You're Invited
- Heidi Eva Jones
- Nov 30, 2021
- 6 min read
Volume 10 issue 11
Greeting in His Name,
I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's been a while since we have been able to really sit down with family and friends and enjoi a meal for the holiday's. I hope you cherished every moment. Today's blog is entitled You're Invited. I guess for me I often think about those who are less fortunate, those who may not have been invited any where, or had no one to invite them to a meal or a time of fellowship. The reality is that our homeless population, or as some are calling it "the unhoused", is growing. I remember a time in the city of Jackson that you could only find homeless folks within the downtown area. They have migrated into some of our neighborhoods and shopping districts. This shows that there is a need for this population of people. I always keep in mind that, that could be me. Thankfully the table that Jesus has spread does not exclude anyone; ALL ARE WELCOME! Hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.
shalom and love,
heidi
Revelation 3:19-21 CEV I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne. Have you ever been invited to a celebration - birthday, graduation, wedding, a new bambino, house warming, retirement? How exciting to be put on the list as a guest. But then you think, what should I give as a gift to the recipient? You don’t want to give something that means nothing to them, a gift that may later end up on the shelf never to be used, or given to someone else, or sadly, the garbage. You don’t want to go to over board, so you try to find that ‘in between’ gift - something they really need or want. Pleasing a person can be really strenuous. Aside from the task of choosing a gift, you have to show up. Well God has sent out an invite and His Son is the gift. Do you accept or reject? Let’s review some ‘Etiquette 101’ tips on being invited from Jesus' standpoint. Some do’s and don'ts.
Luke 14:8-11 NIV "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." First lesson: Don’t take yourself to the place of prominence. Let those who are around you put you there. Now we know that it is God who brings this place of prominence but He will use man to elevate and exalt you. God doesn’t embrace a haughty or boastful spirit. It is said more of a person who has a gentle and quiet spirit. So when invited to a party, unless you are the celebrity, take your proper place.
Luke 14:12-14 NIV Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Second Lesson: Invite the less fortunate. As I read this scripture I received another revelation on making your guest list. You know that friend who is not a friend to your other friend? Oh, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! Let me make it plain! You have those friends who don’t like each other! So you weigh out which friend you really want to invite because you don’t want to be in an awkward position. I say, invite both! It’s your party! One thing I have learned early on, because I have had friends that didn't like my other friends, was that I had to I explain to both that the issue they had between them, had nothing to do with me. I am still a friend to both. And who knows that by inviting both friends, this may be a way that reconciliation could possibly happen between them because of you. Life is not very long, so it is really STUPID (excuse me - NOT SMART) to waste time with grudges and misunderstandings. According to the Word we shouldn’t let the sun go down on our wrath. It is also important in Jesus’ eyesight that no one be left out.
Luke 14:16-24 NIV Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'" But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'" Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'" Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'" The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'" Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' " Third Lesson: Don’t make excuses. In this scripture I can only see the last day - God compelling man to come to His banquet. The banquet is all laid out and the guest list has been made. And guess what? Your name is on it, but because of your own cares you turn down His offer. Now the Word has already told us that God can raise up a rock to cry out in our place. And many of us will sing out ‘ain’t no rock gone cry out in my place’, but as the time approaches, we can very well turn down the invitation. Don’t give up your seat!
In closing, let’s go back to the opening scripture. Can’t you see the victorious Jesus standing saying, “you win, join the party!” Can’t you hear the screams of Hallelujah echoing through the corridors of Heaven because you took Jesus at His word? Let’s do a practice scream now, “HALLELUJAH!”.
LIFE QUOTE
"Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Buddha simply said, "I am a teacher in search of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammed said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins."
-Author Unknown
Let Us Laugh!
"What did Han Solo say to Luke Skywalker on Thanksgiving?" "May the forks be with you."
Hope to see you Next Month....
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