If you would, turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Acts
chapter two. The book of Acts chapter two. When you reach
the book of Acts chapter two, please signify by saying amen.
And please stand for the reading of the Word. Acts chapter
two. We’re going to start with verse sixteen and read down to
verse twenty-one. Verse sixteen through verse twenty-one.
16. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour
out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19. And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in
the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
Let us pray.
Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for
who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son
behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me.
And as I decrease, I ask that You would increase. Dear Lord,
let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my
Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
You may be seated in the house of God this evening.
One of the things that it said in these Scriptures was that your
old men would dream dreams, that your old men would dream
dreams.
I think that I might need to come down. Because I might need
to ask some questions this evening, have it more of a
teaching. Amen?
He said your old men would dream dreams. What is a dream?
What is a dream? In your own words what is a dream?
Somebody tell me. Somebody tell me.
Yes, sir? I mean, it’s up to you. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Amen.
Anyone else? Anyone else? A spiritual state of mind that
you’re in. Amen.
Anybody else this evening? What is a dream, in your own
definition? I’m not looking for right and wrong answer. I’m
just looking for some interaction and feedback. Anybody
else? What is a dream? It’s... Amen. Amen. Glory to God.
Amen.
All dreams don’t come from God. Webster says this about a
dream. It says, “A dream is a series of thoughts and pictures
or feelings occurring during sleep, a dream-like creation of
the imagination.” But the Scriptures let us know that some
dreams are divinely inspired.
And just like all of you said... You said things that were right
answers. Dreams are not always from God. And when we’re
in a prophetic ministry, many times you will find that you will
have dreams. But you have got to understand that some of
these dreams are from God and some of these dreams are not
from God. Amen?
In early patriarchal times God often appeared in what they
call theophany to Godly men. And that word “theophany”
means a visible appearance of God, generally in human form.
But from the time of Jacob and onward His revelations were
more often in dreams.
God spoke to men and women of God in dreams. And many
of us, God is speaking to us with dreams. But it’s one thing to
be able to dream. But it’s another thing to be able to interpret
the dream. Amen? Amen.
Because a lot of times we... Even with prophecy a lot of
times it’s easy to give a prophecy in tongues. But it’s another
thing to interpret the prophecy in English. Amen? Glory to
God.
So God reveals His will today, not only by His Word but
through dreams. He said the Bible said that your old men
would dream dreams.
And the reason why I’m ministering on dreams tonight is
because a lot of you are dreamers. Amen? A lot of you have
a lot of dreams. But you don’t understand your dreams. But
see, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs, with all of your
getting, get understanding.
And so what we need to start doing is, when we have dreams
we need to write them down. And we need to ask God what
is the relevance of this particular dream that I have had?
Not only did God divinely give dreams to those that were
chosen of the chosen families. But He also gave dreams to
those that were not of the chosen family.
Go with me to Genesis chapter twenty. Genesis chapter
twenty. Amen.
We’re talking about dreams. Because a lot of you even come
to me and say, “Pastor, you know, I had this dream. Or I had
that dream.” And I give an interpretation of the dream. But
the Bible also tells us to pray that we might interpret. That’s
not only talking about prophecy. Amen? Amen. Because a
dream can be a prophecy, can’t it, when it comes to pass?
In Genesis chapter twenty. Let’s look at your Bibles in verse
one.
1. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south
country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and
sojourned in Gerar.
2. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and
Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said
to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which
thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
In other words, God was giving him what? A warning.
You see, there are dreams that will give you warning, won’t
they? And just because somebody is not saved... Listen to
what I’m saying to you. Just because somebody is not saved
does not mean that God cannot give them a warning dream
for you and for me. Amen? Praise the Lord. Or even for
themselves.
This is what we call a dream of warning. God spoke to
Abimelech in a dream and told him, “Wait a minute, if you
take Sarah for your wife you are a dead man.” And it gave
Abimelech understanding that this woman belonged to
another man.
