It’s All About Me

 

I dreamed that I was invited to a gala banquet honoring a famous philanthropist. I was dressed to kill and excited about making my grand entrance in the posh lobby of one of the most elegant downtown hotels where this ritzy affair was held. But to my dismay, as soon as I crossed the threshold, before the paparazzi could even snap my photo, a butler escorted me downstairs to the basement, to a small, dingy meeting room.

The room was already overcrowded with other guests who apparently also had not made the cut to be seated in the main ballroom. The chairs and benches along the narrow tables were already taken. There was also a sofa on one side of the table that could have easily seated four people, but a young woman was sprawled out there head to toe, occupying the entire couch.

The nerve! I thought angrily, then found that my thoughts had vocalized and I was berating the woman for taking up so much room. She ignored my tirade with an insolent sneer, so I managed to find a stool and barely squeezed it in by the corner of one of the tables and awkwardly sat down.

A waiter brought a tray of hors d’oeuvres, hardly deigning to acknowledge us as he hurried away to the more important guests in the main dining room. One of the guests seated at my table, who apparently fancied himself to be a gourmet chef and food critic, proceeded to take a bite of each of the different types of canapé, and attempted to impress us by announcing the spices and other ingredients used in each. Not that it did me any good – he sampled so many, leaving the bulk of each appetizer uneaten on his plate, that the tray was empty when it finally came my way.

A kitchen maid brought a vat of what was to be the main course. “Cheddar Welsh Rarebit,” the self-appointed food connoisseur pronounced. To me it looked and smelled like vomit. What a wasted evening, spending hours selecting the right ensemble and looking my best, only to be shuttled to this miserable room with these insufferable people, eating pig slop and straining my back sitting on this hard wooden stool.

Aha! I saw my chance as the rude young woman excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. I raced to her couch and promptly stretched out on it as she had done, even though several other guests huddled anxiously in the doorway looking for a place to sit.

As I awoke, I recalled the excellent sermon at our church the night before about the dangers of self. The three main enemies of the Christian are the world (Matthew 6:24; 16:26; Mark 4:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 6:14; 1 John 2:15-16); the devil (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9), and self (Genesis 49:6; Titus 1:7; 2 Peter 2:10). But as the pastor said, “We’re often our own worst enemy.”

In the dream, I was invited to a banquet honoring another, yet in all my preparation and even at the event, it was all about me, without a single thought for the guest of honor. As a born-again child of God who has placed her faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), I am blessed to know that I am invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). In the meantime, I have the privilege of going to His house every week (Hebrews 10:25).

As I prepare for church, am I more concerned about how I look or about whether my heart is right to be in His presence? (Psalm 51:10; 139:24; James 1:23-25; 4:8) Am I participating in ministries there for my own self-justification, or to bless and edify others and glorify Him? (Matthew 6:1-4; Hebrews 3:12-14) Am I focused on the message, or is my mind wandering to what’s for lunch or how I will spend the afternoon? Even if I listen to the message, am I applying it to my own heart, or do I assume it’s meant for another?

It was fitting in the dream that I was seated in the worst location, as I had pridefully assumed I would be at the head table, and yet I had not a single thought during the dream about the person I was supposedly there to honor. Jesus warned us about taking the best seats at places of worship and wanting to be seen and admired as we pray, fast or tithe (Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18; 23:2-7; Mark 12:38-40). If we do that, our reward is from men and not from Him, for we have left Him out of the equation. But in the dream, instead of realizing I deserved my uncomfortable accommodations, I was filled with self-pity.

How quick I was to judge the young woman for her selfishness, thoughtlessness, and rudeness, only to act the same way when I had the opportunity. Even worse, I lashed out at her in angry words (James 1:26; 3:6). May we not pounce on the flaws of others while overlooking or excusing our own, often far worse, faults (Matthew 7:1-5).

