02/04/26 A DREAM SEQUENCE

02/04/26 A DREAM SEQUENCE

It is not unusual for me to get a few hours of good sleep, wake up, study for a while (since I am not tired and will not be going to sleep right away), and then go back to sleep.

I often have dreams. Some of them are like The TWILIGHT ZONE (mystery, adventure, comedy, thriller, and sometimes they are about me reaching out to unsaved people through witnessing or preaching. Sometimes I dream a storyline in parts. The following was probably a three-part dream sequence I had in my "second night's sleep," just before waking.

Without going into the details, Mark (when he was a teenager) and I, along with a group of strangers, were on a very large luxury yacht. Of course, Jesus was part of our normal conversation. This irked some of the other guests to the degree that they became physically abusive. Being non-violent does not mean being "a bump on a log" or being altogether passive, and sometimes God turns the confrontation around, turning the abuser into the target. This has happened many times in my own life, and in the lives of friends, and I have read about it happening in the lives of other Christians (some of whom did not previously subscribe to the non-violent position).

But, as it says in the old cowboy movies, "meanwhile, back at the ranch," Mark and I escaped with our lives. Biblically speaking, flight is one Christian option to the un-Biblical choice of fight, as seen in the lives of Jesus and Paul.

Part Two of the Dream Sequence (which seemed to be unrelated to Part One), was centered in an upscale shopping mall with a little Diner (like a roadside cafe). I was alone, sitting at a table, with one of my Bibles and a few Gospel tracts. For some reason I left the table. Apparently, I was leaving the Mall when I remembered that I had left my Bible and tracts on the table of the cafe. When I returned, I was directed to the mall office, since the cafe staff did not have my Bible. The office staff finally located my Bible (but not my gospel tracts), and I described it to them to prove my ownership. They told me the location of the person who had turned my Bible into the cafe staff. As I was leaving, I was praising the Lord and saying how important it was to have my Bible back. Someone asked why it was important. Since they asked the question publicly, I responded gladly and boldly by telling them that the Bible tells me the great truth that Jesus died to save me from my sins and death, at which time I gave a quick shout of praise. They reacted in support of my testimony. Then I quickly added that Jesus died and rose again for everyone, and I gave another shout of praise. The office staff smiled and expressed their appreciation. I was able to use the "lost and found" Bible situation to actually tell others about Jesus being in the lost and found people business.

In Part Three of the Dream Sequence, I was going to locate and thank the person who made it possible for me to retrieve my Bible. When I got to their posh apartment in the residential high-rise complex, I discovered that the occupant was the owner of the yacht.

When I introduced myself as the owner of the Bible to the man and his wife, he realized that I was the same person who had been involved in the confrontational incident on his boat, he was angry. He blamed me for causing the situation. I explained to them the actual circumstances, whereupon the became interested in my message and my motivation. I shared the gospel with both of them. They were warm and receptive and wanted me to come back to their home to hold a Bible study for them and some friends.

There is more to the dream, but this conveys the basics. Needless to say, I woke up refreshed, encouraged and looking forward to more opportunities to share the gospel. Sometimes circumstances seem to be dark and negative, but I have found, in real life, God works all things together for good to those who love the Lord. I have lived, and I have dreamed about being faithful in confrontational situations, without reverting to the carnal response of violence.

It's not just a dream, It's Real, It's Real, I know it's real.