Dreams

God doesn't give anyone special revelation anymore. He speaks to us through the Bible, which is complete. Dreams can also be what you are afraid of, and I don't believe that God would need to give anyone an extra warning about Satan. He's already warned us in the Bible.

When you start thinking that God is communicating to you through dreams, then you open yourself up to being manipulated by your dreams.

Is your brother saved, Andy?

 

I have heard this my entire life and I still do not know where it comes from. How do we know this for sure? I agree God speaks to us through the Bible. But how do we know that is the only way He speaks to us? Why couldn't He use a dream if he so desired? Is not one of the attributes of God the fact that He never changes?

 

christianyouth asked:

Is it possible for God to communicate to people through dreams?

Yes, it is possible.

But the biblical pattern is that God gives direct, supernatural messages (such as dreams) very rarely and only to certain people. It would be a poor reading of the Bible to expect that he speaks to everyone that way or does so frequently. People have all sorts of dreams about all sorts of subjects. The explanation for your brother's "spiritual" dreams probably lies in something more normal than God trying to speak to him.

 

Ransom, I would agree completely. It is not the norm and it is only in certain and special situations, but it is def. possible.

 

I agree with PastorSBC, The great commission and God's Word are the primary means in spreading the Gospel, but we do not know ALL of God's means. Saul's experience was different than Abrahams, and mine. Revelation 14:6 shows that even angels proclaim the Gospel...

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth--to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

 

God is God and certainly doesn't need my say to what He can or can not do these days. However, if (and that's a big if for me) He does communicate through another source it will ALWAYS be in stride with what His Scriptures say.

That's why it's an awfully big if, because we have the Scriptures and everything that we need is in there if we will take them off our selves, scrape off all the years and layers of dust and get back into the Word!

 

Wouldn't attribute that to God.

 

I believe the first and primary way God speaks to us is through scripture, but that it isn't the only way. Nothing we think God is speaking to us will ever violate scripture though. God can use dreams, but not usually, as pastorsbc and ransom said. As for your brothers dream, I would say it is something else, it is not a dream from God. A lot of people have dreams of dying or someone trying to kill them, why I don't know, maybe fear of death, but maybe not, I occasionally have one although I do not fear the actual death at all, only the manner, but I'm ok with leaving that up to God too. This may be what happened to your brother. Who knows for sure, but I do not think it was God.

 

Dreams from God?

Of course it is POSSIBLE for God to speak to someone through dreams. However, let me give an example. . .

When I was a teen (decades ago!) I had a continuing nightmare. I was in a movie theater, watching a horror flick. In the movie, an eye followed people and killed them. Well, this eye began to come out of the screen and follow me! I always woke up at that point.

Then I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I immediately quit having that nightmare, and have never had it since!

Was the dream "spoken to me by God", or did He just "use" it to speak to me? For me, it really makes no difference. The dream woke me up to respond to the Biblical messages I heard from friends and family.

Bill raise:

 

I said "special revelation". When we start to say God is telling me things in my dreams....then we very easily can slip into such things as "God told me to tell you all to give me 9 million dollars or else He's going to kill me". Remember that one?

Thats what Im warning against. As someone said, God is not going to add some new thing to His Scripture through a dream you have. He of course can do whatever He wants, but the Bible as special revelation is finished.

He might use dreams to remind us of what the Bible says, just be careful.

Of course God is the same always, but that doesn't mean all His methods are the same for every era. His character is what never changes.

ps. I accept Visa and MasterCard

 

I think its a valid question, and while I agree with BapMom that God isnt going to be giving "new" information that doesnt conform to His word. However, I do believe that it is possible for 1) God to speak through dreams and 2) God to use our dreams to help us deal with certain things in our lives.
I had a recurring dream over this past year that I was almost certain was from the Lord. I shared it with a trusted friend, and he made so much sense as he helped me to remember that God doesnt give us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
So is your brother frightened in his dream? If so, then I would suggest it's not of God. You have stated he is a child of God, and I dont believe God would be using scare tactics to get a message across.

 

awww shucks, I have a Discover :saint: :tongue3:

 

Acts, chapter 2

"17": And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Yes, God gives you dreams and above is Scripture for it. I have had many a dream from the Father over the years. Preaching comes from revelations of Jesus Christ. Many of Scriptures have been given to me over the years through dreams or visions. Don't let no one tell you otherwise.

 

In Feb 94 I hada dream that my girlfriend and SIC KS would have a baby girl. I told her about my dream and she asked me not to wish that on her. A few months later she called me and said she was expecting. She had a little girl in Feb 95.
Faithgirl

 

What is SIC KS?

 

Not sure we can say that God did that, thought. I dreamed once that my neighbor had a little blue eyed blonde curly haired girl, and she did. I wasnt a Christian at the time. I also dreamed that I was pregnant once, and I had a baby....frog. lol. I have had many dreams that came "true" , but I wouldnt say they were from God.

 

Having come out of a lifestyle where dreams were a big deal and having now to answer a lot of questions on this topic, I've formed certain thoughts on it:
1. It is not normative today for God to speak to us through dreams, so one should be wary of thinking this
2. If God does speak to you through a dream, I think you would know it was from God
3. Most dreams are just our minds processing thoughts, fears, anxieties, hopes, and things we've seen and heard
4. Thinking about or analyzing dreams on a regular basis will lead you to self-absorption and away from God (this one I am really sure of)
5. Statistically speaking (I read a long article on this by a mathmatician), because of the number of people having dreams every night, there is a percentage of dreams that come true, just statistically by chance, not supernaturally

 

When I was a teen, my pastor preached a sermon about those who stand before God and talk about all the good works they did for God, and God says to them, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you". I was a fairly self righteous person who thought I could earn my way into heaven. Maybe it was, as you say, my mind processing some fears and anxieties, but I had months of nightmares about me hearing those words at the judgement seat of God and being cast into Hell. I believe God was talking to me and convicting me of my sin and leading me to repentance. Because of this, I do think that God can still speak to us today through our dreams. I think the key to this issue is to make sure whatever you think God is telling you in your dreams match up with what God has already told you in his Word. If they are different, it is not from God.

Joseph Botwinick