Afterglow

 

Solar eclipse photo by NASA

The long-awaited 2024 solar eclipse, with views of totality from parts of Mexico, 12 US states, and Canada, has come and gone. The contiguous United States will not experience another solar eclipse for two decades, and that event will be visible only from Montana and North Dakota. Even though my home state could see only 60% of totality, I still find myself basking in the afterglow of this amazing celestial phenomenon.

The day before the eclipse we were at our favorite beach, where we enjoyed beachcombing for shells and fossils, swimming in the pool we had all to ourselves, and spotting dolphins feeding and breaching the waves. That evening was a spectacular sunset, ablaze in deep red, orange, and gold contrasting against the cobalt blue of the shimmering waves.

It was as if God were teasing us with a preview of His artistry before the main event! That night’s stargazing was no less dramatic, unobscured by clouds or moonlight. It reminded us that a solar eclipse can occur only during a new moon, but that only an occasional new moon causes an eclipse. The tilting of the moon on its axis causes it to pass slightly below or above the line between the earth and the sun during most new moons, but all three celestial bodies must be aligned for an eclipse to occur.

On the day of the eclipse, we considered viewing it from the beach, but ultimately decided to return home, as we live further north where more of the sun would be obscured by the moon. Equipped with our certified eclipse glasses, we chose a prime spot in the back yard behind the ballroom where we practice most mornings. From this vantage point, no buildings or trees hid the sun from our view.

We arrived there shortly before the eclipse was predicted to begin. As we settled into our lawn chairs and decided to catch up on our daily Bible readings, I was struck by how God’s creation came alive all around us, in this spot I merely glance at most mornings when I open the door to ventilate our practice area.

Birds were chattering in the trees behind us. A stunning butterfly, orange with white spots outlined in black, flitted over as if to welcome us. The ground beneath our feet was carpeted with lush greenery, topped by delicate white and lavender blossoms that attracted velvety honeybees, their translucent wings whirring in the air. Nearby, industrious ants paraded in and out of their hills like a miniature army guarding their fortress.

How appropriate that among our readings was a warning to be a self-starter like the ant, not needing someone in authority to nag us until we get the job done!  (Proverbs 6:6-11). And a description of the fertile Promised Land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey! (Numbers 13:27).

At the scheduled start time we looked up through our eclipse glasses. Sure enough, there was a tiny black spot on the lower rim of the sun, around 5 o’clock on an imagined watch face, as if a mouse had nibbled on a wheel of Gouda cheese!

We took turns reading and viewing, awestruck as the dark spot grew. Over the course of an hour, it blocked increasingly more of the sun’s light, until the partially eclipsed sun resembled a crescent moon. Then the dark area receded, leaving the sun’s rim at around 2 o’clock on the watch face. Meanwhile, we felt a noticeable drop in temperature and light, a welcome relief from the Florida sun. The birds grew silent, only to chirp again once the eclipse abated, as if awakened from slumber.   

God continued to speak to us as we read the Bible, linking His handiwork to His Word (Psalm 19:1). We read Jesus’ prophecy that the End Times would be heralded by false prophets, wars, persecution of God’s people, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and “fearful sights and great signs…from heaven.” (Luke 21:7-11).

A perusal of the news headlines that evening seemed to reflect that prophecy. A tragic example of a false prophet was a young woman arrested for shooting into cars on a Florida highway, because “God told me to start a shooting spree during the eclipse.” There were new rumors of war between China and the Philippines, imprisonment of 11 Christian leaders in Nicaragua, the third earthquake in as many days, and the US Centers for Disease Control calling a meeting of all state public health leaders to warn them to prepare for human bird flu.

An “eclipse festival” in Texas, already a disaster because of oversold tickets, performers being unable to reach the venue, overcrowding, and exorbitant food prices, was canceled right before the concert and eclipse because of forecasted severe storms, tornados, and hail.

During the eclipse, we also read about how the sun grew dark for three hours while Jesus hung on the cross to pay for our sins (Luke 23:44), followed by the light of His glorious resurrection, appearance to the disciples, and ascension (Luke 24). Now all who trust Him have eternal life! (John 3:16).

