The Dream: A Decade Later

I was recently communicating with someone who took interest in my dreams. This person asked me if I would share, so I did. I shared one that has had a lasting impact on me these past 10 years. 
The person claimed to have a prophetic gift. The person read the dream, then proceeded to give me a false interpretation. How do I know it is false? Because it had no mention of Jesus or Scripture or God's Spirit. That person's interpretation was based on their own circumstances, not on Scripture. And if one is to correctly interpret a dream, one MUST have the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and one must also have a mature, living and dynamic understanding of God's Word, the Bible. And... one should also pay attention to the context of one's life. What were you going through at the time you had your dream? Well, here is my context...

CONTEXT: This dream occurred at the time I was being encouraged to step further into local church ministry by taking out credentials. I had this dream about 10 years ago, May 22, 2004. I had just gotten my local licence to minister in Dec 2003, and my promotion from Youth ministry director to Youth Pastor would happen Sept. 24, 2004. I was also dating a woman who would later be my wife.

THE DREAM (May 22, 2004):
While I was asleep, I dreamed that I saw my local church. I heard a call to come and serve. One person beside me made an excuse why they couldn't and left. Others made excuses too. But I did not hesitate to respond. I volunteered myself by walking to the front of the church in this dream. There was music. I stood at the front and watched as my hands were "nailed" to the wall. There was no pain, no gore. But very a strong visual picture of myself volunteering to heed the Call, and being "fixed" in my geographic location.
In addition, someone went before me to volunteer. I was not the first.
That was the dream. Not a long one.

Taking a look at my dream's elements: Three major elements: 1) The Call, 2) The excuse (denying the call) and 3) The response (accepting the call). Applying the Bible to the elements we see in the dream will help us understand what was seen in this dream.

1) There was a call to serve in the dream... the Bible says:
1 Cor 7:17
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

So we know that the call really comes from the Lord, and it is ordained in local churches ("Churches" in the Greek is "Ekklesia"- public gatherings of believers- called out and assembled. G1577 in Strongs Concordance). The Greek word for “walk” means “walk at large, follow as a companion, to be occupied with.” The Call is in the context of local churches, and has to do with what the LORD wants us to be “occupied with”. First the call to Salvation. Then the call to learn, grow, and serve.

2) There were some that made excuses in my dream.
The Bible says:
Luke 14:18-20
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So there are three major reasons Jesus gave in the parable why people don't respond to His call. a) possesions (ground as a symbol) b) work and career (oxen as a symbol of work) c) marriage (and family).
These excuses are used to avoid responding to God's call both to salvation and His call to Serve in the Kingdom. There is nothing wrong with possessions, work, or marriage and family. Where trouble happens, however, is when Jesus is not first above all else in the disciple's life. All these other good things are not so good if placed in top priority over Jesus.

3) The response to the call. I responded to the call and came forward in the dream. The result was I was nailed with arms out as was Jesus when He was crucified. It was a symbolic identification with Jesus. Jesus says this to those who want to be disciples:
Mark 8:34-35
34 And when he had called (there is that word again!) the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

So here we see the call of God is always to lose ones earthly “life” to follow Jesus and further His Gospel. One gains His life by losing their own life. We die to the world and are alive to Christ. This has certainly come to pass in my walk. I am "crucified" to the world and alive to Christ! And as I die to "self", it is Christ in me that lives! (See Gal. 2:20)

What I saw in my dream was myself symbolically responding to the call of Jesus to further the gospel of Jesus Christ in the local church. This interpretation is according to the Word. I am just using pictures found in the Bible to explain pictures I dreamed in bed.

As I contemplate this dream again, I have been thinking. I did get married on May 21, 2005. That was basically one full year later than the date of the dream. I had no idea back in '05 that being nailed to the calling as a disciple would cost me my marriage. I knew the dream, but did not fully realize the cost God was showing me in it.
As it turns out, one of the "excuse makers" in that dream was my wife! She did indeed join our church, and then leave again, less than 2 years later. And, ultimately, I was abandoned for my faith and stance in Christ. It is a privilege to be persecuted for Jesus's sake.

Luke 18:28-30 KJV
28Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

As painful as it was, God strengthened me. I have overcome and stood strong. I am divorced as of 2009. Yet, praise the Lord for His faithfulness!! I am still in the ministry, and I await a woman who will answer the call with me! A faithful woman who is able to pick up her cross and walk with Jesus. It is a cross-walk.

So if you dream, write it down, pray to Jesus, and study God's Word. Let the Spirit speak to you, for in these last days, God did promise to speak through dreams and visions (Read Acts 2). Not every dream or vision is of God, so be sure to ask Jesus for discernment and wisdom. Dreams must line up with God's Word and God's Spirit in order to be of God.

