The Divinity Code To Understand Your Dreams And Visions Part 1

THE DIVINITY CODE.

TO UNDERSTANDiNG YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS.

Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale.

DEDICATION.

We would like to dedicate this book to all those who have gone before us, having heard G.o.d's voice through dreams and visions, who have been mocked and scorned for their belief.

Thanks to all those involved in proofreading this text: Andrew, Rhonda, Paula, Todd, Steve, Lesley, John, Vicki, Paul, Maureen, Jenny, Josie, and Karen.

Thanks to all those who made contributions through their dreams and visions, without which this text would not exist: Shane, Paula, Gretel, Lesley, Michael, Kirrily, Cathy, Katie, Jan, Rachel, Lois, and Casey.

Our greatest praise to the Holy Spirit for revealing and teaching us that which we are simply pa.s.sing on.

FOREWORD.

The realm of seeing into the mysteries of the Kingdom of G.o.d through dreams, visions, and revelations has been accelerated by the Holy Spirit in this generation. Although the aspect of G.o.d speaking to His people through dreams has been found all throughout Church and biblical history and is nothing new, we are witnessing an increase of individuals receiving G.o.d-inspired dreams. The Lord is definitely speaking through dreams today, and child and adult alike are enjoying profound insights into the heart of G.o.d, prophetic glimpses into the future, and clear direction for their lives through this avenue of revelation.

In The Divinity Code To Understanding Your Dreams and Visions, you will find practical teaching and understanding on the subject of dreams, their interpretation, and their possible applications. The Divinity Code To Understanding Your Dreams and Visions is not only a great book on the subject that offers knowledge, instruction, and encouragement to the reader, but it is an encyclopedia of knowledge and a handbook for symbolism that will benefit dreamers tremendously as they seek to accurately interpret and apply their dreams.

I met both Adrian and Adam while ministering at their church in Australia. They are humble and sincere men who long to see dreamers gain the understanding they need to accurately work with their dreams. They have helped many grow in dream interpretation. Through their teaching seminars and workshops, they have taught church congregations and hungry believers on the subject and have prayed for many to receive an increase of dreams, visions, and revelations. When I met Adam and discerned the authentic call on his life in the area of dreams, I had him pray for me. As a result, I am dreaming more and understanding more. He shared with me how many who attend their workshops or who read The Divinity Code To Understanding Your Dreams and Visions begin to dream and have supernatural interpretation after receiving instruction.

If you desire to dream or increase in your ability to interpret and apply them, I highly recommend The Divinity Code To Understanding Your Dreams and Visions. It is a reference book that you will want to keep in your study or library. It is a gift. So dream on dreamer; may you discover the voice of the Lord and the seer dimension in clearer ways than ever before.

Patricia King.

XPmedia.com.

Part I.

Discovering Dreams and Visions.

Chapter One.

Dreams: a Controversial Subject.

By Adrian Beale.

Before writing this book I had the following dream: I was wearing a blue s.h.i.+rt with a pen in the s.h.i.+rt pocket. The pen had leaked out dark-blue ink, causing a stain about the size of a quarter. A male friend pointed the stain out. The pen had leaked because the nib had not been retracted.

The interpretation of this dream was that I was going to write material that will offend some people because the subject would be highly controversial, and in writing, I would not hold back. The stain speaks of that offense. The dark blue coloration speaks of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in what was to be written.

The book you are now holding in your hands is the result of that dream and four years of weekly fellows.h.i.+p with the co-author, Adam Thompson. The same dream was repeated six months later. In repeating the dream, G.o.d was reminding me of the importance of this message.

(An explanation of the metaphors used to interpret this dream is found in the sample dream and vision section of this book. See dream 34.) An Important Preface Before we endeavor to explore the subject of dreams and visions, I would like to preface our journey with a Scripture that was never more relevant, "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" (Prov. 18:13).

If until this time you have held some preconceived opinions about the nature of dreams and visions, I would ask that you put these on hold and openly and humbly come to see what the Word of G.o.d has to say on the matter (see James 1:21) before you pa.s.s judgment. All of us need to be honest enough to admit that our different backgrounds and upbringings have built within us preconceptions and prejudices that potentially will keep us from moving into all that G.o.d has for us. This is why the apostle Paul pleads with us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Rom. 12:2).

The Last Days On the day of Pentecost, Peter aligned the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem with an earlier prophecy made by Joel the prophet (see Joel 2:28-32). In the midst of quoting Joel's words, Peter declared, And it shall come to pa.s.s in the last days, says G.o.d, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17; See Joel 2:28).

