The Foolish Virgins: Salvation Or Eternal Life May Be Too Late For You.

Be ready always for the second coming of Christ: don't be like the foolish virgins.

This parable of Jesus touches me in a profound way and never ceases to help me ponder about what is relevant in life. In our strong materialistic culture, where not much emphasis is placed on spiritual values, this parable warns of being alert and ready at all times for the coming of Jesus. At that point, all your material struggles, your fame
and fortune, your material opulence, intellectual acumen will be irrelevant. Then, every man or woman, black or white, all nationalities, Jews or
Gentile will stand before the Lord for judgment. The Scripture says: “It is appointed unto a man once to die, after that the judgment.”

What is the significance of this
parable in a time like this in world history or affairs? There is a possibility of a “Third World Nuclear War,” with crisis in Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Afghanistan, etc. Many believers are not aware of the great tension engulfing the world. Congress has closed and the people’s business
abandoned. We are living in very uncertain times in world history.

This parable is about warning believers of been watchful as the disciples went to Jesus to seek answers to when the
world will come to an end, and the signs of the time. Jesus warned: the most important thing for the believer is to be ready at all times; and those
who do not know the Lord must repent or it will be too late for the believer and the unbeliever.

The bridegroom gone: Mathew
25:1-13

Jesus tells the story of ten virgins who took their lamp to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and the other five were wise. The wise ones
took oil in their lamps, but the foolish ones did not put oil in their lamps. While they waited for the bridegroom to come, they all slept and slumbered. Then in the middle of the night as they slept, the alarm sounded, the bridegroom has arrived. They all got ready to meet him. The wise virgins got their lamps ready, but the foolish ones realized they did
not have oil in their lamps. They begged the wise ones to give them some of their oil, but the wise ones refused and told them to go into the city and buy some. They went to the city and got some oil in their lamps. While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. By the
time they came back, the bridegroom had gone in with the wise virgins. The foolish ones begged the bridegroom to open the door for them. He said to the foolish ones: “I know you not.”

The Scripture warns: “Watch therefore, for ye know not the day or the hour wherein the son of man cometh.”

Interpretation of parable:
• The virgins are the believers
• The bridegroom is Jesus
• What does it mean to sleep without oil in your lamp- the five foolish virgins?

1 Those sleeping are out of God’s will
2 They order their lives and do
whatever they want, but the Scripture says: ‘we are no longer our own, we belong to the Lord and must glorify Him at all times in our bodies,’
3 But those sleeping virgins don’t give the glory to God.
4 Their ways are not the ways of God. They can talk like the believers, or like the Lord Jesus; they can be members of powerful Churches or pastors; but the Scripture says: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” The Scripture says: “Not all who said Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of God, but those who do his will.”
5 The foolish virgins who slept have lapsed beck into sin and their lamp- the Holy Spirit quenched. They don’t affect anybody in their Christian walk. They steal, cheat, fornicate, commit adultory, slander, and indulge in all
forms of sin.
6 These believers-sleeping virgins are not aware of their spiritual environment. They are self willed and self controlled. Jesus warned: “if any man will come after me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow.” But they are not ready for such a challenge and commitment.
7 The foolish virgins represent the believers who want to do their own thing. By doing so they quench the Holy Spirit in them, and expose themselves to the sleep that causes spiritual death.

• Who are the wise virgins?

1 The wise virgins are those who pay attention to the word of God and do it. The word of God says: “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but
fools despise the know ledge of God and discipline. “The fear of God is also to depart from evil. The wise ones are those who fear God and depart from evil; they are conscious
of their spiritual rich heritage,
knowing it is the only thing that will last.
2 The wise listen to God’s word. The wise while they waited for the bridegroom were involved in doing God’s will as it was revealed to them.
3 They read their Bibles and prayed daily.
4 They were filled with the Holy Spirit and hated evil. If you are a believer living in sin and disobedience, you will have no anointing and the power of the Holy Spirit,” and the Spirit of
God will not direct you.
5 The Scripture says: “As many as are directed by the Holy Spirit are the children of God.”
6 The wise are those who are waiting patiently for the coming of Christ. They don’t allow the things of this life to entangle their love for the
Lord.
7 The wise virgins refused to be enticed by any worldly or material objectives-the love for money or sex that is so dominant and prevalent in our culture.
8 The wise realized like the Scripture says: “We are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God: that ye may declare the praises of whom who called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light.” The wise know they belong to God and don’t get entangled to the things of this life so they can please the Lord.
9 The wise had oil of the Holy Spirit all the time. Although they are in the world. God is their first priority-every other ting is secondary. They are
always waiting for the coming of the Lord. Should death come suddenly, they are ready to meet the Lord.

