Two Types of Church Members| The Parable of the Ten Virgin’s

While looking at the book ‘Steps to Personal Revival’ I noticed that God’s Word differentiates between three groups of people in respect to their personal relationships with God. Within each of these groups there are many different shades depending on the parental training, character, training of oneself, age, culture, education, etc. But even with all the differences there are only three basic attitudes towards God:

i. No relationship – the Bible calls this the natural man.

ii. Full, real relationship – the Bible calls this person spiritual.

iii. Divided or feigned relationship – the Bible describes this as a person of the flesh or carnal.

The terms “natural“, “spiritual” and “carnal” in God’s Word are not evaluations in this case. They merely describe a person’s personal relationship to God.

These three groups are described in 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. Right now we only want to touch lightly on the subject of the natural man. He lives in the world. A quick glance at the two groups within the church will help us realize where the problem is mainly hidden. The most important thing to realize is to which group you belong. Thus our examination also helps our self-diagnosis. We want to take a look at our own lives and not the lives of others.

What does Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins show us in respect to spiritual and carnal church members?

1) All 10 were virgins

2) Al had pure biblical beliefs

3) All had lamps

4) All had the Bible

5) All of them went to meet the bridegroom

6) All of them looked forward to the 2nd Coming

7) All of them went to sleep

8) All heard the call and woke up

9) All prepared their lamps

10) All the lamps where burning

11) Half of them noticed that there lamps were going out.

All of them prepared their lamps and all of the lamps were burning; but their lamps need oil. Energy was used. After a short time five of the noticed that that their lamps where going out. The lamps of the foolish virgins that only burned for a short time show us that they did have something from the Holy Spirit. But it wasn’t enough. There was too little oil. That was the only difference.

when the five came asking be let in. Jesus answered: “I do not know you.” They were too late in attending to the oil – the Holy Ghost. The door remained closed.

Jesus’ statement shows us that our personal relationship with Him has something to do with the Holy Ghost. Whoever doesn’t let himself be led by the Holy Ghost won’t be acknowledged by Jesus. In Romans 8:8-9 it says: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God……if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Actually, we only have a real personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Ghost. 1 John3:24 says: “And by this we know that He (Jesus) abides in us, by trhe Spirit whome He has given us”. This means that the assurance I have that I am filled with the Holy Ghost is at the same time the assurance that I am in Jesus and He is in me.

[Taken from the book titled “ Steps to Personal Revival” by Helmut Haubell]

Please grab a copy of the book from the ABC for yourselves.

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An Invitation to Abundant Life

(Based on Isaiah 55 – NKJV) 

 

 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

 Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The sure mercies of David.

 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,

A leader and commander for the people.

Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,

And nations who do not know you shall run to you,

Because of the Lord your God,

And the Holy One of Israel;

For He has glorified you.”

 

 

 Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

 Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

 

 

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

 

 

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

 

 

“For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,

And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;

And it shall be to the Lord for a name,

For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

 

(Based on Isaiah Chapter 55 – NKJV)

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The Problem with Abuse

This discussion was posted by David Monai on the Enga Adventist Students Association page on Facebook on the 10th of October. Though his focus is on the psycho-spiritual pertinences I also find it the underlying significance applicable in the everyday processed especially when our elected leaders as well has those in authority manipulate systems and process thereby abusing 6 million innocent people in PNG.
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The Problem with Abuse

By David Monai : 10/10/2011

Abuse is defined as intentionally or unconsciously injuring or damaging someone physically, psychologically/ emotionally, or sexually for the purpose of intimidating, dominating, or controlling that person. Abuse is wrong for the following reasons:

■ Abuse can damage or destroy the body. Our health message is based in large part on our belief, found in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Anything that harms the body harms God’s temple and is, therefore, not from Him. Verse 17 tells us that God will destroy those who defile His temple.

■ Abuse deprives children of their innocence. Sexual abuse, in particular, destroys the ability of children and teens to trust and to relate to others in appropriate ways. It leaves scars that last a lifetime. Likewise, verbal, physical, and emotional abuse robs children of the joy and innocence that should characterize childhood. Jesus’ words vividly illustrate how precious children are to Him: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6).

■ Abuse robs individuals of their self-esteem, which is essential for correctly relating to God and to others. Healthy self-esteem is based on the knowledge that someone loved each of us, individually, enough to die for us. Without that abiding awareness, making healthy life choices is infinitely more difficult. Even though verbal abuse leaves no physical scars, it is as harmful to self-esteem as other kinds of abuse. The apostle Paul observed that our speech should be “helpful for building others up”(Eph. 4:29, NIV).

■ Abuse is not part of God’s plan for families. As a church, we have long been blessed with guidance for building healthy families, much of which is distilled in the book The Adventist Home. On the very first page of Chapter One, Ellen Whitewrote that home “should be a little heaven upon earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed.”2 This heavenly atmosphere must be intentionally fostered by godly love and actions on the part of parents, in partnership with the Holy Spirit—never by force or abuse.

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Abuse deprives people of their individuality, their power to think for themselves, and their ability to act in their own best interests. Ellen White wrote that “every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator- individuality, power to think and to do.”3 God reveals His will for each of us with these words: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

■ Perhaps the most compelling reason that we should be concerned about abuse is that it distorts the victim’s perception of God and, by extension, the church. Victims often find it virtually impossible to conceive of a loving God, one who loves them unconditionally. They reason that if He loved them, He would have protected them from the abuse. They leave the church when their cries for help are ignored and when they are abused by members. The reality is that the way we as a corporate body respond to abuse in the church can have eternal consequences

 

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