Praise God that He is Light (1 John 1:5), Who has overcome the darkness of sin, death, and hell! (Luke 1:79; John 1:5; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:19; 2 Corinthians 4:6). The headlines are disturbing, but we can have faith in Christ’s promise to deliver us from the wrath to come! (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Viewing the eclipse – such a stunning example of God’s artistry and power – reminds us that He controls the cosmos and oversees the minutest detail of each of our lives. He alone can work all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Glory, praise and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ, Light of the world (John 8:12), and bright and shining Morning Star! (Revelation 22:16).

© 2024 Laurie Collett

Birds On a Wire

 

Photo by Karunakar Rayker 2007

Not long ago, on our usual journey from home to our favorite beach, I spotted an eerie phenomenon – a group of birds apparently hovering in mid-air, motionless and all facing in the same direction. When we got closer, the mystery was solved – the birds were all perched on an electrical wire, which was not visible from further up the road.

Despite the high voltage passing through such wires, small birds can safely land there, provided their body does not touch ground, because their feet are so close together. The voltage drop, and hence current, between two points on a wire is proportional to the distance between the points, so electricity from the wire does not harm the birds.

On subsequent trips I noticed that the same, or at least a similar, flock occupied the same wire, which prompted me to read more about this behavior. The more I learned about it, the more parallels I saw between “birds of a feather flocking together” on a high wire and the need for Christians to be faithful members of a local church:

Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we are to join a local church (Acts 2:47), where we can support one another, bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and encourage one another to do God’s work. This is even more important during the End Times, as Christ’s return draws near, because the urgency to bring souls to Christ before it is too late (John 9:4) demands that we work together (Luke 10:2).

Birds on a wire perch close to each other to reduce the danger of being attacked by predators, as there is safety in numbers. For Christians also, the Bible-based church provides protection from Satan’s traps (Ephesians 6:11-18), including false doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1), and a loving church family supports its members who are enduring trials through prayer and encouragement.

Birds that eat insects enjoy the height of an electrical wire to give them a better perspective, and hence feeding opportunities, as they can better view and then pursue their dinner, whether on the ground or flying by. Although Christians can and should read their own Bible daily to be fed from God’s Word (Matthew 6:11), the higher perspective of an experienced, Godly pastor or teacher expounding Scripture can feed us in the meat, and not only the milk, of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12).

The environment of a high wire is free of foliage to obstruct or shadow the birds’ view of predators and prey, thus enhancing their survival. Similarly, going to a Bible-based church at the appointed times should provide an environment free of the distractions and preoccupations of our daily life in this evil world, enabling us to focus on God’s Word and will from a higher perspective.

Birds nesting in trees are difficult to see, but those on an elevated wire are visible even from a distance. Jesus told His followers that we are the light of the world, shining like a great city on a hill for all to see (Matthew 5:14). The local church is one place where we can shine His reflected light, and it allows us to “recharge our batteries” so that we can burn more brightly even in this dark world.

Mark LaBarr, a wildlife biologist and conservation program manager with the National Audubon Society, describes birds clustering on a wire as a "pre-migratory get-together." The wire becomes a staging area, similar to an airport preboarding area, before the flock takes flight for warmer climates to help them survive the winter.

Or, for Christians, the local church is where we come together while awaiting the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), our final flight to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds and then on to Heaven, the most hospitable and welcoming destination where we will not only survive, but thrive, throughout all eternity!

Most birds on a wire face the same direction, into the wind, to avoid ruffling their feathers and to facilitate take-off and landing. (But of course, there are a few rebels in every crowd!) If we as Christians look in the same direction – to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith – He will smooth over any disputes among ourselves and make it easier to embark on the course He has appointed us (Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:24), and to rest according to His perfect timing and direction (Matthew 11:28).

On our most recent trip, many miles past the birds on a wire, I witnessed an amazing display of God’s direction over His avian creation. A swarm of small birds suddenly appeared over the eastern sky, swooping westward over the horizon, then a second swarm in the western sky flew toward the first swarm until both united in a circular pattern as all the birds traveled upward!

