Pastor Relates Dream this Morning

We don't put a lot in our dreams but they do seem to make for interest when we hear them over the pulpit. Our brother stressed emphasis on practical living and down played dreams. Anyways the dream consisted of a road. The Gospel road. The speaker was a aboard a wagon that was on that road. They knew the end of time was close and were looking to the East. There was a mist or a fog obscuring the horizon so they could not clearly tell what was happening. There wagon as near as he could tell was moving byitself. They came up to a tree with a man standing on a platform tied with large shackles. They called up to him to ask him to join them, but he was content and happy to be chained there. The wagon kept moving on. They met a fearful man that ran up to their wagon and told them, "Christ is surely coming". They invited him to join them, but he was to fearful and ran off. Finally the speaker came to a field and looked out and seen himself out working in the field. The men in the wagon called out to him to come back and ride with them on the road. As he came he still had a tool in his hand. They told him to leave it there that he would not need that. The speaker relating the dream was having emotion creeping up on him at this point. 


What impressed him was these verses came to him from Isaiah 35:8-9

 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.

DREAMS AND VISIONS?

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall shall see visions. Joel 2:28.
I want to write a little more about dreams and visions. I had already written about my vision on heaven the other month. I am not especially charismatic or consider myself a mystic, but I believe when we are obedient and humble in the will of God, God enjoys visiting with us. As the verse in Joel points out - He will pour out His Spirit, free for all to accept. I don’t think it is something we boast about, but it is something we want to treasure. God first wants obedience from His children and to that end we receive encouragement and grace from Him. As a young boy I have been fascinated with the Antediluvian world. The story of the garden, the story that there was giants in the land, and especially the story of Enoch and the story of Noah. Enoch walked with God and Noah had vision from God to preach to the people and build the ark. How is it possible to walk with God? I would marvel and still marvel. It becomes real when we have laid ourselves and our goals at the foot of the cross and say, “Thy will be done“. When the only thing we desire is God’s will in our lives- then when we see how he opens, shuts doors, and grants vision that give real purpose in our lives. When we try to again put our hands on the steering wheel the way becomes dim again. We must as Christians must look at ourselves as truly devoted servants that wait on the voice of God to do His bidding. When we have done that he can us and blesses us with unexpected blessings.
Christians in very trying conditions and persecution seem to receive very clear visions and dreams from God. Even unbelievers in countries that prohibit Christianity receive instruction and vision from Christ. In Turlock CA, I helped re-roof a house. The owner happened to be a missionary of thirty years in Pakistan. She was a widow and told us stories of how people that they have ministered to people that had already have met Christ through dreams. When they met the missionaries the dreams purpose and meaning became clearer. Reminds one of how Joseph and Daniel would interpret dreams. Anyway a year or two later I read a book called, She Dared to Call Him Father about a woman from Pakistan. At the end of the book I remembered the widow missionary. I drove around till I found her house and asked her if she knew that lady and she replied that the woman was baptized in their house! She related the story just as I had read it and said she had a picture of them together in the house. That book is real, inspiring, and underscores how God uses dreams and visions to people we believe are hard to reach.
My first experience relates with this verse:
