Black Oil, Holy Oil - What kind of treasure do we want?

James 3:15 - 'This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.'

James 3:17 - 'But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.'

The black oil (or red, depending - does this symbolise blood? 'Adam' means 'red, earthy') is from below and is earthly, causing greed, material idolatry and death. Issuing from the centre of the earth, is it any surprise? Some are saying that this Mexican Gulf oil could be abiotic, which means that it's produced by magma, rather than being fossil oil. Abiotic oil never stops gushing, once started. Time will tell.

The Holy Oil, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is from above, and is, as James writes, 'pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy'. Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control'. (Galatians 5:22-23). In other words, this the anointing and character of the King, the Anointed One, Yeshua the Messiah. We need to come under His yoke so that we may bear His anointing, ' in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' (Colossians 2:3).

Last week the Lord talked to us about Bethany - that He sees His body like Bethany. As we prayed he showed us more.

Bethany, (house of dates) was the place of Yeshua's anointing, where His feet were anointed by Mary of Bethany, 6 days before His crucifixion, and by another woman 2 days before, on His head. He was anointed in the house of Simon the Pharisee, some time before, by a nameless ('sinful') woman - could this have been Mary of Bethany? Maybe she believed in Yeshua from this point onwards, and this is why Martha welcomed Yeshua into her home later on; because He had saved her sister and brought her back to her family. Anyway, Bethany was the place where He felt most at home, where peace and love were poured out on Him. Bethany is the place of anointing, where there is unity in the Holy Spirit.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron's beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing - life forever.
Psalm 133