A Little Oil For the Fire (Pastoral Letter)

Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

A couple of weeks ago in a sermon, I mentioned the classic story called, "Pilgrim's Progress". I have been greatly blessed by this story and the vivid ways that it captures precious spiritual truths. I commend it to you heartily.

A Fire That Won't Go Out
Within the story, one of the pictures which the main character "Christian" is shown during his visit with the "Interpreter" is a fireplace. On one side of the fireplace stood a villainous creature who was constantly pouring water on the fire in an effort to quench its flames. Yet, as Christian watched the fire, though it was stifled in measure by the water, the flames would not go out. As he wondered why this was so and why the Interpreter was showing it to him, he asked and the Interpreter took him to a secret room on the backside of the fireplace which he could not formerly see.

There in this secret room was another being, a heavenly Son, who was continually pouring fresh oil upon the fire to nurture its burning and sustain it. The Interpreter told Christian that this is the way of faith in the hearts of God's people. Satan will buffet them in many ways, he will pour the water of discouragement, temptation, despair, loss, sickness, persecution, etc. upon the fire of their faith in an effort to dull that fire. Yet, all the while that the devil is working against the faith of God's people, their Great High Priest, the Holy Son of God, is working to sustain his work of grace in their heart. The Lord Jesus Christ will never allow the fire of the faith of his people to be extinguished, for he stands ever-ready to nourish the flame with the anointing oil of heaven. This oil is symbolic of the inward work of the Holy Spirit whom Christ has poured out on those whom he has chosen for himself.

This powerful illustration of God's promise to persevere and sustain his people as they trust and serve him throughout this earthly life has been proven true time and again. Great waves and trials have come and will come. They will not be easy to face and we will oft stumble and fall. But the one who purchased us by his blood will likewise sustain us by his unfailing love. Our Savior is faithful to his people; faithful to the very end. The outpouring of his Holy Spirit is a deposit and guarantee of our heavenly possession to come in Christ.

A Little Oil For Your Fire
I want you to know that while my family and I are enjoying some time of rest on vacation over these next couple of weeks, I am continuing to pray for you day by day. You are God's beloved people. You are precious in his sight. You are his chosen inheritance and priceless possession for all eternity. You are the people of his pasture and those upon whom he has set his delight. In whatever small measure God may allow, I hope to always reflect the wisdom, love, and servant-hood of our great God in the way that I conduct myself as a local church Pastor. May he be exalted forever!

Toward that end, here is a little oil for your fire. I hope that being reminded of the truths both above and below serves to stoke the roaring flame of your love for God, your worship of him, and your glad-obedience to his holy will in all of life day by day.

Remember the Love He Has Already Shown
If you are a Christian, no greater declaration of your value in the eyes of God could ever be made than his sending of his own Son to shed his blood for your redemption, (Jn. 3:16). The price of your purchase was death, (Rm. 6:23). Yet, so great is his love for you that he paid this highest of all costs both 'willingly' (Jn. 10:18) and 'joyfully' (Heb. 12:2) in order to make you his own treasured possession forever, (I Pet. 2:9-10).

Dear saints, look and "see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are," (I Jn. 3:1). Therefore, "rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I say rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4). "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Rom. 8:38-39). Therefore, let us always and evermore add our “Amen!” to this blessed truth: that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father," (Phil. 2:10-11).

All praise to our Redeemer,
Pastor Tom