Hello everyone, this is aunt Fernita
Today's story is called ready or not
The memory verse is from Matthew 25 verse 13
It says: "Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour"
The message says that people in God's family can always be ready for Jesus to come
Have you ever waited a long time for something you really wanted to happen?
Have you waited waited for your birthday or summer vacation?
Did you count the days until the excitement begins?
Do you plan and dream of what its going to be like?
In our Bible story, 10 young women are waiting for a wedding to begin
They have to wait a long time
"i wish he'd hurry up and come" yawned a young women
"we've been waiting for hours"
"I'm sure it won't be much longer," encouraged another girl
"Maybe we should sit down and rest awhile
10 young women sat down and tried to get comfortable
They knew the wedding party was supposed to pass this way
They wanted to join the group and walked with the other guest to the wedding
But none of them had expected that it would such a along wait
5 of the girls had thought that it would be a good to take along some extra oil
They really did not know when the bridegroom would come
but the other 5 had probably thought "It won't be that long before the bridegroom comes
so they didn't put in any extra oil in their containers everyone carried at night
Their lamps were full when they left home they were sure that would be enough
So 5 of the women took extra oil but 5 did not
It was getting late and there was no sign of the bridegroom
The young women talked and laughed together for a long time
but one by one they nodded , yawned and fell asleep
after a time a call woke them up
"Make way for the wedding party come and join us"
"Make way for the wedding party, the bridegroom comes"
quickly each of the women reached for their lamps and stood up
"Hurry! we must add oil to our lamps or we will miss the wedding" cried one
The 5 girls who had extra oil quickly used it all to fill their lamps
But the 5 who had no extra oil just as quickly realized that they had no extra oil to keep their lamps from going out
"Give us some of oil" they begged
"we don't wanna miss the wedding "
but the 5 prepared young women could not help them
"we wish we could give you some, but we have used all our oil to refill our lamps"
"we have none left"
"Go quickly, maybe you can buy oil somewhere"
5 young women in need of oil hurried off into the night
Their friends joined the wedding party and went to the wedding feast
It wasn't easy to find anyone who was willing to sell oil in the middle of the night
by the time oil was purchased and they arrived at the wedding
The door was closed and locked
"Let us in, please let us in," they begged
Knocking loudly
the bridegroom himself came to the door
"I'm sorry but i don't know you" he said
"my friends all came in with me"
he turned around and closed the door
5 disappointed women stood outside
Like young women waiting for the bridegroom
we cannot rely on the choices of another person
each one has to choose to say "yes" to Jesus and stay ready for his coming
we stay ready by making wise choices everyday
by studying the bible and praying
By choosing everyday to be best friends with him
and when Jesus comes, we will be ready