Unknown

You may not know the day.

You may not know the hour.

But you can know that you're prepared.

In Part III of Unforeseen, Pastor Doug took us into Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten virgins. All ten had lamps. All ten were waiting for the bridegroom. All ten fell asleep.

From the outside, all ten looked ready.

But midnight revealed the difference between looking ready and actually being prepared.

Five had brought a reserve of oil.

Five had not.

And when the bridegroom arrived, preparation wasn't something they could borrow.

That's the challenge for each of us: You can share the Gospel with someone, but you cannot give them your relationship with God. You can't live on your spouse's faith, your parents' prayers, your pastor's sermons or somebody else's testimony.

You need your own oil.

And when the five foolish virgins finally reached the closed door, Jesus didn't say, “You're too late.”

He said, “I do not know you.”

That isn't a timing problem.

It's a relationship problem.

We spend so much time wondering WHEN Jesus will return, but the bigger question is whether we KNOW Him — and whether HE knows us.

You don't have to live afraid of the unknown.

Stay connected.

Stay filled.

Stay close to Jesus.

Because readiness isn't panic about tomorrow.

It's preparation today.