Give Me Oil In My Lamp Keep Me Burnihg

Give Me Oil in My Lamp Keep Me Burning

 

 

“Give Me Oil in My Lamp Keep Me Burning,” is the title of an old gospel spiritual.  In the song someone is asking God for the “oil” of the Holy Spirit to light up their lamp – or their life - and keep them “burning”.  I think they want to be on fire for their Lord!

 

 In describing a person who has new life in the Holy Spirit, Jesus said this: “The wind blows where it wishes: and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:8)  So since Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is like the wind, then it sounds like we can’t control it or make it go where we want it to go.

 

But then Jesus also said: “Most assuredly, unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:5)   Jesus is saying here that along with water we need to have the Spirit in our lives to enter heaven.  So my question is:  If we must be born of the Spirit to enter heaven but we can’t control the Spirit, then how does the Spirit come into our lives?  Is there anything we can do to make that happen? 

 

Jesus gave us a story or parable in Matthew 25:1-13 about the importance of the  Spirit in our lives. The story begins with ten virgins who were planning to meet the  bridegroom and attend a lavish wedding feast. The ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Jesus says that five of the virgins were wise and five were foolish.  The foolish ones left without any oil for their lamps, but the wise virgins remembered to take the oil.  The bridegroom was late so while the ten women were waiting for him to arrive they all fell asleep.  But at midnight they were awakened by someone calling out and announcing that the bridegroom would soon be there! 

 

The five who had no oil asked the five who had brought oil to share with them.  But the ones with the oil were afraid that there wouldn’t be enough to go around.  So the five without the oil ran off to the store to buy oil so they could light their lamps and meet the bridegroom. 

 

Alas, the five foolish virgins missed the bridegroom when he arrived since they had gone out to purchase oil.  And the five wise virgins carrying their lighted lamps joyously greeted the bridegroom and went with him into the place where the wedding would take place.  And then the door was shut.

 

Let’s read how this story ends.  “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know not the day or the hour when the Son of Man is coming.”  (Matthew 15:11-13)

 

We have a sobering end to this story.  The bridegroom says, “I do not know you” to the five foolish virgins who did not bring any oil.  “Unless a person is born of the water and the Spirit (oil), he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (John 5:8) The wedding feast represents the kingdom of heaven and without oil the foolish virgins didn’t make it.  Time was up and the door was shut.  A terrible ending!   

 

Oil is symbolic in Scripture of the Holy Spirit.  (Zeph. 4: Isa.61:1)  So in this story that Jesus tells us I believe that the oil represents the Holy Spirit. Outwardly the ten virgins all look the same.  They all act like they want to be a part of the wedding.  All ten make the trip to meet the bridegroom.  Say all the correct words.  Bring along their lamps.  If we could meet them would we be able to tell the wise ones from the foolish? – the real ones from the fake?  No, we would think these young women were all alike – all ten going in the same direction with the same purpose.    

 

But if we checked closer, the foolish five would not have oil (the Spirit) to light up their lamps (their lives?) or to light up the darkness around them. They might look good but there’s just something missing! Until the bridegroom is arriving they kick back and sleep and don’t seem to worry. Do they really need oil anyway? 

 

Aren’t they good enough on their own?  After all they are better than all of those other people who have messed up their lives.  These five are successful - the “makers” and not the “takers”. They go to church on Sunday and give their nice offerings and impress their friends.  They don’t drink and don’t chew.  Do good deeds and work hard.  Light candles and pass out fliers. Save money and drive the right car.  Life is complicated but they know the correct formula.  They have it all figured out so why would they need to worry about oil anyway? 

 

 And the other five virgins – the wise ones- the ones who bring oil to the wedding and seem to value it and hold onto it.  Worry that they could run out. Already this mysterious oil seems to be influencing their lives in ways that they can’t understand.  They don’t have things all figured out on their own so they wait for guidance.  Pray for help.

 

 And they do good deeds because they care about the people around them who are in need.  They go to church because they love to hear Gods’ Word.  They are humble and put others first.  And their mistakes and sins keep them running back to God for forgiveness.  But for these virgins who have the miracle oil, life is simple because they have the Answer – the Savior.  And the Savior has them and the oil He has given them lights their lives.  And they enter the wedding feast with the bridegroom because their lives are burning brightly with the oil of the Spirit.

 

What is Jesus trying to teach us when He tells this story- this parable about the ten virgins?  Why did five virgins have the oil and the other five did not?  How would one get the oil in the first place? 

 

It seems to me that Jesus told this story to teach us that having the Holy Spirit (the oil) in our lives is all important.  Scripture says: “There is a way that seems right to people, but the end thereof is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25)    We can go through the motions of living but if we aren’t lit up with the light of the Holy Spirit we are still walking around in our own power.  And that’s not good enough!   

 

So how do we receive this Spirit that comes and goes like the wind? Acts 2:38 says: “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  So there we have it!  We receive the Holy Spirit as a Gift when we repent (are sorry and turn from our sins) and when we accept Jesus into our lives.  When Jesus spoke those words: “ …Unless a person is born of the water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven”  (John 3:5)  He was saying the same thing.  When a person is “born of water” he repents (turns from his sin) and is cleansed of sin (is baptized in the water) as the necessary background for receiving the new life in Christ – given by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Maybe we aren’t always aware that we have the Holy Spirit (the oil) in our lives.  Maybe we forget that we have this wonderful Gift to guide and teach and comfort us along the way.  But Scripture teaches us that indeed we Christians do have the Holy Spirit in us. Let’s not quench the Spirit but instead make room in our lives for more of the Him. Let’s not hide our light under a bushel but instead open ourselves up so the Holy Spirit can light up our lives all the more. And we can be like the wise virgins and have our lamps lit and burning when the bridegroom comes.  And we can keep praying the same prayer and asking for the same oil that the singer asked for so long ago in the old gospel song,- the one that goes: “Give Me Oil In My Lamp, Keep Me Burning.”   

 

 

  

 

  

 

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A Thanksgiving Psalm

Shout for Joy to the Lord

Psalm 100 (a Thanksgiving Psalm)

 

 

This little psalm is special.  When I read it I see our heavenly Father calling all of His children – all the earth - to come for a thanksgiving Celebration – a loving Family Reunion. To enter the gates and come into the courts praising and thanking our Father for all that He is and all that He means to us.  He has created us and made us what we are and His ongoing love and faithfulness to us will last forever.  So He waits with outstretched arms for us to come and enjoy His Presence and thank Him for being our Father.   

 

Here it is - Psalm 100

 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

 

Worship the Lord with gladness:  come before Him with joyful songs.

 

Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise: 

Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

 

For the Lord is good: His love endures forever:

And His faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

This Psalm is an invitation to everyone on earth to thank and praise God: to rejoice in His faithfulness and goodness and enjoy our relationship with Him.  He enjoys our praises and our worship – our songs and our love. He loves to be honored by His children.  Psalm 22:3 says: “God inhabits the praises of His people.”  In other words, God is present when we praise Him.  And amazingly sometimes when you are together in a group praising God, you can feel Gods’ sweet heavy presence there in the midst of the group.  It’s wonderful.

 

The third verse of this Psalm reads: “Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves…”  Do some of God’s children forget that God created them?  Does He need to remind us that He indeed gave us our lives and made us who we are?  And that we didn’t create ourselves?  We miss out on so much if we forget that we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  If we stay away and don’t come home to our Father. 

 

I know of several parents who loved their children more than they loved themselves, provided them with a good home and every advantage.  But now the children have grown up and time has passed, and all the love and the good family memories have been forgotten. 

 

 The children only remember what their parents didn’t do!  “You didn’t go to all of my soccer games.”  “You never were a good cook.”  There is no respect or honor to the parents, only criticism and rejection.  And sadly the bonds between the parents and the children are hanging there torn and tattered.  It would have been so different if the children had remembered the good times and thanked the parents for their ongoing love.

 

Speaking words of thanks and love mean so much in our human families.  How many broken families would still be together if just a few words of thanks and appreciation – just a few words of respect had been spoken? 

