The Bible says,

“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior”

(Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Do you want to be a victim or a victor? Do you want to be comfortable or a conqueror? Do you want to see “impossible” dreams come true, to the glory of God? Jesus is coming back as the King of kings. If you want to be a king, you’re going to have to be willing to commit yourself to sacrifice and suffering. Kings process pain and pleasure differently than other people.

The Bible says Jesus “learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

Scripture adds, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

The apostle Paul said, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory, beyond all comprehension” (2 Corinthians 4:17). In his cell in chains, he looked at his own death sentence and suffering for Christ and said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). .

When you’re lied about and betrayed, and you forgive and remain silent rather than attempt to destroy the person who is slandering you, you still love them and suffer for Christ’s sake. The price of admission to change the world is unspeakable evil and betrayal, and when it comes, you cannot play the victim.

Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for? Are you willing to live your life in the light of eternity? The apostle Paul said that he wanted to know Christ and the fellowship of His suffering. If you truly want to change the world, then celebrate suffering and sacrifice. Seek the Jesus who shows up in the flames of fire.

It is in the quiet crucible of your personal suffering that your noblest dreams are born. God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you’ve been through. You’re going to be betrayed. You’re going to be rejected by those you’ve loved the most if you choose the narrow path. How much rejection and pain and disappointment can you tolerate before you turn your back on the Savior? Beginning strong is not a sign of a surrendered life. Finishing strong is.

When things are going well, we see Christ as a conquering Savior. But when things go badly, do you still see Him that way? To be an overcomer, you must have something to overcome. If you don’t have an opponent, you don’t have a victory. Most who celebrate with you on the mountain will not be with you in the fire. Everyone wants a theology that celebrates those who get fire protection. How about a theology that celebrates those who choose to suffer in the fire and embraces a God who walks through the fire with us?

In one week, the crowds went from celebrating the Savior with their Hosannas to despising and rejecting Him. As the prophet Isaiah said, they hid their faces from Him. Jesus never hid suffering from His followers. He told them that if you follow Me, you’re going to have to take up My cross. The cross was a curse word. It was a symbol of shame. The Jesus I have found is more powerful in your suffering than in your celebrations. Sometimes He stills the storms, but most of the time He stills us in the midst of the storms. His word to you and me and this generation is the same: Take up My cross and follow Me.

Revelations born from suffering for Christ are the engines of God that fuel His eternal purposes on earth. It will cause you to see what He sees, hear what He hears, and do what He does. The Christian life is not about winning and being number one. It’s about Jesus being number one. If I must protect my name at all costs, my reputation at all costs, my career at all costs, my income at all costs, and my influence at all costs, it will lead to a self-inspired narrative (S.I.N.).

The Christian life is about surrendering all of our life for His glory and His story. That’s what I have learned about God’s dreams, and how they come to pass.  Sacrifice and suffering can fuel your dreams if you let them.

I’m asking you to dream big, walk on water, and step out by faith. That’s what Peter did when he was in the Galilee on the boat, and Jesus invited him onto the unknown. He stepped out by faith. Let’s read the story, and as you do, think about your dreams and what God is calling you to do. 
 
“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ “‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ 
“‘Come,’ He said. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” “Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’
“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
—Matthew 14:27-33
 
Peter did the impossible, even if only for a few steps. And notice, when the scene was over, and everyone was in the boat together, all the glory and awe were directed to God. Dreaming big and stepping out is not about you and me; it’s about bringing praise to God. When you have a dream from God, you have to step out by faith. The dream God gave me at age eleven didn’t come to pass when I was 12 or even 21. I didn’t see the real significance of that dream until over 20 years later.
 
God-inspired dreams make room for the impossible because God is the architect and the One Who fulfils the dream. Our role is to obey what He tells us to do. And you can have the assurance that God gave you that word. One word from God can change your life forever. Faith moves the hand of God and turns the head of God.
 
Obedience and faith in God’s dreams unlock His favor in your life and in the lives of those around you. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines favor as “regard shown toward another, especially by gracious kindness; a special privilege or right granted.” As children of God, we receive forgiveness and favor—His gracious kindness. Jesus humbled Himself in obedience to the Father. He gave His life so that you and I could experience forgiveness for sin. God’s favor rests upon Him and is released abundantly in our lives when we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. One important lesson to be learned: God bestows His favor so that you may live in the fruits of His blessing. When that happens, God is glorified and you are blessed beyond measure. 
 
Sometimes the biggest dreams move God to show up in the biggest ways. And, despite our mistakes and wrong turns, God’s dreams can come to pass. 

I wasn’t fully aware of how I operated in the area of dreams until I had lunch one day with an evangelist friend. “I’ve been watching you for several years,” he said. “You say you’re going to go to New York City and meet with the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and it actually comes to pass. You say that you’re going to go to India and preach to a million people, and it actually comes to pass. You say you’re going to go preach to the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, and it comes to pass. You say you’re going to speak at the 43rd General Assembly of the United Nations at the peace conference, and it comes to pass.”

He paused, looked me in the eye, and asked, “Do you know how you do what you do?” “No, I don’t,” I replied. “It’s found in 1 Corinthians 12. It’s the gift of faith, verse nine. All believers have been given saving faith by God as the means of salvation. That’s found in Ephesians 2:8-9. But few believers operate in the gift of faith. I don’t. The Bible says to earnestly desire the best gifts. You have obviously desired this gift, and God has given it to you.”

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:12-14, NIV). In Mark 11:23, Jesus also taught, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” 

In my view, the greatest gift Jesus operated in was a gift of faith. One of the things I realized about the gift of faith is that you don’t just receive it and it stays with you. The gift of faith can come on you in an astonishing way, and when it comes, you can know in your mind what you’re believing for has already happened. You can’t differentiate the future promise from present reality. That’s why your faith is so important when it comes to your dreams. You must believe in this vivid way—and God will help you.

I have probably experienced the power of the gift of faith 30 or 40 times in my life. I don’t believe for a second that God chose to give me the gift of faith simply because I was special. I believe that those gifts are available for all believers, but you don’t hear much teaching about the gift of faith. You also don’t see many people hungering and thirsting and earnestly desiring the gift of faith. You do see people earnestly hungering and desiring other gifts of the Holy Spirit, but for some reason, the revelation of the gift of faith has been ignored by most believers.

I pray that God will open your eyes to it and that you will be able to truly have a purpose and favor and receive this glorious gift. The gift of faith is not normal faith. It’s a supernatural faith that God gives you for a special need or opportunity. It’s extraordinary, mountain-moving faith for supernatural results and in specific situations.