|
Sometimes, there’s so much thrown at us in the workplace that it’s hard to see through the smoke and mirrors. The only time we do that is when we dream.
~ Joshua Estrin
The angelic messenger who had been speaking with me then returned and woke me, as a person is wakened from sleep. ~Zechariah 4:1 ()
Dreams are emerging into a greater percentage of people’s lives. On the surface, dreams have a special mystique about them which cause people to generally err on the side of ignoring them or mistaking them as just another unconscious or weird thought. Dreams, however, have a special purpose which generally causes people to do a “double-take,” or take a closer look at something that has occurred or is occurring in their life.
More than likely you have purchased this book because you have been having dreams, or have an interest to know if you should be taking your dreams more serious, versus ignoring them. Let me assure you that most dreams are very significant and fulfill a purpose, especially in the day and age in which we live. Yes there are some weird dreams that are merely passing or fleeting thoughts, but generally speaking, what you are dreaming in the present day in which we live has significance for your life. Your very dreams may be able to help you deal with the circumstances you go through and cause you to be more cautious with some of the things that have caused problems in your life.
Dreams are given throughout Scripture to help protect, direct, and provide for individuals, societies, and nations. Any Bible-believing person would be hard pressed to refute the scriptural fact and reality that dreams have historically shaped nations and people. Unfortunately, because many religions have ushered out God’s presence and replaced it with performance-based religion … dreams and the supernatural things of God are often shut down, ignored, or dismissed as not being for today. The fact that they have been shut out does not negate the fact that dreams are real and useful. In chapters two and three you will sense the serious nature of dreams by hearing directly from Scripture on exactly what the Bible teaches about dreams. I would encourage you to jump ahead to chapter two if you are in doubt about the biblical nature of dreams. However, I encourage you to methodically progress through the book and get ready to grab hold of your dreams.
The reason people love to dream and/or are so intrigued by dreams is the reality that dreams provide what some people might see as the ultimate virtual reality experience, where there is no limit to visual empowerment, computational power or memory storage, and even memory recall. In many dreams, where the world exposes itself to the desires of the dreamer, adventure and intrigue are almost guaranteed because the usual laws of physics and of society no longer apply, and many of the apparent mind blocks defined around age, sex, race or religion simply don’t apply. In dreams we can be the hero of our own adventure, find romance, fly, travel through “solid” objects, breathe underwater, and perform feats free from embarrassment, peer pressure, monetary limits, and even physical handicaps. The boundaries of imagination that is uncontrolled are the dreamer’s only limit. This is the reason some dreams are refreshing and invigorating and others completely exhausting.
It is incredibly amazing why so many people ignore their dream lives when their dream life is real and becoming more active. When you stop and consider the fact that God told people to “Love the Lord their God with all your heart, mind and soul,” He meant all aspects of the mind — including the dream aspect of the mind. Surely if I am to serve God with all my mind, I should have some understanding of what is happening in the nighttime hours when my mind is engaged in the deep recess of dreams. It is a shame to see more people intentionally surrender their minds and thoughts in movies, books and music and leave to chance their minds in the dream world, which was created by God. If God is speaking through dreams, then I should take to heart what is being communicated in my mind. What if we believed that God could expand our virtual world, imagination, mind, and desires if we would step beyond our beliefs that God controls our minds — when we surrender them to him? God chose dreams to allow the human mind to be expanded beyond the boundaries that our daily lives live within and fear during the daytime; He literally wants us to catch glimpses of His plans through us.
It is the intent of this book to help bridge three realities about dreams to allow people to relax and enjoy the very nature of their dreams: 1) God used dreams throughout Scripture to guide and help people; 2) God stated that not only did He use dreams, but that He will increase them in the last days before His return; and 3) People everywhere are personally experiencing dreams and visions.
This author’s greatest satisfaction will be to hear people state that they have gained a greater appreciation for how vast God is — and how He chose dreams to allow our minds to be expanded during a period of rest (time) when our minds are not limited to the boundaries that we fear and respond to during the day.
“And God chose dreams to allow the human mind to be expanded beyond the boundaries that our daily lives live within and fear during the daytime; He literally wants us to catch glimpses of His plans through us.”
~Michael L. Mathews
|