It reminded me of God’s grace in inviting “whosoever” trusts in His Son as Lord and Savior to live forever in Heaven (John 3:16), regardless of whether they are His chosen people of Israel or Gentiles who have been “grafted in” to His family tree by faith (Romans 11).

Like winged flocks, may we gather together in safety, sound doctrine and support, and nurture our fellow believers until Christ comes again! Look up (Luke 21:28), for our redemption is near!  

© 2024 Laurie Collett

Photo by John Holmes 2006

Perspective

 

Recently, after carrying heavy bags up the stairs leading to our beach house, I felt somewhat light-headed, probably because of the sudden exertion after a long car ride. But as I gazed out over the ocean and toward the blue horizon, I felt my equilibrium restored.

About two years ago, I had to rehearse for our dance ministry when I had nearly, but incompletely, recovered from a 24-hour bout of episodic vertigo. Spinning and being lifted overhead, sometimes while upside down, were more challenging than usual! But I found that if I looked up and into the distance, the vertigo disappeared and my balance quickly returned.

The key to overcoming these troubling situations seemed to be a matter of perspective. Keeping my focus narrowed on myself and my immediate surroundings aggravated my discomfort, whereas shifting to a broader, heavenward view gave me a reassuring sense of stability.

Leonardo da Vinci, the great Renaissance painter, was a master of one point perspective. This technique uses parallel lines converging at a single vanishing point to create the illusion of depth while drawing the viewer’s eye to focus on the main subject. In his renowned “Last Supper,” the vanishing point is behind the head of Jesus Christ, and the lines in the painting all converge on His right eye, directing the viewer's attention to Him.

Perspective has spiritual as well as physical and visual implications. When chaos swirls all around us, we can choose a heavenly rather than a worldly perspective and keep our eyes, hearts and minds focused on Jesus Christ. Remembering that we are saved by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) and are promised eternal life with Him (John 3:16), all our worldly cares grow dim.

Just as Leonardo used artistic techniques to highlight Jesus Christ as his most important subject, we can use our spiritual gifts to give Him the pre-eminence in our lives. We must keep ourselves from idols, or any goal, relationship, or pursuit that we value more dearly than Him (1 John 5:21). We must bring every thought into captivity and subjection to Him, while casting out any prideful idea opposed to God’s supremacy (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Scripture urges us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to be anxious about nothing (Philippians 4:6), and to meditate on God’s Word day and night (Deuteronomy 6:7; Psalm 119). Although our thoughts may flutter about like a swarm of bees, each bee can light on only one blossom at a time, and our mind can only process one thought at a time. So if we direct our thoughts to God, wicked, intrusive, or anxious thoughts take flight.

Like Elisha, we should pray for our own eyes and those of our loved ones to be opened to God’s perspective, seeing not only our physical enemies but also the angels and great cloud of witnesses far outnumbering and overpowering any physical dangers or foes (2 Kings 6:15-17).

If we first seek Jesus Christ and His righteousness, He will not only allow us to find these, but will add on the blessing of meeting all our physical and spiritual needs (Matthew 6:33). Beginning our prayers with praise and thanksgiving reminds us of His infinite power, wisdom, righteousness and love, and His great mercy and grace (Matthew 6:9-13). It reminds us to shift our focus from our weakness to His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9), from our confusion to His solution, from our fear to the faith only He can provide (2 Corinthians 4:8-18).

Turning next in prayer to intercession for the great needs of our loved ones, church family, acquaintances, and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44) changes our perspective by making our own problems seem small in comparison. Then we can ask for whatever personal concerns remain on our hearts, but by then our attitude is likely to have shifted from grumbling or anxiety to gratitude.

In today’s perplexing and distressing End Times, the world, our flesh and the devil want us to focus on the problems, misery, and evil all around us, to paralyze us with fear and distract us from doing God’s work, following His Word, and worshipping Him. But the Holy Spirit within each believer encourages us to look up, for our redemption is near! (Luke 21:28). May we shift our perspective to heavenly things above (Colossians 3:1-2).

