Matthew 25:1-13 is the Parable of the ten virgins. These virgins are attendants to the bride. In the Jewish culture, the attendants "served the bride by helping her prepare, watching for the return of the bridegroom and sharing the joy of the wedding feast." When you read the parable, you will see that 5 have oil for their lamps and their wicks are trimmed.. they are ready for the bridegroom. The other 5 are not ready and when the bridegroom calls they have to run to find oil and end up missing the bridegroom.
The lesson, obviously, is that we are to be ready for the bridegroom's return. The key is to actually have a relationship with the bridegroom, Jesus. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then you are not going to be glad for His return. I would urge everyone reading to make sure they have that personal relationship with Jesus. Here is a great way to know that... http://web.mac.com/cwbc/Country_Woods/FAITH_.html
If you do have a relationship with Jesus, then you are to prepare for His return. The parable in Matthew 25 shows that "Christ assigns us personal responsibility to help prepare the bride for His coming."
So again the question is how do we prepare? By being about our Father's business.
From Genesis to Revelation, God has written us a guide book of love letters. We are to spend time daily in the Word and in prayer developing our relationship with Christ and as we do this, we will learn all we are to be doing. Things like...
Watch and Pray (Matt. 26:41)
Walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5)
Be my witnesses (Acts 1:8)
Go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20)
Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Prov. 3:5)
and so much more. But lest you feel overwhelmed, we are never told to do any of this on our own and in our own strength. In fact, God promises:
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3
Get in the Word... Seek Him (He promises to be found see Jer. 29:13-14)... Ask God to show you what He has for you to do (Eph. 2:10) and to give you all you need to do it... and then walk in Faith trusting Him to do just that!
"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." Isa. 26:8
Lord, that You that we aren't to just sit here and wait. You have things for us to do.. good works.. kingdom work.. purpose. Draw each of us into Your Word and into a state of listening to hear what You have for us to do and then give us the courage to do it! Thank You for not sending us out in our own strength and abilities, for we would surely fail. Thank you for giving us all we need. We praise You Lord for your first arrival on earth and look with excitement towards Your return. Haste the day, Lord, haste the day! Amen.
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