I try to be a very logical person. I see creation as a structured construct. Things have a cause and effect. God planned everything out carefully and knew what each action would cause. He is not random or capricious. This is the basis for my theology and my world view.
On the other hand I believe God is close and involved with us if we listen. I know a lot of people disagree with me. The believe that God is either this distance creator that started things and then stepped back to see what happens or that he does get involved from time to time but only with specific and special people. Many believe that the special revelations from God stopped with the Apostles.
That is well and good but I’ve experienced God. I know this is subjective and that my own experiences can’t really be useful for theological constructs, but I do believe that God is personal which means we can experience him.
I don’t have lots of visions or hear voices or anything like that. Actually I can’t think of a clear “vision” that I’ve ever had but I have had dreams or seen the supernatural on occasion. I’m not one to go to special services to try and drum up some special experience or otherwise “chase” the Spirit. I have seen a lot of that and I have a problem with the way that is done. Singing the same line of a song over and over until the “Spirit falls” feel too much like pagan chanting to me. Trying to set some kind of spiritual mood by abusing your body or doing some set process or anything else like that seems rooted in eastern mysticism.
I just don’t think we need to jump start God by anything we do. I read the Bible and it seems that when God wants to talk He tends to get people’s attention. He sends the message or speaks, or goes ahead and calls people up into heaven for a little chat. He can be big and obvious like a burning bush or He can be invisibly subtle like in the book of Esther. I don’t see why we think we should be trying to force Him at all. He is God after all.
All that said, I have had two different dreams the past two nights. Both have involved one of my students. Well it might be appropriate to say former students. I won’t go into details but for now he isn’t coming to youth events by my choice. He is too old to be in youth but not mature enough to be a leader. There have been some serious issues that have resulted from this and so I have tried encouraging him to attend the young adults’ group, which is more age appropriate and regular service, but he pretty much dropped off the grid except occasional messages sent through various mediums asking if I would let him come back. The answer has been the same every time. I want to meet with him to talk. He will not follow through with even that much.
The dreams have been even more vivid than my normal dreams, which are very clear an vibrant. Within the dream I know it is a dream and I feel compelled to pray for this student. I wake up with that same desire to pray for him and it sits with me all day.
Believe what you want. Believe that I made this dream up in my own head. Believe that God is sharing something with me. It doesn’t really matter to me, but I am asking that you pray for this young man. He needs prayer regardless of this dream. I pray for him every day anyways, but this seems more urgent.
Good Day or Bad
Heaps of grumpy old men or something like that
I am all about Faith and Love what about you
Relativity in Practice
The Greatest of these is Love
Okay.
thanks
You got it!
Thanks too
I don’t believe that God has stopped speaking to people through dreams. I have dreams all the time and I believe they mean something. Joseph of the old testament dreamed, Joseph of the new testament dreamed, the 3 wise men had dreams.
God speaks and uses whatever He wants to get our attention. I believe at this time in my life it’s through all my teeth problems.
Great points. I know a lot of people that just don’t believe God talks to us like that any more. Kinda sad if you ask me.
Nick,
I’m currently dealing with the same thing, though not really the whole dreams thing as much as whether what were clear and defined instances where I heard God’s voice give me a definitive statement about something happening in the future… only for current circumstances making me seriously doubt whether I was hearing God or something else.
For someone who feels really safe dealing with discrete things and calm analysis, God seems to (among a lot of other really important things that to me are more important) be rolling back the tripwire where my mind switches from “logic” to “Spirit-led” thinking. It’s not comfortable in the least, and I really wish He would have decided to use something less important to me (Like passing a teacher exam, not the whole meeting your future wife thing) for me to figure this out, but I’ve got to trust Him, no matter how much my mind freaks out.
Oh and Nic, I’d like to tell you you’re the thirteenth person this week to mention Joseph and his dreams either to me personally, over the radio, or on a blog. I get it. Joseph has a dream (Read: God tells him something), he blabs it out prematurely, goes through the wringer tangentially as a result(I sure hope it doesn’t take me that long!), but in the end his dreams (Read: What God told him) comes true. Every time I hear it it makes me wonder if I should be happy that the dreams come true, or terrified of the wringer I’m beginning to go through.
It can be frustrating when you know God is saying something but it is hard to see clearly to the end of it. It can be even more frustrating when you see clearly what you are going to deal with but choose to follow anyways. I just said a prayer for you and what you are hearing God speak for your life.