Coquinas and Butterflies

Photo by Island Ecology

 

As we strolled the beach last evening, my husband and I were struck by the vast number of coquina shells at the water’s edge. These tiny, colorful shells are often called butterfly shells because they are bivalves with a wing shape, and when the two halves are still attached to one other they resemble butterflies in flight, particularly given their pastel or jewel-like tones and radiating patterns like the sun’s rays at dawn.

At first I was delighted to be collecting so many of these intact specimens in all the colors of the rainbow. But then I realized that the stretch of shore where these were spread out, like miniature brooches in a jewel box, was the same stretch that we had previously nicknamed “Coquina Beach” because many live coquinas used to burrow into the sand with each incoming wave, only to resurface as the wave receded.

Shore birds, especially long-legged brown ones in the plover family, love to feast on live coquinas, and we have often spotted them fishing for their dinner and gobbling down their prey. But last evening, these nearly tame creatures were curiously absent, except for one dejected loner poking at seaweed with his long beak, apparently to no avail.

It made me wonder if the recent heat wave, with Gulf temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit bleaching out and devastating the coral, was also taking its toll on the delicate coquinas. Perhaps that was why their empty shells were so plentiful, while live specimens and their predators were so scarce.

A saddening thought, and yet the shells we collected were a lasting reminder of the beauty and creativity of God’s intelligent design. It reminded me of the life cycle of the butterfly, perhaps an even greater example of God’s signature in His creation.

A lowly caterpillar crawls along the dirt, often as drab as its surroundings, until one day it spins a shroud-like chrysalis around itself. There it remains, outwardly dormant for some time. In this phase, which resembles death to the casual observer, the caterpillar completely digests itself, and its molecules are rearranged into a nascent butterfly, still entombed within the chrysalis.

But at exactly the right moment, the butterfly struggles to free itself from the chrysalis. Good-intentioned humans, witnessing this struggle, have sometimes cut the chrysalis to “help” the butterfly emerge, only to find that their actions have killed the fragile creature. The struggle for liberation is an essential part of the transition from caterpillar to butterfly, as it pumps fluid into the nascent wings and strengthens them.

This metamorphosis is often used as a symbol of being 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). While we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-5), we are base creatures like the caterpillar, unable to lift our heads from the filth around us (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Before we can be born again (John 3:3-8), we must die to our fleshly sin nature (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), much as the caterpillar destroys itself within the chrysalis.  

But when the Holy Spirit has completed this process within our heart – often as we struggle to shed the old man (Romans 6:6) and yield to Him-- we emerge as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), capable of soaring to heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). We are then clothed in the beauty of His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Our sin-stained garments are washed white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) and replaced with the finest robe, like the one the Father placed on the returned Prodigal Son (Luke 15:22).

The butterfly’s life as a beautiful, flying creature is ephemeral at best, lasting only a short time and ending soon after laying eggs that will hatch into caterpillars and renew the cycle. Hopefully, the live mollusks that left behind the empty coquina shells also had a chance to reproduce, so that one day, perhaps when the weather is more favorable, “Coquina Beach” will once again be teeming with life, providing a nourishing buffet for the shore birds.

Our life on earth as born-again Christians is nearly as transient (James 4:14), perhaps even more so now as plagues, famine, natural disasters, wars, and other labor pains of the End Times increase in frequency and intensity (Matthew 24). But when we die, we are with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8), and one day at the Rapture we shall have glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40-58) more magnificent than we could ever imagine! These bodies will soar through the skies as we rise to meet Him and may even be able to instantly transport us to another place or to walk through walls (John 20:19), as Jesus did in His glorified body!

But in the meantime, may we too be fruitful, like the coquina or butterfly.  Some of us may be blessed with children, a great gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5), and even more blessed when our children accept Christ and we have played some small part in bringing them into God’s family.

Yet all Christians, whether or not we have offspring, can be fruitful by doing all we can in our brief lifespan on earth as children of God and joint-heirs with Christ. May we be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure, to pray for and witness to others, to encourage and uplift the saints, and to serve God wherever He places us until He brings us home or comes again!