In this life we will be troubled and we will face many trials and much suffering (1 Peter 4:12). But in the vast scope of eternity, these all last but a fleeting moment (2 Corinthians 4:17) and will all vanish at the last trump, when we are raised in our glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:52-53) and get our first glimpse of our Savior’s precious face!

Then our perspective will change completely, for we will know Him as He now knows us (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will enjoy Him, Heaven and one another throughout eternity, never again to experience death, aging, sin, sorrow or pain!

Look up, for our redemption draws nigh!

© 2023 Laurie Collett

For Such A Time

 

"Queen Esther" by Hugues Merle

Next week begins the Jewish feast of Purim, which commemorates saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an evil official of the Persian Empire under king Ahasuerus who planned to exterminate all of Persia's Jewish subjects.

Thankfully, Haman’s plans were foiled by Queen Esther, favored wife of Ahasuerus, herself a Jewess whom God had placed in this position of influence “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). She was an orphan adopted by her uncle Mordecai, who realized that God had orchestrated her unlikely rise to royal status so that she could help save His people.

He had wisely advised her to conceal her Jewish identity until it was needed to fulfill God’s purpose for her life. But now that her people were threatened, she could appeal to the king’s love for her to deliver all of them, and even to defeat Haman in the process, who ended up hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 5-10).

It would not be the first time God had placed an outsider in the enemy’s camp to protect or deliver His chosen people. Joseph’s eleven brothers, consumed by jealousy, sold him into Egyptian slavery. But what they intended for evil, God used for good (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph’s eventual rise to most trusted advisor to Pharaoh, despite a tumultuous course of events including false imprisonment, ultimately allowed him to provide for his family during the severe famine, leading to a surprising reunion and preservation of his brothers, who gave rise to the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 37-50).

God spared the life of Moses, a baby condemned to die under Pharaoh’s cruel edict to kill all the Hebrew male infants born in Israel, while their older relatives were held captive for slave labor. God carefully arranged all the details so that Moses would be nursed by his own mother, discovered by Pharaoh’’s daughter as a basket carrying him floated by the river Nile shore where she was bathing, and raised as her own son (Exodus 2).

This position of great privilege in the Egyptian court, while Moses retained his loyalty to his fellow Hebrews, gave him a tremendous advantage years later.  In a moment of anger, Moses murdered an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, and fled into the wilderness, where he spent years in exile. God spoke to him from a burning bush and announced His calling (Exodus 3). Moses would return to Egypt and deliver God’s people from captivity, ultimately leading them to safety as God parted the Red Sea for their escape, then reuniting the waters so that the Egyptians pursuing them would perish (Exodus 14).

Nehemiah, trusted cup-bearer to pagan king Artaxerxes, was in a unique position to lead the rebuilding of the wall fortifying Jerusalem. When he heard of the wall’s destruction, he convinced the king not only to give him time off to supervise the project, but also letters ensuring his safety while traveling and even construction supplies (Nehemiah 1-2).

Through God’s grace, He had lifted up Esther from the Babylonian captivity into a position of influence in the king’s palace, just as He later would elevate a humble young girl, the virgin Mary, to the honored position of being the mother of Jesus Christ, the promised Savior of the world.

God chose and exalted Mary despite her modest position in life because she was willing to obey Him and follow His perfect plan, considering herself to be the handmaiden, or servant, of the Lord (Luke 1:38; 46-53). This is in keeping with God’s ability to humble the mighty and wealthy while giving riches and power to the poor and helpless (1 Samuel 2:4-8), just as He did for Esther.

These Biblical examples, and many others, remind me that we as Christians, who have been saved by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), may also have been placed by God into our unique sphere of influence “for such a time as this.” Surely the signs of the times, with wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in unusual places, false prophets, wickedness, all increasing in frequency and intensity like labor pains, point to us living in the End Times (Matthew 24), that period before Jesus returns to gather His children at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).

