Here is a class from Pastor Jerry. I took the liberty to post it in this forum since it pertains to this subject.
-Bill


Quote:
Originally Posted by LEELEE
DO YOU THINK God need s you to give messsages to us?



God does not need us we need God
But I must say my Friend: You said, "Prophecy Ended In The Old Testament".

Please read this short lesson on Prophecy in the New Testament. Dreams, Visions and Prophecy were an every day occurence

PROPHECY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the New Testament, God was revealed definitively through Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Hebrews 1; John 1:18). When people saw Jesus in action, their reaction was generally that he was a prophet (Mark 6:15; 8:11; Matt 21:11-46; Luke 7:16,39; John 4:19; 6:14; 7:40-52; 9:17); that's why the leaders demanded a sign, so he could be tested as a prophet. So too the disciples (Luke 24:19).

While that wasn't how Jesus primarily described his role, He saw himself as being in their ranks (Luke 13:33; Matt 23:31-39; by inference, also Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24; John 4:44). In Matt 7:22,

Jesus cites prophecy as one of the foremost of works; prophecy in that instance is being claimed by those who did prophet-like things but did not do what God willed.

At Pentecost ( Acts 2), the Spirit became God's active presence among us. This was specifically marked by reference to the prophecy of Joel ( Joel 2:28) that prophecy would become commonplace in the new era begun at Pentecost.

The early church was marked by prophecy: Acts 21:9; 13:1; 11:27-30; 21:10; 15:32, 19:6; also the presence of prophecy is assumed in 1 Thessalonians 5:20 and Romans 12:6.

Paul considered prophecy one of the charismata (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12), and even as a higher gift much to be sought (1 Cor 14), an office established by God (1 Cor 12:28).

Paul himself waxed prophetic in 1 Cor 15:51-58; he even describes prophecy's vibrant power to convict ( 1 Corinthians 14:24,25). It is key particularly to the church in Ephesus (Acts 19:6; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11).

Lastly, Revelation treats prophecy very prominently (Revelation 11:18; 16:6; 18:20-24; 22:9), and even sees itself as a prophetic writing (Rev 22).

Greek apokalypsis (1 Corinthians 14:26,30) is a New Testament word for revelation. It refers less to the art of prediction than it does the speaking of the truth God deems most important in the current situation ( v. 24-25).

See also Jeremiah, who was not predicting things to come but addressing the now when he told the king of Judah to serve the king of Babylon and live. Indeed, what predictions he made were made on the basis of a lack of true response to that Word about his times, based on the consequences of the nation's lack of action.

In Acts 21:8-9, the four daughters of Philip (1) were "prophetesses". The daughters were not apostles like Paul, gospel historians and learned writers like Luke, or even commissioned ministers like Philip. No special role, status or position is ever mentioned for them, save that they were virgins. Yet they prophesied. They were women, who as a matter of course were seen by society at large as a lesser kind of person who could not act under their own authority. Yet they prophesied. Given that Philip was still a very active man, and given the generally shorter life spans of his day, the youngest of those daughters must have been quite young. Yet they prophesied.

The Spirit does not care if someone is young or old, male or female, or has high or low or no particular social or religious status. The Spirit could use anyone to prophesy back then. The Spirit can use anyone to prophesy today.

The early church's evangelism, especially its public preaching ministry, was solidly linked to the work of two of the offices of the body. One of these offices was the apostles. The other was the prophets. ( Acts 13:1-3 tells us something about that.)

The prophetic role in public evangelism grew from the Old Testament prophecies of an outpouring of the Spirit. Prophets are consistently valued highly among the churchly 'offices' or roles, and prophecy is rated chief and most prized among the gifts.

The New Testament-era church was more dependent on the prophetic gift for giving it direction (Acts 13 and 15). Which leaves us with a dilemma for the modern church. If prophets were to speak, would there be a people listening for it?

