A Parable: Fickle and Flighty ©

See if you can figure out what this parable is about and does it relate into today's living?

There once was a king who fell in love with a beautiful woman.  She grew up in a strange corrupt land, but the king came just in time to rescue her before there was no hope for her life and she would be lost into a corrupt and evil lifestyle.  He brought her on a long journey back to his land where she would be safe and live in the harmony of their love together in his impenetrable fortress.

They were deeply in love and eventually had two beautiful daughters.  At first the two children were very loyal to the wishes of their father, the king.  They loved and respected him for he was a good king, and they enjoyed doing things to please him.  But sad to say, they soon began to rebel and gained nicknames of rebellion, called Fickle and Flighty.

These nicknames eventually became the names by which they were famous, because of how they lived their lives.  Even though they continued to live in their father's kingdom under his protection, they had no respect for his way of life.  They wanted to try new things.  They thought to themselves, "Father's way is boring and outdated.  Look at my neighbors, now they know how to have fun!"  This was so sad and embarassing to their father, the king of the land.  He was greatly disappointed in his daughters.

Fickle was the first to rebel.  She was so willing to try anything that she gave herself over to an evil man and began to live with him.  He was so very evil.  This man had snuck into the kingdom and presented himself as a king as well.  He enticed her to try all sorts of evil things.  She went to live adultressly in his house where she could be free from her father's hand, and immerse herself in the evil pleasures of life.

Flighty was soon to follow.  Even though she stood back and watched her sister Fickle do evil things that were not pleasing to her father the king, and saw how it upset him so, she too went and did them, knowing full well the sad consequences of her sister's actions, and how they had broken her dear father's heart.  She actually sank lower than her sister and became a prostitute to such evil things. She sold her very soul and moved in with an evil pimp who sold her as a harlot.  She became the most famous prostitute in all the land.  But she didn't mind because she was addicted to the sheer pleasures of evil.

How sad this made their real father, the good and kind king of the land.  All of his hopes and dreams for his children to do good in his kingdom so that they could be responsible partners in his kingship were broken.  Each night he stood outside the doors of his castle looking and hoping for their safe return.

The moral of the story...........(You fill it in)

For an interpretation of the parable look in The Message version of the Bible, Jeremiah 3:6-15
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%203&version=MSG  Does it speak any truth about the church today?  Or your life today?  God loves you and wants you back into His kingdom.  Pray for forgiveness and return to His loving arms.

Blessings,

-Leo

Looking for Themes

Last night's Vesper Service lesson was from Luke 13:10-17.  The opening question was' "What is one theme that jumps out at you from this particular story?"  I then allowed each person to share their particular theme and why that theme was important to them.  The themes presented were: 1. Hypocrisy; 2. Legalism; 3. Sabbath; 4. Opportunity; 5. How God deals with people; 6. Grace; 7. Healing; and 8. freedom.

These eight themes set the tone for our entire study.  The next question asked, "How do any of these themes relate to your life right now?"  This was meant to help us to be introspective in terms of what scripture seeks to do in our lives.  The Bible says that scripture is more than just words on paper.  As one person pointed out last night: "The difference between knowledge (information storing) and wisdom, is that knowledge is worthless unless it forms a beneficial response - to that end it becomes wisdom.

The Bible testifies of itself when it says that "the Word is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17),"  and Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of the Lord is living and active."  I believe that this is what happened as we took time to listen to the voice of God and allow it to speak to each one of us individually.  We came up with a collection of very different themes; yet every theme stays true to the Word of Luke 13:10-17, and is applicable to our every day living.

Isn't God's Word amazing!  Why not read Luke 13:10-17 and see if these themes make sense to you.  Pray as you read and see if God has a message for you.  He may reveal yet more themes to you as well.

Our discussion was lively and informative as the Holy Spirit worked into our lives the Word of God.  Using the "themes" approach can give you a fresh new way of understanding God's Word.  he has so much to teach you as He speaks into your life, and guides you to live a life of faith.  Blessings.

-Leo