I’ll Take the High Road, or Low Road?

 

Photo by Elfea 2009

I dreamed I was in an old tenement section of a city, trying to find my way home. I was making my way from building to building by traveling across the rooftops and at times from one window ledge to the next, even though my path was dangerously narrow. I was afraid I would fall to the concrete below, where broken glass, garbage, and jagged rocks cluttered the ground.

At one point my path across the window ledge and over the roof was blocked, and I realized I had no choice but to climb down before I could resume my journey. I crawled down the side of the wall by placing one foot after another on protruding bricks, made my way on the pavement to the next building, then scaled the wall so I could continue on the high road. It was exhausting, but I was relieved to be on the rooftop again where I felt safer.

Then the scene changed in the dream and I was in the mountains of Ireland, hiking with a group of friends from our church. We started out along the path leading up from the road toward the gentle slope of the hillside. In the distance we could see the craggy peaks of the summit, and my pace quickened, for I yearned to be up there to get a better view.

But then I heard a voice calling me from below and I realized that one of my friends, a young woman, had ventured out on an alternate path from the trail head. It appeared to lead to a short cut and to save time reaching the summit, but it was actually more treacherous because the level stretch led straight through a bog.

From past experience I know that getting your boots stuck in the mud of an Irish bog is a sensation that I imagine is like being in quicksand. On one occasion I actually had to leave a boot behind and hobble back to the path in one boot and one sock, because it was the only way to escape being pulled down further.

The last thing I wanted to do was to leave the exhilarating trail leading upward and to go back, risking getting stuck in the mud. But now my friend’s cries sounded desperate; the others had already disappeared around the bend; and I knew I had no choice. I hurried back down the path, grabbed a few stray branches to pave our way, and helped her out of the bog and back to the main road.

As I awoke, I thought about the parallels between the situations in the dream and detours in our Christian walk. Like other aspects of life, we never remain in the same place – either we are advancing and making progress, or we retrogress and get further away from our desired destination.

We long to find our way home, for we are just strangers in a foreign land (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11), and we long to reach the summit where we will see Christ face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will, if we place our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

When Christ returns for His children at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 3:13-18), we will instantly be transformed and receive our glorified bodies to be as He is. But until then, we undergo the gradual change of sanctification (1 Thessalonians 3:8-13; 4:1-12), becoming more conformed to His image through prayer, meditation on His Word, and even suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Sometimes what seems like a setback in our Christian walk may actually be a trial God allows into our life to increase our faith in and dependence on Him, to conform us into His image through suffering, and to give us compassion and experience to help others going through similar trials (Romans 8:28).

In the first part of the dream, when I was trying to get home, the path to my destination was narrow and challenging, as is the Way that leads to Heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). When my path across the high ground was blocked, I had to descend downward into danger, but only for a short time before He provided a way back up again.

Even when we are in a deep pit (Job 33:28-30; Psalm 30:3; Isaiah 38:17), or passing through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), we have no cause to fear, for He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). When obstacles in our path seem insurmountable, He will guide us to the mountain pass leading safely through them.

The second part of the dream was a reminder that God has made divine appointments for us since before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 8:29-30), although we have the free will to accept or decline them.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), the Pharisee and the Levite ignored the wounded Samaritan on the side of the road. But no doubt they felt justified in doing so, because to stop would have taken them away from what they thought was their higher calling – namely, fulfilling their religious duties and service. By not stopping they actually showed that their hearts were not with Jesus (Matthew 15:8), Who commanded that we love one another (John 13:34-35).

Yet Jesus said that the true neighbor in the parable was the Samaritan who tended to the dying man at great expense and sacrifice to himself, showing God’s selfless love (John 15:13) and putting His plan above his own personal agenda (Proverbs 3:5-6). May we listen when He calls us (John 10:27) to help others, even though at the time we may have different ideas of how we should be serving Him.

 
May we walk toward the heavenly places He has appointed for us by walking in love (Ephesians 5:2), in the light (1 John 1:7), and in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25) until He comes again!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Don’t Fall Back – Redeem the Time!

