I had a dream, then...

sermonindex Feb 7, 2007

Glory be to God...MAN, I love Jesus! (Sorry, I just got back from morning church here in Korea and ewwww the Holy Spirit was heavily upon us, but I felt on me especially...)

Anyway, two nights ago I had a dream about an old friend of mine. He was looked upon in our group of friends as the 'captain'(to some degree), because he was somewhat famous for sports in our area.

Our group of friends did a lot of things together, both crazy and stupid. We drank, did drugs, stole, lied, and about anything else you can think of. Since I became a Christian, those 'friends' have distanced themselves from me because I only talk about why they should change.

(I know my method of preaching to my friends needs a lot of work, because I often get in the way of the message!!!)

Most of my 'friend's' are still living the same way that we were when we started over 15 years ago (I started drugs and drinking at 10 years old!!!...I was really stupid :-( ).

This one friend in particular defiantely has gone down hill since the time he was at his peak of 'popularity'. In my dream, he and I were talking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

It was a very civil conversation and he was asking me how he can escape the mess that he was now living. I was telling him about the love that God has for us and that Jesus already paid the price for his freedom. In the dream, we were just sitting and talking. He was really concerned and needed answers. I kept repeating that if he turns to Jesus, all his questions would be answered.

Then...I woke up. This was about two hours after I went to bed. Now at 12am I am lying in my bed and my heart is telling me to get up and call him in Canada (it's 13 hours behind, so 11am there). Although, I doubted my heart, well only for a short moment and then I jumped up and phoned him.

He answered and I told him the truth as to why I was phoning. I said I just had a dream and wanted to tell him that Jesus loves him and that anytime he is ready to come, Jesus is ready. We talked for about 30 minutes.

He actually listened to everything and was receptive, but a few times he got defensive (understandably so...and probably because I was getting in the way of the message again!).

In the end, he said that he was happy I called and that he is looking forward to my upcoming wedding.

My question is...did I do the right thing? Should I put that much truth in my dreams? I know he is in need of Jesus, but do my friends need me to tell them, especially when they are 'somewhat' tired of hearing it from me?

I had two similar dreams about another friend and after the second one I called him.

To some extent, I feel the Holy Spirit is telling me something, but then that is when doubt sets in and I start to think otherwise.

Any advice or comments would be appreciated...

God Bless Truth,
Brian
P.S. Did I mention I love Jesus?! :roll:

G

ginnyrose Feb 8, 2007

Brother,
One thing you can count on is that when you do the will of the LORD the Enemy will always come along and cast doubts about it one way or another, telling you you were so dumb, stupid. But what if you actually were stupid or dumb? What motivated you in the first place? Was it love? If you are going to err it would be far better to err on the side of doing good (if that is possible) then on doing evil, like refusing to be obedient. Get my point?

The short of the long is I think you did the right thing. I have done something similar: I awoke in the middle of the night and felt real fear for our son, so I decided to call him to see how he was. (I woke him up..) Anyhow, I never regretted that call I made in the wee hours of the morning. My logic was that suppose something did happen and then I would always berate myself for not following that sense.

My opinion....
ginnyrose

V

vico Feb 8, 2007

maybe i'm missing the "obvious" point of your post, but i just thought i'd share my thoughts on something i noticed about you in a statement you made.

Glory be to God...MAN, I love Jesus!

guess what! I LOVE JESUS! Praise be to Him! Hallelujah!

and something absolutely spectacularly awesome is that He lives in me! (God has been teaching me a lot about that lately, it makes me really excited)

i love You Jesus!!!!!!! :-D

sermonindex Feb 8, 2007

Hey ginnyrose,

Thank You. I do get your point and I agree, which is why I posted. I know if I did not call and something were to happen to my friend, or anyone else for that matter, then I would regret my action (or lack thereof) and I would beraten myself until the end of time.

Again, Thank You for your opinion...

God Bless the Experienced,
Brian

sermonindex Feb 8, 2007

Dear vico,

Ummm, my point for the post was to ask advice about the dream I had and whether or not acting on it was the right action.

Other than that...I am a bit confused about yours...however, you are praising Jesus, so...Amen!

You are right, it is absolutely spectacularly awesome that He lives in you and me both! We are both learning a lot about that lately and it makes us both excited.

That being said...it was not my point...either way, I appreciate your reply.

