Our Preparedness

Each of us is responsible for our own preparedness.   

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 5:

27 All that He does in us is designed to make us a mature church for His pleasure, until we become a source of praise to Him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw (spot or wrinkle).

The parable of the ten virgins provides much insight to those who will be prepared for the wedding feast.  Jesus prepared us for this parable by first sharing the signs of the times and the End of the Age and we are told to watch, be ready, and endure to the end, for you know not what hour the Lord comes.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 25:

1  “When My coming draws near, Heaven’s Kingdom realm can be compared to ten virgins who took their oil lamps and went outside to meet the Bridegroom and His bride.

2-4 Five of them were foolish and ill-prepared, for they took no extra oil for their lamps. Five of them were wise, for they took flasks of olive oil with their lamps.

5 When the bridegroom didn’t come when they expected, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.

6 Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by the shout ‘Get up! The bridegroom is here! Come out and have an encounter with him!’

7 So all the girls got up and trimmed their lamps.

8 But the foolish ones were running out of oil, so they said to the five wise ones, ‘Share your oil with us, because our lamps are going out!’

9 “ ‘We can’t,’ they replied. ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. You’ll have to go and buy some for yourselves!’

10 “While the five girls were out buying oil, the Bridegroom appeared. Those who were ready and waiting were escorted inside with Him and the wedding party to enjoy the feast. And then the door was locked.

11 Later, the five foolish girls came running up to the door and pleaded, ‘Lord, Lord, let us come in!’

12 “But He called back, ‘Go away! Do I know you? I can assure you, I don’t even know you!’

13 “That is the reason you should always stay awake and be alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour when the Bridegroom will appear.”

Five of those virgins were wise because they took extra oil. The other five virgins, however, were foolish because they didn’t bring extra oil.  The number 10  means “the measure of human responsibility” and also the number of “completion.”

The word “wise” is from the root word phren, which means “to rein in or curb the emotions.” These virgins were wise because they allowed God to continually rein in their self-life, which then allowed the Spirit of God (the oil) to come forth and produce fruit in their lives. The word foolish (Strong’s # 3474, moros) means “double-minded” (i.e., two lives are being lived—God’s and ours), and thus, these believers were full of darkness.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 11:

33  “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps (adjusted them), but the foolish found that their lamps had gone out and they had no oil to refill them.

While the five foolish virgins were gone trying to find extra oil, the Bridegroom came and those wise virgins who were ready, worthy, and prepared (who had their lamps lit), went in with Him to the wedding festivities and the door was shut.

Later when the five foolish virgins came, they said, “Lord, Lord, open the door.” But He answered them saying, “I know you not”.

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