Not all Christians are missionaries facing hardship in foreign lands, but all of us are pilgrims, passing through this world that is not our home, journeying toward the Promised Land of Heaven. En route, God allows all of us to undergo trials, for our ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28). He has equipped each of us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12), talents, and resources, and has placed us where we can grow (Jeremiah 17:7-8) to fulfill His unique purpose for us, which He knew since before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10).

Jesus Christ Himself was the only One Who could ever fully complete the work God set out for Him to do (John 17:4). Sadly, each of us will fall short of perfect fulfillment of God’s designated mission for us, but the degree of our success will be based on our faith, obedience to God’s call, and character. If, by yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can emulate the integrity, compassion, dedication, perseverance, devotion and humility of Esther, Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, and Mary, we are more likely to accomplish our Divine mission. 

In these End Times, may we recognize that we have been positioned in God's Kingdom "for such a time as this" and follow His perfect will, living with faith, integrity and purpose until He comes again!

© 2023 Laurie Collett

 

I

The Lamb of God

 

I dreamed that we were living in a dystopic society nearing the apocalypse. The governing powers announced one morning that all those in Christian leadership would be rounded up and put to death that evening for “treasonous beliefs,” unless they renounced their faith in Jesus Christ. In a vain attempt to make these actions appear humane, the rulers decreed that all these Christians would be taken to a camp in the woods for a last meal and fellowship with one another.

Two pastors, my husband and I were to be taken together, and we made last-minute preparations. I put on red slacks, sandals, a brown shirt, purple jacket, and a white cap.

“I trust God even if I do die tonight,” said the older pastor. “God has blessed me with a good life; I’d probably die in a few years anyway from natural causes; and I know where I’m going.”

“God has a plan,” the other pastor said.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud mechanical roar outside and pounding on the door. Armed guards burst inside and escorted us out to a cattle car being pulled by a tractor. We sat quietly with the other prisoners, not putting up any resistance.

Our heads and bones rattled as the tractor pulled us along a rocky, unpaved road up a steep mountain to an abandoned camping lodge in the middle of nowhere. A forest fire appeared to have leveled the trees, and only a few charred stumps poked forth from the scorched earth like stubble on a three-day-old beard. The guards locked the four of us in a dilapidated room containing only four bare cots, one weakly flickering lantern, and a built-in cupboard. The only window had been filled in with concrete.

My husband opened the cupboard, which was empty except for a few roaches that scurried out. “So much for them feeding us, not to mention letting all of us get together for our last prayer meeting,” he sighed.

“I have part of a leftover sandwich,” I said, digging the sorry remains out of my pocket and offering it to him. He gestured to the others and placed it on the ledge beneath the cemented window, beside a chipped old plastic toy bird that some child must have left there.

Suddenly the sandwich transformed into a bountiful, fragrant loaf of fresh baked bread; the bird sprang to life as a white dove; and the obstructed window became transparent crystal befitting a modern cathedral. A brilliant white light shone through the window as the panes opened and the dove flew upward and away. Before us stood the Lamb of God, perfect in His humanity, yet resembling a Lamb with hair as white as wool, indescribably beautiful, radiant, powerful, tender, and compassionate.

As I reached toward His face, I realized we were being transported upward into His light, and I was overwhelmed by utter peace and joy!

Upon awakening and thinking about the symbolism of the dream, I realized that Jesus warned that Christian persecution would increase in the End Times (Matthew 24:6-10), and that Peter reminded us not to be surprised if we are facing fiery trials for our faith (1 Peter 4:12-19). We can only be prepared for these trials if we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17), symbolized in the dream by my strange outfit.

Our loins are to be girded with the truth that we are bought (1 Corinthians 6:20) with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-20), red like the slacks. Our feet are to be shod with the Gospel of the preparation of peace, denoted by the sandals. The brown shirt may represent the breastplate of righteousness, as brown is the color of humility. We need to be humble and recognize that we have no righteousness on our own merit (Romans 3:10), but that we need instead to be clothed in the imputed righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 61:10).

