Having a Full Lamp

Mike Connell

Page 6 of 8
So let's have a look, and it says - notice here that the five foolish virgins, they rose up and they said: oh, give us some oil. Our lamp is going out. So what they're saying simply is this: we are not having impact with our life anymore. Our lamp is going out. One of the biggest concerns I have in my personal life is, my lamp never go out. When your lamp is going out, it means there's an absence of Holy Spirit presence around your life and activities. When the lamp is going, there's a lack of fresh revelation from heaven, there's a lack of hearing the voice of God. When your lamp goes out, you're having little or no effect in the community.

It is a great concern in my life that my light burn bright. It is a great concern to Jesus that His church, individually and corporately, shine brightly, that there's passion, fire, life, a reality of something with God that overflows; and we want to do things that represent Him, and advance His kingdom. So the five foolish virgins came to realise - and notice this - they were busy, and they were doing lots of things, but they didn't realise until the cry came: He's coming; we're out of oil. I think it's very easy. Now just think about this: how many of you remember when once you were passionately on fire for Jesus? And now the fire is really dim. You've run out of oil. We need to do something about that. We need to re-engage in our life with Him, and our love with Him. We need to see what's coming in, and repent, and do the first works again, begin to be back excited.

I felt the Holy Ghost just so challenge me. I want you to be back, so excited about the things you first were excited about, stirring me to coming alive into a new dimension again. So they said: we want to have what you have. Here's the thing that they said: no, you can't have it. Seems very selfish doesn't it, but here's what the deal is. You cannot transfer the intimacy, and preparation of the heart, one person has to another. I can share my light with you. I can light up your life. I can release anointing to you, but the one thing I cannot do, is substitute; or give to you what only you can do, in your time with God. No one can do it for you, no one.

It's not a matter of how gifted you are. It's not a matter of what talents, education you have. It's not even a matter of how much money you have, it's not about whether you're a minister, everything - every believer is called to shine. Every believer is given the Holy Spirit. It's our decision, what we do in building intimacy with Him. What a challenge!

They said: no, you have to go and buy it for yourself! You have to pay the personal price! Young people, it's great to come to a camp - let me tell it and put it real simple: you came into someone else's oil in life. Make it your own. Be determined. I want what I saw on those leaders. I want that fire of God! I want that life of the Holy Ghost! I want to burn passionately, and make my life count for something! I want what they have - and you can't just get it from them, but you can learn from people, how to build your devotional life. You can learn how to pray. You can learn how to pray, read the word of God, how to meditate in the word of God, how to gain insight to heaven from what God's word says. Everyone can do it! Even if you can't read - Janice, two hours a day in the night, she will play an audio CD, and the word comes into her; because her reading's not so good, but that's not stopping her get the word of God. I understand she's already gone through the Bible a whole number of times, which would be more than many others. No education, very little reading skill, and yet passion for God. That counts. It really counts.