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Post by Caretaker on Nov 2, 2020 15:56:26 GMT -6
Brother Duane Andres led the hour of prayer time in the church last evening. He asked the tremendous question of if our candidates lose how will we react on Wednesday morning or when the dust settles. A prayer to lay aside the resentments and lift up our leaders in prayer and a unified Body. God bless you Brother for your precious heart and walk of faith.
As a Believer we have voted Biblical values and done our part. After the dust and chaos has settled, regardless of who wins and who loses, God will be on His Throne, Jesus will be Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the Lord of those who have placed their faith and trust in Him and by that action they become the children of God through the spirit of adoption, joint heirs with Christ.
So whatever is the outcome of this election we as saints of the Living God, the Bride of Christ Jesus our Lord, we know that we sojourn in an alien land and our Home is in Glory. We know that Jesus is Lord of our hearts, our days and all of our tomorrows.
Romans 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 2, 2020 15:58:28 GMT -6
Psalms 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Family (From "The promises of God For Daily Living")
It is family, the warmth of loving hearts, the light in joyful eyes, friendliness, faithfulness, camaraderie, and love, which makes a house a home. A home is the first school and the first church which the wee-child knows. It is here that the wee-one learns what is good, and precious and right. Here is an oasis of peace and comfort from the hurts and heartaches of the world around.
Within hearth and home, the most simple meal is as a banquet for a king, because of the love which prepared it. The home is where family worship links the precious hearts to each other, enveloped in the love of God, and blessed by Him through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
Ephesians 61 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Joshua 24:15...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Psalms 1271 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 2, 2020 16:07:53 GMT -6
Hebrews 111 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith
Love and service are the nutrients of a strong faith. If they are absent then your faith wanes and fails in the function which it should fulfill. If you desire to have a stronger faith, you must love Him wholeheartedly and serve Him with greater enthusiasm. Sincere love for God and service which is inspired combine to create and reinforce a positive faith. It leads you into an ever deeper relationship with the Master. (From "Promises From God For Dailey Living")
John 2:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 3, 2020 1:17:20 GMT -6
Franklin Graham posted this message from Ricky Skaggs on Facebook and I thought I would share:
Ricky Skaggs has been a good friend for many years, and he sent this to me today. Someone had sent it to him, and I thought it was worth sharing with you…
“After hearing a pastor speak a message about life and death, I felt I had to share what I heard. I know many of you are still trying to decide who to vote for on Tuesday. Some people vote for or against a person solely on their personality, I get that, but let me just offer a few words that might help you to decide. Voting is a very personal thing and I’m not telling you who to vote for but just giving you something to think about. When I look at the platform of both parties, I see a stark contrast, nearly as much as day is from night. I decided a long time ago that if I was gonna grow up and have a relationship with the living Savior Jesus Christ, I needed to know what His Word says. I needed to love the things He loves, and hate the things He hates. God is love, but God is also righteous in all of His ways. His Word says ‘God hates the shedding of innocent blood.’ There’s nothing more innocent than an unborn baby. The pastor went on to say ‘anyone who votes for the party that approves abortion, that person has co-signed a death warrant on the unborn. They have come into an agreement and made a covenant with that party and all that it stands for.’ I had never heard it said like that before. It was a hard-hitting truth. It made me realize the awesome responsibility of agreement! ‘Today I set before you, life and prosperity, death and destruction (Deuteronomy 30:19).’”
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 3, 2020 5:09:11 GMT -6
He Endured!!
John 3:
15: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For our sins, for our guilt Jesus endured. They denied Him, they tried Him, they lied about Him, they whipped Him until His blood poured down His back, they shoved thorns into His head until the blood ran down His face, they shoved a rough beam of wood into His arms and He staggered through the streets of Jerusalem, spit from those who mocked running down His face with His blood, they shoved His bleeding back onto the splintery beam and drove spikes through His feet and hands, they raised the wooden beams into the air, and Jesus hung bleeding and beaten and wounded and this is what He said:
Luke 23:
34: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35: And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36: And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37: And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38: And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40: But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42: And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away, And now I sing a brand new song Amazing Grace, Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 6, 2020 4:31:30 GMT -6
Psalms 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
So often it seems that life just wears us down. All of the added stress of the pandemic, and especially for those in the medical and patient care field, just wears folks out. But God has promised us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."(Matt. 11:28) When we are so overwhelmed lets take a deep breath, and turn to God in prayer, and be refreshed by the Living Water, let Him Who created us, restore our soul and help to carry our burdens.
