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September 10, 2006
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"The daily prophetic
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James Goll: "THE MASTER
DREAM WEAVER IS DOWNLOADING HIS DREAMS WITHIN US"
 God
is the Master Dream Weaver. Through dreams, God communicates directly with us concerning
our destiny as well as the destinies of our families, our nation, and our world. Many people
today, particularly in the Western culture, never recognize God speaking to them in this
way, because they have been conditioned by a skeptical and sophisticated society to discount
the language of dreams. Within our own generation, God is reconnecting us to a vital part
of our spiritual heritage.
THE LANGUAGE OF HEAVEN
Over 200 times, the Scriptures give reference to dreams and visions, and 300 hundred times,
the Scriptures refer to angels. God is a supernatural God, and He communicates to His people
through supernatural means.
What Is A Dream?
A dream is a series of thoughts, images, or emotions that appear in our minds during sleep.
Sometimes they are straightforward, but most of the time they are not. In the case of Holy
Spirit-inspired dreams, often there is the need for careful interpretation, as these dreams
tend to be parabolic in nature. In other words, like the parables of Jesus, the meaning of
a dream is sometimes hidden.
Mark 4:10-13, "As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with
the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, 'To you has been
given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,
so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not
understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.' And He said to them, 'Do you not
understand these parables? How will you understand all the parables?'"
Jesus' pattern of teaching was to speak in parables and mysteries--not to keep people in
the dark, but to whet the appetite of those who were truly hungry for the truth. He wanted
to draw them in, so they would press forward to know more. He loves this journey of hooking
us with revelation, with the purpose of actually reeling us into His very heart.
Dreams and visions often use parabolic language. Like parables,
dreams are mysteries that need careful deciphering. Dream language is the mystical language
of Heaven.
Mark 4:22-25, "'For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor
has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let
him hear.' And He was saying to them, 'Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure
it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more
shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.'"
Things are hidden for a divine purpose: the purpose of being revealed. God is going to speak
secrets to you--things that in the beginning you might not quite comprehend and understand.
But as you go on the journey and you receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation, you will
learn how to understand mysteries and secrets.
We need to be attentive. Listening is in many ways is a lost art, but it's a vital skill
we need to learn to become fluent in dream language.
GROUNDED IN THE WORD
Walking in the fullness of the Spirit is like sailing. We must learn to put up the sail to
catch the wind, so as to be driven along by the wind. That is like the moving of the Holy Spirit.
We also need to have an anchor that gets dropped beside our boat, which is like the Word of
God. At times we need to go into the harbor and drop the anchor, rest, meditate on the Word
of God, and get refueled. But then there are other times that you pick up your anchor (you
carry the Word of God with you), you put up the sail, you catch the wind, and go where the
Holy Spirit leads you. The anchor, the Word of God, is what grounds us and what serves as a
solid foundation.
Numbers 12:6, "He said, 'Hear now My words: If there is a prophet
among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him
in a dream.'"
God says that He will speak to His people in a dream,
and He will make Himself known in a vision. He uses both of these instruments to draw us
into His purposes.
Job 33:14-18, "Indeed God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices
it. In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in
their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, that He may turn man
aside from his conduct, and keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his
life from passing over into Sheol."
Our minds are often so preoccupied that it is hard for
us to hear God. If He cannot catch our attention during our waking hours, He will speak to
us during our sleeping hours through dreams. Our Heavenly Father will use dreams and visions
as an avenue of identifying the hindrances that are in our path to His purpose.
Joel 2:28-29, "It will come about after this that I will pour out
My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out
My Spirit in those days." Dreams and visions are a major part of the prophetic
outpouring of God's great love in the Last Days!
Hebrew Old Testament Words
Three very similar Hebrew words are used in the Old Testament to refer to dreams. Whichever
word is used, the Old Testament makes clear that God is the Master Dreamer. He downloads
His dreams within us and thereby transforms us into dreamers as well.
Chalam: "to cause to dream" or "to be a dreamer."
Chelem: "to dream."
Chalom: "dreamer."
