Tuesday, September 23, 2003 (81) THE CRY AT MIDNIGHT. Anticipated, But the hour not known. Apathy had set in and had reached its peak. Most lamentably, while there is much ado and preaching concerning the end of the age, there is little in a way of spiritual preparation for those days. This parable is not in relationship to the second coming of Christ, but as so evident it is truly relevant to the marriage of the Lamb. There is no separation nor such distinction to be made in the gathering together of the redeemed at His coming. The foolish, while certainly most unwise are not excluded from the kingdom of heaven, only from the marriage of the Lamb. Mt. 25:6 It is at this dark hour that the very distinctive cry is made to, go ye out to meet him. What excitement, the wedding is going to proceed. There is a going out a detachment to be made. A release from the past life and an entering into an entirely new life. The Bride is about to come under the shelter of her Bridegroom. How important that is, especially when considering the midnight conditions of the world at the time of her wedding.
LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS FOR THE WEDDING. The wise needed but to trim their lamps. Mt. 25:7 A quick and simple act. One of cutting away that portion of the wick which had been burned and was blackened. The effect was lamps that were giving more and a better light. The foolish suddenly found themselves with lamps which were flickering and about to go out, if not already out. What consternation, what despair to suddenly find the most necessary of all commodities, lacking or missing entirely. They immediately turned to the wise and desired to buy of them oil for their lamps. Mt. 25:8 The wise were of no mind to sell and use up their supply of oil, nor could they. Oil is a very real symbol of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The oil of the Spirit is not for sale, it is never sold. Also, that oil is not imparted by a Spirit filled individual to a person seeking the Holy Spirit. Jesus has reserved that right unto Himself. He, and He alone baptizes with the Holy Ghost. The Comforter whom Jesus will send from the Father. The gift of the Lord to all who will believe. John 14:26 Oil, the Baptism of the Spirit is a Divine requisite for acceptance as a member of the Bride of Christ. After all, He is the one who will choose His own Bride and will require of her a certain standard of Spirituality. No one is excluded from an opportunity to be a part of that Bride, providing they will measure up to the necessary criterion. Winning the heart of the Bridegroom by means of our Spiritual preparations is the gist of the whole story which we are considering. We all have the book of instructions, the Word of the Lord. We may all read it or hear it as it is preached. The Spirit of the Lord will illuminate the will of the Lord for Spiritual living unto all who have a heart to listen and a desire to be prepared for every future event scheduled for the Church of the Lord Jesus. The Bridegroom is searching for hearts that love Him and are willing to commit their lives fully and totally unto Him. Five were wise, they got the message. Five were foolish and did their own thing. Consequently they missed the wedding.