The 10 Bridesmaids – Part 3
History has shown over and over that one day can change everything. One day in the garden…one choice…changed the course of man and resulted in the separation from the Author of Life. One day the rain started to fall and the earth was wiped clean with only Noah and his family saved. One day, after hearing the promise and waiting for decades, David became king. One day, Jesus finally came, after the world had waited over 4,000 years. One day, the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression marked a generation in a deep and profound way. One day, Pearl Harbor was bombed and the US was suddenly thrust in to World War II. One day 9/11 happened.
All of these days were “less-than” a time called in the Bible “that day.” On one day, Jesus is going to split the sky and begin to take over everything in a very physical way. On that one day, every person on the face of the earth is going to have a sudden realization: everything they lived for, poured themselves into, and desired that wasn’t completely rooted in, and working towards, the cause of Jesus’ physical leadership on earth will be revealed as wood, hay, and stubble. Careers, houses, cars, vacations, status and earthly success will cease to matter on one day. Our lives are supposed to reflect this truth now. Our lives are supposed to be about one thing: heaven coming to earth.
Many have made heaven coming to earth the “background” story of their lives. They agree with it, but Jesus’ actual return seems to many people who sincerely love Jesus to be “too big” to live all in for…too dreamy to really base your life on. But the truth is, on one day, EVERYONE will WISH they had based their entire life on this one reality. When Jesus does return, and I believe it will be soon, He will evaluate everyone on their longing for Him to return, and how that longing…that desire…was reflected by the actual choices they made with their time, money, energy, emotion, and words to make that the primary motive of their lives.
Wholehearted love for God…for Him to be fully with mankind again…and the overflow of that love into our relationships with those God loves, is the only standard that man will be judged by:
Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" (37) Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Loving God wholeheartedly is what the Law is all about. Loving God wholeheartedly naturally overflows into loving people wholeheartedly. On THAT day…the day we see Jesus face to face in His terrifying glory…there is only one truth of our lives that will give us confidence and peace: how well we loved God and how that was reflected in the overflow among the people around us:
1 John 4:17-21 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (19) We love Him because He first loved us. (20) If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The day of judgment IS THAT day. Peter declared that THAT day started at Pentecost:
Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. (15) For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. (16) But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (17) 'AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAYS GOD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH; YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS. (18) AND ON MY MENSERVANTS AND ON MY MAIDSERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS; AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY. (19) I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND SIGNS IN THE EARTH BENEATH: BLOOD AND FIRE AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. (20) THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD. (21) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.'
The “day of the Lord” has a narrow meaning and a broad meaning. The narrow day is the day the sky splits and Jesus is seen. The broad day started at Pentecost. This is because Jesus likened THAT DAY to a baby being born. What was conceived at Pentecost is supposed to be maturing right now in order that it may be fully delivered at the rapture at the end of the trumpet judgments of Revelation. The rapture doesn’t take us away somewhere. Jesus returns to take all those who longed for the day with Him into Jerusalem to begin physically taking over every earthly governmental structure BY FORCE. The bowl judgments are released over the 30 days that Jesus physically marches into Jerusalem. Everyone who succumbs to the pressure of the antichrist to trust in man-based power will be sentenced to living apart from life…called a lake of fire in the Bible. This is an awful reality.
The judgments…the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls…are all about the saving of everyone who is willing. To keep them safe from the awful reality of a non-life existence apart from God forever. The day of judgment began with the initial empowering of the Church to fulfill Her role: the great commission, which is the ultimate expression of love for one another. Saving people while there is time from attempting to live life apart from the Author of Life, which is impossible long-term, is the ultimate expression of loving God overflowed into loving people. God refuses to violate free will, but He will orchestrate circumstances to give everyone over to the evil they are choosing in order to show them the truth of the choice incrementally, that they might turn and choose Him before it is too late. The Revelation judgments ARE the day of the Lord, which is fully born…delivered, when Jesus physically returns.
The Revelation judgments are INTENSE. This process requires preparation on the part of God’s people. The intensity of THAT day unfolding will be so intense it will offend many who are unprepared. The Bible says that many who are in the Church right now will be offended by what Jesus allows to touch the earth, humanity, and even the Church…and they will quit trusting Him. This is called the “falling away.” But also, many who are outside of the Church right now will be desperate for truth. They will see the supernatural aspects of what is happening and desire an invitation to the wedding that is unfolding. This is called the “Great Harvest.” This is all about who is, in the end, going to be joined forever into Jesus’ family…a wedding of the most epic proportions.