Greek New Testament Words
Onar: The common word for "dream." It is the kind of dreaming we all do when we sleep. God
can and does use these common dreams to communicate with ordinary people. Example: Joseph's
dreams to marry Mary, escape to Egypt, and then return home; and the dreams of the wise men
who are told not to return to Herod (see Matthew chapters 1, 2, and Matthew
27:19).
Enupnion: Refers to a vision or a dream received while
asleep. Enupnion stresses a surprise quality that is contained in that dream. It is the kind
of dream that has a startling effect, like waking suddenly from a dream and finding yourself
strangely alert with your senses particularly acute. (Also see Jude
1:8, 10.)
HISTORIC CLIPS
Cessationism has done a great damage in the church. Cessationism is the basic teaching that
the spiritual gifts stopped when the canon of Scriptures closed, or when the last apostle passed
away. The good news is that the book of Hebrews says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever. The truth is that the false doctrine of cessationism, is going to cease
because God's Word says, "I'm going to pour out My Spirit upon all
flesh."
What God did then, God does today, and God will continue
to always do. Dream language is the language of the ages. It is this mysterious way that
God comes into our lives, invades our uncomfortable zones, and simply comes to speak to
us.
Early Church Fathers
Great portions of the church father's writings about dreams and visions, have been only recently
translated into English, and have, therefore, been largely ignored in the past:
Thomas of India, received instruction from his dreams. Polycarp was given a vision of his martyrdom.
Irenaeus had wise understanding of dreams. Clement believed
that dreams come from the depth of a soul.
Tertullian devoted eight chapters of his writings to dreams.
Gregory of Nyssa spoke of the meaning and the place of
the dream.
John Chrysostom, the one who was called "golden mouthed" because
he had such oratorical grace upon him, called dreams the source of revelation.
Constantine was directed in a dream regarding the Heavenly
sign that he was to carry into battle.
Thérèse de Lisieux life was changed through a dream.
John Newton, an early slave trader, was stopped in his
tracks in his lifestyle and his vocation by a dream from God. This became the man who was
so turned around in his life, that he eventually became a chaplain to the King of England.
He went on to write the hymn that is possibly one of the greatest Protestant hymns of all
ages: "Amazing Grace."
Abraham Lincoln
It was said that Abraham Lincoln had a dream where he saw his own body lying in
state when he was President. I wonder what effect that had upon Abraham Lincoln. I wonder if
that dream was not used to help prepare him to be able to meet his Maker at any moment.
Reverend A. J. Gordon
The following is an amazing dream that impacted a man who became one of the great pulpiteers
in America. A seminary is named after him today in Boston: the Gordon Conwell Seminary. The
Reverend A. J. Gordon, a famous Baptist preacher of Boston, told of a dream that drastically
changed his ministry, even though he had never paid attention to dreams before this:
"I was in the pulpit before a full congregation, just ready
to begin my sermon, when a stranger entered and passed slowly up the aisle, as though silently
asking with his eyes that someone would give him a seat. Half-way up the aisle, a gentleman
stepped out and offered him a place in his pew, which was quietly accepted.
As I began my sermon, my attention became riveted on this
hearer. To myself I said constantly, 'Who can that stranger be?' After the service ended,
the visitor had left before I could reach him. The gentleman with whom he had sat, remained
behind however. I asked him, 'Can you tell me who that stranger was who sat in your pew this
morning?' In the most matter-of-course way he replied: 'Why, do you not know that man? It
was Jesus of Nazareth.'"
The dream was the seminal event out of which came a complete
change in Gordon's approach to ministry, and a vivid transformation in his parishioners.
This dream is written in his book How Christ Came To Church: The Pastor's Dream.
A. J. Gordon never preached a sermon again to please
men. He preached as though his guest was the Man Christ Jesus, and he preached to please
Him.
THE RECEIVER
The secret to becoming a good dreamer, is to become a good receiver. God did not only send
dreams to those who believed in Him, but also to unbelievers because He wants their hearts
to turn to Him.