When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifies me through visions….Job 7:14. My desire was not on the Lord and the World and it’s call was very alluring to me. It would have been quite a simple move to walk away from my Church. I was not a member and had a lot of connections that were not Christian. One night I had a dream where my friends and I were having a grand time. I was facing them and they could not see the large forest fire in the distance. At first it was like the glow, but I knew at once that it was the consuming fire of God and that the End was near. My friends would not look and I had started to flee. One of my friends also looked and also fled. The others lingered as the fire was racing towards us. Needless to say I woke up in a sweat. Five years later the scenario happened as in my dream. Though there was no fire, the ones that did not look fell away. My friend that also looked, reconsecrated his life. (Interestingly enough, he had a dream that changed his life). Another time as unconverted or backslidden I was watching a very distasteful movie with my Dad when I was seized with terror that the Lord was Coming. I looked out the window, just knowing the stars were about to fall. These happenings definitely caused me to take stock of my life and give my heart to God to flee the wrath to come to those that willfully reject their Creator and Savior.
The next dream I can recall happened after I was married. I had decided to live the “good life” after I was married. I wanted to continue a shallow life and focus more on living as worldly as we wished. One night God pointed at a clock and said “Time is Short, Redeem the Time for the Days are evil.” I woke up crying and told my wife what I seen. I took a look at my life and changed. My wife wasn’t always excited about my change especially when I asked her to get rid of some of her most flamboyant dresses.
Over a period of time I became curious what kind of fight we were really engaged in as Christians. Who was the devil? Etc. I asked God for vision on this matter. After I had forgotten about my request I received a dream one night. I was in a bus depot waiting on a Greyhound bus. It was so clear and real that I thought it was real life. There was a commotion by the soda and snack machines. A man started to beat on them and was very angry. He was cursing and intent on violence. A lot of people started to make for the door when it was rumored that he had a gun. I seen the exit sign and followed some people to make a get away before something happened. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder and told me, “Wait, watch what will happen”. I turned around and seen some security guards approach the man. I seen the man and looked at the mans eyes and sensed immense hate. The man’s flesh tore apart and he became a dragon. I realized at that point that he was the devil. The guard’s guns had no effect, but what affected me was the tremendous hate that I felt towards all that were created in the image of God. I awoke once again in a sweat and prayed. Now I know the difference between a nightmare and a vision. I have dreamed a fair bit and forget most of my dreams. A nightmare will scare me and then leave me. A dream of God is something I do not forget and it brings me closer to Him or bares good fruit. In this last dream I was struck with the thought that I still should not fear but rather Trust God. I went to work to carpool and knew I had to tell what had happened. As we sat in the truck waiting for the boss my co-worker was likewise eager to relate a dream that he had had the same night. In it God had told Him fear not what men shall do unto you, but fear Him that is able to cast your body and soul into hell. We were both impressed how God had spoken. My rule of thumb is similar to what Joseph’s brothers said:
…We shall see what will become of his dreams. Gen. 37:20. If it is from God it will bare good fruit and agree and line-up with His Word, the Bible. Too many have gone astray when they put so much on the vision even though that it does not line-up with God’s word. That is the way of seducing spirits. They twist and try to pry you away from the Word of God.
Just let us not run away from seeking prophesy and vision from the Lord. Life was meant to be rich to those that follow God. That is not to mean rich with material things, but rich in the love and mercies of God. When God visits you in the day, you feel like singing and are encouraged to press on. So we need it because another test will surely be around the corner. It is truly lamentable in our Christian life if we have a testimony as Saul: “God is departed from me, and answered me no more, neither by prophets, nor by my dreams…”(Saul) 1 Sam 28:15. Let’s be willing to share our Spirit led inspirations and visions while we live, and not only a testimony to be related after we pass….

A Vision?

Make of it what you will, I am not dogmatic about it, it just happened....
I had a vision come to me the other day at work. I know others have had these things happen to them, though you do not hear about it much. At first I thought it was just imagination, etc, but it came on so strong that I had to sit down until it was over. This is the first time that I can remember that this has happened during the day, but it seemed quite clear and took my full attention. Than these scenes started to unfold. I could not really do anything until it was quite over. First I realized everything was over and that I was entering heaven. Things were not so clear other than we entered the gate and a tremendous relief was that we had finally made it. People were having small reunions with family members with those that passed on before. It seemed that there was no big hurry, because time didn’t matter so much. I noticed a couple that stood a ways inside the gate and greeted every one as their children and realized that they were Adam and Eve. I also recognized Noah and Moses as you walked along. It was just fascinating to think who you would see next. Of course everybody was making their way to Jesus. Before I got there I traveled up back towards the gatehouse with many others to see the last glimpse of what we had just escaped. It was a dry wasteland scene that looked like the great west American basin and a chasm like the Grand Canyon. Beyond the chasm we could see a long endless line working itself down to the horizon. We flew over there and looked down upon them. They were the damned. Walking about ten abrest they were escorted by equally sullen fallen angels. Most were looking downward, but I perceived all manner of perversions and unrest radiating from the group and an utter hopelessness. All along their way were earthly things that people valued. Cars, equipment, computers, and status symbols. One, who I perceived as a rich man ran up to a convertible Porche and started beating on it with a great fury. He cried out, “you’re the reason I did not make it!” His moment ended when one of the giant escorts reached him and back handed him into the throng. The creature snarled, “No it was the deceitfulness of thy own heart.“ The man somersaulted back into the crowd from the blow and I didn‘t see him again. I realized he had a new body that was indestructible which he would enter eternal torments. The items along the road mocked its travelers reminding them of their former lives and earthly hopes. There was one point along the way that they could stop and look back towards the direction we came and see Heaven. Some never stopped or looked up, but continued on there way. Up to this point I hadn’t noticed much noise. Now it seemed I could hear despair. Finally The road ended before the great abyss. It was like a giant force hurled them into the void. Now I heard great noise and noticed I myself was crying out loud. It became very clear to me it was only God’s grace that had kept me from such fate. It was a faceless throng, I only knew that in some way each had not accepted God’s plan for their lives.
We went back form the way we came and I looked down into the chasm and seen a wild torrent of water wash away souls that had tried to cross unworthily. When we arrived back at the gatehouse I didn’t look back it was over. I made my way towards the center. When I perceived that I was in front of my Savior, I fell at His feet in gratitude knowing he was the only reason that I could be where I was at. I never looked up. I know great music and happy sounds where happening all around especially from the great square. I looked to my right and noticed some people waving at me- and realized it was my church people. It was a sizeable group, but dwarfed by the many others making their way to the square. I was invited to a reunion, so it seems. Pretty soon we came upon an open area with a large platform or place where all our attention was drawn. The verse about how the last shall be first suddenly came to mind. One of the first upon the stage was a little girl from Bombay, India was invited up. Her mother had been a prostitute in the city. A missionary had some how reached the little girl and taught her about Jesus. Even though her and her mother were badly misused, she would pray every night to Jesus for her mother. Amongst the multitude and the dark and hopeless situation she had been in she had prayed to the Savior nearly unnoticed by all. Now she received her reward. The whole square erupted in cheers. The thought was lifted that that wasn’t all. Through her prayers her own mother was aided to accept Jesus as well. Her mother appeared and again their was a great noise of rejoicing and music. I was impressed that no man on earth had ever received such an applause. The little girl only said it was only because of Jesus…Next there was a boy who was beat to death by a drunken father. He had prayed for his father. We all cheered for the boy and how he had suffered for Christ’s sake. Then it was announced that his prayers had not gone unanswered, but his father had later repented and was saved by the blood. At that point he was reunited to embrace his son. I realized everybody would eventually have his turn. We never grew tired of the stories of the Redeemed. When somebody you knew got up it was really exciting. There was too much to take in and at this point it seemed to be over, except that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. I also remembered praying earlier to the Lord for more of a vision on Heaven and that my prayer had been answered. I cannot tell you that this is how it will be, but this picture was as clear as I have written. It was more about the fact that heaven is like the greatest moments you can imagine- magnified. It was not like I seen so much, but it was like feeling such relief, thankfulness, joy and peace combined. I thought of sporting events and great demonstrations and how they had no comparison to the euphoria that we will experience. The fact that we were all there because of Jesus was also very prominent in my mind. The next Sunday a sermon was preached on Heaven that seemed to confirm God speaking to me. You can question what I have written to whatever extent you desire. I only know it inspired me to greater faithfulness in following the Lord and making sure I make my destination.