God Bless those whom love Jesus,
Brian

sermonindex Feb 8, 2007

My question is...did I do the right thing? Should I put that much truth in my dreams? I know he is in need of Jesus, but do my friends need me to tell them, especially when they are 'somewhat' tired of hearing it from me?

Did you do the right thing? AMEN!!!

We all do the same thing brother when we step out in faith. We get alone after and think, did I do the right thing, did I say all that I needed to say, etc.. We've all been there, those of us who walk by faith and obey His voice.

Be encouraged my brother, keep dreaming those good dreams.

G

ginnyrose Feb 9, 2007

Brian,
After posting my reply I thought of something else I would love to share with you.

In my walk with God I am so interested in being obedient to him; I know He wants me to stay close by his side; be yolked together with Him. But how do I do this? There are many saints who speak of a close relationship with the LORD JESUS and I envy that. I want to see Him work BUT I know it begins with me being in total submission to Him. Period.

Now how do I get to this point? Remember what James says to do if we lack wisdom? Ask. That is all: ask. So now I ask Him to teach me to recognize his voice when he speaks, to teach me. And brother, he will start with the little things, gives you a sense of what you should do or not do. When you act on it either in obedience or disobedience you will learn. BUT you know what? I tend to argue with the Sense I hear....so I have to ask the LORD to help me not to argue...

And do you know what the Bible calls this lifestyle? Faith. Read the book of Romans....it explains it beauifully as does Hebrews 11.

My point: I believe by you listening to that voice, that urge, you are learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and if you continue you will grow and grow and grow more into his likeness in holiness.

Awesome, is it not?

Blessings,
ginnyrose

sermonindex Feb 9, 2007

My point: I believe by you listening to that voice, that urge, you are learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and if you continue you will grow and grow and grow more into his likeness in holiness.
Awesome, is it not?
Blessings,
ginnyrose

ginnyrose,

You are right, it is awesome! It seems to me that lately I am hearing the voice more than ever before, well, actually, I am listening to the Spirit more and more. I do have to pray that I do not 'argue' with it or pass it off as nonsense.

The Holy Spirit is powerful but is more than willing to bow down or get out of the way of someone who wants to do their own thing. I have been doing that for so long now.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

God Bless,
BrianMira

sermonindex Feb 9, 2007

Hope this helps:

When I'd only been a Christian for a short time I used to get very uptight about "witnessing". Every time I failed to speak to someone about the Lord I worried that I'd failed Him. And every time I did manage to speak to someone I worried that I'd failed Him and said or done the wrong thing.

I asked the advice of an older, very Godly girl. She went away and prayed about it, and the next day gave her answer: ~~[b]~~Do you ~~[i]~~really[/i] think God would let someone go to hell because of you?[/b]

Just keep on doing what you believe the Lord is telling you to, and trust Him to use even your mistakes!

I've also known Him shut me up when I was just about to say something I shouldn't. Relax!!! You CAN trust the Lord to keep your lips as you earnestly seek to follow Him. :-D

Jeannette

sermonindex Feb 10, 2007

Jeannete,

Thank you, because it does help! Sometimes it is hard to open my mouth when I feel I ought to, while other times it is hard to keep it shut.

May God do for me the things I cannot and be with me during all the things I think I can.

Thank you again,
God Bless,
BrianMira

sermonindex Feb 10, 2007

I asked the advice of an older, very Godly girl. She went away and prayed about it, and the next day gave her answer: Do you really think God would let someone go to hell because of you?

I would keep asking God for this earnest answer in your life and search the Scriptures daily for it.

This message by Keith Daniel could be something worth listening to in this situation:

~~[b]~~Are You A Soul Winner[/b]
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=4339

C

Chosen7Stone Feb 10, 2007

It sometimes seems that many Christians brush off God's "old ways" of getting His message across to us, because burning bushes and dreams seem so "outdated" (?) and foreign to the ways of the world...we've grown up in the ways of the world, and sometimes God's ways seem foreign to us, even when our hearts are not foreign to Him.

I think you did the right thing, despite whatever doubts you may be feeling. The time that you woke up, the fact he was there to pick up (most are at work by 11am), the happy ending -- perhaps God used you to plan a seed in fertile ground. I pray you have the opportunity to see it grow, but mostly I pray that it grows. :-)