Faithful Witness

I want to be a faithful witness. I want to be a burning and shining lamp:


John 5:33-35 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.


John was the burning and shining lamp that was sent to bring light to the path Jesus would blaze in glory. John was the forerunner to Jesus...light in the darkness.


Have you ever been in complete darkness, and then had a bright light suddenly switched on? The pain of that transition is blinding and disorienting. What happens when that light touches your eyes from prolonged darkness? You cover your eyes. Even though you want the light, the brightness of the transition is too much...it offends our eyes!


Jesus described His coming in the same way. When the Son of Man appears the 2nd time in great glory, it will offend. As the intensity of the world heats up, the earth will begin to see it is Jesus Himself who is allowing it to happen. The accuser, satan, will be quick accuse God of evil, and MANY will be offended:


Matthew 24:9-13 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.


Jesus (and later, the apostles) said that a great many who claim to know Jesus...who go to church...who are even looking for His return...will "fall away" when they see what Jesus allows to come upon the earth. Jesus said that although many desire the light, the brightness of His light is offensive to the unprepared heart.


When John was imprisoned, His followers began to lose heart. John sent them back to Jesus to hear truth...to see that John wasn't crazy. They were offended by what was happening. They couldn't understand how this amazing prophet, John...the forerunner of Jesus...the one who told them Jesus was the messiah, was now in prison instead of preaching the circuit with Jesus! Jesus said they didn't understand who Jesus and John really were. Jesus said we are blessed when we are prepared to not be offended by Him:


Matthew 11:6-12 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.


Deep darkness covered the land before Jesus was first laid on the straw in the manger. As the time drew near for God to reveal to the world who Jesus was, He sent a burning and shining lamp to go before the blazing light of Jesus. For 18 months John preached in the wilderness...adjusting the eyes of Israel to see the glory of Immanuel, God with us. John spent 30 years preparing for an 18 month ministry. He lived differently than everyone else:


Matthew 3:4-8 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,


John lived differently than everyone else. John spoke differently than everyone else. John was a lamp in the dark, burning and shining in agreement with Jesus. John made quite a splash. This crazy man in weird clothes drew quite a crowd. It was an entire day's travel to get out in the wilderness where John was. It was a commitment to go hear him. Many came out to be baptized...to hear the message...to buy the t-shirt and say they went to the conference. But many had no idea what John was really saying. They wanted to be a part of the excitement...they didn't want to miss the movement...but they completely missed the purpose of God. They were dedicated to their own experience...but that dedication wasn't enough to carry them through the unexpected intensity of God's plan. Jesus said the purpose of John was to demonstrate spiritual violence...to show them how to contend for the kingdom with greatness...to prepare their hearts for spiritual intensity, but they were only in for the experience...not the personal violence.


To be spiritually violent is to get the offense out of the way in advance. To die to myself before my faith requires my death. To lose it all before anyone threatens to take it. The truth was, John had already died way before Herod hauled him to prison. You can't take anything away from a man who has already decided to pour it all out for Jesus. Because John completely hid his life in Jesus, no one could ever kill Him...regardless of what happened to his body. Every book of the gospel, and the life of every great man or woman in history, says this:


Mark 8:35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.


A time of intense offense is dawning on the horizon. Many have no idea that a perfect storm of of confusing events is about to materialize. A mix of false peace, economic collapse and "rescue," and a spiritual unleashing of murder, theft, and sorcery are about converge on planet earth in a unique and entirely offensive way. Being a Christian will soon be incredibly hard world wide. This is Jesus' WRITTEN plan. Over and over He said "watch" and "pray." The one thing Jesus warned over and over was that THIS generation not approach Him casually...lukewarmly. Spiritual violence is required...not against others...not against the antichrist...but against self! The kingdom permits great access to the throne, great light in the darkness, for those who choose now to die to self.


When talking about the intense time we approaching, Jesus told the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids in Matthew 25. All 10 were looking for His return. Five pressed in with violence, like John, and filled their hearts with "oil." They had a history of intense encounter with Jesus that carried them through the "long dark night." Their oil made them bright and shining lamps, like John.


The other five approached Jesus' return casually, assuming it would all "work out." When the long night of offense drew on, they ran out of oil. You can't buy someone else's history with Jesus. Knowing someone who knows God will do me no good in the long dark night. Being at the conference, or the concert, or reading the book won't matter a bit when the intensity increases...only dying to myself now, putting on spiritual violence will fill my lamp with precious oil to be bright and shining in the night to come.

Matthew 25:1-13 “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. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.