Does God speak to us in dreams?

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Baptist Voice Ministries is not a Christian dream interpretation service. We do not interpret dreams. We strongly believe that a person’s dreams and the meaning of those dreams are between them and God alone. Does God still speak through dreams? God spoke to people many times throughout the Scriptures in dreams. Examples are Joseph, son of Jacob(Genesis 37:5-10); Joseph, the husband of Mary (Matthew 2:12-22); Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-15); and several others.  There is also a prophecy of the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28), quoted by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:17, that mentions God using dreams. So the simple answer is, yes, God can and does speak through dreams.

However, there is a difference in how we apply that truth today. We must keep in mind that the Bible is finished, having revealed everything we need to know from now until eternity. This is not to say that God does not work miracles or even speak through dreams today, but anything God says, whether it is a dream, vision, impression, or “still small voice,” will agree completely with what He has already revealed in His Word. Dreams cannot be put into a place of authority over the Scriptures.

If you have a dream and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your dream is in agreement with Scripture. If so, prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to your dream (James 1:5). In Scripture, whenever anyone experienced a dream from God, God always made the meaning of the dream clear, whether directly to the person, through an angel, or through a messenger (Genesis 40:5-11 ; Daniel 2:45, 4:19). When God speaks to us, He makes sure His message is clearly understood.

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Where Did Cain Get His Wife?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Bible does not specifically say who Cain’s wife was. The only possible answer is that Cain’s wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc. The Bible does not say how old Cain was when he killed Abel (Genesis 4:8). Since they were both farmers, they were likely both full-grown adults, possibly with families of their own. Adam and Eve surely had given birth to more children than just Cain and Abel at the time Abel was killed. They definitely had many more children later (Genesis 5:4). The fact that Cain was scared for his own life after he killed Abel (Genesis 4:14) indicates that there were likely many other children and perhaps even grandchildren of Adam and Eve already living at that time. Cain’s wife (Genesis 4:17) was a daughter or granddaughter of Adam and Eve.

Since Adam and Eve were the first (and only) human beings, their children would have no other choice than to intermarry. God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there were enough people to make intermarriage unnecessary(Leviticus 18:6-18). The reason that incest today often results in genetic abnormalities is that when two people of similar genetics (i.e., a brother and sister) have children together, there is a high risk of their recessive characteristics becoming dominant. When people from different families have children, it is highly unlikely that both parents will carry the same recessive traits. The human genetic code has become increasingly “polluted” over the centuries as genetic defects are multiplied, amplified, and passed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, and that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry.

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Was the Apostle Paul married?

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 The Bible never says whether Paul was married or not. Some think that he was at one time based on what he said in 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?” If Paul was married at one time, his wife likely passed away considering he never mentions her in any of his writings. Paul declared that he had the gift of celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7.

Paul’s statement to the unmarried and widows in the Corinthian church gives evidence that he was not married at the time of his writing the letter: “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” ( 1 Corinthians 7:8-9). Clearly, he was not married at that time, but whether he married afterward is also a matter of speculation.

Some believe that the Apostle Paul was married because history tells us that a member of the Sanhedrin was required to be married. However, Paul never stated that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He definitely seemed to be on the path, “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14). However, Paul might not have advanced that far before He converted to Christ.

So, was the Apostle Paul married? It is possible that he was at one time, but again, the Bible does not specifically say.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: Insulting a General

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

At an afternoon tea for officers and their wives, the commanding general of the base delivered a seemingly endless oration. A young second lieutenant, listening with obvious disfavor, grumbled to the woman at his side, “What a pompous and unbearable old windbag that slob is.”

The woman turned to him, her face red with rage and said, “Lieutenant, do you know who I am?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I am the wife of the man you just called ‘an unbearable old windbag.’ ”

“Indeed,” said the young lieutenant, looking steadfast and unruffled, “and do you know who I am?”

“No, I don’t,” said the general’s wife.

“Thank God,” said the lieutenant as he disappeared into the crowd.

