Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." But those who have read the bible ask me, "Pastor Kim, I could not find that words in the bible even though I have read the bible many times."
Of course, we cannot find that words inthe bible. But the English bible King James Verson says, obviously, "Where ther is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18)
Brothers and sisters, why do peope perish if they have no vision ? Think about ! Those who have no vision do not make efforts. They only pursue worldly pleasure, and then they perish. Don't you think so ?
And think what will happen if they have no vision ! If their bad husbands (wives, children) are same even in the future, if my problem (disease) is same even in the future, we cannot have hope.
That is, the reason why we live in this world is that we have the dream that my bad husband (wife, children) will be changed in the future, and my disease will be healded in the future, and my problem will be solved in the future. This dream makes us happy and joyous even if our circumstances are not good.
But the many rich European people commit suicide even though they have no lack of living necessaries. Obviously they have better life than the people in the other countries. But why do they commit suicide ? Why do they have to choose the tragedy ? It is because they have no vision and dream of their future.
There is a proverb, "The man with worm's eyes perish, the man with bird's eyes prosper." That means those who have no vision of their future ruin and perish, but those who have the dream and vision of their future rise and prosper no matter how hard the circumstances are.
But the corrupt humans are apt to be negative and destructive, so that they easily make the big mistakes that they give up their dream.
And they destruct not only themselves but also their family, and their nation as well. And they make this world as dark as the hell.
But God had pity on the hopeless humans, and he promised to pour out Holy Spirit. And resurrected Jesus appeared to his dejected disciples and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit !" (John 20:22)
It is because they can have dream and vision if the Holy Spirit comes on them. Therefore the bible says, "In the last days, God says, Iwill pour my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see vision, your old men will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17)
That is, the men of Holy Spirit can dream for their future, but the men without Holy Spirit cannot have the dream for their future, so that they cannot have joy nor happiness.
Brothers and sisters, what do you think of our God ? Is he destructive and hopeless God ? Don't forget ! Our God is the God of dream and vision.
And our God wants un to have vision and dream like himself. God wants to have fellowship with the men of dream and vision. And God wants to work with that men, and he wants to bless the men of dream and vision.
Let's see Abraham. He had no child even at the age of 75. And his wife Sarah was 65 years old, so that they could not have the dream of having a child.
But God gave him a vision, ":Abraham, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you ; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing." (Gen 12:2)
The reason Abraham left his home town and went to the foreign country is the dream that God had given to him.
but when he was in Canaan, he was discouraged because of a long drought and severe famine. And he lost the dreram because of the bad situation.
But God called him again and inspired him again with the dream and vision, "Abraham, look up at the heavens and count the stars- if indeed you can count them, so shall your offspring be." (Gen 15:5)
"Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." (Gen 13:14-15)
Brothers and sisters, God never wants us to give up the dream. We have to keep the dream in our heart, and we have to do our best to achieve the dream.
God came to Abraham again and changed his name to the name of dream. "No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations." (Gen 17:5)
And God said to him, "Abraham, as for Sarai your wife, you are no longer call her Sarai ; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations." (Gen 17:15-16)
God was full of eagerness to give the dream and vision to Abraham, so that God performed the miracle that Abraham and his wife had a baby Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old, and his wife Sarah was 90 years old.
Let's see Jacob. When he was working in his uncle Laban's house as a shepherd, he made a contraction with his uncle that every speckled, spotted and dark-colored flocks would be his wage.
And he took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark.
Then he placed the peeled branches in front of the flocks, so that the flocks could see the streaked branches when they were in heat. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.
In this way Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. That is, if we have a dream, even the animals and circumstances follow our dream, and God helps us to achieve our dream because God is the God of dream.
This world has been developed by the men of dream. Orville Wright and Willbur Wright had a dream 'Men can fly like birds.', so that they could invent an airplane. A dream changes men's fate and this world as well.
It's same in the church. Church is developed by the pastor and church members who have dream. When they have dream, they can pray hard and they can overcome the difficulties, and they can build up the church with their whole heart.
Brothers and sisters, why have you come to our church ? Of course, you are here because God has called each and every one of us.
But why has God called you into our church ? It's because our church is the church of vision and dream. Even though our church started later than other churches in Calgary, our church has the pastor and members of vision and dream.
If we have no dream, how can we call this place the church of God ? If I have no dream, how can I be the servant of God ? If you have no vision, how can you call yourselves the children of God ?
But we have the dream for spreading gospel and world mission. And we pray hard to achieve our dream. And we even sacrifice ourselves to achieve the dream.
Of course, we have defects and shortcomings. But we have the dream of God. And the dream is not selfish dream but self-sacrificing dream that the dream makes people happy.
The Americans pastor Martin Luther King made a famous address entitled 'I have a dream.' And he did not lose his dream under the bad circumstances. He made all efforts to achieve the dream.
Therefore Americans named his birthday January 15th a national holiday even though he was assassinated when he was 39years old.
Why did people set a high evaluation on him ? The reason is that he was the man of dream, and he inspired Americans with the dream.
Let me ask you a question ? Are you the men of dream or not ? Is your family (church) full of dream because of you or not ?
If you are the men of vision, your future will be success and happiness. God helps the men of dream, and God wants to extend the territory of kingdom of God through the men of dream.
Therefore I ask you, "Have dream ! And open wide your mouth ! And say, 'I have dreams !' And look up to the God of dream to the end if the circumstances are not good to you.
God is looking for the men of dream. He wants to appear himself to the men of dream and say, "I am here with you !" Immaanuel God is now here with us, with the men of dream ! Amen !