The Banquet Table

Image by betsythedevine via Flickr

Can you imagine being invited to attend the finest banquet ever to be held? Your neatly engraved invitation has been hand delivered, definitely not mailed. Your transportation and clothing have already been provided by the Master of the home. You have formally accepted the invitation and are so excited to be attending this grand event.

Your mind begins to wander as your imagination takes over and your daydreams being to paint a vivid picture. You wonder what your host will look like; what type of food will be served; who else will be in attendance.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 14:14

Your tummy is grumbling as your eyes survey the great banquet table that stretches as far as the eye can see. The first thing you notices is a bowl filled with the most luscious of fruit. These fruit are like nothing you have ever seen before. The steward notices the inquisitive look on your face and offers the names of each fruit.

The red ones are love which overflows the bowl itself and pours out onto the table and the fine white linens. There is no way it can be contained. The purple fruit are called joy and cause you to feel like shouting and singing with every single bite. The placid blue fruit brings such peace to your soul as you juice rolls down your chin. The rest of the fruit include patience and kindness; goodness, faithfulness and self control. Each one was beckoning me to taste for myself and see how good they truly were.

Beyond the fruit was a platter of meat. This meat was tender and juicy. I took a knife and fork and cut a small bite just to take a quick sample. I placed it in my mouth and began to chew. The more that I chewed it, it's as if the flavor became more and more intense. This meat was called "the Word of God". Somehow I sensed that no matter how much I chewed this delicate meat, I would never lose my desire to savor just one more bite.

In the center of the table was a basket of bread. Oh how I love bread. It was labeled, "the Bread of Life". All those who eat of this bread shall never die, but have eternal life. Just one bite of this bread is all that you will ever need.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus has prepared a banquet table and has invited each of us to come and dine with Him. You see, He has already extended an invitation. Look at the palm of His hands. They were engraved at the cross of Calvary where Jesus died, just for you. He is waiting for your response. Will you:

• Admit - Admit to God that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
• Believe - Believe that Jesus is God’s Son and accept God’s gift of forgiveness from sin. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Confess - Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9-10,13 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Is it time for you to become a Christian? The banquet table is ready.

Dear God,
I know I have sinned and that my sin separated me from you. I am sorry for my sin. I believe Jesus died on the cross for me so my sin can be forgiven. I believe Jesus rose from the dead and is alive. God, please forgive me. I ask Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. I will obey you and live for you the rest of my life. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name ~ Amen

Have you accepted your invitation? I'd love to hear all about it.

Chipping Away

I viewed a video this morning that absolutely gripped my heart.
Thank You to Dori at http://yourwordislife.blogspot.com/ for sharing this today.

The title is God's Chisel. I don't know about you, but God continues to pull out His chisel and chip away at who I am today to make me who He wants me to be.

Who He wants me to be is a true reflection of His Son Jesus.



Like Dori, this really leaves me speechless....

Sent to the Principal

I'm just sitting here minding my own business this morning when the phone begins to ring. I glance down at the receiver and it says M Community School. The thought that immediately runs across my mind is, "What did he do..."

I pick up the phone and hear the voice of a man identifying himself as the Vice Principal. He says, "I have someone here who need to talk with you. Jonathan, tell your mom what you did."

After a few moments on the phone with Jonathan, the VP was once again on the line laying out for me what would happen next. Jonathan had shown poor judgment..., and it now was judgment time.

As I sit here tonight typing my mind wanders to the many, many times in my life when I too have shown poor judgment. Did I know what was right? Absolutely. Did I still choose to do what was wrong? You betcha. The Apostle Paul had this same struggle and spoke about it this way:

Know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:18-20

But there is good news! I do not have to live a defeated life. Yes the struggle with my sinful nature is still there. But through Christ Jesus, victory is mine!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

And the news just keeps on getting better!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, Romans 8:1-3

I have been set free. Free from the guilt of the law. Free from the grip of sin and death. Because of Jesus, I am free to live a life of victory over the desires of the flesh. It's by His power and in His strength that the enemy is defeated. No more guilt. No more shame.

Jonathan is a 13 year old boy and still has much to learn. His struggle between the flesh and the Spirit is no different than mine. For we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I am so grateful to know that like me, Jonathan's sins are forgiven and tomorrow is a brand new day of promise and victory.