This verse proclaims that in the last days G.o.d will pour out His Spirit on all of humanity, and the result will be dreams, visions, and prophecy. In quoting Joel, Peter not only a.s.sociated the events of Pentecost with Joel's earlier prophecy, he also confirmed it to be the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. In doing that, he also indirectly announced that the "last days" commenced from that moment and will be completed when Christ returns. What that means is that we are in the last days. And we cannot get more last days than these days, right? And yet, if we are honest, as a whole the Body of Christ struggles with dreams (particularly) and visions as being from G.o.d and for us today. The message of this book is that G.o.d is speaking; He is speaking to believers and unbelievers alike by His Spirit, and this book is a wholesale call by the Spirit of G.o.d for the Body of Christ to awaken spiritually and tune in to what He is saying.

The Gospels record that Jesus came to the nation of Israela"who was to be G.o.d's chosen vessel to the worlda"and presented truths from the Father. He was G.o.d's representative, and His credentials of signs and wonders affirmed His amba.s.sadorial authority. However, the scribes and Pharisees who claimed to have a relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d did not want anything to do with G.o.d the Son. Regardless of the signs that confirmed His message, they remained hard-hearted and missed the message He brought to the nation. For the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was a thorn in their sides because He interfered with their political and selfish agendas and exposed their religious facades. So when they could ignore Him no longer, they killed Him.

Some of us today are like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. We claim to have a relations.h.i.+p with Jesus, yet ignore the current amba.s.sador, the Holy Spirit. Just as they ignored Jesus, claiming to know the Father, we claim to know Jesus and ignore the Spirit!

Others are opting out of the spotlight of what G.o.d wants to do in this generation by choosing to live in the past or the future. It is an amazing thing that we can believe for yesterday, we can believe for tomorrow, yet we struggle with faith for today, and yet that is what faith is, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb.11:1). And further, it is meant to be our everyday experience, ". . . The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17).

However, if the truth were known, we do not like to live by faith. We would much prefer to have our security in front of us or in the bank. As a consequence, on the one hand, we have become like Gideon (see Judg. 6:13), looking at past events of the Bible and somehow accepting what happened in those times, but, so that it does not interfere with our reality today, we deal with it by putting it into some dispensational phase of what G.o.d was doing "back then." And on the other hand, we are also like Pharaoh who, when asked, "When do you want G.o.d to move?" said, "How about tomorrow" (see Exod. 8:9-10). In distancing ourselves in this way, we deny that we have ignored the Spirit of G.o.d, and we also pacify our consciences with the fact that some day in the future G.o.d will again move in power. For the most part, we don't deny G.o.d did what He did in the Bible, but what we struggle with is what He is doing today.

Therefore, unfortunately, we have positioned ourselves to be in much the same place as the Pharisees, who were not privy to the meanings behind Jesus' teachings through parables. We, like them, are missing truth from the Spirit of G.o.d through discrediting our dreams as not from G.o.d. We think, Surely, G.o.d would speak more clearly and precisely than through those hazy ramblings we experience. In doing so, we have shut ourselves off to G.o.d's voice through dreams and have become like hardened waysides, and as a consequence, " . . . the wicked one comes and s.n.a.t.c.hes away what was sown . . ." in our hearts (Matt. 13:19). A simple test to see whether this is the case would be to ask ourselves whether we can personally remember the last three dreams we have had?

In comparison, the proponents of the New Age and some schools of psychoa.n.a.lysis have embraced dreams in their hunger for answers to life's questions. However, being without the Holy Spirit, who is the author (see Acts 2:17) and interpreter (see Gen. 40:8) of dreams, they are nonetheless still in the darka" blind leaders of the blind. Today, some churches are not even aware that G.o.d speaks through dreams. We obviously don't know the importance of dreams in the plans and purposes of G.o.d, and we have forgotten that the promise of the Holy Spirit brings with it G.o.d's prophetic guidance through dreams and visions. Sadly, we look at the equivalent of Nebuchadnezzar's magicians today and see them dabbling with dreams and interpretation and are turned off. We have thrown the baby out with the bathwater when G.o.d is calling for an army of Daniels to arise!

Listen to what the Bible says about prophets in the Old Testament, Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings . . . (Numbers 12:6-8).

