Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super-abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us. (NKJV)
Where there is a team there can be conquest. Wherever conquest is required, there is cause for calling together a team. In the absence of a team even a gifted individual can never achieve what would have been achieved had there been a team. Having a dynamic team starts with having a dream.
Throughout the Bible it is clear that God is a visionary God that has a multitude of dreams for us (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139:17). He created us as a manifestation of His dream, in His image and with His unique ability to dream. Our ability to dream is inherent to our very nature. Because it is part of our being, it can be applied for both good and evil. This means that we can literally dream ourselves to death if we allow our focus to fall on physical evidence and factual information as opposed to on what the Word says.
A dream can be defined as a condition or achievement that is longed for. Having a dream speaks of being able to visualize beyond the current reality (for good or evil). In our walk with the Lord, dreams and visions form an integral part of the Holy Spirit’s communication with us. Pastor Cesar Castellanos often says that dreams and visions are the language of the Holy Spirit. John Maxwell writes: “I believe God wants us to dream big dreams because He is a big God that wants to do big things and He wants to do it through us.”
Sadly we easily loose our ability to dream. This happens when we stop believing in the dream that God has for us. We find a good example of this in Genesis 11:27 where the dream of being God’s people and living in the Promised Land was given to Abraham’s Father, Terah. Unfortunately, Terah did not complete the journey on which he embarked with his family – he settled in Haran, the place where his son Haran passed away. Sometimes we stop dreaming as a result of disappointment, loss, failure or trauma (Proverbs 13:12). When we fixate on these things instead of maintaining our focus on the dream and purpose of God, it becomes easy to passively settle for mediocrity.
When the dream is lost, the ability to continue is also lost. Without a dream there is nothing that inspires, no common goal that can unite and no direction or expectation that urges us on. In the absence of a dream we fail to set goals and stop asking God to help us. Being without a dream paves the way for a purposeless, wasted life with no direction.
As God’s children we have a responsibility to refuse to settle for anything less than what God intended for us. It is on us to inspire those around us with the vision we receive from God, all the while understanding that we are under construction, en route and not yet perfected. We have to, deliberately and with pre-determined focus set our minds on living remarkable lives that will honour the Lord. The blueprint for such a life is found in aligning our dreams with the Lord’s dreams. When His dreams and purposes become our dreams and purposes, He enables us to realize it (Psalm 37:4; John 15:7; Ephesians 3:17-19).
Be challenged this week to assess your own life – where have you settled for less than what the Lord originally intended? Are you living the dream in your marriage, as a family, in your ministry, community or any other significant area in your life? Did disappointment and doubt quench your excitement? It can all change as you lift up your eyes again to firmly fix your gaze on the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and His most beautiful dream for your life!
Part 2 - Unity Of The Team
March 13, 2016 • Pastor Bert Pretorius
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. (NKJV)
Where there is a team there is conquest. One is always too little to achieve greatness but a team unified through a dream can achieve far above even the most gifted individual. Throughout the Bible the importance of having a dream is emphasized numerous times. The Lord dreamt about every individual ever created (Isaiah 29:11; Psalm 139) and then created us in His image, with the inherent capacity to dream and envision just like He does.
Dreams underpin reality in a significant way since it becomes the foundation of what we meditate on, resultantly speak and so pull into the reality of the physical realm. What we dream determines what we confess and what we confess defines what we get… Because dreams are so powerful, it is extremely important that we should dream with the Lord instead of dreaming our own selfish, often negative, dreams. When we dream in accordance with the plan and purpose God has for our lives there are no limits to what the Lord will do for us (Ephesians 3:20). A God-dream finds it essence in the heart of God – it is devoid of personal agendas or selfish motives. As such it has the ability to work unity in a very special way.
The unity achieved through a common goal, was part of the success of the Early Church as seen in the book of Acts. The New Testament Church embraced the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, communion and prayer as an integral part of their existence (Acts 2:42). Not only did they regard these four elements as crucially important, they did so in unity. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out through a powerful manifestation of the presence of God as the believers were praying in one accord (Acts 2:2). Every member of the church in Acts had one dream, one goal – to spread the Gospel and win souls.
