Filling Your Oil Lamp

We know that we are seeing the signs of the end times and what Mark 13:29 says:

²⁹Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁰I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

So we know the rapture is coming close by all the signs that have come to pass.  But the question for you is: are you ready—will you be found worthy to be “taken” and not “left”—is your oil lamp full?  What exactly does this mean to you and how can you know?

Remember The Parable of the Ten Virgins when Jesus talks about the virgins waiting on the bridegroom and some had full oil lamps and the others didn’t.  Here is that parable:

¹“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

¹²“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I DON’T KNOW YOU.’

¹³“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Jesus says to those who don’t have their oil lamps filled: I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.

Revelation 3:16: To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

And:

Matthew 7:22: ²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ²³Then I will tell them plainly, I NEVER KNEW YOU Away from me, you evildoers!’

So what does Jesus mean by these verses and who is HE addressing?  HE is talking to the church and not even the unbelievers.  What is HE implying when HE accuses the church of not knowing HIM? Well in the Bible when people KNOW each other it usually refers to when a man KNOWS a woman or intimacy.  So how does one KNOW Christ—How is one intimate with HIM and how does one know if their oil lamp is full?

What if you go to church every Sunday and Wednesday and are active at church?  Does that mean your oil lamp is full?

Can I depend on my church pastor to lead me in the right direction?  The answer is NO—although God wants you in church every week—amazingly a recent survey says that ministry people only spend 7 minutes a day in prayer and the question is do they even have their oil lamps full?  It is not safe to put your personal eternal outcome in the hands of another person’s hands—even a minister’s.

So what then can you do?

How can I know for sure my oil lamp is full and my eternity is secure?

Simply turn to the LORD.

THE KEY IS SURRENDER.

Most people want the LORD’s salvation—but not for HIM to be their total LORD and MASTER.

How then do I surrender to the LORD?

Just give HIM everything—surrender your entire life—your heart—your future plans—Give HIM everything without any idea what this may mean.

Matthew 10:37 says: ³⁷“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

NEXT: Ask the LORD to be baptized in the HOLY SPIRIT.

Luke 3:16 says: ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Acts 1:5 says:

⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

John 1:33 says:
I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Acts 11:16 says:
Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

In 2,000 years—nothing has changed.  People still speak of the water baptism—but fail to speak of the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT spoken of by Paul in Acts 19:

Acts 19 says: Paul in Ephesus

¹While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ²and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
”John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Not until you experience the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT that Paul speaks of here will you be able to deal successfully with sin in your life.  Up until you receive this HOLY SPIRIT baptism, you are struggling with sin in your own flesh through works and your own efforts will lead you to frustration and failure.

Matthew 11:28 says:

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Paul talks about a mind renewed:

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices (SURRENDER EVERYTHING), holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (NOT SURRENDERING YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST MEANS YOU STILL BELONG TO THE WORLD), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is with the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that the HOLY SPIRIT comes into your life and guides and teaches you in the way you ought to go.

1 Corinthians 2:10 says:

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. ¹⁴The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
¹⁶“For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

All you have to do is ask for JESUS TO BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

And if you are sincere you will experience this HOLY SPIRIT baptism and the renewing of the mind Paul spoke of so long ago…Your heart will turn TOWARD CHRIST and not the world.  The world is an enmity to GOD.  You cannot have a love affair simultaneously with the world and GOD both.

James 4:4 says:

⁴You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

How can I TRULY know where I stand with JESUS?

According to JESUS the only position (the narrow road) that counts is intimacy with HIM.  (Remember: “I never KNEW you.”)  So, how do you become intimate with someone?

-spend time with them (spending time talking/praying to GOD)

-be devoted to them (following GOD’s commandments)

-get to know them (reading the Bible and praying)

-care about the same things they care about (reaching others for CHRIST—spreading the Gospel—praying for the lost)

-be committed to that person (turning from the things that LORD hates—turning to the things GOD loves)

-be faithful to that person (not playing the harlot—being a faithful wife/bride of CHRIST—not pursuing other lesser gods/pursuits)

Are you an INTIMATE of CHRIST’s?

or

Are you far away from HIM?

If the only time you spend focused on JESUS is once a week on Sunday mornings you hardly KNOW HIM and are dangerously putting yourself in ETERNAL JEOPARDY.

Is your oil lamp full?

Writer: Susan Davis