Christmas Angel

     One of my favorite passages of scripture in the Old Testament is First Kings 19.  This recounts the story of Elijah fleeing for his life from the evil Queen Jezebel.  In the previous chapter, he had just had the spiritual victory of his life.  Yet chapter nineteen finds him spiritually exhausted, running for his life, ready to give up.  He was overwhelmed, and wanted to die.  In verse 4, he says, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers." He's at the end of his spiritual rope, ready to throw in the towel.  God doesn't let him out of it that easily.  He gets some needed sleep, and is awakened by an angel, bringing him food.  Verse eight tells us that Elijah arose and ate, and he went on the strength of that food for forty days.  Can you imagine the properties of that food, it if could sustain him that long (coming from an angel in the first place)?  During those forty days, Elijah traveled to Horeb, the mountain of God.  It was at Horeb that Elijah had a direct encounter with God, is given assurance and direction, and is ultimately refreshed and revitalized for ministry. 

 

     I have often felt like Elijah.  Even after spiritual victories in my life, I get tired and overwhelmed.  I have a lot of joy in my life, but 2019 was a difficult year for us in several ways.  It has often felt like life was running us over.  I could go into detail, but that isn't my purpose at the moment.  Suffice it to say, I felt like I was at the end of my spiritual and emotional rope.  One aspect is that, living here in Texas now, we are far away from relatives, and are alone this Christmas.  We've made a couple of friends, but we are lonely.  We're still trying to plug in at a church.  Due to a lot of illness of coworkers, I have been working a lot of overtime at the Christian preschool.  This is good for the paycheck, but exhausting and overwhelming as well. Not enough personal time has led to a little bit of depression.  I had been praying that this Christmas would be special.  I didn't see how that would happen.  But I kept thinking about Elijah, how he went on the strength of that food for forty days, until his next spiritual encounter.  I needed some of that food.  Something to keep me going.  God has always been faithful with that.  He gives me what I often call "preludes to Heaven."  He does it just when I need it.  Just to keep me going, keep me in this game called life.  

     The other day, I was in Walmart.  Not even my favorite store in the world, but Kmarts are disappearing, so what choice did I have?  I grabbed a few items, and was standing in line.  Only two lanes were open, right beside each other.  I had one too many items to be in the express lane, so I was in the main line.  It wasn't very long, and I thought, "Okay, I'll be through this pretty quickly."  However, the woman in front of me was one of those people no one wants to be behind.  The ones who notoriously hold things up.  This woman started trying to explain to the cashier why her purchase shouldn't have sales tax, and how he rang her up wrongly, and how he's harassing her.  It went on and on, and she demanded he go check the price of something.  I felt very annoyed.  Kind of trapped, a hostage of this woman's manipulation.  But what could I do?  The manager ended up having to get involved, and it took forever.

     In the meantime, this other woman got in the express lane, right beside me.  She was a beautiful, nicely dressed African-American woman, about fifty or so.  More than her physical appearance, I noticed the gentleness exuding from her.  She brought a presence to that line.  I felt somehow drawn to her, then dismissed it.  She talked kindly and gently to those around her.  She said something about church, and I jumped in and asked where she attended.  She mentioned a church in Fort Worth.  Without really knowing why, I told her we were new to Texas.  She immediately smiled and said, "Don't say that.  We claim you.  You're one of us now."  This sweet inclusiveness startled me.  Very contrary to the fun-loving yet serious, "Don't mess with Texas" and "You're not really a Texan if you weren't born here" I've gotten from others since we arrived.  It made me feel good to have her say that.  I have struggled with feeling left out all my life, sometimes legitimately, sometimes in my head.  Her words ministered to a deep, raw part of my heart.  Again, not knowing why, I told her we had joined a church in the area, the same church that ran the Christian preschool where I work, but that my husband really hadn't felt plugged in, and we had been visiting others, and thought we'd probably found one we'd join.  This woman nodded very positively and told me I was doing the right thing.  Again, my spirit felt surprised but blessed by this.  The truth of her words bore witness in my heart.  The Holy Spirit was agreeing with what was being said and confirming it to me.  This precious woman was saying exactly what God knew I needed to hear.  That I was in the right place.  I was okay.  

     In the meantime, this woman in front of me was still making a scene and holding everyone up.  This sweet woman gently walked over to them and pulled out a fifty dollar bill, handing it to the manager.  "This should cover her purchase," she said kindly.  

     Something happened right then.  The obnoxious woman changed.  She became kind and gentle too.  She apologized to the manager and began showing respect.  She told all of us in line "Merry Christmas."  She was transformed by this act of grace.  Here I was annoyed and wanted to smack her, but this godly woman showed her the love of Jesus, and it made a difference.  It reminded me of how Jesus touched people's lives in the Bible, and they were instantly changed.  I think of Zaccheaus, the moment he met Jesus in person, deciding to pay back everyone he cheated fourfold.  I think of the demoniac at the tombs, who ended up becoming a witness for Jesus.  Only Jesus' presence can change a person like that.  And that is what happened in line at Walmart.  I was struck with the realization that something very real and important was happening.  I was in the middle of a miracle.  A witness to the deep love God has for us all.  This was my prelude.  My touch of Heaven.  The food meant to get me to the next place.  The presence of God overwhelmed me.  Joy welled up in my tired spirit.  The love of God extended to this obnoxious woman, and transformed her.  That's what God does for me too.  That's what redemption is.  And that is what Christmas is all about.  

     As we were all leaving, I told the sweet woman, "You exemplified Jesus today, and I needed to see that."  She humbly sort of dismissed it lovingly and left.  

     I have been able to think of very little else.  One odd thing about that whole encounter was that it was ten years to the date of one of the biggest spiritual battles of my life, on December 23, 2009 (the short version is, it involved victory over demons in the name of Jesus--a story for another time).  I have always thought of that date with a little trepidation because of that battle (in spite of the victory).  Now it's all changed.  

     Another thing about it was that it was exactly what I needed, including this woman saying exactly what God knew my heart needed to keep going.  This woman was either an angel of God in human form, or she was a Christian completely in tune with the Lord.  The presence of God was more evident in her than in any other human being I have met in my entire life.  So was this woman my Christmas angel?  Maybe.  If not literally, then metaphorically.  But I don't think it's for me to know.  The focus is Jesus.  That's what it was all about for me.  Seeing Jesus' love.  Giving me just enough to get me to the next encounter with Him. just like the food for Elijah.  "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." Hebrews 12:2.  

