Inside Story: Dreaming Dreams ~ Part 3

Inside Story for Friday 29th of December 2023

By Andrew McChesney

Joseph Delamou had prayed to God to reveal His true church, but Joseph didn’t know where to worship in Conakry, capital of the French-speaking country of Guinea in West Africa. After studying the Bible with his English teacher, a Seventh-day Adventist named Fortunate Kaloubilori, he fasted for three days and pleaded with God to reveal His will.

Then Joseph had a dream in which he was locked up in prison. A prison guard was a relative, and he begged him for freedom. “I cannot free you even though we are from the same family,” the relative said.

Joseph attempted to escape but was caught and reproved by his relative.

“Don’t play with me,” the relative said. “If you try that again, I will punish you in a way that you will never forget.”

A voice boomed out with a description of the punishment. “Someone will bring straw and put it under you and set it on fire,” the voice said.

Joseph understood that the punishment represented hell after Jesus’ coming. He prayed, “I’m not better than the others. Only don’t let me die here. I want to accomplish something for You before I die.”

After the prayer, he was somehow removed from the prison cell and into the presence of three soldiers. One soldier said, “Joseph, you must pay the ransom for your freedom.”

“Only God freed me, not you,” Joseph replied. “Jesus paid the price on the cross. I owe you nothing.”

But the soldier insisted, “If you don’t pay, we will take you back to prison.”

“My freedom did not come from you, and you cannot go against God, who freed me,” Joseph said. “My life depends on God, and if you harm me, you are not harming me but God.

The soldiers left, and Joseph turned around and saw Fortunate.

“Your freedom is from God,” Fortunate assured him.

Then Joseph woke up. It was 3:00 a.m., and he was sweating. The dream seemed so real.

He prayed, “Thank You, God. Every time I ask for help, You answer me. I thank You, not for answering me but for loving me.”

Today, Joseph is 24 and a faithful Adventist.

“When I was a child, I asked God to lead me to the right path,” he said. “God answered this prayer by bringing me to the Adventist Church. I am ready to serve God.”

Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this Sabbath will help spread the gospel in the West-Central Africa Division, which includes Guinea. Thank you for your generous offering.