Our Preparation by Craig Simpson

Jesus said: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev. 16:15). These words are extremely applicable to us in this generation, who are living in this godless society, on the eve of Christ's return. Truly the evil and lack of morals of this generation can be compared to the days of Noah and of Lot.

And with the world so evil and so far from God, it is extremely important for us to be on our guard, to be keeping our garments unspotted for this evil world.

It has been rightly said that "all men are in large measure the creatures of their age." And so it follows that as the world gets further from God, and as the world's morals grow more and more lax, as a sense of pleasing oneself rather than pleasing God pervades, and as evil deeds and actions are no longer frowned upon by society, that we individually and collectively head the same way - in general as the world gets further form God so do we! We are products of our environment.

We as humans are so prone to sin; we are prone to falling away form God's standards but now more than ever before we have to be on our guard.

In Matthew 7:21-23 it says: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

These people were active in the Truth, they thought they were doing God's will, they were Christadelphians just like you and I, but yet it appears they'd never let the Truth transform their lives.

And its possible for us to be in the same situation. Its possible for us to attend gatherings such as this, to go to the meeting every Sunday, not because we feel obligated to go because of allegiance to Christ; but rather we go to see our friends, or our family.

Living life in the Truth can be a way of life, this is what we've done for years and so we continue doing it. We can read the Bible, not because we long to develop a spiritual mind, but rather because that's what we've done all our lives, because that's what our friends and family do. We can read for the sake of reading. To mark off on our calendar that we've done the readings; and so we can feel a sense of achievement.

There is a way however to avoid this complacent attitude, and it comes by understanding what God requires of us. It can come by self-examination.

Lets just spend a couple of moments thinking about what we are doing. One of the big things that we should realise is that whilst man sees the act - the act of reading, the act of going to the meetings. God sees the heart and the act.

Why do we attend these meetings - is it because of man or is it because of God? When we sin who do we think of and who are we afraid will catch us - man or God? If you look back at the past week what have you spent your time doing, pleasing yourself or other people, or pleasing God?

We can apply these types of questions to any part of our lives, when we gossip are we concentrating on and satisfying man or God? In our work places, in our education, when we are driving the car, when we're relaxing at home, who are we feeding, who are we giving glory to? Are our thoughts focussed on the return of Christ? Are our lives and the things we do limited by the requirements of God?

I want you to think about the five foolish virgins. They all recognised that Christ was coming. They were virgins indicating a certain amount of separation from the world, in other words they were Christadelphians.

They had neglected to replenish the oil in their lamps. They were resting upon what they'd done in the past; they'd lost sight of the Bible's true teaching and weren't letting the Word of God transform their lives.

You might say I'm not like them; I'm a good Christadelphian! I attend all the meetings - their attendance is not called in question. Doubtless they were still reading their Bibles daily - but far from letting God's Word transform their lives, they were coasting along thinking everything was okay, until Christ came and they realised their lamps had ceased from burning. That should act as a wake up call to us. Because over time life in the Truth can be come stale, "run of the mill" , "the same old thing." And we can continue to do the same old thing over and over again, but in large measure remain unchanged by our actions. These virgins only realised they'd run out of oil once Christ came - is your lamp still burning? Now is the time to make these preparations. Remember "all men are in large measure the creatures of their age."

As the world gets further form God, so do we. Even if we are doing all these things, remember, and strive more than ever before, to let the Word of God transform our lives. It really does require all we have. Our responsibility to ourselves is to prepare ourselves for Christ's return with the time we have remaining to us. Our preparation can be likened to that of Esther's.

You see the king Ahasuerus gave all the maids twelve months to prepare before they would be presented before him and he would choose himself a bride. The twelve months were divided in two separate sections: six months being purified with the oil of myrrh (which amongst other things can symbolise the Word of God); and six months being purified with sweet odours (symbolising prayer).

In symbol is presented to us what our lives and preparation to meet our King should be. Our preparation should consist of reading the Word of God, and prayer. In other words our preparation should consist of listening to what God has to say - God talking to us; and prayer - talking back to Him.

We do this by reading His Word; and we should read His Word more than ever before as we see Christ's appearing drawing near, and this world getting so far from God. But not only reading His Word, but putting it into practise in every aspect of our lives. And praying; praying to God always, when we get up, for breakfast, whilst going to work, for lunch, after work, for meals, for the readings, for the day - for everything! Asking God for guidance, for understanding, for wisdom, for the return of His Son. In this way we put God first and man last. We manifest God in our lives, giving glory to Him, which really is and should be our sole purpose in life. And if you think about it, that really should be what we are doing, and its not too much to ask when we consider what God has in store for those who love Him.

