How many of us have watch videos on weddings that seem very extravagant even done to the performance? Yet other wedding are but a simple thrown together gathering of friends or elopement. Imagine having a party and before the guest could arrive you sat down and ate all the prepared food for that party and when it was time to start you realized there was no food left, so you had to run to the store only to get back and find that no one heard you at the door of the biggest party in town. The house seeming empty once was now over flowing with friends, neighbors, strangers and even people from surrounding areas. Everyone else had food and they brought it, but there now no room for you. Now imagine you are a bride of a jewish man that was going to return to his betrothe as soon as he made his fortune. There were ten of you to be exact and ten groom's men seeking their fortune before returning. Your first four friends had plenty of oil encase their groom returned at night to light the house, but five of your friends had used part of their oil up. Now the grooms had not returned but soon would be coming and so the five said to the first five how about sharing your oil. The first five said not enough oil for us if we do so, so go into town and buy your own oil. While away the marriage and party is full swing of five women, but the other five were locked out because they were not prepared for the return of their groom.

In today's world you might say imagine ten churches all having the light of Christ, but for some reason five churches light seem to die out, and Christ return was soon, so the people without Christ tried to refill the church but could not. The church not ready for the return of Christ but five churches being ready departed and the door of the New Jerusalem was shut. The Jewish tradition of a man coming for his bride might sound romantic, unless one is not prepared to meet her groom day or night. The church should be prepared to meet Christ, and if not then we need to ask why not. Often times the church thinks they can buy the band, or the music, the gift of the Holy Spirit, through fakery and not action, only to fail to see the need to be filled only by the Holy Spirit with the gifts of faith, love, hope, joy, gentleness mercy, kindness. long suffering and so forth. Instead the church is filled with gossip, anger, pride, adultery and even discord. The church without the Spirit of Christ is lacking all the things the bridegroom treasures to be a good bride. When Christ returns his call is not to the church unprepared but to the church prepared for his return. There is no more room when the door is shut to the New Jerusalem. There no more room for those unprepared for the wedding feast. Just like the flood of Noah day, the ark prepared, the bride of God goes in only to have the door sealed to not allow anyone else in once the rain began to pour and not cease.

How do you get ready first by asking Christ into your life, saying yes to his call to receive him as Lord and Savior, to say yes to groom who is Christ. Then wait patiently for his return, preparing your heart, learning about his word, about his ways, by preparing others to be ready as well. Preparing by following God's Spirit has he teaches you his way. Knowing that the world we know now is not like New Jerusalem it is a kingdom of God's people with God's gifts of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of his people. We might not think we are prepared for a new heaven and earth, but God will prepare you for your new home. Did you said yes to his proposal and so he preparing you now, not only to help your unbelief but to be the people of God he has called you to be. There times we might wonder are we prepared to leave this old world, are we prepared to leave what we do know behind. The answer is yes when we first said yes to Jesus' call. Yet we still had a lot to learn about being his people, a people that is unique and worthy to be his children, because we believe and repented or turned away from sin of this world.

So are you ready to see Jesus return, or are you glad for his delay? You were ready the day you were born again of his Spirit. Christ will teach us I believe even in the New Jerusalem how we are to be his bride and God's children of faith. Let us hold to our faith, prepared as believers in Christ, but also know that there are many not prepared because of lack of faith. Let us strive to prepare the world for his coming. It there choice to receive Christ or not. We only have to share about Jesus, our own faith and how he changed our life.

Dear Heavenly Father, your grace is sufficient for our needs whether you come to usher us home to be with you, or whether you call us to warn and help others see they need you too, in their life. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Titus 2:10-15 KJV
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.