Scripture reading: Matthew 25:1-10
Let us go once again to Matthew 25. Some time ago, we brought the thought about “dead men walking.” It means people who are in the church (they seem to be alive and yet they are dead), but who will be out of the church at a certain time. We have already talked about people losing their salvation, but there is another set of losers in the church who will not lose their salvation, but they will lose their calling. I will tell you why.
Matthew 25:1-4, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. AND FIVE OF THEM WERE WISE, AND FIVE WERE FOOLISH. THEY THAT WERE FOOLISH TOOK THEIR LAMPS, AND TOOK NO OIL WITH THEM: BUT THE WISE TOOK OIL IN THEIR VESSELS WITH THEIR LAMPS.”
Verses 7-8, “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” You cannot give anybody the Holy Ghost, no matter what you do. There are some people today laying hands on other people and saying they can give them the Holy Ghost so that many talk in tongues; but they do not have the Holy Ghost.
Verse 9, “But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.” Who is it that sells? Well, somebody says, “Jesus,” but in this sense here, they were going out into the darkness to get hit; that was going to bring them to their knees and give them the necessary deliverance they needed.
Verse 10, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.”
I want you to understand what we are talking about. We see people—some of us—who will not be included in the firstfruits company. A lot of people feel that I use that as a baton over their heads, as a weapon. I do not use it as a weapon. I would, however, love to frighten you into doing the right things. Oh, yes! I am not above frightening you. You see, I have tried everything, but you will not get frightened.
God is saying that some of us will not be included in the firstfruits company because the ones who are included in the firstfruits company are those who are diligent and obedient!
That is very simple. You do not need any great spirituality. All you need is humility to obey God. Yes! When the Lord speaks, you obey; and if you will obey God’s Word, God will put you in, because it says about the wise virgins (those who obeyed and gave themselves to God’s purpose) that they had oil in their lamps and OIL IN THEIR VESSELS.
Let me explain that to you: “Oil in your lamp” is “the Spirit of God in your spirit.” Proverbs 20:27 says that “…the spirit of man is the candle (lamp) of the LORD…” That means that man’s spirit is a lamp (because lamps hold oil) that holds the oil of the Holy Ghost; and when there is oil in your spirit, the Holy Spirit moves into your soul (vessel). When you are in the Spirit you can prophesy, you can do great things, you can dance, you can sing, you can tell people what is going to happen tomorrow—but all that does not pay you if you do not have this movement of God in your own soul. It is only when the Spirit of God is working in your conscious mind, making you to be conscious of sin and walk right and holy, and that same Spirit working in your emotions, in your will, and in your desires, that it is adding oil to your vessel that is going to be able to sustain you in the hour of the greatest darkness.
(Excerpt from The Omega Message, December 1997, pg. 24)
Thought for today: The ones who are included in the firstfruits company are those who are diligent and obedient.
Sonlight Devotional 