All of Revelation describes the preparation of the wedding…the joining of Jesus’ status as Son of God, with all those who will legally share in His inheritance…called His Bride. Jesus is only going to marry a wholehearted, pure and spotless Bride, who will prepare herself in one generation:
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Jesus’ Bride MUST have on clean and bright garments, which IS the righteous acts of the saints. There is no other wedding garment that is acceptable. Right now, many believe that they are going to be handed some nice white clothes someday regardless of their manner of living. They are wrong. They have completely ignored what the Bible says about the day that is surely at hand. Righteous acts ARE REQUIRED, especially in the time of the events of the Book of Revelation. Righteous acts take a lot of intention now…this will only get more intense. Good works, according to James, matter. Faith without them is dead. This isn’t legalism. This is truth.
Legalism is trying to produce those righteous acts from my own strength. Thinking my methods, my charity, or my discipline will be acceptable payment for my sin. This is complete deception. Nothing can pay for sin except sinless blood.
Truth is that everyone who wants to share in Jesus’ inheritance is supposed to let wholehearted love PRODUCE righteous acts by the power of the Holy Spirit. This happens by letting lovesickness drive me into unbalanced, all-in, radical, recklessly abandoned obedience to Jesus…just because He is worth it. If I really love Him, I WILL obey Him:
John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Many talk the talk of this sort of abandonment to Jesus, but few do the hard work of contending in secret to die to every other earthly desire in order to focus, “irresponsibly,” on desiring to be like Jesus. Methods and discipline are REQUIRED, not be found acceptable, but to express my desire to know more of His love. Free will requires that I "go after" love. It will never be forced on me. For me to go after love, I have to go after truth…I have to reach for it...the more I desire, the more I will get…because of the nature of love. Contending with discipline…stirring myself up… produces a lovesickness that makes sharing in Jesus’ suffering and being conformed to His image a natural process my heart desires…not something I have to keep convincing myself to carry out!:
2 Timothy 1:6-12 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (7) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (10) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (11) to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. (12) For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
This process of dying to earthly desires…earthly security, strength, and comfort…and living more abandoned in obedience to Jesus IS fully described in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6, and 7). This is the main way you get stirred up: radically giving away your time and money, fasting, and praying radically. This is what Jesus called living for greatness (Matthew 5:19). Greatness is doing and teaching the law, summed up in the greatest commandment: wholehearted love for God overflowing into love for each other.
This takes time and effort. There is no shortcut to this kind of radical heart change. People who encourage each other to burn every bridge and go after radical unbalanced dedication to God by giving away everything that everyone else tries, often in vain, to store up, will be great forever starting on ONE DAY. 401k’s will disappear, my house will be worthless, my career will not matter, my “status” among people, even churchy people, will be irrelevant on ONE DAY…the only thing that will matter is how abandoned I was to love as it was reflected in my actual choices to not save and guard my resources for a day I might need them, but give away time, money, talent, status, and strength. On THAT DAY, Jesus’ opinion will be the only one that matters, and then forever that will not change.
This process requires time. The history of doing this day in and day out, and sharing more and more in life lived for the next age, IS the oil in the prepared Bridesmaid’s lamps:
Matthew 5:14-19 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (17) "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (19) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Living the Sermon on the Mount will not get any easier than it is today. What I resist today, will be easier to resist tomorrow. What I give in to today, will be that much harder to resist tomorrow.
The intensity of the world is ramping up, not chilling out. It is getting darker everywhere where radical obedience isn’t producing light. It is harder to prepare in the dark. Period.
Many mistakenly believe that at some point Jesus’ return will be obvious, and then they will start living all in. They are dead wrong. It will only get harder and harder to prepare for that day as it unfolds. You wouldn’t pick out your wedding clothes the day of your wedding, and the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaid is given to show you can’t fill your lamp with oil after a certain time. This is because the darkness is going to create such great offense, fear, and confusion that it will continue, from today on until Jesus returns, to get harder, and harder, and harder to keep a soft heart that is easily conformed to Jesus’ image. This is why many stopped watching the news. That is just the beginning. It will never be any easier to agree with God than it is today…right now. Agreeing with God about His kingdom coming being the most important thing I have going on today is what EARNS me the clothes (yes, I said earns…you have to agree with your desire, or you will not get the clothes…you may get the whole world but forfeit the clothes):
Matthew 6:28-33 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Wedding clothes are required for the coming wedding. Many will be too busy to even notice the wedding, and many who think they are ready will find themselves unclothed with righteous acts. This is an almost invisible message in the current modern Church, but it IS what the Bible is crystal clear about:
Matthew 22:2-14 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, (3) and sent out his servants to call those who were invited (believers) to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. (4) Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' (5) But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. (6) And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. (7) But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies (this is the antichrist army), destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. (8) Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. (9) Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'(this is the Great Harvest that is coming) (10) So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. (11) "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. (12) So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. (there will be no excuse that will manipulate Jesus on THAT DAY) (13) Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (14) "For many are called, but few are chosen."