But see, God will give us warnings, won’t He? But see, a lot
of times we look for God to come one way and He comes
another way. Amen?
Go with me to Genesis chapter thirty-one. Dreams of
warning. Dreams of warning. This is another man that was
not of the chosen families. God is speaking to Laban. Look
at Genesis chapter thirty-one. And look at verse twenty-two.
22. And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was
fled.
23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him
seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount
Gilead.
24. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night,
and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob
either good or bad.
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his
tent...
And it went on to talk about what Laban was saying to Jacob.
But then he went on to say that God had warned him not to
say anything good or bad to him.
This is another what? Warning dream. This is a dream of
warning that God is warning him, “You’re going to bring
destruction upon yourself if you do not take heed to what I
have warned you with in a dream.”
Now go with me to Matthew chapter twenty-seven. Matthew
twenty-seven.
Many of us have had warning dreams, but we did not
understand what God was saying to us.
In Matthew chapter twenty-seven, it talks about Pilot’s wife,
how she had a dream. And the Bible said that she was
troubled by this dream. And she told her husband. She said
to her husband, “Have nothing to do with this just man.”
Because this dream troubled her. In other words, this was a
dream of warning.
But it was not given to Pilot. It was given go his wife. Just
like I was saying to you. God can give a dream to somebody
else, but it can be dealing with you. Amen? Amen.
Listen. Listen to this tonight. Because a lot of you are going
to start dreaming. And a lot of you are dreaming already. But
see, I’m telling you this tonight because you don’t just want to
brush your dreams off. Because a lot of us have had dreams
that we have brushed off and we’ve brushed aside. And then
when they come to pass we remember, “Oh, yeah. I dreamed
that.”
And a lot of times if God gives you a warning dream for
somebody else, He will require their blood at your hands. If
you do not warn them...
This is what He told Ezekiel. He told Ezekiel, “If I tell you to
warn them and you don’t warn them, I will require their blood
at your hands. But if you warn them as I have instructed you
to, then their blood will be upon them.” Amen?
So I’m saying this to you because a lot of you are having
dreams. But you’re not telling me what the dreams are. And
a lot of them are concerning the church. But we’re telling
other people. But we’re not telling the leadership or the
pastor. Hello, somebody. Amen.
And a lot of times... You know, just because I’m a prophet,
I’m a seer, and I can see, God will give me eyes all around
me. And I can’t put God in a box and say, “You know, well
you don’t see the way I see, so then, you know, I’m not going
to acknowledge your gift.” Because a dreamer of dreams is a
gift. You will find people that dream dreams all the time.
And their dreams do come to pass.
Look at your neighbor and say, “Write them down.” Write
them down. Write them down.
This was another warning dream, a dream of warning, a
dream of warning. Glory to God.
Go with me to Daniel chapter two. I know we used to me just
preaching. But we going to go through this tonight. Amen.
Daniel chapter two. And Daniel chapter two is talking about
king Nebuchadnezzar. Amen. Are you there? Amen. Let’s
look at... Let’s look at verse one of chapter two. Let me get
there. There we go.
1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was
troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
God was trying to get his attention.
2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the
astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew
the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and
my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king,
live for ever...
Now here’s where he’s going to, you know, bust their bubble.
4. ...tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the
interpretation.
5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is
gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream,
with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and
your houses shall be made a dunghill.
The Bible said that he forgot the dream. But he was saying to
them, “Now, not only are you to interpret the dream, but you
are to tell me what the dream was. Because I forgot the
dream.” Amen?
But see, they worked with the darkness. They worked with
the dark side. Magicians, astrologers. They didn’t operate
from the Spirit of God. Amen. Familiar spirits are what they
operated from. So he told them that in order for, you know,
“You to know the dream, you’ll have to tell me the dream.
Plus I want the interpretation, or else I’m going to destroy
you.”
