Does God Give People Prophetic Dreams?

Does God speak to us in our dreams is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity. While I am happy Friday on Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answered your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Would love to hear from you, and you can call us right now. Our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so. Here's the phone number is 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Chris calling in from Lebanon, Tennessee. Chris what your question for pastor. Israel will little bit about your nothing but in everything by prayer and publication with thanksgiving to God and God which all comprehension, will guard your heart and your mind and everything you need to pray about every little decision that we do tell what yeah why it's good to pray at all times and you know with regard to everything yeah you know I think we are called to to come before the Lord and we can do that through Jesus boldly were told in the book of Hebrews here specifically, though, Chris.

I think one of the things that the apostle Paul is highlighting for the Philippians he knows that the Christians there in Philippi are experiencing suffering. He was suffering after he wrote this letter while he was in prison and he's trying to encourage the Philippians was a look even even while I'm here. The gospel is continuing to advance him from clinging to the Lord, I'm trusting in him, but they were. They were also struggling. He says back in chapter 1 verse 21, for it is been granted to you that for the sake of Christ. You should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had, and now had I now hear that I still haven't delete these Christians there in the first century of their engaged in this conflict, in the spiritual battle, but he doesn't want them to be overwhelmed by by this reality. He wants some stilted to continually come before the Lord when when when you have these challenges that they had the same look.

Bring those challenges to the Lord make your major prayer known to him and and don't be anxious, verse six of interest about that that the difficulty that you're in, but in everything by prayer and supplication of which one you're experiencing these tribulations you know you Christians and in Philippi come before the Lord.

Still, with thanksgiving, and let your requests be made known to him and his peace will cover you in of the piece, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus… Very practical encouragement and and I think the take away for us as look as bad as believers, we do experience trials and tribulation in our lives. Jesus said it very clearly in John 16. In this world you will have tribulation you will have trials, but I have overcome the world. And so we take those struggles that we have the disappointments that we experience in life and we we bring them before the Lord in prayer and we trust in him and we rest in him and and you know we we can make our our requests known to him, but in the midst of that we even give thanks to him for all things knowing that he's in control, that he sovereign and that he cares for us and so it really is meant to be an encouragement to the Philippians, not hey. Just make sure your beer praying for every little thing he sent as you struggle as you face these challenges come before the Lord in prayer and let his peace. The peace which passes all understanding, fill your hearts thank you for that question we ask a follow-up question a drill. I've heard some people say when it comes to being anxious for nothing that being anxious, having anxiety can actually be a sooner be disobedient what your perspective on that most of the float much more complex discussion is in a billing you know someone who is worked with people with anxiety disorders. It is not a simple you can just say will anxiety is a sin because there is I think a mental health component as well. But there are no ways in which I think we can be so consumed with the cares of this world overwhelmed with anxious thoughts about this. This present age if you will. And because were not fixing our eyes on Christ, I'm right. I think we do need to eat to hear the words of the apostle Paul there and that's what Paul is speaking about. He says don't be anxious about about anything.

I don't think he sees you know, referring to, you know that the sort of disorder, anxiety disorders, and in those situations, I would say it's important to see a medical professional. Get some help, but at the same time I think we want to be careful that were not just justifying the be anxious cares that we have that can be sinful at times. Where were so consumed with the cares of the world that were not trusting in the Lord and resting in his goodness toward us and so it is a larger discussion that I think it requires wisdom for us to to unpack it and and to know what it is that were dealing with specifically great counsel. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez it's summertime, you might be going to a wedding sometime so maybe you're getting married yourself or you have son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter is getting married. We have a wonderful resource on marriage that would like to offer you today that it's right whether you're married or not.

Maybe your dating engaged at whatever stage of life you're in.

There are so many questions that are coming up.

