dreams – Our Shared Faith

I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START OR HOW TO START. I WILL STILL TRY!

I SAW JESUS! I KNOW HE IS THE ONE, BEYOND ANY DOUBT, I KNOW ITS HIM, IT CANT BE ANYONE ELSE.

Background

I am in my late 30s, brought up in a Catholic home where the name of Jesus was not new to me. I came to know the Lord when I was 21. There have been times when I’ve been passionate about my faith and other times when I’ve been lukewarm. Even at my worst, God was with me. I’ve had a few supernatural experiences myself. Many theologians have counseled me, providing strong explanations for God’s existence. Despite this, I often heard a voice asking, “What if all that I know is not real?” This doubt would drag me back to square one. Although I defend God, inside, there was always the fear, “What if I am imagining all this?”

Stage

I had the worst day of my life on May 21, 2024. I was shattered, heartbroken, and contemplating suicide. I’m afraid of suicide because it is considered an unforgivable sin, and I didn’t want to go to Hell. You see, I am 99.99% sure that I believe in God, Heaven, and Hell. I was asking God to let me die in an accident because I didn’t want to continue living. I felt like a total failure. With a heavy heart, I went to sleep, exhausted both physically and emotionally.

Dream

In my dream, I was in Hell. It wasn’t a fiery place with scenes of torture as I had imagined. Instead, it was like a dark cave, poorly lit. The room was filled with 30 or 40 people, all destined to spend eternity there. I saw Jesus there. He was the most humane person I have ever seen. Until then, I had heard that Jesus would come as a light or a warrior with a sword. But here, He was gentle and not intimidating. He was slender with a dark complexion and a sharp, straight nose. His eyes were the definition of grace. Even though He was not intimidating, I couldn’t look into His eyes for more than a fraction of a second. I looked here and there but never managed to maintain eye contact with Him. I approached Him and asked, “Father, why are You here?” Although He is the Son of God, I have always called Jesus “Father.”

He replied, “To rescue us all!” His face showed genuine concern, very serious, very sad, with a desperation to save. I said, “You did it already 2,000 years ago,” referring to His crucifixion and resurrection. He said, “It’s happening now, happened before, and will continue to happen.” He mentioned the present first, then the past, and future. We are used to past, present, and future, so I didn’t understand why He said it in that order.

That’s all. Preachers have painted a very scary picture of Judgment Day and Hell. In fact, I am scared to read the book of Revelation.

Aftermath

There is a 99.99% chance that it was just a dream, but what it did to me was supernatural. More than anything, I have seen my Savior. The image I had of Him is completely gone except for the few details I mentioned. I am contemplating what happened. My 99.99% belief became 100%. I am completely convinced He is real. I had a core unaddressed issue: I needed an image of God to feel connected. I was told it was a sin to seek an image of God because He is too majestic. The portrait of Jesus I had seen in the Catholic church was the image of God I had earlier aligned with—a fair person with long hair and a beard, showing His hand and bleeding heart. But the Jesus I saw in my dream was nothing like that. I was excited to share it with my sister Jebi and her husband JS. When I shared, they were more excited than me. They encouraged me to pursue this. I believe with certainty that God brought them into my life when I needed them the most.

What It Did to Me

I can see Him when I pray with my eyes closed. I might forget everything about His appearance, but the grace in His eyes encourages me to pray and hold on to Him. I was confused about what would happen when I die—whether I would remain dead until Jesus’ second coming or be immediately taken to judgment and sent to Heaven or Hell. I believe I got answers for that. We see time from our perspective, but God’s timeline is beyond our understanding. JS explained Chronos and Kairos, which gave me a perspective I had in mind for a long time. It also made sense why Jesus described the present first. Listening to the song “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know” fills me with joy. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but God has filled me with joy that the enemy can never steal.

Revisiting the Dream(23/05/24)

I couldn’t get enough of the experience. I wanted to experience more of it. And I was hoping to see Jesus again yesterday 22/05/24. But he didn’t. There was a sense of emptiness that no one could fill. Infact I had dream so bad that I am ashamed to share. And it was a nightmare, Jesus woke me up before I committed a sin in my dream. I wanted to forget the yesterday. I couldn’t believe that I could have the Sweetest Dream one day and Have a Shameful Dream the next day. I still woke up with a comfort that God stopped me before I committed anything wrong. But this puts me back in square one. I was in my lowest. I played my favourite song. Jesus Loves me this I know. I started singing it to my hearts content. God encouraged me, I failed again so what? Count all your blessings. I was happy. Instead of focusing on bad, let my focus be on the Holy.

Reorientation of my Focus on Jesus

I revisited my dream. I tried to understand more what it could mean. I felt like a curious kid. Why were we in hell, why me? Obviously I knew the reason. If we were already sent to hell, why Jesus came to rescue us? Does it mean there is still a way for us? And why He stressed so much on present. What it could mean. Does he mean, the present is more critical? I don’t have an answer yet.

