Oil In My Lamp

For years the story of the 10 virgins found in Matthew 25 was more than just a story to me.

It was a warning , a red flag that I felt many were missing.

I take everything very seriously so no wonder I'm thinking that having oil in the lamp is a must. I would become impatient at times. Plainly some had no oil. They complained of being worn out while working for the LORD. I would confess my impatience as sin to God and get back into a right spirit and pray for these dear folks. If the joy of the LORD was to be their strength and what we do in our own strength is but dirty rags I had reason to be concerned. However, no reason was good enough that impatience could be considered okay.

Slowly I just stopped worrying about those folks and started concentrating on having my own lamp filled with oil . It seemed like the more I was willing to receive the more the LORD was willing to give.

Just lately I have come to realize the next part of the story. Here refresh your memory and re-read it again.
Matt. 25: 1-13
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.""Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

I have a true story for you and with it I hope that wisdom will come to me , for as you know it is the wise virgins who have a successful happy ending to their story.

Tonight I was reading a book titled The Happy Intercessor by Beni Johnson. The author told of a person seeing the feet of angels as they walked through a building that he had asked the LORD to bless. Years ago I lived in a trailer out behind a truck stop. A lot of acreage sat there unused . I was fortunate to have this trailer lot. There were no close neighbors. Just a pasture behind me that pastured some horses. I came home from church one night and as I looked outside I saw an angel standing there blessing my home. Now I did not know what people would think if I was to say, "oh, look there's an angel blessing my home. " So I didn't say anything. I just thought , "wow, the LORD sent an angel to bless me." My mom and her husband were staying with me then in a little camp trailer they slept in at night. The next morning my mom's husband comes in to eat breakfast and says he has seen the most unusual sight. "Last night" , he says, " I saw a horse that was glowing. It wasn't just the way the moon was shining on it. It would walk around , and it glowed." I thought for a minute , and then an idea came to me. Maybe the story of Moses' face shining after being in the presence of God would have something to do with this. Perhaps the angel that I had seen the night before had something to do with the horse glowing. I did not know but I had a feeling that angel had not stopped blessing when it left my trailer. I just had a feeling it had walked all over that pasture and blessed the whole property.

Within 6 months an unexpected financial blessing came to me and my children and I was able to buy a 2,500 sq. foot home for me and my children to live in. At just the same time all the property , the truck stop and all around me had sold and I would of had to move regardless. A year later there was a hospital in that pasture , a fire station where my trailer had been. The truck stop was replaced with a nice restaurant and connected with a motel.

But you know the hospital did not stay open. The fire station closed. The restaurant closed. I think the motel is still open . Part of the hospital is being used for out patient stuff. I was just curiously thinking I wonder why the LORD wanted me to know that He had sent an angel to bless that property. And now , He seemed to be showing me that it was losing it's blessing. The purpose for the blessing to be a blessing to more and more people , seems to be dwindling. It seems to be able to bless less and less people all the time.

Is it possible that they did not know how to be wise with the blessing that had been given to them?
Is this also why I seem to be running into times when my blessing is dwindling? Can we be frivolous with a blessing? Just sharing it helter skelter and then not have enough oil for the times when we are to really be used the most? Which brings up a good question? Just how does God view my word of testimony if it is just written on a blog no one reads ? I have been trying harder to give my words of testimony personally . When I was faithfully sharing on the blog , my lamp was filling up pretty good. I think just giving a word of testimony must not be the whole picture. Knowing when to give it and to whom may be those things that wisdom would give me. Only I can not really think how I can know , except I can tell you that after I have shared, I sometimes feel drained and not refreshed at all.

Perhaps a clue would be to learn to know , who is waiting expectantly for the bridegroom to come? Some people enjoy being a Christian for the social life it gives them .And then some see it as serious business and are looking for the LORD's return any day. Perhaps those are the ones I ought to stay in company with .

Put It On Jesus

My word of testimony today is inspired by the word of testimony of friends.
I attend this Ladies Bible Study Group that meets every other Sunday afternoon. It was during this meeting that I heard testimonies that encouraged me. I mention this because I think those who read my words of testimony should know that they are not fueled simply by what I seek the Holy Spirit to reveal to me from God's Word. The delightful words of testimony that I hear from others is what keeps me fueled.

In hind sight I wish I had asked everyone in the group, "In what ways have you put things on Jesus?"

My word of testimony: I have learned to want to do the will of my Father in heaven will bring me delight. I have learned to do the will of my Father I must first learn how to put it on Jesus. Carry it to Him , because in my joy and delightful thoughts of pleasing the Father I picked it up and tried to do it myself first. Thankfully that does not have to be the end of the story. As I learn how to put it on Jesus , my joy is complete , while I wait at His feet.

Learning not to try to clean myself up first , before I come to Jesus has been the hardest lesson to learn. I want to be better before I go and ask for His help. I shared with the group that when I went to Jesus during an outburst of anger , He then showed me the truth about what I was thinking. When my thoughts changed about certain situations , those particular events did not provoke anger in me like it had in the past.

This is an ongoing process but sharing this word of testimony encourages me to continue living in God's presence and not take a temporary leave of absence when my emotions seem negative.

Show Me Your Glory

Years ago I was pleasantly surprised when my oldest daughter told me this short story. She was in the middle of a trying time. People were doing things that it seemed had no other purpose but to harm her and hinder her happiness. Yet when she was discussing the events with a friend she said, "I know all things work together for good, so I know eventually some good thing will happen because of these events." As the story goes , her friend had no idea what she could be talking about. All things work together for good was not something that person had ever heard. My daughter said, "Mom, I just could not believe that someone would not know this. You had told us this all the time when we were kids and I thought everyone knows this."

It was true, at every time the car broke down, every event that created what my pastor refers to as "abundant life" as he sees life abundantly filled with hills and valleys, I would say, " I know all things work together for good for them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."

I wish now I had said, "show me Your glory , LORD. Show me Your Glory." However, I was close enough to this new phrase that I do not think it will be hard to help my children see how to make the transition. Especially if they will think about the whole scripture and not just the first part.

When I say to the LORD , "show me Your glory," I am actually requesting that He reveal to me my response to the situation that will bring Him glory. Now glory is something also like a light to me. A small birthday candle lit will bring a little light into a dark room. The larger the candle the brighter the light. When I am asking for Him to show me His glory, I am aiming for the biggest brightest light possible. Yet when the day is done and I access how well I lined up with what I felt the Spirit was showing me would bring Him this glory , I feel His joy over any glory , any minute or second that I successfully aimed toward doing His will thus bringing forth His glory .

Peter talked about joy unspeakable and full of glory , and I think I know what he was talking about.

1 Peter 1:6-9
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls.