PREPARE FOR THE PARTY!
In today’s passages, we are going to talk about how to prepare for the party in the Kingdom of God. You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun now would you?.
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED!
Many people think and ask themselves, “what is the kingdom of God like?”, “what is heaven like?”. Well…according to Jesus, it’s like a big giant feast waiting to happen!
Matthew 22:1-5 reads, “And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business”.
Here we see Jesus, describing the “Big” event in a parable. He says the kingdom of God can be compared to a king (God), who is throwing a wedding feast for his son (Jesus). The king sent his servants (prophets, Evangelists etc), to call those who were invited to the feast but they (everyone) refused to come. Again, he sent out his servants (prophets, Evangelists etc), to relay the message to those that were invited, saying “I have prepared dinner and everything is ready… Come and eat”, but they (everyone) ignored his message. Instead, they all went off doing other things.
God has been inviting everyone to a feast for years. He wants to share his food and many other good things with his children but some of us have consistantly refused his invitation. Regardless, There is Good news. Its not too late!
Becoming a full time Christian was the best decision i ever made in my life! And you can do it too. Some people seem to think Christianity is boring, but that’s not true. They make excuse after excuse, convincing themselves that “there is no God”, but at the same time they celebrate religious holidays and say things like “thank God”, “Jesus Christ”, or “for God’s sake”. God is REAL and he loves each and every one of us. God want’s everyone to have fun, laugh out loud, smile and do so much more. All you have to do is make that “Decision”. Choose salvation! Choose Jesus Christ! Start living your life with intention and purpose. Start living the life you’ve always wanted. A life, where your body and soul are continually fed by “The Holy Spirit”.
STAY FOCUSED ON THE KING!
As Christians, there will be times in our lives where we are going to go through temptations and difficulties. We may find ourselves in situations where our family and friends don’t seem to understand us or the things we do for God. They may falsely accuse us, judge us or even become distant towards us. Either way, it is important to stay focused on God and trust him. Stand firm!
2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”.
Matthew 5:10 reads, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you”.
1 Peter 4:12-14, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you”.
Let the above verses, serve as encouragement and nourishment because our goal is eternal life. Jesus was hated and he was surrounded by many enemies. They falsely accused him, they judged him and persecuted him. Regardless of all this, he never once faltered. He stood strong and kept his faith in God. Even when he was on the cross, he resisted the enemy (satan), and died with love in his heart. The opposition of other people isn’t neccessarily because we did something wrong. Sometimes, we are attacked because of the Goodness in our hearts. I know it can be difficult dealing with attacks, but we must always remember to choose peace. Some may call us names, slander Jesus and even insult “The Holy Spirit”. Either way, we can be assured that God sees and hears everything! Whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we should always trust and believe that God will protect us. We shouldn’t argue or fight anybody because we would be doing exactly what the enemy wants. Instead, we should pray for those people and walk away. Give your anger and frustration to God and allow him to heal your heart!
DO NOT WORSHIP IDOLS!
Idolatry! What is idolatry?
It is the worship of someone or something as though it were God.
As christians, we are only supposed to worship the one and ONLY true God. Yarweh! Unfortunately, some people have chosen to worship man made sculptures, demons and evil spirits posing as God. while others have chosen to worship things like trees, the sun, the moon, money, their cars, their house, their bodies etc…
Deuteronomy 16:21-22 reads, “You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God. You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates”.
Here we see Moses, cautioning the Isrealites not to plant any tree next to the alter dedicated to God or worship any wooden image. This also means, we shouldn’t worship anything else in any way, shape or form.
2 Corinthians 6:16 reads, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people”.
Here we see “The Apostle Paul”, speaking to some of his followers. He tells them not to do the same things as unbelievers do. He also says righteousness cannot be mixed with lawlessness, light cannot be mixed with darkness, and “The temple of God” meaning our bodies, cannot mingle with idols. He then quotes a verse from the old testament saying, ” I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people”. Meaning, “The Holy Spirit” will live in the hearts of those who believe. This verse is also similar to leviticus 26:12 which also reads, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people”.
The above verses are very important to know because God wants us to live holy and righteous lives. This means no idol worshipping, no adultery, unfaithfulnes, disloyalty, etc.