This is how Jesus consistently described His return leading up to the day of the wedding. This requires intentional, all-in, preparation of our hearts to endure, BEFORE THAT DAY.
Matthew 25:6-13 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' (7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) 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.' (10) 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. (11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
All of these days were “less-than” a time called in the Bible “that day.” On one day, Jesus is going to split the sky and begin to take over everything in a very physical way. On that one day, every person on the face of the earth is going to have a sudden realization: everything they lived for, poured themselves into, and desired that wasn’t completely rooted in, and working towards, the cause of Jesus’ physical leadership on earth will be revealed as wood, hay, and stubble. Careers, houses, cars, vacations, status and earthly success will cease to matter on one day. Our lives are supposed to reflect this truth now. Our lives are supposed to be about one thing: heaven coming to earth.
Many have made heaven coming to earth the “background” story of their lives. They agree with it, but Jesus’ actual return seems to many people who sincerely love Jesus to be “too big” to live all in for…too dreamy to really base your life on. But the truth is, on one day, EVERYONE will WISH they had based their entire life on this one reality. When Jesus does return, and I believe it will be soon, He will evaluate everyone on their longing for Him to return, and how that longing…that desire…was reflected by the actual choices they made with their time, money, energy, emotion, and words to make that the primary motive of their lives.
Wholehearted love for God…for Him to be fully with mankind again…and the overflow of that love into our relationships with those God loves, is the only standard that man will be judged by:
Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" (37) Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Loving God wholeheartedly is what the Law is all about. Loving God wholeheartedly naturally overflows into loving people wholeheartedly. On THAT day…the day we see Jesus face to face in His terrifying glory…there is only one truth of our lives that will give us confidence and peace: how well we loved God and how that was reflected in the overflow among the people around us:
1 John 4:17-21 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (19) We love Him because He first loved us. (20) If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The day of judgment IS THAT day. Peter declared that THAT day started at Pentecost:
Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. (15) For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. (16) But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (17) 'AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAYS GOD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH; YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS. (18) AND ON MY MENSERVANTS AND ON MY MAIDSERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS; AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY. (19) I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND SIGNS IN THE EARTH BENEATH: BLOOD AND FIRE AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. (20) THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD. (21) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.'
The “day of the Lord” has a narrow meaning and a broad meaning. The narrow day is the day the sky splits and Jesus is seen. The broad day started at Pentecost. This is because Jesus likened THAT DAY to a baby being born. What was conceived at Pentecost is supposed to be maturing right now in order that it may be fully delivered at the rapture at the end of the trumpet judgments of Revelation. The rapture doesn’t take us away somewhere. Jesus returns to take all those who longed for the day with Him into Jerusalem to begin physically taking over every earthly governmental structure BY FORCE. The bowl judgments are released over the 30 days that Jesus physically marches into Jerusalem. Everyone who succumbs to the pressure of the antichrist to trust in man-based power will be sentenced to living apart from life…called a lake of fire in the Bible. This is an awful reality.
The judgments…the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls…are all about the saving of everyone who is willing. To keep them safe from the awful reality of a non-life existence apart from God forever. The day of judgment began with the initial empowering of the Church to fulfill Her role: the great commission, which is the ultimate expression of love for one another. Saving people while there is time from attempting to live life apart from the Author of Life, which is impossible long-term, is the ultimate expression of loving God overflowed into loving people. God refuses to violate free will, but He will orchestrate circumstances to give everyone over to the evil they are choosing in order to show them the truth of the choice incrementally, that they might turn and choose Him before it is too late. The Revelation judgments ARE the day of the Lord, which is fully born…delivered, when Jesus physically returns.
The Revelation judgments are INTENSE. This process requires preparation on the part of God’s people. The intensity of THAT day unfolding will be so intense it will offend many who are unprepared. The Bible says that many who are in the Church right now will be offended by what Jesus allows to touch the earth, humanity, and even the Church…and they will quit trusting Him. This is called the “falling away.” But also, many who are outside of the Church right now will be desperate for truth. They will see the supernatural aspects of what is happening and desire an invitation to the wedding that is unfolding. This is called the “Great Harvest.” This is all about who is, in the end, going to be joined forever into Jesus’ family…a wedding of the most epic proportions.
All of Revelation describes the preparation of the wedding…the joining of Jesus’ status as Son of God, with all those who will legally share in His inheritance…called His Bride. Jesus is only going to marry a wholehearted, pure and spotless Bride, who will prepare herself in one generation:
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Jesus’ Bride MUST have on clean and bright garments, which IS the righteous acts of the saints. There is no other wedding garment that is acceptable. Right now, many believe that they are going to be handed some nice white clothes someday regardless of their manner of living. They are wrong. They have completely ignored what the Bible says about the day that is surely at hand. Righteous acts ARE REQUIRED, especially in the time of the events of the Book of Revelation. Righteous acts take a lot of intention now…this will only get more intense. Good works, according to James, matter. Faith without them is dead. This isn’t legalism. This is truth.
