The Grace of GOD- A Wake Up Call to His Church!!
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” Matthew 25:1-13.
The LORD said because HE is going to tarry in HIS coming, the church would fall asleep. The people of GOD will go into a state of slumber, weariness, loss of sight of his mission, a state where we do not have the same fervor and devotion we have in the past.
But HE, being faithful, will come in the night to begin to issue a “wake-up call” RIGHT NOW!!
We are seeing two evidences of the timing of the LORD.
One is that we are seeing GOD shake the earth. And the second is GOD is seeking to raise our faith so that in the midst of the shaking, we begin to turn and look to GOD. And as we do, we begin to realize that GOD is moving in transforming power in the nations, all across the world, raising up prayer movements. There is a cry going out in the Body of Christ in the nations that they need GOD with greater desire and hunger.
The trumpet is sounding and GOD is sending out an alarm to the nations and we need to remain alert and watchful. JESUS did not say that the virgins, the church, would slumber to the end. When the “wake-up call comes” and IT HAS COME, there will be a time of rising up and a time of preparation.
We may recognize that we have been in a state of slumber, but let us trust GOD and let our confidence be that as this wake-up call goes out, GOD’s grace will be with us to take us beyond anywhere we could take ourselves.
Let us arise and seek after GOD with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Will we allow GOD to position us and to make us ready and not be pulled back into the chaos and slumber that is going on in our day and time??
~ Jill MacKillop
Amen, the churches has had a slumber party to long. The party is over and the morning is upon us lets arise and shine in the love of the Father.
Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV)
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
What will happen to the seven foolish ones? They did have a little oil in their lamps, does that mean they were saved, and if so how could they lose their salvation?
Dear Glenys,
It is an interesting question indeed what happens to us if we have no oil, as the Lord Jesus himself says: ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you,’ in Matthew 25:12 ? Is it the same as happened to the 5 with no oil? Left outside and denied entry as the door is shut before them. Interesting also the interpretation of this parable is that it relates to the end-tie Churches, most of whom these days, like the virgins, are asleep.
Nevertheless if you read on in Matthew 25, (all one teaching by Jesus) to where he reinforces this issue again saying after dividing the goats from the sheep; then He said “to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.”
Matthew 7:22-23 gives a stunning example of what is about to happen to many in the Church as Jesus says: “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!”
Check now, how does your local churches compare them with these virgins or goats? Are all filled with the Holy Spirit? Do all prophesy? Do all do deliverance? Do all do other great signs and wonders?
To help you come to a decision as to the salvation aspect of the 5 virgins, please have a view of this wonderful presentation by Pastor Paul Washer, though the text he uses is Matthew 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuabITeO4l8&feature=youtu.be
I pray this helps you come to a personal decision on where the 5 with no oil stand with Jesus and how to answer your question.
Blessings in Christ,
Jill MacKillop.