**I pray you to heed this message. Take it to the LORD. Test the spirits. And let the Holy Spirit guide you. 

When it comes to strengthening, it is a matter of spiritual growth. According to Hebrews 5:11-14, that we the church need to grow up. We’ve been infants continually living on milk rather than eating solid foods. As infants, we are still in the level of unskilled in the word of righteousness, where we are not truly serving GOD. We are still dominated by human nature, not readying ourselves for maturity, spiritual growth! Being mere infants is still worldly because you still walk in jealousy, strife, and discord, as said in 1st Corinthians 3:1-3. We are still trusting man and not fully trusting GOD. We have not come to the realization that GOD, the LORD GOD Almighty is more than enough for us. We are caught up in the desires of this world which is fleeting! Don’t you remember that heaven and earth will pass away but GOD’s WORD will never pass away? Where is your heart? Who are you trusting?

Reading the parable of the 10 virgins, the 5 that are wise and the 5 that are foolish, found in Matthew 25:1-13, we are shown these things…that both the foolish and the wise virgins were getting ready for the coming of the bridegroom. The virgins are us the Christians. We are awaiting for the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ who is coming, not soon but is closer than all of us think. We are living in the last days so this is the time to be more alert than we were before. And this leads me to the 10 virgins, how they fell asleep. But at midnight, a shout came forth, announcing of the coming of the bridegroom. And this is where I want you to truly pay attention. 

All 10 virgins woke up. They were alert because they heard of the coming of the bridegroom. Now, as mentioned, we all know that Jesus Christ is coming soon, but now He is coming! Time is short. So all 10 virgins woke up and trimmed their lamp. The word trimmed in the Greek is Kosmeo, which means to put in order, arrange, and make ready. So we can say that the 10 virgins put in order, arranged, and made ready for the coming of the bridegroom. One thing to understand is that the lamp that is being talked about here is the Gospel we carry. Now again, pay attention to where we are going.Now, as the virgins were readying themselves, the foolish virgins didn’t have enough oil to put in their lamps. 

We see that the wise virgins had more oil than the foolish virgins because the foolish virgins asked the wise virgins for more oil. But the wise virgins told the foolish virgins to buy them this oil at the store. “Buy the oil for yourselves,” they said. As I mentioned, the lamp is us carrying the gospel. We are carrying the truth of Christ Jesus that has set us free from sin and death so that we become the righteousness of GOD. This is where we are true worshippers, worshipping GOD in spirit and in truth. The oil is the Holy Spirit that keeps the lamp burning in us! In Luke 12:35, the WORD says to keep the lamp continuously burning. 

How do we keep the lamp burning? You use oil. The more oil you have, the more your lamp is burning. So, as the foolish virgins went to get more oil, the bridegroom came. The ones who were ready for the bridegroom went with HIM, to the wedding feast. The door closed behind them. 

But what happened to the foolish virgins? They came back but it was already too late; the door closed. The foolish virgins knocked on the door saying, “LORD, open the door for us.” See, they now had the oil they needed to meet the bridegroom and to go with HIM. But the LORD replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].”

In verse 3 says, of the 25th chapter of Matthew, “Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].”

It was too late for the foolish virgins. Why were the foolish virgins left behind? Because of the lack of oil, not having enough oil, not having enough maturity, the spiritual growth to get ready for His coming. In this life, we need to grow up! We are to grow up for GOD by living with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:8 says, ” and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please GOD. The flesh desires the things of this world but when we are in the Spirit, we desire the things of GOD. 

The LORD has been telling us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve two gods. One is the true GOD while the other is not. 

In 1st Kings 18:24, the WORD says, “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the GOD who answers by fire, He is GOD.” And all the people answered, “It is well-spoken.”

Whoever you call on this day, you will see who answers.