 

Photo by Garry Knight 2012

Spring forward, fall back! Catchy saying that helps us remember which direction to change the clocks, but is it good advice, Biblically speaking, to fall back?

Paul encourages us to move forward in our Christian walk, using the metaphor of running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24) as does the writer of Hebrews (12:1). Yet even when we can’t sprint forward in our Christian walk, we should at least stand our ground. We can’t outrun the devil, so there is no point in fleeing from him, but we can resist him by submitting ourselves to God’s Word and promises, so that the devil will flee from us (James 4:7).

When discussing spiritual warfare, Paul tells us four times to stand our ground. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.… 13 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore.” He uses this metaphor over and over, telling us to stand fast in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13), in Christian liberty (Galatians 5:1), in unity of spirit (Philippians 1:27), in the Lord (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:8), and in Christian teaching (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

For those regions observing Daylight Savings Time, this Sunday is the time change most of us prefer. What will you do with that “extra” hour? On the night that we set the clocks back one hour, it seems like we get an extra hour to sleep or to stay up late doing whatever we like. But’s it’s just an illusion -- we don’t really get any extra time. Time marches on, and our moments left on earth dwindle away with every passing second.

Whether through death or the Rapture for believers, or the day of judgment for those who have not placed their faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), ttime is short before each of us will see Jesus face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). Our life is “but a vapor” (James 4:14), vanishing as quickly as the visible breath we exhale on a cold day.

Some may complain that “God isn’t fair” as they notice that money, talents, health, intelligence, power, beauty, and other blessings are not distributed equally among us. Every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), and God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), distributing resources according to His divine plan. Meanwhile, Satan paces the earth (Job 1:7), placing his henchmen in positions of authority (Ephesians 6:12) while trying to hinder believers from being productive for God.

But time does not play favorites --  each of us has 24 hours in a day, no more and no less. When that day is gone, it’s gone forever. We can’t store, buy, borrow, steal, or create time.

As J. R. R. Tolkien's character Gandalf said, “All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”

So let’s make the right choice and redeem the time! (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5). With prayer and Holy Spirit guidance, believers can make each moment on earth have eternal significance. Once the clock stops on earth and we enter eternity, time lasts forever. So our top priority here should be to maximize our experience there, realizing that we will enjoy eternally the rewards we earn for our earthly service (Matthew 6:20).

Every soul led to Christ, every believer encouraged and uplifted, every gift given with the right motive to further His kingdom, will be the gold, silver and precious stones that will endure the fire of judgment (1 Corinthians 3: 12-14) and be a crown we can lay at Jesus’ feet (Revelation 4:10-11). May we hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:17) and be rewarded with positions of responsibility in the Millennial Kingdom!

God created and controls time just as He created and controls everything else. One day to Him can be as a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8), and His power is so unlimited that He created the universe in six literal days (Exodus 20:11; 31:17). He created day and night to measure time (Genesis 1:5) and set aside one day of seven as a day of rest to divide time into weeks (Genesis 1:31;2:3). His creation and alignment of the sun, moon and planets gave rise to time divisions of months, seasons and years (Genesis 1:14). Those seasons reflect different times and purposes within our earthly life (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

God designed our bodies to have internal rhythms harmonizing with daily, monthly, and yearly cycles. Because He even designed atoms to have their own internal frequencies, extremely accurate atomic clocks can measure time using the microwave signal that electrons in atoms emit when they change energy levels.

The clock keeps ticking, but nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 19:26). He can even stop the sun and moon to accomplish His plan (Joshua 10: 12-14). He can add 15 years to a life that should have ended, although when He did so for King Hezekiah in answer to his prayer (2 Kings 20: 1-11), there were negative consequences that Hezekiah could not have anticipated (2 Kings 20:12-18; 21: 1-6).

