Matthew 25:8-13
25:8 "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
25:9 "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.'
25:10 "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.
25:11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'
25:12 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
There will be a separation forever between wise virgins and foolish virgins at the time of Jesus' second coming. The wise and the foolish will be separated forever although now they are in the same house, room, ministry, et cetera.
The foolish virgins are the Churches of God who do not watch so they do not have the oil for supply. Consequently, the lamps are quenched forever and they do not know God as well as He does not know them so the door of the marriage supper of the Lamb of God will be shut. They are left when Jesus comes a second time, being perished forever.
On the contrary, the wise virgins are the Churches of God who watch so they have the oil for supply and their lamps keep on burning. They know God and He knows them.
As s result, the door of the marriage supper of the Lamb will be opened that we can enter into it at the time of Jesus' second coming.
Revelation 19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
How can we know and be known by God? It is through SHEPHERDING system.
John 10:14
10:14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
The Church of God must be in shepherding system, not in corporation management system. A pastor will become a hireling if he only manages who will preach the sermon or how much money the wage is.
Jesus appears as Good Shepherd so we must become good sheep, that is to say sheep who are shepherded to the true teaching Word, as a branch attaining to the true Vine.
Being the good sheep, Jesus will appear as the Good Shepherd to do His duty.
The duties of the Good Shepherd are below:
25:8 "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
25:9 "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.'
25:10 "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.
25:11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'
25:12 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
There will be a separation forever between wise virgins and foolish virgins at the time of Jesus' second coming. The wise and the foolish will be separated forever although now they are in the same house, room, ministry, et cetera.
The foolish virgins are the Churches of God who do not watch so they do not have the oil for supply. Consequently, the lamps are quenched forever and they do not know God as well as He does not know them so the door of the marriage supper of the Lamb of God will be shut. They are left when Jesus comes a second time, being perished forever.
On the contrary, the wise virgins are the Churches of God who watch so they have the oil for supply and their lamps keep on burning. They know God and He knows them.
As s result, the door of the marriage supper of the Lamb will be opened that we can enter into it at the time of Jesus' second coming.
Revelation 19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
How can we know and be known by God? It is through SHEPHERDING system.
John 10:14
10:14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
The Church of God must be in shepherding system, not in corporation management system. A pastor will become a hireling if he only manages who will preach the sermon or how much money the wage is.
Jesus appears as Good Shepherd so we must become good sheep, that is to say sheep who are shepherded to the true teaching Word, as a branch attaining to the true Vine.
Being the good sheep, Jesus will appear as the Good Shepherd to do His duty.
The duties of the Good Shepherd are below:
- Calling the sheep with His voice/shepherding Word/the rod of shepherd.
John 10:3
10:3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
The rod of shepherd isthe true teaching Word God trusts to a pastor to preach to the congregation continually, faithfully, and repetitiously to become their food so they may grow to spiritual growth and perfection.
The measurement of being good pastor is the ability to feed the sheep, not the ability to give money because worldly boss can give money also.
The good sheep will hear and obey the shepherding Word.
We must take heed to these two things in shepherding:- Do not be strange to the true teaching Word.
Hosea 8:11
8:11 "Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, They have become for him altars for sinning.
Being strange to the true teaching Word by resisting, rejecting, criticizing It, one will add sin to sin although adding the quantity of the ministry (the altar). - Do not hear strange voice, do not consume strange food.
John 10:5
10:5 "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
The strange teaching may be in gossip none may account for.
The sheep having good conscience will not believe when hearing something bad about the shepherd or they will ask the pastor about the truth.
2 Kings 4:38-40
4:38. And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."
4:39 So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.
4:40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
Be careful to the strange thing, do not consume or hear it because there is death in it!
Praise the Lord that Elisha commanded to bring some flour, referring to the true teaching Word, so there was a help.
Eutychus also heard strange voice by sitting in a window (not sitting on grass, not being shepherded well). Consequently, he fell from the third story, referring to death.
The functions of the shepherding rod are below:- To bring the sheep into the sheepfold.