Cardboard Testimonies

I watched a video this afternoon that has totally rocked my world. By the end I had tears in my eyes. Not tears of sorrow but tears of gratitude to a wonderful, loving, grace giving Savior who has changed my life and my eternity.

I hope each of us will be challenged:

• Do you remember who were were before Jesus touched our life?
• Have you praised Him today for what He's done in your life since?
• Can you think of someone whose cardboard only has one side?
• Will you go and tell them the good news that they too can be forever changed?
  

Please come back tomorrow to join me for Saturday Steps of Faith

I'm listening

So much noise, all around us, all the time. At home it's the kids, the TV, the phone, the cell phone, the IPod, the washer, the dryer, the timer, the furnace, the dog... There's always something or someone clamouring for our attention - making noise.

At work it's the same. Our bosses, co-workers, the phones, always someone wanting just a moment of our time. Just a few minutes to bend our ear. Have you noticed that even in elevators and public restrooms we have to have music & noise funneled in?

How about at a public event where they notify the crowd that they will be observing a "moment of silence"? How many seconds go by before the crowd begins to squirm and the silence is broken by whispers or fidgeting? Is it 15, 30, 45 seconds?

Is it no wonder that we have such a hard time hearing the voice of God? God Himself said these words,

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

And yet I have such a hard time just being still and listening without talking. So much talking. So little listening and truly hearing what God has just for me.

Have you ever thought about that? How many times God wanted to whisper a word of encouragement, comfort or peace and I just couldn't be still. How about a word of warning that I didn't hear and instead had to endure some difficult consequence that could have been so easily avoided. All because I couldn't be still, for just a moment.

Father, forgive me for all of the noise that I bring with me into the throne room of Heaven. So much noise. So many distractions. So little focus. Teach me to be still and to listen. To know that you are God and must be exalted above everyone and every thing. I need to hear your voice - clearly. Just a word of direction, a word of comfort, a little encouragement. I love you so. Still my heart Lord, I'm listening.

Confession Overdue

This morning in my quiet time I was reading from 2 Samuel 12. In prior chapters King David had a tremendous season of victories as He walked with the Lord. The enemies of God were going down and the heart of David was becoming more and more like the heart of God.

In chapter 11 we find that David decides to stay home at the palace instead of leading his armies into battle. With idle time on his hands, he fell neck deep into the pit of sin. First is was the lust of the flesh as he watched Bathsheba taking a bath on her roof. Next he had her brought to him and he committed adultery with her.

When he found that she was pregnant with his child, he had her husband sent home from war in order for him to sleep with her. His hope was that his sin would be covered up. Her husband Uriah was a man of integrity and honor and refused to sleep with his wife while his fellow soldiers were off to war. David had Uriah sent back to the front lines to his death and he now found himself with an innocent mans blood on his hands.

From a, "Man after God's own heart" to a lusting, manipulative, adulterer whose scheming led to murder in the blink of an eye. Honestly, can you get your mind around how great this man's fall was?

After Uriah had died, David brought Bathsheba to live with him as his wife and they had a son. David went on with his life as if nothing had happened. But what about his relationship with God?

Do you realize that a year has gone by and David has shown no remorse? Now God directs Nathan the prophet to go to David and confront him with his sin. You see, David may have forgotten - but God had not.

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

Oh the sweet fragrance of forgiveness that replaces the stench of a calloused, sin hardened heart. Look how David describes his season of unrepentance.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah (Psalm 32:3-5)

Oh the freedom of a soul that has been forgiven. It's as if the chains of sin that had you all tangled up are suddenly snapped and drop to the ground. Forgiven and free to live a life of victory, not defeat.

Oh Father, take a walk around my heart. Peel back the layers, search every corner, every nook and cranny. Search me oh God and know my heart. If there is any thought, word or deed that contrary to your Word, contrary to your will for me - make it plain for me to see. I don't want anything to be between us except the blood of Jesus covering my sin. When you look at me I want you to see the righteousness of Christ. No more groaning - just rejoicing in your presence. Thank You for forgiving me from the guilt of my sin! I love you Father!