Dreams that God uses . . .

Leviticus 8; Psalm 9; Proverbs 23; 1 Thessalonians 2

This voluntary social distancing could make me even more self-centered. In efforts to avoid that, I’m praying more, calling people, and thinking about others and their struggles with this trial. However, last night I had another dream, this time not so pleasant as one yesterday. I dreamt we were still attending another church where we’d been for many years and where I led a Bible study for most of those years.

In the dream, I walked into the ladies’ washroom without being noticed and some of the women were talking about me. Their words were both false and unkind. I listened for a minute then left to sit in the sanctuary.

When the pastor came to preach, he’d changed the message from the regular Bible book series. Instead, he said the Lord laid on his heart to speak about gossip. He began talking and I woke up, glad yet feeling a bit hurt and betrayed. How odd, but God teaches me in dreams. I read the above four passages listening for His voice.

First, I was impressed by the command/obedience theme in Leviticus. “And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses.” (Leviticus 8:36) Several times I’ve heard a pastor say that God changed his sermon plan. In my dream, not only did the ladies from the washroom need to hear it, but I also needed to hear that when others sin against me, God will “maintain my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.” (Psalm 9:4)

David knew oppression, unfair treatment and betrayal from those who seemed his friends. He also wrote this:

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:7–10)

Proverbs had only a short item of advice for me. I’m not aware of any fools to whom it applies but it helps me remember that unkind words are not always deserved. As a Bible teacher, I need to remember that some people will be convicted by what I say. Instead of giving attention to God’s message, they will attack the messenger:

“Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.” (Proverbs 23:9)

This did not happen to Paul regarding the people he taught at Thessalonica. He and those with him “worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

These people were not the fools described in Proverbs 23:9. Paul said of them,

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:9–13)

Prior to that, Paul describes his attitude in the ministry he’d been given. This is extremely good advice:

“For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:3–8)

APPLY: Pay attention to words of ‘good sense’ and make certain that what I say also contains words of good sense, given by God for me to say. Keep my motivations pure, loving others and discerning when to speak and when to be silent. Also, use the Word of God and don’t be anxious if some attack me rather than obey Him. He can deal with their needs just as He deals with mine.

Speaking our mind without causing a riot?

Riots. The dictionary says: The practice of people destroying property, being disruptive, and behaving violently in a large group. Sometimes they are politically motivated; people are upset because their wishes are violated or extremely important to them. Sometimes they involve a group of fans upset because their team didn’t win. The cause of a riot may not be selfish but usually is.

The New Testament describes a riot. It happened in Ephesus, a commercial, intellectual and religious center. This city boasted one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the ornate temple of Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians.

An Ephesian silversmith who made silver shrines for their idol worship was upset with Paul who preached that gods made with hands are not gods. He told his workers that their trade’s reputation was in danger as was the temple of their goddess. When they heard this, they were enraged and cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Artemis is the Greek version of Diana.)

So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The text does not tell how he did it, but the town clerk quieted the crowd. He told them, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. (Acts 19:23–41)

The focus is on the riot and the threat to the livelihood of those who crafted the idols, but part of the town clerk’s speech fascinates me. He said that Paul and his Christian friends were “neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess.” In other words, he made false statements to appease the crowd. Paul had said that gods made by hands are not gods, a definite statement against their worship, but this ‘chief executive officer’ wanted to protect these rioters from prosecution and was willing to lie to do it. Had Paul been present, he would have defended his position. He was against their idolatry and he had nothing favorable to say about their goddess. Had he talked to the mob, we can only guess the consequences.

This story says something to me about the attitude of those who are threatened by faith in Christ. If this man was willing to lie about what Paul believed and said, the same thing can happen to Christians today. We need to walk and talk in the power of the Holy Spirit and let the Lord deal with the consequences. God protected Paul from a mob that may have killed him; it was not his time to die. I must ask myself if I am listening as well as He did? Would I speak out of turn and be in danger? Would I speak up when I should and be in even greater danger?

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Lord Jesus, Christians in this country tend to think we are reasonable safe. However, the reality is that we are misunderstood, misquoted, and talked of as doing and saying things that make us appear differently than we are. The tendency is to keep our mouths shut and avoid trouble, but it seems possible that You desire that we be more like Paul.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Glad to be in a country where we can speak our minds.

Glad that God constantly renews my mind so I can say what He puts in there.

Getting to the dock 65 minutes before the 10 am ferry and told we could go on the 9 am one!

A lovely drive through the delta and into the mountains.

Meeting up with our son and his wife and two of our great-granddaughters.

Our son cooked supper for everyone.

A good visit on the deck watching the girls play in the lake.

Subway cookies and watermelon!