Paul (1 & 2 Corinthians) had to face the Corinthian Christians' question of what to do when prophecy and other gifts were being used as excuses to war with each other. By the time of the Didache (90-100 AD), the need to test prophecy was fully in the forefront, and the early church was struggling to sort out how to tell the evildoers from the true prophets, teachers, and leaders (Did ch. 11).
to the start

I hope this helps
Pastor Jerry

This is a good message. Thanks for re-posting!

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Trust God.

Amen. Thanks for this insight into the early church.

(I had posted this before, but it tends to get lost within the old posts. Soo, I am going to "dovetail" this teaching behind Pastor Jerry's)

Hello everyone! I am finally able to sit down and post a little bit of information about dreams from a Biblical standpoint. I would like to accomplish this with some common Q & As about dreams, and dream interpretation.

Are dreams a means by which God speaks to his people?
A. Yes, it is just one of the means, of many, by which God communicates to His children. Nearly one third of the Bible deals with dreams and visions, and we as Human beings spend about one-third of our life asleep.

Numbers 12:6 - And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream.

Job 33:12 "Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you. God is greater than man. 13 Why do you contend against him, saying, 'He will answer none of my words'? 14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while they slumber on their beds, 16 then he opens the ears of men, and terrifies them with warnings, 17 that he may turn man aside from his deed, and cut off pride from man; 18 he keeps back his soul from the Pit, his life from perishing by the sword.

*And yes even in New Testament times!
Matthew 1:20 - But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit;

Acts 2:17 - 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams

Isn't dream interpretation "new age?"
A. No, it is a spiritual gift which the Lord bestows upon an individual. If it was "new age" why would it be a mentioned in Genesis - or even JOB, which is reportedly the oldest book in the Bible?
Genesis 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why are your faces downcast today?" 8 They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, I pray you."


Job 33:12 "Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you. God is greater than man. 13 Why do you contend against him, saying, 'He will answer none of my words'? 14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while they slumber on their beds, 16 then he opens the ears of men, and terrifies them with warnings, 17 that he may turn man aside from his deed, and cut off pride from man; 18 he keeps back his soul from the Pit, his life from perishing by the sword.
Joel 2:28 - "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions



Who else interpreted dreams?
A. Joseph and Daniel were the most notable of the men in the Bible who interpreted dreams. Although there were others.
Genesis 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why are your faces downcast today?" 8 They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, I pray you." (Joseph speaking)

Daniel 1:17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Judges 7:13When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream; and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Mid'ian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat." 14 And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Jo'ash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given Mid'ian and all the host."


Did Jesus interpret dreams?
A. The Bible does not mention if the Lord interpreted dreams when he walked the Earth, but he certainly does now! The interpretations to dreams belong to HIM! It is also noted that the Lord had done so many miraclulous things that all the books in the World could not contain them. Since it was a common Old Testament practice to interpret dreams and it does not violate any scripture (as long as the interpretation is truly from the Lord) it is safe to say it is scriptual.

Why are dreams so metaphoric/symbolic?
A. The Lord loves to speak in Parables. Their will be a burden in our spirit to seek HIM. God's metaphor's speak volumes more than a spoken word we can understand. There are dreams where the viewer could be spending a lifetime discovering the depths of it's revelations!

Psalms 78:1-3 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Matthew 13:3 - And he spake many things unto them in parables,

Matthew 13:13 - Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Matthew 13:34 - All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

Mark 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.


Couldn't I just go to my psychologist and get my dreams interpreted?
A. You could, but none of the modern scientific (or ancient, pagan, etc.) methods for interpreting dreams are correct. The Freudian and Jungian methods do not give an accurate interpretation! The Lord's interpretation are sure and true. Even the pagan sorcerors in Biblical times could not correctly interpret a dream. I am not saying this because we're Christian and they are not. It's because the interpretation of dreams belongs to GOD!

Genesis 41:8 - So in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none who could interpret it to Pharaoh.

Daniel 2:2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chalde'ans be summoned, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. (They couldn't interpret the dream!)

How could my dreams ever have a positive interpretation? They are so disturbing, I am losing sleep, etc.
A. In the inifinite mercy of God, he will give dreams that leave a certain emotional tell-tale sign. Until a person prays, gets disciplined (I have not yet arrived either ) and develop the skill of remembering their dreams, I believe thev Lord will make a dream slightly stressful to ensure His child may remember an important message. Is it really of God to feel this way? Yes, and No, I believe our flesh and maybe even the enemy has a small part to play in our mind getting carried away with how we feel about the dream.

Genesis 41:8 - So in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream,

Job 7:14 - then thou dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions

Daniel 2:3 And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream."



Can dreams be revealing sin in our life?
Yes, but there are not to be confused with "Flushing Dreams."

Jude 1:8 - Yet in like manner these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile the glorious ones.


What is a "Flushing Dream?"
A. A "Flushing Dream" is a dream where God's mercy is not allowing something of this world to settle, and take root, on one of his children - "we're in the world, but not of the world." An example would be of a man going to the cash register in a store and the cashier having a homosexual spirit. If say by chance the cashiers hand brushed-up against the man, and the demon was trying to deposit something on this man's life, he may have a dream that night where he was intimately kissing his brother, or some other man. When he wakes up, the man "shakes it off" - probably physically and spiritually as well! If he didn't understand the dream, he may even be praying about repentence about having a homosexual dream -

Why would God want to talk to us through dreams?
A. Dreams are like parables of the night. Jesus spoke in many parables. Why would a God who is infinitely more intelligent than we be limited to some persons literal language? Do not these dreams/parables of the night cause us to seek out him and the interpretation? I also believe we are so busy living our daily lives, we "miss-it" when the Lord tries to speak to us in other ways.

JOB 33:14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed

I hope this helps a few of the people out there who get very disturbed from the dreams they get. May everyone be in peace, and the abundant blessing and favor of GOD!
-Bill

Thank you so much for sharing about the "flushing dream." They MAKE me flush! I was wondering what to do about such dreams, always woke up feeling disturbed and guilty. I know I wouldn't really do what I was in the dream, so wondered why I had dreamed it. No homosexual ones yet.... But, wow, God keeping something off me! That is good to know!

~JeriRose~
Finding HIM in 2005

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24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:24)

I really appreciate this new posting as well. Thanks!

__________________
Trust God.

This is the dream I had posted before, and wanted to re-post it in this teaching thread with the interpretation - as a training aid to all the would be Josephs and Daniels!


A dream for everyone else to interpret
Hello brothers and sisters,

Here is one of the first prophetic dreams the Lord has gave to me. It is special to me for the meaning, the rich symbolism, and the fact it was one the first dreams I remember interpreting with this gift.

Here is the dream:

My wife, Alexis, and I, were in the Marines and patrolling through the woods of Camp Lejeune. It was a very hot day, and all of the weight and bulk of my gear and flak jacket were contributing to this heat. We came upon a stream. I took off all of my gear and jumped into a deep pool of this stream. As soon as I jumped into this deep pool of water, thousands of water-snakes came from no where swimming in the water. They seemingly wanted to attack me, but did not. Some other Marines helped me out of the water. Everyone was tired, so they set up a bivouac in the rocky stream bed. Everyone went to sleep very quickly, and I stayed-up on watch out of concern for the many snakes I had seen before. Once darkness came - although it wasn't in my dream - many more snakes started slithering out from under the rocks of the streambed. I pulled out my machette and was chopping-up snakes all night - in an effort to protect my wife, and the other Marines! I chopped up one particularly large snake and he had thick bands of black, red, and yellow. (It looked almost like a coral snake, but wasn't.) So, I just continued to chop-up snakes all night long...

What do you guys think?

Don't be afraid to post a reply, this is how you will learn!

Pray about it, and give me the first thing that comes to your mind - if the spirit leads you too.

Your brother in Christ!
-Bill

Brothers and Sisters,
WOW! What a great job you guys did interpreting this dream! You guys are revelatory machines, and I feel the Holy Spirit "nudging" me to encourage you guys to pursue this further. Look into dream interpretation classes through a Biblically sound Christian Ministry such as Streams Ministry, with John Paul Jackson.

