“If I were to give an ideal profile of My true church, it would look like My Son, Jesus, with one exception. It would also be looking for My Son, Jesus. Jesus lived His life so that He would end up on the cross. Everything He did was for that one goal. His love, His devotion, His focus - all were heading to the point of His own death so that others would benefit. Your work may or may not cause your physical death; but your heart should be just as His was, heading toward the death of your flesh. That should be part of your purpose for living. I promise to help you with that. I love you too much for you to remain as you are. In the process of eliminating all fleshly desires from your life, I will also create a desire in you to look and hope for the return of Jesus for you.
"You have much to do with that desire being created in you. Some of you hope that He returns so that you can be removed from trial and tribulation. You will be very surprised when He returns for His bride. Others of you desire His return so that you will have your reward and can see My plan fulfilled for your good. Those of you who press in now so that He will return for a holy, loving bride - looking only for His desires to be fulfilled, longing only that He be delighted in you for His pleasure - will have your wish. You have the proper purpose for living. You have My heart. I desire that His joy is complete.
"I request that you crave for the same desire and cultivate a purposeful heart, one that is identical to His, while you have the chance. You will know Him as He is when He comes, for your hearts will beat as one. Become a study of Jesus now. Crave only for His heart. Live only for His glory. That pleases Me!”
Matthew 25:1-13 NIV
(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 them were foolish and five were wise.
(3) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
(4) The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
(5) The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
(6) “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! 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; our lamps are going out.’
(9) “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
(10) “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
(11) “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
(12) “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
(13) “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Over the years, I’ve asked many, many people who study the Word about the above verses. In my asking, I have found the answers to be as varied as there are denominations in this land. Some feel that these verses have little reference to the coming of Christ for His bride in the rapture. Some say there is no rapture, that the verses are simply a story to encourage us to be better people. Others say that it is a perfect picture of the church. A growing segment of serious believers see the ten virgins as a very small segment of the church; that the verses refer to only those who have the single purpose of looking and waiting for the bridegroom. Even among those who are looking for the Groom, only half of them enter the bridal chamber because the others are there for the wrong reasons.
The most compelling verse is verse thirteen where the Author, Jesus, turns the direction of the conversation from a narrative to a direct, applicable statement for the listener then and the reader now. He says, “You keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
To me, no matter how the previous verses are interpreted and what they mean, this last verse warns me not to slack off in my quest for more of the Lord in any way, at any time. I picture Him touching one in the audience on the shoulder, looking in his or her eyes and pouring forth vast amounts of unspoken love, calling for his or her heart to be one with His, making His joy complete.
All of the surrounding verses are in direct response to their question about His coming at the end of the age. All are clear indications that the walk with Christ is no shallow commitment. All call for a watchful posture, looking for the complete fulfillment of all things.
Lord, make my heart beat in unison with Yours,
Jim Corbett
