Many Christians are as sweet as chocolate, but when they get into the sun they also melt like chocolate. CT Studd referred to them as chocolate soldiers.
It is said of David Livingston. A certain missionary society asked him if he knew of a good road to reach central Africa. He replied, "if you send men who will come only if there's a good road I don't want them".
Matt 25:1-13
Here we find these ten pure young virgins waiting for the bridegroom. All ten had their lamps. They started off very early in the morning to meet the bridegroom, so to say at the dawn of their life, when as a young person they started off in their Christian life. They went and travelled the whole long day to meet the bridegroom, but the bridegroom tarried.
These virgins took their lamps early in the morning, and travelled and it became later and later until the sun had set and it was eventually midnight. At midnight the cry went out, "behold the bridegroom comes; go out to meet Him".
All of them immediately took their lamps, trimmed and cleaned them and got them ready to meet the bridegroom. As they went out to meet the bridegroom it was discovered that five of them, half of them, were foolish and only five were wise. The foolish had no extra oil and now their lamps were empty.
The wise reasoned that they knew not when the bridegroom will arrive and how long the way will be so they took extra oil along. The foolish took it lightly; they only took their lamps with the oil in the lamps, but took no extra oil along.
It's like when you go up into Africa. The wise will take drums of fuel along for they do not know if they will get fuel there where they are going.
When one moves these drums you can sense that it's empty or not. So too with some Christians. One just senses by the way they speak and even preach that it is empty inside.
Some commentators say that the oil is symbolic of our faith while others say of the Holy Spirit. Often in the Bible the Holy Spirit is likened to oil.
We should filled with the Holy Spirit to overflowing and not partially only. The Bible also says we must not quench the Holy Spirit.
A person filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't need to announce it but it is obvious on his shining face.
The foolish virgins went to buy oil for themselves, but while they were away, the bridegroom came and shut the door.
In Noah's day the people's mocking came to an end when the flood came.
So too these foolish virgins came to a closed door and their carelessness came to an end. When they knocked and the bridegroom saw them He said, "I know you not".
This is the question then, does He know you? Many say lightly, "I know Jesus, I've accepted Him". That means nothing. Does He know you?
Jesus said in Matt 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
These foolish virgins called Him Lord, they said they knew Him, but did not do His will. They were careless in their Christian walk. They realised their terrible condition when it was too late.
They were told to go and buy oil. It isn't for free. It costs something. It costs your life.
As we read, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. " (Revelation 3:18).
We also read in Is 55:1, "Come, buy without money and without price".
What does it mean to buy without money? Every promise in the Bible has a condition. If you want that promise to be fulfilled then fulfill the condition. That's the price to pay.
If you want to receive the Lord says "knock".
God is more willing to fulfill His promise than you are to receive it.
He says I will pour water on the thirsty ground (Is 44:3). If the ground isn't thirsty He won't pour His water on it.
If you want revival it costs everything. If you're not prepared for the price forget about praying for revival.
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16).
Humble yourself. Pay the price.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9).
Many don't like the condition of God's promises but talk about His promises a lot.
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
A wife wants her impossible husband to repent. The Bible says win him without words by your behaviour. Pay the price.
The Bible says you must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.
Read Jesus sermon and you will see what He was speaking about; love your enemies, bless those who curse you.
2Cor 6:17-18, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” If you call Him your Father but touch unclean things, then you're a liar.
Be obedient to the light you have received then you are perfect; but if you have received a lot of light and are disobedient to one or two points then you are not perfect.
That's true Christian perfection. Are you perfect? Are you faithful to every command God has given you? If not and you live a half-hearted Christianity then you belong to the foolish virgins.
Will you live the perfect will of God? The foolish woman were not perfect, they were not filled to overflowing and were shut out. God did not know them.
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Erlo Stegen (1935 - Present)
Used of God in the Zulu revival in South Africa. He helped found the Kwasizabantu Mission where a few thousand live on the mission doing work for the Lord. He shares a powerful burden for the purity of the Church and revival in the Church.Many ministers have preached in their large conventions through the years namely David Wilkerson who enjoyed greatly the mission's work. They have established over 30 other missions around the work as a work of the Spirit of God.