 

And Scripture tells us that thanks and praise also mean everything in our heavenly family too.  All through the Bible God asks us for our thanks and praise and for our worship and our fellowship.  He reminds us of His love and faithfulness to us and He waits for us to respond with our love and faithfulness in return.  He expects it. The entire message of Psalm 100 is a request - plea for us to come and praise God.  Worship and bring our thanksgiving.  Love Him and enjoy His goodness.  Celebrate and shout for joy to the Lord.  Let’s do it!    

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus Can Use Us Just as We Are.

 

 Thursday, November 1st was All Saints Day on the liturgical calendar. When many of us think of saints, we think of pictures or statues of people who are wearing a hallo. Often, we think of saints as persons who have been perfect in all their ways. Some believe that in order to be labeled a saint; you have to die and go through a long ecclesiastical rigmarole before you can be given the title of saint. This is different than the Protestant view which holds that if you truly believe that Jesus is God and you accept him as your Lord and Savior, you are automatically a saint.

 

Are saints perfect in every way?  Consider Mother Teresa, who many believe is a contemporary saint (the Catholic Church is in the process of officially proclaiming her a saint).  This godly, unselfish woman certainly lived up to the ideal of being nearly perfect.  However, even she expressed doubts about her faith and the existence of God. Her letters testify that she suffered through many “dark nights of the soul.”

 

Perhaps a way of testing these thoughts about godly perfection might be to look at Peter the Apostle, as he is written about in the last chapter (Chap.21) of the Gospel of John. Certainly, all Christian denominations accept Peter as a saint. You may recall the gospel scene: the resurrected Jesus has appeared to some of His followers three times so far, but the disciples are still confused about what all this means.  Shortly after having encountered the risen Lord, Peter decides to go fishing and six other disciples join him. This seems to be a rather odd response to godly encounters!  Maybe this is a “guy thing” kind of reaction to cosmic events that Peter and his friends don’t yet comprehend.

 

Anyway, they unsuccessfully fish all night on the lake.   Morning comes and they are tired and hungry and are approaching the shore, when a fellow on the beach calls out to them asking if they caught anything.  They say no, and he tells them to throw their net over the other side of the boat and they will have fish.  They do and they catch so many fish that the net is almost to the point of breaking.

 

At this point Simon Peter recognizes the person on the shore as Jesus.  He jumps into the chest deep water and runs to Jesus.  The others follow, pulling in the boat and the full fishing net. As they come ashore, they find the risen Christ standing beside a charcoal fire on which fish and bread are cooking. He then invites his friends to have breakfast.  Did you catch that?  What an extraordinary display of Godly banality!  Jesus Christ, having just conquered death and hell, cooks breakfast for His disciples! Obviously, here is a lesson about God’s very tangible love and concern for us.

 

After breakfast, Jesus engages Peter in an intriguing dialogue. Remember, that this is the same Simon Peter who, about a week earlier,  just after the arrest of the Lord, denied Jesus three times.

 

In the NIV Bible+ the dialogue goes as follows (John. 21:15-18):

 

Simon Peter … do you truly love me more than these?

Yes Lord, you know I love you.

Jesus said, Feed my lambs.

Again Jesus said, Simon, son of John, Do you love me?

He answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

Jesus said, Take care of my sheep.

The third time, He said to him, Simon, son of John, do you love me?

Peter was hurt, because Jesus asked him a third time, do you love me?

He said, Lord you know all things, you know I love you.

Jesus said, Feed my sheep.

 

Unfortunately, some of the meaning of this is lost in translation.  The several Greek words for love are much more nuanced then the single English word for love. The first two times that Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, He says do you agapao [agape] me? Do you have unconditional, self-sacrificing love for me?  Three times, Peter replies, “Lord, you know I phileo you; you know I love you like a brother and have an emotional fondness for you.

 

The third time when Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, he says to Peter, do you phileo me?  Isn’t that interesting?  Jesus has gone from agape to phileo with Peter. I think Jesus realizes that – at this time - this is as far as Peter can go in his love relationship with Jesus.  Could it be that Jesus is willing to take us where we are and use us even if we don’t express the love and faith that we should.  Yes, Jesus does indeed take us where we are and by the work of His Spirit, if we are willing, grows us into sanctification and Christian maturity.  This is what being a saint is all about – participating in God’s process within us.

