Don't Be Excluded

A Story About Four New Fathers

     Before today's lesson, I wanted to tell you a story about four fathers in a hospital waiting room pictured above because their wives were having babies. A nurse tells the first father, Congratulations, you're the father of twins. He answers, that's strange; I work for the Minnesota Twins. Then a nurse tells the second father, Congratulations, you're the father of triplets; He answers, that's odd; I work for the 3M Company. Then a nurse tells the third father, Congratulations, you're the father of quadruplets. He answers, wow, I work for the four seasons hotel. Then the fourth father started saying, Oh no, Oh no, Oh no; Everyone asked what's wrong? He replied, I work for 7 Up. 

     OK, today we look at the parable of the ten virgins pictured above looking for the return of the bridegroom Jesus. Let's learn why five of the foolish virgins were excluded from heaven. Matthew 25 tells us Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

     Then Matthew 25:5 says While the bridegroom (Jesus) tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made; Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. 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.

     And Matthew 25:10 says 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. Afterward, came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.

     Now why were the foolish virgins excluded from heaven? The five foolish virgins appeared to be pure and virgins ready for Jesus' return. But, the foolish virgins lacked a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus which is required to go to heaven. Salvation is not in a plan; Salvation is in a person named the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said at John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Don't be foolish and be excluded from heaven. Right now get saved and repent, make a decision to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe daily that Jesus died for you on the cross, was buried, and rose again.

     The foolish virgins were like the church of Sardis pictured above (alive, but dead spiritually). Jesus said to the church of Sardis at Revelation 3:1 I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Today, like the church of Sardis, there are billions of professing foolish virgin so called christians whose outward life and conduct are pretty clean compared to the lost sinners of this world. They appear to be clean and attend church weekly, carry a King James bible, get baptized, sing the songs, and put money in the plate; but they are lost and not saved.

     Today, these billions of lost foolish virgin professing christians attend huge churches that like Sardis are only large mausoleums that are dead spiritually and never preach about Jesus, the blood of Jesus, or the cross of our Lord Jesus. The only thing you hear at these dead mausoleums is that God loves you and if you give me your money you will be blessed. These spiritually dead churches have forgotten to preach about repentance and that the only way to overcome the devil is by the blood of the Lamb (our Lord Jesus) and by the Word of our testimony.

     These foolish virgins who exist today are dead spiritually because they have no life and a personal relationship with Jesus who is our life. These foolish virgins represent the many counterfeit christians today who display a fake religious facade. It takes more than church membership to get saved. If I go into a garage, that doesn't make me a car. If I go into a barn, that doesn't make me a mule. If I go into a bakery, that doesn't make me a donut. I might look like one, but that doesn't make me a donut. And if I go into a church, that doesn't make me a christian.

     Walking down a church aisle and shaking a six foot spiritual icicle's hand wont save you; doing good works and answering some questions wont' save you; getting dunked in the pool, and blending in with the crowd won't save you. We need to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus to be saved. Truly, William Booth (the founder of the Salvation Army) pictured above was correct when he said in 1868, I consider that the chief dangers which shall confront the 20'th Century will be:

1) Religion without the Holy Spirit

2) Christianity without the Christ

3) Forgiveness without regeneration

4) Morality without God

5) Heaven without hell

     Alright, let's compare the two bible verses pictured above to see what is required to be saved and enter heaven. Jesus will tell many christians who reject Him Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Now doing the will of the Father does not involve works; it involves believing by faith unto salvation that Jesus is God who died for you on the cross, was buried, and rose again. This is proven by John 6:40 which defines the will of God saying And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son (Jesus), and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. You see that the will of God is to believe in Jesus unto salvation and does not involve works.

     Many foolish virgins will boast about their works to Jesus saying Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I (Jesus) profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Good works won't save anyone. Saving faith though produces good works. But good works do not produce saving faith. Instead of religion and it's works, we need regeneration and salvation from Jesus.

     Works come after salvation to shine Jesus to this lost world. Ephesians 2:8 says For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. But we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Notice good works come after salvation at Ephesians 2:10). The good works of saints after salvation shine Jesus to this lost world, and saints will be rewarded for their good works at the bema judgment seat after they are caught up to be with Jesus in the clouds.

     Now notice in the picture above that the foolish virgins were excluded from heaven because they had no oil in their vessels. The oil represents the Holy Spirit of God in a saint's vessel or body. This is proven at 1 Samuel 16:13 where after Samuel anointed David with oil, the Holy Spirit of the Lord came upon David. A person is required to have the Holy Spirit to be saved. The foolish virgins lacked the oil of the Holy Spirit and were not saved. The foolish virgins' lamps looked good with beautiful brass casings, fine glass shelves, and nice thick wicks, but they lacked the oil of the Spirit that is required to be saved.

