Jannes and Jambres, tut tut tut….who are these men I’ve often wondered. Jannes and Jambres tut tut tut…..they opposed Moses, I muttered disapprovingly. The text for
Year: 2016
The Blackwall Tunnel and the Wedding of the Year We all know the story of the 10 virgins in Matt 25:1-13.The 10 virgins all slept but only 5 made it to the wedding. The difference between the two sets of virgins was that the 5 wise virgins had extra oil. The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in East London, England linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It basically connects Kent with London and is used by a large number of cars on a daily basis. Such is the importance of keeping the tunnel free that it has the sign ‘penalty for out of fuel in tunnel’. In other words its bad enough getting stuck in the tunnel but to be stuck because of lack of foresight is unacceptable. They expect you to check your fuel before entering the tunnel to avoid unnecessary delays and embarrassment and looking foolish. The 5 foolish virgins are like drivers without enough fuel to get to their destination. We wouldn’t dream of going on a journey, no matter how short, with the fuel indicator light on red. How much more on our journey to heaven we should ensure we have what it takes to enter. We need to be born of the spirit and keep the things of the spirit alive. Get the truth which is the word of God. Keep it burning in our hearts by living by it and yearning for more of it. There is coming a time on earth where things will get so bad that only those who really know God will be able keep up with the pace needed to get to heaven. Its easy now to go to church, join a bible study, listen to the gospel,build oneself in ones most holy faith now…..for there is coming a time where the foolish children of God will realise they lack what is needed to get to heaven and will turn to more mature Christians for help. But those at a higher level will not be available to help them because they are also desperate themselves not to be left behind. They turned to get oil from the wise ones but were told go buy yours for we don’t even know if we have enough until we get to the wedding. In other words the time for buying is past, this is the time for entering.The word says we are to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling’ the wise ones certainly worked out that extra oil was key to their salvation. “Buy the truth and sell it not” said the wise king in proverbs The wise virgins hungered and thirsted for the oil at the right time. Are we desperate Christians? are we thirsting enough….as the deer panteth for the water…… are we like that? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake for they shall be filled……. are we hungry enough. The thirst and hunger of spirit should not relent until we possess the eternal Kingdom. Until then we must continually thirst and hunger and never be left not thirsting and hungering for the word of God. If you ever find yourself not wanting to pray, read your bible or partake in a christian gathering, beware the curse of the foolish virgins is lurking somewhere. They were not hungry or thirsty enough, the question is why??? Why didn’t they want that extra oil, why didn’t they plan ahead, why were they so laid back about attending the wedding, why didn’t they make the effort to get extra oil in time? What held them back? Why do some Christians not want to pray, not want to study the word, not want to stand up for Jesus, not want to live according to the word, what’s holding them back. Perhaps the answer can be found in Luke 8:14. But that my friend is another day’s teaching. Now where are those oil sellers?….i must fill my vessel…….see you…….at the wedding my friends……………
Birds have a natural way of finding the tiniest of objects from a far distance. Matt, my hubby had bought some bird food the other day and poured some into a container that he hung on the apple tree in the garden. He spread some of the seed on the ground. The seeds on the ground could not easily be picked out by the human eye. One would have to get down and squint to make out where they had fallen. Amazingly the birds came, very early in the morning the next day and ate the seeds from the ground. How in the world did they know the seeds were there I asked Matt? Those seeds are tiny with little or no scent, how could they have known. I thought about this and linked it up with the word of God. The scripture that talks about birds of the air coming to steal the word when it is received with no understanding. Aha.…. I said to myself, the enemy is not only crafty as a snake, he is also as sharp eye-ed as a bird. Again he can be as a roaring lion. This tells me that we Christians ought to use instincts to discern and withstand the enemy because the enemy uses them against us. Lets not underestimate the tactics of the enemy and henceforth let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide us daily. The birds are waiting to snatch the word and boy can they see the word from miles off, the lion is waiting to roar and intimidate and the snake is waiting to bite and kill and then swallow. Can you see it … To steal, kill and destroy.….. The Holy Spirit is our instinct. He will help us to see the little seeds of the enemy as a bird sees, roar at the enemy like a fearless lion, outdo the enemy like a wise snake. But then there’s the gentle lamb. Follow our master and hear his voice like the gentle lamb. Indeed our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ was the perfect lamb. Holy Spirit we rely on you to be our help as we listen to your voice through your word and spirit and navigate our way to heaven against the bird eye-ed, venom- filled, lion- like enemy.