Dreams to Prophets
Abraham (Genesis 15:12-17)
Jacob (Genesis 28:12; 31:10)
Daniel (Daniel 7)
Dreams to Unbelievers
Abimelech (Genesis 20:3)
Laban (Genesis 31:24)
Midian (Judges 7:13-14)
Pharoah's Butler and Baker (Genesis 40:5)
Pharoah (Genesis 41:7, 15-26)
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1, 4, 36)
Wisemen (Matthew 2:12)
Pilate's Wife (Matthew 27:19)
Dreams to Other Believers
Solomon (I Kings 3:5)
Joseph (Matthew 1:20)
THE TRANSMITTER
Every receiver needs a transmitter. In human experience, dream transmission originates from
any one of three different sources.
Personal God (II Peter 2:1, Acts 27:15-17)
Natural Man (Ezekiel 13:1-6, Jeremiah 23:16)
Demonic Darkness (Acts 16:16-18)
THE PURPOSE
Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the
glory of kings is to search it out. It's the glory of a king for something to be searched out."
You're a king and God gives you the right to go into
the King's palace. He wants to give you the keys of revelation to be able to search something
out. Being able to understand revelation, is about being a son, a daughter; it's about
kingship. What are dreams for? To whet our appetite, because if you're left musing, you're
more likely to find out what it was all about.
THE INVITATION
God has a dream for your life, and He wants you to have the spirit of revelation upon it.
He has a great plan, and He wants to use these ways to speak to you. Perhaps you will be a
Joseph and you'll have a dream, and you'll blab it prematurely, and you'll get in all kinds
of trouble, and you'll end up learning about the ways of God, not just the knowledge of God.
May God raise up such a people in the earth, that the world
will come and say, "Behold here comes the dreamer." We live for Christ, but we also live
to release the fragrance of His presence wherever we go. I don't want to live an ordinary
life; I want to live a supernatural life that would cause the people to say, "Who is that
strange man crying in the wilderness? Behold here is a dreamer."
Lord, I ask for Your grace, and that the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation would be released to us. Dream through us and weave an incredible tapestry
for the world to see!
For Jesus' sake, Amen.
James W. Goll
Encounters Network
www.jamesgoll.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James and Michal Ann Goll's Upcoming Itinerary:
September 15-16, 2006
PE-intensive
Nashville Vineyard
1400 Donelson Pike Bldg A-3; Nashville, TN
Contact: 615-599-5552 or www.encountersnetwork.com
September 22, 2006
Vertical Worship
Nashville, TN area
Contact: 619-599-5552 or www.encountersnetwork.com
October 3-November 14, 2006
Encounters Training--7-week class
Worship with the Arts-Cultivating a Spirit of Creativity
Ecclesia Fellowship
Franklin, TN
Contact: 615-599-5552 or www.encountersnetwork.com
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"The daily prophetic
words that are sent to our 133,000+ subscribers are made possible by the purchase
of products like those featured in this email. You may purchase them directly from
this email, or visit our online store at www.elijahshopper.com."
|
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"Everyone
is dreaming! It's just one of the languages of Heaven. If we are to interpret the signs and
the times, then we need master technicians to help us. It has been my great pleasure to know
and work with James and Michal Ann Goll. I cannot think of anyone more spiritually prepared
or experienced in the pragmatics of dream language than this couple. I have heard them teach
on intrinsic dreams in particular...brilliant! That alone is worth the price of this book.
If you're a dreamer, then interpreting dream language is a must. This is a book that will put
wings under the feet of the process that you need to move quickly into that new land of the
Spirit that awaits." --Graham Cooke
Have
you ever felt like God was trying to tell you something?
One of the intriguing
principles in this book is Murray's focus on how God's hand works in current events. The
stories and news accounts he has included, provoke us to pray for our cities, states, countries,
and governments. I hope this book will help shape you and many other prophets, leading you
into a deeper faith in God. It is our destiny to see the world through eyes that understand
God's symbolic language and actions. It is our job to ask continually, "If this were a dream,
what would it mean?" --Graham Cooke