In Esther's day, once this preparation was completed, when every maid presented herself before the king, "whatsoever she desired was given her, to go with her unto the king." (Est. 2:13). She could take whatever she wanted, whether it was clothes, or jewels, or gold - whatever she wanted.

We also will take with us something when we go before our king, at the judgment seat of Christ - what will it be?

When you appear before the judgment seat of Christ what will you take? Will you take your house? Will you take your car? Will you take your job? Will take that holiday? - What will it be?

We can't literally take any of these things of course. But we can take them in our hearts. Because all any one of us will take before the judgment seat of Christ will be our minds and our hearts. And so the question arises, where is your treasure?

The only thing we will take is our character and the question is what kind of character will that be?

Really when you think about it, the only thing worth taking is part of Christ, part of the character of Christ - some little part, that when we appear before our King we will find favour in his eyes. That's all that's worth taking and now is the only time we've got to develop it.

We each have a responsibility to examine ourselves, to keep ourselves unspotted and separate from the world. To prepare ourselves for the return of Christ. This involves many things, but they can be summed up as listening to what God has to say, and talking back to Him. Reading His Word and doing the things contained therein, letting it transform our lives and praying to God.

Our lives should be wholly dedicated to the glory of God, to pleasing God and not man. Keeping our garments unspotted from the world. And so I leave you with a question, when you appear before the judgment seat of Christ, what will you take?

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The Ten Virgins by Chris Bowen

The primary significance of this parable is to be found in Christ's words immediately preceding the following quotes "who then is a faithful and wise steward?" Matt 24:45 and in the parable of the virgins, he shows in that wisdom consists, and in the parable following the talents he shows the quality of faithfulness.'

The command that Jesus added to the parable of the virgins is "watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day or the hour when the son of man cometh," Matt 25.13.

Now if we look at Matt 25:6 "and at midnight," this midnight is not what we think it is, it is really the hours just before morning. If we look at Acts 20:7 it says: "and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight."

Everyone knows the rest of the story that Paul was preaching to them in the upper chamber and the young man was sitting on the window sill. The young man was overcome by sleep, and fell to his death. Paul saw this and embraced him to bring his life back. After the day had broken they departed.

Also we know that at the second coming of our Lord the sun and moon shall be in darkness and the earth will also be darkened like it was midnight. It is shown in Mark 13:24 "but in those days (that is the latter days) that the sun shall he darkened and the moon not give her light, then the son of man shall come upon the earth."

We know it is talking about the latter days because in Mark 13:4 Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Jesus about the latter days.

Now we will go back to Matt 25:6 where it says, "behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." John the Baptist is the first to use the figure of the bridegroom in the New Testament. The occasion was when the disciples told him about the success of those who attended the teachings of Jesus. John knew that both his baptism and that of Jesus were of God. Because of this there was no room for jealousy, nor did John see any. On the other hand his relationship excluded it for he was a friend of the Bridegroom, we see this in John 3:29. The friend was the groomsman who sort the hand of the bride for the groom, and then arranged the marriage. When the marriage was taking place, and he heard the voice of the bridegroom welcoming the bride, his tasks, and his Joy was full. So John, the friend rejoiced to hear the people were seeking Jesus and being welcomed by him as the bridegroom welcomes the bride. Later John's disciples came to Jesus with the question "why do the disciples of John and the Pharisee's fast but not the disciples of Jesus." His reply was in the form of a parable: The Bridegroom.

In Luke 5: 33-34 it says "can ye make the children of the bride chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them but the day will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away, then shall they fast in those days." It is remarked that John, who lived in Judea, spoke as the friend of the bridegroom in John 3:29, Jesus who lived in Galilee spoke of the sons of the bride chamber. The former refers to the practice common in Judea, but followed in Galilee, the latter was a general term for all invited guests. There is perfect accuracy in the details of the records.

When Jesus referred to himself as the bridegroom he was first of all reminding the disciples of John, of their part in the parable. John had the joy of the groomsman. The disciples of Jesus had the freedom and joy of the friends and guests at the wedding. Because of the law, the marriage ceremony lasted a week and it was a time of mixed celebrations. The ordinances of the strict feast of the Day of Atonement were modified. Everything had to serve a purpose of bringing gladness to bride and bridegroom. In the same way the presence of Jesus was itself the occasion and reason for joy.

