I donated blood on Monday.
I prepared for my visit by making an appointment and drinking extra water. I cooked and ate a nice healthy breakfast. I sometimes can’t donate because my hemoglobin is below 13. It took a couple of tries but I made it. There was a small amount of discomfort as they searched for the vein, but there was success for someone who I will never know that needed my small pint of blood. As a mature adult we all know that good preparation makes for a good outcome.
The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scuribes? Where are any of our thinkers today?
If we are to build the Kingdom of God on Earth today, we must prepare. We prepare by having a plan, teaching anyone who will listen and acting on that plan. Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this. And again, in Luke 17:20-21 Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.
We as the successful five virgins must prepare for the Kingdom of God by doing as much good for those on this Earth as we can do. It is and never will be about us. It is always Jesus (the bridegroom) and His Kingdom.
This seems like an impossible task. We have to wash our clothes and bathe. We have to have time to exercise and do things for ourselves. We have duties to our spouses and neighbors and children and unknown strangers. Time is one think that doesn’t stop. We never have enough of it. Nonetheless, we also must take part of that time for others. We have to prepare for it with the proper amount of oil. Jesus goes on to say in Luke 17:33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.
From the song: Give Me Oil In My Lamp
Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning
Give me oil in my lamp I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning
Keep it burning till the light of day
Save your life and prepare for the Kingdom of God!
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation and conversion of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