In these verses G.o.d is making a point to Aaron and Miriam, who were complaining about Moses. G.o.d, in vindicating Moses before them, shows exactly how prophets other than Moses received their revelation. He says it comes to them in the dark sayings of a dream or vision. The word here for dark sayings is the Hebrew word chidah, which literally means "a puzzle, riddle, or parable." That G.o.d likes to communicate using parables is further displayed in His Word through Hosea, when He says, I have also spoken to [you by] the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you] and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets (Hosea 12:10 AMP).

Not only did G.o.d speak to the prophets in the Old Testament using parables, He also spoke through the prophets by having them act out His Word using parable-type messages. For example, Hosea married a harlot to show Israel's unfaithfulness to G.o.d (see Hos. 1:2); Ezekiel had to dig through a wall in the sight of the house of Israel to convey that they would go into captivity (see Ezek. 12:5); and Jeremiah was to break an earthen flask in the sight of the elders of Jerusalem to show how G.o.d was going to break Jerusalem (see Jer. 19:10-13). Later we find in the Gospels that Jesus Himself used more than 50 parables to teach the truths of the Kingdom of G.o.d. In fact, parables were His preferred teaching method! Should it be a surprise to us that G.o.d is still using parables today?

The Bible says in the last days G.o.d will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and the result of that outpouring is prophecy, visions, and dreams (see Acts 2:17). Those days did not cease with the death of the 12 apostles, as some think, and those days are not in the distant future. Those days are these days! G.o.d is speaking in dreams and visions today. The countless dreams and visions that G.o.d has allowed the authors to interpret are testament to this fact. The information and counsel disclosed in these dreams in most cases could only be from the Spirit of G.o.d.

Human beings know instinctively that G.o.d is a miracle-working G.o.d. And this is confirmed as we read the Bible. The Bible also says that G.o.d has not changed (see Mal. 3:6) and that He is the same today as He has ever been (see Heb. 13:8). But the truth we really need to take to heart is that He is still the miracle-working G.o.d for those who have ears to hear (see Matt. 13:9).

Are We Hearing What G.o.d Is Saying?

A pastor friend came to me with the following dream, I saw some terrorists on a gallows about to be hung; at the same time I heard commentary about how these terrorists were planning to escape and then attack. I watched as one of the terrorists rolled off the platform with an accompanied explosion, and then I heard gun-fire. There were wounded soldiers sitting in pews looking on; then one of the soldiers (he had his hand in a sling) got up and fired his machine gun back at the terrorists above the heads of the soldiers in the pews. I had some concerns that he may have hit others in the pews because he was careless in shooting back.

This dream is a significant warning. It speaks of potential problems created by false converts (the terrorists) who do not truly come to the cross of Christ. The gallows represent the cross and avoidance of the hangman's noose says that they have not truly died at Calvary and thus avoid its demands on the human heart. These are seen as terrorists because they are used by the enemy to sow discord and strife in the Body of Christ. They are the equivalent to the tares in Christ's parable of the wheat and tares (see Matt. 13:25, 27-28).

The explosion speaks about an incident that is threatening to flare up, which will be followed by words fired back and forth. Soldiers in the pews show the Church as G.o.d's spiritual army. They are shown to be wounded because they have not fully dealt with the hurts and disappointments of the past.

The soldier with a sling firing back is possibly a picture of a leader who is not fully whole himself reacting to the words that follow the incident with the potential of hurting others within the ministry.

This is a warning to be aware of false converts, a reminder to work through past hurts, and also a caution not to react to everything that is said in and around the Church.

(An explanation of the metaphors used to interpret this dream is found in the dream and vision sample section of this book. See dream 43.) If you are in leaders.h.i.+p in the Body of Christ, chances are, because of your busy schedule, G.o.d will take the opportunity to speak to you during your downtime (sleep). Would you have missed this message from G.o.d? Thankfully the ministry involved in the above dream had ears to hear what the Holy Spirit was saying and was subsequently prepared for the potential danger.

Joseph and Daniel It was the Holy Spirit who empowered Joseph to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, "And Pharaoh said to his servants, *Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of G.o.d?' " (Gen. 41:38). And it was the Holy Spirit, acknowledged by Nebuchadnezzar, who gave Daniel the incredible insight he possessed.

Belteshazzar [Daniel], chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit ofthe Holy G.o.d is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation (Daniel 4:9).

Joseph and Daniel were especially endowed with the Spirit of G.o.d. They were men G.o.d placed specifically at the right place and at the right time to be used through dreams, visions, and their interpretation. The beauty of Joel's prophecy in the opening verse of this chapter is that G.o.d is pouring out the same Spirit that Joseph and Daniel were partakers of, but in greater measure (see John 14:12) on you and me, today!

