ECCE

                Jesus told a parable of ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, who were expecting the bridegroom to arrive. In the meantime, they all fell asleep. At midnight, they heard the cry "Behold, the bridegroom cometh," and they arose and prepared their lamps to go to meet him. The five foolish virgins found that they did not have enough oil for their lamps, and they asked the five wise virgins to give them oil. The five wise virgins said that the foolish ones must go and purchase oil for themselves. While the foolish virgins went to purchase oil, the bridegroom came, the five wise virgins had gone out to meet him, they had entered into the marriage, and the door was shut. When the five foolish came to that shut door they said, "Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' Jesus then said: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Mt. 25:...

      The first mention of sin in the Bible gives us a picture of sin as a beast, waiting to devour as the LORD told Cain: "And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth ( rabas - to crouch stretched out like an animal, to lurk) at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire ( tesuqa - longing, craving, of a beast to devour), and thou shalt rule ( masal - rule, have dominion, reign, power) over him." (Gen. 4:6-7).      As was the dominion that was given to Adam, the same was given to Cain to have dominion over the crouching beast of sin that was lying in wait to devour him.      Scripture makes it very clear that all have sinned, yet we don't want to admit it or declare it when we see it: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. The...