Trophies and Icons of Prayer


1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.  (Matt. 25)

It is too my shame that I have not understood the meaning of the lamp and the oil.  In years past I have understood a message of urgency and a teaching of truth about how we ought to prepare ourselves for His coming.  But I confess that I did not understand exactly what the lamp or the oil was.  Oh, I knew about the fire of the Holy Spirit.  But because of those who promote speaking in tongues, I was confused as to what that power accomplished.

The Lord showed me clearly this morning what this means.  And I present this here for those who are like I have been; not understand the full meaning of the picture He has painted here.  The lamp is us.  The fire within the lamp is the Holy Spirit.  And the oil is the effect wrought by an habitual appearing before the Lord in prayer.

Many walk their entire lives by simple belief that God will do all things for us on the day when we appear before Him.  I have spoken often about the necessity to “do” something in response to the Gospel.  While I am also at fault, in my days former, for not making prayer a vital part of my daily life.  It has been shown and proven to me that any day without formal personal prayer is a day spent without the filling of oil.  I consider that error and am in awe at my ignorance.  It makes me more grateful to God for His mercy and grace.

Now, may God quicken my mind when I meet a Christian who declares that prayer is not that important in their life.  They might declare that they depend on God to rescue them from troubles.  They might consider spiritual duty as if it were a distasteful task.  Bible reading might well have passed into that which is given to children, yet has no place in the real world of adults.  May He bless me to remember the vital message of the parable.  May He quicken my mind to remember what He has just taught me so that I will do it and not forget!

We all eat to sustain our body.  We know when we are hungry.  I ask myself, “How did you not perceive that you were empty before the Lord of Majesty?”  How is it that I walked as a man who tried to walk across a newly plowed field in the dark, and did not perceive that I stumbled so horribly because I did not obey His Holy call to prayer?

I have lived decades as a fool.  But every encounter with His Holy Truth leaves me even more aware of just how deep that folly is.  And how deep now is the desire to help my brothers and sisters come to the same conclusion.  How I desire to share what is true.  I consider the troubles the Church is embroiled in today.  And see clearly that it is because of this very item that we have faltered so horribly.  We have forgotten the Lord in our wealth.  We have all fattened ourselves on the ways of the world and turned our faces away from the ways of God which matter so very much.

Men attend a service to be counted as those who worship God.  Yet their own lamps are dry and sparkless.  They are even listening to the word of God being spoken by men who are supposed to be FILLED to over flowing with the fire of God.  Yet the message is like a flame which has been submerged in the ocean.  Empty words come out.  The wick sways with the currents of water.  But there is no FIRE upon it and no oil remains to renew it.   Good words of God float to men’s ears without power.  How can it be a surprise when we find those who call themselves Christians living a life void of distinguishing from those of the world?

Oh dear!  Please, let us renew our strength to endure that place of prayer.  The flesh will hate our knees as we bow to Jesus.  But without that bowing we are nothing.  This is what the solid men of God found out and warned us to do.  We revere them for what was accomplished by God through them.  But they are like trophies on our wall, icons of “good” which we happily show all our guests.  All the while, we should become living trophies of God’s work today.  Take down the trophies of others; those icons you hold so dear.  Revere them by becoming like them!  What else needs be said here?

The Idealist


Immanuel Kant — transcendental idealism ...

Immanuel Kant — transcendental idealism (chart — Polish-language version). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like you, I have been mocked because I live in idealism.  The wicked scoff and mock us because we desire what it pure and true.  I am not ashamed of this label of an idealist.  I will defy their laughter and hatred!  I will walk according to the promises of God and not in the way of this world!  God is perfect.  And all His people should strive to live perfectly holy lives before His beautiful face.  This striving requires a mind and heart set in the direction of what is ideal.  And it is this very point which is the reason for this post.

Men say, “Only in a perfect world would such and such be true.”  And in this they are right!  It is to this perfect world we set our hearts.  We walk as those who will inherit the promise of God to all His people.  By faith we are given hearts of flesh to replace that of stone which the world uses to mock us.

