Colossians 2:13-14
(13) And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
(14) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

It would be a fool in my opinion, who would suggest the post modern church does a good job in preaching the Gospel of Christ effectively. Mainly this seems to be because of the fact that the Law of God is virtually overlooked entirely, in favour of His Grace and Mercy. But as many who run online discernment ministries realise only too well, to look the Law of God square in the face, is the only way in which His Grace and Mercy can be cherished to the full. For it is the harshness of His Righteousness displayed in the Law, unattainable by any one of us, yet demanded by Him from us all, that brings us to our knees to humbly receive the Gospel of Christ as our Saviour and High Priest.

This process of the Law leading us to the Gospel in the right manner to receive it is true not only at the beginning of our walk in Christ, but all the way along the narrow path too. We find ourselves in a place where the end is known from the beginning, and a place where we are being conformed into the likeness of Christ as an ongoing process, yet already stand before the Lord, justified, glorified and perfected forever! Hebrews 10:14 Romans 8:29-30 The light of the Law exposes our sinful ways at the timing of the Holy Spirit, which in turn brings us to a place of repentance and grief over our sinfulness, which in turn brings about a right attitude within us to receive the power of Christ to save us and transform us. This is a common process to all who believe in Christ, and is intimate and personal between the Lord and the individual believer.

The attitude of those being made holy in such a way must be one of compassion towards brothers and sisters going through the same process, for it is one every believer will know, every believer must willingly surrender themselves too, and is a manifest display of the believers faith in Christ at work in their life. As Christians, we have no right to judge anyone as they go through this process, for at whatever point we do, we will be judged ourselves. But if we are willing to submit to this process in our own lives, and when we stand firmly upon the truth revealed to us as time goes by, refusing to compromise or give ground to the flesh, we become a living testimony to the wonderful work of Christ, and the power of His Gospel. We begin to lead others by our example set by Christ within us, as a shepherd of the flock, rather than harshly driving others by the very standards that Christ is building within us personally.

I have realised in recent times that in some areas of the online discernment ministries on the internet, the pendulum seems to have swung from one extreme to the other. Many of us have recognised the call of the Lord to come out of the apostasy that surrounded us, yet rather than moving on in faith, becoming examples of truth and light as the Holy Spirit moves us from glory to glory. Instead, we sometimes seem to attempt to drive others out of the mire by our own strength, failing to see the intimate work of the Spirit of God in the lives of others, designed specifically for the task in regard to that individual believer.

It would be my call in this message to remind us that the Grace that lifted us up out of our own miry clay, is fully capable of doing so for every other true believer too. By all means, let us continue to stand on the truth as He reveals it through His Word. Let us contend and defend true faith in Christ as the only hope for anyone. Let us refuse to compromise, and allow the truth to be called a lie, or the lie be called truth. But let us stop trying to do the Lord’s work for Him, and recognise that we have enough on our plate simply working our own faith out with fear and trembling, let alone attempting to work out the faith within others too.

Originally posted 2009-08-29 11:38:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Matthew 25:1-13
1  “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6  “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
7  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11  “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13  “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Who are the virgins?
The virgins represent the church. They were all supposedly awaiting the return of the Bridegroom. It may or may not mean anything specifically, but it’s worthwhile noting that half of those waiting for Him were counted as foolish.

Who had the lamps, and what did they represent?
Note that all the virgins had lamps, both wise and foolish. The lamps represent the Word of God, which is a lamp unto our feet Psalm 119:105. Just as in the church, all have access to the revealed Word of God in the Bible.

What was the difference between the wise and the foolish?
The difference was that the wise took sufficient oil to burn now, but also to continue to burn if He should be delayed. But the foolish just had sufficient to burn here and now, but nothing prepared should there be any delay. This can be a typical reflection of the attitudes of those in the church; some (foolish) just look to here and now, and to immediate answers. Whereas others (wise), look further beyond, knowing that their hope is beyond here and now.

What does the oil represent?
Firstly the oil represents a knowledge of the Word. As Jesus says:

John 8:31-32
31  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It is not just the Word that makes you free, but an abiding knowledge of it. The foolish had only a superficial knowledge of the Word, and as a result had only enough oil to last for a short time. Whereas the wise had an intimate knowledge of the Word, knowing their life depended upon it (abiding/living in it), and as a result had sufficient oil to last the course of time needed.

Secondly, and more importantly, it represents the Holy Spirit abiding within us. The foolish had only a limited amount of oil to burn, because they were relying on their own knowledge and understanding. However the wise not only abode in His Word, but He in them too. It is His presence within us that burns brightly without fail, and never fades. And it is His Spirit abiding within us that produces much fruit in our lives, not us. That is why He could say in Matthew 25:12 above “assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Because He did not abide within them.

John 15:4-5
4  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Who are those who sell the oil?
If the lamp represents the Word of God, and the oil is the knowledge of His Truth and His Spirit, then it stands to reason that the oil sellers are those who claim to have a hold on both. Without it being necessary to go into detail, a simple glance at the visible church will reveal such people and ministries. Those who claim to belong to the Lord, and claim to offer His truth, but in reality all that is offered is counterfeit. The ONLY source of the Truth of God revealed to us, belongs in the Holy Bible, and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit to minister His truth through our lives.

Conclusion:
If we wish to be considered amongst the wise and not the foolish, we must heed carefully what the Word of God has to say about His return, and turn away from idle chatter, personal opinions, and the traditions of men. We must be eager to abide in His Word, knowing that our lives depend on it, and knowing that it contains all that we need to lead us safely home. Also we must be constantly willing and ready to examine ourselves closely to ensure the Holy Spirit does actually dwell within us, and we are not allowing ourselves to be deceived.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6
5  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
6  But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Also we must seriously consider the peril that faces those who have already been taken in by those who sell counterfeit oil. We must not be afraid to confront other Christians with the truth, even when this leads to division, for we are commanded not to ignore the works of darkness, but expose them by His Light.

Read together to finish:

Ephesians 5:8-21
8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9  (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10  finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13  But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14  Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
15  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21  submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Sourced from: Townhill Christian Fellowship Blog

Originally posted 2009-11-30 00:45:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Whilst it must be made clear that I have no personal desire to use this site as a platform to publicize my own personal thoughts and opinions, especially since the majority of those who meet with me in Townhill Park and locally in Southampton, are from a number of various churches. I can no longer deem it acceptable for this ministry to simply avoid its own responsiblity to stand and contend for the truth of God, as well as continuing in the good works that He has laid before us. So henceforth, I will from time to time include messages of exhortation from this site, many times in the format of the video from Paul Washer below, explaining more clearly the true and simple essence of what true faith in Christ is, and the message that needs to be conveyed through our lives.

It is my deepest and greatest pleasure to be involved with the likes of those whose fellowship I am a part of in Townhill Park, Southampton. I see in this simple fellowship of believers a sincere and earnest desire to live for Jesus Christ openly in our own community, in such a way that I have rarely experienced in the churches I have been a part of over the years. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that I am privilaged to be part of a true revival, maybe not in the sense of the way we often may look at such a thing, but in the truest sense of the word that God intends to convey to us. In that revival begins in the hearts of His people, longing to return to Him on His conditions, and regardless of personal cost to do so, rather than being simply about numbers.

I would ask anyone willing to take the time to watch and listen to the following video. If you are receiving this message via the email mailing list, it may be necessary to actually visit the site directly to view it, which is: http://unitedinjesus.org.uk .

My heart is not against the church, nor do I believe it is with anyone that I meet with. In fact, we are all faithful servants in one way or another in our own church fellowships, and have no intention of changing this. It is my simple desire to ensure that the output of this website, in all ways will promote a right attitude amongst the hearts of Gods people, to serve Him and walk with Him more fully from day to day.

God bless you,

John Dunning.

Originally posted 2009-03-17 13:30:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter