At that time (during the End Times just prior to His Second Coming) the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.” Luke 25:1-4
There are only 11 days left to ready yourself and your household for Christmas! It’s the 11th hour! Hurry! There is still buying, ordering, wrapping, decorating, inviting, cleaning, and cooking to do. Make sure you have enough batteries! Dads will be up late into the night on the 24th assembling. Let’s hope there are no missing pieces.
If only this energy, these preparations and urgency, were expended on things that really mattered. Like… preparing for the return of the Lord. Frankly, Jesus isn’t focused any longer on his first coming; his second coming tops his upcoming agenda for planet earth. The lingering question in his mind even back during Bible days was “when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?” In other words, will there be people believing and longing and preparing accordingly despite the fact that the world around them will be clueless and oblivious?
Jesus told a parable once about Ten Virgins. Five were prepared, five were not. Five is a number that represents “grace.” Five of these gals represent religious people walking in a false grace. False grace says “God loves me and it doesn’t matter how I live.” That mindset permeates many churches today leaves people fully unprepared for his coming. It does matter how we live and whether or not we are readying ourselves spiritually. “Oil” represents a couple of things; the level of intimacy we have with God and our knowledge of God. These are matters we need to attend to with urgency this coming year. Start now.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to understand the hour in which I live. Keep me from frivolous distractions and things that keep me from growing in intimacy and the knowledge of God. Amen.
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