WATER OF LIFE

I’m trying to catch a cockroach at night in our kitchen (our real life kitchen). It’s actually a crab. Its sort of on top of a grocery plastic bag on the counter. I have a bunch of paper towels in my hand and I quickly put them over the top of it and try to pull up the plastic bag around it. I don’t see it and wonder if I caught it.

Here are some symbol interpretations off the web:

KITCHEN: A place of transformation where you can change parts of your nature. It also links with how well you provide for yourself or neglect your body needs. The kitchen is a place of warmth and nourishment (emotional as well as physical).

CRAB: There may be too much dependence, clinging and forcefulness in your life. The crab may also symbolize your inability to effectively move forward and address your own difficulties. (Remember the crab often moves sideways or backwards.)

To see a crab in your dream, signifies you perseverance and tenacity. On an extreme note, you maybe be too clingy and dependent and hanging on to a hopeless endeavor.

This is what I think God is trying to tell me through this dream:
Cockroaches are something I definitely fight against having in the kitchen and it’s been a endless battle. There is something that is bugging me and is an endless battle like trying to catch the cockroaches in the kitchen. Something I’m depending on and clinging onto for emotional nourishment? Usually when I have kitchen dreams it’s not in my real kitchen so I think this one has a literal meaning in addition to a symbolic one. It’s about what I eat.

I keep moving backwards and sideways when it comes to overeating and not eating sugar. I’m not overweight but overeating is obviously the sin of gluttony and the doc says I’m pre-diabetic so too much glucose is also a no-no. I’m hanging onto a hopeless behavior and neglecting my bodies needs. I can control it (or maybe think I can) by what I put in the grocery bag (at the grocery store). Basically, I need God’s transformation in this part of my life.

It’s time to revisit the spiritual gifts and see what God has shown me since my last blog on them almost two years ago: Spiritual gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit (3-1-08).

Do I have a gift of faith like the great men of faith or the ones in the Book of Hebrews hall of faith? I’m still not sure. I do have a boldness to share my faith with others so maybe I have a gift of evangelism. A year ago, what I thought were confirmations of a gift of faith now seem more like both a gift of faith AND evangelism:

“When I was around nine years old, my mother and I visited a Bible study on the east coast and a black lady pastor with a gift of prophecy prayed over me and said I had a gift of faith and would share it with many people. Some time after that my mom had a dream of me speaking/preaching about faith to a stadium or big auditorium of people. When I was in junior high, the youth pastor, who prayed with me to accept Christ, told her I had a gift of faith and would be using it to speak to large groups of people.” Childlike Faith (3-7-09)

Do I have a gift of prophecy or more likely discernment? Prophesy is “To speak before; to be interpret of God.” Discernment is “To separate; to differentiate; to make a distinction.” At this point I would say my gift is more one of discernment. “The Gift of Discernment is the supernatural ability to see through a lot of confusion and pinpoint problems and solutions from God’s perspective. Those with this gift are spiritually skilled at distinguishing truth from error, pure from impure motives, right from wrong, light from darkness.”

Are the problems I have in relationships maybe a sign of my gifting? For example, with Christians that don’t have the gifts of discernment or evangelism? I expect them to have the same sensitivity I have to “distinguish truth from error, right from wrong, pure motives from impure”, but that’s not the case and I’m dumbfounded when they can’t see someone’s impure motives. I’m also dumbfounded when fellow Christians don’t see their mission field right in their own family, workplace, and neighborhood. However, I “should avoid becoming critical of others by remembering that we are all «witnesses» but we are not all «evangelists»”.

I seem to have some of the problems listed with the gift of discernment. I do struggle with “how to express my perceptions, feelings or insights” and I can “be harsh when confronting others, instead of speaking the truth in love.” Yet I agree with one pastor who spoke on spiritual gift of discernment: “People grow in faith if they hear the truth.”

THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT IS LITERALLY ATTACKED AND NOT WELCOME IN THE CHURCH SOMETIMES> PEOPLE WITH THE GIFT OF SERVICE ARE ADMIRED IN THE CHURCH BUT ONES WHO SPEAK THE TRUTH THEY DISCERN ARE SOMETIMES LABELED BUSYBODIES IN OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS OR CHALLENGED BY SOMEONE SAYING ‘HOW CAN YOU KNOW A PERSONS HEART’? But that is exactly what the gift of discernment is! We have a sensitivity to tell whether a persons motives are pure or not. Obviously were not perfect in our use of our gift and people are quick to point out the times we were wrong but more often than not we were right, and it was just a matter of time (sometimes years) before others eyes are opened.

