Spiritual Dreams - Part 2

(Recap.) God still speaks to us in our dreams at times, and if we are listening. I’m not talking about actually hearing him speaking, but rather having a dream, waking up, and KNOWING without a doubt of its origin. It’s not something you looked for. It was just there and when you wake up, and you know ~without a doubt~ that God has spoken to you. The dreams are also unusually vivid and real.

Here is the second of two dreams that I had. Again this dream came to me directly in response to an unusually deep, faithful, prayer I made to God the night before about something very trying in my life. The dream I have written out here, I careful wrote down right after I woke up from it.

September 18, 2006
I was on a flat cliff with a rocky edge and scattered plants. A large arched stone gate with no walls on either side and raised iron bars sat randomly on the west edge of the cliff. Far below, a weightless walkway coming in from the southeast from a place behind the rocks led to a castle in the sky, but the castle could not be seen. Only its towers and bits of the outer wall were visible through the clouds. The towers were seven times wider and loomed seven times higher than any built by man, towering even above the clouds. Whisping clouds surrounded everything, but the castle still loomed out of the sky. Only sky could be seen beyond the castle. It was a sunny day and the bright warm rays lit up the moving clouds, glared in my eyes, and warmed the stones of the castle with light. I stood at the edge of the cliff surrounded by my friends. With undoubting faith, I stepped out onto one of the clouds which was not there prior, but rather instantly appeared below me, saving me from an otherwise certain death. I departed from the cliff and the cloud slowly but swiftly descended upon the castle - the Kingdom of God. As I neared, I was overwhelmed with the joy of the Holy Spirit and I said my last loves to my friends on light breathes. Just as I neared the castle, I awoke to the sound of my roommate’s alarm, for it was not yet my time to see God’s Kingdom. I wrote out my vision and I was also filled with this thought: “Place God first always and think of others less fortunate and unknowing.”

This was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. An amazing joy on a level that I had never experienced before. The images in my dream were also some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Words cannot come close to describing it. My spirit has been forever changed. I speak here not with intent to boast, nor in denial of my many shortcomings, but rather merely to make known what I feel that I am pressed to share, that it might be an encouragement for others as it was for me.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” -- (James 1:2-8)

Spiritual Dreams - Part 1

God still speaks to us in our dreams at times, and if we are listening. I’m not talking about actually hearing him speaking, but rather having a dream, waking up, and KNOWING without a doubt of its origin. It’s not something you looked for. It was just there and when you wake up, you know ~without a doubt~ that God has spoken to you. The dreams are also unusually vivid and real.

Here is one of two dreams that I had. This dream came to me directly in response to an unusually deep, faithful, prayer I made to God the night before about something very trying in my life. The description of this dream is paraphrased from my memories.--

May, 1999
It was a quiet, sunny, summer day devoid of people or cars and I was walking home via the route that I always use to take in Elementary School, only reaching the T-intersection just a block from my home, I was confronted by a tall man and woman, adorned with golden-blond hair and dressed in long white robes with looming sleeves. Each was swinging a long rope weighted by a bead and blocking my path straight ahead down the road towards home. Suddenly, my best friend appeared and said, “I am here with you” and then he took my arm and guided me down the side road and away. When I awoke, I knew that the dream was inspired and that Jesus was the one visiting me in the image of my best friend.

-- These words below are my own “condensed” thoughts… so take them merely as that and feel free to question, comment, contradict, or attempt to expand upon them --

Sometimes we see a straight, easy path ahead of us, but there is an obstacle in our way. God provides us with a “way around” when we are dealing with our troubles, and all we have to do is to take his hand – he will help us to give up our stubbornness, to not get caught up in our fear of the unknown, to recognize our faults and shortcomings that are causing us to stumble. We will always encounter trials in our lives, but by turning to God and allowing him to work in our lives, we will be built up in our faith. He leads us down a wandering path – one that is often unclear and unknown to us, but it IS the path that will lead us most directly to our destination. Oh how we cannot see it though, for the straight path is so clear to us. All that we focus on is the obstacle that is in the way of the destination that is within our sight.

God is Always there for you… through all your trials. His arm is always around your shoulder. His love floats through the air, surrounding you and lifting up your every limb and every finger - filling up your spirit.

“Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not prevent justice. Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world? If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” – (Job 34:12-15)

“Why do you complain against Him, That He does not give an account of all His doings? Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, that He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol.” -- (Job 33:13-18)

“He will sing to men and say, I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it is not proper or me. He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light. Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.” -- (Job 33:27-30)