CHAPTER 10
WISDOM 7
LIVE PREPARED
‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth’. Luke 21:34-35
Today’s world is filled with people with dual
personalities. People
who are kind, nice, good morals on
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Sundays but from Monday morning, it is a different story. The same person who was lifting hands in church on Sunday is the one demanding and collecting a bribe on Monday.
The same sister who was nicely dressed on Sunday is the one putting on the attire of a harlot. Dual faces, and as a result, unstable destiny. With this, the world does not take the church serious. The consecration of many believers cannot stand the test of temptation. And such people fill up churches everywhere.
It was told that because of the ever increasing numbers of Christians in Nigeria with so many churches being planted, some pastors who studies revival were sent from foreign Christian organizations to confirm if there was a revival going on here.
When they came, they discovered that the numbers of
Christians were on the rise with many churches being planted. But they were
amazed on the other hand. They said what is happening in Nigeria has never
happen in Church history, that every revival changes the people and society,
but the revival taking place in Nigeria has not affected the people. They
concluded that the revival
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happening here is very wide, but less than an inch deep. Many come to church to observe religious duties, some for social gathering, others for purposes of status and competition. Only a few know why they are there.
Wisdom instructs us to live prepared. We should number our days, so that our focus is maintained.
It was said of John Wesley, when he was asked what he will do about his life if he were to die tonight. His reply was nothing! Nothing to adjust, nothing to confess, nothing to return. His life and schedule was so rigid and straight that it was compared to the rising and setting of the sun. Simply because he lived ready.
Procrastination is the pathway to destruction. It is the abortion
of time. When time is aborted, destiny is wasted. This is a very effective tool
in the hand of the enemy. Apostle Paul said in
Philippians 1:23, ‘For I am in a strait
betwixt two, having a desire to depart,
and to be with Christ; which is far better.’ He was not uncertainabout going to be with Christ. He was
sure that when he closes his eyes in this world, he will open them in the
presence of Christ, because he lived ready.
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THE ‘NOW’ ISSUE
Now is important because it is the seed for tomorrow. Now, gives birth to the future. It gives birth to eternity. What you do right now, will determine your destiny. What we do with this little second, will determine what the next minute will offer. …behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’ 2corithians6:2.
If you are not ready now, you wouldn’t be ready later, if you are not ready later, you wouldn’t be ready much later. To live unprepared is to be a casualty of the end time. Living ready, means living ready this second!
If you are not ready now, you wouldn’t be ready later, and
if not ready later, you wouldn’t be ready much later. To live unprepared is to
be a casualty of the end time. Living ready means living ready this second. Now
is the best time to make peace with God. Many are in hell right now because
they postponed their salvation, and the enemy cut them off, before they could
get back to God.
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EXTRA TIME REQUIRES EXTRA OIL.
Matthew 25:1-13 illustrates a vital story of the kingdom of God with ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
First of all, note that the Lord is not coming for a defiled church. He is coming for a pure, whole and holy church which symbolized the virgins.
Secondly, He is coming for a bright and spotless church, shining in the midst of a dark world.
THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED.
We have seen from the signs of the end time especially from the book of Daniel 2, in the vision God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar that the bridegroom has delayed for a long time now. As such, people are wondering if the Lord will still come, many are weary, most people are fainting, while many have given up. For many people, the world will continue the way it has been.
But 2 Peter 3:9-10, says,
‘The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night…’
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It is now clear that the delay of the Lord is a display of His mercy to believers and the world at large. He is patiently waiting for all to repent. What a God of long suffering. May we not take His mercy for granted.
‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also I me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ John 14:1-3
It took Him six days to create the heavens and the earth in the beginning. Certainly the mansions are ready but not all the occupants are ready. There are many saints that have been privileged by God to see these mansions which have long been prepared but God is waiting for those they belong, to get ready.
He is waiting for His bride to make herself ready. He may
not continue to wait for long but will come for those who are looking forward
to His appearance.
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IT IS NOT TIME TO SLUMBER Matthew 25:5. ‘…They all slumbered.’
The greatest temptation of waiting is weariness, discouragement and loss of focus. It is not time to slumber. 2 Peter 3:12a says, ‘Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.’
It is time to maintain focus. Looking for and hasting the coming of the day of the Lord will keep us awake. We can hasten His coming by increasing the impact of our reconciling man back to God. Since we know that His delay is aimed towards the repentance of men. The angels sent to destroy Sodom could not until Lot and his family had escaped (Genesis 19:22).
THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH
‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’ Matthew25:6.
