"wake Up The Sleeping Church."

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

(Ephesians 5:14) "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."

(Matthew 25:1-5) (1) "Then the kingdom of heaven, shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." (2) " Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish." (3) " Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them," (4) "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." (5) " But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept."

(Matthew 25:6-9) (6) " "And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" (7) " Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps." (8) " And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." (9) "But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves."

(Matthew 25:10-13) (10) " And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut." (11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" (12) "But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." (13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

PREFACE SUMMARY

The parable of the Ten Virgins is a story told by Jesus to illustrate the need for Christians to be prepared for his second coming. It speaks of ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom; five were wise and brought enough oil for their lamps, while the other five were foolish and did not.

When the bridegroom was delayed, all ten virgins fell asleep. But when he arrived, the foolish virgins realized they had run out of oil and asked the wise ones to share with them. The wise ones refused and advised the foolish ones to go and buy oil for themselves.

The foolish ones left to buy oil, but by the time they returned, the bridegroom had already arrived, and the door was closed. The parable concludes with the bridegroom telling the foolish virgins, "I do not know you."

This parable teaches us the importance of being prepared and ready for the return of Christ. The wise virgins who brought enough oil for their lamps represent true believers who are prepared and ready for the second coming of Christ. The foolish virgins who did not get enough oil represent those who attend church just for appearances, lacking genuine faith and failing to prepare for the return of Christ. The parable emphasizes that the second coming of Christ will be sudden and unexpected, and those who are not ready will not be accepted into the kingdom of God.

In this parable, Jesus uses ordinary events and customs of the day to relate spiritual truths to his disciples. The five foolish maidens in the parable chose to do things their way, and as a result, the wedding party had to walk in less light on a dark path. This is because Jewish weddings are usually held at night.

In today's world, many people in the church may appear to be ready to meet the Lord, but in reality, they have not completely surrendered their lives to Christ. They may still identify as Christians but have not obeyed His commandments to serve others and be a light to the world.

It is essential to understand that being a Christian is not just a matter of words but also of actions. The Bible teaches us that faith without works is dead. Therefore, following Jesus' teachings and spreading His love and kindness to others is essential.

As we prepare ourselves for the Lord's coming, we should remember that we do not know when He will return, and we must always be ready. We must strive to live a life that is pleasing to God and be diligent in our efforts to serve and love others. Only then can we be assured that we are ready to meet the Lord and welcome him into His kingdom.

"LESSONS FROM THE TEN VIRGINS."

The parable of the Ten Virgins is a moving story that Jesus shared to highlight the necessity of being spiritually prepared for Christ’s second coming. In this parable, ten virgins set out to meet the bridegroom. Five virgins were wise and brought extra oil for their lamps, ensuring they would be ready in case of a delay. The other five, described as foolish, neglected this crucial preparation and brought insufficient oil.