     And when anyone gets saved, they receive the Holy Spirit the same time that they get saved. The following scriptures prove that when a person gets saved, they receive the Holy Spirit the moment they are saved. You don't have to work to get the Holy Spirit after you get saved. Romans 8:9 says But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And Titus 3:5 says Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. In other words, when we got saved, we also were renewed with the Holy Ghost.

     Alright, also notice that the foolish virgins tried to buy oil to get to heaven instead of believing in Jesus (who is the Holy Spirit oil). Today, like these foolish virgins, many Hollywood stars with millions of dollars are trying to buy their way to heaven. After they give $100,000 to a charity like Big Brothers they say that will get me in good standing with God and let me go to heaven. No it won't; You need to repent, decide to stop sinning, believe Jesus is God, and believe daily that Jesus died for you on the cross, was buried, and rose again to go to heaven.

     Like these foolish virgins, a man named Simon thought he could buy his way to heaven by purchasing the Holy Spirit with money from Peter. Simon was not saved because he did not have the Holy Spirit by faith. Peter told Simon at Acts 8:20 Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

     OK, notice that another reason the five foolish virgins were excluded from heaven pictured above was because they slept while Jesus the bridegroom tarried. Matthew 25:5 says that While the bridegroom (Jesus) tarried, they all (even the five wise virgins) slumbered and slept.

     Unfortunately, today most people are like these foolish virgins and are spiritually insensible and sleeping while multitudes of lost souls around them are perishing and going to hell. These professing foolish virgin so called christians don't want to talk about Jesus or the bible. And when you try to wake them up and talk about Jesus, they say well that's good for you, just go away. Most people are overcharged and too busy texting on their cellphones and looking at facebook and instagram, failing to witness to lost sinners around them all over this earth about the Lord Jesus.

     Today, saved saints are asleep like Jonah while unbelievers around them are perishing without the Lord Jesus. When a saint named Jonah was on a ship in a storm sleeping, Jonah 1:6 says the shipmaster came to him and said unto him What meanest thou? O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God. If so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

     In other words, the shipmaster told Jonah, Jonah you're the only believer on this ship. Please wake up and stop sleeping; Please pray to God for the lost sinners on this ship so the storm doesn't sink the ship. Saints, unlike Jonah, wake up and start witnessing to lost sinners all over this earth about our Lord Jesus. Tell everyone to say daily I am crucified with Christ and covered by the blood of Jesus. Let everyone know that there is a place called the cross of our Lord Jesus to give your problems to. And once your problems are on the cross, they are destroyed forevermore because the blood of Jesus has overcome and defeated the devil.

     Also see that the foolish virgins thought they could obtain the oil from the wise virgins. They failed to realize that the only way to receive the oil Holy Spirit was to have faith in our Lord Jesus. Only Jesus (and not any person) could give them the saving oil of the Holy Ghost. The bible says one plants, one waters, but God giveth the increase. When we witness we are just seed sowers and water boys and girls, but God giveth the increase. I wish I could personally save millions of lost sinners by myself, but only each person's faith in the Lord Jesus can save them.

     Finally, we see that the foolish virgins found a closed shut door and were not allowed to get caught up with the church to be with Jesus. I believe that the foolish virgins represent billions of people on this earth that will be left behind after the bride church and its saints get caught up in the rapture to live in peace with Jesus.

     Friend right now the door of grace is open to you to be saved. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. But soon after the church is caught up in the rapture, like in the days of Noah this door of grace will be shut and billions of lost souls will have to endure to the end of a seven year tribulation period while they face a cruel antichrist ruler. In addition to believing in the Lord Jesus, these left behind billions will have to endure to the end of the seven year tribulation and not take the mark of the beast to be saved. People will not be able to buy or sell food or necessities without the mark of the beast. But if they take the mark of the beast they will be damned in hell forever.

     The foolish virgins remind me of the lost sinners during Noah's day. After Noah and his family went into the ark, God shut the door and it was too late for the lost sinners to ride safely on the ark. Those left behind faced mass chaos and the wrath of God. Genesis 7:16 says And they (Noah and his family) that went in, went in male and female of flesh as God had commanded him, and the Lord shut him in. Notice God shut the door and when the people yelled to Noah for help, Noah said I can't help you because God shut the door.  Wow, soon there is coming a time when God shuts the door of salvation during this age of grace; This is why you need to get saved right now. Like the picture above, Brother Bob tells everyone all over this earth, The door is still open, like in the days of Noah, but we don't know the time when it will shut. Will you come in now?

     In conclusion, Brother Bob says Job 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with Him (Jesus), and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee. Remember to avoid exclusion from heaven, get saved and enter heaven by having a personal acquaintance with our Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit which is a necessity for eternal life with Jesus in glory above. Instead of being a foolish virgin left behind facing a seven year tribulation period, get saved with our Lord Jesus and experience a blessed honeymoon and glorious marriage to our Lord Jesus.

     I pray in Jesus name this little bible study blesses multitudes all over this earth. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.