Class Example: Interpret An Allegory
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…
