Dreams speak of possibilities and impossibilities that become realities. Dreams are powerful. God loves each one of us more than we realise and wants to bless us and make us a blessing to others. You are not a failure. You can succeed in your life, in your studies, your career and ministry. (see stories of James Irwin, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jnr). 

You can be more than you think you can be. When you are close to God and walking in obedience to Him you are destined to be a winner. Just like we see from the life of Joseph, it's time to start dreaming! 

In Colombia we have seen how one of the greatest churches in the world with a membership of 300,000 has grown up against a background of poverty, drug cartels and war. Today MCI church is a beacon of light to the nation and Presidents come to seek endorsement. It all began with a dream in the heart of Pastor Cesar Castellanos that one day he, like Abraham before him, would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore (see Pastor Cesar Castellanos book: Dream and You Will Win the World’). 

Dreams are powerful. Stay awake but start dreaming! We see from the life of Joseph: 

1. God has great dreams for you (Genesis 37; Jeremiah 29:11) 

2. God wants you to hold onto to your dreams (Genesis 37:19-20; Genesis 39:2&23)  

3. God wants you to see His dreams for your life come to pass (Genesis 41-43) 

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1. God has great dreams for you. Although he was young and did not have much of a past Joseph could see that he had a great future. In some way or other he knew that one day he would be in a position of great influence. Even his many big brothers would bow down before him. God clearly had a plan for his life and that is true also for you. You matter to God. You are not a nothing or a nobody. God rates you. God knows about you. The Bible says He even knows about how many hairs we have on our head! God loves each one of us more than we realise and wants to bless us and make us a blessing to others (Jeremiah. 29:11). You are not a failure. You can succeed in your life, in your studies, in your career and ministry. You can be more than you think you can be. When you are close to God and walking in obedience to Him you are destined to be a winner. He has a dream of what you can be and also what your family can be. God is into creating and re-creating families. He can bring families together who have drifted apart. He can bring peace where there were only rows. He can change your hearts so that you all get on together and your home becomes like heaven instead of hell. God had this dream for Joseph and his family, despite the division, and He brought them altogether. Do not give up on your family. Do not quit on your marriage. God has great plans for you all. He also has great plans for your leadership. You can be a great leader in business, in politics, in your chosen career and in the church. The church is one of the greatest training grounds for leadership in any walk of life. If you can lead in the church you can lead anyone anywhere. The church has great potential to bring healing, hope and reconciliation between old and young, men and women and across racial and ethnic barriers. When Jesus trained 12 young guys it was because He had a dream that their lives would one day impact billions of people with the message of His love and righteousness. Today, despite centuries of persecution and ridicule, the dream lives on and amazing churches are growing up on every continent. This is what happened through Joseph and can happen through us as we become light in the darkness and voices of reason in amid chaos. We are agents of the kingdom of God that is characterised by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And this is an everlasting kingdom that will touch every area of life in every nation. It’s a kingdom that will get stronger and stronger - the man-made kingdoms of this world come to nothing. Today recognise that God has great dreams for you personally, for your family, and leadership. Start to see the great possibilities.  

2. God wants you to hold onto to your dreams. Dreams can be shattered in many ways and this could have easily happened with Joseph. He had to hold on to his dreams despite pain. His brothers were so jealous of him that they were ready to kill him (Genesis 37:19-20). Instead they sold him as a slave, and it was 20 years before he would see his family again. Joseph experienced betrayal and rejection big time and it caused him great sadness. When the pain came out in later life, he cried so much everybody around could hear him. Maybe you have had the same experience. People you were close to walked out on you your husband, wife, parents, close friends and colleagues. Life has been hard and dealt you some heavy blows. But this does not mean that your dream is finished. You must do what Joseph did and hold on despite the pain and despite difficult circumstances. Joseph was jailed for rape on a totally false charge of a bitter woman who couldn’t get him into bed with her. Then he spent some of the best years of his life in prison when he was innocent. And finally a friend who he thought could use his influence to get him out of jail forgot all about him. But depressing as things were there was one thing Joseph could not forget and that was his dream, even despite the years. Thirteen years went by but in everything Joseph kept his focus on God. He realised God was over everything. He kept his eyes on the Lord. He was faithful to the Lord and the Lord was faithful to him. How do you cope with creeping cynicism and disillusionment that would descend on you? Here’s how: Be faithful to God and serve wherever you are; Be secure in God’s faithfulness to you (Genesis 39:2&23); Be confident in God’s timing and dealings - God will work in His way in his good time. To see any dream come to pass you have to decide to hold on to your dream and stick with your dreams. You must hold your ground when you feel like giving up. You must pray on for your kids, your parents, your partner. Once you have had an image from God of what can be hold on to it until it comes to pass.  

3. God wants you to see His dreams for your life come to pass (Genesis 41). This happened to Joseph in the most amazing way. Genesis Chapter 41 is the great turn-around chapter. Joseph went from prisoner to Prime Minister in no time. From being forgotten to public favour. From rags to riches. From wondering what is happening to seeing clearly God’s plan. Joseph Saw His Personal Destiny Come to Pass: God blessed him personally. God brought him to a position of great prominence (Genesis 41) in charge of the whole end of Egypt. God gave him great provision (Genesis 42) dressed in robes of fine linen and a gold chain around his neck. He had a new name and then a wife and later children to comfort him. God brought great healing to him. He was reconciled with his brothers in some very tearful scenes. He saw his dad again and wept all over him. He saw nephews, nieces, and in-laws for the first time. Destiny Was Fulfilled for His People: His dad, his brothers, their families – all were saved from the famine that ravaged their land. More than that, they were all prospered in their own part of Egypt in Goshen. Destiny was fulfilled for the World: God had a plan here and it was to save not just the Israelites but the Egyptians and other nations from starvation. God raised Joseph up as a saviour and deliverer. So too God intends for His dreams for your life to come to pass. He will help you to see a dream for your life. He will help rebuild broken dreams. If you have lost sight of your dream, His Word and His Holy Spirit will help you to focus and rebuild. And He will help you to achieve them. Joseph recognised that in everything God had been with Him. And God is with you too!  

God has great dreams for you. The Lord is with you. Hold on to the dreams God has given you. Don’t give way to disillusionment. Serve him faithfully wherever you are. Trust him totally for he is a faithful God. Be confident: you have a destiny, and His time for fulfilment will surely come to pass. Whatever bad has happened in your life, God can turn it to good. Put your life in God’s hands. Stop trying to do everything your way and come His way. Follow Jesus Christ and let Him make something of your life. Co-operate with His plans. Dare to dream big dreams. And believe that you are going to see them fulfilled. Your greatest days are ahead of you! Today give your life fully to the Lord. Get hold of the dreams God has for you and together with God’s help maximise the potential of your life.