Times sure have changed. A couple of years ago no one even knew what the word “selfie” was, now everyone takes selfies. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat are selfie havens. We have selfie sticks. Selfie remote clickers. It's amazing how selfie obsessed we've become. But the selfie idea was born thousands of years ago. Here's a story of the world's first selfie stud!

I'm the most handsome guy ever!
His name is Absalom. He is one of King David's sons, and he is the hottest prince in town. Every teen has a photo of him etched on their stone tablets and follow his Instarock and Facescroll accounts. He has long flowing, golden hair that he only cuts once a year, and then the girls really swoon (2Samuel 14:26). However he's in trouble, big trouble. In fact he is facing a murder charge. You see, there was an incident, I wont go into the details you can read the posts here (2Samuel 13)

However, at the end of this sordid affair, Absalom has murdered his brother in a revenge attack. Like any guilty criminal he runs for his life before the king arrests. He deserves to die! However after spending three years in exile he wants to come home and so he concocts a scheme to get his dad to forgive him. After a few twists and turns, David, who obviously misses his son, forgives him for this terrible crime, and invites him home. He has repented. He is forgiven. He is home.

“Absalom came and bowed deeply in reverence before David. And the king kissed Absalom.” (2Sam 14:33)

Absalom is super amped to be home, and of course he soon settles into the good life and is tweeting about it. He's enjoying King's Burger takeaways, hanging with his mates, or just brushing his hair. Before long all is as it once was. In fact he is loving his life and himself so much he decides to take fifty selfies one day. The plan is simple. As Absalom is still waiting for the invention of the first iRock, he decides to employ 50 runners. As he travels through the streets of Jerusalem, these 50 guys run in front of his modified chariot, with mag wheels and racing stripes, and shout out, “Check out Abs the Absalom!” (2Sam 15:1). It's the ultimate selfie, and has the ultimate effect. The chicks line the roads to watch Absalom as he races through the streets. Soon the trending hashtags are #Abs-alom #50selfies

I can be so much more
Before long Absalom has so many followers on Instarock and Facescroll he is more popular than the harpist band No Direction, and the crooning sensation Dust'n Believer. The people are flocking to Absalom. They love him. He gets more Likes on his selfies than he gives himself. Life is perfect. It's a dream. And then he begins to wonder. It's one thing being a prince, but that's nothing compared to being king. And so he gets to thinking.

Using his extensive network he spreads the message all over the social media channels (2Samuel 15:10-12). From love sick girls to guys wanting to bask in his glory, they all flock to Absalom, and the Jerusalem Spring uprising surges almost overnight. Old Dave has always found Instarock, and Facescroll a bit confusing. “This new tech stuff is crazy,” he once said to his wife Bathsheba as he listened to his old favourite “Kill the giant” by the Rolling Slingstones. “The kids, especially Absalom are wasting their lives on it. Absalom will never ger a decent job if he doesn't focus on something real, like I did; Sheep tending, or giant killing.” And so David does not see the Jerusalem Spring uprising coming until its almost too late.

Late at night an SMS (scroll message service) arrives tied to the leg of a trusty pigeon saying that Jerusalem is in rebellion and he had better get out while he still can (2Sam 15:13-15). And so David and his close family do a runner before Absalom and his new friends kill him. In no time David is deposed, and Absalom is king. If Absalom was popular before, now his followers are off the charts. He even snags an “official person” account with Twutter. He has finally arrived. He is king of everything. No limits. No controls.

Of course there's always the chance that David, the wily old codger, could stage a comeback. “It's doubtful,”Absalom laughs over a barley beer as he celebrates, “he can't even sign into Facescroll...but better safe than sorry.” And so with some dubious advice from advisors he decides to hunt David down and kill him to remove any future threat. However, David, a man after God's own heart, puts his faith in God to help him. And so although the odds seem stacked against David when the battle lines are drawn, the battle is not to the swift and strong and long haired, ripped ab dudes; the battle is God's.