Especially these days about marriage, about the goodness of marriage about the purpose of marriage and that's really made this booklet. Why would anyone get married a case for the beauty and goodness of marriage and as I said, now more than ever Christian should be able to answer the difficult questions about marriage and relationships as well as point others to the beauty and wonder of God's design for marriage and so get over this resource and we create resources just for this reason, to help you navigate these important discussions with your family with your friends they can see how the Bible's view of marriage not only helps human flourishing, but reflects and glorifies God as well. Again it's called, why would anyone get married you can find that by going to our website. Core, Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/office with all kinds of great stuff on our website so browse around when you get an opportunity to do that we do receive voicemails here at core Christianity and here's one that we received from one of our listeners named Margaret. I heard someone talking about a prophecy about thing that they dreamed about and I guess they were telling us about it.

But you know what the real problem for your him that made up. Thank you.

Now certainly Margaret in the Bible you have examples of of dreams that God gave to people and you know these are prophetic dreams were he's communicating something to them about the world about his will and in this is something we did see throughout Scripture. I don't know that we should ordinarily expect if I don't I don't think that we should ordinarily expect for God to communicate to us in in these ways.

Certainly we have the Scriptures amend one of the things we continually go back to here on this broadcast is if you want to know God's will for your life. Don't wait for a dream from heaven dig into the Scriptures exercise wisdom. You know be a part of a solid church community where you have good people investing in you and counselors that you can go to because often God uses the sort of ordinary means to communicate guidance to us, his will, again and again. First and foremost being the word of God. I think too often people will read you know, the book of acts, or unit. The history of redemption we have and script in the say what I'm expecting. This is the sort of ordinary Christian experiences and they feel really discouraged because God is not audibly speaking to them or giving them dreams to see what we have to recognize where we are in the history of redemption.

Christ the ultimate prophet, priest and king has come revealing to us the will of God for our salvation. We go to him when you look to him and so when people say how God has given me the special revelation I had at a dream I am I'm a guy I don't want to. I don't want to knock that but I I'm cautious, especially because there are people who will come and say those kinds of things and we know that the dream or the vision or the prophecy.

Whatever it is doesn't line up with what we see in Scripture. So we have to test everything according to the word of God. As I was a semi comes to with you know with this claim. I've had this vision. I've had this prophecy or this dream.

I think you test everything on the basis of Scripture and then II would you say you don't need that. You need to be rude but I would just say, well, you know, ordinarily God isn't revealing himself, and that in that way today. This is the common experience of all the people of God has been for the last 2000 years, and I think the reason is because he wants us to sink our teeth into something stable, something that doesn't change, it's his word, and so we go to the word over and over again. I remember when I was in high school. Newer believer. I was in a Bible study one time and afterwards there was a woman there in the Bible study who came up to me and sitting.

I really feel like the Lord gave me a word for you have a new Christian right. I'm eager to learn about Jesus am excited about Jesus and she said I I just you know I was.

I was praying for you and I had this this vision or this thought in my mind that you were hanging out with all the bad kids and everyone in the church was saying. Boy you know it it just seem like it was so you know he seem like he was on fire for Jesus, but then all of a sudden you know he he started doing bad things and never listener and just thinking like you don't know me at all what you talking about federal it was so discouraging because at that time you have a new believer of a really sensitive conscience. She sees coming to me with this prophecy that one day you know I'm a to be with all the bad kids in high school and and Boyd's disc to be a sad man I thought again you don't know me and praise God. You know what she said did not come true and wasn't true was just her feelings and so they could just be so unhelpful and even destructive. Go to the word. That's the encouragement. God bless you know I had this dream that you invited me over for Connie Asada house. I don't know if that's like a prophetic dream or if that's just a hopeful dreamer what you think billiard is dreaming about the kind Asada that I make because you have come over for kind Asada and it was good. I know I don't want to brag about it but it was good so it doesn't surprise me that you would be dreaming about more in this is where you're coming over for dinner and I'm barbecuing some some food that is build to suit natural longing for you, but I do okay this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. By the way, were also open to calls from people who may have doubts about Christianity or maybe you consider yourself to be an agnostic or an atheist, and you stumbled on this program in your thinking. I don't believe in all this stuff but would love to hear from you as well.