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Triplets of Salvation: Renew

Periodically all of us have to renew legal documents, whether for employment contracts, passports, or even a driver’s license. In each case, the privilege of working, traveling, or driving has to be re-evaluated and updated to reflect life changes since the previous document.

These may include new responsibilities, training, or benefits related to the job; aging necessitating a new photo on the passport for accurate identification; or the need for corrective lenses, use of a specially equipped vehicle, or the wish to be an organ donor annotated on the license. 

But my favorite sense of “renew” is that offered by Merriam‑Webster: “to make (something) new, fresh, or strong again; to make (a promise, vow, etc.) again; to begin (something) again especially with more force or enthusiasm.” 

That is the spirit in which couples renew their wedding vows, promising once more to spend the remainder of their lives with one another. They vow again to be faithful to one another, loving and supporting one another in sickness, health, and all life circumstances, until death parts them (Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12), if only temporarily in the case of couples who are born-again Christians (John 3:16; 11:25-26). The renewal is not only a repetition of the original vow, but a desire to recapture the joy, vigor, and excitement of newlyweds, yet tempered by the maturity, wisdom and strength of two lives shared together as one (Ephesians 5:22-31). 

The church, or body of believers in Jesus Christ, is His bride (Revelation 21:2; Matthew 9:15; 21:1-10), so why should we not periodically renew our vow to love, follow, and obey Him? Sometimes those who feel they have drifted away from God’s will “rededicate their lives to the Lord” at the altar. But even for those who try to “die daily” to our sin nature (1 Corinthians 15:31) so that we can yield to His Spirit, what better way to start each day than by renewing our commitment to Him? 

As we have seen, triplets of salvation in Scripture can be described with the terms redeem, restore, and renew, with the terms used literally as well as symbolically. In the literal sense, “renew” in the Bible means to take something up again, such as the kingdom renewed by Samuel at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:14), or Asa renewing the Lord’s altar in a land polluted by idols (2 Chronicles 15:8). 

In his tirade questioning God, Job says that witnesses are renewed against him, or accusing him again (Job 10:17), but then he remembers his glory days when his bow was renewed in his hand (Job 29:20). 

Physical renewal in the sense of regaining the strength of youth (Isaiah 41:1; Lamentations 5:21) can be likened to the lofty flight of an eagle, soaring not in our own power but on the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit. If we wait upon the Lord to renew our strength, we shall mount up with wings as eagles; we shall run and not be weary; and we shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). 

The Psalmist speaks not only of physical renewal but also of spiritual renewal when he writes (Psalm 103: 2-5) that if we bless God, He will renew our youth like the eagle's, heal all our diseases, and satisfy our mouth with good things. Spiritually, He forgives all our sins; redeems our life from destruction; and crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. 

Paul speaks of spiritual renewal of our inward man, yielded to the Holy Spirit and thus being renewed every day, despite the inevitable effects of aging, disease, and injury to our physical body (2 Corinthians 4:16). We believe, or have faith, because we have read and heard God’s Word and testimonies of believers (v. 13) that God raised Jesus from the dead, that He shall raise believers from the dead, and that He shall present all believers to Himself  (v. 14). 

We thank God for His abundant grace, to His glory (v. 15). If we focus on eternal things, our temporary physical suffering will bring forth eternal glory (v. 17-18). By keeping our eyes fixed on those things of eternal significance, we can renew our mind in the spiritual sense, which will transform us, so that we are not conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). In so doing, we can present our bodies to God as a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice (Romans 12:1). 

Being renewed in the spirit of our mind (Psalm 51:10) means putting on the new man, which the Holy Spirit creates within us, resembling Him in righteousness and true holiness. To do this, we must take off or lay aside the old man, which is corrupt because of deceitful lusts (Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3: 9-10). 

The new man has his identity in Christ, free of national labels, religious customs, or servitude because he is God’s chosen, holy and beloved (v. 11-12). In this state we should renew ourselves and one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, doing all to the glory of the Lord Jesus, God (Spirit) and the Father (v. 16-17). 