God created and saved us to enjoy abundant life (John 10:10) in the here and now as well as eternal life with Him (John 3:16). He wants us to enjoy good things (Psalm 103:5; Proverbs 28:10; Matthew 7:11; Luke 1:53), including food, but like any other basic need or pleasure that is wholesome when used as God intended it, there is the danger that it can become a form of self-indulgence or even an idol (Matthew 6:25-33).

The food served in the dream was not to nourish or to delight but to impress. Instead of appreciating the host’s providing food for the guests, the food critic was more concerned about glorifying himself through his critique, and his selfishness spoiled the meal for the other guests. Not that I was any better – my selfishness in wanting to lie down on the couch kept other guests from being seated at all.

In the past I have had several dreams about food, in strange combinations, in excessive amounts, or having to be discarded. I initially dismissed these as simply being hungry or having eaten too much before going to bed, until a variety of unusual symptoms made me realize that God was warning me to pay far closer attention to my diet. I had been self-indulgent in eating too much of the “king’s dainties,” (Proverbs 23:1-8; Psalm 141:4). Since eating simpler and more wholesome foods in smaller amounts, these symptoms are under much better control.

May we bear in mind that our self-righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and that in our own selves, we can do nothing (John 14:6; 5:30). We are saved not by anything we could do or merit by ourselves, but by His righteousness and His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). May we not look to elevate ourselves over others, but to have a servant’s heart (Matthew 23:12; Philippians 2:1-9). May we love God and love one another (Deuteronomy 6:5; 11:1,13; Luke 10:27; 1 John 4:7-8), dying daily (1 Corinthians 15:31) to the idol of self!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Eden’s Triplets of Mercy: Sin, Judgment and Redemption

 

As we have seen throughout Scripture, God’s Word expresses His Triune Nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit by clustering significant concepts, people and objects in groups of three. Some of the earliest triplet patterns occur in Genesis 2, with the description of the Garden of Eden introducing the central.theme of the Bible. Man is sinful and deserves God’s judgment, but God’s mercy saves him.

This garden was Paradise on earth, created by God for man’s enjoyment (v. 8). God filled the garden with three types of trees: every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil (v. 9).

Through the first two types of trees, God blessed man with beautiful scenery, delicious food, and the promise of perfect life free of aging, illness or pain. The third tree of knowledge of good and evil was a test of man’s faith, submission and obedience. Adam and Eve failed that test by doubting God’s Word, pridefully seeking their own desires rather than pleasing God, and disobeying His commandment (Genesis 3:1-6).

Their rebellion led to guilt (v.7, 10), loss of fellowship with God (v. 10) and suffering the consequences of God’s judgment. This included a threefold curse on the serpent (v. 14-15), on Adam (v. 17-19), and on Eve (v. 16). But God in His mercy restored fellowship by seeking them out as they hid from Him (v.9), covered their sin with animal skins (v. 21), and expelled them from the Garden (v. 22-24).

Although the expulsion from Eden was part of the judgment and consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin, it was also an act of mercy. Had God permitted them to remain in the Garden of Eden, they could have eaten from the tree of life (v. 22). This would have given them eternal life, which would be more of a curse than a blessing. They would have lived forever in their fallen state, continuing to experience the endless toil of physical labor (v. 17-19), the strife of relationships broken by sin (v. 16), and sorrow (v. 16-17).

Instead, God in His mercy had them leave. The duration of their physical life ravaged by sin would be limited (v. 19), and God would give Eve a son whose descendant would bruise Satan’s head (v. 15).  In so doing, God began His perfect plan of redemption, not only for Adam and Eve, but for everyone who would believe in His Son as Deliverer, Lord and Saviour (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Peter 1:11). The animal skins with which God clothed Adam and Eve required the shedding of blood, foreshadowing the shed blood of Christ, the perfect Sacrifice Who cleansed us from all our sins, past, present and future  (Romans 5:9; Revelation 1:5).

God watered the Garden of Eden with four rivers defining three lands or countries: Havilah, Ethiopia, and Assyria (Genesis 2:11, 13, 14). Based on current geography, it is difficult to determine from this description the exact former location of the Garden of Eden, as the global flood in Noah’s day would have considerably altered the terrain.

