Watchmen of the Wall

HAS SOMETHING GOTCHA?

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

In the last devotional series from Watchmen of the Wall Ministries, we ministered to you the coming terror, which is to hit the sides of the planet Earth very soon. And, in that series we used the Apostle Paul, as an example of how to fight the fear and terror to come. We explained how that a “personal word” received by Paul, on the Damascus road, drove him all his life. I am convinced this is true by all the writings I have read of him, for he spoke of it often. This “experience” changed his life indeed. But I want to expound further on something that took over, later in his walk with Christ, that I dare say became even stronger than his personal encounter with Christ on that road.

I am a true believer of dreams and visions. The bible speaks of the time when “young men shall dream dreams and old men shall see visions” (Acts 2:16-17). I am a true believer in the supernatural working of the Holy Ghost. When God decides to grant a dream or vision, it does have the power to shake you up for a while. But I submit to you beloved, that living on these “experiences”, alone, will not satisfy you, they will not last to strengthen you on and on.
I know of Christians who can tell you the exact month/day/year that they had such a dream or vision. They draw strength from that “thing” ever since they received it. It could have been 40 years ago, and they still are in awe by it. The sad thing to say is, most of these people I know are backslidden or missing the will of God for there lives by light years! Here is the difference in an “Apostle Paul” type, and one of my backslidden Christian buddies.

Paul had a vision, a personal encounter with Christ, and it did alter his life forever, but he did not stop there. These dreams and visions, and “personal words” that God gives are only icing on the cake. They come only to serve to entice you deeper into the presence of Christ. These experiences only caused Paul to be attracted to the presence of Jesus stronger. I meant to say that that way. Just as you would “woo” a potential boyfriend or girlfriend into a relationship with you, God does these things only to allure you into the deeper presence of Christ, not for you to build a museum in your mind of the encounter, and live there the rest of your life.

Paul, through all his many dreams and visions God gave him, finally came to a place where all these things planted in his heart a burning desire to win Christ, Jesus himself, wrapped in his arms. Our scripture today says it best; he pressed for the mark of the prize, Jesus Christ, like a wild man hunting feverishly for some exotic treasure. I ask you, are you in love with some dream? Or are you in love with the dream maker? Does the day you got saved mean more to you than, say, today, when he spoke to your soul and your heart leaped anew with love? If this is true, make a change today, dear saint, now.