Respond to the invitation

It’s an honor to be invited to take part in an important event. But it’s not just about the event as much as it is who will be there or who the host is. Some events are once in a lifetime and require us to move things in our schedule just to attend. Invitations require a form of confirmation, so that the host can make ready adequately. Whether we wish to attend or not, it’s courteous to respond if we accept or decline. Invitations can even be more exciting when we don’t have to pay a dime for the pomp and circumstance. Our acceptance causes the host to bend over backwards, to turn it into something memorable for us and others. So we must dress the part to honor the event and show appreciation to the host for putting us in consideration.

⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22).”

“All must come with decorum befitting the momentous event.”

God gave an invitation to the wedding feast of His Son with His people—a relationship with His Son and His people. Those who got the first invitation made excuses for not attending and some went even as far as harassing and killing those who were sent—the prophets. This angered God, so He sent more servants to invite anyone they could find on the streets; because He had an enormous feast prepared, with ample room left to fill the place. Those who were given the first invitation, became unworthy of the fellowship, reconciliation and Everlasting Covenant—wedding, with The Son. 

We have all been invited to have communion and fellowship with The Lord Jesus Christ; akin to a feast of the finest trimmings and dainties prepared just for us. Each one of us got our personal invitation and must choose how we respond. This is an invitation that has been standing for years. But once the window of opportunity closes, God will not change His mind. Do you know if your invitation has already been flagged as “unworthy”? How many invitations have you declined? There are others who will be invited, in place of those who found other fish to fry.

“Many are called but few appreciate the privilege of fellowship with The Son of God.”

Those who were unlikely of such an honor, picked up from the streets, were invited to the feast. They got one invitation and they couldn’t wait to meet and dine with The Lord. These were already considered by society as pariah, but God’s Grace welcomed them as He did those who had heard at first. All must come with decorum befitting the momentous event. Dressing in the wedding clothes in honor of The Son, requires one to be clean; not in his own garments of righteousness but the Righteousness of Christ. ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ It’s imperative that we aren’t lackadaisical when we come to fellowship with The Lord; but fervent in humility and deference knowing whose presence we approach. 

¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. ²⁰ And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things; which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3).

Many are called but few appreciate the privilege of fellowship with The Son of God. The few that are chosen have made this moment a priority. Sacrosanct time has been set aside to meet with The Lord, by thrusting aside all other distraction. This is as special as a wedding celebrating the union between the Son and His follower. The few chosen come with etiquette of honoring and glorifying Him who has created a bountiful feast of His Word, and pleasure in His Presence. There’s an abundance of Goodness in The Master’s House and it will cost nothing. The spread will indeed satisfy our souls.

¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path (Psalm 119).

We work to make wages we utilize for basic necessities, amenities and everything else we need that is life-enhancing. We are commanded to work so that we can provide for ourselves and others, but we are not commanded to neglect our souls while at it. Just as milk and bread is for the body, God’s Words sustain the soul. He says that we should listen carefully by inclining our ears as we go to Him for what our soul needs. He gives us what money can’t buy and bids us to get it for nothing—His Wisdom, Presence and a relationship with Him. 

“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. ²  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. ³ 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 (Isaiah 55).”

“Because we came, the Covenant is certain for us and the generations following.”

Invest and partake in what will satisfy and is everlasting. Living waters never run dry. They are for the thirsty soul. The parched will yearn to be filled with the inpouring of The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth. Truth is enduring and will keep us firmly established on what is right and acceptable before God. Delighting the soul in abundance is basking in His Goodness; savoring what is good and living off of it.

Those who seek Him will be satiated by His Presence; they will not long for anything else. They have hope of sure mercies for themselves, even as given to David. That means, just as David was after God’s heart, they will receive mercy when they ask for it; mercies that are guaranteed. Mercies for themselves and those they love. Sure mercies carry on from generation to generation, because with God everything hinges on an Everlasting Covenant. Because we came, the Covenant is certain for us and the generations following. 

“As the world beckons after us, The Lord calls us to still partake of our divine nature.”

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. ⁴ By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1).

The Word of God doesn’t only contain instructions, wisdom, truth, commandments and revelation of Who He is; it is chock-full of promises. Great and precious promises by a God Who never lies. We are asked to come and fill up on everything that pertains to life and godliness in His Own Divine Power. This a smorgasbord of exceedingly great and precious promises which make us a new-living soul in Christ. The more we fill up, the more we partake of the divine nature that is less conformed to the world. This is the bread and milk which satisfies and lives beyond this life; which build up divine qualities and characteristics that are not marred by the world’s views. As the world beckons us to come, The Lord calls us to still partake of our divine nature. This is what differentiates those of the world and those of The Kingdom of God. Those who abide in His Presence are renewed in Him. They exist in the divine nature which is renewed through communion and acquaintance with The LORD.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2).

This Covenant relationship is one that requires we play our part as well as we can. We are incapable on our own to meet the Master’s Standards. We are not called and chosen on merit but His Grace. No works outside of our relationship with Christ or works for our own glory win us brownie points with God. To keep up in any relationship there has to be unity. We can only do our bit as long as we abide in Christ; by letting The Spirit do the works of God through us. We are His workmanship; we are the clay in His Hands, for His Purpose. God prepared our bodies as the temple of The Holy Spirit beforehand, so that we can never boast that God needed us because we are noble beings. If we were a tad noble, Christ didn’t need to die. We are not sufficient in ourselves to waltz into the Kingdom with our own righteousness. All righteous acts are God’s Will and not our free-will. We are vessels for His Purpose not our own agenda. To Him alone be the Glory.

⁵ For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us ( 2 Corinthians 4).

Now that we are partakers of the divine nature, since we accepted the invitation to repentance and fellowship with the Lord, how remiss it would be to toot our horn as we come before Him. The star of the event is always the one being honored. We don’t preach ourselves, as if God needs to show us off. He chose us, to show off His Son in us. We have this great treasure in our body of clay—The Excellence of The Power of God to make us into Son’s-Likeness. 

²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11).”

Find refreshment and rest in Christ. He does the work in us so that all we have to do is love and obey Him. He still calls us to come to Him so that we can learn from Him. He is patient, gentle and humble enough to give us all He has, so that we can stop striving to be good, approved and accepted. The One Who reveals the Father chooses the ones who are willing to accept His invitation to come. He will teach us His Commands which are easy to bear, as long as we let His Spirit actuate our will. It’s a time of refreshing each day in His Presence, with each moment we partake of our divine nature. 

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23).