When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. There has been many a morning when a tentative toe out the duvet diminished the urgency to visit the bathroom!Įach year, right about this time when I turn my mind to purchasing oil, I’m reminded of the parable Jesus told about the 10 virgins. In Matthew 25:1-13 we read: Although the wood burner is a wonderful addition and I’ve dozed on the rug in front of it on occasion, that hasn’t saved me from near frost bite, needing to venture through other parts of the cottage if there’s no heating. As time went on, I learnt the hard way the cost of not forward thinking and arranging deliveries in advance. In order to have a constant supply of heat we need to search for the most competitive prices to purchase the oil and arrange for a tanker to deliver and refill the tank. When Phil came home later that day with a large bag of wood, my brow furrowed as I saw him deposit chunks into the (what I thought was decorative) wood burner.Ĭlearly tickled by my lack of understanding, Phil explained that the cottage in fact has a large oil tank to the exterior of the property. Clearly it was broken and I was far from impressed, or so I thought. Expecting the same once I moved, I was perplexed when I switched on the thermostat and found myself still shivering 40 minutes later. If I wanted heat in my London flat, I would simply switch on the thermostat. Winter in the cottage can be harsh and so preparation is key!īeing the typical city girl, when I first moved to the country, I was like a fish out of water. During the winter, you would be forgiven for thinking that we retain heat but the reverse is actually true. At times, I found myself likening the experience to sitting in a sauna for extended periods, with little respite. “We’re an army,” says Rich Langton from the Hillsong Creative Podcast, “but sometimes we forget.” May the lyrics below and the corresponding verses help us remember the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.Living in a cottage, we suffer dreadfully with the heat during the summer. Let the words embolden us – because our voices are just a “drop in the bucket” compared to the generations upon generations (past, present, future) who will praise the King of Kings when we all finally gather around His throne. The song is meant to capture our longing for the day when we will be presented – holy - to Christ together in splendor because he loved us and gave himself up for us. But the Church across eternity - what an incredibly terrifying, brilliant image of an army, terrible with banners, stretched across time and space and eternity, carrying the banner of the Lamb of God! If that doesn't strike courage into you and embolden you that we have a task to do on the earth and that we're God's people, I don't know what will.” We're one generation or a few generations at one time. We're here, part of the body of Christ on earth. Lewis writes … where the senior demon is saying to the junior demon, ‘You cannot let your Christian basically get a glimpse of the Church as we see her in terms of creatures outside of time and space, a people with a glimpse into eternity, throughout time and terrible with banners.’ I love that thought of the church across time. “There's this brilliant chapter that C.S. Ligertwood says this dialogue about the Church gave her perspective: The two demons are upset, not only because their “assignment” has become a Christian but because he’s started going to church. Ligertwood paraphrases how the novel’s senior demon mentors a junior demon, and how they’re disappointed that their targeted human soul has just become a Christian. Lewis where he imagines how Satan battles for the human soul. When asked about the inspiration behind the song “King of Kings,” Ligertwood says she read The Screwtape Letters, the satirical novel written by C.S. Hillsong Worship’s lead vocalist Brooke Ligertwood says, “I would encourage anyone who leads or sings this song to remember what Jesus has done for you personally and sing from that place, and remember that he is not finished with us yet.” As we sing the lyrics, we’ll walk through the life of the Church, stretching from the accounts in the early chapters of Acts until now, and we’ll be reminded of our place in this story that’s advancing into eternity. This weekend, we will sing the song “King of Kings,” an anthem that powerfully summarizes the plan of salvation in less than 300 words.
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