This is a very familiar story in the gospel according to Matthew. Here we find Jesus using a parable to show us how the kingdom of heaven shall be. We need to realize that there are some key points that we can use in our present situation from this parable. We have to understand that we are living in the last days. And we all need to be prepared to meet Jesus. Now I know some may say we have been hearing that for years. And the old saints use to use that as a scare tactic. But my bible tells me that there are specific things that will happen before Jesus returns. Now I’m not going to get into it now because I don’t have time to right now, maybe we’ll deal with that in another message. But our focal point here should be geared toward the need to be prepared for the coming of Jesus. There are some things we need to do in order to get ready and stay ready.
Now for those of you who feel you’re already ready hold tight, I’ll come down your street here shortly. But for those of you who are not ready I’m here on assignment from God to give you some tips to ensure that you get ready. Point #1: You have to repent of your sins and turn from your ways. David said in Psalms that we were all born into sin, and shaped in iniquity. No one is born saved or born with the Holy Ghost. We all have to undergo a change. Jesus said that we must be born again. Nicodemous asked how can a man who is grown be born again. The answer to that question is simple, we have to crucify our flesh, and allow the Holy Spirit to take residence in our lives. We are baptized with water, Jesus covers us with His blood, and we become born again, or new if you will. 1 Cor. 5:17 says, if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature, old things have passed away, and behold all things have become new. So when we become new or born again, we shouldn’t be doing things that we used to do before we got delivered.
Well, I already turned down that street so let me ride in Jesus name. I’m not saying you gone be perfect instantly, but your desires should change. You mind set should begin to think differently. There is no way anybody can say that they living for Jesus, on their way to heaven, and sold out for Christ if they still dibbling and dabbing in sin. Oh God. That’s what’s wrong with the church now; folk still trying to hit and stick, shake and move, and live like the world and got the nerve to say they love God. And will tell you to mind your business when you say something they don’t like or agree with. But my bible tells me that we ought to be helpers one to another. And if I see you in error I should be able to tell you hey that ain’t Godly, we as saints shouldn’t act like that. You see we are the representation of Jesus, and our lives should reflect how much we love and appreciate Him, but instead our lives show just how self centered, self righteous and messed up we really are.
If we say we love God then we should strive to keep His commandments. Now I’m not saying we gone be perfect, but we’ll strive for perfection. As a matter of fact Jesus told the pharises when they tried to catch Him up that the greatest commandments were, that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength. And that you love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus knew we couldn’t keep all those commandments that were written in stone and giving to the children of Israel. So he cut them down to 2. And we still have a problem keeping those 2. Let me move on. One of the things I hear all the time is we human, we all make mistakes and they quote Romans 3:23, for all have sin and come short of the Glory of God. But they overlook Romans 6:1 that says, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? They also overlook Galatians 6:7, be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And folk wonder why they can’t seem to get out of the rut they in, it’s because you are reaping what you are sowing. Lord have mercy. I’m still talking about the question: Are You Ready? Let me get back to the text, so we have to repent for our sins and turn from our way, to the only way, Christ Jesus. We have to be delivered. We have to let go of sin, and grab a hold to the righteousness of Jesus. Point #2: you have to ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for His word. The bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So in order to receive and build faith, you have to read, study, & meditate on God’s word. If you don’t understand the scriptures, God can send somebody your way to explain the word and make it plain and simple. The bible is the instructions on living a saved, sanctified, and filled with Holy Ghost life. It is your manual for daily operations in everything you do.
So the bible is the key to unlocking the knowledge, the wisdom, and understanding you’ll ever need on this Christian journey. Without Gods word it’ll be that much easier for the devil to defeat you because you’ll have no spiritual ability to fight back. We have to understand that whatever we feed will take precedence in our lives. If you feed your flesh, it will rule you. If you focus on material things more than the things of God, it will destroy you. But if you feed your spirit man, and chase after God’s righteousness you’ll gain the victory over all the tricks and the devices of the devil. He won’t be able to get you no more because the Word of God will come to your remembrance and you’ll resist the devil and he will flee. I feel the anointing in this place. Point #3: you have to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads you into all truth. It guide’s you through all of life’s hard times and struggles. Once you receive the Holy Spirit you will be able to defeat the devil easier than ever before.