Here's the number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 Evan called and with this question, a drill, he says, is it okay if a pastor doesn't have accountability or an elder board and he wants to know if you have any scriptures to support your answer. Yeah yeah will the New Testament churches were governed by a plurality of of elders is a demi-Duchess you see that all over the place in the book of acts you know you have the apostles going back to me to places with a planted churches in order to install elders. Their vision just typically have ordinarily have this one person ruling the roost.

If you will.

There was this accountability structure. There was this this leadership team that the elders called qualified, competent men who were serving the church and so and so no, I would say it's it's not okay. It's certainly not ideal, but it's also not okay. Ordinarily speaking, there are instances I think especially in the context of church planting, where you where you might have one evangelist go out and begin to plant a church.

And it takes time to build up the train up that group of elders who were going to labor alongside of you. So there are there are instances where even though I think you know we would say it's it's not okay. There are instances where you do end up with that kind of situation but I would say you know if if you're in a situation where you have a pastor who just doesn't want any accountability who doesn't see himself under any authority adjuster says oh I'm I'm the pastor I'm the boss, the sort of Moses model of ministry understand it, do it all and I don't answer anyone.

I think that's that's a problem that's that's a recipe.

Frankly, for disaster. We seen this over and over again in Christian churches and so and so. Simply put, again it's it's not okay it's not in line with with.

I think the example that we see in Scripture what's prescribed by the apostles themselves as they were planting churches, but there are instances where you do end up with just one pastor, evangelist, to serving the church and hopefully working towards building up and training and installing new elders in the church, but that can take some time and so that's that's your answer Evan thank you for the question. Thank 7% you being a regular listener to core Christianity and digging into God's word. Here's our phone number if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life. Or maybe about your Christian walk and how you can really live it out during today's world and some of the different issues that we face in our culture.

Here's a number to call. It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Christina calling in from New York. Christina what your question for a drill I can't explain, but I I want to. I was there and I was a Catholic Church and I went to confession and I told him no. I had an abortion and he screamed, got out and I extricated me, but I went to another Catholic Church and I know Mike said and I don't know if that Carol did not sell count or I have to like you don't count as far as you know, count towards God to be together and that's what I mean Christina, thank you for giving us a call. Whatever our sins are when we come to the Lord brokenhearted recognizing that we've sinned, and we confess those sins to the Lord. He forgives us whom we truly repent. He forgives us we see examples of this throughout the Bible. Christina I think of King David. For example, he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He murdered Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, and for a period of time he lived with the with the guilt and shame of his sin, unwilling to to confess until he was confronted by the prophet Nathan and is confronted by by the prophet, and finally he he repents. He confesses his sins, and you can read his confession actually Christina in Psalm 51 of this to you know when David was confronted by Nathan the prophet after he had sin with Bathsheba and he says, have mercy on me.

Oh God, according to your steadfast love.

According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. And the Lord forgave his sins. Yes, they were heinous they were terrible, murder, adultery, but when we go to the Lord. We say, have mercy upon me of God and the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse us of all our sins and agrees me to hear that you went to confess your sins and instead of being met with the. The truth of the gospel.

The strength of the gospel in the blood of Jesus Christ. You were just yelled at.

I don't think about that but was the right that was the right response.