Jesus recognised that the joy would be short lived. He then gives the first public hint of the appointed end of his ministry when he said that the bridegroom would be taken away and from this his disciples would have a sense of loss and would fast.

We look at the customs in the land of Palestine, in the days of Jesus ministry for the atmosphere and the heart of the story. The very basis of the thought of Jesus goes back to the Old Testament teachings. Jeremiah uses the figure "turn, 0, backsliding children, for I am married unto you." God was the bridegroom to Israel. In Psalms 19:1-14 it tells of the heavens declaring Gods glory in which the sun is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. When John applied the figure of the bridegroom to Jesus, Jesus also made use of it in reference to himself. There was implied a claim that Jesus was Israel's Messiah and that he was a manifestation of God and one to whom the true Israel was related as wife.

Now we go back to Matt 25:6 where is says "cry." This would have awoken them and it would have then shown who have been prepared and were ready to meet the Lord and who are poorly equipped and unready for the event. Verse 8 says; "give us your oil." The only answer possible is the one given, and that is that we should go to those who sell and buy for themselves in the market place which is the truth, namely the Bible. In Isaiah 55:1-3 it says; "come ye, buy and eat yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price, incline your ear, and come unto me. Hear and your soul shall live." This is the prophet's explanation of how wine and milk of God converted can be changed. At the present time there is opportunity to buy, it will pass. The foolish therefore, find themselves not included in the bridal procession. When they want to come to the door it is closed. A demand for admission brings only the answer "I know you not." The form "Lord Lord" in verse 11 and Christ's answer "I know you not" links the parable with the similar saying of the sermon of the mount, in Matt 7:21-28. The protest "I never knew you" occurs both in this quotation from the Sermon on the Mount and the parable of the virgins. In both of these there was a failure to do. The verse which follows in Matt 7:24-27 continues the instruction that hearing and doing are both essential. "Watch, therefore" in verse 13, is the alert, not so much looking for the coming one, more the need to be ready when he calls, see Rev 3:2. Procrastination is the thief of opportunity as well as time. "Ye know not the day nor the hour of his coming" which applies to us today. The parable gives a picture of what will be attained when the Lord comes. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to the ten virgins.

To all who are related to divine things such a preview gives an urgency to command, to watch for the most important lesson "they that were ready went with him into the marriage."

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Moses by Bradley MacNamara

Moses stands out as great. He was the deliverer, leader, lawgiver and prophet of Israel. The life of Moses is divided into three equal portions of forty years each.

1. His life in Egypt
2. Exile in Arabia
3. Government of Israel.

Moses birth was when the Egyptians were slaying all male children. His life was spared as God had a purpose for his life, his upbringing was unusual as he was adopted by the kings daughter and "educated in all the learning of the Egyptians."

Moses received his call as a prophet when an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in the midst of the bush that did not burn up. Through this Moses learnt that there was one God and of his mission to deliver his own people, then he returned home to Egypt to visit his brethren.

Moses had to confront Pharaoh one of the most powerful men on earth and convince him to let God's people go free into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh. But Pharaoh was a hard man. Moses told Pharaoh ten times that Egypt would suffer terrible consequences if he didn't set free God's people. Each plague made Pharaoh's heart more hardened. This didn't make it easy for Moses so he prayed a lot to God through this time for guidance.

In the wilderness Moses become the great lawgiver through whom Israel's religion was revealed. Moses received the law from God. The law showed God's covenant with His newly delivered nation. These were known as the 10 commandments.

Here are some interesting types between Moses and Christ:The life of Moses foreshadowed the life of Christ. As Pharaoh slew the Hebrew children at the time Moses was born, so Herod did when Jesus was born. As Moses left Egypt so did the Lord Jesus. As Moses was mighty in word and deed so was the Lord. As Moses led the people from Egypt, baptised them in the Red Sea, gave them a law, formed them into God's people so the Lord calls his people to separate themselves from spiritual Egypt and devote themselves to his service.

At the close of Moses' career, Joshua who had already been named as Israel's leader was appointed as successor to Moses. In a song Moses expressed his praise to God recounting how God had delivered Israel and provided for them through the wilderness journey. Then with the pronouncement of a blessing upon each tribe, Moses departed for Mount Nebo where he was privileged to view the promised land before he died.

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