     Walter and I are having a joyful Christmas, enjoying each other and Jesus' presence.  We're taking our new life here one day at a time, enjoying Christ every day.  

Not-Guilty

     A personal battle I fight in my own life is a constant, on-going, nagging sense of guilt.  I have struggled with this daily since 1992 (which was the onslaught of adolescence for me, not sure if this is related).  I sometimes assume responsibility that isn't mine.  If things aren't going well around me, I feel guilty, as if I could control it.  I recently had an electric bill that was six times what I'm used to paying (my husband and I are relatively new to Texas, and utilities are much more expensive here).  Understandably, this was overwhelming to me.  But the complete, sickening guilt I had was out of proportion.  The price of utilities in Texas are not under my control.  A few months ago, my husband was looking for work, and I felt guilty any time someone asked me how his job search was going--as if I had the power to give him a job and it was my fault he hadn't found one yet.  God provided an excellent job for him in His timing.  None of that was my fault, but I was incredibly plagued by guilt.  

     A positive aspect to this problem is that I am very quick to try to make things right when they really are my fault.  I am quick to own my failures.  I seldom pass blame on others.  However, I have taken on guilt that wasn't mine, and that is a problem.  

     I have used the phrase "false guilt" to describe this feeling in my life, but I have heard some who didn't like that expression.  By their logic, there is no "false" guilt, since we're all sinners.  We're all guilty.  They see the idea of "false guilt" as an excuse for sin.  In a sense, they're right.  There are a lot of people trying to pass the buck and deny responsibility for their actions.  The Bible does teach that all have sinned (Romans 3:23).  We are sinners, incapable of saving ourselves (Romans 3:10-12).  Jesus's death and resurrection made our forgiveness possible (First John 4:10).  At the moment of salvation, we are "in Christ" (Second Corinthians 5:17).    We are seen as perfect in God's sight (Isaiah 43:25).  Our sins are removed as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12).  There is no condemnation for us once we're saved (Romans 8:1).  We are justified--declared "not guilty" (Romans 10:10).  Those are the things that happen to us at salvation.  

     The longer we walk with the Lord, the Holy Spirit transforms our lives, making us more like Jesus.  This is called sanctification.  One day, we will be removed from the presence of sin, which is called glorification.  But until we are glorified in Heaven, are we guilty at times?   The short answer is yes...and no.  Yes, we still sin, and are guilty, needing to make it right.  On the other hand, we are declared righteous in God's sight, and will never bear the eternal penalty of these sins.  They already fell on Jesus on the cross.  We fight our battles.  When we sin, the Holy Spirit gently convicts us, showing us exactly what to do to make things right.  That is of God.  But feelings of intense, hopeless condemnation are not from the Holy Spirit.  These feelings can come from real sins we committed, or they can come from things that aren't even sin on our part.  God has no desire to just condemn us.  A lot of times, my own guilty feelings are very ambiguous.  That isn't how real guilt works.  When we sin, God convicts us of exactly what we've done.  No ambiguity.  These undefined feelings of guilt aren't from God.  

     First thing, I need to remind myself that guilt is a fact, not a feeling.  If I did wrong, I'm guilty.  If not, then I'm not.  My feelings have nothing to do with it.  It's hard to hang onto this truth when emotions tell me otherwise, but it is the truth.

     First John 2:1 says that "if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."  Jesus is our advocate.  Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is at God's right hand, making intercession for us.  That is, He pleads our case like a lawyer.  God is for us--who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?  With all of this truth, there is no need to feel guilty.  Where do these feelings of false guilt come from?  Satan--"the accuser of the brothers."  Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan accuses believers before God day and night, but he will be hurled down forever.  And with Jesus as our advocate, we have nothing to fear.  

     Another thing I need to remember is that I can't control everything or everyone else around me.  I need to take responsibility for what is mine, and not for what isn't.  I'd like to close with the Serenity Prayer.  "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to You will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next.  Amen."  

A Friend Loveth at All Times

     "And friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them.  And a friend will not say never, because the welcome will not end.  Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hand we know that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends." Michael W. Smith's iconic song symbolized the Christian definition of friendship as I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. This song often brought tears to my eyes.  I remember it being used in a commissioning service after I completed summer missionary training.  I always felt very at one with those around me when this song was played.   But is that an accurate picture? What do biblical friendships look like?

     Friendship is a misunderstood concept in so many ways.  We call people our friends who are more like acquaintances.  Facebook has us calling our contacts "friends" and has even turned the word friend into a verb.  IE:  "I'm going to look him up and friend him."  We even have the word unfriend in our vocabulary, thanks to Facebook.  There is even a blended word, frenemy, a combination of friend and enemy, to describe someone with whom someone has a friendly relationship on the surface, but an actual dislike underneath.  I don't think any of this fits with what God had in mind for friendship.

     To complicate things even more, some people claim to have a best friend.  Some have more than one.  Some feel left out and don't feel close to others in the group, but want to.  Some people call their whole social circle their friends.

   Friendship is hard to define.  What makes someone a good friend?  Are all friendships meant to last a lifetime, or are some just for a season?  Do friendships change as life circumstances change?

     I think back to the most magic days of my childhood.  I grew up in a small, close-knit church.  The families were all friends.  We kids were all part of the church's small Christian homeschool.  This meant we saw each other on Sunday morning for church, Wednesday night for AWANA, Thursdays for elective classes, and Fridays for a field trip/park day/skate day (Fridays alternated between these three).  On top of that, our families often had each other over for dinner on other nights.  The kids all invited the whole group to their birthday parties. In some ways, it was an idyllic world.  I felt like I was part of something.  I had a sense of community. I would have told you everyone there was my friend.  But were they?

     A few people in that group were true blue friends, and are still my friends today.  Being adults with life responsibilities and living in different states, we aren't able to be as close as we were while growing up.  The love is still there, though.  We can contact each other to ask for prayer, or touch base.  Our hearts really are committed to each other's highest good.  This describes exactly two friends from that time in my life.  What about the rest???

