By: Dale Weckbacher
Matthew 25:1-4
"Then the
kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went
out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five
of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with
them, 4 but the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps.
NKJV
As we look at world events and compare these events to
prophecy in the Bible, it is obvious we are in the times Jesus spoke of in
Matthew 24:1-14. The parable of the ten
virgins in Matthew 25:1-4 provides instruction on the attitude we as believers
are to have in these times. Jesus is
returning and we as believers who find ourselves engaged in spiritual warfare
can find comfort in that fact (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
However, we are also fleshly people and therefore can become
fearful as we see all the evil in our world.
If we allow this fear to control us, we can become impatient taking
matters into our own hands believing we can somehow bring about an end to evil
by electing the right people or even developing a government program to end all
the evil such as taking everyone’s weapons. Instead, we must remain diligent, knowing
that our Lord is returning to eliminate all evil in this world.
Therefore, instead of becoming impatient or proposing
government programs such as gun control, which will only leave innocent people
defenseless against evil, we must be,
1)
Diligent knowing that what is occurring in the
world today is a last ditch effort of the enemy, Satan, to destroy as many
people as he can. In fact, Jesus return
is delayed in order to allow as many as possible to escape eternal damnation
and have the opportunity to accept God’s gift of eternal life (2 Peter 3:9,
John 3:16).
2)
Diligent knowing that this hatred aimed at us is
actually an expression of hatred towards our Lord (Matthew 24:9). Unfortunately, in many parts of the world
this hatred results in the brutal murder of those believing in Jesus as their
savior. However, we do find comfort
knowing that those murdered for their belief in the Lord are ushered into the
presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Therefore, what the enemy does to harm believers actually ushers them
into their reward of eternity with the Lord.
3)
Diligent in sharing the Gospel with the lost
- 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that the
Lord’s promise to return is true and something we can count on but that out of
grace and mercy, Jesus’ return is delayed in order for everyone to have an
opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation.
However, this requires us to be active in sharing the Gospel, which
places us in the middle of the spiritual war for the souls of men and women in
our world. For those interested in
becoming empowered to share the gospel, I encourage you to order Empowered
Evangelism from my book page.
Once when I was a teenager, my parents left me in charge of
the house while they drove back east to be with family. I could not go with them because I had just
started my first job and had no vacation time.
I must confess that while they were gone, I did little to clean the
house and planned to spend the day before my parent’s return to clean up. Unfortunately, my parents unexpectedly came
home a day early before I had the opportunity to clean the house.
I do not want to be caught unprepared when the Lord returns,
as I was when my parents unexpectedly returned from their vacation. Instead, my desire is to be diligent in doing
the Lord’s work of spreading the gospel even though I know that it puts me in
the middle of a great spiritual battle.
However, I need not be fearful for fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7)
and can be courageous knowing Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
If you are reading this and have not accepted God’s free
gift of salvation I encourage you to take a moment and pray with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know
that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).
I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
I encourage those of you that prayed with me to find a local
church that teaches the Bible and establish a connection with others that
believe as you do. If you are not sure
what church to attend, go to http://dalewsr34.wix.com/needanswers and click on the link to connect with
other believers. You can also find a
bible or an affordable online bible there.
There is also a list of other books what will help you in your new life
with the Lord.
These are perilous times that can fill us with fear but they
are also exciting times for we know that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is
at hand.
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