Yes, sin is terrible heinous it it it it it it it is destructive, and yet our sin is not greater than the blood of Jesus Christ. I would see if you've gone to Christ, truly confessing your sins and know that you are forgiven. I would say you need to get plugged in to a solid church that preaches the gospel. That's faithful to Jesus. We are going to be cared for and you're going to be reminded continually of the forgiveness of Christ, so that you can grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, but our hope again. Our hope is in the forgiveness that Christ gives to us through what he's done for us at the cross that his blood is sufficient to cleanse us of all of our sins we come to him confessing those sins and maybe one just encouragement use go to Psalm 51 and read those words and it may sounds like you've you have repented, like you view this is something you brought before the Lord. But make this prayer your own prayer and know that justice the Lord forgave David so to he forgives you when you go to him and get plugged into a solid church sister God bless you. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Norman calling in from St. Louis, Missouri Norman what your question for atrial and took about two months. I do very very mannerly very Kristin like to very spot on with their theology. My question is that have a question some 1763, saying all the terms and whatnot but I follow likes that they want through the years, but recently I looked up on Google notes like 83, 87% of Americans believe in God and/or a higher power.

I guess I could be Allah but the 63% are Christian, and a nice unders 2.5 billion Christians on the earth right on my mind every day of my life. I turn on the news or I go out driving around people because made a try to drive me out, low-grade overcoat enough of we.

We have a mass shooting almost every day now.

What that means for people or more shot and are killed as hard for me to accept the fact that 63% of Americans are Christian members. 2.5 billion. They sure don't act like uses the money they can be hard-core but that seems like were the Christians are kind of dwindling cell with six families is your question is right.

Are there really 2.5 billion Christians in the world wouldn't the world be a better place coming the yeah I mean, you do have a lot of people who profess faith in Jesus. You do have a lot of cultural Christianity.

I think throughout the world. People were baptized, and who maybe went to church for a time or or do go to church but it's really just a sort of nominal religion then that's how I was, to be honest with you for for many years and I would go to church or go to mass and would probably answer you if you asked me we are you a Christian out but probably would've said yes but I didn't really know the gospel.

I didn't really have a personal relationship with Jesus at all. I really didn't like going to church. I thought it was the most boring thing on the plan. I remember early on praying I when I was really convicted of my sin and realizing I need I need Christ. I need the gospel. I remember praying to God and saying to God. Lord, I know I need your help. I really don't want to go to church like is there is there some kind of a loophole for me.

Can I can I be a Christian can I accept you can have my sins forgiven and just not have to go to church because just like the most boring thing in the world to me.

I think there a lot of people out there who identify as Christians, but that's how they feel they don't really understand the gospel.

They don't spend any time thinking about God's word. What he says how he calls us to live. They don't have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

So it's important for us and we when we think about these things that we that we focus on the truth that we communicate the gospel in very clear ways. It's not just being quote on quote conservative that makes you a Christian. It's not where your parents went to church.

It's having that living vital faith in in Jesus is walking with Christ in in in you having been justified through what Jesus did for us. It's is that reality Jesus said in in Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. I wonder if we really grappled with his words there with. We really transformed the call of Christ, and specifically the gospel into something that's that's not faithful. I think to what we see in the New Testament and most people if you asked them even Christian churches. What is the gospel would have a very difficult time articulating it to you. Most people I think Norman's is something I've seen go straight to the law they say well you had to be a good person. Love your neighbors don't cheat on your taxes. That kind of of them.

I'm a Christian because I'm a good person. I know that's not what what makes you a Christian were Christians through the blood of Jesus Christ through holy baptism and faith in the gospel. Recognizing that we were dead in trespasses and sins, but through Jesus Christ we have been made alive and is those who have been made alive. We do want to love our neighbors well imperfectly as we do it. It's what were called to and so may the Lord really bring about a revival throughout. You know his church in all places, you know it all over the world that only happens through faithful preaching of God's words and that's what we need to recover. I think more than anything else. Norman really good counsel Israel had.

I know in many cases people are just kind of checking a box that says you know, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, whatever their they're not really living out or they haven't really made that decision and trusted Christ as their Savior. Yeah I am if if for you. Christianity is just checking the box. There's a real problem brothers and sisters. Christ calls us to embrace his grace and to follow him. That's not checking the box. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together