The 5 Unwise Virgins
Greetings sisters in Christ!
Have your days been filled with the joy of the Lord? I was just telling brother Jim that I'm tired of dragging this old body around with it's issues but I'm filled with the joy and peace of God. I'm so thankful for that...it is the power of God that sustains us through this life. Remember that when you are struggling yourself, God will give you what you need, when you need it!
I was cleaning out my phone and figured I'd drop these pictures in here and share them with you.
A few weeks ago we were parked for the night and taking our walk when we saw this guy pull in. We saw this guy in a different parking lot a while ago.
We saw these Osprey...
And this bird makes me smile because we had just finished street witnessing all day at the Super Bowl (you can read about it here: https://titus24sisters.blogspot.com/2020/02/street-preaching-at-super-bowl-2020-in.html ) and we were very tired and looking forward to getting to our night spot. As we were walking, this bird flew over, swooped around and landed. Not far away was thousands and thousands of people being rowdy and loud, there were many people on the sidewalk and this bird was just calmly doing his thing. I love it! That's how we (followers of Christ) are to be, about our Father's business.
After we left the bird we were almost to our van and had to walk down this road by these trees. I thought they were very pretty...
We are blessed to see different foliage in this area, of which we've never seen before. It's amazing to me how God SPOKE the world into existence and instantly created the millions of different plants, animals, insects etc. Man takes forever to create something and uses what God has already created to do it.
We are thankful for our nightly parking places and sometimes we have the protection of the police right there!
We enjoy our evening walks...
Check out the side of that building...it's a Walmart believe it or not! I should have taken a picture of the front because it was the most fancy one we've ever seen. Funny thing about that, we've gone through areas that are run down and you pray your vehicle doesn't stall and then some areas have the fanciest buildings. Well, we stopped at a hardware store in one of the cleaner areas and saw a Dollar Tree within the strip so we walked over to it. The outside was phenomenal in architecture and I was wondering what the inside was like to have such a beautifully made building. We walked in and it looked like a bomb went off, it was so messy! We were thankful for what we needed and when we left I was thinking about how they fancy up the outside and the inside was terrible.
Sadly we often see that with professed believers. We see believers claiming to be of God, claiming that their insides have changed but yet there is no fruit showing on the outside. Then we have those who do what they should do on the outside but are a mess inside and show no fruit of being transformed. I share this illustration with you as a teaching point to warn you to beware of both sides. Don't just believe words, examine the fruit and deeds of people and likewise, don't just believe what you see on the outside, you must examine what's on the inside by what comes out of them. Yes, we are to examine others in the body and there's a two fold reason.
#1 It's a protection for true believers.
#2 It's for their own good, to help them.
It makes me think of the 10 virgins:
A key point to note is that the 5 wise virgins did NOT offer any of their oil to the 5 unwise virgins lest they be unprepared themselves. What does that show us? The wise virgins did not allow the 5 unwise virgins to do anything to weaken their standing for the bridegroom. What that means today, for us, is that when we meet a sister who seems to be pretty close to obedience in the things of God but there are a few things she will not repent of and get in line with God's word, you must not give her any of your oil (self, time, resources etc) lest she weaken you and distract you from your obedient walk in Christ.
If the 5 wise virgins were in the flesh they would have offered some oil and they all would have been left outside the door. Instead they kept their oil, they did NOT give it to the unwise and therefore protected themselves. Yes, that is biblical because your walk is the most important thing in your life and I can promise you that satan will be sending women into your life that will try to get some of your oil. (We see it all the time.) Beware, don't give it to them.
We will soon be heading to our nightly parking spot...
And we look forward to what tomorrow will bring.
Have a joyous evening.
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
Have your days been filled with the joy of the Lord? I was just telling brother Jim that I'm tired of dragging this old body around with it's issues but I'm filled with the joy and peace of God. I'm so thankful for that...it is the power of God that sustains us through this life. Remember that when you are struggling yourself, God will give you what you need, when you need it!
(This was taken last year out in Wyoming.)
A few weeks ago we were parked for the night and taking our walk when we saw this guy pull in. We saw this guy in a different parking lot a while ago.
We saw these Osprey...
And this bird makes me smile because we had just finished street witnessing all day at the Super Bowl (you can read about it here: https://titus24sisters.blogspot.com/2020/02/street-preaching-at-super-bowl-2020-in.html ) and we were very tired and looking forward to getting to our night spot. As we were walking, this bird flew over, swooped around and landed. Not far away was thousands and thousands of people being rowdy and loud, there were many people on the sidewalk and this bird was just calmly doing his thing. I love it! That's how we (followers of Christ) are to be, about our Father's business.
After we left the bird we were almost to our van and had to walk down this road by these trees. I thought they were very pretty...
We are blessed to see different foliage in this area, of which we've never seen before. It's amazing to me how God SPOKE the world into existence and instantly created the millions of different plants, animals, insects etc. Man takes forever to create something and uses what God has already created to do it.
We are thankful for our nightly parking places and sometimes we have the protection of the police right there!
We enjoy our evening walks...
Sadly we often see that with professed believers. We see believers claiming to be of God, claiming that their insides have changed but yet there is no fruit showing on the outside. Then we have those who do what they should do on the outside but are a mess inside and show no fruit of being transformed. I share this illustration with you as a teaching point to warn you to beware of both sides. Don't just believe words, examine the fruit and deeds of people and likewise, don't just believe what you see on the outside, you must examine what's on the inside by what comes out of them. Yes, we are to examine others in the body and there's a two fold reason.
#1 It's a protection for true believers.
#2 It's for their own good, to help them.
It makes me think of the 10 virgins:
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25 A key point to note is that the 5 wise virgins did NOT offer any of their oil to the 5 unwise virgins lest they be unprepared themselves. What does that show us? The wise virgins did not allow the 5 unwise virgins to do anything to weaken their standing for the bridegroom. What that means today, for us, is that when we meet a sister who seems to be pretty close to obedience in the things of God but there are a few things she will not repent of and get in line with God's word, you must not give her any of your oil (self, time, resources etc) lest she weaken you and distract you from your obedient walk in Christ.
If the 5 wise virgins were in the flesh they would have offered some oil and they all would have been left outside the door. Instead they kept their oil, they did NOT give it to the unwise and therefore protected themselves. Yes, that is biblical because your walk is the most important thing in your life and I can promise you that satan will be sending women into your life that will try to get some of your oil. (We see it all the time.) Beware, don't give it to them.
We will soon be heading to our nightly parking spot...
And we look forward to what tomorrow will bring.
Have a joyous evening.
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...