A Selfie end...
Absalom's army is beaten (2Sam 18:7) and Absalom is on the run. Gone are all the selfies. Gone are all his new friends. Gone are all the adoring followers. He is running for his life. As he escapes, perched atop his turbo-charged mule, he passes under a tree, and his beautiful, long, golden wavy hair - remember #50selfies? - flies up and catches in the branches. His mule gallops off into the sunset and Absalom is left dangling. Hanging by his pride - by his beauty - by his self! Sadly, in contravention of the king's command to show Absalom mercy, despite all he has done, he is executed by a disobedient army officer.

And so ends the brief life of Absalom. It seems like fiction. How could someone be so self-obsessed, so calouse, so sinful that he could conspire to kill a person who never hurt him. A person who only ever wanted his good. A person who forgave him. A person who restored him to a beautiful life. No, not a person - his king - his family! It seems impossible.

Mirror
So, there we have it. The first guy to do selfies. And there we see where it all ended up. But you see, it's too easy to sit here reading this on your selfie device and think, “Wow! What a horrible person he was. What an evil, self obsessed person.” And then we click over to check our Instagram account to see how many followers we now have, or we quickly move on to see how many Likes we got on that post we made on Facebook. It's too easy to gasp at the pride of others and not see ourselves. It's too easy to abhor the selfishness of others and never glance at ourselves in the mirror.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us" (Rom 15:4).

And so, how about lifting, not our phones to snap a selfie, but God's Word to see how he sees us. Let's put ourselves into this story. Forget Absalom the Ab...this story is about you and I. Let's take two on that story.

Me in the Bible
So, life was bad...really bad. You see everything had gone wrong. Sure it was my fault. I had totally screwed up. I had messed up in such a big way. I'd...well I can't say, but take it from me I had done some unforgivable things. I really couldn't see any way back. I was alone, dying...maybe not literally, but certainly emotionally. Yet in this state the king came to me. Jesus came to me. He asked me to come home. “I forgive you,” he said as I looked up at him. “Come home. You are welcome in my home. You are part of our family, and it's with the family that you belong.”

I couldn't believe the words he was saying to me. Could I really be forgiven for what I'd done. Yet I looked into his eyes and all I saw was forgiveness. No judgement. No hatred of me. And so I reached up my hand from where I was lying in the gutter and he grabbed me with his firm grip. Instantly I was standing. Instantly I was in his most beautiful home. A place of peace. A place of joy. A place of love. Love, joy and peace like the strains of a symphony wrapped around me. I had never known such a place. Home, with my king.

Before I knew it I was awash in the blessings of the king. If before I had been living a nightmare, now it seemed as if I was living a dream. Yet one day when the king asked me to give to someone who certainly did not deserve it, nor appreciate it, I resisted. “I've tried to give to him,” I replied. “He just throws it in my face. He doesn't deserve it.” Jesus looked at me, with that same look he had given me when I was in need and said, “Give to him anyway.” I did.

I posted on Facebook about how much I'd helped this person. I had helped so many people. I was good at it, even if I didn't always like it. Soon I had quite a following looking to me for advice on caring, on giving, on loving. I suppose it's something I've always been quite good at. I'm naturally empathetic. I'm naturally good at looking out for people. I told them how to become like me. How to be kind and caring. They listened.

He came to me. “Don't share what you're doing on Facebook,” he said. “Just keep it between you and I. Let's just keep it in the family.” I looked at him shocked. I thought he knew about technology and modern advances. Maybe I was wrong. I thought he could see how good sharing this has been. I've attracted even more money. “I don't think you understand,” I began, “this is a new world we live in, and if we don't tell everyone on social media we wont get anywhere.” He looked at me, with that same look he'd given me years ago. He did not reply, but I knew what he was thinking. I unfriended him. “Now he wont know what I do,” I thought. “Sure he helped me, but now it's time for me to take over. It's time for me to rule this show.” I blocked him on Instagram.

