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Prophecy Watchers
Why the Oil of the Spirit Matters | Are You Ready for the Return of the Lord? | Mikel Cary
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Hey everyone. Dr. Michael Carey here. And as we step into 2026, it's more important than ever that we understand the times that we're living in. Because the signs that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24, deception, upheaval and global shaking, are unfolding right in front of us. And they're all signs that point to the soon return of Jesus Christ. But incredibly, the prophet Daniel tells us that it's God who changes the times and seasons and that he give gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Meaning that neither history nor current events are random happenings. They aren't being driven by governments, they're not being driven by economies or by global agendas. They're directed by the hand of God. And that all revelation into these things is directly connected to our willingness to discern and understand what what he's already done. In other words, the movement of God on this earth can be understood, but only by those who are willing to look. And if you're not paying attention, you're going to miss it. So if God is the one who changes the times and seasons, then everything that we're seeing, every shift in culture, every global crisis and every significant headline is part of of God's prophetic purpose in these last days. And in light of this, we need to be focused on the things that matter most. And because of this and this sense of urgency in my heart, I've been seeking the face of God for a deeper understanding into what he's saying to us as believers right now. And what I keep hearing is that we need the oil of the Spirit in our lives more than ever. And if you've ever wondered what it means to live prepared for his coming, then stay with me because we're going to unpack what Jesus said. I also want to show you how to live in the fullness of God's spirit as we step into this new year, so that you can live with a renewed sense of urgency, a renewed sense of clarity, and the kind of faith that moves the hand of God on your behalf. Alright, let's jump in. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus disciples ask him, what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age? And Jesus answers this question with an incredibly detailed description, stating that there will be great deception, famine, earthquakes, wars, upheavals, offense, apostasy, great persecution. And at the same time he tells them that the Gospel is going to go all the nations of the world on an unprecedented level. Now Jesus continues in the Gospel of Matthew by telling a series of Kingdom parables beginning with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins that are all set in the prophetic context of this answer to his disciples question, what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age? Now let's look at that parable, Matthew 25, and we'll begin. In verse one, it says this. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now, five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard, behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, no, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch now. This is very powerful. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Now, you need to get this into your heart, because what Jesus said is incredibly significant. This parable tells us that in the days leading up to the end of the age and Christ's return, that a significant portion of the church is not going to be ready. And further, Jesus tells us that in the troubling times just before his return, that the difference between those who are wise and those who are foolish comes down to oil. Now, oil represents God's work of consecration and the setting apart of something ordinary for kingdom purposes. It represents healing. It represents restoration. Even further, oil represents a supernatural outpouring of joy on our lives because of God's blessing and God's favor. If you remember, the 23rd Psalm says, prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over, and surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In other words, oil represents the power. It represents the redemptive workings of the Holy Spirit within our lives. And Oil, these redemptive workings of God in our lives is the entire focal point of the parable of the 10 virgins that Jesus told in Matthew 25. Now, I've heard all kinds of teaching on this passage. Some of it's odd and completely misses the point, but understanding what Jesus actually said is imperative because its implications and our response connects or disconnects our lives to the movement and workings of the kingdom of God. And that's why Jesus told this parable. Now, hold that thought and let's unpack this a bit more. In Jesus day, symbolism was very important and was used to convey or express truth. And biblically, the number 10 represents completeness or the totality of a thing. So when Jesus uses The illustrations of 10 virgins in this parable, he's talking to the whole church concerning their responsibility to be ready to meet him and when he returns. And if oil represents the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then the lamps represent our relationship with God as His Spirit causes the life and the light of God to live in and through each of us. Now, if you remember, John 1:4 says this, and it's talking about God, but in him was life, and the life was the light of men. My point being