What if you knew that extra hour on Time Change Sunday, or any hour, would be your last? How would you spend it? My prayer is that those who keep putting off trusting Christ would realize that now is the accepted time of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). And as believers, may we get our hearts right with God by dying to our sin nature (1 Corinthians 15:31), yielding to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), asking others for forgiveness and forgiving them (Matthew 18:21-35), expressing love to family and friends (1 Peter 1:22), and telling everyone who would listen that Jesus saves!

 
But we are not promised tomorrow (James 4:13), or even another hour, so why not do all that now? We can get so busy with work, school, hobbies and even church that we forget to redeem the time and make every moment count. This earth is not our home, and we should spend our “time of sojourning” here considering how God will evaluate what we have done with our time (1 Peter 1:17).

Before we rush off to put out the fires and jump the hurdles we will encounter every day, we should make time to hear God through His Word (Psalm 119:97,105,133),and to pray that He would open the right doors, show us the right paths (Proverbs 3:5-6), and guide us through the day’s journey (Psalm 5:3; 143:8; Mark 1:35). Time spent in prayer allows us to use our time more productively and wisely. A wise preacher once said that he was too busy not to pray!

The peace and wisdom found in prayer will order our thoughts and steps (Psalms 37:23), calm our anxieties, and make us more focused and productive in all we do. Whatever we do, we can do it to glorify God in an attitude of service and excellence (Colossians 3:23).

While showering and dressing, we can renew our minds (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23) with Christian radio or CDs. If we’re stuck in traffic, we can use the time to listen for God’s directions and to pray for our loved ones. While we wait in a checkout line at the supermarket, we can pray that all those in the store who are not saved will come to know Christ as their Savior, and that all the believers there will grow in faith, wisdom, and fruitfulness. Or, we can strike up a friendly conversation with the person behind us in line and pray that God will open the door for us to witness.

In the waiting room at the doctor’s office, why not bring our Bible to increase our wisdom, joy and peace, instead of thumbing through old magazines? Someone might ask us about what we’re reading, and it could be a divine appointment to share the meaning of God’s Word in our life.

In a sense, every hour that we’re on earth is that “one extra hour,” because it allows us a new beginning, a time to start over in doing what pleases God. So don’t fall back in your Christian walk -- redeem the time! 

© 2013 Laurie Collett
Reposted from the archives 

Angels and Demons

 

Guardian angel protecting child from demons

As many prepare for All Hallows' Eve, also known as Hallowe'en or Sanhain, even those of us, including me, who do not celebrate can be reminded of the invisible spiritual warfare going on around us. October 31 ushers in the dark half of the year and is considered a satanic holiday honoring demons and witches. It has been said that if we were actually to see the physical manifestations of the battle between angels and demons, we would most likely lose our mind.

 

Scripture warns of the power of evil spirits to inhabit the soul, spirit and body of those who leave themselves open to demonic possession, and shows the miraculous power of Jesus Christ to cast these out even when His disciples could not (Mark 5:2-19; Luke 4:41; 7:21; 8:2; Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28-33; etc). 

With so much evil and death in the world, I don't understand why many glorify it with gruesome skeletons, corpses, zombies wielding hatchets, and similar "decorations" in their front yard. As a child, long before I was saved, I enjoyed dressing up in a pretty costume and going door-to-door to collect candy and pennies for Unicef. I liked harvest decor but never related to ghoulish costumes or eerie reminders of the dark side of this "holiday."

Reflecting on all this brought to mind a blog post I wrote several years ago about a true incident illustrating invisible forces battling around us, which I have reposted below:

 

 

After midweek evening service at church a few nights ago, I had an unforeseen encounter with an invisible obstacle. As we returned to our car in a neighboring parking lot, I tripped over a cement parking block that was, at least from my perspective, invisible as I stepped down off the curb. The street light illuminated the car from behind, casting a shadow over the parking block, which had discolored to match the color of the pavement, giving me no warning of its presence.

As my feet hit the block and propelled me forward and down, I slammed both knees against the cement and my jaw and chin against the hood of the car. My first thought was that all my teeth had been knocked out, and almost immediately thereafter I was sure I had shattered both kneecaps.