The cry came at midnight. Midnight is the time between the
ending and beginning of a new day. It is at this time that spiritual
transaction takes place to determine the day. History shows that, this is the
time we are in right now. A day is ending, and another is emerging. The sign of
the end also reveals that there is such a great activity of the kingdom of
darkness which is very visible.
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The virgins were quick to rise and trim their lamps. To trim their lamp, simply means to cut off the burnt and unwanted part of the wick, representing the things in our lives that are not needed, either of the world or personally.
The scripture admonishes us to judge ourselves and examine ourselves to see whether we are still in the faith.
Unfortunately, the foolish virgins had nothing left when they trimmed their lamps. Had they not slumbered, they would have known when the oil was going out.
WHY THEIR OIL WENT DRY.
The oil is what fuels the lamps. The oil refers to the Spirit of God. The lamps give light. We are called the light-up of the world. The lamp represents our witness as Christians to the world. Our lamps are to impact the world. Any Christian that is not impacting the world or shining is one whose oil has gone out.
Christ is called the anointed one. It is as we fellowship
with Him, in His word and prayer, that the oil is replenished. Fellowship in
the Word and prayer makes a flow of the oil into our lamps.
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Job said, when I wash my steps with butter, the rock poured out for me rivers of oil [Job 29:6]. He said, ‘When’ and not ‘if’. So as long as I wash my life with butter, I wouldn’t just get a bottle of oil, but rivers of oil. What we do with God determines what we get from Him. Butter is made from the solid components in milk (fat and protein). And the Bible commands us to desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow (in the anointing).
The wise took oil in their vessels and the foolish took lamps with no oil in them. Matthew 25:1-3. Of what use is a lamp without oil? What impact does the Christian life give without the Holy Spirit? Nothing. Those who go in this race without the help of the Holy Spirit are sure to end like the foolish virgins. Any ministry or life not filled with the Oil of God does not have a future in this world and in the world to come.
In this extra time, we need extra oil. In this time of waiting, what we need is more oil that will keep our lamps shining while we wait for the Master.
GO AND BUY YOURS.
Matthew 25:8-9 ‘… Go ye rather to them that sell, and
buy for yourselves’.
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Any oil not bought at the place of prayer and consecration is the oil that will not stand the test of time. Any oil that is not costly is that oil that will stink because of dead flies. If your walk with God is not costing you everything, it is most likely because you are walking besides yourself. It is our separation from the world that qualifies us to be anointed. Heb 1:9 says, thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows
Kathryn Kuhlman of blessed memory said, the anointing will cost you everything, but it’s worth the cost. Benny Hinn said, you cannot access the anointing, until you die to the world, to sin, and to yourself.
It is a useless Christianity that put the responsibility back on
God for the progress of the Christian life. The wise told the foolish, “Not
so”. They didn’t refuse; they were trying to tell them that in this kingdom,
you don’t go to heaven by means of another man effort. The Bible says to work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So go and buy yours.
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Today, many believers live by the
faith, of their Pastor.
They are too busy to spend
time with God.
Such will look for oil when they need
it most, like the foolish virgins.
Buy the truth; sell it not. Truth is expensive, so is the oil. It is bought at the place of consecration, prayers and fasting. It takes a fervent relationship with God to be filled with this oil
Today, many believers live by the faith, of their Pastor. They are too busy to spend time with God. Such will look for oil when they need it most, like the foolish virgins.
TIME UP!
While the foolish virgins went out to buy oil, the bridegroom came in and the door was shut. This tells me that the availability of the oil is not forever, it is only for a limited time. After the Lord comes, there will be no need for the oil, because by then, the door would have been shut.
NEVER LACK OIL. To be empty of oil is to beovershadowed by the darkness of this world. The virgins
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were called foolish, simply because they didn’t prepare adequately for the future.
GO FOR MORE OIL
It was not just the lack of oil that hindered the foolish virgins but the lack of adequate oil to see them through the extra waiting period. In this end time, the normal, usual Christian life will not be enough to stand the activity of darkness.
What is needed is an extra, abnormal, passionate, forceful, fierce, unusual, unpredicted, pressurized Christian life.
Break away from the normal into the extra abnormal, and then your Oil reservoir will never go dry!
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
Lord Jesus I repent of all my sins. I believe you died for me on the cross. I accept you into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Wash away all my sins and fill me with your Spirit in Jesus Name Amen.
If you have said this prayer, locate any Bible Church close
to you, and meet with the Pastor that you just got saved. You will be guided on
how to grow in Christ. Become a worker in your church. God bless you.
