I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33

What is sacrifice? Sacrifice is not represented by our “standards”; standards represent our separation. Sacrifice goes beyond separation. We have become too comfortable. Our comfortable perspectives are leading us down a dangerous path – that of the five foolish virgins. We all know the story of the ten virgins: all of them were lulled to sleep, but five foolishly became too comfortable, and allowed their oil to slip out. Is this not what is happening to our generation? If we continue with our comfort, how long before our “oil” completely slips away?

In these last days God is making a call to sacrifice. There is so much to be done and a short time to complete it. We cannot afford to be lulled to sleep by our overindulgence – time is too fleeting and our oil too precious. It’s time to answer the call. mst

Additional verses to study: Matthew 25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 18:28-30; John 4:35-38; Romans 12:1-2; 13:11; Ephesians 5:14-17; Philippians 3:8; Revelation 22:7