But see, there was a man of God that was in the camp. And
not only could he tell him the dream, but he could interpret
the dream. Why? Because he knew that God was the
Revealer of secrets. Look at your neighbor and say, “God is
the Revealer of secrets.”
See, you don’t need me or somebody else to interpret your
dream. Because Daniel, what he did was he went into a place
of prayer. If you have a dream and you don’t have someone
that can interpret the dream, all you got to do is go into
prayer. And God is the Revealer of secrets. And He is able to
give you the interpretation of that dream that you have had.
Amen?
But see, the thing is that I have got to take time out to pray.
God knows all things that are in darkness. For the Bible says
He created the darkness, and He created the light. He is the
God of the what? The unknown. He knows things that are
hidden in the unknown realm.
But see, these are dreams that are what? Divinely inspired by
Him. So He gives the interpretation.
Whenever there is something that happens to you
supernatural, just don’t disregard it. Write it down so you
don’t forget it. And go back and pray over it. I’m telling you
this today because I don’t want you to be lazy with the things
that God gives you. Amen? If God shows you something,
then God will reveal it to you.
There was a time when I first started to prophesy. And I
would just prophesy all the time. (Tongues.) Just
prophesying, prophesying. But I never gave the interpretation
until I was put on the spot. And then once I was put on the
spot I didn’t prophesy as much any more. Do you hear what
I’m saying?
I was more cautious with just busting out and speaking in
tongues. Because I knew my pastor was going to say, “Now
you interpret what you just prophesied.” Amen? Amen. And
he wasn’t doing it to be spiteful and mean. But he was doing
it to get me to a place of maturity.
You see, when God begins to give you spiritual things you
cannot just be laxidazical and nonchalant about them. You
have got to get into that thing and get an understanding of
what God has placed on your life.
“Why are you teaching this, pastor?” Because a lot of us are
having spiritual things happen to us, but we’re disregarding
them. Or we’re allowing other novices to try to interpret what
God is doing with me spiritually.
And that’s not a negative thing that I’m saying. But you can’t
allow people that are not seasoned in the Word of God to
interpret what God has given to you. Come on, somebody.
Talk to me. You’ve got to have somebody that’s seasoned in
God to interpret the things of God for you, with you, to help
you.
I’ve heard people say, “Well, I know what that means.” You
know, but they’re going by a lot of times what they heard
somebody else say. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight?
See, you can’t give those spiritual blessings to people that
don’t even know how to handle their own yet. I need to say
that again. You can’t just give it to folks that don’t know how
to handle it. You’ve got to find somebody seasoned in God to
help you with the things of God.
See, because before you know it, the dream, or whatever, the
vision or whatever you’ve had will be interpreted all kinds of
ways. And it could have been something positive. But by the
time everybody’s finished with it it’s something negative.
And it could have been a blessing for the church. And now
it’s a curse for the church. Oh, come on. Talk to me.
I’m talking about dreams. He said your old men are going to
dream dreams. I’m not a dreamer. But when I dream I know
I better look out. If you’re not a dreamer... You know, if you
just don’t lay down and dream, and then you just start
dreaming on something, you need to play close attention.
And you know sometimes at night it’s true. You can be real
late at night and go to bed on a full stomach. And you dream
stuff like it’s a movie. And don’t none of it mean nothing.
But if you’re someone that doesn’t normally dream, pay
attention to it. Pay attention to it.
You know, and I notice a lot of times when I teach certain
things, you know, a lot of times people begin to... You know,
they go through their natural mind like, “Pastor, you know,
something, you know, what to...” I’m trying to teach. That’s
what I’m trying to do. That’s what I’m trying to do tonight.
I’m trying to teach.
Write it down. Don’t be so quick to speak it. The Bible says
be slow to speak, quick to hear, and slow to wrath. That’s
what the Bible says. Don’t be so quick to release it.
And even when God uses you in sight ministry, don’t be so
quick to release it. “Well, God showed me this. And God
showed me that.” Don’t be so quick to release that thing.