 

The third stanza of Charlotte Elliot’s wonderful old hymn, Just as I Am, expresses the feelings of many of us who are neophyte saints:

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fighting’s and fears within, without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

 

Thank you Jesus for taking us as we are! May we be among your saints on the day that “The books will be opened” (Rev.20:12).  Meanwhile, let’s get on with the task of being God’s hands and feet as we minister to the others around us.

Jesus Heals A Demon Possessed Man

Jesus Heals a Demon Possessed Man

Mark 5:1-20

 

 

During His earthly ministry Jesus healed many people, demonstrating His power over disease and death.  Huge crowds followed Jesus everywhere He went, to listen to His teachings and to be healed by His touch.  There are many stories in Scripture of desperately sick people being instantly healed by Jesus!  Today let’s review one of these healing stories   – the dramatic story of Jesus casting demons out of a man. This story has a surprising ending.

 

Our story begins with Jesus and His disciples sailing across the Sea of Galilee to the area where the Gadarenes lived.  The Gadarenes were Gentiles with some Jewish people living among them and Jesus had wanted to visit them that day.

 

As soon as Jesus and his disciples landed and climbed out of the boat the Bible says that a demon possessed man started screaming wildly and rushing toward them.  The disciples must have been frightened since this crazed man was naked and dirty with bloody wounds all over his body.  Scripture says that he lived alone in the hills among the tombs and ran around cutting himself with sharp objects and shrieking and howling like an animal.   His family and friends had tried to bind him with chains, but each time he would break the chains with his super human strength.  

 

Here is how Scripture describes it:  “The man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.  No one was strong enough to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”  (Matthew 5:3-5)  I wonder if the Gadarene people who lived in the villages nearby were afraid that this tortured man with such physical strength might come into town and cause them harm.

 

This wild man had once been someone’s baby.  He had played at his mother’s knee and helped feed the pigs. We can only imagine how his parents must have felt, having to watch helplessly as their precious son over time slowly lost his mind. Once he had been their chatty child with bright laughing eyes.  But now his eyes were glazed over and his laughter had turned to howls and animal sounds.  So heartbreaking for the family to have to sit by and watch as their sweet little boy moved deeper into this terrible darkness.  A darkness that drove him to this lonely miserable life among the tombs.

 

As Jesus and his disciples got out of the boat the desperate man fell in front of Jesus and worshiped Him.  And he (or the demon inside him) begged Jesus not to torture him.  Jesus spoke to the demon inside of the man and commanded: “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”  ((Mark 5:8) And then Jesus asked: “What is your name?”  And the demons answered: “My name is Legion: for we are many.”  (Mark 5:9) 

 

There was a large herd of about 2,000 pigs feeding on the hill nearby and since the demons had been ordered to come out of the man, they asked Jesus if they could enter the pigs nearby.  Jesus said yes and gave the demons permission, so the evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. This upset the pigs so much that they all rushed down the steep bank of the hill into the lake and drowned.  And the shocked people who were tending the pigs were very upset and ran off to report all that had happened to the nearby townspeople.(Mark 5:11-14)

 

The man who had been demon possessed was now completely healed and in his right mind, finally free from his torment.  Scripture says: “If the Son has made you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)  Jesus had truly set this enslaved man free from his demons and He can set us free from our demons too. The man washed and dressed and came and sat at Jesus’ feet worshipping Him and listening to His teachings.  

 

He begged Jesus to let him get in the boat and go back with Him and His disciples.  But Jesus lovingly told the man to go back home and tell his friends and relatives about the great things that He had done to heal him.  And that is what the man who had been possessed did.  We are not given salvation just for our own enjoyment but to also give testimony to others concerning the divine Deliverer, Jesus.

 

When the Gadarenes in the nearby villages heard the news that the demon possessed man had been healed and that they had lost a herd of pigs, they all ran down to the shore to see for themselves.  Here is how Scripture tells it.  “When they came to Jesus they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well.  Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.”  (Mark 5:15-17)

 

Did we read that right?  The relatives and neighbors of the demon possessed man asked Jesus to go away – leave them and get out!? These village folks had known the demon possessed man all of his life.  They had helped raise him as a child, watched him grow up and had been there when he had slowly deteriorated!  He had been one of their neighbors, one of their friends.  Some were related to him and were his family. Shouldn’t they be thrilled that one of their own had been healed and freed from all of his demons?  That he could come back and be part of their lives again?  Wouldn’t they be excited and invite Jesus to their village?  They would want to know more about this Jesus who had the power to heal people and cast out demons, wouldn’t they?  Maybe He could have healed more folk in their towns who were sick or lame or blind? Maybe He could have brought them closer to God?  Didn’t they want to find out? 

