Repentance

Do you have what it takes to meet with the Bridegroom?

Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Carl Malone and Charles Barclay are among the 50 Greatest Basketball Players of All Times. However, not one of these gentlemen have ever won a Championship. They have had their chances, but none of them had the necessary pieces in place to push them over the hump.

As I look back on the illustrious careers of the afore mentioned gentlemen, I think through the story of the ten virgins. Five were wise, and five were foolish. The sage virgins put all the necessary pieces together that would make sure they are meeting with the Bridegroom at the banqueting Hall, but the shortsighted virgins were superficial in their preparation. They did not pay attention to details, and as a result, they overlooked an extremely critical component—they did not have enough oil for their lamps.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, not everyone will meet with the Bridegroom when He comes. Some of us will be out shopping for things we knew we needed well in advance of His appearing. Now is the time of Salvation. This is the time to plan and prepare. For if we do not have all the pieces in place when the Bridegroom comes, we will hear a voice say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

Do you have enough oil for your lamp?

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins: Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten 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 therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Embracing the beauty of God’s creation

God has made everything beautiful in its time; also, He has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

There are a lot of incredible things on this earth that God has given us to enjoy. We live in a beautiful world full of gorgeous trees, breathtaking mountains, immense oceans, fabulous sunsets, and so on. Nature is beautiful. Bright, sunny mornings, with the birds singing; and dew sparkling on the grass; are truly a gift from God. It is when we look at the world through the eyes of God that we come to appreciate just how fantastic it is.

Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

Real wisdom is the knowledge of God and all His handiwork. We have been given life so that we may enjoy it. It is a gift from God. When we seek God and a deeper knowledge of His will, we are seeking a greater understanding of all creation. There is nothing greater that anyone can desire than to see this world of ours through the eyes of the creator.

In God’s creation, we can catch glimpses of God Himself. In prayer, we need to remember to ask God to help us become wise as He is wise, and in doing so, we will see beauty like we never knew existed. We will appreciate life in a new and exciting way.

It was a “Dark Night” in Aurora

It was a “dark night” when a heavily armed man entered a movie theater in suburban Denver early Friday and opened fire, killing at least 12 people and injuring 58 others. Mayhem, weeping and mourning followed.

The incident, which took place, about 12:30 a.m. at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colo., occurred during midnight screenings of the new Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.” The shooter has been identified as James Holmes.

“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1).

What’s wrong with the world?

As the world tries to make sense of the tragedy in Colorado, many people are asking, “Why did this all too familiar drama that has terrorized places such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tucson, Arizona and Fort Hood, happened in Aurora?” This quiet suburb neighborhood is one of the most unlikely places one would expect a massacre. Nevertheless, evil has no discretion. It could spring up anywhere.

For answers, authorities turned to experts of all sorts for their theories on what kind of person would slaughter innocent strangers and then calmly surrender to the police. But so far nobody has uncovered anything in the shooter’s background that would suggest he was capable of committing such a heinous act.

Still, the killing of innocent people is not an uncommon occurrence. This horrible, despicable act happens all over the world, on an almost daily basis. Which leaves one to wonder. “What’s wrong with the world?” The answer to this question can only be found in the Word of God.

To help me explain, here is a sermon given in Charlotte by Rev. Billy Graham in 1958. Many of us were not born then, but this message is relent now just as it was relevant then.

The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong

David and Goliath, a colour lithograph by Osma...

David and Goliath, a colour lithograph by Osmar Schindler (c. 1888) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

Those are the words of David, a shepherd boy staring in the eyes of Goliath, the mighty Philistine. Goliath was a strong and powerful member of the Philistine army that was lining up to do battle with King Saul‘s army.

Cocky and bubbling with confidence, Goliath shouted to the ranks of the Israeli army and requested a duel. “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you, not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. However, if I prevail against him and kill him, there after you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and extremely afraid” (1 Samuel 17:8-11).

But God had a plan for Goliath and his army. He chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; likewise, He chose the weak things of the world to confound the things which are strong. He would use David to destroy Goliath.

The mighty Goliath was furious when David appeared before him. He disdained David for he was just a youth who had kept  his father’s sheep. “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” He asked David. “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” He exclaimed. Nevertheless, all that cheap talk, never ruffle David. Just like Daniel in the lion’s den, He was calm cool and collected.

The bloodthirsty Goliath was confident he would tear David to pieces. He was wrong. The battle was not David’s. It was the Lord’s. David did not rely on his strength. He knew he was no match for Goliath. However, with God fighting the battle for him, victory was assured. David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone.

Like David and Daniel and so many others in the Old and New Testament, victory is guaranteed for you and I my friends; but only if we allow God to fight our battles for us.