Since I had this dream several years back, I have had the opportunity to meditate and discern a lot of what God is telling me. There are still things packaged-up within this dream to be revealed later. Yes, the symbolism is that rich, and no, I do not usually receive dreams with this much information jam-packed within them!

Quote:

My wife, Alexis, and I, were in the Marines and patrolling through the woods of Camp Lejeune.

In this portion of the dream it very much parallels the natural, and the preparation the Lord was doing to bring us into the ministry HE has for us together. This also is a metaphor for my own personal time in the wilderness.

I am a former Marine of 10 years service, with six years as a Machinegunner, four as a Combat Correspondent (Photo Journalist/Public Affairs), and a majority of my extra-curricular time as a Competitive Marksman for the USMC. Alexis is in the Marine Reserves right now, and was working in admin, but is now the Training NCO for her unit. (I am going into detail to show how much of the natural will parallel our Walk/Ministry with the Lord!)

Quote:

It was a very hot day, and all of the weight and bulk of my gear and flak jacket were contributing to this heat.

In this part is how I had operated in the natural, before I truly started walking with the Lord. In the natural I had taken-up/put on my own "armor," and equipment. It was burdensome, and not as fruitful as what the Lord had in store for us.

Mathew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Quote:

We came upon a stream. I took off all of my gear and jumped into a deep pool of this stream.

After doing things all my life relying upon my own ability, and actually taking the credit for myself for any successes I had, I learned about how we could have a RELATIONSHIP with God, through HIS Holy Spirit! As soon as I had "discovered" this, I gladly threw-off all the burdens I was carrying, and jumped straight into the water (Holy Spirit.)

Quote:

As soon as I jumped into this deep pool of water, thousands of water-snakes came from no where swimming in the water.

In this part, God is showing me HIS provision and grace are suffient. Since there were many, many generational issues I was carrying. In the Spirit there were no attacks.

Quote:

They seemingly wanted to attack me, but did not. Some other Marines helped me out of the water.

The enemy wanted to attack, but the Lord had placed a Hedge of Protection about me, and helped me become "established" with-in HIS Holy Spirit! The other Marines, which could have been angels/friends, kept me with-in reality so I could grow in balance according to the word. (Interestingly, which I didn't mention before, was the fact this pool of water was in a bend of this stream, and was very deep. Streams typically represent ministry)

Quote:

Everyone was tired, so they set up a bivouac in the rocky stream bed.

In this part, my fellow Marines are not discerning the gravity of what is going on, and succumb to the flesh. This also points to soo many "young" (Young in Christ) Christians who go to Church, and just sit. Not realizing as soon as they are saved they have a ministry path, which they are upon at that very instant - even if it is as simple as giving there testimony as to what the Lord has done.

Another interesting note is the fact that this is a rocky stream bed, which can have all kinds of symbolism, but probably really points to a fact that this is not a place to become comfortable. This was also a stream which had a 1-2" flow of water through it. This is profound in the fact that God's anointing and provision is not the greatest in a Church building, but is actually greater the closer we get to the sick, and dying!

Quote:

Everyone went to sleep very quickly, and I stayed-up on watch out of concern for the many snakes I had seen before.

I felt a burden to be a warrior (Which is true in the natural, and in the Spirit!) for my brothers and sisters. I knew the enemy had a terrible plan for them.

Quote:

Once darkness came - although it wasn't in my dream - many more snakes started slithering out from under the rocks of the streambed. I pulled out my machette and was chopping-up snakes all night - in an effort to protect my wife, and the other Marines!

This is the point that can be likened unto "The Dark Night of the Soul," and a time of reckoning, which the Lord had established to deal with all these issues. The snakes were the reason for these rocks in this instance. A machette, which can be likened unto a sword, is also a tool used in the wilderness/jungle to clear a path.

