt when he was persecuted by his brothers.   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2037:5-9;&version=31;  Yet, it is profound how God have him another dream after the verbal attack.

I encourage you to write, record, and/or video your vision. Put pictures in your atmosphere to remind of your dream.  Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for.  Substances such images, recordings, or video will encourage you in a mighty way and serve to reaffirm that you know you are called.

 Keep Fighting for Your Dream!