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INTERPRETATIONS TO AN ALLEGORY
Here is an allegory for you to
ponder. As you read the allegory, consider the buzz
words, and ponder what interpretation is quickened to
you. (I can think of different interpretations on the
physical level, spiritual level and practical level.)
AN ALLEGORY: WHEN TO STAY HOME
4/14/09
Today is April 14th.
Never try to buy postage on April 15th. In our town, our
main post office is on a 5 lane street. On April 15th
life changes on that street. They have giant garbage
cans in the middle turning lane and cars line up in both
directions with their tax returns hanging out the
window.
Never buy milk on football days,
the traffic is backed up for miles on the freeway and
all roads in and out of the stadium area are jammed for
miles.
On Easter, there is no place to
sit in church and the restaurants are stuffed with
waiting lines.
Maybe I have been a fish that
swims a different direction. But there is something to
be said about the secret place. We need to learn the art
of freely moving in and out of that place with
unhindered grace. And when we are “home” we need to have
learned how to stock up and be prepared.
Luke 5:15 NKJV
So He Himself often withdrew
into the wilderness and prayed.
Prov 30:25 NKJV
The ants are a people not
strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer.
John 4:34-36 NKJV
Jesus said to them, "My food is
to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His
work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and
then comes the harvest '? Behold, I say to you, lift up
your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already
white for harvest!
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BUZZ WORDS: When the Lord
quickens something, they are like buzz words, that stand
out to us as worthy to investigate further. Consider
these buzz words in the above allegory.
* Taxes
* Middle lane
* Garbage cans
* Football stadiums
* Church lines
* Restaurant lines
* Prepared
* Home
* Milk
* Stocking up
* Harvest
CLASS RESPONSES TO THE
ALLEGORY:
I see/sense the same theme in all
of these sentences, in the natural and in the spiritual:
Simply, be prepared!
Don't wait until the last minute.
Plan ahead. Get ready. Get there early. Be prepared!
Like the wise virgins, we must
be prepared with oil in our lamps at all times ...
and that oil is found in the Secret Place. We need
to learn how to access it freely and regularly, so
that our lamps remain full.
I noticed preparing and a
whisper to be prepared.
Also noticed the tension
against focusing on Kingdom (Bridal) preparation, so
much is going on in the natural it distracts,
intrudes from the goal, calling and wooing in the
spiritual...
As I was reading this and looking
at your buzz words, I thought about, why wait until the
oil runs out, before you buy more, this brings to mind,
Matt 25:2 through 10, about the 5 wise virgins and the
five foolish, and the five foolish lost out by not being
prepared, we must be prepared at all times even
concerning the physical, spiritual or practical level.
If you do not have a relationship
with God, and you are not feeding your spiritual man,
spiritual food your soul will die from starvation. If
you physically go without food or water your body will
die from starvation, and just being practical , if you
don't eat, you will die from starvation. This all means
that we have to stock up on everything that is important
to living forever. We need to pray without ceasing as
is written in 1st Thess 5:17, prayer is one of our most
powerful weapon against the enemy, and we need to stock
up on prayer, we are are prayed up and prepared , we may
be able to avoid many lines, including some of the lines
in church.
This was quickened in my
spirit, being forearmed, means being forewarned, if
you have that relationship with God and you are
where he wants you to be, then the spirit of God
will alert his children of some coming danger or
just what to watch out for. As far at Taxes goes,
we should pay our taxes and pay them on time, Jesus
paid taxes and didn't wait until the final hour,
this is not our kingdom (we are just passing
through) but we are here now and should obey the law
of the land(that particular law anyway). Finally,
we all should be very wise in all things, for
harvest time is here, and in Proverbs 11:30 it say;
The fruit of the righteousness is a tree of life;
and he that winneth souls is wise".
The words that spoke to be were
these five. First thought is the number five, which for
me has meant favor from the Lord. Oh, how I love His
loving favor.