Legalism is trying to produce those righteous acts from my own strength. Thinking my methods, my charity, or my discipline will be acceptable payment for my sin. This is complete deception. Nothing can pay for sin except sinless blood.
Truth is that everyone who wants to share in Jesus’ inheritance is supposed to let wholehearted love PRODUCE righteous acts by the power of the Holy Spirit. This happens by letting lovesickness drive me into unbalanced, all-in, radical, recklessly abandoned obedience to Jesus…just because He is worth it. If I really love Him, I WILL obey Him:
John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Many talk the talk of this sort of abandonment to Jesus, but few do the hard work of contending in secret to die to every other earthly desire in order to focus, “irresponsibly,” on desiring to be like Jesus. Methods and discipline are REQUIRED, not be found acceptable, but to express my desire to know more of His love. Free will requires that I "go after" love. It will never be forced on me. For me to go after love, I have to go after truth…I have to reach for it...the more I desire, the more I will get…because of the nature of love. Contending with discipline…stirring myself up… produces a lovesickness that makes sharing in Jesus’ suffering and being conformed to His image a natural process my heart desires…not something I have to keep convincing myself to carry out!:
2 Timothy 1:6-12 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (7) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (10) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (11) to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. (12) For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
This process of dying to earthly desires…earthly security, strength, and comfort…and living more abandoned in obedience to Jesus IS fully described in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6, and 7). This is the main way you get stirred up: radically giving away your time and money, fasting, and praying radically. This is what Jesus called living for greatness (Matthew 5:19). Greatness is doing and teaching the law, summed up in the greatest commandment: wholehearted love for God overflowing into love for each other.
This takes time and effort. There is no shortcut to this kind of radical heart change. People who encourage each other to burn every bridge and go after radical unbalanced dedication to God by giving away everything that everyone else tries, often in vain, to store up, will be great forever starting on ONE DAY. 401k’s will disappear, my house will be worthless, my career will not matter, my “status” among people, even churchy people, will be irrelevant on ONE DAY…the only thing that will matter is how abandoned I was to love as it was reflected in my actual choices to not save and guard my resources for a day I might need them, but give away time, money, talent, status, and strength. On THAT DAY, Jesus’ opinion will be the only one that matters, and then forever that will not change.
This process requires time. The history of doing this day in and day out, and sharing more and more in life lived for the next age, IS the oil in the prepared Bridesmaid’s lamps:
Matthew 5:14-19 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (17) "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (19) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Living the Sermon on the Mount will not get any easier than it is today. What I resist today, will be easier to resist tomorrow. What I give in to today, will be that much harder to resist tomorrow.
The intensity of the world is ramping up, not chilling out. It is getting darker everywhere where radical obedience isn’t producing light. It is harder to prepare in the dark. Period.
Many mistakenly believe that at some point Jesus’ return will be obvious, and then they will start living all in. They are dead wrong. It will only get harder and harder to prepare for that day as it unfolds. You wouldn’t pick out your wedding clothes the day of your wedding, and the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaid is given to show you can’t fill your lamp with oil after a certain time. This is because the darkness is going to create such great offense, fear, and confusion that it will continue, from today on until Jesus returns, to get harder, and harder, and harder to keep a soft heart that is easily conformed to Jesus’ image. This is why many stopped watching the news. That is just the beginning. It will never be any easier to agree with God than it is today…right now. Agreeing with God about His kingdom coming being the most important thing I have going on today is what EARNS me the clothes (yes, I said earns…you have to agree with your desire, or you will not get the clothes…you may get the whole world but forfeit the clothes):
Matthew 6:28-33 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Wedding clothes are required for the coming wedding. Many will be too busy to even notice the wedding, and many who think they are ready will find themselves unclothed with righteous acts. This is an almost invisible message in the current modern Church, but it IS what the Bible is crystal clear about:
Matthew 22:2-14 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, (3) and sent out his servants to call those who were invited (believers) to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. (4) Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' (5) But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. (6) And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. (7) But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies (this is the antichrist army), destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. (8) Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. (9) Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'(this is the Great Harvest that is coming) (10) So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. (11) "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. (12) So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. (there will be no excuse that will manipulate Jesus on THAT DAY) (13) Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (14) "For many are called, but few are chosen."
This is how Jesus consistently described His return leading up to the day of the wedding. This requires intentional, all-in, preparation of our hearts to endure, BEFORE THAT DAY.
Matthew 25:6-13 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' (7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) 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.' (10) 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. (11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
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