In the Bible there are many stories of God speaking to people in dreams. In Genesis chapter 41 God spoke to Pharaoh in a dream about fat and ugly cows. In Daniel 4 God spoke to king Nebuchadnezzar in a dramatic tree dream that made him terrified. In Matthew 2 an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream that warned him to escape to Egypt. In the following dialogue I explore how dreams can help us in an imaginary conversation with Terry, a fervent Manchester United fan. For those who lack knowledge, Eric Cantona is a French footballer who used to play for the Red Devils. In 1995 Cantona became infamous when he launched a kung-fu style kick against an abusive fan.
Terry
I’m not really sure what I believe about life after death. Obviously Man U fans go to heaven and Leeds fans go to hell.
Terry laughs raucously at his naughty joke
Rocky
What I find so fascinating is the number of people who are having dreams about Jesus.
Terry
What are you talking about?
Rocky
I’ve spent quite a lot of time studying dreams where Jesus appears to people and tells them who He is. Thousands of people all over the world are having these dreams. We’re talking Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and even secular people.
Terry
Who are these secular people Rocky? Are they Mormons? (Terry guffaws)
Rocky
Good question Terry. Secular people live as if there is no God. They live as if everything is just physical. For secularists there is no final judgment, so eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die.
Terry
I guess I’m one of them. I couldn’t give two figs about religion. All I want is a pint of lager, a steak pie and a decent seat at Old Trafford. Tell me about these dreams, Rocky.
Rocky
A frequent dream is when a person is being buried alive. Sand is pouring all over you as you gasp for breath. You cry out for help but it just gets worse. The sand is relentless. You are starting to panic and then someone takes hold of your hand and you are pulled out of the sandy pit and placed on solid ground. There before you is a man shining with light. He has rescued you from certain death. He looks into your eyes and He says to you: “I have paid the full price for you on the cross. I am the way, the truth and the life. Follow me.”
Terry
That’s all very well but people have all kinds of crazy dreams. Last night I had a dream in which I was flying on a magic carpet with a tiger who was drinking a can of Stella Artois lager beer and singing a song about our Messiah, Eric Cantona. This Jesus dream doesn’t convince me at all.
Rocky
I take your point. I sometimes have dreams where I am flying. I wake up and realise it was just a dream. But have you heard about dreams where Jesus speaks to three people with exactly the same dream on the same night?
Terry
Do you mean three tigers drinking beer rather than just one?
Rocky
I’ll ignore that frivolous comment Terry. Ponder this true story.
A Pakistani pastor was being targeted by very conservative Muslims. One day they kidnapped his son by knocking him unconscious while he was walking along the road. When he woke up he was at the bottom of a cliff. A policeman approached him and said: “Are you on drugs, young man?” The lad proclaimed his innocence and asked the copper: “Where am I?” He was then told the name of a town and he suddenly realised that he was 1400 miles from where he lived. He managed to hitch hike home. It took three days and his parents were delighted to see him alive.
Terry
It’s certainly a better story than my boozy tiger narrative. Do go on.
Rocky
The family had to leave their town because powerful people were saying that the pastor was blaspheming by claiming that Jesus was the Son of God. So the family left town and went to live in another town. For a full year they were on the run. The pastor eventually said to his family. “Look we have to go home. I have to look after my flock. If we are killed, we will be in heaven with Jesus.”
That very night the Christian God spoke to him in a dream and told him he was wrong. God said: “You are not going back. I have different plans for you.” Incredibly his wife also had the same dream. It gets even better. The son who had been kidnapped had had the same dream!
How do you explain that Terry?
Terry
Not sure boss. Three dreams each with the same message from the Christian God. Anyway I have to get off and go to my church….the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.
Rocky
Terry, I love football but I do not follow the football gods like you.
Terry (starts singing)
“What a friend we have in Jesus, he is our saviour from afar, what a friend we have in Jesus, and his name is Cantona.”
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4 Comments
Duncan Stow · January 23, 2023 at 2:50 pm
I ve heard of quite a few people having dreams that have led them to Jesus or to seriously explore faith, but when three people have the same dream it is hard to argue that its not evidence of God at work in a wonderful way.
Andy Lenton · January 23, 2023 at 6:02 pm
Dreams are what the world runs on. Some dreams are definitely from God some a result of cheese at bedtime.
Lord please give me the discernment to know which is which 🙏
Carl Purkiss · January 24, 2023 at 8:55 pm
Why is God speaks to some and not others? What is the requirement to receive such a message?
Carl Purkiss · January 24, 2023 at 8:59 pm
Why is it God speaks to some and not others? What is the requirement to receive such a message?
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