The first word was Prepared. My
husband is the one who plans and is better prepared on
daily events; but I do believe the Lord wants me (us) to
be better prepared in the Spirit. Stocking up goes
along with being prepared for the future. I still need
to call out more for the plans of the Lord and to have
plenty saved up in him and in the physical too.
Second word for me was milk.
If first must have daily milk before we can have
meat, as is the analogy given to us about the deeper
things of the Spirit. Then having our homes in
order is a must, oh how I ask the Lord this week for
his help in this area. The harvest is here and wow
how we need to have our homes in order.
Where there is no vision people
perish Prov. 29:18
We do need to be prepared -- a
workman fully equipped, to take advantage of the lines
which speak of hunger whether at the church or the
restaurant. Multitudes are in the valley of decision.
Joel 3:14.
The only time I recall Jesus
paying taxes was when He instructed Peter to go fishing
and Pete found a coin in the fishes mouth and then used
that to pay the temple tax Matt 17:27 So still follow
His lead and instructions in all that we do to keep the
laws of men or God. There may come a time where we
cannot pay taxes as when it would require the mark of
the beast.
As far as the middle lane is
concerned one doesn't want to be stuck in the middle-
like being lukewarm fit only for the garbage cans. We
must be deliberate about where we are going and how we
are going to get there until the football stadiums are
filled with the harvest.
Best to have supplies at home so
as to share with those that are in need in the physical,
but also to know what and how, we need to be led by the
Spirit practicing now to be obedient, seeking first the
Kingdom.
Spending time in the secret
place devouring the word until the Word is fleshed
out and we are intimately acquainted with the
Bridegroom and His just plans, with oil in our lamps
and extra oil for when it gets dark, as it will just
before He returns for the bride.
I just ordered non-hybrid food
garden seeds for family keepsake, hopefully we never
have to use them. These seeds are special seeds
called Heirloom seeds that when you plant them, they
make seeds (babies) for the next year's crops.
Today's seeds from the stores are only meant to
produce one crop so you have to keep buying seeds.
Anyway I just purchased them to put into a glass
canning jar in cold storage and hopefully we will
never need them. They finally arrived yesterday,
after several weeks of waiting.
As I was reading this
allegory, a song entitled Matthew 25 was "quickened"
to me. I thought of the five foolish virgins who
did not have the oil for their lamps and therefore
were not prepared. I was the nconvicted of my own
tendency to procrastinate. When I do procrastinate,
often I spend time waiting in lines or feeling
unnecessary pressure. In turn this takes away time
I could be spending waiting on the Lord.
My whole life I have been a "boy
scout". "Be prepared" could have been my motto! I've
had a backpack packed ever since I was a teenager "just
in case" we had to "head for the hills". When I went on
trips as a camp counselor or to help after a disaster,
my team knew I had whatever they needed including the
kitchen sink! My Hubby hated to load the car for
vacation! We ended up coming back with much stuff
unused, but I was prepared!
In '03 I did a study on the 12
tribes of Israel & asked the Lord what tribe I came from
spiritually. He said I was of the tribe of Issachar to
know the times & seasons. I never knew before why I was
the way I was. For one, a pack rat (or is that a pack
donkey? : ) Another thing was, I always seemed to be
"out of time". I would hear something or see it before
it happened. My family & friends always made fun of me
for my extreme behavior. I doubted my sanity on a
number of occasions, but knew I heard the Lord.
Maybe you see yourself in some of
this. I believe the Lord is raising up many Issachars
in this hour. It's only been in the last several years
that I have begun to realize I was misinterpreting what
the Lord made me for.
Issachar was camped on the East
side where the sun rises first. (early revelation of
the Light) He was next to Judah who's name means praise
& Judah was always to go first. Issachar had the "map"
& was the navigator so to speak. Ever wonder why
Paul/God says in 1 Cor 14:1 "Pursue love, yet desire
earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may
prophesy."? Prophesying is just hearing God & telling
others what you hear. IN THIS HOUR IT IS CRITICAL THAT
WE HEAR HIM AND OBEY INSTANTLY!