Now when I say Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, I’m not talking about dancing, or shouting. I’m talking about the indwelling presence of God in your life. I’m talking about the keeping power, the protecting power, the comforting power, the healing power, the saving power. I’m talking about the spirit that will give you peace, in the middle of your storms. I’m talking about the Holy Spirit that’ll left you up, when you feeling down. I’m talking about the Holy Spirit that will quicken your heart when you feel you about to make a mistake that you’ll regret later. I’m talking about the Holy Spirit that will be with you in your midnight hour. We need the Holy Spirit to make it through the test and trials of life. It’s time out for playing. My mother used to say you may be playing with the devil, but he shol ain’t playing with you. The devil is here to kill, steal, and destroy. But Jesus said I AM come that ye might have life, and have it more abundantly. Now I told you earlier for those of us that feel like we already ready, point #4 is for us. We have to continue to live as Jesus did.
We have to continue to pray without ceasing. You see so much is going on in the world today and if we’re not prayed up we’ll mess around and lose our focus. We’ll get so entangled up in what’s going on around us; we’ll lose sight of what is really important. Our mission is to serve. No matter how much you got or don’t got, no matter how your ministry grows or don’t grow, no matter how much education you have or don’t have, our mission is to serve. God 1st, then His people. Yes folk will try you sometimes, but we have to be humble ourselves and allow God to fight our battles. Now I’m not saying let people run over you and do you any kind a way. But you have to understand that folk gone talk about you regardless, whether you do right or wrong. So let them talk. They talked about Jesus; they lied on Him, they scandalized His name, and eventually they crucified Him. So who are we to think that we are excluded from suffering? This is why we need to pray daily. We have to stay in tuned with God.
Because as soon as we let our guard down, that’s when the devil raises his head and try to get us to turn away from God. But we have to be steadfast, unmovable, always abiding in the work of the Lord. And when we do that, we’ll be in position to meet Jesus when He returns. Again I ask you, Are You Ready to go with Jesus? Matthew chapter 25 tells us of the parable of the ten virgins. 5 were foolish, and 5 were wise. You see this story tells us the 5 foolish virgins didn’t prepare properly to meet the bridegroom. They only had enough oil in their lamps to last them a little while. Many of us today are looking for the little while things. We’re not thinking about where our soul is going to go for eternity. We just worry about things we can get right now. But I’m here on assignment from the almighty God, to tell somebody you got to have enough oil in your lamp to last you until Jesus return. We don’t know the day nor the hour when the son of man will appear, so therefore we have to live everyday like it’s our last day.
I don’t know about you but I want to meet Jesus when He returns. He’s the one that keep me through dangers seen and unseen. He’s the one that forgave me for my sins over and over and over again. He’s the one that looked beyond my faults, and saw my need. And I just want to tell you on today, if you don’t got Jesus, really in your life. You need to get Him right now. Now is the time to receive the Lord as your personal savior. Now is the time to turn from your way to His way. Not my will, but thine will be done. It’s time out for playing church, it’s time out for being wishy washy. Now is the time to get real about Jesus. I used to hear the old saints say, when I see Jesus ima tell Him all about my troubles. Well I’m here to tell you, you and you, you don’t have to wait to see Jesus to tell Him about your troubles, He already knows your problems. But you can tell Him thank you right now for your deliverance. You can thank Him thank you for saving your soul. Thank Him for reaching down in the muck and myre clay, and pulling me out of the path to Hell.
Thank you, for how you walk with me daily. Thank you, for never leaving me nor forsaking me. Thank you, for bringing me this far. Somebody ought to tell the Lord thank you. He didn’t have to do it but He did. We owe Him our worship, we owe Him our praise. Our lives is not our own, it belongs to the Lord. I could have been dead, sleeping in a grave, but God allowed me to live. Serving God is the least I can do. Living for Him is my reasonable service. I know someone has been going through. I know you feel like throwing in the towel. I know you think the situation ain’t gone get no better. But if you hold to Gods unchanging hand, He’ll make it alright. As a matter of fact, it’s already alright. When Jesus died on the cross, He gave you power, to defeat the devil, and any situation that arises in your life can’t overtake you. You got power, from on high. Don’t back down, don’t you quit. Keep on pushing. Keep on believing. God is going to see you through. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy, joy, joy, cometh in the morning. After you’ve done all you can, stand.