Isaiah 40: 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Hebrews 4: 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 7, 2020 4:05:16 GMT -6
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”
― Thomas Paine, The Crisis
Psalm 34: 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
the year of our Lord 2020, has been one of darkness, uncertainty, trials, riots, death, destruction, and the undermining of our stability and way of life. There is so much fear associated with the Corona Virus, and our attempts to mask, sanitize, and separate seem feeble at best. Fear can stalk its prey in every area of ones life and enter into one's most vulnerable area. Once one is caught in the web of fear it can have devastating physical, intellectual and spiritual consequences.
Unconditional and total trust in God's omnipotent power through Jesus Christ, is the only trustworthy protection against the evil of fear. Only through Him are you able overcome and endure to stand and resist and to not give into nor allow our hearts to fail. Through Him Who indwells within the heart of the Believer we can face the days of darkness which are upon us, we can stand forth and resist principalities and powers of darkness.
Hold onto Christ in Love and faith.
Pray without ceasing. Develop a deep and consistent awareness of His presence, closer than the next beating of our heart, and you will be assured a peace of mind and absolute security. There are pages of scripture in which God declares, "Fear Not!!!".
Love is the best antidote for fear, as our elder Brother John declares in 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear"
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Romans 8: 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psalms 27 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
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Post by Caretaker on Nov 9, 2020 7:24:43 GMT -6
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Forgiveness
We have become so used to the thought of God's forgiveness that the cost and wonder of it tend to be forgotten. God Whom we have so offended in thought, word, and deed should forgive us at all is wonderful, especially when we remember that His moral nature demands that He not pass lightly over our rebellious acts and attitude. But by the substitution of His Son to bear the due punishment of our sins, God can now be just and yet the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus. God has not only forgiven us but does it with a generosity that is so attractive and exalting that we can only worship and adore Him. With everlasting kindness He pities and pardons us, and when He forgives it is with completeness and finality. Happy are we whose sin is removed. We are forgiven for Christ's sake. (Promises From God For Daily Living)
Matthew 5: 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 6: 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Colossians 2: 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Psalms 32 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalms 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Isaiah 53: 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
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Post by Caretaker on Mar 4, 2021 3:48:41 GMT -6
We who believe in the eternal security of the believer, believe that those who have by faith trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are eternally secure and can never lose their salvation. We further believe it is the privilege of all believers to be assured of their salvation; that this assurance rests not in themselves, but in the promises of God; that the Scriptures teach that such as are truly regenerate, being born of the Spirit, will not utterly fall away and finally perish, but are kept by the power of God unto the day of salvation. We also believe that the doctrine of eternal security should lead to a life of love, gratitude and obedience to God.
John 6:39; 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 10:27-29; My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Philippians 1:6; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
I Peter 1:3-5; 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. I John 2:19; 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. Romans 11:29. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Being good enough being free from bad habits and bad behavior, earning enough "points" on the ledger of good behavior is not what brings about a new spiritual birth in a person. Salvation is solely a matter of believing in Jesus. The repentance and change of behavior come later as the Holy Spirit prompts it, and also as Holy Spirit helps a person to accomplish it! It is vitally important for you at this point to come to this understanding: Nothing you do apart from believing in Jesus Christ causes you to be saved. When you believe, the Spirit enters into you and causes your old sin nature to be transformed into a new nature that is in the likeness of God. The transformation of your spirit is a sovereign work of God; you cannot do it on your own, achieve it through your will or behavior, force it to happen by any other means than believing.
If you believe that your salvation came about by anything other than simply believing in what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross, then you believe that your salvation was in some way related to your own will and to your own works. If you believe that your salvation is related to your own will and to your works, then you will believe that your will and your works can in some way "undo" or negate your salvation. On the other hand, if you believe that your salvation was based solely on what Jesus did for you and what the Holy Spirit has done in you, then you believe that your salvation was a sovereign work of God. Your part was simply to believe and receive what God provided and what God promised. The person who believes this must therefore conclude that since he did absolutely nothing to transform his old sin nature into a new spiritual nature, he cannot do anything to cause his new spiritual nature to revert to his old nature.