I had a vision of entering a
portal. I was standing just inside this portal. It was
like no place I had ever been before. It was sooo
different that I was frozen in place not knowing how to
"be" in this place. The "air" was different, how do I
breath? Do you walk, fly or teleport here? What
language is used? What is proper protocol? I knew I
was somehow different in this place.
For months in my quiet time with
the Lord I was in this place. I could not move forward
in presumption or assumption. I could not turn back to
my old ways of thinking. I waited to hear what this
Place was & how I was to proceed.
There has recently (several years)
been a shift taking place in the Heavenlies, our hearts
& minds. The Lord in His grace is wooing us out of the
Church Age into the Kingdom Age. The Lord is now
revealing Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, See here!
or, see there! for, behold, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS
WITHIN YOU. The "Oil" is IN the Lampstand! Christ IN
you the hope of glory.
I've studied Revelation numerous
times. When people asked me if I was pre, post or mid
trib, I I would answer, "I'll let you know when it
happens." Early on when I studied Revelation, I was
fearful, but way back then, the Lord instilled some kind
of bravery to face the future. I have always known I
was called for the last generation. I prayed for it.
Now, I see that the events unfolding currently, are that
preparation time everyone is talking about. But we
cannot operate out of fear.
In this exciting time we live, it
is time to ask God to judge us first so we won't be
found lacking. Search my heart oh God, see if there be
anything in me that doesn't look like You. His
judgements are just, they are mercy, they are a picture
of His great love to a world turned away... one more
chance to soften our hearts & turn to Him.
It's not wrong to have a small
stash of food & water for emergencies, but the Lord
is growing in us faith during this time of fire &
testing to know that if we need food or water, He
will instruct us to strike the rock or multiply what
we do have.
I have always had a passion to
collect empty boxes. It doesn't matter what size or
expense, I just have a revulsion towards throwing them
away. I am the opposite of a pack rat, very practical
and like open space more then crammed closets. But I
still make room for a garbage sack of empty boxes. They
are very handy to organize and hold things.
I have put a lot of prayer into
this, because it really is against my nature in all
other areas. I do remember enjoying my great
grandfather's desk when I was a youngster. I would run
into their sun room and sit at his desk and open all the
drawers. I saw many slots for organizing things and
also boxes that kept things separated. I don't know if
it was an emotional bond that took place back then or
not! I have prayed over it and given it to the Lord and
just laugh that when I go into stores, I am still drawn
to look at them.
I decided it was an intercession I
was walking out when the Lord gave me this scripture
2 Kings 4:2-7 NLT "What can I do
to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have
in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive
oil," she replied.
3 And Elisha said, "Borrow as many
empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.
4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the
door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into
the jars, setting the jars aside as they are filled." 5
So she did as she was told. Her sons brought many jars
to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every
container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar,"
she said to one of her sons. "There aren't any more!"
he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7
When she told the man of God what had happened, he said
to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and
there will be enough money left over to support you and
your sons."
I see the boxes as people and God
is going to fill the people with His oil and support
them all in hard times.
How strange... I collect boxes as
well, but this also carries over into camera bags,
purses, containers, drawer dividers, backpacks... the
more compartments the better! I don't remember a
grandpa's desk : )
I so desire to be organized!!! I
have generations of stuff, stuff & more stuff that God
is cutting out of my spirit man & I can't wait till it
manifests in the physical.
Do the compartment refer to my
desire to usher people out of the Outer Court into
the Holy of Holies? Hmmm!
You mentioned purchasing seeds and
putting them into a glass canning jar in cold storage.
And this is what I got:
Sometimes, answers from the Lord arrive that way too...
in seed form. And then sometimes we have to can them,
cold storage them, put them on a shelf, or maybe they
are ready to be planted- it is the right time and so
then we can plant and nurture them and guard them, to
see the full bloom. First the seed, then the blade,
then the ear, then the full corn in the ear...
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