Maddox. Maddox, get out here. I've been tracking
you for months. What are you chasing me for? My job is to kill you. You ready to die? [gun clicking on empty] [laughter] [gun firing] This is Dreams & Mysteries. From the very beginning, the
question has been identity. Who are you? What are you? Are you a random result of
the actions of a couple people in the heat of passion? Are you the result of a
multitude of mutations moving towards a
more powerful being that's more likely to survive
the raw forces of nature? Are you a bundle of
nerves an emotions that drive your every
action, thought, and choice? Are you simple impulses,
animal instincts, a desire to live,
conquer, and procreate? The answer to this
question, or the lack of an answer to this
question, is the root of every wrong
choice humankind has made from the very beginning. What you believe
about yourself will decide what you value, why you
choose one thing over another, how you interact
with other people, how you relate to God, if you
even believe there is one. The issue of identity, what and
how we think about ourselves, is so central to
the human experience that it is the foundation
of every temptation the enemy throws at us. It was at the core
of the temptation in the Garden of Eden. It was the root of
the temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness. It is the center
of the temptations that we each face daily. What it comes down to
is this question, who or what decides who you are. Do you get to decide? Maybe the experiences
that you faced, your birth, your childhood,
the various earthquake events that have shaken your life. Perhaps it's the people around
you, your family, your culture, your nation, or your religion. Or does your identity, the
truth about who you really are, come from what the One who
created you says about you. Join me as we explore
the mystery of identity. When we face opportunities
to choose good from bad, how do we choose? How about those times when
it didn't seem like we made a choice, we
just found ourselves doing something wondering why. The choices we make stem from
what we believe about ourselves and the world around us. The enemy recognized this from
the beginning, but so did God. When God started creating,
He called forth light, separating light from
darkness, making day and night. He separated the waters, and
then He caused land to appear. He looked at it
and called it good. He made the vegetation
and called it good. He put creatures in the air,
the water, and the land, and called it all good. Are you seeing a theme? God thinks creation is good. After everything else is
done, He takes some dirt and forms it into
the form of a man, breathes His own spirit
into it, and man becomes. He took woman out of man, and
brought them together, and then for the first time, He
said that it was very good. The Bible says that God
created man in His own image. In the image of
God, He created him. Male and female He created them. All of creation was good,
but humankind was very good. We were very good, because
the image of God was in us. We were like God. Then temptation comes. A serpent comes
and questions Eve, did God really say that
you can't eat of any of the trees in the garden? No, we can eat of the fruit. It's only the one tree
that we can't eat. We shouldn't even
touch it or we'll die. You won't die. God knows that. When you eat at that tree,
you'll finally see clearly. And you'll be like god
knowing good from evil. Eve looks at the tree and
sees that it's good for food, a delight to the
eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise. I hope you didn't miss
the real temptation. It wasn't really about the tree. Magicians have learned that
to pull off a good trick, you get the audience
to look one place, while the action
happens somewhere else. Misdirection-- they get
that from somewhere. That's what the serpent did. While everyone is
looking at the tree, and trying to decide if
it's really good for food, if it's really a
delight to the eyes, or if it's desirable
to make one wise, most missed the real deception. You will finally see clearly. You will be like God
and know good from evil. The deception was
thinking that anything can make them like God. God had already done that. God created man
in His own image. In the image of God, He created. And male and female,
He created them. Adam and Eve were
already like God. But they had forgotten
who they were. They had forgotten
their identity. And because of that,
they could be tempted. It's the same for you
and I. Who are you? Are you very good like God said? But I look at my life, and
it doesn't look like it. I know, we all know, we
all know good from evil based on our own perceptions. That's the result of the fall. But what does God say? ANNOUNCER 1: Every
believer can hear from God. So why does it seem that
some hear better than others? The Art of Hearing God course is
the culmination of the lessons John Paul Jackson learned from
30 years of study and walking with God. Join John E. Thomas
and Paul Cheatham in Dallas, Texas
July 13 through 15, as they teach this
life changing course. It is also available to
livestream right to your home. Visit
www.streamsministries.com/aohgtx to learn more. ANNOUNCER 2: Season four
of Dreams & Mysteries is now available. This season includes
special guests like Shawn Bolz, Troy Brewer,
R.T. Kendall, Mickey Robinson, and Marc Dupont. For your gift of $25 or
more to the ministry, you will receive your choice
of either a DVD or Blu-ray set. To order, visit our website at
dreamsandmysteries.com or call 1-800-538-5285 today. The first Adam
forgot who he was. I'm sure that in the daily
walks Adam and Eve had shared with God, He had told them
how they had come to be, how He created them
in His own image. The first Adam failed that test. So a second Adam came. God himself took on flesh,
was born of a virgin, and grew up as any other human. When the time was right
for him to reveal himself, He went out to the Jordan
River where His cousin John was baptizing people. He convinces John to baptize him
after his initial hesitation. And as he comes up out of the
water, the heavens open up. The Holy Spirit descends
in the form of a dove, and rests upon him. And the Father speaks in an
