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God chooses to partner with humanity. This is portrayed all through the Sciptures. He uses our prayers to bring about His plans on the earth and He uses willing vessels to speak on His behalf. Yes, we need to pray for discernment. We know we only prophesy in part (1 Cor. 13:9). This is why it is important that the Body of Christ work together in agreement. One may have the dream, and the other the full interpretation. God, make us one as You are One.
The final authority of scripture is not disputed! I agree with you and John does too the scripture is the final authority. But that does not mean God has limited himself to only speaking to man through the scriptures.
It amazes me how so many in the body of Christ believe in a God who used to have power and used to speak to people under the Old Covenant where now under the New Testament He is somehow bound and unable to speak.
Dreams are a significant method of God speaking and communicating in both the Old & New Testament. Angelic visitation is common in both. The Apostles didn't say don't listen to anything from Angels and don't dare pay attention to dreams. What did they say...don't recieve a doctrine of demons or a gospel other than that which we preached. Translation if a dream or a Angel contradicts teaching of scripture...yes reject it.
Why would God speak to us through dreams? Because it is often the only time that we are "still and can know He is God!"
When He went to heaven Jesus did not send us a book to teach us rather He sent the Holy Spirit. More to come!
Are all dreams divinely inspired or prophetic...no. I do believe we have pizza dreams. Yet, there is a noticable, discernable difference: usually it is really vivid and I feel a "weight" on it. As John has described his dream I believe he has had a "God dream".
So what does he do with it? Write it down. Ask the Holy Spirit for revelation. Compare that revelation to scripture. Pray into the revealtion of the dream that he has, ask for guidance, direction, discernment and understanding.
I'm Jay, you don't know me but you added me as a friend on Facebook.
The concept of prophecy in our individual daily lives has been a subject of deep thought and prayer for me lately.
I have been blessed with some amazing opportunities over the past four years that seem to fall into my lap. Each opportunity has been related to the same subject: politics. I have been given tremendous responsibility and the chance to work with several high-level officials in state and local government as well as a few foreign heads of state. I could have never dreamed I would be doing the things I'm doing and have the chance to get to know the people I know! Sometimes I even get sick of politics and when an offer arrises, I say no. But whenever that happens, for some reason, the opportunity is offered to me again and I seem to be 'forced' to do it.
I know all of this sounds incredibly vague, but since I have always known God had something huge instore for my future. I gave my life to Christ when I was 10 years old, and ever since, I have had a deep drive and passion for some 'big' plan God had for my future. I have always been humbled by the concept and prayed for humility and discernment with this fire deep in my heart. It has only been in the past few years that I have seen drastic signals of clarity as to my path in life. Around four years ago I felt a strong calling that I would one day hold the highest office in the United States government. Call me crazy, but I had never seen or felt a clearer, deeper calling. At times I would joke around about it and play it down, but weird things began happening. At 18 I started a political club on campus, at 19 I was working full-time as a driver for a candidate for Governor of Colorado, at 20 I was a colunteer coordinator for the Colorado Republicn Party where I was in charge of the activities in a three-county area for nearly a dozen state and local campaigns, and by the age of 22 (now) I have planned the security and transportation schedule for a foreign head of state, introduced candidates for federal office, driven presidential candidates, coordinated visits for several presidential candidates, met prime ministers, foreign presidents, vice presidents, cabinet secretaries, etc. I have somehow built a network of contacts that is one person away half of the world's leaders, the president of the U.S., top business leaders, etc.
The strange thing with all of this is, I didn't ask for any of these positions--I really didn't seek too many of them out, but rather they landed in my lap.
I was given a deep desire for my life--one that a lower-middle class kid from a small town who attended a state university would be extremely difficult to achieve. Everytime I doubt I will have the opportunity to achieve high public office, something happens. For instance, I recently thought, "how the heck can I run for president someday? I'm never going to be wealthy enough to fund a national campaign!" Shortly after praying about this and asking God for discernment, I got an offer from an old friend for a position with an investment bank. The offer just happened to be from the vice-president of a half-trillion dollar European based investment bank. He said he wanted to take me under his wing and show me the business. He said in a few years I would be making upwords of half-million dollars a year.
Now that I have rambled on--boring you with all these details, I must say this. I am really not sure where my life will end up. I may be president and I may not. But whiat I do know, is that God gave me a deep desire in my heart. He gave me a strong talent for networking and building friendships. And God has continued to put opportunities in my path.
