The Dresser

After experiencing consecutive sunrises in a plane, my trip to Israel ended safely this morning with my arrival into Sydney.  As I rode on the train home from the airport, I was filled with praise unto God.  He was with me every step of the way.  All unknowns were met by His gracious provision, and He guided and protected me at all times.  His merciful hand coordinated my transportation as well as times of sharing from God's Word.  The time of fellowship with Christians in the Holy Land was sweet indeed.  Despite the lengthy periods of travel and speaking my soul feels refreshed, though the body is weary.  How great God is and worthy to be praised, for He does not grow weary or faint!

On the last leg of my journey from Bangkok to Sydney, I watched a BBC television film called "The Dresser" starring Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins.  The story is primarily about two aging men, a renowned actor in ill health and his dresser who labours behind the scenes to ensure the show goes on.  "Sir," played by Hopkins, is plagued by the potential end of a career without the fame and notoriety he believes his lifetime of sacrifice deserves.  A scrapbook of articles chronicling his successes is one of his chief treasures, but even a full house and a curtain call leaves the man empty.  The dresser Norman, expertly performed by an inspired McKellen, struggles also with the same problem.  His constant labours to prepare the disoriented and ill "Sir" for the stage are completely overlooked - even by the man himself.  He loves and despises his "Sir" at the same time, for all his dreams live and die with him.  Without someone to dress, what good is a dresser?

I found the film moving because it hits upon a key note in Christian ministry:  motivation.  I thought to myself, why do I do what I do for Jesus?  Why do we make the personal sacrifices to obey God?  Do we preach or write to be known or to make Jesus Christ known?  Sir desired rave reviews, a knighthood, and that people would speak well of him after his passing.  Norman fed off the praise of his idol, for when Sir was praised he vicariously and greedily gobbled it up.  Both men were empty in the end, having poured out their souls for what could not satisfy.  Such is life, and such is even service unto God when our hearts are not pure before Him.  We must be willing to labour behind the scenes without recognition, grateful we have been chosen and divinely helped to serve Jesus Christ.  If we long for the applause and approval of men, even if we obtain all we desire we shall remain in want.

Unless our motive is for the glory of God alone, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes speaks the truth, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"  How praiseworthy is our God!  We do not need to "dress" Him up and make Him look presentable, for He is good, glorious, and awesome in power.  Holding onto the accolades and praises of men leaves us empty, but giving all honour to God fills us with joy and thanksgiving unto Him.  Praise the LORD!  By God's grace when we humble ourselves our best days are yet ahead!

The Sin of Moses

A subject which has come up several times lately is the claim Moses was prevented by God from entering the Land of Promise because he "misrepresented" God.  Let us allow God Himself to speak on the subject directly before we misrepresent scripture!   The sins of Moses were unbelief, rebellion, and that he did not sanctify God among the people.  The following passages make it clear Moses was disciplined for these reasons, not because he ruined God's typology concerning Christ or according to many other theories I have heard.  Numbers 20:10-12 says, "And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" ¹¹  Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. ¹²  Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."  Moses struck the rock the first time (Exodus 17:6) and it seems he did not believe God to obey Him in only speaking to the rock.  God gave Moses authority, but he transgressed in acting as if the power of God was his to command, thus not hallowing God before the people.

The other main passage is found in Numbers 27:12-14:  "Now the LORD said to Moses: "Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³  And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴  For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)"  Moses rebelled against God's command and disobeyed by striking the rock.  If this does not convince you of the explicit reasons why Moses was strongly disciplined by God, it may be you are placing greater weight on the words of men than God.

The common claim of "misrepresentation" brings another pertinent question forward:  was Moses at any time supposed to "represent" God to the people?  That is how Roman Catholics view the Pope, yet I do not find any biblical evidence to support this approach.  Are pastors supposed to be elevated to godlike status who speak with the unquestioned authority of God?  God forbid!  Christians are called ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), messengers (2 Corinthians 8:23) and thus representatives in a sense, but we do not represent Him to the world.  There is a difference from a representative and a representation.  We are called to direct the gaze of people to admire, worship, and praise God alone.  It is not my job to represent God to my wife, children, or friends, but to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, believing and obeying  Him, hallowing God above all.  To "sanctify" or "hallow" means to consecrate God as supremely unique and distinct, to set Him apart as infinitely superior to me and all others.

By His grace God has made us holy and sanctified Christians unto Him, but we are not Him.  The Holy Spirit dwells inside us and empowers us, but we are not God and will never be.  Oh that we might live as He does righteously in this world, free from the stain of sin!  Moses made the mistake of rebelling against God in unbelief, not sanctifying God in the sight of the people.  God was angry with Moses for the sake of the people, for Moses was never to be their ruler:  God was.  The death of Moses is a stern reminder to all who God has called to minister unto Him that we must continue to believe, obey, and hallow God all our days.  Our steps may be made to stop just short of the full inheritance God has ordained for us on the planet.  We may see the promise afar off with our undimmed eyes, but we won't experience all the victories God has prepared for us.