My sister and me with some church/school friends at McDonald's.  1989  

    I think childhood friendships are a little dishonest sometimes.  We choose our friends based on convenience (who we live near, go to school with, etc.), rather than more enduring qualities.  It is really no surprise adult friendships are often more committed and lasting.  By that point in life, we have more control over our lives, who we see, and what we want in a friend.  My friends in our church community growing up were mostly really acquaintances.  I had those two true-blue friends, but the rest weren't really friends.  Some were actually mean at times (yes, homeschooled kids who go to Sunday school and AWANA can still be mean).  As we all got older and developed our interests and discerned our callings, we grew apart, giving up the illusion of being friends in many cases.

     What is a friend?  The Bible gives some examples.  The most famous friendship in Scripture is found in First Samuel.  The friends' names were David and Jonathan.  David was a shepherd boy whom God had chosen as the future king.  Jonathan was the prince, the heir to the throne.  You would think this situation would cause conflict, but First Samuel 18:1 says,  the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.  They were kindred spirits.  They just connected.  Two chapters later, we see these friends making a pact before the Lord to defend each other, and be kind to each other's families.  Jonathan stood up to his jealousy-crazed father for David's sake.  This was a true friendship.  It epitomizes Proverbs 17:17, A friend loveth at all times.  This proverb was written by King Solomon, David's son.  Perhaps he had been told about his father's loyal friend Jonathan, and had that in mind when, under the inspiration of God, he wrote that verse.  A true friend loves us, whether life is fun and easy, or painful and difficult.  I've had "friends" who only stuck around as long as we were having fun, but as soon as a need or difficulty arose, they disappeared.  According to the Bible, that's not a true friend.  If a friendship is based on "What's in it for me?" it isn't real.

      Even more importantly, Jesus defined friendship in John 15:13, greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.  Friendship's truest test is whether we will lay down our lives for those we love.  We will likely never be put in a situation where we'll have to lay down our physical lives for our friends, but are we willing to lay down our comfort zone for a friend?  How about laying down our preferences?  Are we willing to make time for someone else?  Be inconvenienced?  In a real friendship, this should be a two-way street.  

     In life, some friends change and grow with us, and others don't.  We aren't going to be as close with those who aren't part of our regular lives.  That's just life.  But the love can still be there.  True friendship can still be there.  I have some friends that I can go for a long time without seeing, but once we're together, we pick right back up where we left off.  The connection remains unbroken.  That's how I imagine it will be when we see other believers in Heaven.  

     In a perfect world, friends would never have conflicts or grow apart.  But in real life, it happens.  I have had my share.  It is regrettable.  But believers have had conflicts since the beginning.  In Philippians 4, Paul brought up two women from the church, Euodia and Syntyche, who were in a conflict that the readers of the letter were aware of.  How embarrassing!  Paul urged them to be of the same mind in the Lord (verses 2-3).  A more famous example was Paul's "sharp disagreement" with Barnabas.  These two men had served the Lord together in Acts 13-14 (known as Paul's first missionary journey).  Barnabas had been an encouragement to Paul (then known as Saul) as a new believer.  They had seen God do some amazing things as they served together.  And yet in Acts 15:36-41, they had a conflict.  They had been planning to go back to the Christians they'd preached to on their journey.  But Barnabas wanted to have John Mark join them, and Paul was against that.  John Mark had joined them before, and had bowed out.  Paul didn't want to take that chance of him doing it again, but Barnabas did.  Barnabas was always believing in others.  Paul was very focused on the goal.  Neither was necessarily wrong.  But they couldn't reconcile it, so they parted company.  Barnabas went with John Mark, and Paul chose a new traveling companion named Silas.  This is sad, but not tragic.  This led to there being two missionary teams instead of one.  More people heard the gospel.  Also, there was apparently reconciliation, because Paul speaks kindly of Barnabas and John Mark in the epistles (First Corinthians 9:6, Second Timothy 4:11).  

     Romans 12:18 tells us, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  It isn't always possible to have a good relationship with everyone.  Otherwise, this verse wouldn't have so many qualifiers.  The implication here is that it isn't always possible.  Then, we're told as far as it depends on us, we should live at peace.  It is being acknowledged here that even with our best intentions, the other party might not be peaceable with us.  Sadly, sometimes, people aren't close.  I wish all Christians were intimate friends.  I believe we will be in Heaven...but we're not there yet.  When we are, it will be better than anything else we've ever known.  Friendship will be perfect.  I think of the magic of my childhood, growing up at that sweet church.  Then I imagine how great heave will be when everyone is a true friend, not just an acquaintance from the same social circle.  

     To go back to what I started with, are the lyrics to Michael W. Smith's song realistic?  They are the ideal.  In special friendships that are touched by the Lord, I think those words are true.  In an eternal sense, they're definitely true.  We have eternity to be friends with other believers.  While we're on earth, let's treat each other the way God calls us to!  This requires live and loyalty.  "In the Father's hands we kniw, that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

Don't Shoot the Messenger

     "I think," the young man spoke out as if he were saying something very profound, "he was saying that Christians need to stop judging everyone and making a big deal about other people's sins." 

 

     "Yeah!"  Everyone agreed.  Or almost everyone.  

     "I think we need to work on not gossiping so much and let other people deal with their own sin...if they want to," a college-aged girl added.  

     I was in a Bible study.  For the next several weeks, we were doing discussions of the pastor's sermons from the previous Sunday.  Our pastor was faithfully teaching the book of Romans.  He had recently gone over Romans 1:18-30.  This passage talks about how people really know God exists, but suppress that inborn knowledge.  As the passage goes, God allows them to exercise their free will, and gives them over to their sins, which eventually lead to a "depraved mind" (v 28).  This passage gives the progression through which people go once they deny God in their hearts.  They do things they never started off thinking they'd ever do.  Several sins are listed here.  Verses 26-27 specifically list homosexual acts.  Verse 29 lists several other sins (wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, inventing evil, disobedience toward parents, etc.).  The point (which culminates in Romans 3) is that no one gets off the hook.  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23).  The Apostle Paul is building a case here that eventually points all people to the way of salvation.  In chapter one, though, he is pointing out where life without God leads.  It does lead to a digression into sin.  And homosexual acts are listed in this digression.  Our pastor has addressed it as he read that passage.  By no means was that his aim in the entire sermon, but he was faithful to the passage.  He didn't hold the Bible at the mercy of 21st century protocol.  He had stated the truth: homosexuality isn't God's will for anyone (according to this passage, and many others).  Certainly this phenomena of transgenderism isn't His plan, because it would assume that He made a mistake when He crated someone--and we know our God makes no mistakes.  These things are being pushed on our culture and society like never before in history, and as Christians, we need to address them biblically.  That is what our pastor was doing.  The other sins listed are clearly not God's will either, and they are just as deadly.  However, there isn't an agenda of these sins being pushed on us, our universities, or our school children.  That's the key here.  

