ARTICLES ON VISION

DATE:  15 December 2002
SPEAKER:  Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
TITLE:  Taking ownership of your dream.
TEXT:  John 1:1-3,14

Everything in God begins with a word. In the beginning was the word.
In the beginning of your life… your education……… your family………… your marriage………. Your business was the word. Verse 3 - "Without Him nothing was made that was made"
Isaiah 46:9-10. Before God commences anything in the natural. He would have first concluded it in the realm of the spirit. The only thing that starts in the natural are those things which God has finished in the spirit. Then, in order to allow it to start in the natural, he takes that completed work, encodes and encapsulates it into words and sends those words into the earthly realm.
When the word comes into the earthly realm, it contains something - it contains an assignment, an agenda from God. And usually, the word is sent to an earthly target. In order for that word to come to pass - in order for the word to become flesh, it must find an earthly target. And the word will linger in the earthly realm for as long as it takes. It will linger, waiting for someone to receive it. It cannot return to God unfulfilled. Isaiah 55:10-11
There are issues which, in the mind of God, have been concluded long ago. As far as God is concerned, it is a done deal - a closed case. Yet, in the natural, those issues have not come to pass, why? Because God is waiting for someone to take ownership of the word. In a few days, we will once again be celebrating Christmas - to commemorate the time that Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago. But in reality, the Christmas story did not begin 2000 years ago - it had been concluded in the mind of God before even time began. Right from the time that man sinned and fell in the garden of Eden, God began to unfold the salvation plan - Genesis 3:15 Even though this was the first time that man would hear about his salvation, the issue had been settled long before.
In Revelation 13:8, Jesus is described as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. So the Christmas story did not really begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Long before that night, God had made up His mind to step out of eternity into time. What happened in Bethlehem that night was more than merely the birth of a baby. That one who emerged from Mary's womb that night was much more than what human eyes could discern. This was God taking on human flesh - this was the word becoming flesh. This was John 1:14 coming to life.
Let's take a close look at how this really happened. How did John 1:1 become John 1:14? Luke 1:26-38 - There are seven truths I want you to see in this passage.
1.The initiative of God: verse 26
Everything started from God - the angel was sent by God. John 1:1 - the word was with God. Many times we want God to bless what we are doing, whereas we should be doing what God has blessed.

2.The involvement of man: verse 27
God singled out a person to cooperate with him. Every miracle is the result of the cooperation between God and man Many times God will use the most unlikely people - in this case, a virgin

3.The faith of God: verse 28
God does not see you as you are today, He sees you as He has already concluded you are - Romans 4:17. He saw Abraham as the father of many nations. He saw Gideon as a mighty man of valour.

4.The limitation of man: verses 29 and 34
Mary trembled at the greeting because her faith could not handle what she was hearing She questioned "how can this be……..?" She knew that a virgin could do many things - but have a baby? It was too much for her. How many times do we hear a word from God and question - how can this be? But as the angel spoke to her - her faith began to rise.

5.The omnipotence of God: verse 35 and 36
When God gets ready to do something in your life, He will do it with or without a man. God turned Elizabeth's situation around - the name she used to be called was now no longer relevant.

6.The potency of God: verse 37
The word "nothing " in this verse is a combination of two words - "no thing". Better translated - " no rhema". When a word goes forth from God's mouth, it has to come to pass.

7.The cooperation of man: verse 38
Mary had to receive the word - she took ownership of the dream. She said, "let it be to me according to your word". From that moment, the dream was no longer just God's dream, it became Mary's dream too.

God has a dream for you, but you must take ownership of it. Until you do, the word cannot become flesh. Many dreams, many promises are stuck between heaven and earth because they are waiting for someone to sign for them. Like parcels sitting in the post office delivery room, they contain all kinds of treasure, but they're just sitting there wasting away. They are no good to the sender, and they are no good to the proposed receiver.
The fact that God has said something will happen in your life does not mean it will You have your own part to play. Even though God had promised the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, they still had to fight for every square inch of it.
What dreams have you failed to take possession of in this year? Well here comes another opportunity.
How do you take ownership of your dream? Very simple - by agreeing with God's word. But simple as it sounds, people miss it everyday.
When God spoke to Jeremiah, he said "I can't" - Jeremiah 1:4-7. God said: "stop saying that - I know you more than you know yourself, and I know you can".
When God gave Joseph a dream, he took ownership of it by speaking the dream Genesis 37:5-11. They hated him for his dream and his words.
The first step to incubating your dream is receiving it. To incubate something means to develop it in favourable conditions
The law of spiritual incubation is very simple - NOTHING JUST HAPPENS
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