Individuals grouped together do not equal a team. A team comes into existence only once every member of the team sets themselves and their personal agendas aside for the purpose of embracing the team dream and actively working towards the joint goal. Just like a hybrid animal (such as the mule) combines the best qualities of two pure breeds at the cost of being barren, so a God-dream, mixed with selfish, human dreams, will produce nothing but a team of hard workers that do not have the capacity to multiply or do anything other than just laboring to make the leader. This is not what the Lord wants for us.
Paul teaches his spiritual son, Timothy that he should make it his mission to entrust everything he learnt to trustworthy, able people (2 Timothy 2:2). In a successful team, the leader works not to achieve what will benefit him/her personally but instead the leader’s ultimate goal is to empower every team member to be the best they can possibly be. When we make God’s dream our dream, it brings out the best in every single individual involved. As we die to ourselves, we come alive to God’s original plan. Working together we achieve infinitely more than ever possible on our own. Even gifted individuals cannot achieve optimally without the backing of a team. A Chinese proverb sums this up beautifully in saying that individuals play the game, but a team wins the championship.
Jesus made God’s dream clear in a few simple words – loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:37-38). In Matthew 28:19-20 He tells His disciples how to execute the dream of God – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” Up until today, this still remains the dream and the strategy – to love every soul enough to not only connect them to the Lord through salvation, but also to teach them how to do the same for others.
Join us this week as we start dreaming with God again, taking hands and joining hearts across the manifold divides of culture, age, status and too many differences to name, in pursuit of this one thing – that none should perish
Part 3 - Stronger Together A
March 20, 2016 • Pastor Charnè Pretorius
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (NKJV)
Having an excellent team is important in any area where conquest is desired. Even in the World, this principle has been widely taught and practiced. An individual without a team has no clout, no sustainability and hardly any voice in the bigger picture. To the extent that a team can be mobilized, a dream can be realized…
Team by implication denotes unifying around a common goal. In saying ‘yes’ to a particular thing, we always say ‘no’ to something else. When a team unites around a shared, agreed-upon goal, they become a powerful force against anything that can damage or oppose the cause they stand and work for. Within the context of a pre-determined goal, diversity and different skill sets become an asset that regardless of the differences, work together towards the final outcome. An excellent example of this is found in Genesis 11:1-9 where humanity united in their quest to build the tower of Babel. God’s response to their resolution clearly indicates the tremendous power locked up in having a unified team.
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus invites us to become part of His team. He poses this beautiful offer in response to seeing how weary and overburdened the people around Him were. When we place ourselves under God’s yoke, making His dream our dream, His goal what we live for, His way of doing our way of doing, we partake of the blessing of being part of His team – bearing an easy yoke and a light burden. Just like oxen placed in a yoke do the work together instead of each one on their own, God wants us to yoke-up together in pursuit of achieving the Kingdom-dream that none should perish and all be saved. Being yoked together requires of us to know who we are in relation to the other team members and also to learn and understand who we are yoked up with. In this process a multitude of strengths can be applied to conquer individual weaknesses and jointly achieve a goal that could never be reached by any one member of the team on their own.
In order for us to enter into the rest God has for us, He wants us to take up His yoke exclusively – His way of doing, unpolluted and undiluted by any of our own opinions or preferences. In order to do this it is of crucial importance that we should position ourselves to learn His way of doing. Being a member of a cell group, attending church, training and encounter weekend provides us with invaluable training in this regard. As we receive the Word and align our way of thinking and doing with the standard set out in the Word, we can become unified in the way we do life.
Teamwork is always compromised where personal agendas are mixed into the team goal (Proverbs 18:1). It is the joint goal, the one dream that creates a common sense of frustration and desperation to change and grow in all the team members. Growth and change is the natural outflow of frustration. Deliberate growth towards a pre-determined goal, sets us up for breakthrough in that it inspires specific, joint action that can take us forward. In the Kingdom, there is tremendous power in praying together. God responds to and answers Word-based, faith-filled, fervent prayer (James 5:16). He commands His blessing wherever there is unity (Matthew 18:19). A team united in prayer, will also find themselves united in action.
