The Lamp

Luke 11:33 and Luke 11:34 are two great metaphors that have great application for today. The problem  is that we have way too many spiritual cowards! I know this is an intense statement but the article is about not being a coward so why would I beat around the bush here? You may qualify as a spiritual coward if you have adopted any of these thoughts when Jesus has clearly shown you the heart of a matter. I can’t do anything about it. No one would listen to me. The political fallout would be too intense if I said anything. What if I’m wrong? Everything always works out for the best. If you are using this rationale in all likelihood you have become a spiritual coward. Remember, the key here is that Jesus has shown you the heart of a matter you are obligated to act. Also realize this doesn’t give you any additional authority, make you a vigilante or excuse good manners. The point is one cannot turn a blind eye to a problem when you understand the right thing to do.

Let’s begin by examining the two metaphors in the opening paragraph; different but in separately linked.
Luke 11:33 “No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. ^[1]
Here the lamp is the Word of God. When you have the light, God’s Word, and refuse to use it, it is the same as hiding it under a basket.
Luke 11:34 “The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. ^[2]
Here the problem is about perception, not a lack of light. Here you don’t need more light you need a heart to believe whatever truth has already been communicated to you. When your eye is clear, your body is full of light. When it is bad, your body is full of darkness and you behave like a spiritual coward because you refuse to act on the Truth of God’s Word. Self interest and/or preservation get in the way of accurately applying God’s Word.

In short in Luke 11:33 the lamp is God’s Word. In Luke 11:34 the eye is the lamp. When the lamp is God’s Word it is unchanging, always accurate and without error. When the lamp is your eye your motivation or perception determines if you are filled with light or darkness.

One’s greatest desire should be to speak up for Jesus. Know the truth of God’s Word and allow it to impact your life and the life of others. When we hide it in under a basket or refuse to allow it to direct our thoughts and actions we miss the opportunity to be a Spiritual Warrior, someone God can use in a mighty way for His glory!

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^[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 11:33.

^[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 11:34.

Jehu

In staff meeting pastor gave a great devotion that is the perfect match to my blog about Hamman. I will see if I can summarize the story so you can take a look at it for yourself. The story is found in 2 Kings 10:18-25.

2 Kings 10:19 describes what is happening, “Now, summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in cunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. Once Jehu found the followers of Baal he killed all of them. 

Avoid the temptation to focus on whether Jehu's actions were ethical on not long enough to consider the importance of following your convictions. 

I can imagine many folks lining up to attend the sacrifice because they were fearful of being killed. Nominal followers of God who just considered it an inopportune time to state their convictions. Job interviews and spiritual convictions seem to be two areas when it is easy to state what you think someone wants to hear. Remember, Jehu said he was going to kill those who were not there so if you were one that straddled the fence or unwilling to stand up for your convictions it probably seemed like a prudent thing to be at the service. The result, however, was that all of the followers of Baal, fence riders and yellow bellied chickens afraid of their own shadow were killed. Cause of death; failure to follow your convictions or perhaps failure to have convictions. 

I don't know if a test like this is in your future but I do know that God knows where you stand. He knows if you are cold, lukewarm or hot. Even if you don't have a test coming up like the one Jehu presented, at least, be honest with yourself.

Logos Community Pricing

Resources are a must for ministry leaders. My favorite way to get books is in the digital format. Logos Library Systems makes this easy. I want to make you aware of an opportunistic way to add books to your digital library if you are on a tight budget. I consider it a sport to find ways to improve the budget so if you have similar aspirations read on. 

Logos has something called Community Pricing (CP). Community pricing is great, for example, I added the fifteen volume R.A. Torrey collection to my library through CP for $44.45. The lowest prices for that collection today is $119.95. Typically CP resources range from $2 to $15. 

Here is how Logos describes CP. "If it costs $4,000 to produce an electronic edition of a book, the costs can be covered by 4 people paying $1,000 each or by 1,000 people paying $4 each. The more likely scenario, though, is that no one wants to pay $1,000 and there aren’t 1,000 people interested in the title, even at $4. But there may be 200 people who would pay $20 each.

Community Pricing is about finding the lowest price that covers the production costs.

We have asked our customers “What is the most you would pay for an electronic edition of this title?” By multiplying the number of customers who would pay a specific amount or more with that price, we are able to generate a chart showing estimated revenue for the product at each price point."