I was right. It made no difference. Before I knew it I'd left him behind. I'm free of him. It feels like I am riding on a gallant steed of success, while above me endless opportunities seem to hang down tantalizingly close, as though they are giant trees, leaning over me. I look upward as my pride, my success, my blessings flap behind me like a silken trail of hair. “Aah,” I think, “I have chosen well!”

To be Continued (in your life, in your decisions)

Take a Selfie
God has reached out to all of us, while we were down and out. As Paul says - “God demonstrates his own love for us in this:While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).We deserved to die for our sins, but he chose to reach out and save us anyway. Yet all too often, when we enter in the life he offers (John 10:10) we soon forget him. We think that we can achieve our salvation through our own efforts, our own knowledge, our own energy - “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” (Jer 10:23), and so we become full of pride, puffed up - “Some of you have become arrogant” (1Cor 4:18). And in this state we turn our back on the true source of our power, the true source of our life, the true source of our knowledge, the true source of everything, Jesus. And in doing this we seek to kill him...again, just like Absalom did to his king, so many years ago. “We've re–crucified Jesus! We've repudiated him in public!” (Heb 6:6)

Take a selfie. What do I see? What is my long hair?

Is it my looks? Or maybe my money?
Is it my brains? Or maybe my wit?
Is it my achievements? Or maybe my follower count?
What is my long hair?

It's not fiction. How could someone be so self-obsessed, so calouse, so sinful that he could conspire to kill a person who never hurt him. A person who only ever wanted his good. A person who forgave him. A person who restored him to a beautiful life. No, not a person - his king - his family! It seems impossible.

If you'd like to see the fascinating story of the Million Dollar Bowl of Stew brought to life - then check out the YouTube link -  http://youtu.be/QxyFVDOjMjg

The tension was palpable as Laura stepped up to the wheel. Three others stood behind clinging to their already earned prizes of $30,000. Yet here was Laura risking it all for the almost impossible prize of $10 million. No one ever won this and she would lose everything. 

"Inconceivable," I thought to myself, "it's an inconceivable amount of money. Imagine what I could do with that. My financial issues solved for ever and my dream of doing outreach work in Africa a reality. But it's not me. I just can't do it." 

"So you know how it works Laura," the  game show host says in his lilting TV voice. "You have one chance to hit the gold spot with the dart." Laura looks down nervously at the small dart she is holding. The other three contestants stand looking on thinking about what they have decided - "Keep the certain cash and don't go for the impossible." 

The giant wheel begins to spin as the music starts. Faster and faster it spins as the tempo of the music rises too. 
"Are you ready Laura?" The game show host shouts beaming his whitened-teeth smile at her. "Are you ready to receive the impossible. Are you ready to get your dream?"

Laura smiles nervously and says, "Yes, I think so."
"On my count," the game show host continues, "throw the dream dart and claim your dream....three, two..." the music has reached it's crescendo and the wheel is a blur of lights as it spins..."one, THROW!"

Laura seems to close her eyes as she throws. It's almost as if time slows down as the studio audience holds its collective breath. The small dart flies towards the impossible target and all of a sudden a dazzle of sparks and lights erupt from all around the wheel. The impossible has happened. Laura has won!

I look on stunned from where I stand with the other two contestants. I can almost touch the wheel - that fortune - it was so close yet so impossibly far. That's my life. Seeing the impossible but never experiencing it. Seeing the dream but never reaching it. I suppose that's the way it's meant to be. I must accept what I have and not reach for the impossible. At least I have my $30,000. 

I am sure we can all relate to this story in some way. We see others getting things that we don't have. Or we see a life that we would love, but it's just out of reach or just to scary to go for. And so we accept our lot and make the best of what we have been given. 

In Bible times, when the people were dependent on farming for their survival, where you lived was important. So for example while the views might be nice on a mountain, living there was not always a good idea. Mountains are stony and nearly impossible to farm. However valleys are flat and fertile and often have rivers or other water available. So the dream place to live was a wonderful fertile valley. Crops would be fruitful, farming would be easy and life would be great. 

However it so happened that in the days of the Judges that these awesome fertile valleys had a problem...an iron problem.

