CRY OF the FOOLISH VIRGIN(S)

Last week I posted a good message based on the 10 virgins in Matthew 25, which led to some excellent comments and thoughts being posted; (Behold the Bridegroom Cometh). The identity of the 5 foolish virgins has been examined [and debated] for ages by bible scholars: were they ever a part of the body of Christ, if they were what significance does their running out of oil have for us today? etc. etc.

Wise bible scholars have disagreed, so I wasn’t under the impression we would figure it all out and come into total agreement either, aha. Nevertheless it was fruitful for me to read everyone’s opinions. Good healthy bible discussion among friends can always be beneficial!

Anyway, wouldn’t you know it–today I received a letter from Andrew Strom’s ministry with a word concerning the foolish virgins. The author also writes of a vision. Use your own discernment in accepting or rejecting it..

One more thing: The author ends with quoting Hebrews 3:12-

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God”

Some time ago, while in prayer, I asked the Lord what the Holy Spirit was saying to the Church today. Immediately I heard-

To day if ye will hear his voice,  harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways….Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.. Hebrews 3

I took that very seriously folks. Unbelief is our enemy today; it can cause us to miss out–just like it caused the generation which went into the wilderness to miss out on entering into their natural promised-land, it can cause us to miss out on eternity with Christ.

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CRY OF the FOOLISH VIRGIN
-by Shelley ‘B’.

I just wanted to share with you something that the Lord showed me.

I’ve had a strange experience a couple days ago. I was praying when I heard in the spirit the most mournful horrible cry I had ever heard. It was a woman’s voice and she was crying, “OH LORD!”   I was really shaken by this because the Lord had warned me about a week before that I was in danger of being part of the foolish virgin because I was not pursuing intimacy with Him, and that He was no longer my first love, and that I was drawing back from Him whenever He would draw near because I was afraid to give up everything for Him and obey Him completely.

I sensed that it was the cry of the foolish virgin and I told Daryl what I had heard. He said that he had heard the same cry the day before, but she didn’t say “Oh Lord.” it was just a terrible mournful cry. That kinda shook me even more. I had a feeling in my spirit of sorrow. I knew I was missing the Lord but I felt that He was warning me, that there was still hope because if there wasn’t He wouldn’t have said anything.

So with the help of the Lord I have resolved to seek HIM NO MATTER WHAT, and to not draw back from Him when He draws close to me again and to say YES to His call and to obey Him.

I repented from where I had fallen, I’m nothing with out HIM, and I know that I can’t do it without His help! I have to surrender all and choose to obey Him and say like Job said, “Yay though He slay me, yet will I serve Him!” Lord help me!

A while back the Lord showed me what the problem was with the foolish virgins; He told me that first of all, they didn’t have a consistent intimate relationship with Him, they only came to Him when they felt dry spiritually, they weren’t putting Him first in their lives, that He wasn’t their FIRST Love, and secondly they were not obedient to His call on their lives.

Being honest with myself, I knew that was me. I’m sure that MANY in the church are living the same way, and that’s scary. Well there were 10 virgins and 5 were wise and 5 foolish, that means that 50% of those virgins are unfaithful to the  Lord. That’s a HUGE NUMBER!!!!

The Lord also showed me, these foolish virgins were indeed born again, because they had Lamps and had some oil in them, which signifies the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Also the other thing He showed me is that they ALL went to sleep. ALL of them, and the Lord is warning us, that if we are at all aware of our state to take it seriously NOW or we may fall asleep and end up not being ready when He returns. He also said to me that He is coming VERY SOON…

I had a vision last spring, of seeing in the Spirit realm, and it was early dawn, and I could see on the horizon that there was light coming. The next day I was praying and the Lord showed it to me again.  He spoke to me and said, “It’s the dawn of My return and my glory is already shining upon the earth” At that moment, my spirit began to cry out, “Lord COME!!!!” and then in the same breath being shaken by that revelation, I said, “but Lord make us ready”; and I repeated these things over and over again for a long time, the Holy Spirit was moving me deeply.

Oh… and the second time I saw it, the horizon was MUCH MUCH brighter, and I thought, if this is what is happening right now, it’s happening REALLY FAST!!! He is so close to coming. He also told me that Satan can also see His glory and that he was going to increase his attacks and deception because his time is very short now.

Also the Lord said that His glory was going to start to shake things upon the earth and that He was going to judge His church and deal with sin within it because He is coming back for a church that is without spot or wrinkle. Things were going to get turned upside down.

Don’t take it lightly, I am shaking in my boots. There is NOTHING to fear if we are in obedience to Him. BUT Jesus said that we should fear God who has the authority to cast us into the lake of fire. If we are truly in Him, in obedience and in a deep relationship with Him, then we have NOTHING TO FEAR, but have only to look up and wait for our redemption!! ^___^

It is time to return to HIM with all of our hearts, (for) we don’t want to be part of the Foolish virgins; I just can’t imagine being separated from Him for eternity.  Lord have mercy on us, deliver us from all evil and help us to return to you with our whole hearts!

Mat 25:1  “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten 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 tarried, 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, 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.”

And may He stir our hearts and bring unto us a sorrow that leads to repentance, before there is no more time for repentance.

Today is still the day of salvation, He says to us, when we hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts as they did in the wilderness, He says that He swore in His wrath that they would NOT ENTER into His rest. He says, that while it is still called today, strive to enter it.

Hbr 3:12  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end…”

Andrew Strom,
PO Box 21-904,
Henderson, West Auckland 0650,New Zealand.