Ezekiel 20:37
20:37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
The sheepfold is the Holy Place of Tabernacle, referring to the perseverance in committing three main services to the Lord as follows:- Golden Candlestick (https://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_golden+candlestick.html) -->perseverance in committing General Service.
- Table of Showbread (https://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_table+of+showbread.html) -->perseverance in committing Bible Study Service.
- Golden Altar of Incense (https://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_the+golden+altar+of+incense.html) -->perseverance in committing Prayer Service.
The sheep entering the sheepfold will be reckoned by God. A piece of hair is also reckoned by Him. We are reckoned although we are little and powerless. Being reckoned means we are protected and preserved by God although we are powerless until we are possessed by Him, none may charge against. - Golden Candlestick (https://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_golden+candlestick.html) -->perseverance in committing General Service.
- To lead the sheep out to another sheepfold.
John 10:3-4
10:3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
10:4 "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
We go out of our sheepfold to make a fellowship together, not alone, otherwise we will go astray.
John 10:16
10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
The true fellowship depends on the true teaching Word.
We may discern the fellowship coming from God and not coming from Him through the TEACHING, whether it is true or not.
The false fellowship will add sin to sin.
Isaiah 30:1
30:1. "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin;
The fellowship begins in marriage. Getting married not because of the true teaching Word, the marriage will add sin to sin. Being shepherded not because of the true teaching Word will add sin to sin. Having fellowship with another sheepfold not because of the true teaching Word will also add sin to sin, up to the peak of sin in building the body of Babel. - To lead the sheep to the last shepherding in New Jerusalem where there is no tear.
Revelation 7:17
7:17 "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
The proof of being lead to New Jerusalem is therenewal of our life,we have the renewal from carnal men to spiritual men as Jesus is.
Not being shepherded, the sheep cannot reach New Jerusalem!
Ephesians 4:21-25
4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
The renewal is done through putting away lying.Not lying, one is being lead to New Jerusalem.
Putting away lying means saying righteously and confessing sins honestly.
Lying, one will have many tears and his life is withered.
On the contrary, putting away lying, there will flow the fountain of joy and physical matters.
- Do not be strange to the true teaching Word.
- To give His life for the sheep.
John 10:11
10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
Giving His life means being dead on the cross because of His obedience.
John 16:7
16:7. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd has been obedient until He dies on the cross to pour out Holy Spirit.
The good sheep must be obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore so we have the anointing of Holy Spirit, the fullness of Holy Spirit and the overflowing of Holy Spirit to become the oil for supply so our lamp keeps on burning when Jesus comes a second time.
Psalm 27:14
27:14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
The proof of having burning lamp is our strong heart, we are of good courage.
Being strong and of good courage means below:- Holding fast the true teaching Word whatever risk may come.
- Being faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering God.
- Keeping a righteous and holy marriage.
The righteous marriage is strengthened and blessed by God. Do not fall in sin during the friendship to start the marriage. - Not sinning anywhere, anytime, in any condition.
- Do not be hopeless, or disappointed in facing all matters but believing and hoping in God always.
We are sanctified and renewed to become as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time, to become His Bride ready to welcome Jesus' second coming.
1 Kings 19:4-8
19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"
19:5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat."
19:6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
19:7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."
19:8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
There are many lamps which are almost quenched or already quenched when Jesus' second coming is drawing near.
Elijah was employed by God greatly but he could be hopeless in facing false doctrine (Jezebel).
The Lord gave him food twice. It refers to the teaching Word and Holy Communion, which are the stretched hand of God to make us strong and of good courage so our lamp keeps on burning.
Elijah who formerly had been hopeless could be lifted up to heaven.
The robber beside Jesus on the cross had a quenched lamp but the Lord still helped because he confessed his sin.
Luke 23:41-43
23:41 "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
23:42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Receiving the Holy Communion, let us examine ourselves and confess our sins uprightly and the Lord will strengthen us and bring us to paradise. - Holding fast the true teaching Word whatever risk may come.