Thankfully my husband was there to lift me to my feet and go running for ice, and my pastor and church family surrounded me with love, concern, assistance and prayer. I could feel the power of those prayers, and my fear was soon transformed into relief and gratitude that I was not seriously injured and would be left with only a few minor scrapes and bruises.

Like this incident, so many threats we might face are unforeseen and invisible – a burglar lying in wait by our doorway, a giant iceberg looming beneath the ocean in the path of a speeding ship, even a cancer cell lurking in our blood stream. We may believe we are invincible because of our high tech security system, the seaworthiness of the vessel, or our usually excellent health.

We tend to forget that we are undeserving of these unearned benefits, but that they are gifts from God (James 1:17), and that He could remove them at any time in accordance with His perfect will (Job 1:21). Yet for His children, who are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven, God works all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

How many times have we complained about some minor inconvenience, like being delayed at a traffic light, while being unaware that He is actually protecting us from an accident further down the road, invisible to our eyes yet clearly perceived by His perfect radar.

We worry about what is in our sights, as it distracts us from what may be far worse. We may think we see clearly because what we are looking at is well illuminated, as was the car in this incident, yet are we vigilant (1 Peter 5:8) about what is hidden in the shadows? Only God knows all things (Job 42:3; Psalm 139:6), past present and future, while we are blissfully unaware of many dangers threatening our physical safety, our emotional wellbeing, and our spiritual wholeness. Yet His unseen hand protects us from these and more (Exodus 32:11; Deuteronomy 3:24; 4:34).

As I thought of the force of the impact and the unforgiving nature of the surfaces my body fell against, I realized how miraculous it was that I walked away with only a little swelling and a few scratches. Thank you, Lord Jesus! Injury to my jaw could have silenced my teaching and singing ministries, and fracturing my knees could have ended our dance ministry. Yet God in His grace and strength empowered me (2 Corinthians 12:9) to resume singing and dancing the morning after I fell!

As I thanked and praised God for His protection, this portion of Psalm 91 came to mind:

Psalm 91:9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Similar passages recur in the Gospels (Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:11), emphasizing the importance of the angels, or ministering spirits, God sends to protect those who are or will become His children (Hebrews 1:13-14). In the Old Testament, angels sometimes appeared in the form of strong men (Genesis 18), and sometimes they were invisible to men yet perceived by animals (Numbers 22:21-34). But often our senses may be blinded to the spiritual warfare raging around us, with Satan and his demons seeking to devour us while angels protect us from this onslaught (Ephesians 6:12).

All of Psalm 91 describes various dangers against which God is our shield and refuge. As I was so dramatically reminded, His unseen angels can even hold us as we stumble, lessening the blow that Satan would deal us. We can’t see the prayers of saints who intercede for us, but we can feel their power (James 5:16) as they ascend to His throne (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4) and radiate blessings back to us.

Dangers hidden from our limited perception may be invisible, but our God is invincible! His angels and the prayers of His saints may be invisible to us, but that does not diminish their effectiveness. Praise the Lord that He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; that He loves us infinitely; and that no danger can threaten us unless He allows it for our ultimate good and His glory!

© 2019 Laurie Collett

 

 

What Kind of Light Are You?

 

Photo by Godot13 2007

As my husband and I sat reading our morning devotionals, I noticed that the motion-activated security light on the balcony turned on in broad daylight, triggered by the antics of a playful squirrel.

Such lights are useful protection against intruders, who in theory would be frightened away by the bright light if they ventured too close to the house with some nefarious purpose in mind. They are also useful to illuminate a dark entry if we return home late at night, protecting us from falling or being bitten by mosquitos as we search for our keys.

And yet, as in the case of the squirrel, the motion detector light lacks the discernment to distinguish an intruder from a harmless visitor, or our return home from a moth flying near the sensor, so some energy is wasted. Eventually the bulb burns out and the batteries lose their charge and both need to be replaced.

Other lights turn on only in the darkness, so they save energy during the day, or even store it if they are solar powered, and emit light only in the dark. Yet even in Florida, solar lights often fail if it is a cloudy day, or if trees block the direct sun, or even if it is too hot and humid for the solar cells to operate at optimum efficiency.