Therefore, if we are going to be used of G.o.d to the measure He has planned, we need to recognize that our dreams are deeply significant in the plan of G.o.d for our lives. Like He did with Daniel and Joseph, G.o.d, through dreams, is speaking and preparing us for what He has specifically brought us forth to accomplish at this time. I believe there is a mission for you and me that will not be fully realized unless we move on the instruction we receive through dreams. Likewise, if we are going to understand what G.o.d is saying to us in these dream messages, we need to repent of our insensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to cultivate a relations.h.i.+p with Him.

Jesus and Nicodemus When Nicodemus visited Jesus, he had hardly gotten through his opening lines when Jesus nailed him! Nicodemus says, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from G.o.d; for no one can do these signs that You do unless G.o.d is with him" (John 3:2). Quick as a flash, Jesus replies, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d" (John 3:3 NASB).

If it seems to you that Jesus answered a different question than what Nicodemus was asking, you're on the ball. Actually Nicodemus hadn't even got to his question whena"wham! Jesus goes to the heart of the matter. Nicodemus is a Jew of Jews and recognized by Jesus as the teacher of Israel (see John 3:10). The question on every true Jew's heart was, When is the Messianic kingdom coming? There is too much in Jesus' response to go into depth here, but let us just note a couple of things. First, He is speaking to someone who really knows the Old Testament, and second, He said you can only see the Kingdom if you are born again. Nicodemus is still not even on the same page because he replies, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" (John 3:4).

Jesus is speaking spiritually, and Nicodemus is thinking naturally. That is exactly what happens when G.o.d speaks to us in dreams and visions. G.o.d plumbs and divides our hearts or reveals Kingdom dynamics, and we are left thinking, What was that about? He speaks spiritually, and we tend to think naturally. This story goes further, as Jesus responds by saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d" (John 3:5 NASB).

Here it is important to understand that now Jesus has moved beyond just seeing the Kingdom to entering it. Remember who Jesus is speaking to here: the teacher of Israel, a person soaked in the Old Testament. Who in the Old Testament saw, but did not enter? That person would have to be Moses. Why didn't he enter? He wasn't able to enter because he was disobedient or insensitive to the Spirit of G.o.d at the waters of Meribah (see Num. 20:12). Who was allowed to enter? That would have to be Joshua and Caleb and a new generation not bound to Egypt (the world) in their thinking. Of Joshua, it is said that he was "a man in whom is the Spirit" (Num. 27:18). And of Caleb, the Bible records, "he has a different spirit in him" (Num. 14:24). Who else was unable to enter? All those who did not believe G.o.d after He had brought them out of Egypt and who continued only to see things in the natural (see Num. 13:33).

What is this saying? It is saying there is a generation of people who know the Word of G.o.d, who are born again, and who see G.o.d's Kingdom on the pages of the Bible, but who fail to enter what G.o.d has for them because they are only prepared to think naturally, or rather, not prepared to think spiritually (see Isa. 55:8-9; Rom. 8:5-6). Now we know this is not you, or you would not be reading this book. However, there is a group of people in danger of dying in the spiritual training ground that is designed to teach them Kingdom dynamics (see Deut. 8:2-3), unless they are prepared to be led by the Spirit of G.o.d into the Promised Land in the next phase of their journey. These are those still holding on to past tradition and religious practices. If we deny His leading, like Nicodemus, we will remain spiritual babes, regardless of our Bible knowledge or t.i.tle within the Church (see Rom. 8:14).

Think about it. If the characters in the Bible had ignored the guidance they received specifically through dreams, there would be: a No Isaac (see Gen 20:3, 6-7) a No Israel (see Gen 41:37-41; 45:5; 50:20) a No Solomon's kingdom (see 1 Kings 3:5-15) a Less understanding of future world events (see Dan 2; 4) a No Jesus (see Matt 1:20-24; 2:13,22) Now, if there had been no Jesus, there would be no salvation through His death upon the cross. If there had been no salvation, there would be no release of the Holy Spirit. If there is no means of salvation and no release of the Holy Spirit, humankind is without eternal life and we are forever doomed to be permanently separated from the Presence of G.o.d. Aren't you glad that someone took dreams seriously?

Old and Young Men?

