Who knows that the Lord will not come back soon? Recently, the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger attracted the attention of the whole nation. I felt sorry for the ones who died in it and sorry for our country. Would that not be a warning to us, though? Who among us can know when will be the appointed time for us to die? We should take this as a warning. If a real Christian dies without the adequate supply of oil in his vessel, his soul, and if he has not made much profit for the Lord, he will regret in the next age that he had wasted his time. I believe some of those who love the Lord were warned through this incident. We do not know, as the Lord said in Matthew 24:36, the hour or the day of His coming back. We do not even know the hour, the time, or the day of the month of our death. Our life is so fragile (Psa. 39:4). With a little accident we might be killed.
As we read these portions concerning the watchfulness in life and concerning the faithfulness in service we should be warned. We must be enlightened that to have an extra portion of the oil, the Spirit, in our whole being, is not as simple as getting saved. We can be saved and regenerated instantly. To have the Holy Spirit come into our spirit is simple, but to have an extra portion of the Holy Spirit to fill you up, to saturate your entire being, takes much time. This is clearly indicated in the New Testament. To bear a child requires nine months. However, to grow up to be a full-grown person requires at least eighteen to twenty-one years. In the Bible the required age for entrance into the Lord’s service as an apprentice is twenty-five years (Num. 8:24); the full, legal age for the priest is thirty years (Num. 4:3). To prepare an extra portion of the Spirit to fill your being, that is, to have the full growth, requires time. I dare not to say that I am fully grown. However, I do believe that in the Lord’s hand there might be a record that says I have grown much. Yet, I still need some more growth. Consider your situation related to the growth in life and related to the profit for the Lord. My burden, and my heart’s desire is to pass this fellowship on to you.
At this time, rise up and wake up to seek after the extra portion of the oil daily, and do some business with the talent you have received of the Lord to make a profit. If you do not, you will suffer. This suffering will not be immediately after you die; the suffering will be at His coming back. All the dead saints will resurrect to be raptured with the living ones to the air to meet the Lord and to stand before His judgment seat. Then He will settle accounts with you. You must keep a good account. We all know that to keep a good account is not a one day matter; it is a lifelong matter. You all must have some profit accumulated, a deposit built up.
This word in the plain speaking in 24:45-51 and in the parable in 25:14-30 is altogether adequate. We will have no excuse. Therefore, please rise up, wake up, and do not take any excuse. The one-talented one argued with the Lord, taking to Him a very good excuse, saying, “Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter” (Matt. 25:24). The Lord admitted that was true, but said, “Evil and slothful slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter. You ought therefore to have deposited my silver with the bankers, and when I came I would have recovered what is mine with interest” (Matt. 25:26-27). The word of the one-talented slave condemned him. Actually, we have no excuse at all. May this portion of the Word give us a word of supply and a word of warning.