 

But no, the Scriptures say that the Gadarene villagers pleaded and begged Jesus - the source of potential blessing and salvation - to leave! They wanted Jesus out of their lives even after He had healed their loved one!  The Bible says that they were “afraid” of Him!  Were they afraid of Jesus because they had lost a herd of pigs?  In losing the herd of 2,000 pigs they must have been set back financially.  Could they have been afraid that if they invited Jesus to their homes – if they got to know Jesus – it might cost them even more money?  Were their finances more important to them than possibly healing their sick? If Jesus had healed more of their sick neighbors, they might have lost even more financially? Maybe they didn’t want to take that chance!  Maybe just play it safe!

 

Is there a cost in following Jesus?  Is there a price to pay- a chance to take- when we invite Him into our lives?  Do we ever do the same thing those villagers did and ask Jesus to leave?  Do we want to play it safe? Be conservative?  It seemed that Jesus valued the welfare of people over money.  Do we? When we follow Him sometimes He takes us places we would rather not go!  He may ask us to minister to people we would rather leave alone.  Do we miss out on being with Jesus because our pocketbook is more important to us than the welfare of the sick folk- the demon possessed- in our world?

 

Scripture says that indeed there is a cost and a price in following Jesus.  If we count the cost and refuse to pay the price, are we following from a distance?  Telling Him not to come too close?  Sending Him away? Are we willing not to count the cost- to take the chance –to go all out - to pay the price?  Are we willing to invite Jesus into our lives all the way and be followers no matter what it takes? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

  

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

 

 

It was 3 a.m. and I couldn’t sleep.  A lonely darkness was settling in over my soul as I tossed and turned in the bed.  Uneasy feelings and vague fears drifted in and out of my mind.  Finally I got up and paced the floor, shivering in the cold night air. The worlds’ sufferings, wrongs and prejudices all seemed to be coming alive and haunting me.  And my troubles seemed to be so close I could feel them in my bones. I went back to bed and tried to sleep.  Life’s’ disappointments seem worse in the middle of the night. 

 

I was tired when I woke the next morning – Sunday morning - and got ready for church.  Still a bit depressed I slowly settled into the church pew with my husband and we waited for the service to begin.  And then it happened!  The Scripture reading for the day was Psalm 46 and it seemed that God was speaking directly to me through the words of this Psalm.  Speaking to my disappointments and my disillusionments. Taking away my fears and my loneliness.  Pouring living water out into my parched soul.  Let’s look at Psalm 46.

 

Psalm 46

 

1) God is our refuge and strength. 

    A very present help in trouble.

2) Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed.

    And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea:

3) Though its waters roar and be troubled.

    Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

 

4) There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.

    The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

5) God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved:

    God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

6) The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved:

    He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

 

7) The Lord of hosts is with us:

    The God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

8) Come; behold the works of the Lord,

    Who has made desolations in the earth.

9) He makes wars cease to the end of the earth:

    He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two:

    He burns the chariot in the fire.

 

10) Be still and know that I am God. 

      I will be exalted among the nations. 

      I will be exalted in the earth:

 

11) The Lord of hosts is with us.

      The God of Jacob is our fortress. 

                                                 Selah    

 

In the dead of night my problems seemed so big.  But God is bigger than all my problems and yours too.  The God we worship has been a reliable stronghold in the past.  He has got us covered in the present.  God is present no matter what the outward circumstances look like. Even if the earth is removed and the mountains are carried into the middle of the sea –even if creation itself seems to become uncreated –ruined –undone-God can put it back together. (Psalm 46:1-2)

 

Even though I can’t figure out how to untangle the wrongs in my world, I have a God who can do it.  We will be victorious in the end. “Though the waters roar and are troubled and though the mountains shake there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.”  (Verse 4)  In contrast to the raging environment that threatens death, there is a peaceful river of supply from God that produces life.