I am very imperfect. I sin all the time. I am not proud of it, and I strive to not do it, but I do. I am human. But at the same time, I have never lost my faith in Him. I strive to be like Him and am humbled and fearful of Him. I think God works through imperfect people. I am afraid to call Christ's work in my life prophecy, but I am 1000% positive everything that is happening to me is part of a much greater plan. The burning desire He placed on my heart has only grown stronger through the years. I now can see the path He is guiding me down more clearly than ever, but I am at the same time, more blind to my future than ever. It's hard to explain, but I believe with every glimpse into my future, God hides the road to get there a little bit so we will have to depend on Him. It is a constant reassurance that we cannot do it on our own but must trust Him.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, with great prophecy and incredible opportunity, we must be careful not to take it all for granted. We must be careful not to assume we know what is happening--assume our dreams are prophecy and tell them to the world as 'words from God.' Great things do happen, and He does reveal things to us, but we must not be quick to preaching them in His name. We must be cautious. Some revelations are better revealed through our actions than through words. Talk is cheap and may be interpreted wrong, but what you do in life becomes historic fact.
It's a weird thing that I do not understand. You're a lot more educated than I in regards to scripture, but I just thought I'd share my thoughts.
There is a reason we were brought together--a reason I'm telling this story to a complete stranger. I trust it is part of our Father's greater plan.
God bless and Godspeed. I hope we talk soon.
Jay
God puts the 'drive for greatness' in all of us... it's how we handle it, and the perspective we have in the midst of it that carries the most weight. God wants us to press ahead, fulfill our ministry and accomplish the impossible. Absolutely. Unless we have insight into that reality, we will find ourselves hesitating.
Life (God) will bring many extreme challenges along our path... and we must be as prepared as possible. That's one reason the prophetic is so critical. If we can have clear revelation as to God's plan... the parts of it that He wants us to see... then, in the midst of pressure we will much more likely stand and continue.
Do you live in Colorado Springs? I lived there for 7 years and planted a church in Manitou Springs. Revolution Church. It's now called Revolution House of Prayer.
Definitely stay in touch. I'd love to hear more.
The Lord is about to change the way your money comes and goes. When money comes in by deceits and lies it is foul. Money goes out just as it comes in.
Here is the Way of the Lord for His Ministers of Grace, Mercy and Peace:
Joh 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Joh 17:20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Joh 17:21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Joh 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
Joh 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
Joh 17:26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
And you will know it is the Lord's doing when you experience Him His Way:::>
Act 20:32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Act 20:33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
Act 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
Act 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Be warned that if your income is coming off the backs of those you have deceived, you will reap a reward you sowed.
It is time for the Righteous to rise up and lay their lives down, working with their own hands supplying their own needs and carrying along those they are equipping and they all giving of their surplus to those who need and will receive and be healed by the True Grace of God so that they too will rise up and reign in Life through Jesus Christ the Lord.
Rom 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Heb 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Ask yourself, ARE YOU LIVING TO SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE FAILS TO OBTAIN THE GRACE OF GOD?
Heb 13:9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
Judgment now comes upon the Beast, the False Prophet, Satan, Death, Hades and all whose names are not written in the Book of Life once He brings His judgment on the Church in these days.
Get ready, Look up. He comes to cleanse His Temple! And if He begins with us, what will the outcome be for the world?
Do I understand correctly that you believe that God is still providing direct revelation? If He is, does that mean a written record of this revelation is inspired, and thus scripture? This leads us to the dangerous conclusion that the canon of scripture is still open and the apostles did not tell us everything we need to know.
I would point you to Heb 1:1-2
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The plain reading of this passage reveals several points:
1. "In the past, God spoke..." - The author is setting up a distinction between the way God used to speak to his people and the way he now speaks to his people.
2. "In these last days, He has spoken..." - Notice past tense (i.e. has spoken); not present tense (i.e. speaks). God has spoken at one time in these last days.
3. "by his Son" - God has spoken in one way in these last days. (There is one incarnation of the Son of God at one specific time in history).
John Calvin writes of this passage in his commentary on Hebrews:
And when he speaks of "the last times", he intimates that there is no longer any reason to expect any new revelation; for it was not a word in part that Christ brought, but the final conclusion...In short, the limit of our wisdom is made here to be the Gospel.
God spoke to us by Christ, and this Word continues to speak through the scriptures. God need not say anything more.
God also gives warnings, insight on how to pray, etc. Intercession that is driven by revelation is powerful. If God wants a group of people to pray specifically for a city that's targeted for terror, for example... that group can pray hard in unity and help stop the threat.
Stuff like this happens all the time... and we must learn to hear God's voice well. My book Revelation Driven Prayer addresses this extensively.