You might release it too early. Amen? Praise the Lord.
In these dreams that these people had, the meaning were clear
enough that they did not need an interpretation except for
King Nebuchadnezzar. And in that event God supplied
someone that was able to give the interpretation. He supplied
it.
God doesn’t just do anything just to do it, without reason. So
all of those dreams that you had that you didn’t write down,
they could have been from God. And God could have been
saying something to you, something that could have changed
your whole life, your destiny.
I remember when I was at AT&T in Atlanta. And my wife
was pregnant. And she was getting ready to have the baby.
And they didn’t give maternity leave with pay to men. But
you could take off for a week to help your wife. You know,
they had all kinds of benefits up there.
But my manager told me, she said, “You know what? I’m
going to pay you.” But then she went to her boss. And she
came back to me and said, “My boss said I couldn’t pay you.”
Well, lo and behold I had a dream. And that night I dreamed
that there was a cubicle. And it was dark in the cubicle. But
there was a computer there. And there was a light that shone
down on the computer. And I heard a voice say, “Who’s
going to get paid?”
And in my dream I said, “I am.”
And when I got back to work the very next day my manager
said... My boss said, “I can’t pay you, but I told you I was
going to pay you. I’m going to pay you anyway.” You better
give God a handclap of praise. Now that’s what I call a
dream? Don’t you?
He showed me in a dream. But you know what I did when
she first told me that afternoon that I wasn’t going to get paid?
I went outside on the balcony. And we... It was a beautiful
buildings up there in the office space. And there was water
with a fountain outside.
And I just went out there. And I just began to praise the Lord.
And I prayed to the Lord. I said, “Lord, You know, now, you
know, I got these children now. You got to take care of me.
And you promised that You would.” But I praised Him and I
worshiped Him.
And God gave me that dream. And He showed me. But even
in that dream I had to participate. My faith had to leap forth
in the dream. Do you hear what I’m saying? In an
unconscious state I still had to operate in faith. Now that’s
amazing.
He spoke to me and said, “Who’s going to get paid?”
And in my spirit I leaped and said, “I am.” When God shows
you a dream, don’t just disregard it. Watch it manifest.
Watch it manifest.
And those of you that have ideas for inventions, don’t just
think that, you know, you just got this out of the clear blue.
The Bible says that He will give you ideas. You’ve got to
take that idea and write it down and pray over it. And say,
“Lord, this is the idea that has come to me. Show me, Lord,
God. Is this You speaking to me? Is this one of the ways that
You are going to prosper my hands?”
God will speak to you in different ways, in different ways, in
different ways. Sometimes you’ll interpret your own, and
sometimes someone else will interpret. But you have got to
be diligent about it anyway.
Remember it’s one thing to dream a dream, but it’s another
thing to interpret the dream.
Now listen at this. Listen. When the symbol is in the natural
realm, the interpretation is in the human realm. And I’m
going to take you to a Scripture. Listen again. When the
symbol is in the natural realm, the interpretation is in the
human realm.
Now go with me to Genesis thirty-seven. We’re almost
finished. Okay. Look at Genesis chapter thirty-seven. Look
at verse five.
5. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren:
and they hated him yet the more.
6. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which
I have dreamed:
7. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo,
my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your
sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over
us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us...
They knew the interpretation immediately, didn’t they? Look
at verse nine.
9. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his
brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more;
and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made
obeisance to me.
10. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream
that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy
brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the
earth?
11. And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the
saying.
He dreamed a dream of them bowing down to him. And
immediately they knew the interpretation of that dream.
Now listen again. When the symbol is in the natural realm,
when you look at these symbols, the sheaves, the stars, the
moons, they were all in the natural realm. But what happened
was, the interpretation came into the human realm. Listen to
this. Because you need to learn this. You need to understand
this.
