Present-Day "Dreams And Visions"

[bbyrd009]

I wish you and Kathy lived next door ...we love playing cards

Five Crowns
say hello to your new neighbor

 

[bbyrd009]

dream that

ha by which i meant literally, not flippantly ok
actively image yourself doing cartwheels at 80, and be suspicious of the negative thoughts that arise from that

 

[Mayflower]

Was Trump in it?
Maybe it had something to do with the Impeachment hearings.

No. My last Trump dream seemed interesting though. He was driving some sort of bulldozer of some kind.

 

[Mayflower]

All of what you say is true, only

A. The TV can be turned off and the novels can be put away. Even the computer can be shut off and pushed aside. Presto! No more ChristianityBoard, and all the annoying haranguing that goes on, LoL!
B. I'm not sure if anyone can spend every waking hour with God anyway, so there needs to be good clean things to do with one's down time.

But I do know what you mean about distractions being self-induced. This place does it to me especially. At first, it's a pleasant diversion. But in very short order it becomes this 20-tentacled-monster that has me wrapped up in about 4 treads, and behind by about 40 posts. Tell you the truth, the Lord has been calling me to come away again today, but I've got two long-running conversations that I'm dozens of post deep into, plus two or three others that could quickly become serious time-consumers as well.

It's like the mafia.
Once you're in, don't plan on leaving, LoL.

Well feel free to be like arnold swartzwnader "Ill be Back." Lol

 

[Mayflower]

@Hidden In Him the sumo dream. Lol

 

[farouk]

I havent had any dreams in a couple weeks except for flying sumo wrestlers on bungee cords fighting each other. That was pretty hilarious and disturbing. No, I wasnt writing that down.

So do you like to watch sumo wrestlers?

 

[Mayflower]

So do you like to watch sumo wrestlers?

no!!! Too much sweaty bodies. Lol. I have weird dreams. This one, was first there was like an entire group of people in business suits and I was there too. I did get the "Senate" or "House" feeling. I was earning scrabble letters to spell f-u-n on my business dress. It was rare, but I got it for some reason. Then it switched to the sumo wrestlers and the announcers were into it as they were flying on bungee cords to fight each other. Then I guess it was like a changing time thing, because this woman decided not to run, because one of the sumo wrestlers won when he wasnt supposed to win. I didnt write that down in my random/strange dreams. But that was probably the weirdest dream Ive ever had. And I have some pretty strange dreams.

 

[amadeus]

I remember so distinctly my mum and dad playing mah jong with several neighbors. They had their own beautiful set of carved tiles and I would play with them endlessly as a youngster trying to learn the rules off the instruction leaflet....I never succeeded.

The closest I came to Mah Jong as a kid was a 'pick up sticks' game. More recently I encountered a computer game of Mah Jong which I have played but not recently. No real tiles in it.

I remember another game learned from my parents: Dominos
They used to play dominos up the street at the home of my step-father's aunt and uncle. His aunt and uncle were native to the Azores. I remember my mother taking the aunt to meetings in San Jose, CA when she was in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. I am certain that his uncle never did living here on only a green card until he committed suicide. I do remember that old man. He was always a grouch and everyone called him "old man" including his wife. He would settle down enough to play cards or dominos with the family. Then night he used his shotgun on himself. There are bad memories along with the good ones.

 

[farouk]

no!!! Too much sweaty bodies. Lol. I have weird dreams. This one, was first there was like an entire group of people in business suits and I was there too. I was earning scrabble letters to spell f-u-n on my business dress. It was rare, but I got it for some reason. Then it switched to the sump wrestlers and the announcers were into it as they were flying on bungee cords to ffight each other. Then I guess it was like a changing time thing thing, because this woman decided not to run, because one of the sumo wrestlers won when he wasnt supposed to win. I didnt write that down in my random/strange dreams. But that qas probably the weirdest dream Ive ever had. And I have some pretty strange dreams.

Well, there are sumo wrestling competitions for women now, too...

 

[Mayflower]

Well, there are sumo wrestling competitions for women now, too...

