today I want to draw our attention to the very words of Jesus from the gospel of Matthew in Matthew 24: 5 to8 Jesus tells his disciples for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars see that ye be not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet for nation shall rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places all these are the beginning of
Sorrows as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives he wasn't merely describing a distant future he was painting a vivid picture of the world we find ourselves in today these verses are a mirror reflecting our present age and brethren we cannot afford to look away Jesus begins by warning of those who would come falsely in his name we've seen this haven't we countless figures over the years claiming a Divine mantle leading many astray the landscape of our age is littered with self-proclaimed prophets and Messiahs each more convincing than the last yet as scripture tells us
even the very elect can be deceived we must be vigilant next he speaks of wars and rumors of wars we live in a time where news of conflict and strife reach our ears every single day it's become so common place that many of us have grown numb to it but this wasn't meant to alarm us into Panic rather it's a call to awareness and prayer then Jesus mentions Nation against Nation Kingdom against Kingdom it's not merely about physical Wars we see ideological battles cultural divides and social unrest like never before the fabric of society in
many places seems to be tearing at the seams but there's more famines and earthquakes the natural disasters the disruptions in climate patterns the suffering in different parts of the world These Are Not Mere coincidences or just the natural progression of things they're the very birth pains Jesus speaks about Brethren all these signs are the beginning of birth pains indicative of something Monumental about to happen just as birth pains precede the joy of a new life these warning sounds Herald the imminent return of Christ yet in the midst of all this what is most concerning is
not the signs themselves eles but our response to them many continue to live as if these are just random occurrences mere coincidences without any spiritual significance we've grown comfortable in our routines often overlooking the Divine signals around us the warning sounds are evident Matthew 24 is literally unfolding before our eyes but people don't see it people do not want to see it but Bible prophecy is literally taking shape in front of our eyes when the trumpet sound sounds and the sky splits it'll be too late to heed the warnings now is the time for preparedness
for prayer for repentance and for sharing the hope we have in Christ let's not be like the five foolish virgins who were caught off guard their lamps empty let's be vigilant with our lamps filled with the oil of the spirit ready to meet the bridegroom we have a responsibility not just to ourselves but to those around us as Believers were called to be Watchmen on the wall sounding the alarm waking up the city Before Dawn alerting all to the signs of the times Matthew 25: 1-13 then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto 10
virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom and five of them were wise and five were foolish they that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps while the bridegroom carried they all slumbered and slept and at midnight there was a cry made behold the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said unto the wise give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out
but the wise answered saying not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves and while they went to buy the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut afterward came also the other virgins saying saying Lord Lord open to us but he answered and said verily I say unto you I know you not watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh verse three
they that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them you see when I meditate upon the parable of the 10 virgins I can't help but feel a deep stirring within my spirit you've got these five virgins oh they had their lamps they walked around lampin hand looking the part but beloved it wasn't the lamp that would light their way it was the oil now isn't that just like so many of us today we come to church dressed in our Sunday Best singing the song saying amen and giving our neighbor a holy handshake
but if that outward expression isn't matched by an inward possession oh it's all for not let me take you deeper those five foolish virgins they looked ready they talked the talk and made maybe even walked the walk but there's a difference church between Looking ready and being ready the difference is the oil which represents the Holy Spirit you can have the appearance of sanctity you can even have the vocabulary of Victory but without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit you're like a car without gas a kite without wind a lamp without oil the Holy Spirit
isn't just an accessory to our faith it's the very lifeblood the essence the holy spirit is the Seal of our faith in our walk of faith we often find comfort in our communal Gatherings our church services and our shared testimonies the parable of the 10 virgins serves as a timely reminder that external expressions of Faith are not the sole indicators of one's spiritual preparedness the warning is Stark and direct being within the confines of the church attending services and participating in its activities doesn't guarantee a secured future in Christ's Kingdom the 10 virgins each and
every one of them expected to partake in the grand Feast on the surface they seemed indistinguishable on the surface there was no difference between the two groups of virgins but when the testing moment arrived their true states were laid bare it's a potent illustration of how crisis reveals the depth and authenticity of one's Faith the crisis the unexpected coming of the bridegroom served as a Divine litmus test that sudden and irrevocably separated the ready from the unready it's a Stern warning to those within the walls of the professing church cautioning us not to lapse into
a state of spiritual complacency this Parable beckons us to introspect to go beyond mere appearances and ensure that our lamps representing our lives are filled with the oil of genuine faith and the indwelling of the holy spirit let it be a cautionary lesson that challenges us not to rest on outward displays but to cultivate a heart truly ready for the Lord's return without oil the wedding party was not ready for the bridegroom without the Holy Spirit no one is ready for the return of Jesus in reflecting on the poignant words of Jesus watch therefore for
you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming we're confronted with a truth that is as unsettling as it is undeniable the very essence of this Parable is encapsulated in two words be ready life with all its unpredictability and transience does not afford US the luxury of a rehearsed response when it comes to the return of Christ we cannot Mark our calendars nor can we procrastinate our preparation are you ready the warning sounds of his coming are all around us you know what I am saying is true the
consequences of unpreparedness are profoundly serious this isn't like missing a bus or forgetting an appointment this pertains to Eternal Destiny there are people who are listening to me right now who are not prepared but they believe they are to be caught unaware when the son of man returns is to face an irreversible loss one that has ramifications beyond our Earthly comprehension the stakes are infinitely high as Believers this Parable isn't just a cautionary tale it's an urgent call to action ction it beckons us to live in a state of spiritual alertness to be ever Vigilant
and to ensure that our hearts and lives are in alignment with God's Will and word it's not about living in fear but rather in faithful anticipation knowing that our Readiness today determines our reception of Christ tomorrow the question we must each ask ourselves is simple yet profound am I ready am I ready there is one phrase In this passage of scripture I want you to focus about Matthew 25:10 and while they went to buy the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut in our
journey through the scriptures we occasionally encounter phrases that hold within them profound significance such a phrase can be found nestled within the parable of the 10 virgins the door was shut these four simple words carry with them an etal etal weight it's not just the closure of a physical barrier but the sealing off of an eternal Destiny one of the essential truths that we must grasp from this Parable is the finality of certain decisions and their consequences when that door was shut for the five foolish virgins it wasn't a temporary setback or a momentary disappointment
it was a permanent closure it signaled the end of their opportunity to enter into the joy of the wedding Feast an emblem of the Kingdom of Heaven There are voices in our world world today that suggest other possibilities proposing that perhaps the door once shut might be Pride open at a later time particularly after death they whisper comforting assurances of a second chance a postmortem opportunity for those who passed away without knowing Christ this idea often termed the larger hope is indeed alluring because it appeals to our innate desire for Universal salvation and an aversion
to the thought of Eternal J judgement however as Earnest students of the word we must always measure our hopes desires and beliefs against the infallible standard of scripture the Bible consistently communicates the urgency of the present the here and now in 2 Corinthians 6:2 we are reminded behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation now not later and Hebrews 9: 27 makes it clear it is a appointed unto men once to die but after this the Judgment there's no mention of a subsequent chance after death no suggestion of the door
cracking open again for a last minute entry to entertain a larger hope beyond what the scripture reveals is To Tread on Dangerous Grounds it risks giving false Assurance to those teetering on the brink of Eternity without Christ the reality is dear Believers that the gospel is a message of urgent immediacy it beckons to souls today pleading with them to enter while the door is still open while the grace of God is still extended it is a disservice to humanity and an affront to the clear teaching of scripture to propagate an idea that goes beyond the
boundaries set by God's word while our hearts May ache for all to be saved and we should fervently pray and labor to that end we cannot rewrite the word of God to fit our desired outcomes just as the five wise virgins could not share their oil each of us Bears the personal responsibility for our relationship with Christ no one can make that commitment for us and once our Earthly sojourn ends our Eternal Destiny is fixed this teaching should not cause us to spare but should spur us into action let it be a Clarion call to
share the gospel message with greater fervency to pray with deeper intensity for the lost and to live our lives as shining beacons of Christ's love and truth there's an open door today an invitation to enter into a life transforming relationship with the Savior let's urge as many as we can to step through that door while there's still time Matthew 24: 4 to8 in these verses Jesus provides us with a profound and prophetic picture of the end times he Likens the approaching end times to the birth Pains of a woman in labor which eventually give way
to the new life of a child this this imagery is Rich with meaning and deserves our careful attention Jesus said take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet for nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places all these are the beginning
of Sorrows the term beginning of Sorrows can be literally translated as the beginning of labor pains just as labor pains become more frequent and intense as the time for delivery approaches Jesus is telling us that we should expect these signs Wars famines earthquakes and pestilences to increase in frequency and intensity before his return none of these events alone is the specific ific sign of the end but together they paint a picture of the world groaning as it awaits the return of its savior let's focus today on a sign that is rarely given the attention it
deserves pestilence while we often hear messages focusing on wars and rumors of wars earthquakes and famines pestilence is a significant sign that we must not Overlook what is a pestilence the term pestilence generally refers to widespread diseases or plagues that cause significant mortality and suffering historically we have seen devastating examples of pestilences that have had profound impacts on Humanity consider the black plague also known as the Black Death which occurred during the 14th century this was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history estimated to have killed between 75 million to 200 million people
globally in Europe alone it wiped out approximately 30% to 60% of the population translating to roughly 25 million to 50 million deaths the sheer scale of this pestilence is almost unimaginable and it serves as a sobering reminder of the power of disease to disrupt and devastate Societies in more recent history the Spanish Flu of 1918 to 1919 caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus stands as another Monumental example this pandemic is considered one of the deadliest in recorded history claiming the lives of an estimated 50 million people worldwide the impact of the Spanish Flu was
felt across the globe affecting people of all ages and leaving a lasting mark on the 20th century in our contemporary world one pestilence that is becoming increasingly alarming is antibiotic resistant diseases have you heard of antibiotic resistance it's a phenomenon where bacteria evolve and develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them this makes antibiotics which were once powerful Tools in fighting bacterial infections increasingly ineffective antibiotics have been a Cornerstone of modern medicine revolutionizing our ability to treat bacterial infections and saving countless lives since their introduction in the early 20th century antibiotics have
significantly increased life expectancy worldwide for instance the global life expectancy has risen from about 32 years in the early 1900s to over 72 years today largely due to advancements in Medical Treatments including antibiotics that is how important antibiotics are to fully appreciate the importance of antibiotics consider the vast array of infections they have made treatable before antibiotics even minor infections could be deadly diseases such as tuberculosis pneumonia and sepsis often led to high mortality rates however with the Advent of antibiotics these infections became manageable drastically reducing death rates and improving overall health outcomes this leap
in medical capability is a major reason behind the dramatic increase in life expectancy over the past Century over the last several decades decades antibiotic resistance has become a growing concern bacteria are evolving at an alarming rate rendering many of our existing antibiotics useless bacteria are evolving at a rate most people are not aware of antibiotic resistant diseases are indeed On The Rise posing a significant Global Health threat according to the CDC more than 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections occur each year in the United States alone resulting in over 35,000 deaths annually the emergence and spread
of resistant bacteria have been exacerbated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in both Healthcare and agricultural settings in 2019 alone antibiotic resistant infections killed over a million people worldwide this trend is deeply troubling and points to the need for new antibiotics that can effectively combat these drug-resistant bacteria thankfully there has been a sign ific breakthrough scientists have discovered the first new class of antibiotics in 60 years this discovery brings hope in our ongoing battle against antibiotic resistant bacteria but it also serves as a stark reminder of the everpresent threat of pestilence in our world
today as Believers what are we to make of these signs jesus' words in Matthew 24 remind us that these events are not isolated or random they are part of a larger Divine narrative the increasing frequency and intensity of these signs including pestilences are like labor pains signaling the approaching birth of something new the return of our Lord and the establishment of his kingdom we are called to be vigilant to take heed and not to be deceived the signs of the times are not meant to cause us to fear but to awaken us to the urgency
of the Gospel message we must be diligent in our faith steadfast in prayer and active in sharing the hope that we have in Christ in Matthew chap 24: 4 to8 Jesus provides a prophetic vision of the end times warning of false prophets Wars famines earthquakes and pestilences he Likens these signs to the beginning of Sorrows or the labor pains that precede childbirth indicating that these events will increase in frequency and intensity as his return approaches today we can observe these signs unfolding on a global scale fueled by the unprecedented interconnectedness of our world one significant
factor contributing to the rapid spread of diseases is the increase in Global Travel over the past Century the frequency and volume of international travel have grown exponentially according to the international Air transport Association iata in 2019 alone approximately 4.5 B billion passengers traveled by air worldwide this is a stark contrast to the early 20th century when Global Travel was limited and slow the ease and speed of modern travel mean that a virus or bacteria originating in one part of the world can quickly spread to other regions turning localized outbreaks into Global pandemics this increased mobility