Purple is a royal hue and therefore the color of faith in the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The purple jacket reminds me of the shield of faith, which we are to use above all to quench all the fiery darts of Satan. We are to protect our mind with the helmet of salvation, symbolized by the white cap. Only when we realize that He saved us by His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) can our sins be washed as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).

All the prisoners in the dream had refused to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, even though the penalty was death, much like Daniel facing the lions' den (Daniel 6:10-23). The two pastors expressed their trust in God to either deliver them from the earthly danger or to remove them directly to His presence, much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo as they were thrown into the fiery furnace for their faith (Daniel 3:14-28).

Although the tractor was pulling us up the mountain, that destination and view had nothing to be desired, for it was but a charred wasteland. The best that man can offer by his own efforts are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) or dung (Philippians 3:8) compared with God’s abundant provision (Philippians 4:19). He alone can give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, to His glory! (Isaiah 61:3).

Our seemingly hopeless situation in the barracks reversed completely to a glorious new beginning after we offered what little we had for the good of our companions. Jesus transformed a little boy’s lunch into a banquet for thousands (John 6:5-14), and He honored the widow’s pitiful offering above all the riches poured into the treasury (Mark 12:41-44). The size or the value of our gift means far less to Him than the degree of sacrifice with which we offer it. But no matter how much we give, we can’t outgive God! (Luke 6:38).

In the dream, He transformed the stale crumbs from my pocket to a magnificent loaf that could nourish all, representing Himself as the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48, 51), and the forsaken toy into the Heavenly Dove of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; John 1:32).

God is light (1 John 1:5), and if we seek Him we can walk in His light (Ephesians 5:8-11; John 8:12) and ourselves be light in this dark and wicked world (Luke 1:79; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6). He will take us from darkness into His marvelous light (Matthew 4:16; 1 Peter 2:9) and elevate us to heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6).

Words escape me when I try to describe what I saw and felt in the dream state of encountering Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29, 36). In His perfect love we have nothing to fear (1 John 4:18), for our sins are forgiven (Mark 2:10; Acts 13:38). He paid the price; and if we belong to Him, we do not need to fear anyone or anything else (Romans 8:31). The “light affliction” of this world, as the apostle Paul put it, will fade the instant we see Him in glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

One day, I believe and pray one day soon, the Lamb of God will call all His children upward to meet with Him in the air, take part in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), and forever serve Him (Revelation 22:3) and bathe in His light! (Revelation 21:23; 5:6; 7:17)). Until the Rapture occurs (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), may we stand fast in our faith (1 Corinthians 15:58), encourage one another, put on the whole armor of God, and share what we have with others in need, all to His glory!  

© 2018 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

 

Revival?

 

Photo by Simon East 2005

In this dream, I’m at a “Christian” revival meeting in a large hall, packed out with noisy people. A pregnant woman starts to go into labor, so I offer to help. She is bleeding and “delivers” a plastic baby doll, covered in blood. They take her to the hospital, while the revival continues without interruption, grief, or even anyone commenting on this bizarre occurrence.

The atmosphere reminds me of “Bicker night” in college, when eating clubs that had invited sophomores to become members had loud parties and competed with one another to sign up the most recruits to join their ranks. At the time, I had mixed emotions about it, as it was fun and exciting, and flattering to be pursued as a recruit. But in their attempts to sign up as many invitees as possible, the leaders in the eating clubs also seemed to exude an air of pressure and desperation, which I absorbed as if by osmosis.

A similar spirit prevails at the “revival” in the dream, as there is no sound preaching of the Gospel message, just undue pressure to join the hosting church. Many church members and leaders approach me at different times to sign me up and have me join their church, even though I explain I’m already saved and I’m very happy with my own church family.

I spot a familiar face – a friend of ours who is a pastor -- and am relieved, hoping he’ll tell them I’m already saved and belong to a local church. But another man intercepts him and insists that I need to be born again by joining their church.

As I awaken and contemplate the dream’s meaning, I put it in the context of the End Times in which we now appear to be living. All the signs that Jesus spoke of in His Olivet discourse (Matthew 24) seem to erupt all around us – wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, plague, famine, earthquakes in unusual places, persecution of God’s people, and division even among families. These catastrophic events are troubling, but true Christians can be reassured that they portend the imminent second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we shall meet Him in the air and live with Him forever!