that in the days leading up to the return of the Lord, a significant portion of the church are not going to be ready to meet him because they've allowed the oil, the source of God's goodness, the source of God's favor, the life of God as it leads to restoration and joy, the very light of consecration and intimacy that they once had with God, to run out. Now, please hear this, and hear it with spiritual ears, because in this parable, Jesus is saying that relationship with God is not something that you can take for granted. It's not something that you can give to somebody else. And it's not something you get just because you show up and go through all the motions. There are countless people, even pastors and church leaders, who go to church week after week. Yet they never allow the Spirit of God to truly fill their lives in a deep and living way. And I'm telling you, the church today needs the oil of the Spirit more than ever. Because without the Spirit of God burning inside of us, we will not have the strength to endure in the face of great trouble. And without the Spirit of God, we won't have the clarity to walk in the discernment that's necessary as deception increases places and the truth continues to come under demonic assault. See, you were created to live in victory, and you were created for deep and living and meaningful relationship with God. You were created to be a vessel that's filled with the oil of God's spirit. And the truth is, God is calling you to reach for the things of the Spirit like never before. He wants to live in you, he wants to move in you, he wants to burn inside of you, and he wants to saturate your life with the things of his kingdom. But like Martha In Luke chapter 10, we need to stop being distracted by all the things in life that are vying for our attention and make the decision that absolutely nothing is more important than our connection to Jesus Christ. And the only hope for the brokenness in this world today is that God's people would allow the Holy Spirit to fill them with the oil of his presence. In fact, the prophet Isaiah declared, seek the Lord while he may be found. And that's why we need to stir up our passion for the things of God. That's why we need to pour out the energy of our lives as an expression of worship and as an expression of our heart towards Him. The psalmist put it this way. He said, my soul, which is my mind, my will, my intellect, my emotions, in other words, my thoughts, the energy of my life and the deepest portion of my spirit. The psalmist said, my soul follows hard after you, and your right hand upholds me. Which simply means that we're reaching for God from the deepest parts of our life, and we're pursuing him with so much desire and passion that we're like a shadow moving with a runner. And it's this desire, it's this passion, it's these things that drive us to relentlessly pursue God, recognizing that we need the oil of his spirit to completely fill our lives. Now, let's wrap this up. Jesus ends the parable of the wise and foolish virgins with a huge statement. He says, watch. Listen to this. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. What he's doing is challenging us to examine our lives and take a realistic inventory of our heart towards him. And I know. I know that this is easier said than done and that this level of spiritual introspection can be difficult. I know that this level of looking inside of ourselves and being honest with ourselves can be very hard. It's easy to go to church and grab your Starbucks on the way and sit in the pew and say, praise God and hallelujah and wasn't that a great message? But see that God is asking and God is requiring more from Us, every one of us has fallen short. Every one of us needs the grace of God because all the busy things and all the noise and all the challenges of life have a way of distorting our perspective and suppressing our spiritual desire. But it's in that pursuit of deep and very real experience with God. It's in those moments of honesty before the Lord in prayer. It's in those moments of honesty and integrity before God, where we lay out our heart and we pursue deep and very real experience, that we find an endless supply of his oil. And it's there that we find an endless supply of his life. Oh, hallelujah. Well, let's stop there. But before we wrap this up, I want to pray for you. And I want you to know that in 2026, I am believing for breakthrough in your life. And this year is filled with the favor of God like never before. That you find God, that you connect with God. That your cup overflows and that goodness and mercy would follow you all the days of your life. That every morning when you wake up, that the first words out of your mouth were, God, fill me, God, use me. God, send me. And Father, that your goodness and mercy that your father favor would surround me like a shield. Let's pray. Father, I come to you right now in the name of Jesus Christ. And I lift up every person watching God. I lift them up right now, God, and I hold them up before you. And I ask that you would fill each of them fresh with the oil of your spirit and that you would pour out your goodness in their lives. Lives. I ask that you would fill their hearts, God, with your dreams, God, that you would cause them to gather those things that you had placed in their heart, some of them, so many years ago. And, God, that you would wake them up. That you would let them know that their failures, their shortcomings, God, have not stopped the dreams that you have put within their heart. And, God, that we