Every one of God’s people has owned a heart of stone at one time.  But that is not the case for those who are chosen to walk in the power of Christ Jesus.  And so, we are not cruel to those who still stand in the place from which we were taken.  But we are being taught to obey what is perfect; what is ideal.  We are beckoned to reach for holiness.  And our God will not accept a half-hearted attempt. The expectation God has upon His people is called “The narrow way”.  And He has spoken that few there are who find it.  He is right to demand perfection from us.  Just as a horse is not allowed to go where it desires when it pulls a wagon, so too, we are not allowed to pull or push at the Church of God as we desire. Nor are we allowed to add sin, sloth, ignorance, and unholy disgrace to our lives.  He will separate His people from all men.  He will separate those who have from those who have not.  Be wise and learn.  Be wise in Christ Jesus and make a right judgment of yourself.

We are set upon to do the will of the Father in heaven.  And He will have what He desires.  If we continue to rebel at the commands of our God He will make it perfectly clear that we are not in His favor.  It is up to us to search out what is ideal according to the Lord of Life.  It is in this searching (a turning of the heart to desire the things of God) that we find the strength to do what is good and right according to the Lord.  For the Lord has promised that He will dress His people in a Righteousness that is not theirs.  He, Himself, will teach us to obey.  He will write His Holy laws on our hearts.  Simply turn to Him with all your might.

The men of this world wake to consider a list of good things they might accomplish.  And without God’s hand upon them they run about all day long trying to be worthy of this place of testing where they live.  They consider this world as if it were the end judge of their lives.  They even refer to the rocks of this world as a mother.  They do not consider the judgment of God promised for every soul.  Not making any attempt to please the Lord of Righteousness, they stumble in their own righteousness (What an odd thing to say.  But it is a truth of Holy Fire which marks the line between the righteous of man and the Righteous of God.)  This is the difference between the Church of God and the club of “righteous” men, who do as they please according to their own imagination.   They sit together as men who sit in expensive surroundings to speak of what they consider to be good.  They debate what is good as if it were something to debate.

Rise early in the morning, while it is still dark; while the men of this “Club World” sleep.  Appeal to the Lord with a pure heart, one filled with the ideal.  Confess your sins and your own ignorance of what is pure.  Ask His mercy that you might know what is pure, perfect, ideal, and eternal.  And, if you have the stomach for it, ask to DO what is right all the day through.  Be an idealist!  Do not be ashamed of their laughter.  They desire all that is wicked, even to the denial of God’s hand upon them.  They want works that will bring them glory.  But they do not desire to glorify the Lord God who made them and calls them to The Perfect Way.  They eat from His blessings.  They sleep behind locked doors, by His mercy.  And they plot against Him, while He allows their minds to function.  Do not be like them!  Be ashamed of the sin which lives in you as if you were to obey it.  But do not be ashamed to desire perfection, even to the point of ridicule at the mouths and hands of man.

By the Grace of God I have written this letter to my brothers and sisters.  May He bless it with true understanding to all who read it.  Encourage one another, while it is still called “today”.  For we see the end of things approach now.  And we have never been more pressed to do what is Holy and eternally good.  Strengthen one another with all speed.  Light your lamp and be ready with plenty of oil.  For the Bide Groom is about to be dispatched.  He will come to gather His people without the slightest hesitation.  And those who are ready for Him will be ushered into that ideal that they have learned to desire and expect to find.  Those who have not prepared will miss the Glorious “catching up”.  Blessings to all who trim their lamp and hold it high for the Lord and the world to see.

Woe to all who have been lax in preparing for His arrival.  Woe to those who have heard the mocking and said to themselves, “I will mend my ways so that they won’t laugh at me.”  It has been spoken and few respect it:  “You cannot serve two masters!”  Do not let Him catch you sleeping!  Come out from them!  Step quickly as you walk away from their ways.  Do not delay.  The time is ever so very near!  If the Father delays dispatching His Holy Son until after you have tasted “the death of man”, be sure of this:   His coming will appear before your face the split second you have left this place of testing.  Do not allow your flesh to mock this word of urgency.  Listen to the Lord and LIVE!  Allow yourself to become an idealist.

By His Grace.

Fasting?


Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827): Fast Day

Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827): Fast Day (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Make every effort possible to enter into the pleasure of God through Jesus.  This is not the place for fulfilling all your dreams and desires.  It is a place of testing where God judges the actions, attitudes, thoughts and words of man.