Live In the Light

Today I went on a walk around the Old City of Jerusalem - literally.  It took me about an hour and 15 minutes from stepping out the door of my hotel to follow the rampart walk path, walk up the Mount of Olives for a few pictures of the Temple Mount, and then complete the circuit around the ancient walls.  When I have the proper cable connection, I will share a couple pictures!

One of the themes which has been on my mind of late is the importance of walking in the light.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. ²  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."  Christians freely confess their belief that God sees all, yet this knowledge does not mean we naturally walk uprightly.  We tend to hide sinful and shameful things rather than confessing and renouncing them publicly.  Our hearts can be littered with sins and we can be like an overwhelmed housewife who feels compelled to apologise for the mess to her guests.  The laundry on the floor, dirty dishes on the table from two days ago, and the overflowing rubbish bins may very well be a normal sight in the home, but the apologies keep coming because it would be embarrassing to admit the mess is normal life.

Every human heart is messy, and using the analogy of our heart as Christ's home it is good for us to open up the windows so light can stream in.  He should have unrestricted access to all parts of our lives.  It is good for us to see the dust, grime, and sticky residue so we can take steps to clean the place up.  This sounds great in theory, but "spring cleaning" is actually a thing because it is not long before stuff starts to accumulate.  Rooms can be so piled up with stuff it is hardly a functional space any longer.  In a spiritual sense we must be willing to bring our entire life into the light for examination by our Saviour, not hiding our sins in cluttered junk drawers and darkened closets.  We are very good at keeping our living room presentable when we know guests will be arriving soon, but we ought to live as if we expect a surprise inspection by an eagle-eyed associate from the rental agency with a penchant for copious notes.  We live in borrowed bodies, for we aren't our own.

God doesn't want to expose our faults for all to see to humiliate us but to forgive.  Should we continue to conceal our sin it opens us up for deadly sinful infestations.  Rodents and vermin which carry disease and spread filth begin to multiply in the darkness.  Some hoarders come to a point where their homes become dangerous, and simple tasks critical to a functioning home like washing and cooking are impossible.  Woe to the man who hoards and hides sin!  Spiritual power correlates directly with purity, even as a clean and organised kitchen is a useful one.  If Jesus is the Light of the World, how can we be in Christ if we prefer to remain in darkness?  This is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world and men preferred darkness!  It follows, therefore, those who are in Christ must live their lives in the light.  God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

It is written in 1 John 1:5-9:  "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Instead of apologising because we are embarrassed for sins we'd rather not anyone know about, let us confess and renounce them.  Bringing them into the light breaks the power of secrecy they once held over us.  Then we can actually have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and walk in the joy of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation.  That is way better than trying to hide our problems from men and the God who can forgive and deliver us from all sin!

The Safe Place

Last night we met at Christ Church in the Old City, the oldest protestant church in the Middle East.  It was a refreshing time of worship through song and the study of God's Word.  It was wonderful to "come away" into the LORD's presence for a sweet time of fellowship.

While expounding on the first dozen verses of Hebrews 11, the speaker talked of the ark Noah built as a picture of the safe place we have in Jesus.  The rain fell and the waves billowed, yet those who sought refuge in the ark were saved from destruction.  He also mentioned the house of Rehab the harlot in Jericho as a safe place.  It was a city doomed for a great fall, but after she obediently hung a scarlet cord in the window all who took refuge in her home would be saved.  Cities of refuge were also spread throughout Israel, places where those who were guilty of manslaughter could face a fair trial before the priests and the congregation.

There is one safe place (albeit quite ironic!) which came to mind which wasn't directly spoken of during the sermon.  When the ship transporting Paul and other prisoners was driven by a great storm, God divinely revealed to Paul all the people who remained on the ship would be saved - though it would run aground on a certain island.  This is exactly what the sailors feared.  No one wanted to run aground and be at the mercy of strong winds and battering waves.  A moment came when some of the sailors secretly planned to escape the ship using a lifeboat.  Acts 27:31-32 says, "Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." ³²  Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off."

Now a sinking ship is a very unlikely location to be deemed a "safe place."  But because God had promised He would save alive all the people who remained on the ship, it was the safest place to be!  The way to eternal glory for Jesus was through being crucified on a cross, and Jesus says those who lose their lives for His sake with find Him.  He is the safe place where we find eternal life and rest for our souls.  He is able to uphold and help us every step of this earthly pilgrimage.  1 Peter 1:3-5 reads, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵  who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Whether you find yourself in green pastures beside still waters or tempest tossed by contrary winds, in Jesus you are in the safe place.  We can rest in Him, abiding in the shadow of His wings.  The first part of Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms..."  We are called to trust and He will keep us by His power.