 

“God is present and we shall not be moved.”  (Verse 5)  (from our limited perspective we may feel like we have been moved -or lost out – but from the perspective of eternity, God says that we will not be moved) “God will help us just at the break of dawn.” (Verse 5)  His help brings on the dawn of deliverance, dispelling the night of danger.

 

 “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved:  He uttered His voice, the earth melted.”  (Verse 6)  I interpret this verse to say that truth and goodness will win out.  The Psalm says: “The kingdoms will be moved” – so human pride and greed and deception and hatred will not stand.  Evil will be overcome with good.  God will judge the peoples of the world and all that is false and wrong will “melt” away – or be destroyed.  We can only have spiritual health and life when the cancer and disease of evil is gone.  “He uttered His voice, the earth melted.”  God will judge the earth and evil will be removed or will “melt” away.  

 

“The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  (Verse 7)  We are reminded that the God who blessed and protected Jacob so long ago is with us today.  He was a fortress of protection for Jacob and He will be a fortress of protection for us too.

 

“Come behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth:  He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two:  He burns the chariot in the fire.”  (Verses 8-9) I believe these verses speak of the day when God will restore universal peace.  God will stop all wars – all misunderstandings – hatreds- backbiting.  No more isolation or alienation.  No more gossiping or bullying or put downs.  Everyone will love each other.  What a day!

 

Our next verse reads: “Be still and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted in the earth.”  (Verse 10)  In our prayers we talk to God.  But we are encouraged here to wait quietly (be still) and listen for God.  All the nations will recognize God’s mighty acts.  God’s saving act for us in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ will be brought to completion at His return. 

 

And our Psalm closes reminding us again that God is with us.  “The Lord Almighty is with us: the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  Martin Luther wrote his famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” after reading this little psalm.    

 

A fortress is a walled barrier or building with armament – a bulwark to protect soldiers from hostile enemies.  And in this world we have many hostile enemies that would threaten to undo us.  So be on guard!  And next time fears and doubts play with your mind and depression is stealing your joy: and when your dreams have been shattered and you don’t know where to go; then turn to God, your Father -your Protector- your Savior – your mighty Fortress.  “The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  (Psalm 46:11)     

 

 

    

 

 

 

  

Is There A Problem With Being Holy?

 

The Road to Jerico

 

 

Is There a Problem With Being Holy?

 

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about “Christian” values.  Most of this translates into” believers” not doing – or not allowing others to do things - that are thought to be abhorrent to God.  Somehow this translates into being “christian.”  This definition of Christianity turns our faith into a system of belief based upon rules that have to do with proscribed behavior.  Believing in such a system can give one a sense of holiness, but is this really what God wants of us?

 

Assuredly, God tells us “be Holy, because I am holy” I Peter 1:16 (see also Leviticus 19:2), but what does this mean?  The Christian pollster George Barna has indicated that the general public, and most Christians, are very confused as to what it means to be holy (Barna Group, 2006). About 25% of people in the U.S. think that they are holy.  To be holy, means to be set apart for God’s purpose.  For a follower of Christ, it means allowing God’s Spirit to guide us and to convict us of our sins. 

 

The problem for “religiously oriented” people, including many "christians," is that the pursuit of holiness can become an end in itself. There is always a strong temptation to ignore grace and earn our salvation by works righteousness.  In fact, this becomes a central issue in the dealing that Jesus’ had with the pharisaical Jews.  Consider His parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  This parable illustrates what can go wrong when religious people make holiness the primary goal of their faith.  Many of us are familiar with this passage. “An expert in the law” (i.e., a “scribe”), attempting to test Jesus, asks what he has to do to obtain eternal life. Note that he assumes that he has to do something. 

 

Being a Jewish religious leader, he was involved in a system of works that – he thought – made him holy and righteous, if he could but obey all the sundry laws.  Jesus turns his question around and gets the scribe to quote the Hebrew scripture that is applicable. The scribe correctly observers that we are to love God with our whole heart and soul and to love our neighbor as we would love our self.  Jesus then says, “You have answered correctly, do this and you will live.

