The phone rang about 8:15 pm. It was son Jon. “Mom, did you realize we missed the rally?”

“Oh, no.” I answered. “I’m so sorry! I kept thinking all day that I had forgotten something. Now I know what!” I quickly checked my calendars—the one in my purse and the one on the wall and the one on my phone. Not there! I had forgotten to record the event.

Forgetting. It happens too often the older I get. I was informed of the date, but I took no action.

I felt disappointed, embarrassed, sad, for I had planned to go when I first heard about the Recovery Rally. I had even promoted it at our Celebrate Recovery meeting—but I didn’t write it down on the calendar!

As the ministry director of Celebrate Recovery at Trading Ford Baptist Church for the past 13 years, I want to support other ministries who are attempting to help people struggling in addiction.

We all have seen a serious rise in the number of people who are overdosing and even dying from drugs. I spoke at the funeral recently of a 29-year old mother of two who died of an overdose. She was the daughter of a good friend of mine who had also lost her son only eight months earlier to substance abuse. Just heartbreaking!

The devastation is all around us. Our young people in particular are succumbing to this tragedy. Heroin, prescription drugs, meth, and alcohol are destroying our country. The cry goes up for help, but most Christians are not listening. They don’t have the issue on their calendars either.

All the way back to Adam and Eve, people have disregarded the Lord’s invitation and chosen to go their own way. The “first family” was provided a beautiful garden filled with all kinds of wonderful food to eat, but they picked the “forbidden fruit” and chose death over life. They had it all. They had a standing invitation to walk each evening with the Lord, but they went their own way and ended up hiding out in the bushes. Their perfect communion with their Creator was marred because they disregarded his instructions and his invitation. (Genesis 2:15-17)

Jesus told two parables about people who missed out because they didn’t respond to his invitations.

“A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. . . The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:16-24 NLT)

Jesus’ second parable was about the ten bridesmaids who were invited to the wedding feast. Five were wise and were ready when the groom came. Five were foolish and failed to prepare. When the bridegroom appeared, the Scriptures tell us: “Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ (Matthew 25:10-12 NLT)

Adam and Eve disobeyed, chose the poisoned fruit, and lost out on their perfect walks with their Creator. The people invited to the feast made their excuses and failed to attend. Their invitations were withdrawn. The five foolish bridesmaids just weren’t ready either, so they were denied admission.

I believe there are several important questions we need to ask ourselves: Am I like the first couple and choosing to disobey the Lord and suffering really bad consequences? Am I like the people invited into the feast–the Kingdom of Heaven, but I’ve made excuse after excuse for why I don’t want to go? Am I like the unwise bridesmaids, failing to prepare for the bridegroom’s arrival even though I have been told to be ready because he will return?

A clergyman by the name of Brundage was once preaching a sermon about Paul’s appearance before King Agrippa who listened intently to Paul’s presentation of the gospel but failed to respond. (Acts 26). Brundage said:

“He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.” Hymn writer Philip Bliss was present in the audience and was so deeply impressed by these words that he wrote the hymn “Almost Persuaded”:

“Almost persuaded now to believe;

Almost persuaded Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say,

Go, Spirit, go Thy way,

Some more convenient day

On Thee I’ll call.”

King Agrippa missed his opportunity. He was not prepared and joined the foolish bridesmaids. He failed to put his appointment with the Lord on his calendar.

I missed an important opportunity to help those recovering from addiction here in this world because I didn’t put in on my calendar and get ready. Praise God, though, I am prepared for the Bridegroom—the second coming of Jesus Christ. I accepted the invitation. My lamp is full. I have chosen to be a part of the bride of Christ—the church.

Challenge: What about you? Are you ready or are you a fence sitter?

If you have heard the Lord’s prompting to work in his ministry, I pray you will put it on your calendar and get busy. Lives are depending on it:

I pray that if you have not made a choice to accept Christ’s invitation that you will do so today and get your lamp ready for the second coming like the wise bridesmaids. Put it on your calendar! We don’t know the date or the hour, but He is coming! Be prepared!