Not only does God renew His children who are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) with new compassions every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), but He will also renew, restore and regenerate the heavens, the earth, and His Kingdom (Matthew 17:11; 19:28; Mark 9:12; Acts 1:6; 3:21; Ephesians 1:10; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-5). 

Praise God that He renews us as we are born again, that He renews His children physically and spiritually, and that we can eagerly await His renewal of the heavens, earth and His kingdom!

Revelation 21:5 …Behold, I make all things new.

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

 

Triplets of Salvation: Restore

Photo by mbboston 2009

As I am slowly recovering from my illness by God's grace, the word "restore" comes to mind for the physical, mental and spiritual healing only God can provide. Only in Him can we be made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15), once we are saved by our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Hoping my readers enjoy this repost from the archives on the topic "restore."

In the comedy movie Bean, Rowan Atkinson plays a bumbling security guard assigned to protect the portrait of Whistler's Mother, bought by a museum for $50 million. When Bean is alone with the masterpiece for a few moments, he accidentally sneezes on the painting and then wipes it with his handkerchief, not realizing that it is soaked in ink from a pen that broke in his pocket. Things go from bad to disastrous as the ink stains the portrait; Bean tries to remove the stain with lacquer thinner, which dissolves Whistler’s mother’s face; and Bean “restores” it by drawing a cartoon face on the canvas.

In reality, the skill of fine art restoration is a highly technical, painstaking and detailed process requiring expertise, knowledge, and artistry. Man’s attempts at restoring broken lives, relationships and situations can be as clumsy as those of Bean unless they are guided by the Holy Spirit. Only God is the master Restorer, or Potter (Jeremiah 18:4; Isaiah 64:8; 29:6; Romans 9:21) who can reassemble the broken shards of our lives into a unified whole, remove the stain of sin from the canvas of our soul, and fill the empty spaces with an even better design than the one that was lost.

As we saw previously, three key words for salvation are redeem, restore, and renew.  Each of these is described in patterns of three in the Scripture, echoing God’s triune nature,

In the literal sense of the word, it may be necessary to restore physical property (Genesis 42:25,28; Leviticus 6:4,5; 25:27,28; Judges 11:13;17:3; etc.), animals (Exodus 22:1,4; Leviticus 24:21; Deuteronomy 22:1-2; 28:31; etc.), or persons (2 Kings 8:1,5; Isaiah 57:18; Matthew 12:13; Mark 3:5; 8:25, etc.) that are damaged, stolen or killed. Restoration may involve being repaired, replaced, or reunited with the rightful owner, spouse, or employer.

At God’s instruction, the pagan king Abimelech restored Sarah to Abraham as his wife and also gave him sheep, oxen and servants to make up for him desiring her, not knowing she was married to Abraham (Genesis 20:7,14).

Naomi lost her sons to starvation in the famine, but God restored to her, through her daughter-in-law Ruth, descendants who would not only bring new purpose to her life but who would lead to the blood line of Jesus Christ Himself! (Ruth 4:13-22)

When Joseph was imprisoned along with Pharaoh’s butler and baker (three prisoners), he correctly interpreted the butler’s dream of three budding branches on the vine, from which the butler plucked the grapes, pressed them into a cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh (Genesis 40:11,12). Joseph accurately predicted that in three days, Pharaoh would restore the butler to his former position, as described in three verses using the word “restore” (Genesis 40:13, 21;41:13).

Joseph asked the butler to remember him when he was released, to be kind to him, and to mention him to Pharaoh so that Joseph would also be released (Genesis 40:14). Joseph also correctly interpreted the baker’s dream of three white baskets on his head filled with baked goods eaten up by birds to mean that in three days, Pharaoh would behead the baker, hang his body on a tree, and allow the birds to eat his flesh (Genesis 40:16-20). What a dark contrast to the butler’s dream foretelling restoration!

Moving from the physical to the spiritual realm, there are three main uses of the word "restore" as it applies to spiritual restoration: personal restoration of the believer by God; restoration of other believers by children of God led by the Holy Spirit; and restoration of God’s creation by Himself at the end of the age.

In the Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23), David praises God for restoring his soul.in the midst of difficulties and trials, which involves God’s provision of green pastures (physical sustenance), still waters (spiritual peace), and paths of righteousness (deliverance from sin; v. 2,3).  Despite the dangers of death, evil, and enemies (v. 4,5), David thanks God for preparing a feast for him, anointing his head with oil, and filling his cup to overflowing (v. 5). He looks forward to God’s ongoing blessings of goodness, mercy and eternal life (v.6)

In Psalm 51, David begs God to restore to him the joy of his salvation (v.:12) as he repents of sinning wickedly against God in adultery with Bathsheba, deceit in attempts to cover his sins, and ultimately murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11). This type of spiritual restoration involves God looking away from our sins, blotting out our sins (Psalm 51:9), and not rejecting us because of our sins (v. 11). Once this cleansingphase of restoration occurs, God can complete the process by creating a clean heart in us, renewing a right spirit within us (v.10), and upholding us with His spirit (v. 12).

The second type of spiritual restoration refers to born-again (John 3:3-8), mature believers restoring fellow Christians who have fallen into habitual sin, which is possible only through Holy Spirit guidance. This process has three goals: bearing one another's burdens, teaching one another from the Word, and doing good to everyone, but especially to fellow believers (Galatians 6:2,6.10).

However, Paul gives three warnings concerning this. Firstly, only spiritual Christians living for God, and not carnal Christians led primarily by their sin nature (Romans 7:15-25; 8:1-17), should attempt this process. Secondly, they must correct the fallen Christian in meekness and humility, not committing the sin of pride with a “holier-than-thou” attitude. Third, they must avoid temptation themselves, remembering the ever-present sin nature that may make it easier for a carnal Christian to pull a spiritual Christian into his own wayward lifestyle or habit than for the spiritual Christian to restore the backslider (Galatians 6:1,2).

Paul expands on these three warnings regarding restoration of other believers by counseling the one attempting the restoring not to think too highly of himself (v.3), not to sow to his own flesh (v.8), and not to get tired and give up on helping others (v.9). For those following Paul’s advice in restoring fellow believers, three rewards await: eternal life (v.8), spiritual harvest (v.9), and being a new creature glorying only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (v.15). They will be blessed with God’s peace, mercy (v.16) and grace (v.18).

The third type of restoration in the symbolic sense refers to God’s plan for His creation at the end of the age. May we trust God to restore us from sin and to joy in Him, enabling us to encourage and guide one another!

© 2014 Laurie Collett

The Bible and Alcohol: Why I Don’t Drink

Before I was saved, I drank more than I should have. Too often, I yielded to the temptation to indulge in Happy Hour with dinner out, or to drink at a social gathering when I felt ill at ease, or to have a nightcap when work had been particularly stressful.

When I was saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), I did not yet belong to a church that provided solid Bible teaching or that helped a babe in Christ on their Christian walk. 

Nonetheless, I began reading through the Bible starting at the beginning. There was much that I didn’t understand, but it struck me that people whom God had appointed for His service were warned not to drink any alcohol (Daniel 1:8;15-17; Judges 13: 4,5, 7.14 Luke 1:15).

So, hoping that God would also use me to serve Him, I stopped drinking altogether – until I came to the New Testament and read about the wedding at Cana, where Jesus changed water into wine (John 2: 9-11). Surely, I reasoned, if Jesus did this, He must have thought drinking alcohol, or at least wine, was a good thing.

All the passages I had read thus far made it clear that drunkenness was wrong, but where was the harm in celebrating a joyous occasion, or even a nice dinner, with a single glass of wine? So I started drinking again, small amounts of wine at first, but then I found that I wanted to return to my old habits.