Other lights, like the strings of festive Christmas lights meant to lift our spirits and remind us of Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world (John 8:12), are set on a timer to shine only at night. This saves energy, but seeing the unlit plastic bulbs and tangle of electric cords and switches during the day detracts from the decorative effect.

Still, unlit Christmas lights are not as bad as the inflatable snowmen or Santas on timers that melt into a flat, plastic puddle by day – a disturbing sight for children enjoying their lifelike appearance at night!

And finally, there are security lights, often inside near the entry of businesses, visible through the glass doors to deter break-ins. These are always on, for maximum security, yet at the cost of higher energy bills and need to replace the bulbs more often.

These different types of lights got me thinking about our Christian life, once we have been 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). Jesus said that we who are born-again (John 3:3-8) are also the light of the world, and that our light must not be hidden under a basket, but set high on a lampstand for all to see and glorify Him  (Matthew 5:14-16).

To me, that sounds like our light should always be brightly burning. In the wilderness tabernacle and later in the temple, the golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31–39; 37:17–24) was always to be filled with oil and burning continually, as it was the only source of light in a room without windows. It was also a reminder and foreshadowing of God’s light illuminating our lives, through His Word (Psalm 119:105) and through His Son Jesus Christ Who is the true Light.

Jesus referred to this symbolically in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, in that we are to be like the wise virgins who kept their lamps trimmed and filled with oil while awaiting the return of the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). We too must be ready for Christ’s imminent return at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-54), for once the trumpet sounds, it will be too late to be filled with the Holy Spirit, if we are not already by having asked Jesus into our heart to be Lord of our life (Ephesians 1:13).

But sometimes it seems we are more like the motion detector light, turning on only when we think someone is nearby to notice and appreciate our illuminating comments or behavior. Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees who made a big show of wearing religious garments and speaking pretentious prayers in public, yet whose heart was far from Christ (Matthew 23).

Or sometimes we are like the darkness-activated light, quick to shine a spotlight at the first sign of evil in someone else, to criticize their flaws and draw attention to our own self-assumed holiness. It is true that men love the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds are evil (John 3:19). Yet Jesus said we are not to judge others, lest we ourselves be judged (Matthew 7:1-5).

Then there are the Christians who seem to be on a timer, being all sweetness and light in the Sunday church service, yet darkened by a bad attitude, words, or behavior as soon as they drive out of the parking lot. Rather, as the apostle Paul said, we should be ready to preach the Word at all times (2 Timothy 4:2), which we can hardly do if our lifestyle discredits our testimony.

So how can we keep our lights brightly burning at all times, to encourage ourselves, to be a blessing to others, and to bring the Gospel light into a dark, sin-filled, dying world? Only by being constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, by yielding to His power and not grieving (Ephesians 4:30) or quenching Him by disobedience, disbelief, or indifference (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Physical lights need constant replenishment of their energy source and bulbs, yet the power of Almighty God (Revelation 11:17; 15:3; etc.) is limitless and infinite. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). If we allow His power to flow through us, our light will never burn out, but will always burn ever more brightly for Him! (Philippians 4:13)

We should be like the eternal flame, perpetually burning to honor the memory of a fallen soldier, just as our life can honor the memory of our Lord and Savior Who sacrificed Himself for us. Or like the Olympic torch, carried from one race to the next by faithful runners, just as we are to run the race set before us and light the way for those running with us (1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1).

Or like the trustworthy lighthouse, set on the rugged cliffs to warn all of impending danger, we can caution against the eternal dangers of hell and damnation while beckoning others to the refuge (Psalm 46:1) and eternal life (John 3:16) we have in Jesus Christ!

What kind of light are you? Yield to the Holy Spirit and He will not only illuminate you like a candle that never burns out, but allow you to pass that flame on to others, to brighten their world until He brings us home to His everlasting light! (Revelation 21:23)   

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.   

© 2021 Laurie Collett