I spoke to a man regarding fasting a while ago.  His immediate response, without hearing what I had to say, was that he was not “into” that fasting stuff.  What will be said then?  If the Lord saw fit to fast for 40 days before He entered His ministry, what reason will we give that we could not suffer loss for a short time?  God is Glory.  And He has presented His perfect example for us in Jesus.  If you see Jesus doing something to please His Father, why not endure the same as you are able?

Fasting is a rejection of food, drink, pleasure, desires, dreams, and hopes.  Pick your proper fast and do it.  Do it so that no one will see but God.  Present yourself before Him as one who desires His will over all the things of this world.  See if He won’t extend a hand of help and grace to you.  But if you never taste these things, you will never know the glory God desires to give you.

Got it? Really?


Open hand. Original description: 2000. Español...

Open hand. Original description: 2000. Español: Esta es mi mano a los 20 años. El anillo era de mi madre, estaba hecho de hueso y un día, al poco de hacer el dibujo, se me rompió en dos. 😦 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Men are mistaken in their apprehension of God.  Even those who worship Him cannot fully understand His Holy ways.  Right about the time we think we understand, another test or teaching appears from the hand of He who Lives Forever.

When we find ourselves empty in our prayers, there is a reason.  If we have sinned, that silence may seem like an angry God.  But I do not see it that way.  He is stern with us, demanding that we adhere to His commands.  But not that pouty little boy way that men foist on those who spurn their advise.  His face is beautiful!  Even if it is looking away from us for a moment.

The Love of God is not like the love of man.  He is actively searching our wicked hearts so that He can lead us into all things best.  I have said it before, and say it again.  I would rather the rebuke from the Living God than all the fame, love, wealth, and pomp this world can muster.  The first builds me into something eternally valuable.  The second only serves to hold me hostage until a remedy can be found to enslave me once again.

 

hmmmmmmm.


I was standing on the back porch, again.  And a thought came to mind.  For the life of me I really couldn’t answer a question.  Why is it that the language in print is so dramatically different than conversation?  Especially when it comes to the things of God, we are avoided and laughed at behind our back.  Even in a Church setting we are expected to speak with one another in a very different tone than what we read in Scripture or hear in the sermon.  Oh, it’s ok to speak God things like “bless you”, or speak some great thanks to God in the presence of others while we are in some kind of Bible study.  But close the book and we all seem to go different ways with our minds and tongues.

I admit I used to be very irritated when the sermon was over, the prayer was prayed, and the last blessing was given from the Pastor.  Because immediately after that people left the building.  If there was conversation it would be rather trivial.  And I wondered how such a beautiful God could be loved while a man was speaking from a certain place, yet ignored in conversation immediately after.

Why didn’t we gather together to pray in little spontaneous groups?  Why didn’t someone come and take me by the shoulder of my shirt and smile while he led me to a corner to pray?  Why was talk about fishing, cooking, football, and cars, so much more important at that moment?

Lots of questions.  Anyone got some good answers?

Detail

Detail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gangrene in the Church


Dry Gangrene with dead toes and visible bone o...

Dry Gangrene with dead toes and visible bone of 85 year old female (left leg). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Gospel of God in Jesus tells us plainly, “Repent or die.”  We stand condemned already, that is to say before we believe the condemnation of God is upon us.  John points this out clearly in chapter three of his Gospel.  But the “repent” part has been shaken off the tree of the Church today by men who have said that God loves us all.  They have used a truth to dispel the urgency of repentance.  The reasons why they have done this are many and quite obvious.  But they have done so in error.  They think they clean the conscience of men by removing the stumbling block of sin from men.  “Let’s get them past the condemning God stuff”, they say.

I am filled with rage that such things have been done.  And the damage it has wrought is apparent in the lack of holiness among God’s people.  I too fell for this lie.  And even now I struggle, from time to time, to maintain a strong standing before the Lord for the lies hidden within my heart because of this foolish gospel.  All day long men speak lies in the name of the Lord.  And as long as we listen to them we too become corrupt with their sweet sins of corruption.

I fear the rot of lies has come to the point where the foot needs to be cut off lest it infect the entire body.  The stench of sin wreeks from the injured foot.  And the signs of sickness are unavoidable to the eye. The “Church” is hobbled by a hideous sickness.  What is called the Church today is often simply a polished up secular teaching of psychology.  And the “good” they perceive done by this set of lies has murdered thousands.  They have turned the holy gathering of saints into a happy little club of man.  And I, for one, will have nothing to do with them!