Be encouraged this week to yoke yourself up with a team that has given all their burdens and heavy loads to the Lord in order to take up His burden and His soft yoke. Join us as an active, participating team member as we push back darkness, pray and actively work towards bringing in the multitudes!
Part 4 - Stronger Together B
April 24, 2016
Part 5 - Communication A
May 1, 2016 • Pastor Bert Pretorius
"Where there is a team there is conquest!" - Ps Cesar Castellanos
In order for a team to become a dreamteam that conquers all, the make of the team must be examined. Jesus is the perfect model of a team builder.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says: “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
Christ raised up a team, a team of twelve! The life that Jesus lived modeled how He dealt with people, how He interacted with people with different personalities, how He dealt with Judas and how He dealt with and treated the disciples.
As we imitate the life of Christ it becomes obvious that we too need raise teams of twelve who will greatly impact the world.
John Maxwell put it very simply: “You are good, but you’re not that good.” This magnifies the necessity for a team, to establish anything meaningful and worthwhile in the team. Proverbs 18:1 compliments this quote: “He who stays away from others cares only about himself. He argues against all good wisdom.”
As the Creator of mankind, God had a plan and a dream for each and every single one of His children. In Jeremiah 1:5 it says that God knew us before we were born and that He has set us apart and appointed us for His purposes or dreams for our lives. God purposed that we would live extraordinary lives and to live them in abundance.
Before Jesus went to be with the Father, He gave us this commission: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” He then goes on to say: ”Teach them all the things I’ve commanded to you.” What has God commanded us to do? He has commanded us to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We love people by laying our lives down for them, wholeheartedly and sincerely serving those around us.
Communication is vital in building a sustainable dream team. Even the purest intentions and the purest hearts can work against the team if there is not genuine communication. Contrary to idealistic definitions of communication, true communication is making sure that what is being said is understood and that there is clear and concise comprehension of the topic at hand. Therefore, it is each person’s responsibility to ensure that there is synonymity between what is being said and what is being received.
The word of God says that out the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). It is when we attempt to cover up what’s really going on in our hearts that we allow pride, presumption and assumption to creep into our lives. This hinders the effectiveness of communication. It creates confusion because where there is a lack of genuineness there will be disharmony.
Genuineness and sincerity of heart are prerequisites for effective communication. God must deal with and cleanse the heart first, in order for us to operate and communicate with and through love. For God to properly deal with our hearts we must partake of the table. God wants to heal, transform and restore every relationship and the communion table facilitates this divine work.
Be encouraged this week to take communion — as a couple, a family and in your cell group. The Bible encourages us to do it as often as possible (1 Corinthians 11:25). Because it confronts us in all of our relationships; it helps us consider each other and in line with today;s word find ourselves not just as a cumulative, but truly united in Christ as a dreamteam.
Part 6 - Communication B
May 15, 2016
“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”- 1 Timothy 1:5
Communication is an intricate part of achieving the dream of God. In every area of life, it is im-portant to understand that communication is not merely speaking with the intent of being heard; but rather the root and purpose of communication lies in taking responsibility for understanding what is being spoken and, most importantly, being understood.
If apprehension and comprehension are not the products of what has been spoken, then our conversations simply cannot be called communication. In the same light, what is being projected needs to harmoniously align with what is being perceived on the other end. Each must take full responsibility for ensuring that they are not just heard, but understood.
Miscommunication often results from an impure heart; which spills over from pride, sin, pre-sumption and assumption. Therefore, in order to communicate effectively, the heart needs to examined daily.
As noted in 1 Timothy 1:5 above Paul explains that true love is communicated from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. It follows that when there is sincerity and genuineness of heart there will never be any confusion in communication. Why? Because what is being com-municated is synonymous with what is in the heart.
When what is in your heart opposes what is being expatiated, the fullness and depth of the au-thentic meaning of love will never be understood. In order to build a strong and effective team, clear and concise understanding of the power that lies in our expression of love must be attained.
In taking responsibility for what is being communicated there are a few important to have:
• Belief - belief in your family, children, community, and church...