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How to Win over Worry

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Worry has become America’s favorite indoor sport.  Most of us face two kinds of worry: doubts about God’s ability to help us, and concern about our own carelessness.  We need to distinguish clearly between the two.

If we are troubled with the first kind of worry we need to recognize that God is able and does care.  This kind of worry is not appropriate for the Christian.  On the other hand, it is legitimate to be concerned about whether we will do things appropriately.

In I Corinthians 9:27 Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”  Paul had a legitimate worry that his own natural human and sinful tendencies might–if not properly checked–cause God’s glory to be diminished in his life and his preaching become impotent.

On the other hand, Paul’s testimony in Philippians 4:11 said that he had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”   The apostle suggested that he could be content because he knew that God knew, God cared, and God would work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

Here are some truths that will help us win over worry:

1. God knows our circumstances.  Look at Psalm 139:8-10: “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

2. We can’t change our circumstances by worry.  Several years ago a friend of mine was flying me home after I had preached in another State.  It was late at night and we found ourselves in the midst of a storm  I was worried.  My worrying did not one bit of good to help the pilot or stop the storm.

3. The fact is rarely as bad as the anticipation.  Look back on your life and notice how many times your worried about something and the problem did not turn out to be as bad as you thought it would be.  If you are worried about something, ask yourself how important will this concern be three years from now.

4. Not everything has to be pleasant.  As mature Christians, we need to learn to accept what happens to us, as long as it is not the result of deliberate sin.  We serve a providential God that allows things to happen to us for our good.  Job is a good example of this.  You do not sharpen an ax on butter.

5. Worriers do not accomplish much.  Remember the people of faith in the Bible that faced difficult situations that could have caused worry.  Abraham was told to go out; he could have worried about where he was going.  Esther could have worried so much that she might be executed for going to see the king that she never went.  Joseph could have worried while in prison that God had forgotten him.  The list goes on and on.  Leaders in the Bible would have never been leaders if they had succumbed to worry.

We need to simply do what needs to be done and leave the results to our loving Father.

For every problem under the sun, there is a cure or there is none.  If there be one, seek till you find it.  If there be none, never mind it.

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Money and Spiritual Growth

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

While attending collage, I listened to a nightly radio program on finances that always concluded with the statement, “Money is not important; the people who have it are.”  In our culture this more often than not is true.  How can money–or the lack of it–hinder spiritual growth?

Strangely enough, having too much money or too little money results in basically the same problems, and both can hinder spiritual growth.  The Bible says, “Remove far from me vanity and lies:  give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”  (Proverbs 30:8-9)  Whether you have money to blow or barely enough to live on, both can result in the following:

1. Money becomes the center and focus of your life.  It can become an idol.  When you have much, you realise it’s power in our world.  When you have little your concern and worry can become paramount over faith in God himself.

2. Money is seen idealistically.  With lots of money, you feel yourself with extreme power.  With very little money, you tend to think that a few bucks can solve all of your problems.

3. Money becomes an obsession.  Those who have constantly want more.  Those who do not have enough, constantly want more too.

4. Money cause stress and worry.  When you are wealthy, you worry about  losing your wealth or being cheated out of it. When you have no money, you worry about how to get it to purchase all the things you need and want.

5. Money changes your attitudes.  Wealth causes many to become suspicious, stingy, and Scrooge-like.  On the other hand, a lack of money can cause jealousy and resentment of the wealthy, and an overly stingy attitude out of habit.

6. Money changes your priorities.  When money gets the better of you, rich or poor, it can cause you to begin to begin loving things and using people, just the opposite of what God wants for us.  It can cause us to focus on earthly treasure, which is temporary, while forgetting your real goal: treasure in heaven.

Money, or the lack of it, need not hinder your spiritual growth.  The secret is to learn contentment.  Paul said, “Now I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  (Philippians 4:11)  When we learn to be thankful for our daily bread (not worrying about what we will have to eat tomorrow), when we learn that this world and it’s riches or problems are temporary, then we have learned the secret of contentment whether we are rich or poor.  Your treasure will not be where your heart is; the Bible says that your heart will be where your treasure is.

