Learning to interpret dreams?

[Guest]

This question was not posted on this forum, but was emailed to me from someone in the UK. The question was of a sort that I thought should be addressed here, so I am posting the original message as well as my response. Further responses are, of course, welcome. —Steve

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Dear Steve

I have recently started listening to your MP3 downloads and find them challenging both spiritually and mentally.

Would I be able to ask you a question as I’m finding it hard within my church setting to find clear guidance on a matter.

Our church in the UK has recently started sending people on www.streamsministries.com (John Paul Jackson) dream interpretation courses. These courses include the use of dream cards to assist in giving a dream an interpretation.

Having studied the scriptures I could find a single account of God using other believers to interpret dreams for other believers – although I accept it’s possible for this to happen. The other matter is the streams web site https://www.interpretmydream.com/module ... signup.php . Having checked with streams they confirm that they charge people to put dreams onto the site and then the people who have paid to do the dream courses then pay again to go on the site and interpret dreams.

I have placed this before my church leaders and they have stated that with regard to the web site its not the way they would do it but its typical of the American Christians (you might refute that)

They have said that they think the statement of faith is good on the web site and therefore everything is ok.

I feel that I am being moved to one side and told to just ignore it and get on with other matters.

I perceive that we will raise up a new class of dream interpreting Christians who will have dominance and power over others who need a repeated dream reading.

I have faced so much subtle opposition to my questioning that I just need some sort of unbiased advice on this if possible.

I hope that’s ok

Thanks Mark


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Hi Mark,

Thanks for writing. I'm sorry to hear about this situation in your church. It is evident that, in scripture, dream interpretations, like those of Joseph and Daniel, were given by inspiration and revelatuion from God—not from cards or methods that these men learned from other men.

Dream interpretation is more connected with Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung than with the Bible. In secular psychology, it is believed that your dreams reveal the repressed memories of the subconscious, and can be interpreted along certain theoretical lines by an analyst. No such assumptions about dreams or their interpretation can be drawn from the Scripture.

Modern churches seem very much infatuated with the mysteries of secular psychological theories, and often try to "baptize" them into the church by finding tenuous parallels in Scripture—e.g., psychologists find meaning in dreams, and there are also meaningful dreams mentioned in Scripture. Beyond this, the similarities end.

Your leaders are unfortunately correct in saying that American Christians often market their ministries for Mammon. It is the "American Way." However, it is not God's Way, and I find such activities offensive, as every Christian has the right to do. "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" (Ezek.34:2).

Why do your leaders not find Jesus to be enough? Following Christ, studying His words and applying them to life, loving Him and serving Him by serving each other—this is what original Christianity was about. Who needs all these fads? I have been in the charismatic movement for 35 years, during which I have seen the following fads come and go— Word of Faith, leg-lengthening ministries, deliverance ministries, the shepherding/discipleship movement, inner healing, the new prophetic movement, the laughing revival, and now, dream interpretation. Each of these fads makes an initial splash with the most-gullible among the charismatics, and then either fades into the background to be eclipsed by the next "wave" or else becomes thoroughly repudiated by the discerning sector of the Body of Christ.

I should clarify that I myself believe in healing, in deliverance, in prophecy and all the gifts, in biblical discipleship and in revelatory dreams. However, these things get distorted when they become the focus of the church.

Loving and following Jesus is the only legitimate focus for any church of which He is the Head. Any church that gets into the latest fad will usually think that they are getting excited about Jesus through this fad, but in fact, it is because they really find Jesus personally boring and unfulfilling that they are desperately seeking stimulation in every new gimmick that promises to keep things interesing.

Following the gimmick gives one the impression that he is on "the cutting edge" of what God is currently doing and saying. It appeals powerfully to the pride by giving one a sense of elitism. The person who learns this new form of ministry is suddenly important because he/she can provide a service into which few in the Body of Christ have been initiated or trained— counseling, inner healing, deliverance, dream interpretation, etc. Sadly for those on such a carnal quest for significance, the current fad will soon pass, and they will have to learn the next technique that comes down the pike in order to nervously maintain their position on the cutting edge! Then their fancy techniques will have to be put away in moth balls along with their flowered bell-bottoms (Ouch! That hits pretty close to home!).

The real Holy Spirit, if He fills the believer, fills him with obsessive love for Jesus Christ, which is anything but boring! Modern "spirit-filled" churches often undiscerningly accept the inspiriation of any spirit that presents itself through flashy media ministers or through ministers whose churches are getting attention for some new wrinkle on the "Christian" life. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1).

Again, I am sorry to hear of these developments in your church. I trust Jesus will guide those who are His true sheep into greener pastures than these.

Blessings!

[Guest]

I gotta agree with you Steve. Why isn't Jesus enough? This is a general statement.

This is one of the things that make me mad. People just accepting someones interpretation instead of searching the scriptures to see if it is so.

Also the Statement of Faith can be misleading. Another general statement. They will say things that Sound Christian but when you see/hear the actually teaching you will see that it is in fact far from Christian.