audible voice from heaven, this is My beloved Son. I'm so happy with Him. What an experience. Imagine that being you,
seeing that vision, and hearing that voice,
listening as John tells everyone, this is the one
I was told to look for, the one who the Spirit stays on. This is the Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus had a profound spiritual
encounter and a prophetic word of destiny. Immediately, Jesus senses
the Spirit compelling Him to go out to the wilderness
where He fast for 40 days. No food for 40 days. His body is weak. He's hungry. Most likely tired and worn
out from the lack of shade and exposure to the elements. And at his weakest
point, the tempter comes. If you are the Son of
God, command this stone to become bread. If you are? Jesus had just come
from an experience where God had spoken: "This
is My beloved Son." And the tempter comes saying,
"if" you are the Son of God. See again, the temptation wasn't
merely to make the stone bread. It was to doubt
if He was the Son. It is about identity. The second temptation comes. If You then will worship
me, all will be yours. The kingdom's the whole world. What if you're not
already the Son of God? What if this is not already
yours, why go through with this pain and difficulty? Make it easy on yourself. I can give you what you want. You're not really God,
not really the King. Again, identity-- The final temptation starts
the same as the first. If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here. Let's just make sure that you're
really who God says you are. Prove it. If it's real, you'll be
fine, he'll catch you. If you're really God's Son, the
angels won't let you get hurt. Are you sure you're the Son? Let's substantiate
God's care for you. Do you really make him happy? Let's find out. You see, the
temptation is the same. Who are you? Will God really back you up? Are you sure you are
who God says you are? Are you sure that you have
what God says you have? It doesn't look
like it right now. Do something to demonstrate it. Accomplish something to earn it. Perform to authenticate
what you believe. Jesus was secure in
what God had said. He didn't fall for it. He didn't doubt that
He was the Son of God. And because of that,
He did not have to do anything to prove it
to Himself, or anyone else, especially not the deceiver. This is where God
wants to bring us, where we know that we are
made in the image of God, chosen and accepted,
because of what Jesus did, assured in the
knowledge of His love and care for us, absolutely
confident that God is for us and will never leave us. This is the battle that we face. Who are you? Is Christ really in you? Is God really with you? Would God really back you
up, or will he leave you when you need Him the most? [gun clicking on empty] [laughter] [gun firing] [gun firing] [body hitting ground] Wow. What an amazing dream. Can you imagine having
night after night a dream like that establishing
fear in the heart? That actually is what was going
on in this series of dreams. The enemy was trying to come
in and trying to establish fear in the dreamer, so that
they wouldn't recognize the authority that they had. Guns will often talk
about authority in dreams. They're a metaphor for
the authority that we have to start or to stop something. And so this dream was
given by the enemy, originally because the enemy
was trying to tell them that they didn't really
have authority to deal with the enemy's attacks. It was to establish that
pattern, that thought pattern in their life, but God
didn't let it end there. So beautiful-- the
dreamer got the message. They began to know
who they were. And they stood up
in the authority that they've been given
and were able to deal with the attack of the
enemy, and completely remove it from their life. And at the end,
instead of there being fear established
in their hearts, and a question mark
on their identity, they ended this season
of dreams with confidence that God would back
them up, that when the enemy came to
attack, that they would be able to step
up in the authority that they've have been given and
deal with the enemy's attacks. That is an amazing dream. I love how God will use
even what the enemy tries to bring to cause questions and
doubt, and use it to establish faith and trust in Him. It's a beautiful thing. ANNOUNCER 2: Decades
of study and thousands of dream interpretations
gave John Paul Jackson a unique perspective on
understanding dreams. God has concealed messages
in the dreams we dream. And as we search them out,
we learn more about His ways. With the Advanced
Dream Kit, you will begin to understand the
20 categories of dreams, and what God accomplishes
through each of them. For your gift of
$95 or more, you will receive The 20 Categories
of Dreams book, John Paul's six CD set, The Essentials
of Dreams and Visions, The Biblical Model of Dream
Interpretation three CD set, Moments with God Dream
Journal, and three study cards to help you grow in your
interpretation ability. Order your Advanced
Dream Kit today. Visit dreamsandmysteries.com
or call 1-800-538-5285. Identity-- who are you? Do you know how to
answer that question? In life, each of us
will face temptations. They can spring from our flesh,
our desires that war within us. Sometimes it's the
pressures of the world around us trying to conform
us to its pattern of thinking and acting. Other times it's Satan
trying to allure us into his plan for our lives. Whichever source the attack
comes from, our weakness to it stems from one place. We don't know who we are. Will we listen to
the questions that ask if we're good enough,
smart enough, religious enough, holy enough, strong
enough, or loved enough. Or will we listen
to the Word of God? Will we try to earn safety,
security, or serenity through our own
efforts, or will we trust that He is our strong
tower, our internal security, our peace with God and creation? Our identity is
set by God alone. The one who created
us defines us. Who we really are is found
in His words over us. We are made in His image. Beloved son or daughter, the
one who makes God happy-- this is who we really are. Some of us are still trying to
find our identity in something else, but there is only
one place we can find it. The enemy has been
trying to hold us back from God's love and acceptance
from the very beginning, implying that God is holding
something back from us. Suggesting that we have to
perform to get His love. So many have given up. They except the
definition that they've gotten from their
education, their culture, their experiences, and
are running from God. Living life
according to whatever looks good to the eyes,
able to satisfy their hunger or desirable to make them
wiser and more powerful, giving in to the desires of the
flesh, they run from one tree to another, desperately seeking
for peace, but not finding it. Surrendering to sin, agreeing
with the morals of society, living according to
what is acceptable in their social circles,
they keep themselves so busy that they can't feel
the emptiness inside, except when all that they'd
hoped for fails them, and they have to try one more
time, or give in to the despair that they have been ignoring. Others are working harder. They've found a religious
system that works for them. They go to church,
synagogue, or the mosque. And they do all the right things
to please their picture of God, serving, sacrificing,
and silently wondering if they've done enough,
fighting their own desires with sheer willpower so that
they don't offend a god that's looking over their shoulder
examining every move to see if they make the cut. Neither one will
ever find peace. Both are finding their
identity in something other than the voice of God. One defines themselves by
their desires, their emotions, their intellect. The other by their
religious activity. Both of them performing
for the god they perceive, the laws of nature or
the god of religion. Both false gods suggested
by the original deceiver. There is only one God,
one way to please God, and one way to know
who you truly are. He is the way, the
truth, and the life. His name is Jesus. He came and endured the
pressures of the flesh, denying himself for
the will of the Father, because you couldn't. He overcame the weight of the
world pressing down on Him, trying to conform
Him to its image, saying no to the
expectations of society, fulfilling the plan of
God, because you can't. He looked Satan in
the eye, literally, and spoke the truth of
scripture back to him. Satan, it is the Lord your
God that you shall worship. Jesus didn't obey
him in any way. The full brunt of all three
crushed Him on the cross. And He took the weight
off of you and I so that we could find our
identity in the voice of God. He rose from the dead, and now
sits on his throne in heaven, and has invited you
into His victory. You can find your
identity in Jesus. And when you do, all
that He deserves, the full inheritance
for His obedience, becomes yours when
you become His. Is this who you are, one with
him, finding your identity in the original plan
restored through His work, so that you can start
again hearing the words of your Father speaking? This one is made in my image. I will put My
spirit within them. They will take on My life. And I will love them as My
beloved son and daughter. They give me joy. If not? You can. Right now. You can ask, Father, I
want to hear Your voice, speak over Me that I am Yours. I choose Jesus. Forgives me for
running from you. Forgive me for trying to make
You love me through my actions. I believe in Jesus,
that he died for me. And I ask You to fill me
with your Holy Spirit, and cry out in my heart,
daddy, Father, I love You. Thank You for loving me. If you prayed that prayer
from your heart, it's real. You have a new identity. You're now a child of God. The apostle John says
that anyone who believes, God gives the right,
the ability, the power, to be children of God,
because He wanted them. That's who you are. If that's the first time
that you prayed that prayer, would you call the number
on your screen right now. Call us. Let us know. We want to celebrate with you,
because you have just come out of the lies, and you're
starting your journey into the truth of knowing
who you really are, a beloved son, a beloved
daughter, a child of the King, remade into His image. ANNOUNCER 3:
Prophetic ministry is a gift God gave to His
church to help her grow into all He intended for her. When prophetic ministry is
mature, this growth is evident. There is a prophetic reformation
underway in the church. Join John E. Thomas as He
explores key ingredients to this reformation. For your gift of $25 or
more to the ministry, you'll receive
this three CD set, teaching maturing prophetic
communities, the prophetic and the five-fold graces,
and reasons God speaks. To learn more about what God
accomplishes as He speaks to and through us, visit
dreamsandmysteries.com or call 1-800-538-5285 to ask for your
prophetic reformation three-CD set today. Identity is the key
issue of our lives. We find our identity
in the voice of God, what He says about us. Paul told the Ephesian church
that Jesus would use His word to wash believers
clean of any spots or wrinkles, any blemishes,
or inaccurate identities, so that we can be holy
and complete in Him. Let me speak over you. What God's word
says about those who are in Jesus, that have
the life that He gives, and when the tempter comes,
remember who you are. You are a child of God. You are loved by
Him, chosen by Him. Because you belong to Jesus,
you are now one spirit with Him. You're brand new. The old you is gone. God really enjoys
giving you His kingdom. It makes him happy. You were known, chosen,
and adopted before God had created the world. Before a single star was hung
in the universe, He knew you. Nothing can ever disconnect
you from the love that God has for you. God is for you. And no one can
stand against you, because no one can
stand against Him. You can hear God's voice. He will guide you. And he will protect you. You will live forever. God's spirit lives
within you, producing in you love, joy, peace,
patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. You have power from God. You are the
righteousness of God. You've been seated with
Christ in heavenly places. You participate in God's divine
nature, because of the promises God has spoken over you. God will never leave
you or abandon you. You are becoming
just like Jesus.
