Power Comes Before You Feel Ready
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Acts 1:8a (NIV) You think confidence comes before the calling starts. Most of us wait to feel sure before we speak up. We assume power is something we…
Come to the Table
“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” Revelation 22:17 (ESV) Most people…
Close Is Not the Same as Confirmed
“And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’” Revelation 19:9 (ESV) You have been present…
He Does Not Begin What He Will Not Finish
“His Bride has made herself ready. It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Revelation 19:7b-8 (ESV) Leaving things unfinished is something we…
The Feast Is Future but the Blessing Is Now
“For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come.” Revelation 19:6b-7a (ESV) Waiting teaches most of us to lower our expectations. We stop…
Your Name Was on It
“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:9a (ESV) Some invitations are earned and some are simply given. The ones you earn come with a record attached. The ones you are given come…
He Is Worth Being Ready For
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Matthew 25:13 (NIV) This week may have settled in you like a weight. You sat with the parable, examined the oil, and it became heavy. That is a real…
The One Who Was Not There When the Door Opened
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.” Matthew 25:10 (NIV) Six words carry the full weight of this verse. The door did not close because the virgins were defiant or indifferent. It closed…
What Midnight Reveals
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’” Matthew 25:6 (NIV) Nobody expected the cry to come at midnight. The hour felt wrong and all ten virgins had fallen asleep. Then the cry…
You Cannot Borrow What Only Grows
“Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” Matthew 25:2 (NIV) The line in this parable is drawn before anything dramatic happens. It is not drawn at midnight or when the lamps go out. It is drawn at the…