parable of the 4 boyfriends

Hello,

I just got this parable from a friend in my email.  It is long but well worth the reading.  Hope you enjoy!!!!!!

Parable of the 4 Boyfriends

-Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.   She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

 She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

 She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confident and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a new problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

 The girl's first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

 One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, 'I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.

 Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

 'No way!', replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.  His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

 The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'  'No!', replied the third boyfriend. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!' Her heart sank and turned cold.

 She then asked the second boyfriend, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'   'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the second boyfriend.. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'    His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.

 Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.' The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he had suffered from malnutrition and neglect.   Greatly grieved, the girl said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

 In truth, you have four boyfriends in your lives:

 Your fourth boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.  

Your third boyfriend is your status, wealth and possessions. When you die, it will all go to others.

 Your second boyfriend is your family and friends.. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave. 

 And your first boyfriend is your spirit.  The spirit often neglected, in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.   However, your spirit is the only thing that will follow you where ever

you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.

Thoughts for the day:

 Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.

Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Lessons from Job 33 and Isaiah 45

Since moving back home, I have gone back to my old church. I have absolutely loved it! In Sunday School we studied out of Priscilla Shirer's book "Discerning the Voice of God" when I first returned.  All I can say is wow!

Job 33 says; "He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in bed. He whispers in their ear and terrifies them with His warning. He causes them to change their minds; He keeps them from pride...."

Is. 45 says; "I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the One who calls you by name."
These verses really made an impact on me. When I first moved back, I became so distressed because I was afraid that I had missed God's will for my life. You see, when I moved to Richmond, I felt like God told me that I would never return. Yet, here I was moving back. This verse in Job made me realize that it wasn't up to me to find God's will. It is God's responsibility to reveal His will to me, if I wasn't already fulfilling it. If I was out of His will then He would have to reveal that to me. . . Once He reveals it, then it is my responsibility to fix it... Since He hadn't revealed that I was out of His will, then there was nothing to fix and I could rest in the fact that I was in a right standing with God.

To go along with that same verse, it also takes the pressure away from me in another area. I do good about my eating most of the time, but certain stressors cause my eating to get out of hand. I have beat myself up for years. I couldn't understand why I couldn't find victory in this area of my life! This verse has taken the condemnation away. It is God's responsibility to change my mind toward food. I understand that once He changes my mind toward food, it is my responsibility to cooperate with Him in this endeavor....   [I found out this summer that I am allergic to corn, fish, flaxseed, and now fresh pineapple.  I lost 5 to 10 pounds in a short amount of time, then suddenly stopped losing even though I was doing a lot of right things.  In the past month they found huge nodules on my thyroid!  At first they were testing for cancer.  I know for sure that the right side is cancer free.  Part of my inability to lose weight may be due to thyroid!  BUT, that is not why I am mentioning all of this....  At first, it was very difficult to walk past all the good things I loved.  Now, just 7 months since the food allergies were discovered, I noticed the other day that it doesn't bother me at all to walk past the doughnuts, cookies, breads, cereals, etc.  You see, in a very short amount of time I went from feeling like my time was very short in this life to feeling like a normal human being again!  I've heard many people say that they would rather die than give up corn....  But, they would do it if it was the difference between feeling good and feeling like you are dying!!!  The point of this is to say, God can change your mind, without you even realizing it at first.  How cool is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

The last one in Isaiah, reminds me that God has unexpected treasures to give me... These are treasures that I need, want, and treasures that I would've never imagined! He has riches unspeakable. This isn't just money. These riches may be a friend, a needed word, a feeling of belonging and of worth, etc. Whatever they may be, they are there waiting for the right time. They will come unexpectedly and from sources that we never thought of.

Wow, what an awesome God we serve!!! Thank You Jesus!!!!!!!

Faith to be Healed

This is a blog that I posted a couple years ago in BigChurch.com. As I went through some of my old posts, I realized that I needed to hear it again. So I figured there might be someone out there that may need the message today. But let me pray before I copy it below...
"Dear Jesus, thank You, I needed this message today. Sometimes I think I have come through an issue... Then something happens and I realize that I'm NOT through it yet. There are still some remnants that aren't dealt with. Please help me through it. Also, Father, I believe there is someone in blogland that I feel may need this message. Bring them to it, prepare and open their heart to receive what You have to say to them today. In Jesus name I pray... Amen."
Acts 3... "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes on him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength..."

While studying this story back in the 1990's God opened up my understanding to 3 things:
1) The man's feet were not healed until he took the action of standing up. Often, I want the guarantee first, then I would act on it... but that isn't the way God tends to work... He wants the faith/action first.
2) The man was lame from birth and he was laid at that same gate every day... That meant that Jesus walked by that man uncountable times during his 3 years of ministry. How many times had he even asked Jesus for alms? And even after that, how many times had the apostles walked by him after the resurrection? Yet, in all that time and from so many possible life-changing encounters, the man was not healed!!! Why? And this is what the Holy Spirit dropped into my spirit that day... The man was not ready. Peter fixed his gaze on the man that day in Acts 3 because he knew that the man had the faith to be healed at that moment.

It was this revelation that opened up my eyes and heart to rest and wait on God. Even though I had come so very far in my healing process through emotional codependency and different abuses from childhood, my greatest desire was still to die and escape the pain of facing each new day. God was reassuring me that He was in control and that healing would come when He had everything set in place and when my faith was ready for that healing. I would be ready for my healing when I was ready, and not one second earlier. It took the guilty feelings, for not being further along, out of my heart and put some compassion in its place. It was like God was validating my efforts and gently reminding me that He was in control.
3) The man heeded Peter because he was expecting something. He may not have received what he expected... but he still expected to receive!!! How many of us pray, but never expect to receive? How many of us like Rhoda (the servant that answered the door when Peter was miraculously released from prison) are surprised when we do receive an answer?

These are some powerful truthes that I was reminded of ... (Thanks Dundeal) And I just really wanted to share them with you. Pray tonight with expectation... If you haven't received your healing (or your answer) yet, don't give up. God is still at work, and when He knows you are ready, the faith will be there for you to receive... But remember, the answer/gift will come in the way that God knows is best for us... Not always in the way we expect.

God bless you...

Hello

Today is December 20, 2012.  I just want to say hello.  I also want to tell you a little about me. 

I was saved in September 1981 at a 2nd Chapter of Acts concert.  I was very immature as a baby Christian.  Trust was not an easy thing for me.  Through the years God and I have found our way.  It has never been easy, but it has always been worth it!!!  Even now, after 30 years, I am been hit with new things that have shaken my faith, BUT, there is no turning back!  EVER!!!

God is worth the pain!  God is worth the loneliness and uncertainty!  God can be trusted!!!!