Can you see where you are going?

Revelation 2:5 (Amplified Bible)
Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

The lampstand in the bible was located in the holy place. This is where he met with God and had a relationship with Him. The holy place had no windows and absolutly no light. The lampstand was the only light in the holy place, it was a picture of Gods presence; if it went out the high priest could not see where he was going. Hence, he would be walking around like a blind man. Unable to see where he was going.

Exodus 27:20 (Amplified Bible)
You shall command the Israelites to provide you with pure oil of crushed olives for the light, to cause it to burn continually [every night].

Gods people where commanded to bring pure olive oil to keep the lamp going continuously. It was not supposed to go out.

In the new testiment, we see a parable of the wise and foolish virgins. They also, needed their lamps to stay lit continually. If they did not bring enough oil, they where foolish, tbeir lamps would go out and then they would have to go purchase more. When they went to buy more, that is when Christ (their groom) came. They missed Him!

Sadly, people miss all the warnings in the bible...they think all they have to do is beleive (with their thoughts) in Christ. They think that they are saved by faith only. It is true that we are saved by faith but if their are no works; it proves we really dont have the faith we need. Faith without works is dead. If pour faith is dead, we are dead spiritually speaking.

Over and over the bible expresses warnings to us, written to christians! Why dont we prepare ourselves, like the wise virgins? If we dont, we will miss it!

I remember when I first got saved, I loved this scripture:
Mark 9:47 (Amplified Bible)
And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna)

Their was this person that had used it though and brought alot of confusion to me. She said
"do you think God really wants you to pluck your eye out and cut your hand off?" While she probably didnt mean to bring confusion...it did. I started to study it and what this scriture is saying is; DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES NOT TO SIN.  It was telling you to be radical with your sin! Make your flesh submitt to the spirit!

I also, told everyone around me about what God did in my life! I couldnt keep silent! In fact, I would get introuble alot, because I still didnt know when or whrere to share my faith! I didnt understand how to share it either. I would tell people they where going to hell! lol!

So, its been about 8.5 years now and I have learned when, where and how to share my faith, BUT I noticed that I wasnt radical anymore. In fact I RARELY TOLD ANYONE ABOUT MY FAITH. This is the sin! I had lost my first love! The bible commands us to remember then from what heights we have fallen. So I started to think about it.... I was convinced I had fallen!

The bible then commands us to repent! Turn! Change your direction and do the first works! So now, I have done this. I have decided to pick up where I left off. I still loved God! I still was in church! I even prayed and read my bible! However, I could see my actions not lining up with when I first was converted. The radicallness was gone the desire to tell everyone wasnt there! I was still conviced though that I was okay, on my way to heaven but I was luke warm!

Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Please please please listen to me! I know you may love God, read, pray ect....but if you are not prepared with your lamp stands lit! Which is lit with fire! Then you are not prepared. Fire is hot and intence! Are you?

The lampstand will be removed if you dont repent! The scripture states that your lampstand will be removed. What does this mean? Is God going to remove our light from our path so we cant see where we are headed?

Judges 16:20 (Amplified Bible)
She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

Samson didnt even realize the Lord departed from him. Will we know if our light has been removed from us?

Romans 1:28-32 (Amplified Bible)
And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.
Do you do these things? Do you have an abased mind?

This is very scarey! We need to examine ourselves! Are we prepared, do we have what it takes, do our works line up with God, is the presence of God still with us, or is His light still shining our path?

The religous people in the bible where taking people with them as they fell into ditches.....they coould see where they where going, they didnt even realize they where headed for the ditches!

Matthew 15:14 (Amplified Bible)
Let them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch.

First remember your first works! Compare them to your current works.
Then repent! Turn around and change your mind.
Finally, do those first works again, passionatly, with fire!

Conclusion: The lampstand is a picture of Gods presence, that He is with us, lighting up our path. Dont be lukewarm...you will fall into the ditch, be abased and foolishly unprepared to die or the rapture.