Stay alert - be prepared

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” This verse followed a tongue and picture of Christ standing at the door, asking for the doors to open – He is ready for His bride and has a banquet prepared for us.

Alison then shared a word, called WAITING ON GOD; “Whilst spending time in God's presence He showed me, that in the waiting for His timing & promises don't be idle. This kind of waiting is not passive, but active. In the waiting, start getting ready & be prepared.

If we were waiting for our date to pick us up, we wouldn't sit & wait for him to arrive & then get ready. No, while he is on his way we would take a shower, wash & dry our hair, cream our skin & put our best perfume on. We'd choose the right outfit, apply make-up & be ready to receive & welcome him in. We would be ready for him to take us on our journey together.

And so it is whilst waiting on God. Get ready! Be prepared for when the groom comes to take His bride. Not just heaven bound, but in whatever it is that God is calling us to right here, right now. We prepare by worship, Word, prayer & serving.” 

Stay alert - The Story of the Virgins (Matthew 25: 1 to 13)

God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.

“In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’ “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’

“They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

“Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’ “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’

So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Other posts along these lines

Be sure your lamps are full of oil

Turn down, turn off and turn aside

A word from the Lord, laid on Pat’s heart, was given to us on Sunday (26/07/2015).

Pat shared, “August is a pivotal month, very special both individually and corporately. As the busy-ness of life slows down for the summer break so should we. Jesus is standing in the garden waiting for us to come aside during this time – come into the garden – to be still and KNOW that He is God.

He’s waiting to commune with us – to refresh and replenish so that when September comes – we are ready to run with the new things of God prepared for us."

A similar word laid on Yvonne’s heart was given to us a few weeks ago – it’s time to rest and replenish. All those who are weary – come into a place of rest.

The preach dovetailed with this word – the waiting is nearly over. The season of upheaval and change is drawing to a close. Many are exhausted from a range of personal loss, skirmishes and battles. Change, loss and uncertainty has caused our ground to shift – some have experienced the “suddenness” of divine intervention and moved into (and onto) new adventures with God.  

It's time to turn

Through scripture we heard the of the power in simply turning our heads. Looking away from the circumstance we're faced with - turning to look at God's dealing with others in dead-end places, desperation and isolation.

Dead-end places: Moses, reduced from being Prince of Egypt to tending someone else’s flock at the back of the dessert chose to turn aside to investigate the burning bush. God revealed Himself to Moses; said He’d heard the cries of the people; gave Moses the commission to lead the people out of captivity.

• Exodus 3: 1 to 10, Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn …… So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”  And he said, “Here I am.”

Graveyard brought to life: Mary, forever faithful to her Christ, heartbroken and weeping at the empty tomb turned at the voice of her risen Saviour and entrusted with the message, “He’s alive”

• John 20: 11 to 18, “Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Heaven revealed in isolation: John on Patmos – turned to “see” the voice that rumbled across the heavens – all of heaven opened up to him to see the risen Christ in all His splendour and power.

• Revelation 1: 9 to 18, Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore."

Our circumstance cannot hold nor defeat us – respond to the invitation to commune with Christ Jesus. This August - turn aside from oppressive circumstances and busy-ness. Turn off the noise of the world.

Now is the time to camp, refresh, regroup and replenish. Ahead of us is a fresh touch from Jesus, a renewed hope and a renewed revelation of Christ. This is the preparation for September - get ready!

Be encouraged fellow believer with this scripture - 2 Corinthians 4 (7 - 18)

Cast Down but Unconquered: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, which the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body

Seeing the Invisible: Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are.

Posts linked to this message:

1. How to survive the waiting:  Outline taken from the book of Joshua
2. What are we waiting for: God's order and process from Zachariah 3
3. An out-pouring of agape love: Revelation of love that motivates us to share Jesus with the world 
4. The waters that spring forth: Reflection on the wells in South East London

(Italics & emphasis in scripture added for emphasis)