In Matthew 25 Jesus shares the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The wise ones had an additional supply of oil to keep their lamps burning. At midnight, when the bridegroom returned, they were allowed to enter into the wedding banquet and the foolish ones who had run out of oil, were shut out. Jesus said to those who were out of oil, “I never knew you.”
Matthew 25: 1-13 states “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.
The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
This passage refers to the time of Christ’s return, but can also be applied also to those who do not have the oil of salvation when they pass into the next life. When we make the decision to receive Christ we receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives; this is the only thing which will qualify us for eternity in heaven. The oil of our own efforts will burn out and fall short when the moment comes for us to enter eternity. The only thing that will qualify us is having Christ as our Savior and the oil of the Holy Spirit in our lamps!
There are so many signs of the end times in our day; our day is very similar in our day to the days of Noah. Jesus said in Matthew 24: 3- 39 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Genesis 6:5 tells us concerning the time of Noah: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Our society continues to legalize things which God calls sin. It doesn’t want to be held accountable to the standard of the word of God and yet God’s standard does not change. The world today seems more like the days of Noah than ever before.
And what should be the response of the believer to these things? We need to be people who are ready. We need to have oil in our lamps! Jesus said to those virgins, who had no oil, I never knew you. God is interested in relationship! He’s looking for people who spend time with Him. I believe as we get nearer to the return of Jesus we will see greater and greater outpourings of oil for the Church; we need to be people who soak it that oil; those who gather and carry as much oil as possible.
God wants us to be those who drill deeper, dig deeper and press in for more oil. In the natural world there are different types of oil. Cooking oil, is made from different types of vegetables. It is extracted by pressing, and crushing and other methods. Sometimes the crushing experiences of life can be used by God to bring forth more oil in our lives!
Crude oil, used in making petroleum products, is drilled for. There is a process for accessing the oil. There is work involved. When drilling for oil, the goal is to reach a gusher. A gusher of oil is created as oil is pushed up into the air by a massive build-up of air and gases underground. God desires that we be those who drill deeper into the things of God. He wants us to be those who tap into the gusher and release something not just for us but for so many others.
Oil has so many uses in the natural, depending on what it is for. Crude oil becomes a source of energy and is used for the smooth running of machinery. In the Kingdom of God it has a similar purpose. Jesus was called the Christ, and the word Christ in the Greek is “Christos” which means, “Anointed, chosen one.” The oil of the Holy Spirit is connected to purpose. As the Messiah, Jesus carried an anointing that related to His purpose of saving and delivering humanity.
All believers are called to be anointed in a similar way. There is an anointing for God given purpose. If God calls you to build and be an influence for the Kingdom of God, through business, medicine, politics, there is an anointing for that. There is an anointing oil for any and every purpose in the Kingdom of God. Today, I’m believing God will release a fresh outpouring of the oil of the Holy Spirit over your life, for your God given purpose.
Can the anointing on your life increase? I believe it can as you spend time in God’s presence, as you tap into all He has for you; it can increase for the purpose He has for you! Maybe today you are feeling low on oil; I am believing God will fill you to overflowing with the oil of the Holy Spirit.
As we approach the return of Christ, it’s so important to be full so you can fulfill the purpose God has on your life; it’s important to be filled with oil. As you prioritize gathering oil over gathering anything else, God will take care of you, and you will see many lives impacted mightily for the Kingdom of God.
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