Through their future inhabitants, these three lands remind us of man’s sin, God’s judgment, and His restoration. Havilah was a source of three treasures: gold, bdellium and onyx (v.12). But it also was the dwelling place of Israel’s enemies: the sons of Ishmael (Genesis 25:16-18), as well as the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:7)

Ishmael represents the consequences of man taking matters into his own hands, rather than trusting God and waiting on the Lord’s perfect timing. God had promised to give Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) a natural born son in their barren old age; to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars; and to give him the Promised Land to inherit (Genesis 15:1-7). As part of a sign to Abraham confirming this promise, God asked him for an offering of three beasts: a heifer, a she goat, and a ram, each three years old (v. 9).

Had Abram and Sarai only waited for God’s perfect timing, they would not have sinned before they heard the rest (and best) of the promise: God would make Abraham the father of many nations, He would be God to him and his descendants, and he and his descendants would possess the land of Canaan forever (Genesis 17:4-8).

But Sarah accused the Lord of keeping her from childbearing, violated God’s plan for marriage by giving her maid Hagar to Abraham, and persuaded him to have a child by her. Because of Ishmael, the son of this adulterous liaison, Hagar hated Sarah, Sarah wanted to be rid of Hagar, and Abraham was caught in the middle (Genesis 16:2-6).

God promised to make Ishmael the father of innumerable descendants (v. 10), just as He did for Isaac, Abraham and Sarah’s promised son born after Ishmael. But unlike Isaac, Ishmael would be a curse, and not a blessing, to Israel, for he would be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him (v. 12). The world today is still reeling from the impact of radical Islamists tracing their roots back to Abraham through Ishmael. 

The Amalekites, also inhabitants of Havilah, were another thorn in Israel’s side. As the Hebrews fled from Egypt, Amalek attacked them in a fierce battle at Rephidim. Israel prevailed while Moses prayed, assisted by Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:10-12). God swore that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (v. 16).

God used the Amalekites and Canaanites as an instrument of His judgment against the Hebrews for complaining about Him, lacking faith in His promise by believing an evil report about the Promised Land, and planning to disobey Him by returning to Egypt (Numbers 14). The judgment was threefold: they would be struck by pestilence and the sword; the adults would die in the wilderness (except for Joshua and Caleb who brought a good report); and the children would wander in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.

As severe as this sounds, it was a lesser punishment than they deserved for their lack of faith despite God’s faithfulness, His signs demonstrating His great power, and the report from Joshua and Caleb of the land flowing with milk and honey. But God pardoned them (v. 20), for He is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression (v. 18).

The Amalekites continued to threaten Israel (Judges 3:13; 6:3, 7:12), and God commanded King Saul to kill every one of their people, herds and flocks (1 Samuel 15:1-3). But Saul disobeyed God by sparing the life of their king and the best of the livestock. This sin cost Saul dearly, for God judged him by taking away his kingship (1 Samuel 15:7-35). Yet He restored a Godly king to Israel by selecting and anointing David (1 Samuel 16:1-13), a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) who ultimately defeated the Amalekites (1 Samuel 31).

Because of God’s great mercy, He does not give us what we deserve, namely eternal punishment in hell, for we are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 6:23). His holiness, perfection and justice (1 Samuel 2:2) demand that sin be punished, but He reconciled us to Himself by the atoning sacrifice of His Son (Romans 5:10-11), Who was crucified, buried, and rose again on the third day so that all who trust Him have everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

We see God’s mercy daily (Lamentations 3:22-23,32) as He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), protects us from the full consequences of our transgressions, and gives blessings to mitigate the judgment He requires. Sometimes He allows us go through trials, knowing that they will strengthen our faith, conform us to the image of His Son, and equip us to help others going through similar trials by giving us compassion, wisdom and experience,

Like Havilah, the other two lands comprising the Garden of Eden, namely Ethiopia and Assyria, also have lessons for us regarding man’s sin, God’s judgment, and His restoration. Praise God that even from the beginning, He knew that man would sin, requiring judgment, but that He had a plan to redeem us! 

