AN ABUNDANCE OF OIL
As I look and see and discern the times and seasons, it appears to me that the season Jesus spoke of is at hand.
Matthew 24:3-14 (AMPC) is essential reading. I will focus on verses 3-6.
While He (Jesus) was seated on the Mount Of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said , Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and the end (the completion , the consummation) of the age?
Jesus answered them. Be careful that no one misleads you (deceiving you and leading you into error.)
For many will come in ( on the strength of ) My name { appropriating the name which belongs to Me }, saying I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
These prophetic words of wisdom are to be headed by every disciple of Jesus. We are called to be like the sons of Isacchar and discern our times and seasons. Not get our perspective from the world's point of view. Ecclesiastes 3 is a guide to the seasons of God ( His time for every matter or purpose under heaven). 3:8 clearly states there is a time for war.
Disciples of Christ are in the world, but not of it. ( John 17:16) . We are sheep in His pasture. Therefore, we are to live Holy Spirit led lives. (John 10:27) “The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Do you notice the pattern and call to intimate personal fellowship? The disciples came to Jesus privately. Jesus said, “I know them.” This is the same word in Hebrew, yada, representing experiential, deep relational knowledge, often used for marital intimacy. This is not intellectual awareness.
This wisdom is teaching us not to be led astray. Being led into fear is being led out of God’s will and into bondage. Do you rely on the news, talk shows, the media, social media posts and opinions of others to form your opinion? Are the unGodly voices leading you astray? Are you like Adam and Eve in the garden, listening to snakes rather than having that intimate fellowship with God?
Did you inquire of The Lord about this season? Do you follow God’s word and instructions to pray for those in leadership or do you just watch a news story and have your opinion given to you?
1 Timothy 2:1-2 tells Believers to not only intercede, but give thanks to God for our leaders and all in authority so that we can live a quiet, godly, peaceful life. This is regardless of our personal opinions or agreement with them. Are you murmuring and complaining against leadership like Miriam and the Israelites in the wilderness or are you trusting God?
God is asking the same question of His Beloved today, as He did of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden….”Who told you that you were naked?” In other words, “Whose voice have you been listening to other than mine?”
So as the report of the world is that there is currently a war going on over oil, I tend to agree. But I agree with what The Holy Spirit has revealed to me - revealed to me, through our time of intimacy.
Knowing that oil is a representation of The Holy Spirit is key. See Psalm 89:20, Luke 4:18, 1 John 2:20 AMPC
Knowing God gave us a promise of this precious Oil, The 3rd person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit, is also key. (John 14:15-17 ) “If you really love Me, you will keep and obey My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby, that He may remain with you forever-
The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive or welcome into its heart, because it does not know or recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you constantly and will be in you.”
2 Corinthians 2:12-16 “Now we have not received the spirit that belongs to the world, but the Holy Spirit Who is from God, given to us that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing so freely given to us by God.
And we are setting these truths forth is words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths, with spiritual language to those who possess the Holy Spirit.
But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gift and teachings and revelations of the Holy Spirit of God, for they are nonsense to him, and he is incapable of knowing them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated.
But the spiritual man discerns all things. For who has known the mind, the counsels, the purposes of the Lord so as to guide and instruct and give him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts and purposes of His heart.”
As we who have the Oil of Joy and Gladness, the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 1:8-9), we discern and recognize that the season of Acts 2:17 and Joel 2:28 is upon us.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, tell forth the divine counsels and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream divinely suggested dreams.”
What a mighty and loving God that has supplied us abundantly with the Oil we need for such a time as this.
Finally, let us examine what we are to do with this Oil, this most precious Holy Spirit. Matthew 25:1-13 is often referred to as the parable of the 10 Virgins. I see it as the teaching on the importance of the Oil, the Holy Spirit.
You read it for yourself. I will summarize what the Holy Spirit showed me about this teaching.
Don't be found unwise and foolish, thinking that when the Bridegroom ( Jesus ) returns for the marriage supper of The Lamb, that you are prepared with no Oil (Holy Spirit) in your lamp. Scripture tells us that Gods Word is a lamp that lights our path. (Psalm 119:105) Without the Oil of the Holy Spirit, we can easily be led astray into deceptions of religion, traditions of men, and not rightly discerning the Word of God - Led astray to walking in the flesh, following the spirit of the world (anti christ/ satan).
Jesus begins with explaining that this teaching is about entering into God’s Kingdom and out of the kingdoms of this world. He begins with “The Kingdom of God is like…” How do we obtain what Jesus taught His disciples to pray…. “ Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth, as it is in heaven?” By keeping Oil in our lamps. By maintaining an intimate personal relationship with God through fellowship with Jesus, by spending time in His Word , praying, fasting, yielding to and being completely Holy Spirit led.
The unwise virgin showed up with no Oil, and tried to obtain entrance into the marriage supper by borrowing Oil from those who were prepared. But they soon found out they needed to have their own Oil, their own lamps. And sadly, once the door of opportunity, the season to obtain this Oil was over, the door to enter in was closed. When the unwise came knocking at the door begging, “Lord Lord, open the door for us!” His response was solemn and true…… “ I solemnly declare to you , I do not know you, I AM, not acquainted with you . (We had no intimate fellowship. You were not Holy Spirit led. You followed after the spirit of the world. Why do you call Me Lord? You never yielded to Me. )
This warning was given again in Matthew 7:21-23 AMPC “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name and driven out demons, in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?’
And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you: depart from Me, you who act wickedly, (disregarding My commands).”
Disregarding God’s instructions, failing to have intimate fellowship with Him through Christ Jesus and failing to be Holy Spirit led is equivalent to having no oil in your lamps. It does not matter to God how long you have been going to church, how many bible studies and prayer meetings and works you have done in His name. He either knows you as His own, or He does not.
There is enough oil for everyone. Everyone. Some say that this oil is free. It is freely given, but it will cost you everything to receive it.