Wick Trimmed and Oil Ready for the End Times

Are you wick trimmed and oil ready for the end times? I am. It’s very interesting how the end times are suddenly on so many people’s minds. I’m getting emails and reading comments on news stories that are all talking about the end times and how we’re in them.

Is it overblown? Perhaps. After all, technically, the end times have been around since Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, God calls us to be ready for the end time to beat all end times. That end of the world as we know it.

Scripture gives us clues to that final apocalypse so we’ll be wick trimmed and oil ready and not be taken by surprise when it happens. None of those clues are Obama, Hillary, Trump, Sanders, or Putin. Breathe deep and chill on politics for a bit. The clues are from the lips of Christ Himself:

Matthew 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, ‘and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “

He begins by talking about deceivers and then goes on to talk about other signs and what to do (Matthew 24:3-51), especially regarding false teachers and false prophets. He points to wisdom and faith and asks,

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. (Matthew 24:45-46)

And then He tells this parable:

Matthew 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Were the wise virgins mean or lacking compassion? Or are they called wise for a reason? What about you? Are you devoting your oil to burn up on politics? Or are you both wick trimmed and oil ready to be found watching and faithfully working so the end times don’t catch you off duty?

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This present series includes: