Preparations Have Been Made (or have they)?

One of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture is Matthew Chapter Twenty-Five. Jesus is winding down His earthly ministry taking place just two days before the Passover at which He will celebrate a final meal with those closest to Him. Following dinner they will escape to a solitary garden to pray before He is arrested.

In this passage Jesus tells us three stories and over the next few days we will cover each of the three.

The first story is one of preparation. In verses one through thirteen, Jesus tells of ten virgins. Five of these virgins were wise and the others were foolish. All ten were virgins, all ten filled their lamps, all ten went out to meet the bridegroom. But the Bridegroom delayed, and did not show at the time they thought that He would. As a matter a fact, by the time the announcement came that the bridegroom was about to enter, all of the virgins had fallen fast asleep. Being roused from their sleep, they trimmed their lamps and prepared to go out and greet Him.

Here is where the story turns, for the five foolish virgins had not brought extra oil and began to ask the wise if they might borrow some. The five wise respond wisely. “There is not enough for all of us. Quickly go to the market and purchase some”. While away the bridegroom enters, the wise virgins are there to greet Him and they are escorted into the feast. Later the foolish come and beg entrance, the bridegroom says to them “I don’t know you”.  The word “know” here means to have intimate knowledge of. It speaks of closeness, intimacy it even goes on to indicate the closeness between a husband and a wife.

Ten virgins we have in all, five are wise and five are foolish. All are virgins, all are pure, all have oil, all have lamps, all go out and all fall asleep. But then Jesus, the bride groom, doesn’t do what those that are pure thought He would. (Stop and consider how often that happens, only all the time) When Jesus doesn’t arrive when He was “supposed to”. Whatever that is, as if we are the ones that can say what He is “supposed to” do or when He is “supposed to” arrive. Then when He doesn’t show in man’s time, but He is God and shows right when He has meant for all eternity to show.

We have the foolish virgins who have done everything right except one thing: they thought the bride groom would come according to their time line… BUT He doesn’t, and because He doesn’t they haven’t enough oil. As so many that are foolish often do they try to get some oil, some anointing, some intimacy, from those that seem to have extra. But understand this is not extra oil, this is just enough oil to stand when the standing is needed. Some may ask why do we pray so much, why do we worship so much, why do we remain in the word so much? My friends it’s not extra it is only enough. When the bridegroom arrives I want to be among those that are “known”.

Vision from 24/7 Prayer

Josh Goodman
7/28/08

There are green fields, streets of gold and gates made of pearl.
The gates open up and Jesus is there and He says, "Come in."
I walk with fear but He comes and takes me by the hand and leads me in.

The first thing I see is the sea of glass and He says, "I told you."
He also says, "That's not what you are here for."
We go back to the streets of gold.
There are no buildings, just grass on either side of the street.
We enter a shining place, it is so brilliant I can't see; and God is there.

He hands me a box that's a gift.
He says, "This gift is for you."
He then says, "Now open it."
I say, "But God I don't know how. Reveal to me how to pen the gift that you have laid before me."
He says, "Oh my son, you know how."
But I cry, "I don't know how."

An argument takes place in the heavenlies between us.

I say, "God show me how."
He says, "You already know."
I then say, "But God how?"
He then says, "Behold this day I placed My words in your mouth, actions in your heart, and you must speak those words and act upon those actions...when you have not spokken the words I give you, you deny me even as Peter denied, you denied me. When I put My actions in your heart, and you have not done them, you deny me. I put this gift in your hand. Open it up. Do not deny me."

So I take up the gift and walk out hand in hand with Jesus. The gift in my right hand and Jesus holding my left hand with His right, our fingers interlocked. He leads me, although my heart is broken, He smiles as if to say, "I told you so."
I say, "But what?"

He 's hard but good, uncontrolable but He loves you. He will let you stumble, but He'll pick you up and take you by the hand and walk with you again. We leave and walk down the streets of gold, grass on either side, we exit the gate and Jesus walks back inside and I'm standing there with my gift.

The answer will come tomorrow but first the test, the test of the gift I placed in your hands.