Faith is believing that which cannot be seen. In order to expand one’s faith, full confidence in the things that the natural eye cannot perceive must be exercised regularly. Where there is be-lief there is expectation; speaking into existence what is hoped for and appropriating the future for today! Where there is no expectation, there is no belief. Communicating expectation is an integral part of sustainable grow within a team. Whether it be between husband and wife, with-in the family unit any area where a team is required, we must set apart time to communicate expectations. Misconstrued expectations will lead to a team’s demise.
• Opportunity - in order to bring belief into the natural realm, we create opportunity. Opportuni-ty creates a place where work can be done and things can be accomplished. Opportunity ne-cessitates structure. A clear and concise plan as to how goals and objectives will be accom-plished within the team creates the borders within which a team can thrive.
• Accountability - accountability is rooted in the word count. We have to keep close watch and record over things that we communicated. Monitoring and keeping account is not about the how but rather the why. The driving force and motive must always be love. Keeping close account helps in assessing the level or standard that is being achieved .
• Training - training propels an individual to the place where they can communicate on the right level. Once the expectation has been communicated and there is understanding, being equipped and empowered then allows for exceptional execution and harmonious correspond-ence of expected actions.
• Celebration - celebrating the seed that has been sown, the work and the hours that have been put in, celebrating and acknowledging faithfulness and contribution is important. Often times we neglect to celebrate the contribution because we do not see the results, but it is important to acknowledge the seed that has been sown, that in faith that which you do not see you already possess.
We need to communicate our appreciation of every effort and not just the achievements. Let us determine to communicate with careful consideration of these points and so encourage and in-spire in our homes, ministries and lives at large.
Part 7 - Communication C
May 29, 2016
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 2:21
Where there is a dream, God will provide a team and where there is a team there is conquest. Sometimes we get complacent in our ability to or our belief in the dream. Understanding that we have been given the ability to dream God-sized dreams enables us to unlock supernatural growth and multiplication in our lives and allows God to take us from faith to faith. This is clear in Ephesians 3:20, where Paul writes: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.“
Therefore, it was evident that communication is imperative within a team. Miscommunication is bred from an impure heart which inevitably results in mistrust. Pretentious living often goes by unnoticed; however the fruits of pretentious living become discernible when your true motive, what is in your heart; the reason you do what you do, goes against what you say and what you do which inevitably causes confusion. The bible teaches us that it is important to cleanse our hearts by partaking of the table. Paul writes about the importance of having a pure heart in 1 Timothy 1:5; “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.”
Let us consider the effect of taking time out to huddle as a team:
In sports games team huddles can often change the outcome of the game. The purpose of the huddle is never to complain and highlight negative aspects of the game, nor is it to engage in hopelessness self-pity. Rather it gathers the team in order to re-strategize, refocus and refuel. There are a few essentials that need to be communicated within the huddle to ensure a triumphant outcome:
• Focus the team
A dream-team coach makes it a priority to re-evaluate the fundamentals when the team is in a compromised state. Often times as a result of external factors, the team loses sight of what is important; and they need to be reminded and refocused.
• Opportunity to listen
It is imperative that there is an opportunity given for an exchange of information. The coach is able to communicate accurately with the team and gain information from the team. It is important to avoid presumptions and assumptions.
• Opportunity to make personal and play changes
Once struggles and weaknesses are clearly communicated, the coach can now accurately re-evaluate and modify the game-plan to best suit the circumstances at hand. This involves swopping and modifying responsibilities to ensure the team's best chance of victory. Play changes during a game require a flexible coach. This is the ability to make small changes when small changes are necessary and big changes when big changes are necessary; it is being able to discern where the team is at and what the team needs at that specific time. Often an external commentator is necessary because the players cannot always see the full scope of what is happening in the game.
• Opportunity to rest
The huddle gives players the opportunity to take a breather; the chance to compose themselves, recuperate and get their heads back in the game. Rest can many times be exactly what the team needs to attain a favourable outcome in the game.
It is important to huddle as husband and wife, to huddle as a family and to huddle as a cell group. Throughout the bible we see that Paul huddled his team on countless occasions ( Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 16.) .
In 1 Thessalonians 5:12 Paul writes, "Dear brothers and sisters, honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.”
In every area of your life honour and celebrate your teammates, be it your wife, your husband your cell leader and even your cell mates. Take the time to huddle and communicate with one another to appropriate the overwhelming victory that is already ours in Christ.