Dreaming in the 4th Cup

Dreaming in the 4th cup:

What in the world does that even mean?

Let me explain.  I go to Church of the Highlands and my pastor, Chris Hodges, wrote a book, “Four Cups”.

( Four Cups Website) 

Let me give you a brief background on me first:

I swung my leg over the fence on December 7, 2007 and have been walking second by second with Christ ever since.  I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of 8 at a Billy Graham crusade and rededicated my life in water baptism at 16 at an FCA leadership camp, although I barely made it off the parking lot back at home before looking just like the world again.  I spent 2008-2013 wondering if I was really saved from 1978-2007.  It was not a question that was derailing my current pursuit of Christ but it was a question I felt God wanted to answer accurately for me.

I read God’s Word to spend time with my BEST FRIEND and I rely on God’s Word to know the heart of God and transform me more into HIS likeness.  I also am an avid reader of books that point to Christ.  Many christian authors have been my teachers and mentors and they do not even know it.  The book “Follow Me” by David Platt is one of those books that left me believing I was not truly saved 1978-2007.  I ,by no means, am blaming that doubt on David Platt or his book.  Based on my interpretation of certain sections of the book, I had come to the conclusion that I must not have been saved or rededicated and those memories were just a cultural Christian experience I took part in but nothing more.

When I read :

“If our lives do not reflect the fruit of following Jesus, then we are foolish to think that we are actually followers of Jesus in the first place.”

“People who claim to be Christians while their lives look no different from the rest of the world are clearly not Christians.”

“When people repent, they turn from walking in one direction to running in the opposite direction.  From that point forward, they think differently, believe differently, feel differently, love differently and live differently.”

“Fundamentally, then, repentance involves renouncing a former way of life in favor of a new way of life.”

All of those statements are true and when I read them I saw that 1978-2007 in my life did not reflect the fruit of following Jesus, my life looked like the rest of the world, I did not “live differently”, although I did think, believe, feel and love differently, and I definitely had not renounced a former way of life in favor of new way to live.

Upon my conclusion, I had come to terms with it.  I must not have been saved during those years but now I was and full-steam ahead.

I could chalk those early memories off to religious tradition but nothing deeper.

There was some sadness in that for me because those early experiences seemed so real and my heart leapt every time they came to remembrance ,but if they were really not of God and only good moments then I needed to let them go.

What does all of that have to do with “Four Cups”?  

A lot actually!

 My family began attending Church of the Highlands in February 2014 when the Huntsville campus opened.  If I remember correctly, Pastor Christ Hodges explained the Four Cups that first Sunday and how Highlands focuses on these 4 areas:

salvation, deliverance, restoration and fulfillment.

 It was definitely an “Ah Ha” moment for me.  In just one Sunday, I now understood that I had been saved as a little girl.  That memory was sacred and real.  1978-2007 just happen to be the years I decorated a prison cell that was fully unlocked and the door was wide open.  I was saved but not delivered.  I was the free Israelite still wandering in the desert.  December 7, 2007 was the day I walked out of the open cell into the freedom that was mine for years, and I began the restoration process.

Now in 2015, which is the 8th year of my delivered and restored life, I am walking in fulfillment with my Jesus and the Bride of Christ.

I am eternally grateful for my church, Christ Hodges and “Four Cups”.

My church defines a “win” as:

“When people are moving from where they are to where God wants them to be.   That definition is the essence of the Four Cups of Promise.  We want to see the lost saved, the saved delivered from their issues, the delivered discovering their redemptive calling, and those who have discovered their redemptive calling living it out by being part of a team that is making a difference.”

If you have not noticed, my blog name is Psalm8110.com. Psalm 81:10 is my life verse and has been since 2008 when I became a volunteer crisis pregnancy counselor at Choose Life.  Before I opened the door to meet with a precious girl at a cross road, I literally opened my mouth wide to Heaven and reminded God of His promise to me.  If HE didn’t fill my mouth to speak words of life then I would have no hope to offer anyone.  God is faithful even when we are not.  He spoke to me and through me and even glued my mouth shut on numerous occasions during those years that I counseled.

It was not until recently that I recognized my life verse as another example of the Four Cups of Promise.

“I, the Lord, am your God”-HE is my personal Lord and Savior-MY GOD-SALVATION

“Who brought you up from the land of Egypt”-DELIVERANCE

“Open your mouth wide”–RESTORATION and DISCOVERING MY REDEMPTIVE CALLING

“And I will fill it.”-FULFILLMENT, living out my calling in the Body of Christ, HIS CHURCH, my family!

