The title of "My Word of Testimony" is a declaration that what someone else is doing is affecting me. The "someone" or "someones" is a mystery to me. If you are the "one" be assured I only can guess who is doing this.
Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Please don't stop.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Oil in My Lamp
My last word of testimony may not seem earth shaking to you but it has had all the effects that an earthquake would have for me.
I grew up on songs like , give me oil in my lamp keep me burning , burning , burning, give me oil in my lamp I pray.
What an odd way to sing about the parable of the 10 virgins. I see it all so differently now.
As I shared with you last time I have come to realize that the oil one needs to have in their lamp is "a right spirit." This right spirit can be lost , just as the five foolish virgins discover.
I think David had lost his right spirit unawares. Fortunately for him the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to prompt him into seeing where he really was. In Psalms 51 he asks the LORD to renew a right spirit within him.
I have been meditating on how to have more of an indication that I might be losing a right spirit. What warning signs can I see to make me more cautious and instead of completely losing my right spirit start doing what would motivate God to renew my right spirit.
Once again I have been reminded how important it is to God that I believe that He loves me.
You know that was the difference between David and Saul . David was convinced that God loved him and Saul just never was sure. Saul was very works oriented I think. It wasn't an obedience based on a confidence of God's love that I see in Saul . I see him trying to earn God's love and always testing God to see if God would love him now.
My transformation of becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus has made me see that I have got to leave my old Saul like attitudes behind.
God loves me and that is settled. He chastens those whom He loves. Only to point them towards repentance. He is glad that I start asking for a gift of repentance and start seeking for Him to answer my request for bread at the door.
So having a full lamp that doesn't drain out through a hole is one that is buoyed by the confidence that God loves me. Foolish virgins may want me to convince them that God loves them but that may be the way one could lose their oil.
I use to think that the reason God wanted me to do things like feed and cloth my enemies, chase down the thief who stole my coat and give him my cloak, and other such things was so others would be convinced by my actions that God loves them.
I had that all wrong. My life is kind of like a dance , that I do with only one partner. He leads me to feed the hungry and he leads me to pray for the sick much like a dance partner leads one in a waltz with fancy steps. I am just following. He is leading. That is all that it is about. He is my God. I am His person . We do things together. I make mistakes , He gives me a nudge to correct my mis-steps. He never stops loving me, He never stops leading me. He is God.
I grew up on songs like , give me oil in my lamp keep me burning , burning , burning, give me oil in my lamp I pray.
What an odd way to sing about the parable of the 10 virgins. I see it all so differently now.
As I shared with you last time I have come to realize that the oil one needs to have in their lamp is "a right spirit." This right spirit can be lost , just as the five foolish virgins discover.
I think David had lost his right spirit unawares. Fortunately for him the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to prompt him into seeing where he really was. In Psalms 51 he asks the LORD to renew a right spirit within him.
I have been meditating on how to have more of an indication that I might be losing a right spirit. What warning signs can I see to make me more cautious and instead of completely losing my right spirit start doing what would motivate God to renew my right spirit.
Once again I have been reminded how important it is to God that I believe that He loves me.
You know that was the difference between David and Saul . David was convinced that God loved him and Saul just never was sure. Saul was very works oriented I think. It wasn't an obedience based on a confidence of God's love that I see in Saul . I see him trying to earn God's love and always testing God to see if God would love him now.
My transformation of becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus has made me see that I have got to leave my old Saul like attitudes behind.
God loves me and that is settled. He chastens those whom He loves. Only to point them towards repentance. He is glad that I start asking for a gift of repentance and start seeking for Him to answer my request for bread at the door.
So having a full lamp that doesn't drain out through a hole is one that is buoyed by the confidence that God loves me. Foolish virgins may want me to convince them that God loves them but that may be the way one could lose their oil.
I use to think that the reason God wanted me to do things like feed and cloth my enemies, chase down the thief who stole my coat and give him my cloak, and other such things was so others would be convinced by my actions that God loves them.
I had that all wrong. My life is kind of like a dance , that I do with only one partner. He leads me to feed the hungry and he leads me to pray for the sick much like a dance partner leads one in a waltz with fancy steps. I am just following. He is leading. That is all that it is about. He is my God. I am His person . We do things together. I make mistakes , He gives me a nudge to correct my mis-steps. He never stops loving me, He never stops leading me. He is God.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
There's a Hole In My .....Lamp.....dear Liza dear Liza
I love allegorical stories and I once asked the Lord if He wouldn't want to give me an allegorical story to write. I have waited on that answer for years. Sometimes wondering if my story would become as famous as Hannah Hurnard's High Feet in High Places. Her story of course has helped millions discover the essential truth in every fruitful Christians life , that our minds are to be renewed with God's word.
She actually may have my subject matter covered because the renewing of our minds is the way we are transformed . My allegorical subject requires transforming and probably is going to amount to a short story suitable , maybe for some Christian magazine that accepts fictitious stories as articles.
I do not want to wait until that day when this would be article is at sometime submitted when I have at my disposal this world wide web and all who want can read it whenever they want.
My word of testimony today is I have an analogy for an allegorical story that I feel will be of great benefit to the Christian community. I am assuming the Christian community has as it's greatest most important concern , being a bride ready for the bridegroom when He comes.
The most important part of being ready for His return would not be doing the right things . It would be doing the right things with the right spirit.
I have found that being made uncomfortable when I have a wrong spirit is a blessing . I once lamented that I was not engulfed with believers who were on constant overflow from the Holy Spirit. However, I now see that in a whole new light.
While it indeed might be wonderful to have your entire being filled day after day with an out pouring of the Holy Spirit. If I had such an opportunity now it would be hard to pass up.
However, I am painfully aware that what I am getting is not being worked into my spirit thus producing for me a right spirit.
What I have is a bucket with a hole in it. As long as I kept going somewhere where there was some overflow my hole in my bucket was not very noticeable. Getting less and less of an opportunity to join with spirit filled believers is making me painfully aware of my lack of love.
Also those addictions that I could joyfully receive grace for , are standing out to me much more.
Yes , I do want an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I do want God to create within me a clean heart. Yes, I do want Him to restore a right spirit within me. And I want one thing more. I want to know how to maintain that right spirit so that when He returns , I will be sure to have enough.
Ps 51 : 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
She actually may have my subject matter covered because the renewing of our minds is the way we are transformed . My allegorical subject requires transforming and probably is going to amount to a short story suitable , maybe for some Christian magazine that accepts fictitious stories as articles.
I do not want to wait until that day when this would be article is at sometime submitted when I have at my disposal this world wide web and all who want can read it whenever they want.
My word of testimony today is I have an analogy for an allegorical story that I feel will be of great benefit to the Christian community. I am assuming the Christian community has as it's greatest most important concern , being a bride ready for the bridegroom when He comes.
The most important part of being ready for His return would not be doing the right things . It would be doing the right things with the right spirit.
I have found that being made uncomfortable when I have a wrong spirit is a blessing . I once lamented that I was not engulfed with believers who were on constant overflow from the Holy Spirit. However, I now see that in a whole new light.
While it indeed might be wonderful to have your entire being filled day after day with an out pouring of the Holy Spirit. If I had such an opportunity now it would be hard to pass up.
However, I am painfully aware that what I am getting is not being worked into my spirit thus producing for me a right spirit.
What I have is a bucket with a hole in it. As long as I kept going somewhere where there was some overflow my hole in my bucket was not very noticeable. Getting less and less of an opportunity to join with spirit filled believers is making me painfully aware of my lack of love.
Also those addictions that I could joyfully receive grace for , are standing out to me much more.
Yes , I do want an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I do want God to create within me a clean heart. Yes, I do want Him to restore a right spirit within me. And I want one thing more. I want to know how to maintain that right spirit so that when He returns , I will be sure to have enough.
Ps 51 : 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Renew A Right Spirit In Me
The last time I posted I talked about the parable of the 10 virgins. I compared the oil in their lamps to being the empowering of the Holy Spirit and thought it was a warning to those who would burn out before the LORD returns.
Today as I share my word of testimony I have a whole new perspective on this parable. I was close but off quite a lot. Close as in saying Australia and America are close. They are of course on the same planet. The oil in the lamp does have something to do with the Holy Spirit but not at all like I thought.
Close because one can not obtain a right spirit without the Holy Spirit. Off because the LORD is not saying we are to be wise in how we use the Holy Spirit or we will run out.
I think having oil in your lamp when the bridegroom returns it is all about having a right spirit. Foolishly some think that just doing the right things without the right spirit will be enough when the bridegroom comes.
However obtaining a right spirit takes wisdom . Note the parable saying that the foolish virgins realize that they should have bought more. They must have known at some point that a right spirit was required but for some reason did not maintain the required amount for the bridegrooms return.
Note that they actually think it might be possible to be ready when He returns if the other virgins give them some of their oil. That is a little confusing to me still .
I know if I am around others who have a right spirit I do not notice that I have a wrong spirit .
I plan to look into all parts of this parable in the coming days.
My word of testimony is that I was awakened by the Holy Spirit .
Today as I share my word of testimony I have a whole new perspective on this parable. I was close but off quite a lot. Close as in saying Australia and America are close. They are of course on the same planet. The oil in the lamp does have something to do with the Holy Spirit but not at all like I thought.
Close because one can not obtain a right spirit without the Holy Spirit. Off because the LORD is not saying we are to be wise in how we use the Holy Spirit or we will run out.
I think having oil in your lamp when the bridegroom returns it is all about having a right spirit. Foolishly some think that just doing the right things without the right spirit will be enough when the bridegroom comes.
However obtaining a right spirit takes wisdom . Note the parable saying that the foolish virgins realize that they should have bought more. They must have known at some point that a right spirit was required but for some reason did not maintain the required amount for the bridegrooms return.
Note that they actually think it might be possible to be ready when He returns if the other virgins give them some of their oil. That is a little confusing to me still .
I know if I am around others who have a right spirit I do not notice that I have a wrong spirit .
I plan to look into all parts of this parable in the coming days.
My word of testimony is that I was awakened by the Holy Spirit .
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