 

Rather than letting it go at that, the scribe tests The Lord further, by asking “who is my neighbor?” To a Hebrew of that time, neighbor meant ‘someone you have an association with.” Jesus responds with the parable. A man (we don’t know who he is) travels from Jerusalem to Jericho.  This was on a sixteen mile, winding, road that dropped three thousand feet to Jericho.  It was also known to be infested by robbers. Sure enough, the traveler is accosted by robbers who stole his clothes and belongings and severely beat him, leaving him for dead by the side of the road.  As he lies there naked and in a semi-comatose state, three other travelers separately come by.  Upon seeing the victim, these travelers must have been very nervous, since they realized the men who committed this crime might well be lurking nearby.

The first to encounter the victim are two religious folks, a priest and a Levite.  Upon seeing the victim the priest warily walks past him on the other side of the road.  The Levite goes by and does the same thing. Jesus does not tell us why they did this. However, by the nature of their status, we know that these two men were involved in temple worship activities. If they were to touch a dead body, or to come in contact with blood, they would immediately become ritually unclean.  This would force them to suspend their religious duties and undergo a prolonged period of purification.  In other words, it would temporarily take away their holiness. In the Jewish religious system, this was no small matter. Given the hassle involved, it is not surprising that they ignored the potential problem.

 

The next fellow to appear in this first century version of “caught on camera,” is a Samaritan. The Samaritans were half-breed Jews (they had intermarried with non-Jews during the Babylonian captivity), who did not worship the Yahweh of the Hebrews.  They were despised by the Jews: the feeling was mutual. Jesus then tells us that the Samaritan has compassion on the victim, binds up the victim’s wounds, clothes him and sets him upon his donkey.  He then takes him to an inn keeper, pays for his expense and promises to pay any additional charges upon his return.  Certainly, the despised Samaritan has gone the extra mile. This must have astounded Jesus’s audience. He turned a hated person into a hero and radically expanded the notion of who our neighbor is.

 

Jesus then asks the scribe who started this magnificent teaching incident, “which of the three was a neighbor to the victim?”  He replied “the one who had mercy on him.”  Notice that this guy can’t even bring himself to say “the Samaritan,” because his dislike is still so intense.  Jesus then told him – and is telling us –“go and do likewise.”

 

This is one of those episodes that allows one to differentiate between who is a “christian,” and who is a Follower of Jesus.  The Lord wants us to turn from being a “religious” believer to a compassionate follower of His. He wants us to put the rules into perspective; If we fall back to rules alone, we will lose compassion – we will lose our sense of agape love.  We are to keep God’s commandments because we love Him, not because we are trying to work our way to salvation by being holy. Remember that Jesus says, “If you love Me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  Coupled to our loving obedience to God, we also extend compassion to those we come into contact with.  May we all go and do so.



Dressed for Battle

Dressed for Battle

 

 

Scripture says that we are in a battle – a spiritual battle.  Even though we know that we live in a very troubled world, we still don’t like to believe that there are evil powers lurking around every corner.  And we wonder if it isn’t a bit  paranoid to worry about such things!

 

 Our ancestors didn’t worry about such things as germs!  Just a couple hundred years ago people saw no need to wash their hands or cover their sneezes or sterilize anything.  But then Louis Pasteur looked through his microscope and saw a whole world that nobody had ever seen before. A world of germs moving around under his microscope, so tiny that no one could see them with the naked eye!  Pasteur was shocked and startled! When the news got out that he had discovered a world of microscopic germs that could cause sickness, and that they were everywhere, folks didn’t want to believe it.

 

 But this discovery eventually led the medical profession to announce that germs are very real and they are indeed all around us!  And germs can bring disease and even kill us!  And of course that changed everything.  In the hospitals doctors began washing their dirty bloody gowns between operations and sterilizing their surgical instruments.  And the population was encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water. And the death rate from infectious diseases began dropping so much that people began to actually believe that germs were real.  And this knowledge changed their behavior.   

 

 Perhaps it’s the same in the spiritual realm.  Even though we can’t see “evil powers” as we go through our daily life, the Bible tells us that evil powers are very real. And our protection and our victory over evil is our position in Christ because He has us covered. But we also have a part. The Bible says our job is to believe the truth and try to live a good life.  – try to obey God’s commands. 

 

You may ask, “If my protection is found in Christ, then why do I have to get involved?”  Scripture tells us that we are in a spiritual battle and that God has provided everything we need to be victorious over the evil forces, but we have to believe what He has said and use what He has given us.  Each Christian has been given a set of armor and a sword but we need to put the armor on and use the sword.  Let’s read about what we have been given - our armor.  

 

“Stand firm, having put on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace: in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Ephesians 6:14-17)

 

First of all we are to put on and wear the belt of “truth”.  Jesus said, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6) And because Christ is in you, the truth is in you. The belt of truth is our first line of defense against Satan’s main weapon- that of deceiving and lying.  Jesus prayed this prayer for us:  “Sanctify them in the truth: Thy Word is truth.”  (John 17:17)  The Word of God (the Bible) is truth and we should not wander away from it or open ourselves up in any way to false doctrines. Also we should always speak the truth.  Lying even when we think it is for a good cause is wrong.

 

The second piece of armor we need to fight the battles in life is the “breastplate of righteousness.”  This righteousness isn’t your righteousness or mine otherwise we would all be in trouble!  The righteousness is Christ’s righteousness.  (1 Corinthians1:30; Philippians 3:8-9)  When we believe in Jesus as Savior we put on Christ’s righteousness. And since we are covered by Christ’s righteousness, we are justified before God.  (Romans 5:1)  So when we worry that we aren’t good enough to go to heaven we need to remember that it isn’t our goodness that saved us but Christ’s.  “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?  God is the one who justifies.”  (Romans 8:33) And even though we stand on our righteous position in Jesus, we need to try to obey His commandments.

 

And then we are to put on the “shoes of peace”.  Scripture says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  (Matthew 5:9)  Jesus prayed that believers might be united and He calls us to forgive those we don’t agree with or those who have harmed us. Christians are called to be ministers of reconciliation.  We are to bring people together and encourage fellowship.  A joyful but often difficult ministry!

 

The “Shield of faith” is the forth piece of armor that we have been given.  The object of our faith is God and His Word.  Scripture says that God gives each of us a measure of faith. But we can build up the faith we have by worshiping God and reading the Word. “For then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17) 

 

Scripture says: “take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles from the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)  These “flaming missiles from the evil one” are nothing more than lies or temptations or fears that bombard our minds.

 

 When Jesus was tempted by the devil He answered the temptations by quoting Scripture (the Word of God).  And we can do the same.  If we are attacked by fear we can meet the fear with God’s Word.  “Fear thou not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen you yes I will help you, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”  (Isaiah 42:10)  And if we are attacked with the temptation to lie (bear false witness) we can pray and ask for God’s help and again counter with Scripture.  “Thou shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16) God also includes our prayers as part of His strategy to help us win the spiritual battle. 

 

The fifth piece of armor is the “helmet of salvation.”  Sometimes we may be tempted to doubt our salvation. We may think that we have to do a lot of “things” to receive salvation. But Scripture says that all we need to do is believe that Jesus is our Savior and try to follow Him.  Jesus has won our victory and we are to stand firm in Him.  God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”  (Col.1:13)

 

And the last piece of armor is the “sword of the Spirit.”  The Bible says that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.  It is the only weapon we are given to actively fight with.  The other pieces of armor are for our spiritual protection.  Scripture says: “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit …” (Hebrews 4:12) We can use the sword of the Spirit (the Bible) along with the shield of faith to fight this spiritual battle that we find ourselves in.

 

We each have a purpose and a mission to accomplish here on earth.  But if we love God, Satan, the enemy of our soul, is there to oppose us – to undermine all our hopes and dreams and to tear apart all of the good that we would do. We are in a battle –the battle between good and evil – between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world! But God promises to be with us and He has given us everything we need for the fight.  We have already been promised the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. So let’s put on the armor and dress for battle.  Stand firm and fight the good fight.

 

 

Some ideas have been taken from Neil T. Anderson’s book “The Bondage Breaker”  pages 95-102