Does God Still Reveal Himself Through the Avenue of Dreams and Visions?

Here is a copy of my paper I wrote for my Systematic 1 class at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on the question of, "Does God still reveal Himself through the avenue of dreams and visions?"  Hope it edifies the saints and exalts our Savior!  (In case you are curious, I got a 97! :D)

Issue

This paper will discuss the question, “Does God still reveal Himself through the avenues of dreams and visions?”  Definitions are key to this discussion.  Merriam-Webster defines dreams as, “a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind…”[1]  While Webster speaks of “dreams” as being experienced in sleep, in the Bible dreams and visions can happen while a person is fully awake.[2]  Dreams and visions are synonymous in that they are both audiovisual apparitions.[3]  Both dreams and visions are an experience or state in which thoughts, images, and sensations occupy someone’s experience.  In this paper we will not be debating whether God used dreams in the visions to reveal Himself in the past; we will be considering the role of dreams and visions for the believer today.  We will conclude that God may use dreams and visions as a form of general revelation, but since the canon of Scripture is closed, dreams and visions are not to be considered authoritative as special revelation.  I will argue this thesis by examining alternative views, presenting my view, and answering potential objections.  

Missionary Ann Judson on the Topic of Missions:

"I want the Baptists throughout the United States to feel, that Burmah must be converted through their instrumentality. They must do more than they have ever yet done. They must pray more, they must give more, and make greater efforts to prevent the Missionary flame from becoming extinct. Every Christian in the United States should feel as deeply impressed with the importance of making continual efforts for the salvation of the heathen, as though their conversion depended solely on himself. Every individual Christian should feel himself guilty if he has not done and does not continue to do all in his power for the spread of the gospel and the enlightening of the heathen world. But I need not write thus to you. You see, you feel the misery of the heathen world. Try to awaken Christians around you. Preach frequently on the subject of Missions. I have remarked it to be the case, when a minister feels much engaged for the heathen, his people generally partake of his spirit." (Letter to Francis Wayland, 22 January 1823)

A Shelter for the World

Week three of the summer Series "The Shelter"

It’s going to be hard to get back into this, but, I’ll somewhat explain where I was last week, and why there was no service.  I have been sick, not only physically, but emotionally, and what I really found out is that my own sin really makes life harder.  It creates hostility between us and God, and puts distance and space between us. (Romans 8:7)  My own impatience made me sick to my stomach, and in the long run, I stressed myself into submission. 

I’ve learned that sometimes it’s easier to trust God.  You know how sometimes, when you really want something to be easy, you end up doing things the hard way in the end?  Such as procrastinating on an assignment or being too lazy to get up and get the remote and suffering through some awful television show just because you don’t want to get up?  Isn’t it just easier to get up and do it?  But, it shows that our enemy is alive, and active.

The Fathers House

This week I'm reposting my summer series back from the old Tumblr called “The Shelter.” 

I definitely wanted to tie something summer-y into the series this week, but I didn’t really come up with much.  But I can tell you one thing, it’s been a hot week.  For those who don’t know, me and my home church traveled down to New Orleans last week to “Love the City” through the missionLab program.  And let me emphasize one thing, “It was HOT!”  Not even the dry heat I’m used too but humid heat, kind of like you’re inside heated up Jell-o.  So, I thought it would be cool down these next few weeks, and whats better to cool of with then water right?  And what person knows more about water then anyone else in the Bible?  Noah, that’s who!

But, seriously, God spoke too me through this passage about our responsibility as the House of God and even more personal, to ourselves as Christians, to reach out and help each other as people (despite color or creed) in this broken and dieing world.

Noah lived in much similar society we do today, one that is far from God.  And that is what Chapter 6 of Genesis makes much of it’s focus.  The Nephilim were the people on the earth at that time.  And too save you time in reading about them (which I would post if I knew you probably would just skim over it)  I’ll sum it up in one verse.  ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and the birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them.” 

I don’t know what kind of translation you have, but what I love about the way it says this is how it rounds the men right in with the animals.  The people at this time had forgotten where they came from, and we see that we as people, even long ago, can truly do nothing outside of the Grace of God.  We truly are bent toward sin, that’s why we need to keep in mind, that we as the Shelter of God, need to keep God as the focus, because if it becomes about us, we’ll not even be able to do anything for ourselves much less for those who are hurting around us.