Dear George
I've been trying to answer your PM as I've done on previous occasions but without success and now I know why. This surprises me brother and I see no reason why you are doing this. Anyway you sent me a PM and here is my answer.
Thank you my brother for your kind words, if I have helped to strengthen your faith I am delighted and give all glory to the Lord. If anything of value comes out off this bit of clay it's not from the clay but from God, He is the provider of all. Please don't thank me, thank Him as it is He Who is strengthening your faith.
I fully agree with you that smoking is an addiction that is very difficult to break, but always bear in mind that He within is more powerful than him without, but make no commitment until you are absolutely certain, that's the important point. The fact that you express doubts about your ability to meet the challenge tells me that you are not quite yet ready to make the commitment so lay off till you feel stronger but keep praying.
In my case it was desperation. I didn't give myself time to think or even consider the consequence of failing to keep the commitment. It was a case of all or nothing and God in His mercy worked it in my favour. Praise God! You say, further down, that you don't want anyone to think that you have been singled out for a special revelation. Well the same could be said of me, don't you think? I personally don't think that I was anything special or that I was singled out, what others may think is not for me to judge.
You ask whether I believe that God speaks to us in dreams Well the Bible says He does so who am I to contradict, yes, God speaks to us in dreams. Sometimes the message is clear as crystal, at others a right mix-up. But there again is not the whole Bible when taken literally a real mix-up of, metaphors, symbols and parables. You need spiritual eyes to read these messages and as yet none of us, far as I know, has the same God given gift that He gave Daniel. But we can hopefully read the meaning behind the clearer ones.
What I'm going to tell you now usually comes out the mouth of liars, but, brother I am no liar. It was my dear wife who going back forty years was responsible for bringing me to Christ, not by words but, from what I could see in the way she lived the life of Christ. When I first started reading the Bible with a gradual opening of my spiritual eyes, I began to see my dear wife within the pages I was reading. I want you to believe that because it's true. Anyway that's going off the subject, maybe if at some future date you would like to know more I will tell you all. I was no saint believe me, I was just like you were, Buddhism, out of body experiences, table rapping, autosuggestion and follower of Edgar Casey. I think you'll know about all these. Thanks to my dear wife they are all in the past, overcome.
But now to answer your question. " Does God Speak To Us In Dreams?" Well I can only give two experiences of recent time in my life. I know that once a person is dead they are dead, there is no consciousness and that the spirit returns to the Father. I believe this because the Bible tells me so. But the Lord has angels as messengers, and I believe He speaks through them. For example the archangel Gabriel appearing to Joseph in a dream at Mary's conception.
Well when the Lord took my dear Alice, I was completely distraught because He had taken an essential part of me with her, my will to live. From 13 stone I dropped to 7, a skeleton. Then I had this dream, I saw no one but heard this most beautiful baritone voice singing a song I'd never heard before and I don't believe it exists. As far as I can remember of the words they went something like this: "Don't weep or be sad, just remember the promise that you'll meet again. There is a time for everything, a time to live and a time to die and this is the time spoken off. But when the storm has blown out, you'll meet again. That's the promise." Notice it's you not we so it's not Alice speaking.
The second dream was just recently. No singing just this clear voice saying; "Alice says she'll be seeing you again soon." Brother that can't be soon enough, I was overjoyed and am still waiting wondering how soon. OK this was spoken by a messenger but who told the messenger to say "Alice says" because Alice is asleep and could not have given that message to the messenger. My spiritual eyes and hearing are not good enough to discern this as yet perhaps I'm not meant to discern it, who knows?
Have I been singled out for these two marvelous dreams? You can bet your life on it I was and the same applies to you so why should you be backward to come forward with your experience it is for you and you alone so don't be ashamed or embarrassed by it, that is your privilege and why not share it, the yoke will be lighter to bear. Does it really matter to you what others think? This is God's special message for George as mine were for Roy. So lighten your burden brother, I'm listening and if the Lord grants me the ability to help you I'll certainly not delay.
Of course you make sense, it all makes sense. It could be questioned whether or not the Bible makes sense, but when you get into the meat of it it makes more sense than all the combined knowledge of the world. Who would have predicted 2000 years ago that the world would have been as advanced and corrupt as it is today, yet when we read it we see that all the apostles gave fair warning of just this including the Lord Himself. Now that's not rocket science and it can be traced back to Adam and Eve if one cares to take that trouble.
Hope this helps.
God bless you brother in our joint walk in Christ.
Love in Christ Jesus. So child of God, listen, there will be an end,
Just trust Him for His Word is true,
Be patient and wait, for in His own good time
He’ll measure….and bring you through.
Roy UK