Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Don't Stay a Spiritual Hitchhiker

I used to hitchhike when I was a 13-16 years old as a teenager and I remember this man picked me up and I had a “bad” feeling about him. I kept my hand on the door knob to get out if I had any problems with him. It was popular to hitchhike back in the 70’s.

I picked up this woman hitchhiker in Brownsburg a few months ago right on the entrance of the interstate on my way back home from meeting with some single friends. I took her to West 16th Street and my children thought I was crazy for picking her up. I don’t usually pick up hitchhikers or hitchhike anymore, because it can be dangerous.

Hitchhiking is depending on someone else for a ride in their car. Jesus warned about spiritual hitchhikers in his parable of the virgins.

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Mathew 25:1-5

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Mathew 25:6-15

I went to the bank Friday and I got a bank officer to help me with a problem with my mortgage since I got a statement showing I owed $860 in fees. She had to talk to three people at headquarters, but she got the problem solved that I am short on my house escrow account.

I like it when people go to battle for me. When someone fights in Iraq. At times when a person fights a spiritual battle for me by praying for me. It's having my back, or being my wing man or wing woman.

Pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.~ 1 Timothy 2:1,

I liked to pick my husband’s brain because he was a walking encyclopedia. He was full of facts and information and if some big word was in the newspaper article I was trying to read or a college book, I knew he would have the answer.

He liked to pick my spiritual brain, because he was a baby believer, but there comes a time that we have to grow up in life. We have to grow up spiritually.

Growing up spiritually is when we use our own faith. We don’t always depend on other people’s prayers of faith to get us through life, but we stand on the word of God.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:15

The time came in Peter’s life and also in all the apostles when Jesus asked Peter to feed his sheep and his lambs. It’s when the Lord says I want you to go from being a pupil of his word to being a teacher of his word. It reminds me of what they say on Star Wars instead of being the pupil, we become the teacher.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Hebrews 5:12

I can credit every spiritual development in my life to a spiritual woman mentor in my life, including losing my spouse that a woman at work helped me who lost her husband.

What is a noble woman? We have a clue in Proverbs 31, but I am going to take it a step further by examining the New Testament on what noble character is considered in the New Testament.

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. Proverbs 12:4

Paul said the Bearans were of noble character because they searched the scriptures daily.

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. Acts 17:11-12

Many of the women in Paul/Peter’s day were not educated and since they had segregation in synagogues or church where men sat on one side and women sat on the other side to avoid interruption and have them yell across the room, the men were to “teach” the word of God to the women at home.

We don’t see this anymore in our society where women can think for themselves, and also study the word of God for ourselves. There is not a disparity between sexes when it comes to social, spiritual or physical rewards. We are to study the word of God, not hitchhike off a 20-minute sermon Sunday.

to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, Ephesians 5:26

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

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