One outlet for the gift of discernment is Bible study groups. The problem I HAVE IS ARTICULATING THE TRUTH OR ERROR I HAVE DISCERNED> Putting it into words is difficult—let alone putting it in a loving way. In my experience, writing is the best vehicle for the gift of discernment, but many people disparage writing in preference to face to face conversation. WHICH PUTS THOSE OF US WHO HAVE A DIFFICULTY ARTICULATING AT A DISADVANTAGE< AND OUR MESSAGE BECOMES DISCOUNTED BECAUSE OF A LACK OF CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDABILITY>

The gift of discernment is a razor sharp ability to divide truth and error so we can be black and white, legalistic, and even perfectionistic. I seriously wonder why some Christians and leaders aren’t following the Bible (e.g. no women over men in leadership/teaching positions in the church)< BUT MY MOTHER POINTS OUT THATS A LAW MENTALITY< ITS ABOUT FOLLOWING THE Spirit. I also have to recognize whether something is a truth or personal preference. For example, I don't like mega-churches but there may be a role for them in God's plan.

Outside of a Bible study group, I express my gift of discernment through my blog. I written about many things I have discerned:

A person with a gift of discernment has a greater sensitivity. I don’t listen to secular music, I watch very few Hollywood movies, and rarely read secular books because that gets me into worldly thinking and dulls my sensitivity. Avoiding worldly thinking is important to every Christian but protecting our sensitivity is especially important for those with the gift of discernment. It’s kind of like the witness vs the evangelist. The first focuses on loving non-believers and living the gospel but the person with the gift of evangelism takes it to the next level and finds the right timing and ways to tailor his message.

Everyone exercises the all the gifts but God has given each of us a few special gifts to take to the next level. I don’t have the gift of serving or hospitality, but that doesn’t stop me from serving at church or sometimes hosting a small group at my house or even leading that small group. It’s just that that’s not where GOD HAS GIFTED OR ANOINTED ME SO I shouldn’t get down on myself even when the church tends to glorify those gifts over others. So not only do I struggle with my expectations of others having my gifts, I also struggle with expectations within the church to have the gifts I don’t have (service, hospitality, leadership, etc.).

If I do have a gift of evangelism it differs from what I see around me. I’m not an outgoing person so my style is a testimonial evangelism. I encourage them to become part of a church, but more-so I try to attract them to God, through seeing what He has done in my life and for who He is. He’s not a self-improvement program He’s a loving Heavenly Father. At this point, I don’t know if I have any other spiritual gifts but my blog has been a continuing outlet for my gift of discernment and my particular style of testimonial evangelism.

I am eager to hear what God is telling me through my dreams but I don’t think I have a gift of dream interpretation.

“God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17). Joseph or Daniel were given the gift of interpretation of dreams—both of their own and others (i.e. Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar). This was before the Holy Spirit was given to us all. Now we can all hear from God the interpretation of our dreams—we look to the Holy Spirit to speak to our own hearts for the meaning of our dreams. (Dreams in the Bible)

Joseph helped non-believers by giving them God’s interpretation of their dream but I don’t think that there is a gift of dream interpretation anymore. God now speaks to everyone through their dreams whether they choose to listen or not. Understanding our dreams is just a matter of reading the Bible and practice. The closer we get to God the more he will give us understanding of our dreams.

There are plenty of examples in the Bible where people heard from God in there dreams. After reading the Bible twice I find there are even more examples of people hearing from God but not telling how they heard. I believe that many of them heard through their dreams, that it was an accepted fact that people heard through their dreams and so they didn’t need to mention it was a dream. Western culture tends to reject dreams. Middle-eastern culture (e.g. Jewish) is probably more accepting of dreams as guidance from God.

Most important is: DONT EXPECT ANY ILLUMINATION OF SCRIPTURE OR DREAMS IF YOU DON”T HAVE A TIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH God.

I agree with Herman Riffle who says that most dreams are diagnostic or prognostic (a forecast of the probable course) and a very small proportion of dreams are prophetic (a supernatural message from God concerning the future). I blogged about one prophetic dream I had here: God’s promise fulfilled. Is this a confirmation that I have a spiritual gift of prophecy? I don’t think that is the case either. I believe God gives all of us both prognostic and prophetic dreams about our lives. Maybe when it’s a dream that is prophetic about other’s lives and even nations does it get on the level of a spiritual gift of prophecy.

My mother pointed out that with nonbelievers we can’t be as intimate as we can with our brothers in CHRIST< OUR INTIMACY WITH CHRIST CREATES A DEEPER INTIMACY WITH THEM>

I see four levels of relationships.

1. Intimacy with Christians who are intimate with God.

2. Relationships with people who claim to be Christians (don’t go to church or are social churchgoers). It’s not possible to have that spiritual intimacy because they really don’t have an intimate relationship with God. They don’t have a surrendered and victorious relationship with Christ.

3. Acquaintances with non-believers. I know many good people that aren’t believers and are easier to love on them than many people who call themselves Christians.

4. Firm boundaries with people that are being used by the enemy. I think it’s important to set boundaries with people being used by the enemy or else you will be deceived. The enemy will use these people to distract, detain, and drain you; offend or anger you, and keep you from being effective salt and light in others lives.

Lastly, the blood of Christ is thicker than the blood of man. If we are in Christ our relationships with other Christians is to be closer than even our own blood relatives.