The interpretation was in the human realm. It had something
to do with them humanly. Amen? Now when the symbol is
in the human realm, the interpretation is in the spiritual realm.
Now go back with me to Daniel. I’m teaching you about
interpretation of dreams. In Daniel chapter seven. Let me get
there. Okay. Look at verse... Look at verse eight.
8. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among
them another little horn, before whom there were three of the
first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn
were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great
things.
Remember now, if the symbol is in the human realm, the
interpretation of it is in the spiritual realm. These requires a
spiritual interpretation. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight?
So if it’s in the realm of the natural realm, as we discussed,
the interpretation is in what? The human realm. Okay.
When the symbol is in the natural realm, dealing with the
stars, the moon, the different things that are natural, the
interpretation is in the human realm.
But when you’re dealing with the things... Glory to God.
When the symbols are in the human realm, the eyes and all of
these different things, the interpretation is in what? There we
go. Give God a handclap of praise.
In Jude eight... And this is our last Scripture. Because I don’t
want you all to go to sleep on me this evening. In the book of
Jude. That’s right before Revelation. Look at verse eight. It
says,
8. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh,
despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Now you know those dreams that are not of God, that are
unclean? The Bible calls those defiled dreams. And just
because you are in a state of unconsciousness, you are still
responsible for your state of unconsciousness. You need to
know this. The Bible calls them filthy dreamers.
So if you are having sexual dreams, then the Bible is calling
that what? Filthy. That’s filthy. That’s why what we must
do is, when we even lay down to sleep, we need to ask God
not only watch over us as we sleep in the natural, but watch
over us as we sleep in the spiritual. Do you hear what I’m
saying? Watch over my dream. Because Satan can give you
a dream.
You see, if you are battling with a spirit of lust, then Satan
can’t... He might not be able to get you to go out physically
and touch somebody. But he’ll get you in your dream. Come
on, somebody. He’ll get you in your dream.
Because you see, he knows that you might have a desire for
somebody that you know you better not touch. But see, you
know you better not touch them in the natural. But when he
bring you that person in your sleep, you better not touch them
then either. Do you hear what I’m saying?
You’ve got to pray over your dreams. Pray over your
unconscious state. Say, “Lord, even keep me in my dreams.
Keep me in my dreams.” Somebody needed to hear that.
The Bible calls them defiled dreamers, filthy dreamers, that
defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Tonight understand that some of your dreams have meanings.
And don’t just disregard them.
And if you have a dream... And I’m going back to about
being filthy dreaming. If you’re having a dream that’s filthy
over and over and over again, then you’re battling with a
spirit of lust. And you’ve got to bind that spirit.
See, because God not only watches what you do when you’re
awake. He watches what you do when you’re asleep. And
we’ve got to be holy when we’re awake. And we’ve got to be
holy when we are asleep. Do you hear what I’m saying?
Because Satan is waiting to attack you, especially when you
are exhausted. When you are exhausted, you better pray
before you hit that sheet. And say, “Lord, watch over me,
even in my dreams. And then go to sleep. It’s important. It’s
important.
And I know there are a lot of single people. And you say,
“Well, pastor, you just don’t understand.” I used to be single
too. Amen. I’m saying this for a reason. Our dreams are
important.
If you think that you are a dreamer of dreams, then you need
to get you a little note pad. This was taught to me. You need
to get you a little note pad and pencil. Put it by your bed. So
when you get up, if God has shown you something in a
dream, you can write it down, detail by detail.
Because if you say, “Well, I’ll just remember it,” you’re
going to begin to forget about different parts of it, different
parts. It won’t be exactly the way He showed it to you.
My wife is a dreamer. She is a dreamer. She’s a dreamer.
She dreams things that happen. She dreams things about
people. She dreams them. And she tells me what she
dreamed. And I say, “Okay.” And I’ll pray about it, you
know.
But if you’re a dreamer, write them down. Write them down.
Come on. Give God a handclap of praise.