LIFE-CHANGING VISITATION OF CHRIST IN DREAMS, VISIONS AND THROUGH PAIN
There are many exciting reports about God’s miraculous intervention within the Muslim community...
For God does speak – now one way, now another –though no one perceives it.
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.
‘Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones, so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal. Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out. They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death.
Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, and he is gracious to that person and says to God, “Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them –
let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth”– then that person can pray to God and find favour with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being. And they will go to others and say, “I have sinned, and I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved. God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.”
‘God does all these things to a person – twice, even three times – to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them. JOB 33:14-30.
In the last scene of Job’s ordeal, a mystery man, Elihu suddenly appears and points to Job’s wrong view of God, while Job was struggling with unanswered prayer. In the passage quoted above, Elihu shares with Job what came to him as revelation from God in the context of Job’s dissatisfaction with God for keeping silence and unanswered prayers.
Elihu explains that God often provides answer to prayer in ways we do not expect. God works out His salvific intervention in dreams or through pain as warnings before the final judgment.
According to his confession, Job himself had already experienced this:
When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions. (Job 7:13-14)
In the Bible there are many cases when God spoke to man in dreams and visions, not only to the Hebrews but also the Gentiles such as Abimelech (king of Gerar) , Pharaoh in the times of Joseph, Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) twice in the times of Daniel and Pilate’s wife in the New Testament.
Today, God continues to powerfully speak to us in dreams, visions, and through pain as C.S. Lewis wrote:
Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
As we have seen in this Covid-19 pandemic, a threat to our ‘normal’ life tends to cause an instant change in our lifestyle and the entire value system of the whole world.
There are many exciting reports about God’s miraculous intervention within the Muslim community.
According to CHARISMA magazine issued in the end of April’20, in Iran an underground church movement is alive and growing despite intense persecution from the Iranian government. It says that although news coverages may make it seem like most Iranians are enemies of Christians, the truth is not and it is much more complicated.
Leaders in the underground church movement as well as others who understand the dynamics of Iran’s church noted four common themes: (1)Losing Credibility of Islam, (2)Visions and Manifestations, (3)Western Differences, and (4)Blessing Israel, putting it, ‘Islam is losing its credibility in Iran among both Christians and non-Christians alike. Jesus is utilizing supernatural means, including visions and dreams, to reach Iranians.
The Western model of church does not work in Iran—for various reasons. For example, women are even leading the movement as much as, if not more than, the men. Many Iranians are pro-Israel’. The following are some excerpts of such powerful message.
As for (1), the article puts it:
Mosques across Iran are reportedly emptying. "Christianity has more credibility and respect among a large number of Muslims than Islam itself …many say, “Islam has major flaws and problems itself.” People are fed up with the hypocrisy of what Islam has done to this society. And every time things happen [in the news], another layer of the veil of Islam is removed. People look at what Islam is, and a greater number of people will be abandoning Islam and coming to Christ.(2)
Though many American Christians don't believe Jesus physically appears to people anymore …a recurring phenomenon in the Middle East that challenges that belief. Multiple people describe remarkably similar encounters in which a "man in white," identified by many as Jesus, appears to them. …the whole city came to Jesus because of this man's testimony …these kinds of miraculous visitations by Christ are actually the main way Iranians come to faith. …the vast majority of Iranians come to know Christ through dreams, visions or miracles. …Dreams and visions…are the avenues through which Christ reveals His truth to many Iranians.(3)
Discipleship in Iran is the main reason why their churches are flourishing… biblically, a Christ follower—a Christian—is a disciple… One-on-one evangelism is the safest and most effective model for the Iranian community. …It's built around an Ephesians 4 framework of empowering everyone in the body [of Christ] ...The entire body of Christ should have the yoke of leadership upon them for disciple-making, for the apostolic, for the prophetic, for the evangelistic, for the pastoral and for the teaching." That includes women, too. …But in Iran, sharing the gospel is a life-or-death issue.(4)
Former Muslims have now become pro-Israel; when they fell in love with Jesus, they also fell in love with the Jewish people. This could not only change the future of Iran, but that of our entire world. …The Islamic Republic of Iran may be building its nuclear weapons program to potentially attack Israel. But Persia…was historically a blessing to Israel. …The Persians are actually cousins with the Jews. …the only people group that blessed the Jews from the beginning to the end... This is why God is moving so powerfully in Persia.
I have for a long while wondered how to effectively minister to the ageing Christians, whose ability to hear, see and understand have deteriorated, such as due to dementia.
They may be suffering due to their sins in light of the Epistle of 1 John and they are unable to receive any form of external advice.
Through the article above, God has revealed to me that inward counsel by Christ Himself by means of dreams must be the last remedy for them. Since then I am interceding for them to be convicted of their sins directly by Christ and I would encourage all of you to do the same for your loved ones.