     I grew distressed as I sat in the Bible study.  These college-aged students (that particular church was in a college town, so many attendees were 18-22 years old) were taking the message in an entirely different direction than the pastor had.  They were quoting the bilge being thrown around nowadays--stuff people repeat without even thinking through: "Don't judge."  People often show very little discernment.  That's how it was in the Bible study that morning.  Everyone (other college kids, older people in the study, and the in-between people my age) seemed to be catching this message that the problems in the world are all the Christians' fault for being too judgmental toward homosexuals.  My spirit was troubled as I heard this.  I knew I was being called upon by God to say something.  The discussion got more and more off-point.  People were throwing their brothers and sisters in Christ to the wolves while praising people who suppress the truth (according to the very passage we were studying).  

     "You know," I spoke up, my voice quivering (I totally expected to have to find a new church after I said this), "I'm hearing everyone in this room say that the Christians are the problem, and I have to disagree.  I don't know any Christian people who abuse homosexuals.  Most Christians I know are quite compassionate.  Disagreeing and abuse are two very different things.  I think the reason Christians are talking about this so much nowadays is because there is an agenda being pushed on us, and we have to find the right response to it.  Christians aren't sitting around thinking, 'Let's attack gays.' There is an agenda attacking Christians.  Not all homosexuals are involved in that.  In fact, I'd guess even the majority of them are not.  But this agenda is what's pushing some gays to demand a pastor marry them and sue him if he doesn't, or sue Christian bakers for not wanting to make their wedding cake.  Our freedom is being tested and removed.  It's very serious.  I believe it isn't even about homosexuality, ultimately, but about religious freedom as a whole.  This is just part of the battlefield, and the homosexual people are being used as pawns.  In my home state, a lot of churches have changed their church constitutions to where they'll only marry members of their congregation in order to protect themselves from it.  It's real, and to say Christians are the problem is way off-base."

     Everyone looked at me for a second, and I expected rotten fruit to fly in my direction...but that didn't happen.  One of the men who had been most vocal in the conversation said, "Wow, you're right.  There is agenda being pushed."  And all of a sudden, everyone agreed with me and was talking in the complete opposite direction of where they'd been going before.  It took several minutes for my heart to slow down to normal.  I was mostly relieved, and felt peace about having said what God led me to say.  A small part of me was amused at how easy everyone's mind was to change.  This showed me that people often don't think things through, but repeat what everyone else is saying.

     All sin is equally wrong, and also equally forgivable by God through faith in Jesus.  In the meantime, how do we respond to the message in our culture, which says things that are clearly stated to be against God's will are right and good, and failure to agree is equated with hate?  I've heard people say, "Jesus hung out with sinners, so that means we can't disagree with homosexuality being a valid lifestyle."

     First, I'm going to say that same-sex attraction itself isn't the sin.  Just like a single heterosexual person having sexual urges isn't a sin, nor is a married person noticing they have a chemistry with someone who isn't their spouse.  The sin is what a person does with any of these things.  Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that in order to come after Him, we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him.  That cross might be sexual desires that can't be righteously fulfilled.  It might be something vastly different.  But nobody gets a pass on that--not the person prone to violence, not the one with the penchant for gossip, not the one with same-sex attraction, and not the one who feels he or she was born with the wrong body parts and thinks sexual reassignment surgery will bring peace and fulfillment.  We are all called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily (meaning it is a daily choice) and follow Jesus.  Self-denial is the big thing no one wants to do, and that's really the bottom line to all of this.  Our culture has long said, "If it feels good, do it!"  Homosexuality and transgenderism are the latest, but this mindset against self-denial has existed for a long time, and used other sins, such as extra-marital affairs, drugs, abortion, etc.  All of us are called to deny ourselves these things.  The reason Jesus asks us to deny ourselves is because He knows these things aren't best for us.  He loves us (Jeremiah 31:3) and has good plans for us (Ephesians 2:10)!  He wants us to know Him as our joy-giver and fulfillment (Philippians 4:19).  We do struggle with things that aren't God's will.  The Apostle Paul had to be told by God, "My grace is sufficient for you." (Second Corinthians 12:9).  And it is.  I'm sure it breaks God's heart when anyone turns to something else to find fulfillment--to meet the needs inside, whether it be food, drugs, money, relationships.  None of those things satisfy the deepest longings of our soul.  

     Having said all of that, our world today is bombarded with an agenda that not only promotes homosexuality and transgenderism, but condemns anyone who doesn't agree.  The issue is painted as one of compassion.  Some people have even said that Jesus would spend time with them and not "judge" them.  Here is my take on that.  First of all, it would break Jesus' heart, because He created us for a purpose vastly different than that (Psalm 139:13-14).  They (especially children being used to promote transgenderism when they aren't even aware of sexuality yet) are pawns of the enemy, and it should break our hearts as well.  Jesus did show love to people.  He spent time with those in sin.  But He never acted like their sin was acceptable.  He freed them from it.  The woman caught in adultery was forgiven, but told to "go and sin no more." (John 8:11).  With the woman at the well (John 4) Jesus brought her sinful life to the forefront before revealing Himself to her.  He was preparing her for conversion to faith in Him, and part of that involves acknowledging sin.  

     I have heard arguments that the Bible doesn't actually consider homosexuality as a sin.  If I bring up how Leviticus clearly states, "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman," these people routinely dismiss the Old Testament for various reasons.  This is wrong for them to do, but okay, even assuming for a moment this passage in Leviticus meant something else, Romans 1, which I have already mentioned, clearly defines it as part of the digression of sin toward a depraved mind.  I have heard people point out that Jesus never spoke on homosexuality, but I have to add that Jesus defined marriage as being between one man and one woman for life. (Matthew 19:5).  His definition of marriage didn't leave any room for homosexuality.  Ephesians 5:25 says, "husbands love your wives."  It doesn't say, "Love your wives, or your husbands if you happen to be gay and married to a man."  It just isn't in there.  I do not believe homosexual acts are worse than other sins, but I do believe they are sin.  Just looking at the basic creation of Adam and Eve in Genesis is a pattern for marriage--a man and a woman.   The problem in people's thinking is that they believe that sex is the be-all and end-all, when it isn't.  Many people never marry, never even have a romantic relationship to speak of, and still have very fulfilling life.  Matthew 19:12 says, "...some have renounced marriage for the kingdom of Heaven."  God's calling sometimes involves a life of singleness.  The be-all and end-all is following God's plan.  That's where the satisfaction comes from.  

