What is the source of your light?

sermonindex Jun 7, 2013

This is the generation of the many, who live in the light of the few. There are any number of popular teachers today who have been enriched by packing out stadiums and auditoriums. People flock to hear their teachings. They tell their friends about the popular teacher and they buy the teachers books. Pretty soon it’s the teachers name that is lifted up. They live in the light of whatever popular teacher comes along.

What will happen to the many in the midnight hour? Will the light from their teacher sustain them in the darkness? Can another man or woman’s oil fill your lamp? What is your source of oil? Does the light that you have come from others? Zec 4:1-3 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

The two olive trees are the source of the oil. Christ and His Holy Spirit are the source of oil and this source must be directly connected to the light in your life. Mat 25:7-8 “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” There is no question as to the fact that the foolish virgins had some source of light, for they arose and trimmed their lamps but now their lamps had gone out. You see, you can get some oil from another and there-by walk in light, but unless you are connected to the source, you will rely on others for the light that you do have and when the midnight hour comes in your life, you will not be able to sustain yourself by the oil from another. When you abide in Christ by His Holy Spirit, then your light shall never go out. If you rely on others for your source of strength and wisdom and light, then you have a limited amount of light and when the darkness comes, the midnight hour, you shall be lost.

Brothers and sisters, now is the time to fill your vessels. You cannot rely on others, you must come to the source. No matter how great the truths that you are learning, no matter how wise the words that you hear from another, this cannot and will not sustain you. You must hear for yourself, you must know God in such a way that you are led and guided and directed by Him and His word to you. This cannot come through others. Yes, you can lead a pretty good life following good teaching, but in the end it will not be by might nor power, but by the oil of the Holy Spirit that you are intimately connected to, if indeed you are.

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enid Jun 7, 2013

I know you are talking about oil, but the scripture in Matthew 7:24-27, came to mind. Of building on either rock or sand.

Another thing is, why look so much to popular teachers, yet not listen to the pastor or minister whose care you are under?
If you are going to search the scriptures to see if your pastor is correct, then why not do so with the popular teachers whom you don't know and have never met?

Still, we do seriously need God's Holy Spirit in us, to stop us from accepting deception. Whether self-deception or otherwise.

May God help us.

P

pilgrim777 Jun 7, 2013

Yes, but the Holy Spirit is for more than just preventing us from falling into deception. Here is a question that takes this a bit deeper. Why do people listen to their 'pastor' but not their Great Shepherd?

Oil comes from a vital, connected, abiding in the Lord Jesus, not from listening to any men, regardless of their titles.

Men's voices cannot supercede the Lord's voice, no matter how wonderful the man's life or message is. Are we causing many to stumble by feeding them with words of men rather than stirring them up to seek the Lord?

Men's voices and teachings can compete with the Lord's voice in your life and obscure what He is saying to you.

Do you know His voice, do you know Him...does He know you?

Bottom line, no man can give you the precious oil that will save you. It comes directly from Jesus Christ.

Could you be in a house of mirrors, where every image you see you think is reality when you are only living off of the teachings of men, never really getting any direct words, light or leading from the Lord?

sermonindex Jun 7, 2013

Yes, but the Holy Spirit is for more than just preventing us from falling into deception. Here is a question that takes this a bit deeper. Why do people listen to their 'pastor' but not their Great Shepherd?   Oil comes from a vital, connected, abiding in the Lord Jesus, not from listening to any men, regardless of their titles.  Men's voices cannot supercede the Lord's voice, no matter how wonderful the man's life or message is. Are we causing many to stumble by feeding them with words of men rather than stirring them up to seek the Lord?   Men's voices and teachings can compete with the Lord's voice in your life and obscure what He is saying to you.  Do you know His voice, do you know Him...does He know you?  Bottom line, no man can give you the precious oil that will save you. It comes directly from Jesus Christ. Pilgrim777

The two underlying words in this argument [oil & life] necessitates a reality which itself is determined by the requirements of God. What if the “oil” is not life, rather it is righteousness of the individual, and corresponds to the coming kingdom and not to eternity which is greater than the kingdom to which it speaks? It requires a teaching in the first instance to say that the “oil” means eternal life. Just as it requires a teaching to explain why it doesn’t. In fact everything we say or write amounts to a teaching regardless as to whether we have understood soundly or not. If we can legitimately ignore the pastor or the elders of the local churches, we can legitimately ignore every other man as well. Then we are really left with the Holy Spirit to teach us. Problem is however, this He does not do in the way we think He does. If it were as simple as the post suggests we would none of us be ignorant of anything at all. We would already be taught. Finally if we need teaching in the sense it is presented here to be saved unto eternal life, we are all perishing. As far as life is concerned we are all taught of the Spirit. As far as the kingdom is concerned we need one another.

E

enid Jun 7, 2013

Strange how deception and pastors was capitulated on, yet, no mention of the scripture in Matthew 7 was mentioned.

Amos 3:7, Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Also, in John 15:15, Jesus states, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

We read in Acts 17 about the Bereans who searched the scriptures.

In Acts 6, the apostles gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Yes, we need God's Holy Spirit, because without it, we are not His.

Scripture has many facets which we could consider endlessly.

This is just one of them.

sermonindex Jun 7, 2013

Pilgrim writes..........

"Oil comes from a vital, connected, abiding in the Lord Jesus, not from listening to any men, regardless of their titles."

Indeed brother, that was the point of the post :) I picked on popular teachers as an example, but in reality, for many, their Pastor is the sole source of their " light." Whatever the source, apart from Jesus, this light will go out because it is not connected to the " olive trees." ..........bro Frank

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Christinyou Jun 10, 2013

Quote: """Yes, we need God's Holy Spirit, because without it, we are not His."""

Are you saying that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ in you the Hope of Glory?

1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Romans 8:9-14 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

We have both the Holy Spirit of promise and the Spirit of Christ who is life in us, The Holy Spirit to teach us who Christ is and not speak of Himself, but only what He is given to teach us. The Spirit of Christ is life and righteousness in us and wisdom.

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The Spirit of Christ in us is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

He is Life and the Holy Spirit is the sealer of that life and the teacher, (Parakleet) of that life.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

In Christ and the Father also and Holy Spirit: Phillip

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

P

pilgrim777 Jun 10, 2013

by amrkelly on 2013/6/7 5:33:38

...If we can legitimately ignore the pastor or the elders of the local churches, we can legitimately ignore every other man as well. Then we are really left with the Holy Spirit to teach us. Problem is however, this He does not do in the way we think He does. If it were as simple as the post suggests we would none of us be ignorant of anything at all. We would already be taught. Finally if we need teaching in the sense it is presented here to be saved unto eternal life, we are all perishing. As far as life is concerned we are all taught of the Spirit. As far as the kingdom is concerned we need one another.

We are not to receive anything from men until and unless the Spirit of God confirms their teaching to us, first.

Just like everything that anyone says here on SI. Do not receive it unless the Lord confirms it in your spirit.

It doesn't even matter if the teacher is Paul the Apostle. We should not receive anything from men unless the Lord confirms it by His Spirit in our heart.

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:10-11).

"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." John 10:4-5

sermonindex Jun 10, 2013

Actually, the point of my post was quite a simple one. It was not about ignoring Godly teachers or exhorters or prophets, it was about only listening to men, letting other men give them their light, instead of going to the source themselves. We have not been called to be spectators, we are participants, priests and priestesses and we must have an intimate relationship with Jesus through through the power of His Holy Spirit, which is the oil I am referring to.

People, on the whole, do not study their Bibles today because some one will stand up and expound it to them on a Sunday morning. People say they are not called to Evangelism and think this is the pastors job. In this lazy generation we see a people in the west who will take the path of least resistance, and we have churches all over the land perfectly adapted to cater to these kinds of professors. Put money in the box and be a partner with us. Send us your check and partner with us. Our relationship with Jesus should be alive and vital and if we simply sit and watch or listen to our favorite preachers or teachers, and connect with that rather than connecting with God, then , and the evidence shows this, people will begin to lift up their teachers because it is they that they are connected to and not the Lord, or it is the church they belong to or the denomination and so on. First Christ and His Holy Spirit and then the Word of God and then comes everything else..................bro Frank

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pilgrim777 Jun 10, 2013

Good to see that from you. Yes, "Christ and His Spirit, first".

We love God by walking in the Spirit and obeying His voice to us PERSONALLY. This is how we know Him and He knows us. When we love Him so much that we will carry out His desires regardless of the cost to ourselves personally. When we value Him more than we value ourselves. That word "know" is speaking of an "intimate relationship" with Him and to be intimate with the Lord, we must come into agreement with Him (His will), for even the demons "know of" Him (but they do not DO HIS WILL, which is knowing Him intimately).

Christianity is not about codifying the Bible into theological systems of morality and then following them. This is not knowing God, it is following men. But Christianity is about Jesus Christ and His life in us and living by that life (abiding in Him) and following His voice for we know His voice and another (morality, theological systems, voice of men) we will not follow.

To live by His life we must be willing to yield ourselves unto Him and to yield to Him we must turn away from all that is not of Him.

Loving God is doing His revealed will (and not ours) spoken to us by His Spirit. Intimacy with God is coming into agreement with Him (His will) and carrying out HIS desires.

But only the Holy Spirit knows how to lead each man, INDIVIDUALLY. We are not to be led by men. They are grossly inadequate. And each man also knows if he is heeding the voice of the Master or not.

Why do you (speaking generically) think we have been given the Spirit? So that we can know Him and walk with Him.

What a tragedy it will be if we know all the great teachings in Christendom and wonderful sermons, and maybe even "rub shoulders" with "great" men but did not know the Lord (did not obey His voice nor carry out His will for our lives).

Jer 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
Jer 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.