Doubt about whether we are supposed to receive dreams may be created by the age criteria in Joel's prophecy. So it would be useful to clarify that question and at the same time present what is perhaps the key reason we ignore the Holy Spirit's guidance through dreams. When the Bible says, ". . . Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17), it is not talking about natural age. It is speaking spiritually, just as Jesus did with Nicodemus. Dreams occur when we are asleep. In spiritual terms, sleep is the same as death.

Do you remember when Jesus went to resurrect Lazarus? He said, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up" (John 11:11). When the disciples heard these words, they thought He was speaking naturally. They said, "Lord, ifhe sleeps he will get well" (John 11:12). Jesus had to spell it out for them, "Lazarus is dead" (see John 11:13). Jesus was talking about cold, hard physical death, but He called it sleep.

Now to turn this around; when we have dreams, we are asleep. That is, we are, spiritually speaking, as dead people. To put it another way, a dream comes to us in the soulish faculties of our minds, and that is, spiritually speaking, to the "old self" (see Rom. 6:6)a"the "old men" of this prophecy. Now the old self is dead to the things of G.o.d. This is why this chapter begins with the acknowledgement that believers and unbelievers alike receive dreams from the Spirit of G.o.d. Both believers and unbelievers receive dreams from G.o.d through their "old self." (Many versions of the Bible use "old man," but that term is not intended as gender specific.) The fact that it is the old self, or our soul, that receives the dreams we dream is perhaps the main reason we deny the dreams we experience as being from G.o.d. Think about it. Dreams relate what is happening in the spirit realm to the natural person. They can only be interpreted if the spiritual person is tuned in to the Spirit of G.o.d!

Visions, on the other hand, are direct communications to the regenerated spirit of people and, as such, are only for believers. The text calls them "young men," those who are hungry to do G.o.d's will and who are consequently empowered by the Spirit of G.o.d. Let us confirm this scripturally. David the psalmist writes, "Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:5). Why does David make reference to the eagle here? He does so because he is not talking about natural sustenance. He is saying that when we are hungry for G.o.d, He supplies us with the living Word of G.o.d, and in receiving that, our spiritual selves (the eagle) are rejuvenated. Therefore, our spirit self is the "young man."

Remember what the apostle Paul said about conversion? He said, "Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have pa.s.sed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Here both the old and the new self are contrasted for us. The old refers to our spiritually dead existence prior to coming to the cross of Christ, and the new talks about the birthing of our spirit person. Jesus said it like this, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d" (John 3:3 NASB). In a discussion about those who receive visions, this Scripture alone is very pointed. Jesus Himself says we have to be "born again" to see!

Now, that baby spirit has to grow, and it grows by hungering for G.o.d's will and by imbibing the Word of G.o.d. Over a period of time, by applying what it takes in, it becomes a "young man." As John the apostle confirms, ". . . I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of G.o.d abides in you . . ." (1 John 2:14). Finally, the apostle Paul removes any ambiguity that it is the spirit person that is growing within us by saying, ". . . Even though our outward man is peris.h.i.+ng, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).

So we can openly see that physical age has nothing to do with the reception of dreams or visions. It is all about the receptivity and development of the spirit person. Dreams come to everyonea"Christian and non-Christian alike. How they are understood depends on whether the spirit person is "switched on." Visions, on the other hand, are only for believers hungering after G.o.d's will and applying His Word.

What about unbelievers who receive visions? I believe that unbelievers who receive visions do so through occultic means, such as drugs and divination. I know people who have had extensive visions under the influence of drugs. Drug use opens people up to the spirit realm of demonic deception. In fact, when you dig beneath the English translation of the Scriptures to the original languages, you discover that drug use is directly linked to witchcraft. The word sorceries in Revelation 9:21 is the Greek word, pharmakeia. This is the word from which we get the word pharmacy. Pharmakeia is translated as "witchcraft" in Paul's list of works of the flesh to the Galatian church (see Gal. 5:20).

The Bible also shows that those operating under the influence of familiar spirits are empowered to see in the spirit realm. This is evident when Paul and Silas are thrown into prison for casting out a spirit of divination from a fortune-telling slave-girl in the Book of Acts. Luke, the writer of Acts says, Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High G.o.d, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. " And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. " And he came out that very hour (Acts 16:16-18).

After Paul had commanded the spirit to come out, the Scripture says, But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities (Acts 16:19).

It is pretty obvious that it was the spirit within the slave-girl that gave her the ability to see in the spirit realm, and once he was removed, she was no longer able to receive her spiritual visions. This explanation adequately accounts for the reaction of the slave-girl's masters, whose hope for further profit was taken away when the spirit was cast out of her.

