Monday January 04, 2010
Your name has been missing from the rolls of Christ’s Kingdom for a long time. A wrong we have prayed God right these many years now. But I thank God that He has put it on your heart to return to Christ and live for Him. (It’s never too late for any of us to turn around from ignoring Him.) But how does one go about “living for Christ” in this upside down world? Today I was reading one of the Master’s letters to us (Matthew) and it gave some great incite on what He expects of us when it comes to a life that pleases Him.
It compares the kingdom of Christ (heaven) to ten young women (virgins) who were supposed to be going out at night (a dark time) to meet their bridegroom to whom they are promised in marriage. Since its dark (the times we live in) they take lamps (today’s flashlight but really God’s Law/Word) with them so they can not only see where they’re going, but so they will recognize their master/bridegroom when they see him. (Lamps are a huge part of this story and we see that too in Psalm 119 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”).
We are of course the ten virgins (made pure and white by the blood of the Lamb (bridegroom) ) and I don’t need to tell you who the ‘bridegroom’ is. The wedding is the ‘wedding supper of the lamb’ spoken of in the book of Revelations where our relationship with our saviour (bridegroom) is to be consummated. The journey of the ten virgins to ‘go out to meet the bridegroom’ with lamp in hand, is, of course, our life here on this plane of existence.
The lamps are, interestingly enough, our ‘testimony’, a 50 cent word for how we show (or don’t) our lives (and our Saviour and Bridegroom) to an unbelieving world. In a way, the lamps are the bridegroom Himself. He tells us in another place not to put our lamp under stuff (our carnal desires to please ourselves) but to put it out where everybody can see it as the beacon of Christ that it’s supposed to be. So in a way, the lamp we’re supposed to be carrying around with us is Christ. Pretty cool, huh?
But then the Master throws us a bit of a curve and we begin to realize it’s not quite as simple as it sounds at first to find the bridegroom in the dark. That brings me to the part I did not tell you yet (from Matthew 25) that the Master warned all ten virgins to take extra oil for burning in their lamps (batteries if you will) so when the Master does not show up as quick as they think he will/should, they’ve got a way to keep up the search/vigil by having extra oil/batteries for their lamps/flashlights.
The extra oil/batteries are the way we’re obeying Him (read His Word/Law) every day. Obedience brings blessings (read more oil/batteries) and allows us to have the wherewithal to keep our vigil for our bet roved. If you have any doubt just read the next example about His Kingdom the Master gives in Matthew 25 which says that He gives us talents (different abilities to obey Him and be fruitful in His kingdom) so we might multiply them and, well, sort of feed five thousand instead of just a few dozen, with His gifts in us.
So anyway Mike, we need to battery up brother. Be reading His Word/Law and asking Him to help us to obey it. And as you can plainly see, we DO live in a dark place and there are a bunch of folks out there who will say we’re dumb, and a lot worse, if we “waste” our lives trying to obey the Master. All the more reason to ask Him to help us obey Him here and now, today. Until next time, your brother in Christ, Charles.
