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Jake woke trembling, wet with sweat. Though his body was unmoving, his eyes scanned the room. What in this world, did he think he would see it was a dream nothing more? What else could it be, a warning from God? No, God stopped dealing with people through dreams back in biblical times. As for Satan everyone one knows his power Christians is limited. Surely, that limitation includes messing with one's mind when sleeping.
Positive self-talk was not helping Jake. In the last three weeks, this dream had invaded his sleep with its haunting shadows and whispering voices more than a dozen times. Each time he woke and often through out the day, Jake’s thoughts were of the Old Testament story of Job. The conversation between Satan and God played in his mind almost every waking moment. If that was not enough, he was also experiencing an uncanny awareness of never being completely alone. It was a peculiar feeling, as though someone were watching him from the shadows. Jake knew he was acting oddly, constantly on edge, looking over his shoulder, questioning everyone’s motive for everything and anything, snapping at people without reason. Something had to break before he did. What was it about this dream that was causing him so much anguish?
The dream always started out the same. He could hear Pastor Littleton’s words, from his sermon "Peter's Frustration.” Jake had thought the sermon would be a downer. He was pleasantly surprised when Pastor Littleton had presented the text in a new light. John 21:3 “I’m going fishing.” (NLT)
"Many preachers think that Peter was very frustrated and his statement that he was going fishing was one of discouragement. I put before you today the possibility that it was a statement of commitment, commitment to wait on the Lord. The disciples where getting away from it all. Peter was returning to what he knew - fishing. Returning to a place where he felt comfortable and relaxed. Possibly even a place of rest for him. Not rest in the physical sense, but rest from all that had recently happened in their lives. A place where one gains insight and gets a proper perspective on things, a place you come away from feeling refreshed.”
During the sermon, he would cautiously precede down a dark corridor. Feeling his way with one hand on the wall, eyes darting around and muscles constricting he could see shadows on the walls shifting back and forth, weaving their way a head of him. There was a strong desire to run and a strange overwhelming magnetic pull to go forward. Whispering voices fading in and out, Jake strained to make out what they were saying. It was not Pastor Littleton’s, but he did know the voices, he was sure of that.
“Where…you…from?”
“…checking…out…earth.”
“…my sheep hear…voice…know it?”
“Yes, I know that.”
Suddenly without warning, it would be Pastor Littleton’s voice again.
"Folks let me tell you this and if you do not hear anything else today hear this and take it home. God does not want you to be frustrated. Still, if the only way He can get you to go fishing is by allowing you to become frustrated… Well let me put it like this if Satan was standing before God asking Him where have all your people gone, would God be able to include your name when He answered 'they have Gone Fishing.'"
This is where the dream would end.
As Jake replayed the dream one more time, his soul crying out to God, ”how do I stop this?” God heard and answered. Today, Jake knew when pastor Littleton asked him that question again he would answer without fear.
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