2 Cor. 1: 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
2 Cor. 5: 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
Eph. 1: 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Earnest: Strong's Number: 728 Browse Lexicon Original Word Word Origin ajrrabwvn of Hebrew origin (06162) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Arrhabon 1:475,80 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech ar-hrab-ohn' Noun Masculine Definition 1. an earnest a. money which in purchases is given as a pledge or downpayment that the full amount will subsequently be paid
John Gills exposition of 2 Cor. 1:22 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible 2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us? "Two" things more are here attributed to God; "first", the sealing of his people. The use of seals is various, as to denote property in things, to distinguish one thing from another, to show esteem and affection for persons or things, and for security and protection, and to hide and conceal; all which might be applied to sealing, as expressive of the grace of God to his people, in claiming a property in them, distinguishing them from the rest of the world, setting his affections on them, securing and protecting their persons, and hiding them under the shadow of his wings: but sometimes a seal is used to certify, make sure, or assure the truth of a thing; see (John 3:33) (1 Corinthians 9:3) (Jeremiah 33:10) in which sense the word "sealing" is used here, and intends that assurance which God gives his people of their interest in his love, and the covenant of grace; of their election of God, and redemption by Christ; of their interest in Christ, and union with him; of their justification by him, and adoption through him; of the truth of grace in their hearts, their perseverance in it, and sure and certain enjoyment of eternal glory. The persons thus sealed are not carnal and unconverted persons, only believers in Christ, and these, after they commence such; the seal by which they are sealed, is not any of the ordinances, as circumcision under the Old Testament, or baptism, or the Lord's supper under the New; for these are no seals, nor are they ever so called; but the Spirit of God himself, as the Holy Spirit of promise; for the same who, in the next clause, is called the earnest, is the seal; see (Ephesians 1:13) .
"Secondly", the giving of the earnest of the Spirit: and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts: by "the Spirit" is meant, not the gifts and graces of the Spirit merely, but the Spirit of God and Christ himself; who was concerned in the creation of the world, in inditing the Scriptures, in forming and filling the human nature of Christ, and in his resurrection from the dead; he himself is given as an "earnest": the word (arrabwn) , here used, and in (2 Corinthians 5:5) (Ephesians 1:14) is the Hebrew word (Nwbre) , and comes from (bre) , which signifies "to become a surety, to give a pledge"; and is used for a pledge in covenants and bargains, both in Scripture, see (Genesis 38:17,18,20) , and in Jewish writings F4; which is given as an earnest, and in part of what it is a pledge of, and is never returned: the Spirit of God is an earnest or pledge of the heavenly inheritance, which is not only prepared for us, and promised to us, and Christ is in the possession of in our nature, in our room and stead, and as our representative; but the Spirit of God also is sent down "into our hearts" as a pledge of it; where he dwells as in his temple, supplies us with all grace, witnesses to us our sonship, and assures us of the heavenly glory: and as such he is "given"; and an unmerited free grace gift he is; for him to be given in this manner, and for such a purpose, is a wonderful display of the love of the Father, and of the Son, and is a surprising instance of his grace and condescension of the Spirit, and for which we should be abundantly thankful. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Believer has the absolute irrevocable guarantee from God of eternal redemption through the very indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit. It is our seal that we ARE His for eternity.
Surety: 2 a : a formal engagement (as a pledge) given for the fulfillment of an undertaking : GUARANTEE b : a basis of confidence or security Main Entry: 3earnest Function: noun Etymology: Middle English ernes, ernest, from Anglo-French arres, erres, plural of erre earnest, from Latin arra, short for arrabo, from Greek arrhabOn, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew 'ErAbhOn pledge 1 : something of value given by a buyer to a seller to bind a bargain 2 : a token of what is to come : PLEDGE
It is within the heart of the Believer that the Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit, and this fruit is evidence of the sealing of the Believer which has taken place. A fruit of the Spirit is faith, and it is this faith by which we are saved.
Ephesians 2: 8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Galations 5: 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23: Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" is saved, those who are saved, our Lord has declared that NONE can pluck them out of the Father's Hand. Those who preach a salvation dependent upon our maintenance deny the power of God to Draw us, Seal us, Stablish us, to Maintain us.
1 John 2: 19: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Matthew 7: 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 25 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 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. 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. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Oil is symbolic in the Word of the Holy Spirit, and I believe that the five foolish were without the Holy Spirit He Who indwells the hearts of Believers. Those in Matthew 7, though they had done mighty works in the name of Christ, He never knew them., having never had their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and not having been sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.
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