     Why is it important for Christians to talk about this?  Are we just mean and want to attack a certain group of people?  No!  In fact, no one should even be defined by their sexual urges.  We're much more than that.  We're human beings, created in the image of God, loved by God, offered salvation in Jesus.  That's how we want to see people, and be seen by people.  But, as I have said, there is an agenda being pushed, and I believe the real goal is to eliminate Christian freedom.  It is ridiculous.  People are entitled to respect, but no one is entitled to have their lifestyle agreed with by everyone!  Even thinking everyone should legally be forced to agree with me is egotistically insane.  I am not entitled to have you agree with me.  You have perfect freedom to dislike what I'm saying, and to disagree with me, even say so.  I'm not going to sue you for disagreeing with me.  It might limit how close I can be with you, but I respect your right to disagree with me.  That is being stripped away from us as this agenda is pushed on our society.  Transgenderism is, in my opinion, a whole new envelope.  Some man--who everyone knows as a man--suddenly decides he's really a girl deep inside, and he expects everyone to adjust to this new identity.  I have heard family members of people who faced this say it is like the person they loved died.  They are gone, replaced by this fake woman (or man) who doesn't really even look like the sex they are saying they now are.  Even needing to grieve the loss is considered hate, because it isn't instantly adjusting to this person's new identity.  I have seen two different universities try to convince students who struggled with depression that they were really transgender.  This led to complete confusion in their lives, and alienation from their important relationships.  That isn't of Jesus.  That is an agenda being thrown at an already-hurting person who had otherwise never even thought about transgenderism.  They're attacking people who are vulnerable to the deception.  These so-called counselors will have a lot to answer for when they stand before God on Judgment Day.  Homosexuality and transgenderism are really a small part of this long-range plan that has been in effect for such a long time.  Satan's plan to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10a) and to take away the freedom of believers.  We can't give the enemy ground.  We have to speak the truth, especially to weaker believers who are just quoting what they hear.  

     I was especially convicted by Ezekiel 3:17-19, Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.  When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

     That passage is pretty convicting.  We are to speak up.  God holds us responsible for speaking the truth.  I once read a tract about how someone who had died and gone to hell had a chance to speak to their Christian friend who was still alive, and he said, "Why didn't you warn me?"  That tract was just a fictionalized idea to get us thinking of the importance of speaking the truth of God's word.  Are we called to harp on homosexuals?  Not at all, but we are called to answer the lies of our culture with what the Bible says.  We are called to love those caught in all kinds of sins, showing them there's a better way for them ("life abundantly"-John 10:10b).  Our heart should break for the bondage of these precious people--people worth the life of Jesus Christ, who don't know the wages of sin.  Our motive should be love.  Love doesn't leave people to a life that will ultimately destroy them.  Love wants what's best for them--God's best for them.  That's what we need to be doing.

Past Victories

     "You can't live on past victories," the conference keynote speaker told us emphatically.  "That's yesterday's news.  You need to be striving for new victories.  You can't just cling to what's already happened and expect God to be pleased with you."  He spent the next fifteen minute trying to further convince the audience of this.  We were in Honolulu, Hawaii--the most exciting location possible for this ministry conference.  I wanted to be outside exploring, not listening to this missionary rep tell me how the past was in the past.

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.  I got this offline, but it was walking distance from our conference.

     Desire to explore Hawaii aside, I found myself inwardly rebelling against this man's speech, even as he said it.  To a point, he was right.  He spoke as a true visionary, someone always looking forward.  We need people like that to keep ministries centered, going in the right direction.  Proverbs 29:18 says, "without vision, the people perish."  I have seen churches and ministries hurting for the lack of vision.  On the other hand, I have seen people become very dismissive of what God has done to get us to where we are right now.  That isn't right either.  Isaiah 46:9-10 tell us, "Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."  Doesn't sound like God wants us to just forget the past.  What becomes of ministries when one extreme or the other is taken?  Can we strike the right balance?

     I once visited a small church in a remote desert town.  The town itself never even had 1000 people at it's height.  When I walked into this little church, I felt something was very strange.  There were all these trophies in glass cases, and plaques on the walls from different ministry events.  Several youth group Bible Bowl awards. Many ribbons and plaques from AWANA ministry over the years.  Pictures of the church's kids and youth at Bible camp.  The problem was, most of these mementos were from the 1970s and 80s (some were much older). The very newest thing I saw among this was from 1992.  I could have been a young person growing up in this church's heyday, having been a child of the 80s and an adolescent of the early 90s.  I could relate to it for that reason.  There was a world map on the wall with photographs of missionaries taped to the country where they served.  The map was very outdated (especially looking at Africa--Zambia was Northern Rhodesia, which hasn't been the case since 1964).  The pictures of the missionaries were all black and white, and clearly taken in a different era.  The Bible story books and visualized songs in the Sunday school rooms appeared to have been illustrated in the 1950's, but were in mint condition.  When I visited the adult Sunday school class, one of the men referred to the Vietnam conflict as a current event.  I had to pinch myself to see if I was in a dream, and I worried I had stepped into a time warp (I think the gentleman was referring to Afghanistan, but slipped and said Vietnam).  My red head stood out among all the white ones in the worship service (several elderly members happily pointed this out).  The praise books in the pews were copyrighted in the 80's.  Most of the songs we sang out of them that morning had been written in the 50s and 60s.  Oddly, there were about five children and even a few teenagers.  The pastor's wife--a sweet older woman who reminded me of Mrs. Claus--took the children to junior church, and had the teens helping her out as a means to disciple them as well.  Going there was something precious to me, if not confusing.  It was as if the past had been preserved.  I felt like I took a break from the present.  And yet it wasn't the same as it had actually been in the past, when those trophies had been won, when those missionaries had faithfully served on the mission field, when those camp photos were taken, when the Vietnam crisis was a current event.  What had happened?

