I will be Diligent and Wise, Not Lazy or Senseless

From: October 14 – 20, 2008

Pastor: Edith Cruz

Study: # 562 (before 258) TOPIC: “I will be Diligent and Wise, Not Lazy or Senseless” Mathew 25: 1-13

Proverbs 6:6

I have a great pastoral responsibility. If I, as the pastor, didn't insist exhorting you in the fear to God, you would stop to walk in this path. In your life there should always be fear towards Jehovah. Our body is selfish, searcher of its own successes, vanity of what some day will cease to be. For a name that fill or satisfy us pleases us, but one day it will cease to be. It is in the man and in the woman to develop the spirit, because one day everything will pass. We need to put diligence and effort in this. Notice the ant that has no one to direct it and walks through the correct path. To avoid problems we are in a constant battle every day. How good it is to have a refuge, and it is God! If we don't fight, who will conquer? Those who truly fight are those who recognize that God has chosen them to do His will. As Christians in these times we have to keep an open mind. Because, nowadays the ministration from the altar becomes one of how to satisfy people so that everybody is happy. For that reason, lukewarmness and fatigue is manifested in believers in a natural way, as if it wasn't important. That is why the Scriptures tell us of five wise virgins and five senseless, and the Church is compared with these two groups. As we go deeper into this study, you will realize which of these groups you belong to. It is important that you be a part of the Church. We are a Body that has a hope: the coming of Jesus Christ. For that reason our attendance to the church should not depend on if we are happy or not, but to be a part of a town that is expecting the Lord to return. Those virgins were wise and intelligent people, with good judgment, sagacious, with their eyes wide open to identify what does not come from God. The senseless ones have lack of knowledge. Satan plans a trap for them with astuteness. God’s people should not be caught in the middle, we are either wise or we are senseless. The Word points out to you and it shows you what your fruits are while you study yourself. It will depend on this whether we have to listen from Lord, "Verily I say unto you, I do not know you.” We complain against God, but He treats us as a father, as His children. It is better for Jesus to touch our wound and be healed before it is too late rather than having to regret it later. It bothers us to be confronted and have our offenses exposed. We don’t even like to confront ourselves. It is very difficult to make the decision of analyzing ourselves and accept the affliction. Will we live an entire life in lukewarmness? God will vomit the lukewarm ones right out of his mouth! It is easy to apologize, to have a reason for not being where we should be. There are only a few brave ones who confront themselves. For that reason, a great percentage of the church is lukewarm. Ephesians 5:14, 15 We teach, but, who obeys? It seems as many like to be lukewarm. This way they don't have a commitment to arrive early to church. What does it matter to some that they fall asleep during the service! When we are lukewarm, the heart doesn't yearn to see the glory of God. Then, imagine arriving before God to hear Him say: “I don't know you.” The ten virgins were called (we are speaking of the Church) and they were told that the groom was coming. They had different attitudes; both groups were in a hurry to buy what they needed. The senseless ones only took enough money to buy the lamp, but the wise ones took enough money to buy the lamp and the oil. The senseless ones thought of buying what was cheap, this is the way our life is when we are lukewarm. If you think that fasting and prayer is not necessary, then your lamp is small. That’s how the senseless fall. If you believe that God has the obligation of taking you to Heaven, you are mistaken. When no precautions are taken and we live a disorderly life (in fornication, homosexuality, adultery, evilness,

hatred, etc.), we are greatly mistaken if we think that we will have time to go out and buy the oil without any difficulty; the sin will be there waiting for us until the lamp turns off. Don't trust the other person’s lamp, because each one has to have his own vessel with the extra oil. This erroneous attitude shows a lack of wisdom and intelligence. Whoever thinks this way has become brutalized. Some come running to the pastor saying, “I have problems.” But their problem is that their lamp is not ready because it has no oil, it shows their lack of interest. I hope that, if you are in that group, you leave it immediately. I (the pastor) want to fulfill what the Scriptures say, to die day after day. John 12:24 The wise ones sold all that they had to buy the best lamp. To pretend that we are waiting for the groom and not be prepared is very sad. He said He would come, if He comes sooner or later, it is a matter of the Father. We believed we weren’t going to have problems in this path, but with a little light one cannot work. The senseless ones believe they can deceive, but they can’t; you can always see what’s behind their attitude. If we were senseless and were left without oil, we would endanger our own. For this reason the church has to pray for its minister, musicians, leaders, and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ. Galatians 6:7 says: "God cannot be deceived, all that men will sow, that is what they will also reap.” We should wait with good oil, some good vessels and the best lamp, the most expensive. And to die each day to what we have to die. Imagine that the Master arrives all of a sudden, and that you are in the wrong place, taking the wrong action. The Master will not recognize those. Because the hypocrites don't have roots; they dance, they drink, they smoke, and they will do anything. The wise virgins filled their vessels and they were prepared, overcoming every obstacle presented in their path. We should prepare for our future. Let us not watch television excessively and refrain from working fourteen and up to sixteen hours. The vessel is filled for the future, for what may come. The wise prepare for Satan’s siege. The Word says, "resist the devil and he will flee.” The senseless ones said to the wise ones, "Give me of your oil!" It is similar to those Christians that say, "Speak with my husband, with my children, with my family to see if they convert.” But our oil, which we have obtained with a lot of work and effort, cannot be given to them. Each one should seek for their own. The Scriptures tell us the history of Simon, the magician, while watching the disciples pray for the ill and seeing how they were healed, he asked them to give him of what they had. But Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told him: "You and your money may perish.” The anointing is not an inheritance, it is necessary to earn it. The Good Shepherd recognizes the voice of prayer and the worship of those who seek Him. We should see to it that the Lord knows us by our name, because we have searched for Him with diligence and not with insensibility. Amen.