The Ballestero Blog

The Voice Behind The Door

Benjamin didn’t believe in God. Well, maybe just a little bit. But he just wasn’t into the ‘God’ thing.

He’d never heard anything positive mentioned about God at home. The word ‘God’ was only used in swearing, but that was the extent of it. He was happy without God.

Ben was old enough to get married. But he was in no hurry. The girls he knew were all willing and available. He loved to dance and party with them all. He especially loved to drink and to get drunk with his friends.

When Ben got drunk he was the life of the party. He was also proud of his tough guy image. He was persistent about portraying a macho persona. Not many guys messed with Ben when he was sober or drunk. He was tough.

For as long as he could remember, a preacher lived down the street from him. The preacher was weird. He wasn’t realistic in his preaching. He was old school and said a lot of off the wall things. Ben avoided him as much as possible. When he saw him in the local market, he avoided him. He was afraid that the old preacher would try to convert him.

One time, with some of his buddies for moral support, they went to hear the preacher preach, just for the fun of it. It was cheap entertainment. They got their money’s worth too.

He preached about repenting. He told about the danger of Godless living. He preached about their drinking and immorality. He told them that God was displeased with them. The old preacher warned them about the end time and about the coming judgment.

Ben and his friends laughed very hard later when they talked about the sermon. ‘Old Preach’ was crazy.

No one in the neighborhood ever joined ‘Old Preach’s” congregation. The only believers he had seemed to be his own family.

The town wished him to leave.

But he kept on preaching. His little congregation never grew.

Then one morning Ben walked to the door of his house and looked at the rain falling from the storm clouds. His mind turned to the thoughts about ‘Old Preach’ and Ben hurried down the street to where he lived.

To Ben’s surprise, the door to the meeting place was closed. It had never been closed before. This was the first time. Ben knocked on the door but no one opened it. He raised his voice and hollered as loud as he could, but ‘Old Preach’ never came, no one opened the door.

Then he heard a voice behind the door saying, “Ben, this is Noah. I can’t open the door. God has shut the door. I’m Sorry. You had your chance to repent and now it’s too late.”

• Matt. 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
• Matt. 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
• Matt. 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

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Rebecca was excited. Her dear friend Priscilla was getting married tonight. They were life-long friends. All the girls in the neighborhood were abuzz with chatter and girl talk about the upcoming event.

Priscilla had invited Rebecca and nine other girls to stand up with her. That was an honor none of them wanted to miss.

Rebecca and the girls combed each other’s hair and giggled at their frustrations with uncooperative hairdos. They dressed themselves in their prettiest dresses. After examining themselves in the mirror and making a few last minute adjustments, they set out to the wedding chapel.

They took everything with them that they thought they’d need. They didn’t want to be too loaded down with extra and unnecessary items.

Some of the girls brought extra stuff. It made the others roll their eyes just thinking about how impractical it was to lug all that around.

The bridesmaids all arrived early and sat down outside the locked chapel door, waiting for Priscilla to arrive. They bubbled with enthusiasm and tried to image what it would be like if they were to be marrying the man of their dreams.

As fate would have it, the chatter died down. The sun had sat and the girls fell asleep one by one until they all were asleep.

Hours later, they awoke and realized that about half of the girls didn’t bring everything they should have. They hurried off to buy what was missing.

When they got back to the wedding chapel, to their surprise, the door was locked. The other girls were inside with Priscilla, and the wedding had started.

Rebecca hollered through the closed and locked door and announced, “It’s me, Rebecca and the girls, open up, we’ve got every thing we needed!”

A voice behind the door answered back, “I don’t know anyone named Rebecca. Go away!”

• Matt. 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
• Matt. 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
• Matt. 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

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There is a voice on the other side of the door this generation needs to hear.

Rev. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

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Today’s Lesson:

1. Repent, don’t ignore preaching. respond.
   
2. Keep your lamps burning. (Be filled with the Spirit.)
3. Have extra oil. (No minimum experience.)
4. Respond when God knocks on your door.