God Uses Dreams In NT Church
Concerning God using dreams in the NT Church, in the Bible we have the example of Paul ...
Acts 16 ... Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
At the end of March, 2012, I had a dream. A woman was singing. I said, "This is a nice little voice. It is not a great voice. But it is a nice little voice." Then in the dream, I saw this was a way for us to function as the church where we come together and everyone can speak as led by the Spirit of God as Paul instructed for the gathering of the church in I Cor. 14:26-40.
I awoke knowing to set up a "blog" on Internet where we could share and everyone who had heard from the Spirit of God was free to share. Within about 3 days, we were publishing writings on Internet.
At the time we set this up, we were just doing what we believed was instructed by God. It never occurred to any of us that these writings on Internet were going to go all over the world. It is amazing to us and is still amazing to us. We can write as many pages as we want to write on our blog, publish it instantly all over the world, and it doesn't cost us anything to do this!
Mt. 24:14 … Jesus says … And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
One way the Holy Spirit is used by God is to "show us things to come" ...
Jn. 16:13 ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Often this is done through dreams.
In the 1980's I had 3 dreams about one event.
In one dream, I was in a tall, glass building. Something began happening outside. The whole building began to shake. It was as if bombs had fallen on the building and it seemed the building was going to fall in on us. In the dream I was told this was not the first bombing but the second. And life would never be the same again for us.
Then there was another dream, where ambulances and fire trucks with sirens blaring were going down the street. One vehicle after another passed by where I was standing. Something had happened.
Then there was another dream where the skyline of NYC had been destroyed. I was looking onto the tip of Manhattan and you could see little but large clouds of smoke.
These 3 dreams were about the destruction of the World Trade Center, Towers I and II, in New York City in 2001.
Each time I have seen this on TV since this time, I have recalled these 3 dreams and the TV pictures of the smoke were exactly the same as the views shown me in the dreams.
Also in the dream, it was not the first bombing of the World Trade Center, but the second. There was a first bombing in the garage area of one of the towers in the 1990's.
But these 3 dreams (given to me in the 1980’s) were the second bombing which destroyed the towers September 11, 2001.
Another example in the Bible of God using a dream in the NT church was as follows concerning the apostle Paul …
Acts 27 … 9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer:for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
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