Scripture reading: Matthew 25:7-13
Come and listen to Matthew 25. The virgins arose and trimmed their lamps, “…AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT.”
What door are we talking about? In Scripture, words have a very strong connotation and power on different levels. You read a word down here and then read a word up here, and the word carries a greater power. The “door” means Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the door.” In this verse, the door into Christ was shut. That means that Christ has had His full amount of people (those who will reign and rule with Him) and He shut that door. It was shut!
We don’t really understand what it means. No matter how much we feel that we understand, we have no idea. I often make fun and say, “Well, you will be in charge of Champaign, and the other one will be in charge of San Francisco,” and so on, but what God is talking about is much, much more than that. There are some things of God’s divine plan for the ages that we never even dream about. God wants people. He is recruiting people now for that position! You are going to be part of that according to what you are now, because this is the proving ground! Do you understand it? I put you on the proving ground, and you go taking it easy! You need to understand! Rise up now, and do what God wants you to do now! Because we are the people of the end, and we are at the end. Hallelujah.
We are talking about “The coming of Christ.” Young people, some of you have never heard the gospel right, and you need to know what is meant when we talk about the coming of Christ. Christ is first coming in His temple; then He will come out there for everybody to see Him. In other words, CHRIST coming in His Temple, and JESUS CHRIST coming out there.
Matthew 25:10 says, “And while they (the foolish virgins) went to buy (oil for their vessels), the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.”
Do you know what “fool” means? “Fool” means that they have said in their hearts that “there is no God” (Psalm 53:1). You can be fools for a while and wise afterwards, but when you are wise too late then you find yourself outside in the darkness seeking oil.
The whole idea that God is showing us is that there is an elect people. There is an ekklesia—a Church—a “called out” people, and out of the “called out” God is calling out. God is calling out a people to be “excellent,” to be “diligent,” to be the “top”; and I believe that everyone who is reading this article has that privilege right now.
When we speak of a person who is not going to make it, we are only speaking about those who do not WANT to make it! That’s right! You say you want to make it, but if you never make the effort, you will not make it! God wants people who are diligent: who will lay down their life for God and for what they think God is saying that they should do, and what they should be.
It says in Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
What am I saying? Why would He tell you to watch if you did not have a chance? So then, the destiny is not a fixed destiny (that you must go to heaven, or you must go to hell, and you must…). No! If you do not understand God, then you will believe that; but if you understand God, you will know that God has given us a race to run; and He said, “All of you—RUN!” (Ref. 1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1).
Furthermore, God gives you everything. He gives you everything possible to make you all winners! Some will win and some will lose, because those who lose do not have the heart to win. “Watch ye therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Yet, there will be some outside in the darkness seeking oil.
(Excerpt from The Omega Message, December 1997, pg. 26-27)
Thought for today: If you understand God, you will know that God has given us a race to run; and He said, “RUN!”
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