Dr. Adrian Rogers said, “Each of us have just the amount of money that God can trust us with.”

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Did I Marry the Wrong Person?

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Marriage breakups have become epidemic, and an oft-used excuse is “I just don’t love her (him) anymore.”  It matters very little that a few years earlier in from of a church full of witnesses the couple pledged to live together as husband and wife “for better for worse,. . .’till death us to part.”  It is only important that now the loving feelings have fled, replaced by doubts and dislike.

It is important to realize that the question “Did I marry the wrong person?” has probably crossed the mind of most people that ever been married.  The idealism of dating and engagement sooner or later crashes in the reality of marriage.  No matter how hard we try to be ourselves during courtship, we still play games, wear masks, and hide our real selves to a degree.  Then, after the honeymoon when day-to-day work of living together begins, the pretenses fall and we begin to see each other for real.  Some begin to think that they made a mistake and did not marry the person God had chosen for them.

There are at least two problems with this way of thinking.
1. It limits God.  He doesn’t make mistakes, but neither does he spend his time catering to our selfish needs and whims.  Analyze this statement: She’s the right person for me. Doesn’t it sound self-centered?  It sounds as if I expect God and everyone else to meet my needs.  It turns love into a noun–something I fall in and out of, something I receive from others and possess.  Real love, however, is primarily a verb.  It involves action and conscious choices to meet the other person’s needs.  You do not “fall into love”, you “grow into love.”  Yes, God wants the best for us, but on his terms not ours.

2. It ignores the clear teachings of Scripture.  The Bible emphasizes in unequivocal terms the sanctity of marriage.  The principle is clear from Genesis (2:24) to Jesus (Matthew 19:4-6) and Paul (Ephesians 5:31).  The marriage commitment is a covenant that must not be broken while both members live, even if they think they may have made a mistake.  Knowing God’s will may be determined by reading what He says in His Word.  I should be asking, “How does my life line up with God’s will for the world?”

The bottom line for successful marriage is commitment.  My wife and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary recently.  Christ has been and is the center of our home.  Don’t fall for the lie that the grass is greener elsewhere.  Don’t let yourself think that your present marriage is a big mistake, and that somewhere else there is someone who is perfect for you.  God has a great plan for you and your spouse, but he must be the center of it.

Dr. Adrian Rogers said, concerning marriage, “There are no problems too large to solve, just people too small to solve them.”

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: Kids Proverbs

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Kids Proverbs

A first grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Their insight may surprise you.

  • As you shall make your bed so shall you … Mess it up
  • Better to be safe than … Punch a 5th grader
  • Strike while the … Bug is close
  • It’s always darkest before … Daylight Savings Time
  • Never underestimate the power of … Termites
  • You can lead a horse to water but … how?
  • Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty
  • No news is .. impossible
  • A miss is as good as a … Mr.
  • You can’t teach an old dog new … math
  • If you lie down with dogs, you’ll … stink in the morning
  • Love all, trust … me
  • The pen is mightier than the … pigs
  • An idle mind is … The best way to relax
  • Where there’s smoke there’s … pollution
  • Happy the bride who … gets all the presents
  • A penny saved is … not much
  • Two’s company, three’s … the Musketeers
  • Don’t put off till tomorrow what … you put on to go to bed
  • Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and … you have to blow your nose
  • None are so blind as … Helen Keller
  • Children should be seen and not … spanked or grounded
  • If at first you don’t succeed … get new batteries
  • You get out of something what you … see pictured on the box
  • When the blind leadeth the blind … get out of the way
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I Asked God. . .

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

I Asked God …

I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No. Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations, it isn’t granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings, Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me.
God said… Ahhhh, finally you have the idea

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: Pancakes

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Pancakes

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’ Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

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