LIVING THE DREAM

April 2009 article by Mark Watts

Two recent news bulletins shared a common theme concerning the phrase, living the dream. In the first, an emotional Matthew Hayden, Australian Test batsman for over a decade and who is sixth on the all-time list of Test century-makers with 30 hundreds, remarked on his retirement: "I know that now is the time to move on. I've lived the dream of every kid who has ever picked up a bat and ball and wanted to wear the baggy green (Australian Test cap).” In the second, whilst reporting in January that Rob Gauntlett, the youngest Briton to climb Everest in May 2006, had been killed whilst climbing in the Alps, the reporter quoted some words Mr. Gauntlett reputedly spoke from the summit of Everest: "This has been our dream for three years. Get out there, follow it up and make sure you make it happen."

Hayden and Gauntlett shared the same outlook, to live their dream. For the one it was playing cricket, the other mountain climbing; but for both every ounce of their thoughts and energies went into ensuring that they succeeded in making sure they lived their dream and their delight in seeing their dream fulfilled is obvious. Many of us will either have a dream that we are either living, or intend to live sometime in the future, or like Hayden and Gauntlett that we may already have lived.

As an avid reader of the Bible, which I believe is the inspired word of God, my dream and goal in life is to see the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth, a Kingdom ruled to begin with by Jesus Christ. There are many verses in the Bible which describe how wonderful that Kingdom will be and a place to truly live the Dream; here’s an example from Revelation 21 v 4. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” If there is no more death, then people are immortal and the picture is of happiness for ever. The same refrain is in the Old Testament in Isaiah 35 v 10 but this time coupled with obvious happiness. “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Earlier in Isaiah 35 the point is made that this will be with bodies that have been re-energised - a truly wonderful dream for those of us who are battling old age and health problems. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”

A quick glance at Psalm 72 shows a world where there is enough food for all and fair judgement but the prophet Isaiah presents another wonderful picture in Is 2 v 2-4. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

Set against our world of violence and war who wouldn’t want to live their dream in a world like this? Even a cursory glance at our world shows a devastating list of issues that our politicians, scientists and decision makers are struggling to resolve. In a sentence we can reel off global warming, Israel, the economy, pensions, jobs, fuel bills, house prices and negative equity. Most of us will be affected in some way by one or more of these things. Are you fearful of what might be round the corner? Does the dream that I look forward to living suddenly seem rather attractive?

The Bible makes a number of predictions about what the world will be like prior to Jesus returning and setting up God’s Kingdom. Here are some examples. This is in Luke 21. “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Are you fearful and worried about what might happen next in our world? If you are and you consider that there are many more people who feel as you do then the prophetic prediction the Bible makes is true and therefore it is time to look forward to the coming of the Son of Man, namely the return of Jesus. If we look carefully at the words that are used it implies that when the world is fearful then Jesus comes, it doesn’t say there will be a delay. This is why we as Christadelphians believe that the return of Jesus is imminent. 2 Timothy 3 is another passage in the New Testament. This time the language is different and the writer uses the phrase ‘the last days’. This term is used regularly in scripture to describe the time just before Jesus returns. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”

Are we living in dangerous times? Is our world obsessed by self? Is it a world that loves pleasure more than God? If you examine every one of those facets that the apostle Paul expresses when writing to Timothy it’s possible to see an application in our world today. The only logical conclusion that can be made is that we are living in the last days. Therefore the return of Jesus must be imminent and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth will soon be a reality. There are many more passages that could be quoted, but for the Bible student whose idea of living the dream is to live for ever in God’s Kingdom upon earth, the time to live that dream must be soon. Truly a wonderful comfort when one has to live in a world where all around us is impending gloom and misery and often we too are a part of that misery.

In Acts 2 after Peter had spoken at length about Jesus and the hope of the Gospel the audience turned to Peter and asked him. “What shall we do?” Peter’s response was stunningly simply. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you.” The response those people made that day was stunning and it is recorded, “That they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” The people were glad, they were happy to have this opportunity and they felt the urgency to do something that day; this was not something that could be put off till later in life. They had to grasp it then and there with every ounce of their being.

If we think back to the lives of men like Matthew Hayden and Rob Gauntlett, every ounce of energy, every moment available went into ensuring they lived their dream to the full. They made sacrifices and took decisions about the way they lived their lives to ensure that they fulfilled their dream. It is sobering to reflect that for Hayden the dream lasted about 15 years and for Gauntlett a fraction of that. The dream that those 3000 people in Acts 2 embraced offered them the promise of living their dream for eternity, for evermore. The verses that follow the recognition of their commitment to God and his son Jesus reflect on the way in which every ounce of their energy was committed from that moment to serving God, so that they might by the grace and mercy of God live their dream in the Kingdom of God.

The question remains for you to think about. Will you choose to follow the example of the 3000, or men like Hayden and Gauntlett? We urge you to join us and look forward to the prospect of living your dream, not for a few minutes or a few years, but for ever in God’s Kingdom that will soon be established on our earth.