Living Ready

The Bride Keeps Her Lamp Lit

The King is coming—but not everyone will be ready. Jesus warned of those who grew drowsy, whose lamps ran dry, and who were unprepared when the cry rang out: “Here is the Bridegroom!” The early Church heard that cry—and they lived to be found faithful and burning when He arrived.

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning… for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
— Luke 12:35–40

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Readiness Is Devotion, Not Just Information

To be ready isn’t to have charts and timelines—it’s to live with purity, purpose, and passion for Jesus. The wise virgins in Jesus’ parable didn’t have more knowledge—they had oil.

“Those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.”
— Matthew 25:10

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The Early Church Watched, Waited, and Witnessed

“Let us walk in vigilance, for the hour is near.”
— Didache, ch. 16

They didn’t grow apathetic. Their hope didn’t make them passive—it made them holy. Their love was active. Their devotion was real.

“The Bride must be found without stain, ready for her Lord.”
— Hermas, Mandate 11

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The Lamp Must Be Filled with Oil

Oil represents intimacy with the Spirit, sustained faith, and a heart fully alive to Christ. The foolish virgins had lamps—but no oil. They looked the part, but they weren’t connected to the source.

“Do not quench the Spirit.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:19

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Living Ready Is Our Daily Call

To pray.
To repent.
To love.
To endure.
To hope.
To shine.

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What We Can Learn

1. Readiness is a heart posture, not a prophecy chart.
2. The Bride keeps her lamp lit through intimacy and obedience.
3. We must not grow sleepy—the hour is nearer than we think.
4. Those who are ready will reign in joy forever.

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Sources:

• The Holy Bible — Luke 12:35–40; Matthew 25:1–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6–11, 19; Revelation 19:7–9
• Didache, ch. 16
• Hermas, Mandate 11
• Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to Polycarp
• Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 35

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