So there the people sat, living in God's strength up in the hills, looking longingly down at the valley - but unable to go there because of thee impossible to beat iron chariots. 

HOLD ON! This does not make sense. It says "The Lord was with the men of Judah" and then it says they are unable to drive out the people "because they had chariots fitted with iron." Iron chariots are stronger than God Almighty! What?

How can this be? How can it be that God is with these people but He can't drive out a few iron chariots?

BUT read carefully. Yes "the Lord was with the men" but "THEY were unable" to drive out the people. It was not God whose power was insufficient. 

God, who at a word parts seas has no issue with iron chariots. However the people did. 

The problem was not with God, as it was not with Jesus when he sought to show God's power - it was with the people and their lack of faith!

So we sit here reading this, marveling at how a people who have God with them, who have experienced his power don't believe He can do more. We are astounded by their unbelief, their limiting of God. Yet this story is not about them - its about you and I. 

Forget the Israelites - this is us. This is our shocking story!
From the beautiful fertile valley of life Jesus says to us living on the harsh mountainside conditions. 

He is saying - "Come down and live in the fertile valley of life."
And what is our response? 
"It's not possible Lord. I know you are with me. I know you have worked amazing miracles in my life on this harsh mountain side, but Lord, the valley...the abundant life...the fertile life, that's not possible."

And so Jesus stands in the beautiful valley calling...

Yet we cannot enter the valley because (we believe) God is unable to give this life to us. And so we are left looking down into the valley of promise with some questions to answer. 

Do I still live in the difficult, trying conditions of a life of sin, temptation, and struggle? 
Do I still look at the fertile valley of life and Jesus' offer and believe that is not for now, not possible? 
Is it iron chariots that stop us from experiencing the abundant life? Too many trails, too many stresses, too many sins. 
If so am I limiting the power of God?

Stop standing there looking on as others claim the impossible prize. Jesus offers us the life of promise. A life worth more than $10 million. Step forward and claim it. Unlike the Laura story, there is no risk here, there is nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All we need is to believe.

God is able. God is willing. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and experiencing his life of abundance. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and the valley of life. Let us not limit God. 

There are moments in life when things just seem to go right - not just right, but better than we would have expected - and sometimes a lot better. It's almost as if the planets have aligned. Yet what is amazing is that often in these moments we do not rejoice in our awesome God of grace, and the blessings we have received, but rather we forget the source…and maybe even consider it luck.

It is not difficult to remember God when things are hard, but it is when things are good. Somehow when we are content, or even being truly blessed from above, we seem to forget God. Maybe the unexpected windfall comes our way. Maybe it's a job promotion we never applied for. Maybe it's good news we never expected. Maybe it's simply a motivating affirmation that was unexpected. Whatever the situation, do we stop and rejoice in the source of this gift or do we simply wallow in the joy of receiving it?

How would you feel if as you were marvelling about your good gift, and a stranger, a non-believer, said to you that it was from God? I think I would be a little chagrined for not having realized this myself. But this is exactly what happens in this story in Genesis.

The brothers of Joseph on their return to Egypt are concerned about the money that was returned into their sacks. And on enquiring the Egyptian official says - "Your God...has given you treasure in your sacks."

How amazing is that!

When we look into the sacks of our lives what do we see? Sometimes the sack is empty and then we undoubtedly pray to God to fill it. We pray for his help, his abundance, knowing Jesus says he will...

And then when we look again, amazingly there is not only a sack filled to the brim, there is silver in our sack. Blessings we did not even ask for. Blessings we never expected. There is unexpected treasure in the sacks of our lives. BUT, what do we then do?

Do we fall before our God and give Him thanks for his awesome dealings with us - blessing us with more than we would expect, or do we forget that author of all good gifts, keeping our communication with him to petitions rather than praise, to asking rather than adoration. 

May it be then that we give God thanks, for without doubt, he will, and does give us treasure in our sacks. Look into the sack of your life again, look carefully and see the silver that God has placed there, that all too often we forget to acknowledge, or worse - fail to even see!