Bridegroom arrives in Middle of night:

1 There is a great cry-the get ready, the bridegroom has arrived at midnight: when sleep is too good to be broken, when you are not ready,: you are sleeping…This parable is very sensitive to human fault: pleasure – we love to sleep, we are in the midst of pleasure, and we can’t remember God or wisdom. The foolish virgins were full of worldly sleep: sleep of human pleasure that they forgot the
most important thing: God in their lives.
2 They had no oil in their lamps. They had not the Holy Spirit. They had quenched the Holy Spirit in their lives by compromising their faith.
3 They woke up and sadly realized they had no oil in their lamps. They had not lived for God, but for themselves-waiting without doing the necessary things that can get
them to heaven. By the time they started, It was too late for them.
4 The wise while waiting prepared carefully.
• They were vigilant
• They were prayerful
• They read their Bibles
• They were patient in times of great struggles and trials
• They had oil of the Holy Spirit
• They refused to be embroiled with the world
• They were not of the world, they were passing by.
• So when the cry rang at midnight, it was easy to wake up to meet the bridegroom. They were not burdened by sin or fear or material clutter.
• The foolish virgins rushed out in fear and never made it. They never got themselves prepared to meet the
bridegroom.
5 The wise are ready. The bridegroom comes when they did not expect him in the midnight. The foolish begs for
oil.
• God gives abundant of time to meet Him, amend our ways and repent; to change and clean our lives; to forsake
sin, live sober and obedient in our lives. People take advantage of God’s mercy because He doesn’t pass
judgment quickly on the sinner.
• The wise refused to share their oil. No other believer can help you when Jesus comes to judge the world. Every man or woman will stand before God to answer for the life they lived
here on earth. Th pastors will stand, members will stand, unbelievers who live in sin now and reject the word of
God will stand for judgment on that great judgment day.
• The foolish are back, but the wise are gone in with the bridegroom: but the bridegroom says: “I don’t know you.” It is too late for them to get in with the bridegroom.
6 The foolish virgins represent
believers who are disobedient. Like Saul in Scriptures, at the end of his life, he summed it up like this: "I have played the fool." The Holy Spirit was
taken away from him and an evil spirit tormented him. The disobedient believer does not have the Holy Spirit and the anointing.

Playing the fool means you made a wrong choice in life:

you never cared for what mattered, but material transient thing that does not last at the end of life.

Conclusion:

1 It may be too late for you. We don’t know when the Lord is coming, when death strikes, it could be today. Be careful how you live! Who is foolish?
• The man or woman who does not see or reed the signs of the times- the signs are appearing little by little for the wise to get ready, for the foolish to straighten themselves and
for the unrepentful to reflect and forsake their evil ways.
• The rumors of wars, earthquake in diverse places are signs of end of time that are beginning to appear.
• People using Church and God to deceive- false prophets.
• Moral decay all over the world. In the last days, people will have itching ears about the word of God.
• To be foolish is to claim to be a child of God, but when you wake up in the morning, you can’t pray, you can’t read your Bible, you don’t have time for God. All you do is to make
money, and like the world enjoy yourself. The Scriptures says: “Wisdom is more precious than rubies-money”
• To be foolish is that you are a
Christian and you don’t live the life. The Scriptures says: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”
• Foolishness is living ungodly life without the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says: “Without the Holy Spirit, you are none of his.” That means you don’t belong to God. Those virgins
without oil had no Holy Spirit.
• The foolish virgins are those
Christians saved, but are not careful how they live. They compromise with the unsaved. They become your best
friends. They steal, lie, fornicate and they hate God and His ways.
• They don’t pray, they live the way they like, they have no oil in their lamps. They have quenched the Holy Spirit and driven Him out by their sinful lives. When the bridegroom
comes, they will not be ready, and it will be too late for them.

A song writer said: “On the last day, only true believers will be raptured.” 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked. whatever a man sows, that he or she
repeats.' If you are living in sin, you are deceiving yourself as a child of God. You are foolish and will reap that someday, and the Lord will say: “I don’t know you.” So be warned
and be watchful. If you are serving the Lord and doing His will, you are sowing the seeds of wisdom. So like the song writer tell Jesus: “Keep me true Lord Jesus keep me
true keep me Lord Jesus keep me true There is a race I must run, there is a victory to be won Give me power, every hour, to be true.
God is true and faithful. He will never forsake or fail you. Be wise and watchful. “Seek first His kingdom, and every other thing will be added unto you.” Get your priorities right.

Love God and obey Him. We do not know when the Lord is coming, but the signs are showing up. Be ready at all times or it may be too late for
you, and you lose eternal life- the greatest achievement in life.

Picture / Foolish virgins knock, but too late for them.
Poem:

Choices: The choices we make
Everyday Big or small
Determine our destiny Someday In pursuits of life's ambitions We hurry and make choices Choices wrong and detrimental Chices selfish and exploitive Chices destructive and lustful In the end
Choices wrong Strangle, maim and destroy but Take time to make choices Choices right and uplifting Choices, noble, worthy and enduring Choices kind and considerate Choices sacrificial and progressive
Oh Remember choices we make today Small or big
Determine our destiny someday

Rev. Uche Ikpa.
www.cctvcambridge.org/node/195543

So long a letter but all the same, God bless and reward you for taking your time to type this.




Thank you sir

ammyluv2002: So long a letter but all the same, God bless and reward you for taking your time to type this.




Thank you sir

not me, just copied and pasted it here. God be glorified!

@op, is it a sin to lie and spread mis-information?

tonguetalker: @op, is it a sin to lie and spread mis-information?

how is that a lie?