Another thing I missed out to mention earlier. When I already know it was Jesus. I asked Him if he is… Before I completed, He said ‘I am’. Though I am convinced that my belief is true. I had a doubt. The Jesus in Bible always answers with a question. That wasn’t the case with me. He answered with simple answers. Why? Could it all be my imagination. I had this doubt and when I was writing this. The Holy Spirit reminded me this John 16:25-27 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.

JESUS IS THE KNOWN WAY TO GOD!

“Father God, please guide me as I write this article based on Your Word. Help me to write this to glorify You, and let Your words bring clarity to those who seek You. May Your truth help people discern and embrace correct beliefs. I pray and seek everything in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Hi there fellow believers in Christ! I like to recommend watching the sermon by Pastor Abilash from NLAG on Dreams rather than reading the blog. He had given extensive details and practical suggestions.

I have been experiencing nightmares for a while now. Up until recently, my understanding was that dreams are merely reflections of my own thoughts. Over a period of a few months, I had dreams in which I encountered people I had never met before, yet somehow recognized. There were also recurring patterns in my dreams, such as a constant feeling of terror due to something I had committed, a pervasive sense of shame, or overwhelming anxiety. I attributed these dreams to unresolved childhood trauma or forgotten events from my past.

I came across a recorded sermon by Pastor Abilash from NLAG, which provided a fresh perspective on dreams. In the sermon, he suggested that dreams could also be externally influenced, an intriguing idea that resonated with me. One piece of advice he shared was that during sleep, if one has a nightmare, calling upon the name of Jesus can break the nightmare. I contemplated this thought and, surprisingly, that very same night, I had a dream that put this advice to the test.

I found myself in a desert, confronted by a mysterious figure resembling a man, akin to a simple sketch by a three-year-old child. Though initially fearful, I felt protected by a shield I held. As more figures appeared, I grew confident in my defensive capabilities, even though I lacked offensive options. However, my confidence faltered when one of the figures managed to push its hands and head through my shield. In a moment of terror, I called out “Jesus,” and, just as Pastor Abilash had said, the dream abruptly ended. This experience was quite unusual for me, as I rarely remember two dreams in a single night. Perhaps the ending of the second dream allowed me to recall the previous one more vividly.

In another dream, I had a strong determination to fix a beloved pair of Woodland shoes. The tongue of one shoe had come loose due to poor stitching, and I had been meaning to repair it but kept putting it off. In the dream, I finally decided to address the issue, but as I attempted to fix it by taking it to shoe stitcher, I noticed all the stitches unraveled, and the pieces started falling apart. Despite this setback, I gathered the parts, put them in a cloth bag, and remained determined to find a way to fix the shoe and use it my heart’s content

Both of these dreams left me reflecting on the significance of spiritual guidance and the power of perseverance in overcoming the obstacles that confront us in our daily lives.

Diving In

Nightmares can be scary, leaving us feeling unsettled and disturbed. Sometimes, they’re caused by stress, anxiety, or past experiences. While the Bible doesn’t talk about nightmares specifically(or I am not aware of), it does offer guidance on facing fear and seeking comfort in God.

Nightmares and Fear

Nightmares can bring feelings of fear, worry, or dread. But the Bible tells us to trust in God, who is greater than any fear: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Psalm 23:4). When we face nightmares, we can remember that God is always with us, ready to provide comfort and strength.

God’s Comfort in Nightmares

If we call on God during frightening dreams, we can find peace in His presence. In the Bible, people often cried out to God when they were afraid or in danger, like when David said: “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). By turning to God during nightmares, we invite His calming presence into our lives.

Jesus

Calling upon the name of Jesus will end any evil interferences. For a simpleton like me, there can’t be any more comfort. To do this, we must also be faithful, have at most faith in Christ’s Authority

Finding Hope in Nightmares

Though nightmares can be unpleasant, they can also give us a chance to reflect on our lives and grow in our faith. The Bible says: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” (Romans 5:3). Nightmares may lead us to explore our emotions, connect with God, and seek healing for past hurts.

Nightmares and Prayer

Prayer is a powerful tool to cope with nightmares. We can pray for protection from scary dreams, for understanding their meanings, or for peace of mind. The Bible says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6). Through prayer, we invite God’s love and guidance into our lives, finding comfort during difficult times.

Wrapping It Up

While nightmares can be frightening, they can also be an opportunity to lean on God and grow in faith. Remember to turn to God for comfort, pray for guidance, and trust that He is greater than any fear. By doing so, we can face nightmares with courage and hope, knowing that we are never alone.

I SAW JESUS IN MY DREAM!