and interdependence among countries have magnified the potential for pandemics for instance what we witnessed in 2020 with the rapid spread of that virus to virtually every corner of the globe illustrates how interconnected we have become if we are indeed witnessing an increase in the frequency and impact of pestilences it clearly indicates that another worldwide outbreak may not be far off historical and contemporary examples from the Black Plague and the Spanish Flu to antibiotic resistant bacteria demonstrate that the threat of pestilence is ever present and growing as we consider these events in light of biblical prophecy
it becomes evident that we may be at the start of the end times and according to scripture these challenges will only intensify however as Believers we do not need to live in fear our faith in God provides us with hope and assurance Jesus words in Matthew 24 are not meant to instill fear but to prepare us and remind us of God's sovereign and faithfulness God has not left us to navigate these times alone he cares for us deeply and has promised to be our refuge and strength God did not leave us in the dark he
wanted us to know the things to come imagine how terrified we as Believers would be if we didn't have Bible prophecy but because of Bible prophecy we know how the story will end with us in heaven with Jesus this Divine foresight reassures us that no matter how tumultuous the times may become we have a secure and glorious future promised by God moreover God's prophecies affirm his control over history as it says in Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times what is still to come I say my purpose will stand
and I will do all that I please this sovereignty ensures that nothing happens outside of his will provid in us with a solid foundation of trust the Bible repeatedly assures us of God's protection and Care Psalm chapter 91: 1-2 says he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my Fortress my God in him I will trust this promise reminds us that no matter the circumstances we are safe in God's hands his protection is not
just physical but also spiritual offering us eternal security moreover Romans 8:28 reassures us that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose even in the midst of pestilences and pandemics God is at work bringing about his Divine purposes as Believers we can trust that he is in control and that our future is secure in him for those who may feel anxious or fearful it is important to remember that fear is not from God 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us for God has not given
us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind through prayer reading scripture and relying on the Holy Spirit we can find peace and strength to face the uncertainties of these times furthermore praise be to God for he alone is Sovereign over all creation reigning Supreme Over Kings presidents and Nations his authority is unparalleled his power unmatched and his wisdom Beyond Comprehension no one can challenge God for he is in a league all by himself when evil men with their vast armies rise up to defy him they stand no
chance their plans crumble to dust before his might God is in control of world events and the unfolding of History directing all things according to his Divine will God is completely Sovereign over the closing and opening of the womb men and women do not ultimately have control over whether they will conceive a child it is always and ever in God's hand God is also Sovereign over everything including evil in General God is Sovereign over life and death God is also Sovereign over people and their hearts that includes you and me God is Sovereign over the
rise and fall of Nations he establishes governments and rulers and he deposes them according to his will history unfolds according to his divine plan with every event serving his ultimate purpose God is Sovereign over the natural world He commands the seas and the skies controls the weather and governs the laws of nature every aspect of creation from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy operates under his authority God is Sovereign over time he exists outside of time and orchestrates the past present and future to fulfill his eternal purposes our days are numbered by him and
each moment is held within his providential care care God is Sovereign over our circumstances he knows the details of our lives and works all things together for our good and His glory our trials and triumphs Joys and Sorrows are all under his control God is Sovereign over salvation he calls people to himself transforms hearts and grants the gift of faith our Redemption is entirely his work accomplished through the sacrif ice of his son Jesus Christ God is Sovereign over the church he builds his body of Believers equipping and guiding them for his mission the growth
and perseverance of the church are sustained by his power this truth is a pillow on which we can peacefully rest our heads each night secure in the knowledge that our lives are held in his capable hands when we reflect on God's sovereignty we see that it is the foundation of our faith if God is in control then we need not be we are freed from the burden of trying to manage everything ourselves from the anxiety of believing that everything depends on our efforts God's sovereignty means that the forces that seem to manipulate our destiny our
health our relationships our political landscape our government our sin patterns our weaknesses and our heartaches are all under his control he is weaving all these threads into his perfect tapestry working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose in conclusion while we are indeed living in the beginning of Sorrows with signs like pestilences increasing in frequency and intensity we do not need to live in fear as Believers we have the Assurance of God's protection and the promise of eternal life let us remain steadfast in faith
encourage one another and shine God's light in a world that desperately needs hope
