While Waiting For Jesus (334) - January 24 2026

The Lord Jesus is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle. Those who are believers, walking in spirit and truth, must focus during these times on the Lord. It is important to see and identify people, places and things that are causing, distractions, chaos and confusion in your life. Those distractions may be people sitting next to you in church. They could be people living with you. You must decide if you and that person are on the same path and choose this day Whom you serve. For those easily influenced by others, or what is popular, you can lose track of why you are at church. For this reason, we must be focused on the Kingdom of God. Many distractions can occur. Time can be consumed on the wrong thing if you are not focused in the right direction and meeting with Jesus.
 
We discuss the following subtopics:
 - Jesus is looking for a Bride without spot or wrinkle
 - Distractions
 - Focus on the Lord - Do not follow others; follow only Jesus
 - Spend time with God
 - Whatever is important to you, that is what you focus on and give your heart to
 
This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Ephesians 5:27, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 13:44-46, Luke 4:13, 1 John 2:24-27, Matthew 5:44, Colossians 3:1-2, Proverbs 4:25, Ephesians 5:15-16, Matthew 13:41-43.

Transcript

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) And welcome back to yet another episode of Touch of God. My name is Catrice, and I'll be delivering the message to you this week. This week, the message will be about while waiting for Jesus. For those of you who'd like to follow along with your Bible, we do use the Amplified Classic Version. Last week on following the steps Jesus left for you, part two, we discussed and talked about the following. If we claim to want Jesus and to walk in his ways, then it's no longer about us and what we want, when we want things, how we want things. To be in Christ, you have to actually be in Christ daily and not be visiting Jesus, but remain. God judges the heart of man. He knows, recognizes those who come to him but don't belong to him. He can see what they are seeking and who is not seeking him. We thank the Lord that his message goes to those who are earnestly seeking him and desire to follow in his footsteps. The topics for last week were following Jesus as Lord. Why do believers follow Jesus rather than men? Discipleship is necessary through following Jesus. Be disciplined and listen to instruction. This week on while waiting for Jesus, we will be focusing on the things of the Lord. The Lord Jesus is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle. Those who are believers walking in spirit and in truth must focus during these times on the Lord. It is important to see and identify people, places, and things that are causing distractions, chaos, confusion in your life. Those distractions may be people sitting next to you in church. They could be people living with you. You must decide if you and that person are on the same path and choose this day whom you serve. Let's look at Ephesians 5 verse 27, that he, Jesus, might present the church to himself in glorious splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such things that might not be holy and faultless. For this reason, we must be focused on the kingdom of God. Many distractions can occur. Time can be consumed on the wrong thing if you're not focused in the right direction. For those easily influenced by others or what is popular, you can lose track of why you're at church. The topics for this week, Jesus is looking for a bride without spot or wrinkle. Distractions. Focus on the Lord. Do not follow others. Follow only Jesus. Spend time with God. Whatever is important to you, that is what you focus on. All right, it is story time. And this story is about 10 virgins who were preparing for Jesus. Let's take a look at Matthew 25 verses 1 to 11. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, thoughtless, without forethought. And five were wise, sensible, intelligent, and prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any extra oil with them. But the wise took flasks of oil along with them, also with their lamps. While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads and they fell asleep. Verse 6. But at midnight there was a shout, Behold the bridegroom, go out to meet him. Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. Verse 8. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast. And the door was shut. Verse 11. Later, the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open the door to us. But he replied solemnly, I declare to you, I do not know you. I am not acquainted with you. Verse 13. Watch, therefore, give strict attention and be cautious and active, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. Let's examine the story about the 10 virgins more closely to see how it applies to the days we are living in right now. Let's look at Matthew 25, verse 1. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet bridegroom. We can see that the entire experience is to be like the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 13, verses 44 to 46 says, The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all he has and buys that field again. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls, who on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it. We also see in Matthew 25, verse 1, where it says, Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. That each of the 10 virgins knew they were going to meet Jesus. They knew they needed the lamps to take with them. As a reader, we assume the 10 virgins would know that if they needed a lamp to go see Jesus, that the lamp would need to work and have oil. This means if the lamp needed oil, oil needed to be in the lamp to make the journey to see Jesus possible. Let's look at Matthew 25, verse 2. 5 of them were foolish, thoughtless, without forethought, and 5 were wise, sensible, intelligent, and prudent. So we see that 5 were foolish and 5 were wise. All the virgins understood that meeting Jesus was important. They seemed to be in a group that was preparing for Jesus to return. Those who understood the great value of Jesus returning would need to make sure their lamps were full of oil and working. In Matthew 13, 44-46, where it says, The kingdom is like a pearl of great price, that the person sold everything to obtain. Meeting Jesus is important to those who place a great value on Jesus. The value is not to make people rich, but it is based on what he has already done. How many of us see Jesus as something important? Not for what he can do for us, but what he means to us. If you don't think Jesus is important, you might not be rushing to do what he says and meet him when he returns. In Matthew 25, verse 2, were the foolish virgins described as foolish because of their actions? Their actions of not having oil were foolish to those who see Jesus as great value. Why? Because if a person is supposed to be preparing for Jesus, how could they not have oil and or know where to get oil? If they did not have oil, what were they doing all this time while they were supposed to be preparing? Let's look at Matthew 25, verse 3. For when the foolish virgins took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them. In Matthew 25, verse 3, we know that the foolish knew Jesus was coming. The foolish knew they needed their lamps to see Jesus. Is it fair to think of the foolish as those who were doing something else with their time? What was so distracting that they missed out on preparing for Jesus? When a person is distracted and can easily turn from their focus, it's not their focus. Let's say that again. When a person says something is important, but they are so distracted, they are not assigning value to the original goal. All they were supposed to know was that Jesus is coming. When we attach value to something, nothing can break a person's focus because there is only one path and that is straight to the thing that is important. For example, when people fall in love, they think about that person night and day. They think about when they will see them again. They think about what they need to do to make that person happy. They prepare everything in advance to see them on time with everything they need. That is if they see the value in that person's life. Let's look at Matthew 25, verses 4 to 6. But the wise took the flask of oil along with them, also with their lamps. While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, Behold the bridegroom! Go out to meet him. In Matthew 25, verses 4 to 6, both the foolish and the wise fall asleep. We can see that there was importance placed on the bridegroom to protect against missing Jesus when he came. They assigned someone to keep watch when they needed to rest. This shows priority over even sleep when you are really putting value in Jesus. When Jesus comes, you need to stop sleeping and get up to meet him. How many of us can be found sleeping during important things? How much priority is placed on something important? What does the Bible say about sleeping during important times of prayer? Let's look at Matthew 26, verse 41. Jesus speaking to disciples, All of you must keep awake, give strict attention, be cautious and active, and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Word is telling us to be cautious and active, watch and pray, because something happens when you are sleeping. That you might come into temptation. So we see that sleeping can open a person to come into temptation. When a person sleeps, it is possible for temptation to come into a person. In order for something to come in, there must be a door opened. The door is an agreement to what the tempter is wanting. The answer to the door of temptation is be cautious and active and watch and pray. In the case of the ten virgins, they would have been tempted to sleep and miss Jesus. Let's go to Luke 4, verse 13. The devil trying to tempt Jesus. And when the devil had ended every temptation, the complete cycle of it, he temporarily left him, Jesus that is, stood off from him until another more opportune and favorable time. Although the story about the ten virgins could have meant they were physically asleep, how many people are not awake in the Lord? What does it mean to be not awake in the Lord? It means the Lord and the things of the Lord are not important to you. When Jesus is important to someone, they place a price of value on all things pertaining to godliness and the kingdom of God, which is Jesus. They remain connected to all things of the Lord. When Jesus tells believers to stay alert and watch for a reason, if we are believers and need to watch, it's because something not of the Lord is trying to attack in some way. Be obedient to when Jesus tells you to stay awake and watch and pray. Since we are discussing keeping Jesus in all parts of our life, here is why. Let's look at 1 John 2, verses 24 to 26. John a disciple of Christ is speaking. As for you, keep in your hearts that you have heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the first dwells and remains in you, then you will dwell in the Son and in the Father always. And this is what he himself has promised us, the eternal life. I wrote this to you with reference to those who would deceive you, seduce and lead you astray. Verse 27. But as for you, the anointing, the sacred appointment, the unction, which you received from him abides permanently in you. So then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in, live in, never depart from him, being rooted in him, knit to him just as his anointing has taught you to do. From this message, we can see that to protect true believers from those who would lead them astray, there is an anointing on them. It teaches believers concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood. This is why I believe that the wise virgins were focused on the Lord and set up a person to tell them when Jesus arrived so nothing would stop them from missing Jesus. Let's look at Matthew 25, verse 7. Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. We can see that each virgin was supposed to know how to put their own lamp in order. Remember, those in Jesus Christ are being directed by the anointing which teaches believers concerning everything. This protects believers and separates them from doing what everyone else is doing. Could this be why the wise virgins were prepared, ready, taught concerning everything? First John 2, verse 26 says, I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you, seduce and lead you astray. Were the foolish virgins trying to lead the wise virgins astray? Let's continue looking at the story of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, verses 8 to 9. Verse 8, And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. Verse 9, But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the dealers and buy for yourself. We can see that the foolish virgins were to be waiting and preparing for Jesus. They knew he was coming. They knew they needed working lamps in order to go out and meet Jesus. If the wise virgins had time to have oil for their lamps, that means the foolish virgins were given the same time, preparation, teaching, opportunity as the wise virgins. As we look more closely, we can see that there was opportunity given to the foolish virgins. They would have had to be focused on something else to miss Jesus. They did not consider Jesus as important as what they were focusing on. If the foolish virgins were not there preparing for Jesus to come, what were they doing? Let's go back to Matthew 25, verses 8 to 9. And the foolish version said to the wise, give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out. We see in Matthew 25, verse 8, that the foolish virgins demanded that the wise virgins give them some of their oil. The foolish virgins did not ask for some oil. They said, give us some of your oil. From this phrase, we can see that they were united in this request because they said, give us some oil. We can also see that when a person does not ask for something someone else owns, it becomes a demand as in give us, not can you or will you, but give us some of your oil. The foolish virgins were insisting that oil should just be given to them. Another fact was that everyone knew the value of the oil. Even those, the foolish who chose not to prepare oil, the foolish virgins who prepared with the wise virgins knew that the wise needed all of their oil to meet Jesus. Why? Because they had the same information as the wise virgins. The foolish choosing not to prepare and then trying to demand the wise virgins oil from them makes this lean towards being a deliberate distraction and sabotage for the wise virgins. If the wise gave the foolish their oil, they would miss their chance to meet Jesus. Perhaps that was the goal of the foolish virgins all along. Let's look at Matthew 25 verse nine to see how the wise virgins reacted. But the wise replied, there will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. We see the wise virgins understand the same facts. If they give their oil to the foolish virgins, they will not have enough for themselves. The foolish were counting on the wise virgins to be foolish, but they were wise because of their true desire to be with Jesus. In the rest of the verse in Matthew 25 verse nine, the wise virgins instruct the foolish to go to the dealer to buy oil. At that point, we understand from following the journey in the story that the foolish will miss Jesus. This is exactly what happens. And Jesus says to them in Matthew 25 verses 11 to 12 later, the other virgins, the foolish virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open the door to us. But he replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you. I am not acquainted with you. Let's look at what this verse talks about and the lessons on this story. Matthew 25 13 watch therefore give strict attention and be cautious and active for you know neither the day nor the hour when the son of man will come. Pray for those who use you. That is a strong moral in this story because there will be people waiting to distract you and to lure you away from your focus. It says in Matthew 5 44, this is Jesus speaking, but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. We can see from the Lord's instructions that we as believers need to watch, give strict attention to be cautious and active because we do not know when Jesus will return. We must be ready and prepared for the coming of Jesus. If you have been like the foolish virgins distracted and not preparing, not focusing on Jesus, there is still time for you to get right with God and live righteously. The story of the 10 virgins lets you know that. What are some other lessons that we have learned from this story? What you value you focus on and move towards. Those professing Jesus yet not preparing and studying the Bible have different directions than a believer. You cannot be hidden in Christ if you're not in Christ. Another lesson, some may be with you, dress like you, spend all their time around you, talk like a believer, but live for the devil. People in the same church are given the same information and tools as you. There are people who are not focused on Jesus at all around you. Those around you who are not focused on Jesus have different goals than you and might be there to cause you to be tempted or distracted. So keep alert, keep watch. We encourage believers to stay the course, spend time with the Lord more and more. Colossians 3 verses 1 to 2. If then you have been raised with Christ to a new life, thus sharing the resurrection from the dead, aim at and seek the rich eternal treasures that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above the higher things, not on the things that are on the earth. Moving forward towards Jesus, Proverbs 4, 25, look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. We must prioritize time. There must be a time for praying daily and reading your Bible. Let's look at Ephesians 5 verses 15 to 16. Look carefully then how you walk. Live purposefully and worthily and accurately. Not as the unwise and witless, but as wise, sensible, intelligent people. Verse 16, making the very most of the time, buying up each opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. Let's look at Matthew 13 verses 41 to 43. The son of man will send forth his angels and they will gather out of the kingdom all causes of offense, persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin and all who do iniquity and act wickedly and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. Then will the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with God shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their father. Let him who has ears to hear be listening and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing. If you have been like the foolish virgins, distracted and not preparing or focusing on Jesus, there is still time for you to get right with God and live righteously. The story of the 10 virgins lets you know that. So be wise in all of your choices. Don't be a foolish individual who does not prepare and does not consider the value of Jesus Christ. Amen.