Thankfully, I continued my Bible reading and reached Paul’s warning not to be filled with wine, but with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-19). I wanted to be a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), which I learned was possible only by dying to self (1 Corinthians 15:31), to fleshly desires and to the old man or sin nature (Romans 8:1-13). I wanted to yield to the Holy Spirit now living within me (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30);, and I had the clear sense that I could not be under the influence of alcohol or mind-altering substances and following Holy Spirit guidance at the same time.

So once again, I stopped drinking, and I have not had an alcoholic beverage since, nor has my husband, who was saved a few months after I was. We had a confirmation of our decision for abstaining completely from alcohol when we attended a dinner party with several of our unsaved friends. 

As their first glass of wine led to a steady stream of drinking, we were shocked to watch the progressive deterioration in their powers of reason, memory, language, awareness, and social interaction. We wondered if we were equally impaired when we drank in the past, and concluded that we were, but that our progressive intoxication prevented us from realizing it.

Yet many who say they are born-again Christians do drink, believing that it is justified by their Christian liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). They claim that they can have one or two drinks without it affecting their mind or their Christian testimony, and they cite several Bible verses that appear to approve of drinking alcohol in moderation.

As we move into the season of tailgate parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, where we are likely to encounter social drinking by unsaved friends as well as by some Christians, I believe it is important for us to think through our position on this subject, and to have it firmly rooted in Scripture.

To summarize my main reasons for not drinking:

--I can’t be Spirit-filled and filled with spirits at the same time (Ephesians 5: 15-19).

--Alcohol-drinking could damage my testimony, both with unsaved people who closely watch Christians to see if they are hypocrites and really no different from the world, and with fellow Christians who believe that drinking alcohol is wrong for the born-again believer. Christian liberty is freedom from legalism, but it is not an excuse to sin (Romans 6:15; 1 Corinthians 10:23).

--Alcohol-drinking could be a stumbling block (Romans 14:13-16), or provocation to sin, for a babe in Christ (Habakkuk 2:15-16), if they were to see me have a drink and were to assume that they could drink in excess.

--Alcohol-drinking could be a stumbling block to anyone with a genetic vulnerability to alcoholism, if they were to see me have a drink and were to assume that they could have one too without fear of the consequences.

--I am a daughter of the King (Romans 8:16), i.e., royalty, and the Bible warns royalty not to drink at all, for it could cloud their judgment (Proverbs 31:4-5).

--Those set apart for special service to God were warned not to drink at all, and I too want to be consecrated for such service (Daniel 1:8;15-17; Judges 13: 4,5, 7.14 Luke 1:15).

--Alcohol is a nerve toxin that kills brain and nerve cells in a dose-dependent fashion. My body, and especially my brain, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I don’t want to damage or pollute it in any way (I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20; Romans 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

---Because alcohol clouds the judgment, having the first drink would prevent me from realizing that a second or third drink would make me drunk.

--Drunkenness is a sin (I Corinthians 6: 9-10; Galatians 5:16- 25) that has severe consequences (Proverbs 23::20-21) and that leads to other sins (Genesis 9: 20-25; 19: 32- 33; Proverbs 20:1-2; 23: 29-35). If I never drink, I will never be drunk.

--Christ could return at any moment, and I need to be sober to be aware of the signs of the times and to avoid falling into Satan’s traps (Luke 12:42-48; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8; John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8)

--When I was a medical intern and resident, which was a long time before I was saved, I never drank when I was on call, because I realized that even a single drink could diminish my reasoning and increase the likelihood of a mistake that might harm a patient.  As a born-again Christian, I am always “on call” for God, because I never know when He might open the door to a witness or ministry opportunity. If I have had even a single drink, I cannot fully yield to the Spirit, and that opportunity would be lost or bungled because I would be under the influence of alcohol instead.

Next week, I’ll begin looking in more depth at various arguments Christians use for and against “social” drinking. 

In the meantime, let’s consider a quote from Billy Sunday, early 20^th century evangelist:

"The saloon is a liar. It promises good cheer and sends sorrow. It promises prosperity and sends adversity. It promises happiness and sends misery.... It is God's worst enemy and the devil's best friend."  

© 2014 Laurie Collett