Years ago I had a dream about a building that God would provide for our recovery ministry. Some thought I was crazy, but one other person came up to me and said she also had a dream about a building. I took that as confirmation from God. When I met with the staff at the church I was attending to discuss ATB the preacher remarked "Well we just ought to buy you a building".  Another confirmation.

Several years later we celebrate our 5th anniversary of being in that building as our own non-profit.

We read in the scriptures of God speaking to others in a dream, and we have heard so many times of people like MLK saying they had a dream, but we know for sure that dreams come true if the Dream Weaver is involved. It might be as simple as the dream job or the dream spouse or house, or possibly the dream vacation (Oh God how I long for the beach).

But there are spiritually related dreams that are crystal clear and intentional to fulfill God's purpose. You can tell by how they turn out, and they usually have little to do with the person who had the dream. Here's how ATB started and what has come about:

I had virtually no money and no building when we started in October of 2018 - but I had a dream.
I had next to no furnishings when we moved into our building in 2019 - but I had a dream.
We had maybe three meetings committed to us then - but I had a dream!

The money came in from everywhere, from private donors, corporations, grants from folks at Walton EMC, Scott Hudgens Family Foundation, 12Stone Church, Campus Church, Imlay Foundation, Wal-Mart, Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, Waffle House, Georgia Power and income from our meetings and building use. Over a million dollars has been donated, and over 120,000 people have come through our doors since that dream of a building came true.

The chairs which used to be few and foldup are now padded and numerous. 170 people have been baptized and though we are not a church people think we are. When they walk through our doors, come to our celebrations and meetings they don't see Glenn or Jen, they see Jesus, that's what we are ultimately all about.

The Dream Weaver leaves no doubt as to to how that dream comes true!

I suppose that if Jesus were to set up an office here on earth and have a marquee sign out front it would read "Welcome Sinners". Constantly, and to the point of always making the religious leaders of the day mad, he would hang out with what was considered to be despicable characters.

I know, because I was one of those, and he came and hung out with me on a daily basis. No, not that old, but when I was at my worst point God met me where I was, not where he was, and completely transformed my life. That may be one of the things that make him so approachable - he is down to earth in the way he calls us, He sits with us, talks to us, hangs out with us and clearly demonstrates patience with us. 

When we invite him into our homes. and into our battered lives, his mere presence creates an atmosphere of peace and love. The hatred, self-deprecation, shame and all those other things that hold us back seem to fall away when he comes near. But he won't join us unless we invite him to.

In Luke 19 he deals with the corrupt tax collector Zacchaeus by inviting himself over to his house to stay. In Verse 7 the people are all angry and say "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner".  Zacchaeus being unfazed invited him over and became a changed man forever.

How many times has God tapped you on the shoulder, or appeared when you least expected him to try to get your attention? For some of us it has been a life long struggle to invite him in because we feel like he belongs with those religious folks who actually keep the rules, not us who are rebellious and "unqualified".

I found out something very important. He calls the so called "unqualified" to be qualified through him and then uses us to attract the folks who were just like we were into his family as well.

His sign is always on, always flashing "Welcome Sinners"!

Let me set the stage for this - are you ready?

Jesus is preaching in a synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. He spoke from the ancient scrolls on a prophecy from Isaiah. He said that today he was fulfilling that prophecy - in other words he was the Messiah that was predicted that would save his people.

They didn't believe him and asked that "isn't this the son of that common carpenter?" Then he added more fuel to their fire by challenging them by referring to a couple of prophets who had preceded him. So enraged, they pushed him toward the edge of the hill their city was built on intending to push him off that cliff and kill him.

Now think about this for a minute, especially you with situational issues. What is trying to push you off a cliff? Maybe addiction, possibly a relationship, or loneliness, or indebtedness, or maybe life itself. Then ask yourself what has the power to reverse this situation. And don't just believe one of our sermons or classes - read THE book. Don't take our word or some incredible story we have for it, look to HIM to see what he actually did.

They backed him up against the cliff and then - "He walked right through the crowd and went on his way." An angry mob pushing against him and yet somehow he stopped them in their tracks and walked away unscathed as if parting the Red Sea. Only a power as great as his could do this, and also do that. That which is our problem

Jesus can take us right through it but we must tap into his power not our own. What looks impossible to us is entirely possible for him. But to experience his absolute power to transform we sometimes have to get to the edge of being pushed off a cliff to realize it.

Cowabunga. Hallelujah, Loudest cheers - problem solved - let him take us right through it.  Thou preparest a table in the midst of my enemies!

Won't he do it?