     I believe this church went a long time with no new vision of what God was leading them to do, so they kept hanging onto past victories.  The tangible reminders of what God had done.  God working in the future was the unknown, but the past was something that could be pictured and held onto.  I'm not even criticizing all of this.  They were still being faithful, and still did have ministry going.  The pastor and his wife had a lifetime of Christian service behind them, and were still trying--with their now-limited energy--to follow the Lord's leading for the church.  There were still victories.  I have done Vacation Bible Schools in churches with absolutely no children attending on Sundays, and an older congregation who bucked any effort to step out of their comfort zone.  It is a sad thing.  It makes me think, "The glory has departed," especially when these churches had thrived in the past.

   I have seen the other extreme--the extreme the keynote speaker at the Hawaii conference was encouraging. 

     My cousin was a longtime member of one of the biggest churches in town.  They had been around for a while, but had recently built a brand-new building in an upper-class part of town.  That wasn't all they built.  They opened a Christian bookstore and a restaurant on their property.  I patronized both (the food was amazing). They started their own church sports teams.  They became their own little city, basically.  Drama (they called it "celebrative arts") became the focal point of their services, and little skits and videos took the focus over the sermon.  By my cousin's own admission, those running the celebrative arts department were spiritually immature and showy.  In the pastor's sermons, he made a lot of all or nothing statements that were quite invalidating for those of us with a different philosophy (IE: "Nobody listens to that anymore." or "Everyone's following such-and-such now."). They sang only the very latest songs.  Vacation Bible School was too traditional of a name for something as modern and cool as they were, so they called their summer program "Summer Splash" instead.  I attended a few times with my cousin (who, in fairness to her, is a very mature Christian, and loved that church, and would still be there if she hadn't moved out of state).  I was deeply offended when their skit for the day was to promote their children's ministry by mocking other ministries in town.  It was very mean-spirited and unprofessional, and used a lot of fighting words in putting others down.  I wasn't the only one offended.  I wrote a letter to the pastor about it.  He didn't reply, but his children's pastor wrote me a letter that kind of made excuses for it.  They felt children were different today than in the past, so they needed their Sunday school classes to be high tech, because kids apparently responded better to a computer than to a teacher who loves them and wants to cultivate a relationship with them.  What was the result of this ultra-contemporary church?  Well, they packed a full house, but not with mature believers.  My cousin was one of the few who really were godly.  The high tech Sunday school program failed (of course it would--kids aren't wowed by computers, they have them at home already) and had to be replaced with a more traditional curriculum (which was much more successful and well-received).  More mature believers left and joined other churches.  The bookstore and restaurant eventually folded. 

     Am I saying this church is 100% bad and wrong?  No.  No more than the little church in the desert.  Neither has compromised the truth of who Jesus is.  God can work through both, but I think both have slightly wrong priorities.  One church had no vision, and one church had only vision.  Neither one was doing what it says in Galatians 5:25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."  We should neither stay behind nor run ahead of what God is doing.  We need to be seeking Him daily.  When attendance drops off or greatly increases, seek God and ask Him to give a glimpse of what He is doing, and what He wants from us.  Little desert church just kept doing what had worked before, and mega church followed marketing techniques to reach a certain demographic they wanted.  Neither is right.  We can't live on past victories, but we can't manufacture new ones either.  Only God gives victory (First Corinthians 15:57).  God gives the increase (First Corinthians 3:6).  Also, God is at work in times and ways we don't see.  Old doesn't mean something is irrelevant, but it also doesn't mean it's more godly.  New doesn't mean something is compromising, but it also doesn't necessarily make it the best thing.  First Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Test all things; hold fast to what is good."  In my experience, this has led to me keeping some tried and true things in place, but adding new elements as well. 

      How should we view past victories?  We should remember.  God instituted the Passover as a reminder of how the angel of death had "passed over" the houses with the blood on the doorposts, and freed them from Egypt (Exodus 12).  He had the Israelites set up stones at the Jordan River to commemorate how He led them through (Joshua 4).  He instituted Purim as a reminder of how He rescued the Jews from destruction (Eshter 9).  Even the rainbow is a reminder of God's promise (Genesis 9:13).  Our God wants us to remember.  So remember those victories.  They can encourage and strengthen us when we're low.  The impact they made still hangs in the air.  Remember the people who were saved in the past--they're still saved now, and Lord-willing, they're still serving the Lord somewhere, so the ripple effect of those past victories goes on into eternity.  Just because we're not at that same time and place doesn't mean God is done with it.  We were a part of the story.  Now He has a new victory for us.  In Isaiah 43:19, the Lord says, "I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness, and steams in the wasteland."  God is the one who brings it about--not our own planning and scheming.  It often happens in unlikely ways (IE: "streams in the wasteland"). The past victories were won by God, and He will win future victories.  Relying on a method (be it "this worked before" or "this is the new rage, It's gotta work!") won't cut it. 

     At this point, we have to answer the question, what is victory?  What is success?  For our ministries to be successful, we have to know the answer to this question ourselves.  What were those past victories?  Large numbers of people?  Financial excess?  Trophies at a Bible Bowl?  I would like to suggest that victories are won every time God has His way.  This can look differently in different situations.  Some things, we know from scripture.  For example, it is always God's will for the gospel to be given.  It is always God's will when someone receives Christ.  It is always God's will when His word is proclaimed and believed.  It is always God's will when people choose forgiveness.  It is always God's will when people resist temptation to sin.  These things are victories.  If these things are happening, victory is happening. 

    By thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.-First Corinthians 15:57

Friend, or Resource?

     Years ago, I had a really good friend (for purposes here, I'll refer to her as Shelley--not her real name).  Being single, college-aged girls at the time with our own apartments about three miles from each other, we did everything together.  She was a newer believer, and I was discipling her.  We studied our Bibles together, attended church and college-group together, read Christian books together, prayed together, did evangelism together.  Note the key word: Together. We also had a lot of fun adventures, such as going camping in the mountains, taking mini-road trips to San Diego or Arizona, and smaller things like getting ice cream or going roller skating.  We were BFF's before calling it BFF's was a thing (this was before texting and Facebook led to all these abbreviations I still can't always make heads or tails of).  We said we were best friends.

     On the surface, all was well.  I viewed discipling her as my purpose.  She viewed being discipled by me as her key to the next step in life.  Something was slightly amiss about both of these things.

