Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I really appreciate your concern and your posts on here as well as your prayers for me. I'm moved by you all. I have to tell you a good news that your love and prayers have been working on me. Recently my faith experienced a downturn, but thanks God for his faithfulness and mercy, thanks for your true love from Christ. After struggles and prayers, I finally turn back to "in Him". Holy Spirit works on me. Therefore, thank you so much.
In addition, I heard a very important preaching at my local church today. It is the story about ten virgins. It strengthens my faith again. So I’d love to write it down and share with you all.
[h=3]Matthew 25[/h]New English Translation (NET)
[h=3]The Parable of the Ten Virgins[/h]25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.[SUP]2 [/SUP]Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. [SUP]3 [/SUP]When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. [SUP]4 [/SUP]But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. [SUP]5 [/SUP]When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. [SUP]6 [/SUP]But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ [SUP]7 [/SUP]Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. [SUP]8 [/SUP]The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ [SUP]9 [/SUP]‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ [SUP]10 [/SUP]But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ [SUP]12 [/SUP]But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ [SUP]13 [/SUP]Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Virgins: Christians who have been cleaned by Christ, like virgins who are waiting for their bridegroom
Their lamps: Christ is our light. We Christians reflect the image and light of Christ through our good behaviors. We are the light of the world.
Oil: Holy Spirit
Wise virgins: Christians who hears the words of Lord and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Foolish virgins: Christians who hears the words of Lord and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
Take extra oil with them: being filled with Holy Spirit (It doesn’t mean to get power to cure disease or speak in tongues. The true meaning of being filled with Holy Spirit is that God’s light shine upon us, we are sensitive to our sins and we get power from God to overcome our weakness and we can be the light of the world, because Holy Spirit filled in us. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 11: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” In John 15: You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
With no extra oil took along: Anyone who had believed in Christ must have Holy Spirit in them. However if they don’t pray for “being filled with Holy Spirit”, they must be inactive and dull and no power.
When Holy Spirit comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment……12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. (John 16)
The wise ones cannot share the oil with the foolish ones, because “being filled with Holy Spirit” is personal issue. You pursue being filled with Holy Spirit. You can only get it by praying to God personally. You spend time and cost (it doesn’t mean money) to get it. It means you spend time in praying and communicating with God and studying Bible and getting together with other Christians. You decide to follow Holy Spirit instead of your own flash when you encounter temptations and tests even the consequence is you have to loss some earthly profit. It is your personal life of growing experience in God. It is your personal treasure. You can share your story with others, but it is still yours not theirs.
The bridegroom was delayed a long time: Christ had already told us he will come to the world for the second time, but it has been more than 2000 years since he told his believers about it. That is what was delayed a long time.
They all became drowsy and fell asleep: they all died from generation to generation. We called Christian’s death as asleep in the Lord.
At midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ [SUP]7 [/SUP]Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
On the day or the hour that nobody knows, Jesus comes back. Then all the Christians dead wake up from the tomb.
The bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. Those wise Christians will go into the paradise with Jesus.
Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ [SUP]12 [/SUP]But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ Those foolish Christians will be left outside.
Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.