20 Dollar Bill

[Child of JC]

I dreamed that my husband and I had finally found a church family. It was filled with young (our age ) people. It felt good to be in fellowship and a part of this group.
When they were collecting the tithe, I pulled out the 20 dollar bill that I had in my pocket. I looked at it and it turned into a 100 dollar bill. So I looked at it harder and it turned into a 10,000 dollar bill. I considered keeping it but knew that it belonged to God so I put it in the basket. The whole tithe was counted in minutes and it was announced to us that the total amount collected was three hundred (and some dollars, that I can't remember). I knew then that my 20 dollars remained twenty when I put it in the basket.

What could this mean?

 

[WeWillSeeHimWhenHeAppears]

"I dreamed that my husband and I had finally found a church family."

This dream seems to be about you coming into contact with a new church group.

"When they were collecting the tithe, I pulled out the 20 dollar bill that I had in my pocket. I looked at it and it turned into a 100 dollar bill. So I looked at it harder and it turned into a 10,000 dollar bill. I considered keeping it but knew that it belonged to God so I put it in the basket."

This has to do with what you "owe" God. Note, however, that the next part of your dream tells us that this is not dollars.

"The whole tithe was counted in minutes"

Apparently, the Lord is indicating that you owe Him your time!

" and it was announced to us that the total amount collected was three hundred (and some dollars, that I can't remember)."

Since the offering was counting in minutes, and there were 300+ of them, therefore it's a reference to 300+ minutes.

Here is what I think it means. I think it means giving 300+ minutes to the Lord each week in prayer and in the word of God (since offerings are generally collected once a week). As an example, if you spent 45 minutes a day, that's 315 minutes a week. So I believe God is showing you He wants you to spend about 45 minutes a day with the Lord in prayer and the word (this is assumed of course, but it would be consistent, I think, with what the Lord might be calling you to spend this time on).

"I knew then that my 20 dollars remained twenty when I put it in the basket."

I think this means God is not telling you to increase your physical offering in the dream; rather, it's about how much time you spend with Him weekly.

At the start, you said, "I dreamed that my husband and I had finally found a church family." Perhaps as you give God more time, then God will also lead you to a new church. Just guessing.

Regarding the changing amount from 20 to 100 to 10,000. This might refer to God multiplying the effect of your physical offering, as you obey Him in other areas. It also might refer to God somehow blessing you with finances as you do this, as well (which would enable you to give more, as well).

Whatever this exactly means, it definitely means increase.

20 to 100 ... that's a five-fold increase.

100 to 10,000 ... that's a 100 fold increase!

In total, this is a 500 fold increase, which is great.

Whether God increases your physical income (which would allow you to give more) or your influence for the kingdom without increasing your physical income, I do not know. However, I believe He is clearly indicating increase in one form or another. Therefore, I believe this dream should increase your faith so that you might be able to pray more effectively and walk in that increase. Whether it is dollar increase or not, the purpose is to further the work of the kingdom (as well as meet your own needs, if you are lacking).

 

[Firewater]

Praying the Lord will lead you to a church home like the one in your dream.

I see an encouragement to exercise faith when returning the tithe or using anything the Lord gives us for His glory. We can look at the face value of the money or gift, or we can "see" how the Lord can multiply this, not only for the church but also in blessing to us, although this is not the reason we give.

What do you see in your hand?

 

[flowergogo]

ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be Glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever!

 

[parsley]

it turned into a 10,000 dollar bill. I considered keeping it but knew that it belonged to God so I put it in the basket.

This part stood out to me, because we are all tempted with that. It is easy to give when we're looking at $30 or $50 or $100 at a time. But if God blessed us with a million dollars, could we adjust our thinking to be able to give away a hundred thousand?

I'm not sure what it means to you for your husband to find a new church --whether he has been looking, or if that pulled you away from your present commitment, or was in an iffy sect, or if he wasn't a believer and this was good news for you. That could make a difference in the flow of events.

 

[parsley]

BTW I went to Canada recently and hadn't been keeping up on currency exchanges -- I was surprised it was very close to 1:1 USD. I hope your dream was not a reflection of ups and downs... the 20 bill still being a 20 bill but having different values in relation to other currencies.

)-:

 

[Child of JC]

I'm not sure what it means to you for your husband to find a new church --whether he has been looking, or if that pulled you away from your present commitment, or was in an iffy sect, or if he wasn't a believer and this was good news for you. That could make a difference in the flow of events.

I have been saved for 14 years. My Husband believes but we don't walk the same- I'm being careful not to judge. I spent years attending church, he didn't attend with me. There was a church split and my attendance started to dwindle and eventually I stopped going. I'm okay with that decision.
In the dream it felt good to be in fellowship again- with people who were the same as us. In the dream, my husband and I were the same too (same spiritual goals, same spiritual desires)

 

[Child of JC]

What do you see in your hand?

