Ryan's Journal

Pastor Brian Greene, Esther 3, Death of Self-Centeredness.

Haman, an Agagite, is a descendant of King Agag, an Amalekite, from Esau's line. The first of something in the Bible is usually representative of any other similar following instances. So Esau is fundamentally self-centered. He gives up his entire inheritance to satisfy basic hunger. As the prophecies surrounding Esau state, he is to serve his younger brother, yet he and his line are always trying to rebel and destroy Jacob and his line, Israel. The Amalekites constantly besiege the Israelites throughout history. And like his ancestors, Haman engages in the ultimate self-centeredness as he tries to destroy the Jewish culture because one man wouldn't worship him.

The older shall serve the younger; the flesh, which seeks to serve itself, shall serve the spirit. Christ came that we might deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, and we must kill the part of ourself that wants to serve our own interests. If we submit to the flesh, we'll lose our progress, personality, potential, and promotion.

I was kind of pumped when Pastor Brian started telling the story of Saint Patrick. There's a saint who understood how to die to himself. After escaping from slavery and being trained as a cleric, he returned to his home, only to hear God's call to go back to his former masters and bring them the message of Christ. His life and the lives of his followers changed all of Ireland and Europe.

One of the things he did during his formative spiritual years was to pray through Psalms, 100 each day, to make his faith like those who wrote Psalms. I'll leave off with the beginning of one of my favorites, Psalm 119:

You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right--you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me.

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