     Shelley met the man she ended up married to quite a while before I met my husband Walter.  Being as close as we were, I had hoped we'd meet our husbands at the same time.  That seldom happens, but such is the naivety of youth.  I had had other friends who had gotten married by that point in my early 20's.  Some of them were able to continue being good friends with people, while others let everything else in life go.  I got scared of losing my friends and being left out.  In fact, when I did meet Walter, I made it a special point to stay in touch with my friends, even though my life and priorities changed.  Anyway, as soon as Shelley met this man, it was like I didn't exist anymore.  She no longer needed my ministry into her life to move her forward, because she had a bigger prize than my friendship.  She dropped me cold.  I didn't respond well to this, which led to her cutting off all contact with me.

     I was extremely hurt by this, but a woman I knew helped me see that I had been wrong in the way I viewed her.  I felt very used by Shelley after our friendship ended, but in a way, I had used her as well.  She was my sense of purpose.  In my insecurities, I viewed my validation as coming from the ministry I did.  That isn't love, it is codependency.  I was getting something out of it.  It wasn't boosting up my ego or anything like that.  It was a sense of purpose deep in my heart.  When that was gone, I no longer felt good about who I was.  That is very unhealthy.   Both Shelley and I were guilty of using each other, even though there were good and redeemable things about our friendship (and yes, I still think it was a friendship).

     People talk a lot about using each other.  Once, a crazy little boy at AWANA yelled in my face, "Everyone here is just using me!" when he didn't get his way about something.  We all got a chuckle about that.  But what does it really mean to use someone, or be used, and what does the Bible say about it?

     I would say using a person is to view them as a resource to you more than who they are as a person. Sometimes it involves playing someone for the fool, but not always.  It can be a lot more subtle, and even unintentional (such as with Shelley and me).  Everyone you meet is a resource in some way.  One of my friends is a professional hair stylist, and she offered to do my hair free of charge for my wedding.  She was a resource to me, but that isn't primarily how I saw her.  Another friend of mine works at Disneyland, and, when I lived much closer, she used to give us tickets and passes.  I tried never to take advantage or make her think I only liked her because she could get me Disney passes.  I liked her for who she was, and she happened to kindly do this for me.  I know I've helped friends at different times as well.  I love English/Language Arts, and I have tutored a lot of people in this subject, or helped them write papers.  But I know they viewed me as a friend over and above just someone to help them pass their class.  We can all help each other.  We are interdependent on each other.  But to see a person only for what's in it for you is where there's a problem.

     How can people use each other without even realizing it?  A friend of mine shared a funny story.  She was visiting a church many years ago.  As soon as she walked in the door, someone asked her, "Do you sing?" Uncertain, she said, "Yes..."  "Great!  We need a new choir director!"  Wait a minute!  They weren't seeing someone coming into their church as a person to minister to.  They saw her as a resource to meet their need.  As someone who has done a lot of children's ministry, I have sometimes felt that I'm seen as that kind of resource.  The idea "Oh, she can deal with the kids while the rest of us fellowship." That happens a lot, not just in churches, but in organizations, workplaces, and even families.  We need to be loving and cherishing each other, and within the context of that, we should be serving and helping each other.

     When Jesus walked on this earth, He was with all sorts of people.  He healed and ministered to them (Matthew 14:14).  All through the four gospels, you can see accounts of Jesus genuinely loving people.  He did have his twelve disciples.  Surely all of this gave him a sense of purpose, right?  Fulfilled Him in some way?  Not according to John 4:34.  "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me."  His food--the thing that brought Him the deepest sense of fulfillment--was to do God's will.  The people He met and served didn't define Him.  The Father did.  That way, Jesus was free to love people without expecting anything in return.  That's how we should be, letting God fulfill us deep in our hearts. The Psalmist wrote, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone, my hope comes from Him."  (Psalm 62:1).  Serving people God's way does bring fulfillment, and we do form meaningful relationships.  Those relationships just aren't supposed to define and fulfill us.  Only God can do that.

     Okay, so, we see Jesus didn't use people.  What about the other way around?  Did He let other people use Him?  If so, isn't that a pattern that we're supposed to let people use and take advantage of us?  I've had some very manipulative people tell me this.  But that isn't true.  Let's look closer.

     We've already established that Jesus was completely unselfish in His service of others.  The people He served weren't that way, and He knew this.  He loved them anyway.  He gave of Himself, but didn't simply let them take advantage.  There were times He made Himself inaccessible (Luke 5:16, John 8:15).  There were times He needed to fill His own spiritual cup (John 17).  This should show us it's right to take care of ourselves.  It isn't spiritual to let ourselves burn out.  Also, John 10:18 gives us an interesting insight.  Jesus says that no one takes His life from Him, but that He lays it down willingly.  He didn't just let people take and take until there was nothing left.  He obeyed the Father to the point of death.  The Father was the driving force, not the people.  That's how I want to be in my relationships with others.  I want to love them the way Jesus does, giving of myself, but not being taken by them.  Withdrawing for refreshment for myself when I need it.  Not defining myself by these people, but loving them anyway.  I learned my lesson the hard way with Shelley.  But, thanks to Jesus' example, I can do better!  We all can.  Let's let God meet our needs (the needs deep in our hearts, as well as the practical needs, like a choir director for a church), and stop using people to do that for us.  People are not simply resources at our disposal.  They are humans with needs as well.  God can meet theirs and ours, and in His grace, He can use us in each other's lives.

In Your Dreams!

     Have you ever had a wild dream?  That's kind of a rhetorical question, because everybody has.  I've dreamed I was flying, swimming with dolphins, and dancing in public...in my pajamas.  More interestingly, I have met historical figures and witnessed historical events in dreams (after having read about them in history books). I think everyone has had crazy dreams like that.  Usually, dreams mean nothing important.  Often, for me, they might relate to what I was thinking about before I went to sleep.  Some people attribute dreams to what they ate.  There is a lot I don't know about the science behind our dreams.  That's not my point here.

     What does the Bible tell us about dreams?  Is there a time to take them seriously, or should they all be dismissed as meaningless?  

     In both the Old and New Testaments, people had dreams.  The first dream recorded in scripture is found in Genesis chapter 20.  In this dream, God warns a man named Abimelek.  This man was lied to by Abraham.  Abraham, in fear, had told everyone that Sarah (his wife) was actually his sister.  He was scared of being killed for her.  Due to this lie, Abimelek took Sarah for himself.  God warned him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham's wife.  Abimelek was horrified by this realization, and God acknowledged his integrity in acting without knowledge.  In this instance, God was giving someone a chance to make the right choice.  This was how God was speaking to him.  It makes sense.  The Bible was not recorded (not even the Torah), and believers in the Lord were not consistently indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  Dreams were a way God connected with people.  This certainly was not the only time.