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Storm, Shipwreck and a Snake: Have Faith in God’s Plan!

 

The Apostle Paul writing his epistles

Although, the apostle Paul was no stranger to fearful storms, God allowed these storms to strengthen his faith and to give him unexpected blessings and opportunities to witness (Acts 27:1-24). With our limited earthly perspective, we view twists, turns, and delays on our journey as setbacks bringing discouragement. But God uses these to spare us from greater harm and to create Divine appointments for our ministry, testimony and witness.

Two weeks into the sea voyage to Rome, where Paul had prayed for an opportunity to witness to Caesar, he and his fellow companions began to draw close to shore. But the dark night kept them from knowing whether they were coming near a safe place to land the boat, or whether they would be smashed against the rocks. So they threw out anchors and waited (Acts 27-27-29). When we don’t have a clear sense of direction from God about what He wants us to do, it is best to be still (Psalm 46:10) and wait until He speaks to us (Isaiah 40:31).

Satan loves to distract us when we are waiting upon the Lord, for he knows that we can draw much power, wisdom, and strengthened faith from that experience. In this case, he used the sailors, who were ready to jump ship and save themselves, leaving the prisoners to die in the boat. But Paul warned them that they all had to stick together, stay on board, and follow God’s plan if they hoped to survive (Acts 27-30-32). Diving from God’s ark of protection into troubled seas is sheer madness inviting destruction (Genesis 7:23).

Paul was the voice of calm in the storm, as born-again believers should be by bringing the Good News of salvation by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Paul promised the passengers that they would all survive, because God had told him they would. He encouraged them further by telling them to eat while they were waiting, for they had not eaten during the two-week voyage (Acts 27-33-34).

Our first priority as Christians should be to lead people to the Lord (Matthew 28:19-20), yet we should realize that they are far more likely to listen to our message if we have first loved them by attending to their physical needs (James 2:15-17). Some may belittle ministries giving food to the poor as an enticement for them to hear Gospel preaching, yet Jesus told us to provide for those in need (Mark 9:41), just as He did with the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:14-21). As long as souls are saved to God’s glory, why should we object if their initial motive for hearing His Word was physical instead of spiritual?

Paul serving bread to the 275 other passengers was like a communion supper. He began with a promise from God; he broke the bread as Jesus did to symbolize His body that would be broken on the cross; and he gave thanks to God (Acts 27-35-37; 1 Corinthians 11:24). This reminds us to thank Him in all situations (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18), no matter how dismal or dangerous, for He alone can and will save us (Acts 4:12).

Once they had eaten, they still had to lighten the ship by throwing the remaining wheat overboard (Acts 27:38). This in itself was an act of faith that God will provide food day by day (Psalm 37:25; Matthew 6:11), just as He gave daily manna to His children as they wandered through the wilderness (Exodus 16:15).

The next day, God showed them a narrow creek appearing to lead to a safe landing on shore, reminding me of the narrow path that leads believers to Heaven (Matthew 7:13-14) by faith in Christ alone. They raised the anchors and set sail, landing the front part of the boat firmly on shore, but the waves crashing on the rear of the ship smashed it to pieces  (Acts 27:39-41). Perhaps this is a reminder that not all who appear to be saved truly are (Luke 13:26-27), and that many church members will go to hell because they trust in their religious traditions instead of in the Savior (Mark 7:8-13).

Once again, Satan attempted to thwart God’s plan by using the soldiers, who wanted to kill the prisoners before they could swim to land and escape. But God always has a small but faithful remnant (Romans 11:5) to stand up for His cause, in this case the captain of the prison guard. He had believed in God through what Paul had said and wanted to keep him alive, so he ordered that everyone who could swim head for shore (Acts 27:42-43).

