"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28 KJV)
"For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:18-21 NLT)
If you have been following this blog for some time, you might have realized that I tend to get carried away from time to time, making more of a focus on the things which are wrong, and less of a focus on the things which actually matter most. It's not because I am not always looking for the positive things, because that is not my real reason, at all. There are just too many things I have seen happening in the church; some of which, I really wish I had not witnessed.
When you are an elder in the church, especially a small church of 200 or less people, things are usually not that easy to keep unnoticed; especially when it comes to the reaction of some to the things they might not agree with. Having been a witness to several of those things, I have learned that we really don't know who we are and what we are capable of doing, until it is actually done. This stands for everyone, including those that are leading in the church.
We must always pray for those in leadership, especially for those that are leading our churches! You just can't image the great bullseye they have on their backs; the more they serve and put forth sound doctrine, the bigger the bullseye gets, and the more the enemy tries to take them down.
Anywho, this might not sound as though I am staying in line with this Scripture, but without question, this is exactly in line with every single part of this, as we look for Him to appear! If there is something that is associated with the oil in the lambs of those ten virgins, that Jesus shared about, those five foolish virgins were not looking and waiting for His return. Yes, it could be the Holy Spirit, that is the oil in the lamps; or it could be an indication of their passion to see Him return.
Maybe there is something that is more about love, as in really loving one another, just as Christ loves us, giving up Himself for us...
""Be dressed for the service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants that are ready. "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."" (Luke 12:35-40 NLT)
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