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Keep your lamp filled with oil
Keep your lamp filled with oil. This King of Kings is coming. Don’t be like the five foolish virgins as mentioned in The Parable of the Ten Virgins who missed out on the wedding. They didn’t take enough supply of oil for themselves, so with the lights dimming out they naturally felt sleepy at night. Only the wise ones took sufficient oil for themselves and could keep awake till the bridegroom came. Let the oil of enthusiasm and diligence in the Gospel always be with you in great measure. Never be shy of holding on to the light of Gospel even all around others love darkness. It’s vain to be jealous of those who hold to darkness. Be true to the Lord Jesus in your faith towards him.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.(Matthew 24:42)
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7)
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:12-13)
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
Parable of the Treasure hidden in a field
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.(Matthew 13:44)
The kingdom of heaven is a very great treasure. It’s greater than all the kingdoms and empires of the world. This is because God is seated on the throne of the kingdom and his kingdom is everlasting. Many kingdom have risen and fallen but God’s kingdom has and will remain eternal. There’s love, joy, peace and holiness in the Lord’s kingdom.
Happy are those who seek the kingdom of heaven above all earthly riches. For these know that the riches of the earth cannot exceed that of the kingdom of heaven in which no one lacks at the throne of God. What great a kingdom that Jesus Christ the Son of God had made us the children of God, can anyone else even compare? How great is the Lord God that he created the birds of air, the beasts of the field and the living things of the world by his Word?
Chase not after the vain things of the world which will hold no value in the afterlife. Any riches that lead to you sinning more to obtain such riches should be rejected as they will only increase your punishment in hell. Therefore treasure the kingdom of God more than anything else, so that you act worthily in sight of the God of hosts.
The Banquet is ready, the Bride is NOT!
This parable is as true today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. (Luke 14: 16-24)
Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.‘ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.‘ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.‘ ” ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.‘ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
Much of the Church is tied down to the cares and riches of this world, making them unready for the Lord’s return. Make no mistake, the Lord is coming back for a bride without Spot or Wrinkle, not for a bride caught up in sin, those people will not make it. [raptureprophecy.com]
The Parable of the Rich Fool (A warning against all covetousness)
“Rembrandt – The Parable of the Rich Fool” by Rembrandt – http://www.uni-leipzig.de : Home : Info : Pic. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)
A sin which many people celebrate openly is the sin of covetousness. You see them in magazines bragging about how many cars and mansions they own. On TV you see celebrities who constantly show off their great wealth, trophy wives (and husbands), their clothes and what not. They try to mask off their pride with the label of being achievers. No problem with mere achievements but the point remains, life doesn’t consist in abundance of possessions. Indeed, where will one take so much wealth if one has to die. Won’t it be as nothing to you once you’re gone away from this world? No man nor woman can take even a pinch of salt once his or her time is up on earth.
Jesus didn’t want to be judge to the man about the division of the inheritance. He knew the heart of all people and knew what mattered most. Notice, he didn’t tell that man to not go for his share of inheritance but rather tried to correct his perspective on gaining possessions. Does the mindset towards wealth or pleasant things matter? Yes, it does affect your moral judgement for better or for worse. Because there are lots of people who have plotted to kill their own parents for mere ounces of gold and silver. For them money was more important than family. Obviously, such killers will have to face judgement for their sins be it by the police or the Day of Judgement by God. You have got to think more about eternity rather that your time in this world which is much shorter than that in eternity.
The Lord Jesus made it clear by the Parable of the Rich Fool which he spoke about, that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. The rich mentioned in that Parable only sought abundance of grains and goods. He only wished to have a lavish lifestyle for many years to come. Yet in all this he was not rich towards God. He didn’t care for the poor and needy. He didn’t bother about putting some money for maintaining the priests of the Lord God. In all this, that man didn’t consider about when he would die. And suddenly the voice of God rebuked him that since the rich man was going to die that very night, the wealth that he acquired whose it would be? That man’s story ended in tragedy as this parable doesn’t mention about him asking God for a chance to repent. Don’t let this be your story nor your fate. Repent of all covetousness when you have the time. Don’t waste your life in the pursuit of things that you forget about God.
Related articles
The Parable of the Ten Virgins speaks of the return of Christ
O Lord Jesus I pray that we who believe in you are found worthy and free from all deceit when you come back to claim what is yours on earth. Let the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, words and actions so we always are true to the Lord God your Father in heaven. Cause all darkness to flee from our lives as we call upon your Holy Name. Amen.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins speaks of the return of Christ. Let’s this Parable as mentioned below:
1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.(Matthew 25:1-13)
Do not be like the five foolish virgins who missed out on the wedding. They didn’t take enough supply of oil for themselves, so with the lights dimming out they naturally felt sleepy at night. Only the wise ones took sufficient oil for themselves and could keep awake till the bridegroom came. Let the oil of enthusiasm and diligence in the Gospel always be with you in great measure. Never be shy of holding on to the light of Gospel even all around others love darkness. It’s vain to be jealous of those who hold to darkness. Be true to the Lord Jesus in your faith towards him.
Don’t fall asleep spiritually. The body needs sleep and must be looked after. However your spirit is eternal. Let not your spirit go drowsy on awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Show great respect for his word. For he doesn’t lie. Jesus Christ has mentioned that no one knows the time when he will come and also that indeed he will come. So stay awake that you do not miss out on the glory of His return.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.(Matthew 24:42)
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7)
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:12-13)
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
The Parable of the Sower
The Parable of the Sower is one my favorite parables of Jesus. It shows how the same type of seed works on different types of ground. Jesus wasn’t talking about farming strategies here. The seed here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the soil types are indicative of the various conditions of the hearts of the people. In other words it’s how people respond to the Gospel.
Many people do get to hear the Gospel. Yet only some truly bear the fruit they are called to bear out. It’s all because how they choose to respond to the will of God as manifest in the Gospel. By this parable think for yourself about which ‘soil’ type of faith are you living in your life. Make amends if something is not right and if you are on the right track then continue to bear good fruit.
Let’s read Matthew 13: 1-23 (NLT) in which Jesus our Lord not only gave us this parable but also the brilliant explanation of it. Take your time to read it all but most importantly benefit from it by being the ‘good soil’. Here we go:
1 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Disciples of hope 