As for my dream, it was a prophetic picture of discipleship and following Jesus. We must identify with our Master and bear the same "marks" as He did. We bear the mark of God in our lifestyle and in our thinking, and in our hearts. We pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus!

God bless you!
-Pastor Curtis

Green In Grey

This poem I just wrote has been birthed from a vision I received and wrote down a month ago about God protecting me in the midst of a forest fire. (He has done that by the way, symbolically.) The part about the green sapling at the end is what this poem is about. I wrote it mostly for my own soul. But you can read and be encouraged too. 

Bless you, 

Curtis

______________

"Green In Grey"

----------------

Little green tree,

Come out to play

Little bending twig

Dance and display

Little strong branch

It's time to sprout

Give God Glory,

Tenderly reach out

Little growing leaf,

You're a copy of the Seed

You will be strong

All expectations you'll exceed

You miracle of Christ

Growing amongst the remains

The only patch of forest

That has yet to be regained

Greyness be defeated

Patch you come alive

Like the green forest around you

Give birth, come back, and thrive

Little green sapling

In a grey zone

I know a bird will love you

And will choose your perch alone.

----

Poem by Curtis J. Alexander (c) March 10, 2014

Abandoned Because of Your Faith? Identify with Jesus!

32Behold, the hour cometh, and is already come, that ye shall be scattered every man into his own, and shall leave me alone: but I am not alone: for the Father is with me.

33These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace: in the world ye shall have affliction, but be of good comfort: I have overcome the world.
-John 16:32-33 (Geneva)

Do you identify with Jesus in the above passage? I do, and it is a privilege! If you follow Him, you will experience what He experienced. You will feel the same losses He felt, and experience abandonments, betrayals, and persecutions.... all because you stand for Christ. 

The blessing is that you always have the Father and the Son with you, and Jesus promises you that He has overcome all those things you are going through. He will help you overcome them too. This is discipleship. Salvation is free. Discipleship is costly.

If you are like me, then you know the pain of being abandoned by a loved one. God offers His healing and comfort to you in this. 

But something even greater happens. If you stand firm for Jesus and are abandoned or mistreated for it, it proves your faith is immovable! It shows and proves that you are indeed planted on the Rock, Christ Jesus!! This is great news. If your faith were not genuine, you would have given up Christ to appease your loved ones who mistreated you or abandoned you for your faith. Because at the end of our days, what will matter? That Jesus will see you were a good and faithful servant! 

So let us confirm the following facts about John 16:32. 

1) Abandonment had a purpose. Jesus was abandoned and He knew it would occur. It was His purpose to die for the sins of the world alone. 

2) Abandonment was by those whom He loved. Yes this is painful, but Jesus knew He had to be abandoned, to show that Jesus was absolutely faithful to the Father first, even over His own disciples. He had very close friendships and a special love for each of them, and knowing that they would run away from Him in His hour of need did not make it any easier for Him when it finally happened.

3) Abandonment is only a season, an "hour." The word "hour" actually means "a season, an instant", in the original Greek text. Jesus was not abandoned forever. He was left alone for a season. So it is with us, His disciples. We are sometimes alone. And it is for a season, not forever. If you were abandoned for your faith, remember that God is not done with you yet. He will rally around you and build you up by His Spirit and by His Word and by His local church. I am still in that personal season of aloneness myself. But it is just that... a season. It allows our Christ-like nature to truly shine and develop. Do not waste this hour!  Don't miss what God is doing in you through it! 

4) Jesus was not a victim, but a victor. He did not see Himself as a victim, and neither 
should you and I see ourselves as one. We are overcomers. Jesus overcame death, sin and the devil. We too can be overcomers with Jesus if we embrace our time of aloneness with Him. Identify with Jesus in your "hour" or "season" of aloness. 

5) Jesus spoke these verses for our PEACE! We are to walk in peace, knowing that even when abandoned, or alone, or mistreated for the faith, Jesus has it all under control. There is no surprise and God will keep you and guard you. He wants you to be comforted. And not just any comfort will do... Jesus wants you to be of GOOD comfort! 

6) You are not truly alone. Like Jesus, you always have the Heavenly Father with you! Even in this period of aloneness, we are with Him. It is a good time to really get close to God through Jesus! Not only this, but God gives us a place in His Body, the church! Be sure to connect with other branches in the Vine: participate in church regularly! 

7) Jesus is Our Pattern for Discipleship and Our reward for following! Jesus is alive forever more, forever in fellowship and forever in our midst. He promised we will have tribulation in the world, but that He has already overcome the world! He is with you!

God bless you as you stand firm.

- Pastor Curtis