At Church of the Highlands, the 4th Cup is exemplified in the “Dream Team”, which is every volunteer who serves in the Church, experiencing ultimate fulfillment as they live out their God-given purpose as part of a team.

We just started a new sermon series, the #DreamAgainSeries.  Now do you see it?

Dreaming in the 4th Cup

This is simply my way of internalizing and making the #DreamAgainSeries personal to me.  Being a part of the Dream Team is a constant reminder to Dream big and to dream with others about making an eternal difference this side of Heaven.

This is “Dreaming in the 4th Cup”.

Below is the link to the first message in the #DreamAgainSeries:

A God-Honoring Dream

http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/a-god-honoring-dream

I could say this about every message but I am saying about this for now:) Please watch when time allows.  Actually, I take that back.  Make time and watch it!  If I waited for “time to allow” I would never do anything:)

I am a dreamer by nature so this message “set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain and I can’t control” (Jesus Culture , “Set A Fire” lyrics:)

I am going to give you my sermon take-aways because they are GOLD and because typing them out helps me to write them on my heart.

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what HE reveals, they are blessed.” (Proverbs 29:18 MSG)

I am “Attending to what God reveals” by writing out my Kingdom dreams.

***Kingdom Dream:

I love to write and I believe God placed that desire in my heart for HIS glory.  So one of my dreams is for the words I write to be like Elisha’s bones.  A dead man touched Elisha’s bones, came to life and stood up.  May the words I write bring people to life in Christ and help them stand up long after I am in Heaven.

Dreams:

1-Are The Language of God: God lives outside the limitations of earth so it makes sense that HE would speak to us outside those limitations, i.e. in DREAMS!

“I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams.  When the time comes, I will pour out my Spirit on those who serve me, men and women both, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17

2-Are The Target of our Faith:  “The fundamental  fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.  It’s our handle on what we can not see.” Hebrews 11:1 MSG

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NASB

3-Have a habit of coming true:  “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 NASB

What Gets the way of Dreaming God Dreams?

1-The wrong view of LIFE-God is setting the stage for HIS Church to be salt and light, regardless of what we may see and deduct with the human eye.

2-The wrong view of SELF-Do not follow this world’s “script” for you!

Follow the Script God has written for you, a Script in the WORD including a “hope and future, to prosper you and not harm you” (Jer. 29:11) “…good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:10)

3-The wrong view of GOD- We have a tendency to limit God to our human view point, forgetting that  “Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU!” ( Jer. 32:17)

How will we know if it is a “God-Dream ” and not just a “Good-Deam”?

1- A “God-Dream” will always seem RISKY.

2-A “God-Dream” requires GOD INVOLVEMENT.

3-A “God-Dream” will CHANGE LIVES.

So there you have it!

***I tested my DREAM to see if it was a “God-Dream” or just a “Good-Dream”.

I recently submitted something I wrote to a community blog which has been an amazing source of encouragement and Christ-centered inspiration to me and many others. (RISKY)

Everything I write is usually where God is speaking into my life.  When I began this blog it was a huge step of faith.  I like my private journals between me and the Lord, and yes I still journal everyday with my felt tips and a notebook, but God called me “out beyond the shore into the waves, where feet may fail” when HE asked me to “take the journey before the people.” (Deut. 10:11) (See my Why I Blog page for more about God calling me to “take the journey before the people’ 🙂 If God wasn’t involved I can promise that you wouldn’t see anything I’m writing!  (GOD INVOLVEMENT)

I failed to mention earlier that I have made 2 submissions to this community blog and I have received 2 rejection letters.  Everything in me wanted to quit writing after rejection number 1 but I went back for more.  And after rejection number 2 I started to think maybe it was just a “Good-Dream” and not a “God-Dream” until I received this thank you note from my niece that very same afternoon: (I only made it enormous so you could read the words clearly:)

If one person was encouraged to live a “Christ-centered life” from something I wrote, then by golly I am going to write! (CHANGED LIVES)

All that to say, I truly believe God gave me my DREAM based on the “God-Dream vs. Good-Dream” litmus test.

I will continue to dream big and dream with others, as I have been on a city blog http://www.ourcityonahill.net that I Co-labor on and I will keep you posted on what God does in me through this #DreamAgainSeries .

I pray that you tune into the Dream Again Series for yourself and dream along side me.

I would love to hear from you and to hear some of the God-Dreams HE has place in your hearts.  I would love to circle your dreams in prayer and cheer with you as God makes them a Kingdom-building reality!

GoGod

“God-Dream” On