Recently the Church celebrated the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost. These are the final two feasts of Easter and celebrate the two final events that are directly recorded in the Bible (other than Revelation).
I would like to talk about both of them and how the two are very much linked. The feast of the Ascension celebrates Jesus’ ascension into Heaven and also looks forward to His return in the same way as predicted in Revelations. Just before He ascends Jesus predicts the coming of the Holy Spirit to enable his followers to preach the Good News across the earth. This happens at the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes on the Disciples while they are in the Upper Room. This is generally celebrated as the birth of the Church. http://www.biblica.com/bibles/chapter/?verse=Matthew+25&version=niv Now if you read Mathew 25 verses 1-13 (linked above if you don't have a Bible to hand) you will be able to see why I think these two feasts are linked. In this parable Jesus uses an interesting choice of setting, bridesmaids, or virgins depending on your translation, awaiting the Bridegroom in the middle of the night with oil lamps. This setting is incredibly rich with meaning, throughout the New Testament Jesus’ relationship with His Church is described as that of a Bridegroom and His Bride and the second coming referred to as the wedding feast. Clearly He is talking about His followers being prepared for His return, the middle of the night indicating that He will come when we least expect it. But what of the oil lamps? The presence of the Holy Spirit and His works are often symbolised in oil. It is a sign that is used many times throughout the Bible in the blessing of Kings, prophets and priests and still continues in some denominations today when people are Blessed or prayed for my the minister. Jesus says that those who had lamps still burning when the Bridegroom arrived were let into the wedding feast while those who had run out of oil and had let the fire die weren’t. He is saying that we need to be on fire with His Spirit to enter into the Kingdom, we can’t be lukewarm or cold. We have to be ablaze with the Spirit. We have to be chasing after God and following His lead obediently. So how do we become ablaze and not go cold? We need to actively seek God every day, through His word, through prayer and through the stillness of just taking time out of our busy lives to be with Him and worship Him. If we go too long without making an effort to do these things we find ourselves growing cold. So we need to be actively seeking Him and daily realising anew all that He has done for us both collectively and personally, you will find as your realisation all that He has done for you grows, your love for Him will grow and so will your passion to serve Him. He doesn’t want us to be nominal Christians who go to Church and pray because “it’s just what Christians do”, He wants us to be passionate about Him and seeing the world changed for Him, He doesn’t want us going through the motions but loving every second we spend with Him and yearning for more. Because those who go lukewarm go cold, and those who go cold slip away, Jesus never really explains what happens to those who slip and I don’t want to go into whether or not you can lose your salvation but why take the risk. Let’s for a moment imagine that we somehow knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, I know it says we can’t know but humour me for a moment, what would change, how would you act differently? Would it suddenly dawn on you how little you had done for God and so much He had done for you, would it suddenly dawn on you how few of your friends and family were saved, would it suddenly dawn on you how many people you knew who you had never even mentioned Christ to? Would you spend that day rushing around trying to make up for lost time? Now imagine that He returns tonight with no warning. Imagine all those same thoughts going through your head but there being nothing you can do. I’m not trying to scare or blackmail you into action, what I am trying to do is get you to realise He can return any time and we need to be ready for Him with no regrets of things we haven’t done. Live every day as though He was returning tomorrow and you will truly see what He can do. Now God doesn't expect us to do all these things in our own power. He has given us a helper who will remain with us always, His Spirit. And that is why we need to be filled with it, so that we are doing what He has called us to through His power not our own because if we try and do things through our own power we will burn out and fail. But if we do all things through Him there is nothing that God calls us to do that we cannot achieve. During this week spend time every day where you just slow down and take time to think about Him, to talk to Him and relax in His presence and think about all He has done for you. You will find your gratitude will become a passion to serve Him in any way you can. Let’s not be cold or lukewarm when He returns, let Him find us changing the world and serving Him daily, living every day as if He were returning tonight. Leumas
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AuthorAn Anglican Curate in my 20's I was raised in an Anglican Church, went to a Youth Club run by an Evangelical Church, attended a Baptist Church while at Uni and was a member of a New Monastic Community after graduating. As such my faith has been influenced by these experiences and traditions into what I hope is a more rounded viewpoint. Archives
September 2022
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