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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
If video stops, you may watch this video by a click on this link: You-tube video.
Christians are expecting the second coming of Jesus Christ to happen at any time. But he will come for four times, that is, there will be four second comings according to the bible. We will see the first second coming in this parable. Ten virgins are waiting for Jesus to come. When will Jesus Christ come? The period of his first second coming began from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it will continue until the destruction of the world, sun, moon, and all. Five virgins are wise and the other five are foolish. Their lamps are lighted, and the wise virgins had oil also. They all slumbered and slept. So, they are not of the high calling, but they are ordinary born-again believers. When it was announced that Jesus is coming, they trimmed their lamps. The foolish virgins found out that their lights went out, since they ran out of oil. They asked the wise virgins to share oil, but they told them to go and buy it from those who sell. By the time they went to buy oil, the bride groom came, the wise virgins went in, and the door was shut. When the foolish virgins returned, Jesus did not open the door to them. Let us study about the lamp, light, oil, those who sell oil, about the wise, and about the foolish. It is a parable of Jesus Christ. He tells about what kind of believers he is receiving, what kind he is rejecting, and it is going on now; it is his first second coming.
Jesus Christ told a parable about ten virgins; and of them five are wise and five are foolish. It is in Matthew 25:1-13. "13 says, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." So, it applies only to the second coming of Jesus Christ. If his second coming is at the end of the world, it could not be applied to the last two thousand years, and if it takes another 2000 years to the end of the world, it will not apply until then. So, we can conveniently put this parable away, because it will not apply to us. But Jesus Christ comes four times before the end of the world; and the end will not happen for another 2000 years according to the bible. But preachers say that Jesus Christ may end the world at any time; not knowing scriptures and people believe it. However, Jesus Christ visits born again believers personally all the time like a thief in the night, and it is his first second coming. If you like to study the details, please follow this link: "Video & Transcript."
Now let us study the parable. "Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." The virgins are born of the spirit believers, and they desire to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, they are the lamps and vessels that hold the oil. The oil is the commandments of Jesus Christ. The light is the holy spirit that they have received when they were born again. This spirit helps them to do or to observe the commandments of Jesus Christ. Or, we may say, that the spirit is the light and the commandments are the oil; and the spirit is the flame that glow in the oil and make the believers shine. This light must be put on the lamp stand, for people to see the light. When people see the light, that is, when they see them obey the commands of Jesus Christ, the people will glorify God. This is the purpose of God, and it is the spiritual picture. This is a little difficult, and so, you may have to listen a few times to understand it clearly. There are ten virgins, but only five are wise. What makes them wise? "Matthew 7:24 says, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man." So, those who obey the commands of Jesus Christ are wise. "Luke 2:40 says, the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom:" It is said about Jesus Christ. If a person waxed strong in the holy spirit, he/she will be filled with wisdom. The spirit is given by measure, and those who grow in the spirit are wise. So, we must grow in spirit and we must obey the commands of Jesus to be wise. Five virgins were wise, but five were foolish. Foolish is opposite to being wise. So, even though they were born again, they have not fully received the commands of Jesus Christ, which is the oil. So, probably they have followed preachers instead, that is, they could have followed religiosity instead of spirituality. Foolish virgins are those who do not obey the doctrine or commands of Jesus, which is the spiritual oil. Without oil, the spirit will be quenched.
"Proverb 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit." That is, the wise person will fear God and obey what he commands. The base of 'the wise' is obeying God, which keeps the light burning on them; and they are the lamps. Fools will have deceit and they will fall. They do not obey God, but follow the doctrine of men, who are preachers. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." So, 'the foolish' obey their church doctrine, above the doctrine of Jesus. "Matthew 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." All the ten virgins are born again believers; all have the holy spirit in them; but, as life went on, they got cooled off in their active spiritual life. However, at some point they were awakened, and tried to follow God, that is, they trim their lights. "7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out." Here, the light on the lamps of the foolish are gone out, since they did not have oil, that is, they did not follow the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is the most crucial part of the parable, and teachers ignore it, since they do not have a clue. The light is the holy spirit which they have received when they were born of the spirit. "Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." Now, probably after many warnings, one day God gave this final warning, the five hardened their hearts, and God was provoked to anger. God removed the holy spirit from them, and they were dead again.
"Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 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." This portion is a little difficult to understand, so please bear with me. Let me explain it from my experience. When I was born again, I got enthusiastic and have dived into the word of God and was going strong. A few others also were born again, and got the momentum, but not solely into the word of God. But they have the word and sermons of preachers. As time went by, they became as they were before; what all they got was the sermons of preachers, but not the word of God. Since I am a bible teacher, a few of them came to me and invited me to their church to share the word to them. I told them, that it is not proper for me to teach them; but they must ask their preachers to teach them the word of God, and they must learn it from them. Here, the five wise virgins did the same thing as I did. They told the five foolish virgins to go to their merchants and buy it from them. "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." When they were busy with their preachers, the wise virgins have united with Jesus Christ and the door was shut. The foolish virgins were rejected forever. They may enjoy a happy worldly life, but they lost their eternal life.
"11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us." They calls him Lord, Lord, but they do not obey him as in Matthew 7:21&22, and Luke 6:46; Jesus says, "46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" At this point they do not have the light, which is the holy spirit. If they think that they have the light, it will be the strange fire and a counterfeit spirit, which every church say that they have. "Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." This fire was their own making, and God killed them. Here the church people are making a fake spirit, and God kills them spiritually, that is, God removes the holy spirit from them. "Matthew 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." If we do not have the holy spirit in us, we do not belong to him. "13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." This parable belongs to the born-again people. If we are not born-again, we do not belong to Jesus Christ anyway. "John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." If we are not born again; or, if we are born again and do not live according to his word; and if we are living religiously following preachers; we will not even see heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ may visit us any day and will take the holy spirit away from us permanently and shut the door to eternal life. Scripture says it repeatedly. "Hebrews 3:15 ... To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." So, keep the oil, which is the word of God, but not sermons of preachers. If you backslide, don't harden your heart. However, if you are not born again, this parable will not apply to you. It is about the oil, which is the doctrine of Jesus Christ; and the light, which is the holy spirit that Jesus Christ gives to people. Jesus Christ says that we must be born again, that is to be born of the spirit. If you like to study about "born again", the details are in these links: "Video & Transcript."
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Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his
Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinth 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
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