In the old testament, God lived amongst the Isrealites (for 40 years) in the form of a Cloud by day and in the form of Fire by night. He taught them many things and blessed them abundantly. In short, his presence was their advantage! But today, even though he doesn’t appear in front of us in the form of a cloud or fire, he still lives among us. He also sent his spirit “The Holy Spirit” to guide and protect us. Hallelujah!
Note:- Some people may say that ” The old testament isn’t relevant anymore” and some may say that “all the laws and commands of God from the old testament doesn’t apply anymore”. But this is NOT true! God himself, Jesus and the disciples have repeatedly stated many of the same laws and commands from “The Old Testament” in “The New Testament”. Granted, some of the old laws and commands like, the need to provide a sin offering or a burnt offering aren’t necessary anymore. But the moral laws and commands still apply.
Note :- because Jesus died for our sins, we are now able to atone without any offerings or sacrifices. In other words, we can simply go to God, ask for forgiveness and repent.
For more references on idol worshipping please read Exodus 20:3-4, 1 John 5:21, or 1 Corinthians 10:14.
SAY NO TO EVIL PRACTICES!
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 reads, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you”.
Here we see Moses, speaking to the Isrealites about those who are using black magic or conjuring up forbidden things. Everything that is listed above in an abomination to God. This is important to know because many of us have either come across or know someone that engages in these practices. We are children of God, therefore we should not partake in these forbidden acts. Instead, we should pray for the individual.
SAY NO TO SELFISHNESS AND GREED!
Deuteronomy 17:15-17 reads, “you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself”.
Here we see Moses, speaking to the Isrealites. He says they should only set a king or a leader that God has chosen from their own people and that they should not choose a foreigner.
Moses also says “But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself”.
This means that the appointed king or leader cannot enslave his people or neglect their needs, he cannot treat the people badly or be selfish, and he cannot have many wives. This is important to know because some of our appointed leaders currently ignore the laws and commands of God. They selfishly neglect the needs of their people, exalt themselves, and abuse their powers. This isn’t right!
I know it is very hard to bare witness to injustice and wickedness. But always remember, the God we serve is a Mighty and Powerful one. He sees everything and judgement is for him alone! God is love and he doesn’t want us to fill our hearts with hatred, or take revenge. Instead, he want’s us to continue loving and helping each other. God says in the midst of suffering and difficulty, we should pray for strength and courage to resist the enemy. To stand firm!
1 Thessalonians 5:15 reads, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone”.
We should not pay evil for evil!
James 2:1-10 reads, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”.
Here we see The Apostle James, speaking to his followers about fairness and partiality. He says that they shouldn’t treat rich people better than poor people. He says, that if a poor person enters your assembly (church or gathering), you should treat them with respect and offer them the best place to seat because God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and to inherit “The Kingdom of God”. Keep in mind, This does not mean rich people cannot enter heaven. It only means that the poor and the needy will enter first before anyone else.
The verse above is Important to know because we witness things like this happening all the time. Alot of people give special treatment or preference to the rich and powerful. They respect, praise, and in some cases, they even worship them. This is very wrong! No human being is above another in God’s eyes. Even worse, some churches and congregations have glorified these bad behaviors because of money and power. They sit the rich and wealthy in front of the church or congregation and then seat the poor in the back. Some of them won’t even allow the poor in their churches because they see them as “the lesser of”. Some say ignorant things like ” you smell, leave”, “this is not a place for people like you”, or ” sorry, that seat is already reserved, You can stand over there”. None of this is how God’s congregation or church should operate. A real house of God, seeks to help the poor and needy regardless of background or appearance. They show no partiality!. A true house of God will most likely have emergency supplies for the poor and homeless, victims of abuse etc.
QUESTIONS!
How many churches or congregations do you know or have you known of that actually welcomes the poor and needy, treats them with respect and dignity, offers them the supplies they need and continues to work with them behind the scenes to help them facilitate a change in their lives? It’s unfortunate, but i personally haven’t come across many. As children of God, we are capable of showing immense love towards each other. Every little bit counts, so begin today! Give what you can and from your hearts.
Father God, we thank you for all your teachings today. We thank you for your endless love and support. Father, please continue to guide us through our individual paths and help us to continue loving and caring for each other. We glorify and exalt your name. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
You are all Blessed.
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