Jesus also said there would be many false prophets teaching false doctrine in the End Times (Matthew 24), which the dream reflected in a false works-based salvation, namely, that you could be saved by joining a church. None of the speakers expounded on God’s Word, particularly the Gospel truth of salvation only by our faith through God’s grace, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can be saved only if we trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

When false doctrine is preached, the result is corrupt fruit (Matthew 7:17). The woman who went into labor brought forth not a live infant, which could represent being born again (John 3:3-8), but an inanimate doll. It makes we wonder how many who sign a card, walk the aisle, join a church, or get baptized, thinking these works will please God and earn them entrance to Heaven, have never really trusted Christ or asked Him into their heart to be Lord of their life. Without that faith and a personal relationship with our Savior, that “born again” experience is as phony as being delivered of a plastic mannequin that cannot bear any fruit.

Yet the woman was bleeding, symbolizing the sorrow, pain and loss that may accompany a fake “conversion.” Some Catholic sects used self-flagellation as a means to salvation, but their shed blood and painful scars brought them no closer to Heaven than the self-cuttings of the pagans worshiping Baal (1 Kings 18:24-29).

In a less extreme but no less wrong belief, based on the authority of God’s Word, some false teachers preach the need for repentance before salvation. While it is true that the person being saved realizes through the Holy Spirit that he is a sinner deserving eternal punishment in hell, and hence needing a Savior (Matthew 9:13; Luke 15:7; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Peter 3:9), some false prophets elevate repentance to the status of a work that must be accomplished before God will grant salvation. If the sinner is not sorry enough, or suffering enough over his past mistakes, these false teachers claim he hasn’t truly been saved.

Such a doctrine negates God’s grace, the only way by which we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). Praise the Lord, we don’t need to suffer to be saved, for He did it on our behalf, bearing the crushing weight of all our sins and the associated excruciating judgment (2 Corinthians 5:21). He rose again, proving that He is Son of God and God Himself, so that all who trust in His substitutionary sacrifice (Romans 3:25; 1 John 4:10) can have everlasting life!

Sadly, in the dream, no one mourned the woman’s pain, delivery of a dead thing, or removal from the revival, or was even concerned by it, suggesting that in false churches, sham conversions are the primary goal and the norm rather than the exception. It’s not about souls truly being led to the Lord, but about numbers -- how many members, tithes, professions of faith, baptisms, visitors, even cars in the parking lot!.

In the dream, the pressure to join the church was akin to the pressure to join a social club, with the leaders motivated by filling up their ranks rather than by the spiritual welfare of those being pressured and misled. Like the End Times church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-19), these churches think they are rich because they boast of many filling up the pews and paying tithes, often for the wrong reasons of social networking or worse, thinking they will be saved by these deeds. Yet spiritually, they are poor, misguided, leading others to damnation, and making Jesus Christ sick to His stomach.

Many megachurches today may appear to the outside world to be in a state of revival. For those spreading God’s Word, this may indeed be true. But for other churches that seem to be thriving in secular terms, often with magnificent auditoriums, huge congregations, worldly entertainment, and emphasis on prosperity and self-fulfillment, the “revival” is nothing more than successful marketing devoid of spiritual ministry.

Nowadays even atheists have churches, in which they don’t pray or worship God, but listen to feel-good messages, and sing together. The newly appointed chief chaplain of Harvard University is a self-proclaimed atheist, which truly reflects the sorry spiritual state of these End Times.

My husband and I are blessed to belong to a Bible-preaching church pastored by a great man of God whose true desire is to see souls saved. Despite being a relatively small church, it has God’s heart for missions and supports more than 50 missionaries. But many are not as blessed, and fall prey to preachers seeking to fill their wallets rather than to win souls for Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

May we do our part to support the true church, or called-out assembly of believers in Jesus Christ, and to lead others to understand and accept the true Gospel message, even more as we see the day of His return approaching! 

 

© 2021 Laurie Collett