are living in a time of renewed dreams. I ask that you would fill. Fill their heart, God, with your dreams. That you would cause them to reject the counterfeit. And, Lord, that every dream you've placed inside of them, that you would fulfill every one of them. Give them a spirit, Father, of revelation. Give them a spirit of understanding into the Word, into the things of your kingdom and into the natural world around them. Father, let them be filled with a spirit of great wisdom and great understanding. That they would have great discernment in 2026, that they would see the things that are of you and they would Recognize the distractions of the enemy. And Father, that they would easily be able to tell between the two. And in the name of Jesus Christ, right now, just stand with me just where you're at, reach your hand out towards this screen and stand in agreement. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we take authority over every attack, over every assault of the enemy that could come against their lives. And Father, I ask that you would protect them and God that you would place them in the very shelter of the most High, God that they would be inaccessible to the attacks of the enemy because they're literally standing within the hands of a God of the Creator of the universe, God, that your favor would be a shield, that your goodness, God would hedge them in. And Father, I ask right now, God, I know some of them are deeply concerned for their loved ones, God for their family members. And I ask for the salvation of every one of them that don't know you move on their hearts, God, soften them to the truth. And I'm asking that you put men and women of God who in their path. That Father, hardly a day could go by that there isn't a divine appointment, God, where your word is going into their lives, where your word is softening their hearts towards you. And Father, that you would bring them to a place where they would change their mind. And Father, even the ones that have said, I don't believe in God, I don't want God, I don't believe in these things. I that you would soften their hearts and that you would open their eyes and open their ears, Father, to their need for a savior. Lord, I also ask God for restoration in their lives. Father, the book of Joel tells us that I will restore to you the years that the canker worm and locust have taken, that you would supernaturally restore everything in their lives that's been lost, everything that's been stolen by the enemy, everything that's been taken, laid down, missed, walked away from or defaulted on through sin or complacency or a lack of understanding. Father, that you would remove every single obstacle that's standing in the way of absolute restoration and that you would restore to them the years that have been taken or consumed and lost or frustration. God for some of them, promotions at work, God, they've been passed by, they've been overlooked, but not in 2026. God, I speak favor and I speak promotion. Others, God, have had inheritances, God, or things that belong to them taken. And I ask that your hand would release them. And Lord, that God, that if the enemy, the thief has been caught. And Father, that these things have to be restored to them sevenfold. Lord, there's been friendships that have been taken, friendships that have been consumed, God, in frustration. I ask for God, a restoration in their lives. Father, I ask that you would open their eyes, that you would open their ears to the things of the spirit, that you would give them a desire for more of you, God, a hunger for the things of your spirit like they've never had before. And I ask that your presence would tangibly flood them right now. Father. Let them feel your presence, God, coming on them from the very top of their head to the bottom of their feet. Flood them with your anointing. Flood them with their. With your spirit. Let them feel it. And in the name of Jesus Christ, God, as your spirit moves on them, I say be free from every form of bondage. I say be free from every vile thought of the enemy, from every thought of condemnation, from every thought of defeat. And Father, I declare that they have been given the very mind of Christ. And I say be free from that spirit of hopelessness. Be free from that spirit of depression. God, let the oil of joy fill their lives. And I take authority over despair and frustration. And in the name of Jesus Christ, I also say be free from sickness, not because of anything I've done, but because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. God, he bore our infirmities. He bore our sicknesses. And Father, I ask God, you said you sent your word and you healed us. And in the name of Jesus, be free right now from sickness. Be free from fear. Be free from a spirit of lack and poverty. And in the name of Jesus Christ, be free from every form of confusion. And Father, I thank you for your great mercy. I thank you for your great love for us. Lord. I know that your love never changes and your mercies never fail. And Father, we thank you for the answers to these things that we have stood in agreement for. And God, we know that we have them because we ask them in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah. I believe that your 2026 is going to be filled with the oil of God's presence, and it's going to be saturated in his favor. I believe that this year is going to be a year of breakthrough because the Word tells us that those who know their God shall do mighty exploits. Hallelujah. Well, God bless, and I look forward to seeing you next time.