Partoftheflock

I think you should study to find out more about your enemy. How he works and just how some of his plans are going. If you don't teach people about Satan then they will be so weak. There is an a "competing will" in this earth relm. It is Satans will. So if someone is a baby Christian and they have no knowledge of the enemy they are going to get attacked right away. I thought of this as I read this post. A professional boxer for instance may study the video's of his next opponant. To see his boxing style and look for weakness. So that when he fights him he will have an advantage. Jesus knew full well that He was going to meet and deal with demons. He did not think they did not exist. He knew the world was infested with them. Jesus always attacked demonization, he never excused it. Our weapons are faith and prayer. You sound like your serious in your walk with the Lord. I have been knocked down by attacks and got back up and said, Ok, Satan you might have knocked me down, but I am back up and your not going to get away with it. I have really seen how things can be restored to you that the devil has taken. I have ran out of anything else to add to this. I fear that many brothers and sisters in Christ are walking around and do not know they have an enemy. Because someone thought it was a waste of time to tell them. "Don't put a question mark where God put a period."

Heard it taught in a different way one time also and it was the Holy Spirit speaking of himself. I like it both ways. Don't know it that is possible. Is it?? Do we always have to understand the scriptures in just one way?? Can it reach us in different ways depending on the revelation given to us?? I don't know the answer to my own question. I just know that the Holy Spirit can teach us. And that is the ultimate wish of mine. To have the Holy Spirit lead and guide me..

Praise God, Traveler, that was a refreshing if I ever had one!!!! Yippee, I am so glad I looked for a place and found this one.

Zebulon, what a wonderful teacher you are. I did stop and lifted up my arms and worshiped and it was such a blessing. Thank you. Praise God, it is so beautiful to read.

I like reading the message boards here. This is an inspiraton to me. Thanks for doing such a good job teaching us on love. I know when my next door nieghbor is being unloving. I tell myself, "Jesus loves her and He told you in the Word to love her". And I do things to show her that I love her. I know from reading all the scripture you used in your message above this reply that if we can do this little bit of obediance to the Lord that it would mean alot to him. I live in a senior apartment complex that is predominatly Catholic as it is connected to the Catholic Church. I could not live here if I were full of strife. I do not know why God placed me here, but I am a pentecostal and I have been here for 4 yrs. I have to love the people that live here or I would have to move. There is no choice in this matter. Don't get me wrong, I do not have to rent this apartment here, but I like it here very much. It is a challange to live here. I see an opportunity to witness to people that are ages 62 to 92 and they do not know the Lord. So how else to reach them but to love them to Christ. I totally agree that this is not a choice for us if we accept the sacrafice of Jesus and call ourselves to be his children then there is no other way to behave ourselves but to be obediant children and love each other and the lost too.

It was 47 years ago that this parable was preached and I repented of my sins. It was 1956 in Wilmington, Calif. I had never owned a Bible, and never had been taken to Sunday School. I had never heard of anything like what I heard that day. I can not tell you the deep spiritual food that you are looking for in this parable. But I can tell you that it was preached by a Pentecostal preacher that day and this soul was saved from going to hell. Now looking at all that is said and how wonderful you all have set forth everything you have "seen' in this parable. I am surprised. I see the maturity of a Christian in some of the replys. The ever present what does this mean? The analizing of the mind busy with new information. What I am telling you that it was so simple that day. I just knew that from hearing this preached that I wanted to know Jesus and I also was convicted of my sins. How did it speak to me?? Did I think I was one of them foolish virgins?? Did I know I did not have a lamp with oil?? I can not say. I can just say the Word of God is sharper then a two edge sword. And that day this sword was that parable.

I am brand new here. I am a women, 66 yrs old. I have tried to find the dream description that the people are talking about. So far I have seen someone mention a dream of 2 trees. All that was said about this dream, reminded me of a dream I had back around 1974. I am going to describe my dream of the 2 trees. And who ever had the dream that you are talking about. Would you see if my dream and yours are similar??? If they are would you post on here and tell me how they match??? In my dream, which I was awake when I seen this, An orchard is like right in my view. I see a tree that is withered and bare. Then a big wind comes and blows the orchard into 2 sections. The path where the wind blew now a big path between the orchard. I see a wheat field that the color is golden. The wheat is tall and you can see the wheat field from above it and you can see it rolls on in the distance. that is all I seen. That was in 1974. What did you see. I had a person tell me that the 2 trees, the one that had fruit on it and the bare tree, were symbols of my inner life. That I was not baring fruit in my life. And that I was like the bare tree. I did not accept that intrupretation. I feel it has to do with the fruit of the Spirit and the end time harvest. And a needing to get busy and do something. I think it was a dream from The Holy Ghost. Anyways, this is me. and I am your new member. any comments from the dreamer of the Tree dream?? I can figure out that someone here had a dream of 2 trees. Was yours like mine??