Dreams Are Controversial Yes, the subject of dreams and dream interpretation is one of great controversy within the Body of Christ. And some may fear that if we open ourselves to this method of guidance from G.o.d, it will put us into a position to be easily misled down some sidetrack away from the fundamental teachings of the Bible. However, it is both of the authors' experience that the opposite is the truth. If the Church is going to embrace the Holy Spirit's voice through dreams, it also has to be totally soaked in the Scriptures. It takes a balanced view of the whole of Scripture to interpret correctly, and therefore, the people who want to improve their interpretation skills have to be disciplined in Bible reading. They also have to believe and apply what they are reading. Rather than being led astray, embracing dreams as messages from G.o.d actually leads us deeper into the ways of G.o.d. This is because, through dreams, the Holy Spirit teaches the application of the princ.i.p.al of referencing (or linking truth with truth), as outlined within the Scriptures, ". . . the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:13b).

Therefore, without a solid grounding in the Word of G.o.d, you cannot possibly know that what you are receiving is from G.o.d, let alone understand what it means. The Holy Spirit will only endorse G.o.d's Word further through His voice in the night. If you hear anything contrary to G.o.d's written Word, then it is not G.o.d who is speaking!

The Real Reason Dreams Are a Threat The real basis of this controversy is the devil's doing. The devil does not want the empowerment of G.o.d's people through this channel of communication. He is always attempting to thwart the purposes of G.o.d. Listen to his voice through Peter as Jesus begins to reveal spiritual truth incomprehensible to the natural mind, From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of G.o.d, but the things of men" (Matthew 16:21-23).

Just as the devil used Peter's personal agenda and limited outlook to challenge Christ, he still is using those whose security is not truly in G.o.d in an attempt to stifle G.o.d's plans. If we have our security in anything other than Christ alonea"position, money, power, recognition, religion, intellect, or acceptancea" then the old self will come out fighting as soon as a spiritual truth is declared that threatens that security, "For the flesh l.u.s.ts against the Spirit. . . and these are contrary to one another" (Gal. 5:17).

As in Peter's case, often it is spiritual pride through which the devil is allowed to enter and attempt to coerce the Body of Christ away from G.o.d's intended path. Moments before this rebuke, Peter had received the revelation that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living G.o.d" (Matt. 16:16-19). And following that gem from the Father, he was commended by Jesus as being blessed, told that he would be pivotal to the coming Kingdom and that he would be endowed with authority. What a promise! However, it was all too much for the would-be apostle. The devil had an entry pointa"Peter's pridea"and in the next breath, Peter takes it upon himself to correct Jesus.

If the devil can keep us blind to the fact that G.o.d is actually speaking through dreams, then he has effectively cut off one of the main channels of communication G.o.d has used for more than 4000 years to mobilize His troops. Doesn't it seem strange to you that we would think that G.o.d, who has communicated for such a long time using dreams, would pull the plug on this means of communication, especially when He promised He would do it more?

Summary: Chapter 1.

a Hold off on making a judgment about dreams and visions until you've heard what the Bible has to say on the matter.

a We are standing in the last days, which are marked by an outpouring of G.o.d's Spirit.

a The outpouring of the Spirit includes prophecy through dreams and visions.

a The Holy Spirit is the current representative of the G.o.dhead on earth today.

a We can have a propensity to live in the past or in the future to avoid exercising faith today.

a The call to live by faith is a call to hear what G.o.d is saying today.

a As Christians, we are p.r.o.ne to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" because we see the New Age movement and psychoa.n.a.lysis embrace dream interpretation for guidance.

a Old Testament prophets heard G.o.d's Word, as we do, through parable-type dreams and visions.

a Jesus' preferred teaching method was to use parables.

a Christian leaders, because of their busyness, can expect G.o.d to speak to them in their down-time (sleep) through dreams and visions.

a We will miss the current outpouring of the Spirit if we don't have ears to hear.

a Nicodemus shows us our own tendency to think naturally when G.o.d is speaking to us spiritually.

a We will miss the voice of G.o.d for this generation if we, like Nicodemus, are only prepared to think naturally and miss the need to "listen" spiritually.

a Dreams are for both the Christian and non-Christian; visions, on the other hand, are the domain of the believer.

a The Holy Spirit teaches relating spiritual things with spiritual. Therefore, a solid understanding of the Bible is a prerequisite for accurate interpretation.