1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.  (Matt. 25)

It is too my shame that I have not understood the meaning of the lamp and the oil.  In years past I have understood a message of urgency and a teaching of truth about how we ought to prepare ourselves for His coming.  But I confess that I did not understand exactly what the lamp or the oil was.  Oh, I knew about the fire of the Holy Spirit.  But because of those who promote speaking in tongues, I was confused as to what that power accomplished.

The Lord showed me clearly this morning what this means.  And I present this here for those who are like I have been; not understand the full meaning of the picture He has painted here.  The lamp is us.  The fire within the lamp is the Holy Spirit.  And the oil is the effect wrought by an habitual appearing before the Lord in prayer.

Many walk their entire lives by simple belief that God will do all things for us on the day when we appear before Him.  I have spoken often about the necessity to “do” something in response to the Gospel.  While I am also at fault, in my days former, for not making prayer a vital part of my daily life.  It has been shown and proven to me that any day without formal personal prayer is a day spent without the filling of oil.  I consider that error and am in awe at my ignorance.  It makes me more grateful to God for His mercy and grace.

Now, may God quicken my mind when I meet a Christian who declares that prayer is not that important in their life.  They might declare that they depend on God to rescue them from troubles.  They might consider spiritual duty as if it were a distasteful task.  Bible reading might well have passed into that which is given to children, yet has no place in the real world of adults.  May He bless me to remember the vital message of the parable.  May He quicken my mind to remember what He has just taught me so that I will do it and not forget!

We all eat to sustain our body.  We know when we are hungry.  I ask myself, “How did you not perceive that you were empty before the Lord of Majesty?”  How is it that I walked as a man who tried to walk across a newly plowed field in the dark, and did not perceive that I stumbled so horribly because I did not obey His Holy call to prayer?

I have lived decades as a fool.  But every encounter with His Holy Truth leaves me even more aware of just how deep that folly is.  And how deep now is the desire to help my brothers and sisters come to the same conclusion.  How I desire to share what is true.  I consider the troubles the Church is embroiled in today.  And see clearly that it is because of this very item that we have faltered so horribly.  We have forgotten the Lord in our wealth.  We have all fattened ourselves on the ways of the world and turned our faces away from the ways of God which matter so very much.

Men attend a service to be counted as those who worship God.  Yet their own lamps are dry and sparkless.  They are even listening to the word of God being spoken by men who are supposed to be FILLED to over flowing with the fire of God.  Yet the message is like a flame which has been submerged in the ocean.  Empty words come out.  The wick sways with the currents of water.  But there is no FIRE upon it and no oil remains to renew it.   Good words of God float to men’s ears without power.  How can it be a surprise when we find those who call themselves Christians living a life void of distinguishing from those of the world?

Oh dear!  Please, let us renew our strength to endure that place of prayer.  The flesh will hate our knees as we bow to Jesus.  But without that bowing we are nothing.  This is what the solid men of God found out and warned us to do.  We revere them for what was accomplished by God through them.  But they are like trophies on our wall, icons of “good” which we happily show all our guests.  All the while, we should become living trophies of God’s work today.  Take down the trophies of others; those icons you hold so dear.  Revere them by becoming like them!  What else needs be said here?