A fly in the Ointment

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor." Ecclesiastes 10:1

Many of our colorful phrases in English came to be because they were taken directly from the King James Bible. "The apple of the eye" is a Jewish expression and was not used in English until the King James Bible was first published in 1611. Another such expression is "a fly in the ointment." It is taken from the above verse in Ecclesiastes. It means that something that appears to be good has a flaw that will undo any good that it could otherwise do. An example could be a used vehicle with a new paint job and a bad engine. Or maybe it is a person who does well in an interview but can't produce the work. These things are flies in the ointment.

As I was contemplating this another scripture came to mind. II Timothy 3:5 talks about people who have a form of godliness but deny the power of what they have. This makes me think again of that car with the pretty new paint job and a bad engine. That is a perfect picture of a church without God's power. God promised his church power to cast out devils, and heal the sick. He promised that we could see broken lives mended and marriages healed, etc. But these things do not come to a church without power. Jesus said we would be the salt of the earth. He also warned us not let our salt loose it's flavor. Can I put it another way? Perfume smells good but don't let flies get in. They will cause it to stink.

It is so easy to get caught up in the spirit of the world that we live in. Most people can talk for hours about the latest football game or what is happening in Hollywood. But we are at a loss for words when it comes to talking about the scripture or what God is doing in our personal lives. These are flies in the ointment. The ointment spoken of here is not just perfume but the word can also mean salve or medicine. The church is called to minister to a hurting world. We have the answer for which so many are searching. But are there flies in our ointment? If so we need the fresheness of God's presence to wash us anew and purify our "ointment."

This is about the time of year that many are breaking those New Year's committments made such a short time ago. I know I have already broken at least two. Rather than deciding to loose a few pounds why not decide to spend  a little less time in entertainment and a little more time with God this year? Our world is hurting. It needs a church with power!

God Bless,

Rev. Sullivan Jones