These were men. I am definitely not interested watching female sumo wrestlers. Very unhealthy weights to participate

 

[farouk]

These were men. I am definitely not interested watching female sumo wrestlers. Very unhealthy weights to participate

Maybe the women in your dream was dream's way of reinforcing your unwillingness to watch it, then...

 

[amadeus]

ah well ty, we have a Target right here in our hands now i guess huh

Yes, in our 'hands'!

 

[brakelite]

No. My last Trump dream seemed interesting though. He was driving some sort of bulldozer of some kind.

Hmmm. Bulldozer...synonym for republican party?

 

[amadeus]

Five Crowns
say hello to your new neighbor

Hmmm, thanks for this. My only experience playing online games with other people was not good. It was a couple of years ago and it was some variation of Scrabble. The other player in every game I initiated would show up sometime 2-3 days after I had played. I did not enjoy that wait. By the time I checked back...!?! Anyway I finally gave up on it. Maybe things would better playing a game with someone you already know, but I guess I really am old-fashioned here...

 

[GISMYS_7]

Know who is speaking to you in dreams is it God or satan and demons or your own ideas and opinion. Is your dream supported by the Word of God??

 

[bbyrd009]

Hmmm, thanks for this. My only experience playing online games with other people was not good. It was a couple of years ago and it was some variation of Scrabble. The other player in every game I initiated would show up sometime 2-3 days after I had played. I did not enjoy that wait. By the time I checked back...!?! Anyway I finally gave up on it. Maybe things would better playing a game with someone you already know, but I guess I really am old-fashioned here...

usually those have a variable time limit when you're playing with strangers? I play chess that way and you can do anywhere from like five minute moves to three days or a week even or something

 

[Hidden In Him]

@Hidden In Him The following may help, but it also may be controversial or unbelievable by some, perhaps even including yourself. I do believe it could relate to your OP.

Consider that first the prophet, Samuel, anoints Saul as king:

"Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?" I Sam 10:1

As Saul was departing from Samuel after that initial anointing, we see the fulfillment in him of things prophesied by Samuel and we see this:

"And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them." I Sam 10:9-10

What had happened to the young man, Saul? God gave him another heart and Saul prophesied!

But then later after Saul had gone his own way instead of God's Way one time too many we see Samuel anointing the young man, David:

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him." I Sam 16:13-14

At the advice of his servants Saul had a man brought to him whose soothing music calmed him... the man was the shepherd boy, David, who like Saul has also received the Lord's anointing through the prophet, Samuel. David was blessed while Saul continued frequently to be visited by an very troubling evil spirit. Then Saul was clearly rejected by God as His anointed king:

"And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons." I Sam 16:1

Saul became jealous of David's blessings and popularity with the people and sought to kill him. But then see here what happened:

"And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?" I Sam 19:20-24

Saul had clearly been rejected by God and yet when he came himself to lay hands on God's new anointed... he prophesied?

Was this a prophesying from God even as the evil spirit that troubled him was God? I believe there is connection between this story of King Saul and your OP. You speak of doubt about the source of some dreams of believers being from God.

But what does the scripture say was the origin of the evil spirit that troubled Saul?

When Saul was going to lay evil hands on the new anointed one, David, who was it that made Saul prophesy? In considering this remember if you will that there a left hand of God as well as a right hand, both hands being God's hands. When Saul was first anointed by Samuel as when David was anointed by Samuel it would have been the right hand of God, certainly. When the anointed King Saul began acting like a goat...?

Of course this may not mean a dreamer, whose dream seems not to be of the right hand God, is personally error, but it could be that message, or part of the message, of the dream may require a different interpretation in consideration of the purpose of God's left hand.

I believe that any believer, who in a given moment, quenches the Spirit of God in himself in favor of his own spirit, may in that moment be used to accomplish the curses of God, which also are part of His Word, are they not?

It's an interesting question, Amadeus. My personal view here is that "evil spirit from God" is simply a truncated version of "an evil spirit that God opened the door to come upon him," i.e. similar to how God let down the hedge of protection around Job. My view here is that, at any moment in time, any Christian can become a vessel for good or evil. Balaam actually wanted to curse the Israelites, but the Spirit overpowered Him and he spoke blessings instead. This is how strong I believe the Anointing can become sometimes, and such was the case with Saul when he got around the prophets.

But as I said, it's interesting food for thought.
Thanks for the post. :)

 

[Hidden In Him]

It is significant to note that even though this prophecy from Joel was quoted in the New Testament, the only recorded visions --NOT DREAMS -- are those of the apostles (primarily John, Peter, and Paul).

Well, we were talking about this a little on the other thread. But I still argue that if there were not those who did indeed go on to receive prophetic dreams after Pentecost, then this prophecy Peter quoted wasn't literally fulfilled. But I personally think there was more going on than what was recorded, since there were prophets operating in the NT era (Acts 21:10, Ephesians 4:11), and entire congregations were being encouraged "rather to prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:5).

Given that dreams and visions are almost invariably associated with prophetic gifts in scripture (including in Joel 2:28 which Peter said was being fulfilled in his time), I would have to take a different view here.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Know who is speaking to you in dreams is it God or satan and demons or your own ideas and opinion. Is your dream supported by the Word of God??

Well, scriptural symbolism is often used in dreams that come from God, but not always. Sometimes dreams use little symbolism, and are actually more like direct communications from the Lord to the dreamer. Such was the case with Joseph, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in his dream to tell him to take Mary and leave for Egypt.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

For those who believe in the possibility of receiving dreams and visions from the Lord, and who either have in the past and/or desire to again in the future, I learned something yesterday that I thought might be helpful to share.

I used to interpret quite regularly on CF a few years ago, but I eventually had to stop. The reason was because, while some dreams proved to be genuinely from the Lord and accurate, many were proving to be clearly not from the Lord. I wondered about this at the time because they were coming from true Christians, and I was at a loss to know why some were receiving genuinely inspired dreams while others were not.

Well, the Lord showed me why yesterday. For some reason, I just felt led to google "End-Time Visions and Dreams - Youtube." I thought I might get a few things. What ended up popping up were dozens upon dozens, upon dozens, upon dozens upon DOZENS of Youtube videos going by this title, and it took very little time to discern that few were truly inspired, despite again coming from people who appeared to be genuine believers.

Then it hit me. The reason this is happening is quite simple:

Joel 2:28-29 reads as follows:
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The order here is imperative: He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (from the very old to the very young) and then they will prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. This is the key to receiving genuine visions and dreams: Abiding in the Presence of God such that the Spirit is poured out upon you.

Those I know of who have received very powerful visions and dreams in the last few decades have all been people who were seriously devoted to God, had very strong prayer lives, and spent a great deal of time in His presence. The problem with most Christians today, however, is they do not have strong prayer lives and are not spending quality time in His Presence. The result is that when they do receive dreams, these dreams are not truly from God but simply being generated by their flesh.

Now these words are not a condemnation of anyone. My wife and I have both received dreams that proved to be unquestionably from the Lord, and unquestionably accurate. Yet at other times I have received dreams that I had my doubts about, and questioned their source. Until the appointed time when this prophecy finally begins to be fulfilled in earnest, the answer for those wishing to serve Him in these things now is to abide increasingly in His Presence, and we can assume that the exact same principles apply to prophesying as well.

Posting this because it has helped me understand some things more clearly.
Blessings in Christ to those who find it helpful.
Hidden In Him

@Heart2Soul, @Josho, @Triumph1300, @Helen, @Mayflower, @lforrest, @Frank Lee (if he is still with us).

Most of my dreams are clearly pizza dreams that reflect what's on my mind. A few nights ago I dreamed that I had misplaced my purse. That is an anxiety of mine. I used to have tornado dreams, but I haven't had one in quite some time.

But occasionally, I have a dream that is clearly from the Spirit. Sometimes, the Spirit gives me an interpretation, and sometimes He doesn't immediately, so I wait on Him to show me. I don't force it. Sometimes He gives me an interpretation for someone else's dream. When He does this, the interpretation tends to come as the person tells me the dream. Again, I don't try to force it. If it's there, it's there. If not, that's okay.