     Later on in Genesis (and two generations later), Jacob has a dream (Genesis 28).  Jacob had been a dishonest, selfish schemer, and had made a mess of things in his family.  At this point, he was fleeing from his brother's wrath.  Even though he was raised in a family of God's promise, and even though he was God's chosen one to continue the family line for the Messiah (Jesus), Jacob didn't appear to know God or have any relationship with God at this point.  Then, while sleeping in the desert with a rock for a pillow, he sees a stairway to Heaven, with angels going up and down.  From the top, God spoke to him, reiterating the promise He had previously made to Abraham.  That experience touched Jacob's life profoundly.  He was never the same again.  He concluded that God must live there, and he renamed the place Bethel.  God knew how to reach down to him in a way he would understand. 

     Jacob's son Joseph was well-known for his dreams, which ended up coming true (Genesis 37ff).  He even interpreted dreams for others, with God's help (Genesis 40).  All of these dreams had meanings for the individuals involved, and led to God working things out for Joseph and for His people, continuing along the plan for the Messiah to come through their family (although Joseph wasn't in Jesus' direct lineage, but he was the brother of the heir, and part of Israel). 

     There are many other times like this in the Old Testament.  Many of the dreams in the Bible are prophecies for the future, either the coming of the Savior (which was future for them, but the past for us), or things that are still in our future, such as the end times and our eternity with the Lord.  Examples are found in the book of Daniel.

     The New Testament has dreams as well. In Matthew 2, baby Jesus' life was in danger from the madman King Herod.  God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Pharoah (they had promised earlier to give him Jesus' whereabouts, as Pharaoh claimed he wanted to worship him too), and then God warned Joseph (Mary's husband, Jesus' earthly father-figure) in a dream to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod's wrath.  Very important dreams, and fortunately, both the wise men and Joseph obeyed God. 

     In the book of Acts (after Christians had the Holy Spirit), God still used dreams to an extent, but we also see God using the inner urging of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 16, the Holy Spirit prevented Paul and Silas from going to Asia, and then God sent them a dream of a Macedonian man, thus telling them to go to Macedonia instead.  We see this dream working hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit inside them. 

     Many believers I know say that with the completion of the New Testament, God ceased using dreams, miracles, or any sort of "sign" manifestations.  While I do believe the Bible is the be-all and end-all, I don't think anything is beyond God's ability.  If He wants to use a dream, or anything else, He surely can.  However, all of this is subject to the Bible, not the other way around.  What I see in the Bible is a very personal God, who communicated with people direction, not only to accomplish His will, but to have a relationship with these people.  He hasn't changed.  He wants a loving relationship with us today as well.  He primarily speaks through the Bible, with the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit illuminating the Bible for us.  Unsaved people cannot understand God's word (Second Corinthians 2:14).  Not only does the Holy Spirit help us understand God's word, but also applies it individually to our lives.  This is where some have concerns, and we do need to be careful.  The Bible has one meaning, but almost innumerable applications.  God can use a passage I've read a hundred times to convict me of something I'm doing in my life.  Obviously, another believer reading this passage won't get that same application about it, because their situation is different.  The meaning doesn't change.  It can't.  But the individual circumstances in my life, known by the Holy Spirit, can be addressed by the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  A Bible camp I used to go to growing up used the phrase, "Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit."  I think that sums up the relationship between the believer, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. 

     Having said all of that, I believe it is possible for a Bible-reading, Spirit-guided Christian to have God speak to them in a dream.  In Joel 2:28, we are told, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. This passage is referenced by Peter in Acts 2:17.  First Thessalonians 5:2 says, "test all things, hold fast to what is good."  As I said, a dream must be subject to the Word of God.  Also, as I mentioned at the beginning of this, dreams can be caused by any number or things, such as what someone ate before bed, what he or she was thinking about, etc.  Sometimes, dreams aren't necessarily from God, but are the human mind working out problems.  We need to be careful.

     I have had a handful of dreams in my life that were significant.  One of them was when I was eleven years old.  In this dream, I invited a friend of mine to come to AWANA (our church's Wednesday night Bible club) and she came.  What was significant about this was that, in real life, this friend's family didn't allow her to do anything Christian with me.  They had their own religious beliefs.  However, this dream had been so vivid, and I was struck with a conviction that I needed to invite her to come to AWANA with me that night.  I went down the street to her house after school and asked if she wanted to come.  I didn't know what would happen, but I felt like I was on a mission for God.  She asked her mom, and her mom said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you go once."  My dream came true!  She came with me that night.  She seemed to like it.  She was never allowed to go again, but she heard the gospel.  Years later, she told another friend of ours, "I want to go back to that church one day, because they believe the right way to get to Heaven."  A seed was definitely planted.  Was this dream from God?  I believe it was. 

     In her book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom shares about how she often had a sort of dream/vision about being taken away from their town in a vehicle.  This came to her several times.  Finally, when she and her sister (and others involved) were arrested for helping Jews escape Holland during the Holocaust, she realized that was what the dream had been about.  Her experience being driving away was identical to the dream. 

Corrie ten Boom, a true heroine of the Lord

     Several years ago for my birthday, a friend gave me a video about "how to interpret dreams."  Her heart was in the right place, but I don't believe there's a formula.  If God is speaking to a believer, whether it be through the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, a scripture that "jumped out" at them, another Christian saying something to them, or a dream (or any other way God chooses to speak to them), God knows how to speak so that the person knows what He's telling them.  That dream from when I was eleven, I knew God was calling me to invite my friend to AWANA.  God can get through to us.  You'll notice that the dreams in the Bible that needed interpretation were in the Old Testament, when those who dreamed them didn't have the Holy Spirit.  In the New Testament, especially in Acts, we see believers knowing exactly what God is telling them.  

     I think one of the reasons dreams should be taken very carefully is because they are so easy to question later.  I had another very vivid dream (which I won't go into at the moment), and it led to action on my part.  This dream affected me deeply, and might have even had prophetic elements.  However, you can see I question that, because I use the phrase "might have".  It's easy to question things later.  That is why we need to make sure the Bible is our guide, illumined by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  With this, dream on.