Give Me Oil In My Lamp

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.-- George MacDonald

I saw this quote above, today-in an email that I received with Scripture from Matthew 25, 6-13:

"And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." ----- Matthew 25:6-13 (NKJV)

We certainly have no idea when Christ shall come to gather His people up. I had to ask myself upon reading this: Are you REALLY oiling up? Are you preparing the way? Are you preparing with haste, the bride for the Bridegroom?

Or, are you going to be caught unprepared? Unready? Naked before the Lord? I want to be caught with my full armor on...ready for the battle. Ready to withstand whatever must come my way. Ready for His appearing. Ready to receive His Glory. That's a huge commitment if you know the Bible in its truths. You must make ready yourselves, for His returning. You must continually put oil in your lamp, if you want to be ready when the end is here.

With all this bad weather the last couple of days, I must say- you have time to THINK. Stuck in the house, iced-in. I had to think about making sure that there was a flash light by the beds, the water was dripping in each sink and tub, candles were close by, and we had plenty of groceries to get us through a few days. With this weather, we were forewarned.

God has forewarned us that Christ's appearing is to come. Because we were not privy to being given a "day" or an "hour," we must be continually making ourselves ready.

So what does it take to be "ready?" Well, it most assuredly takes accepting Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior. This cannot just be "decided" upon reading something like this. Scripture tells us that we must first, be drawn by God. He must convict us of our sin, show us our need of a Savior, and draw us by the power of HIS Holy Spirit. It does not work for "man" to try to "talk us into" being saved. Man has good intentions, but no POWER. YES, we are to share the Gospel. But- only God can bring the conviction, repentance, and salvation that's needed to give us eternal life. No man on Earth can accomplish that task.

Jhn 6:44

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jhn 6:65

And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

We must also make ourselves ready through the study of God's Word. After all- it IS His "instruction manual" for our daily lives. It's our OIL for our lamps.

The picture above, is one that I took in Africa in September of 2010, while we were passing out booklets of John and Romans. THE GOSPEL. She was fueling, here by reading it right away. Hopefully, it was to either plant the seed for salvation, or to grow her in her spiritual walk with Christ (if she was already saved). Either way- it was an attempt to provide oil for her lamp.

We also must PRAY. God expects us to seek Him.

Isa 55:6

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Psalm 119:9-11 9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

I want to be caught with the Word hid in my heart, and expressed from my lips and my actions. With a song on my lips-of praise to God. Souls written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, because I made sure I planted seeds for the Harvester to harvest. All sin, confessed and cleansed white as snow.

A close, personal, intimate relationship with God...not the kind that runs to Him only if I am in trouble. The kind that I seek Him, and I find Him. Daily. The kind of relationship that makes the song come to life: "and He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own...and the joy we share, as we TARRY there...none other, has ever known." These are the kinds of things that put "oil in our lamps."

So, we have to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, just to even HAVE a lamp. No relationship with God = unprepared. Unready. Doomed to a devil's hell.

God forbid, that I would be told by Christ Himself, "depart from Me, I never KNEW YOU!"

How CAN He know me, if I have no real relationship with Him? Do I keep the oil full in my lamp, that it may shine ever so brightly for Him to see me down here? He has to be able to see me, hear from me, and KNOW ME, to take me up with Him when He comes.

We must spread the Word. Time is running out. Get our lamps oiled up. ASK GOD to give you oil in your lamp to keep you "burning, burning, burning."