We're in the process of building a business- a motel. We're fasting TOGETHER right now (his first time!) because we have encountered a snag that only God can fix. If God does not cause a break through for us then the whole thing is done. We're a year into this and have believed that it's His will.
Today is day 2 of our 3 day fast. Hoping to hear something on Friday.

In truth, Husband has been 100% behind this project but not overly involved in it until now. Maybe this is the realigning or reordering that is evident in the dream.

 

[parsley]

In the dream it felt good to be in fellowship again- with people who were the same as us. In the dream, my husband and I were the same too (same spiritual goals, same spiritual desires)...Husband has been 100% behind this project but not overly involved in it until now. Maybe this is the realigning or reordering that is evident in the dream.

Thanks for explaining. You must be extremely busy right now!

the total amount collected was three hundred (and some dollars, that I can't remember). I knew then that my 20 dollars remained twenty when I put it in the basket.

I am curious whether you felt disappointed when you heard the total was only 300. Did you justify the total, assuming you were wrong about what you saw, and someone counting was right? Your mind adjusted the numbers back to the most realistic version, after you had already seen delightful increase.

It reminds me of a time when we were buying a property, and the closing attorney told us to borrow more than we needed, and claim more income/resources than we had. They wanted to inflate the numbers to make it easier on everyone, saying it was done all the time and didn't harm anyone ... but we were fine using the plain old existing "20" number.

You might find yourself in a business situation where you are looking at one realistic number, but tempted with an inflated loan or a financial device. Usually when these are presented, the person is taken off guard and pressed to make a sudden decision. A one-time meeting with expensive consultants might make a person feel like they need to decide and trust experts, before research.

In the end, the 20 was still acceptable to you, even though you had to trust someone else's tally. If anything, this might help remind you to keep an eye on managers, accountants and bookkeepers even if you know and trust them.

The partnership on the hotel might seem similar to churches -- you are finally together on something, and your spouse is coming around to higher involvement. Things are looking good, and you might be close to feeling settled in a plan --similar to settling into a church family. I'm not saying this is necessarily the dream's meaning, but these parallels give us a better understanding of a situation. So God uses them, and our brains use them.

You took money out of your pocket on your own -- and gave it in trust that you were doing a good thing... watched it (seem to) increase in value. That is similar to investing in a business, and creating a business plan. Ideally it grows like that, but often the increase isn't realized bc it needs to be reinvested or go into new personnel. The owner has to trust that their property has increased in value, and their business is generating a profit, because the investing owner seldom sees the cash back the first few years.

 

[Child of JC]

I am curious whether you felt disappointed when you heard the total was only 300.

I was disappointed. I thought I was going to witness a miracle. I suppose I could have rejoiced that I had passed the test (gave the 10K instead of keep it), but I didn't- I wanted to see God do something Big through my obedience.

 

[paul1149]

It seems to me a basic lesson here is that the more you looked at the money, the more valuable it became in your eyes. But actually it never had changed value. It may be that you are in a position where the money would be very valuable for you to keep, and that others will never appreciate the true value of what you give at this time, but as with the widow and her mite, the Lord will see and reward. I would suggest that the opposite may be true as well – that at this time the money may be more valuable used for your own purposes – but I cannot reconcile that to your feeling in the dream that the money should be given.

 

[parsley]

the Lord will see and reward. I would suggest that the opposite may be true as well – that at this time the money may be more valuable used for your own purposes – but I cannot reconcile that to your feeling in the dream that the money should be given.

Maybe that's part of it though.
I was reading Psalm 51 last night and was struck with the changeover (shown by color):


15
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

In this passage, David felt that God asked for sacrifices after the walls were rebuilt. He knew God wanted purity, humility, and gratefulness before. Maybe it related to Him knowing where the sacrifices needed to go first? It's not enough to base a doctrine on, but might relate to your situation.

You wanted to please God, and He knew that. You already passed the test. But God is not always operating on the same plane as people say He is. God often tells us specific things we need to follow for our situations.


[QUOTE-Child of JC]I was disappointed. I thought I was going to witness a miracle. I suppose I could have rejoiced that I had passed the test (gave the 10K instead of keep it), but I didn't- I wanted to see God do something Big through my obedience. [/quote]

 

[paul1149]

par - you'll have no trouble convincing me. Grace trumps tithing legalism. I actually favor this interpretation, it seems to fit the plot perfectly. But CJC would have to reconcile that to the knowledge she expressed having in the dream. If that knowledge was less than sure, this may well be the heart of the dream.

 

[Child of JC]

It seems to me a basic lesson here is that the more you looked at the money, the more valuable it became in your eyes. But actually it never had changed value. It may be that you are in a position where the money would be very valuable for you to keep, and that others will never appreciate the true value of what you give at this time, but as with the widow and her mite, the Lord will see and reward.

This sits right with me.
Thanks for your help everyone.