Mathew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Ephesians 6:17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Quote:

I chopped up one particularly large snake and he had thick bands of black, red, and yellow. (It looked almost like a coral snake, but wasn't.) So, I just continued to chop-up snakes all night long...

This is the point of the dream, which sticks-out the most - even though the entire dream made quite an impression upon me. This snake was the chief strong-hold within my life. I still remember chopping it up into (THREE!) pieces, and picking one of the pieces up. I remember it's texture, it's color, and it's scales...

The colors represent the demonic activity, which was affecting me through my family, and my own sin. The black points to the forces of evil. The red represents deep sins, and strong emotional issues ie. anger, which I was carrying. The yellow is a confirmation of the red, meaning sins, anger, intellectual struggles/pride.

There is victory in this dream, since the snakes could not get past me, and to my friends/fellow Warriors! PRAISE GOD!!!

I hope this dream can be used as a training aid for those who have an interest in Interpreting Dreams! It is such a personal blessing to work/minister with such gifted brothers and sisters in the Kingdom!

I truly hope each one of you have a very blessed day in our LORD Jesus Christ!!!

Your brother in Christ!
Semper Fi!
-Bill

Father God, Thank YOU for these brothers and sisters! Bless them! Impart a greater hunger, a greater burden for YOU, and other people. Bless them with greater wisdom, discernment, and revelation all things which are of YOU! Lord, I have seen through YOUR Spirit those who took a look at this dream. The ones who were intimidated to put down thier thoughts and ideas. Lord, remove their doubts and fears! Empower them! Give them Holy Spirit boldness to step-out in Faith, and at least TRY! Lord God, show them there are no failures in the Kingdom - only a Walk towards YOU! Show them it is accredited to their faith if they at least TRY! Bring each of us to a greater point - in RELATIONSHIP - with YOU!!! Help us Lord - in Jesus name - Amen, and AMEN!!!

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE LESSON THAT WAS POSTED CONCERNING SCRIPTURES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPHETIC WORD BEING SHARED IN NEW AND OLD TESTAMENT. THEY WERE VERY VALID SCRIPTURES AND I WAS ENLIGHTENED ABOUT THE FOUR DAUGHTERS OF PHILLIP THAT WERE PROPHETS OF GOD. GOD DOES AND CAN USE EVERYONE TO SPEAK FORTH HIS WORD. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT PASTORS AND BISHOPS ARE ALLOWING THE PROPHETIC ANNOINTING TO FLOW UPON THEM FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. GOD IS GIVING THE WORD TO COME FORTH BOLDLY AND TO PROCLAIM WHAT THUS SAYETH THE LORD IN TRUTH AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. I ASK THAT YOU PRAY FOR PROPHET SYLVIA TO SPEAK FORTH THE WORD THAT GOD HAS GIVEN HER TO GIVE UNTO THE BODY OF BELIEVERS AT OUR ASSEMBLY. I AM ASKING GOD TO SEND FORTH HIS ANGELS TO MINISTER TO OUR BISHOP SO THAT SHE WILL HAVE A PLATFORM BEFORE THE CHURCH TO SHARE THE MESSAGE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO HER FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. AND I PROCLAIM THAT GOD WILL BE CALLING FORTH PROPHETS WHO HAVE GONE OUT IN TO THE HARVEST AND THAT THEY WILL COME INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD AND SPEAK BY THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHAT THUS SAYETH THE LORD. AMEN AND AMEN

Brothers, and sisters, here is an excellent teaching I had received from Pastor Jerry about bad dreams.

Pastor Jerry's Teaching:
Now as to bad dreams, the word of God is very clear.
Whatever is filling their heart will come out in the dreams.

MAT 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
LUK 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

What is filling their hearts in secret is coming out in their dreams.

Some people claim that they can not control your dreams. That is not true.
In this time and age we are suppose to be dreaming of the Lord!
Very few know how to let the flesh die so the Lord will walk in their dreams!

ACS 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

If your dreams are filled with sin then the person has to learn to let the Lord in the dreams.

JDE 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
JDE 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
JDE 1:8 Likewise also th