Even the passengers who couldn’t swim floated in on broken boards from the ship, and everyone got to land safely. God will always find a way to save us from the storms (Psalm 18:32), even if He has to destroy our former way of life to do it (Psalm 107:23-30). Had the ship not been wrecked, those who could not swim would have had no life preservers to float on to reach the shore of the island called Melita. (Acts 27:44-28:1)

But their problems were far from over – the island was inhabited by barbarians! Yet God even used the savages on the island to help Paul and his men, for they built a fire to keep the visitors warm (Acts 28:2). How often do we put God in a box, failing to realize He can use anyone and anything to accomplish His purposes and protect His children? (Isaiah 55:8-9)

A snake, that venomous symbol of Satan (Revelation 12:9; 20:2), came out of the fire and seized Paul’s hand. The barbarians were quick to judge and assumed that Paul must be so evil that even though he escaped the storm and shipwreck, he would now die by snakebite (Acts 28:3-4). When someone is in a serious trial, we should not assume,that God is punishing him. In fact, He may use the trial by bringing him victory, for his good and God’s glory (John 9:1-3).

With God, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26) Paul simply shook the snake off his hand before it could bite him, and it landed in the fire before it could harm anyone else. God used this incident to show the people His great power. Initially the barbarians misunderstood and thought Paul was a god, but at least they now respected him and would listen to him as he preached the Gospel about God Himself (Acts 28:5-6).

Publius, the leader of the island, gave lodging to Paul and the others for three days. God used Paul to heal sick people on the island, including Publius’ father, by prayer and laying on of hands, to God’s glory. Grateful for the healing, the people of Melita helped Paul find a ship and gave provisions for the journey. Had Paul not been endangered by a deadly snake, the ensuing chain of events would not have led to this blessed outcome (Acts 28:7-10).

God continued to direct every step of their journey to Rome, giving Paul many opportunities to witness to different groups of people. Once in Rome, Paul was put under house arrest with only one soldier guarding him, so he could invite others to the house and tell them the good news about Jesus Christ (Acts 28:11-15).

Paul used this opportunity to witness to the Jewish leaders in Rome. He explained that he had committed no crime, yet God had allowed him to be captured and brought to Rome so that he would have this chance to tell them about Jesus. He showed them from the Scripture how Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophesies about the chosen Messiah (Acts 28:11-16-23; Luke 24:27).

No doubt Paul was a Holy Spirit-inspired, brilliant, learned preacher, yet not all who heard him were converted (Acts 28:24). It is the mission of born-again believers to witness and share the Gospel, not to convert anyone, for only the Holy Spirit can change the hearts of those who hear us (John 3:5-8).

Some of the religious leaders left in anger after Paul quoted Isaiah, who prophesied that many of the Jews would be deaf, dumb and blind to the clear evidence that Jesus was the Son of God, the anointed Messiah (Isaiah 6:9; Acts 28:25-27). This should remind us not to be discouraged when those we witness to refuse to listen or even walk away, because God does not require that we be successful, but only that we be obedient.

We should not lose hope because the Holy Spirit may still be working in their hearts (Acts 28:29), and ultimately we will reap the benefit of the Word we have sowed. What a joy it will be in Heaven to meet all those to whom we witnessed, or even planted a seed of encouragement in their heart, who subsequently were saved and became part of our soulwinners’ crown! (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19)

God’s Word never returns to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). In Paul’s case, His preaching was preserved in the 14 books of the Bible he authored. While the seed he sowed may have fallen on thorny soil (Matthew 13:22) in terms of the Jews, it paved the way for salvation of the Gentiles. Because the Jews rejected Jesus as their King, His kingdom was delayed, and the Gospel of Grace allowed Gentiles to enter the family of God (Acts 28:28; 20:24).

Paul had two full years of house arrest to preach the Gospel to anyone who came to see him, and no one interfered with his preaching (Acts 28:30-31). God is so good! Only He could use a wrongful arrest, perilous voyage, shipwreck, near drowning, and attack by a lethal snake to work all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Not only did Paul survive with numerous opportunities to witness, but God used his plight to spread the Gospel not only to the Jews but to the Gentile nations, and to all believers who read the 14 books of the Bible he authored. May we have faith that setbacks along our journey are also blessings in disguise!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives