worship call 0748 the Pisteou factor

Worship Call 0748

Monday October 17th 2022

The pisteou factor

Robert, fill your lamps! John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." Matthew 25:1-10 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 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.' 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. As we conclude the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the eighth day was the highlight of the entire feast! During the feast of Tabernacles in Yeshua's (Jesus') day, the temple priests would set up four great lampstands with golden lampholders, which they would light with the aid of enormous ladders in the Temple courtyard. The lighting of these lamps began the celebration of the "Great Hosannah" (Hoshannah Rabbah, in Hebrew). The celebration went on into the wee hours -- with music and dancing and rejoicing while the beautiful lights lit up the night. Jerusalem was a breathtaking, illuminated city on a hill. The following morning the Jewish people would recite the prayer for the eighth day of the feast -- "Be thou praised, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who makest light and causes darkness, who makest peace and createst all: the light of the world as the treasure of life…" Yeshua said, "I am the Light of the world.". God is Light; He loves light, He creates light, He sheds light, and He desires light. Lamps with oil produce light, both for those who carry them and for those who see the light bearers. "You are the light of the world", He said. So the Lord also expects light from and His people. The light of God in our lives comes from His Holy Spirit, and oil has always been associated with the Spirit's ministry in the lives of believers. Burning oil produces light. If we are spiritual "virgins" because we are betrothed to one Heavenly Husband, we ought to bear His light in this dark world. Yet He has told us that some virgins will not have the wisdom to do it, so it is a warning to us, a warning not to quench the Spirit, but be filled with Him and be the light of the world. Robert, some of us, though virgins, have been walking in darkness. This could change. The choice to light our lamps belongs to us. The gift of the Holy Spirit has been given to all true virgins. The wise among us will "buy oil" and maintain our lamps thoroughly filled. To "buy oil" means to "spend time" with the One who supplies it, asking Him to fill us up and to clean out the impurities in our "lamps." You know what this means for you personally, and I know what it means for me. We ought to think about the joy of the wedding and prepare our hearts with His light... illuminated beautifully for all the world to see and to be ready! At midnight, when the Bridegroom suddenly appears, our joy will be unspeakable. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, & Obadiah Gainesville, Florida

Matthew 6:33 (NASB95) — 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The Kingdom is the greatest treasure in life to pursuit with that which staggers the imagination. To glorify God walking in His righteousness is the highest goal that can be set for any of us. These things do not require some of us or part of attention but all of our effort our being sold out for that one thing. To give all of what we are and have to acquire the greatest that the Lord offers to each of us who are his.

The word of the Lord speaks that there is a narrow way into the Kingdom and only a few find it.

Why?

Because there are not many who are seeking with everything that they have. They have one foot in the world and one foot in heaven, but the reality is God is not requiring that we tythes our lives giving him 10 percent. If we are to reach the objective it requires all that we are and have.

Matthew 13:44–46 (NASB95) — 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

In these two Parables a man gave all that he had to acquire that which he treasured in his heart the most.

And did not Jesus himself give his all even his own life to acquire the greatest treasure given to him not the tempter but by the Father in heaven who owns it all.

In the comments from Friday concerning seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness

“So true so true but yet we seem to forget.”

I believe that we all can make that assertion. We all can take our eyes off of the prize, we have all at times become distracted and have lost for a period of time our focus. In so doing we have devalued our birthright which we learn about in scripture.

Isaac the son of Abraham had two sons Esau the first born and Jacob his brother. As first borns

Genesis 25:29–34 (NASB95) — 29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hebrews 12:15–17 (NASB95) — 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

We have what another friend has often mentioned in a phrase,

We have laxed our Pisteuo

Pisteuo is the Greek word for believing faithing or trusting.

It means more than just knowing or accepting something to be true in our hearts. It is when through revelation that we not only acknowledge but what we are acknowledging begins to take root in our hearts to the extent that our lives are directed but that which we are believing. Our thoughts our decisions our motives our actions our thought process in every area of our lives is connected to that belief system.

Let’s look at Like this. One might say that he believes in heaven and hell. But is this one’s pisteou really engaged?

I believe there is a heaven. But my matter of being does not indicate that there is some place so magnificent that I long to go there.

Or I believe that there is a hell, but because we do not feel the heat or the possibility of spending eternity in such a place my actions does not indicate that such a place is really a reality.

Fatih Pistos comes through hearing and hearing the message of Christ.

A part of renewing our minds is coming to the cognitive reality that God, Heaven and Hell, the kingdom of God, an inheritance, eternal life all the things that we do not see now but know with certainty that they are real. To this point in our spiritual grow we never leave them out of our sights.

That which we value the most in our hearts is that which we never let wander away.

You have as a young lady received a engagement ring from the one you are to marry. You treasure the one who gave it to you and this expensive ring becomes a concern and you are careful not to lay it aside for whatever reason that it may get lost. And if misplaced you go into a complete panic.

First how much is the Kingdom of Heaven a reality to you?

How much is the treasures being stored in heaven are the greatest treasures to you.

Are you willing to give up all this life has to offer to acquire these things that you have never seen with your eyes but know for certain you will one day obtain?

How to change the value system within my heart in such a matter as to direct my life to the things in heaven?

It begins with changing your priorities in this life.

It begins with your attitude toward God’s word. It requires replacing stinking thinking or wrong programming or whatever you want to call it with the truth of God’s word.

It is not only receiving in an academic way, simply learning doctrine for doctrines’ sake but it is the renewing of your mind to think God’s thoughts after him. It is applying what you have learned to life, it is through it that your value systems change, it is by the intake of God’s word as it becomes a part of you that you begin to love what God’s loves. Through it your whole way of life begins to change.

It is through the spirit who is your teacher and your mentor who teaches you all things and calls to mind those things you have forgotten.

Spiritual growth requires that we walk in obedience according to God’s doctrines precepts and understanding, that is walking in the light of God’s word that builds upon our faiths (pisteuo)

Over time the heart becoming anew does change in the things that one values until the eye of the heart has that single focus of the things of God.

To such a believer it becomes more difficult to forget and distractions become less bothersome.

Is the treasure in that field so great that you will sell everything for to acquire it?

Is that pearl so great that you would give all to acquire it.

How about the kingdom and His righteousness is it such a value in your heart that you would give up all that you own to acquire it.

Missionary Jim Elliot (1927-1956) who was savagely murdered by the Ecuadorian natives when he tried to witness the Gospel to them. Five missionaries total were martyred. Jim Elliot gave the ultimate sacrifice for Christ losing his life. Jim Elliot was willing to take the risks in obedience to the Lord.

His most famous quote is

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!”

There are no do overs when our lives are complete.

When stand before the Judgment seat of Christ to be evaluated for what have done in the body and to receive a recompense rewards to include rulership function with Our Lord, it will be to late for the door of opportunity will have been shut.

Time is the grace commodity by which we have to direct our hearts to the treasure in heaven.

Now is the time that we draw near to the Lord who loves us.

There are no do overs.