Episode 4 Pursuing The Right Dream Part
The Right Dream
Welcome to the Strategic Resource Training monthly message for March 2021. In this message Bruce talks continues sharing with us the importance of pursuing the “right” dream. Bruce shares how the Lord invites us in this present age to come to Him so that He may fill and satisfy us with good things. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@strategicresourcetraining.com
Please find below the talking notes for this message.
Isaiah 65:17-19 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people, And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.”
Although the prophet is speaking of the fullness of the Kingdom of God which doesn’t come upon the earth until the second coming of Christ, it was birthed at Christ’s first coming. Those who enter it in Christ enter a new life and can dwell in a new world.
It is a great privilege we have been given to be a part of it.
Hebrews 2:5 – For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
1 Corinthians 3:22 – whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you.
These things which could only be a mystery to those living under the Old Covenant, have been revealed to this in Christ. Not only that, but we are encouraged that we can bring them into this.
Isaiah 25:6-9 “The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Again – an obvious focus on the final fulfilment of the Kingdom of God that Jesus will bring to earth in His second coming. But there are some amazing things here we have available to us.
This feast is not set down in the streets and highways – the table is not spread everywhere, and this banquet is not prepared in all places. It is a feast only for those in Christ, and is prepared in a special place for a people who have worshipped God alone. But be assured, no true disciple of Christ will be excluded from partaking in this generous provision. All people, cultures and nations are included as long as they have faithfully served Jesus Christ.
We get a foretaste of this feast today. The Lord invites us in this present age to come to Him so that He may fill and satisfy us with good things. He raises faithful leaders to prepare for us this feast and gives the power and ability through His word, that we may be satisfied with it.
Removing the Veil
Verse 7 speaks about the removal of the veil. What is this veil that is going to be completely removed? Mark 15:38 described the veil as the curtain to the temple being torn in two from top to bottom. This is the veil, that in the past, separated us from God. Now, in Christ, we have complete access to Him.
But this is still not complete because many things may separate us from God today – pride, prejudice, worldliness, lust, revenge and unforgiveness and on the list goes. Now to the degree we deal with these things in this life, those separations disappear. The depth that
we connect with God has a lot to do with us.
So many things we tolerate or allow ourselves to participate in today, become a veil between us and God. As a result, we have less love, wisdom, purity, revelational understanding, harmony in relationships and on the list goes.
Ultimately God will sweep all these failings and shortcomings away – He removes the cause with the outward symptom, the sin as well as the tears that it causes. This is wonderful as an end-time fulfilment –but it still makes the question valid for today – how much of your life is a veil between you and God and how much is clear between you and Him because you live in Philippians 4:8 – whatever is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, – things that are excellent and worthy of
praise?
The size of the veil between us and God is largely up to us. We have to keep making it shrink.
Next passage is Isaiah 2:2-4. “Now it will come about that In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. Note – it has landed on earth now.
And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
We need to remember that this is speaking of the Kingdom of God and the reason this great mountain was not available before was that the Old Covenant was only a type or shadow of what was to come – which had to be brought by Christ. Isaiah is seeing this in the spirit – He is looking into the coming of the New Covenant.
But it is so different for us – we are now in the last days which is the beginning of the time these Scriptures speak of.
Verse 3 tells us that the people will come to the mountain seeking to be taught the ways of the Lord so that they may walk in them. They are hungry for truth – is that you? Are you prepared to go as far as it takes to learn the ways of the Lord so that you may walk in them? If you are – Isaiah saw you as he was given a glance into the future.
The best that humanity can offer is not good enough. We have to find something more powerful. The events of today again reveal the inability of humanity to create a Utopia. The only Utopia is the Kingdom of God.
The only way anyone or any sphere can enter this realm is by submitting to the rule of the King of Kings. It’s first step is always surrender – that means humanity must surrender its tools, minds and wills to the Kingdom of God. As John the Baptist proclaimed – it starts with repentance – but once that is done we have now entered this amazing kingdom and we are able to partake of its fruits.
All of this makes for a beautiful promise, amazing place we can come to and the richness of the blessing of God towards us. As we have said before it is the place where, as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:9 “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
This is great but the primary purpose of God is not the preservation of our interests. What He is about is our obedience to Him so that we can truly be His people and express His glory upon the earth.
This takes courage because it is not always in times of blessing – there is suffering and self-denial involved. But for the people who chose God regardless – the promise from Jesus remains.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom – (Luke 12:32).
God Bless you.