Get dressed for the banquet!

Good day, I hope this finds you blessed. 

I often wonder, as a believer in the death and resurection of Jesus Christ, how many of us actually adopt that new identity that  we now proclaim? How many of us take off those grave clothes and replace them with the new glorious robe, ring, and sandals?  How many proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord but still live according to the world with its chaos and confusion?

I am not sure that this post will sit well with everyone, you have the religous and then you have the believers. This post will most likely be for the believers and probably will not be anything new, but still, it has been brought to my attention, placed on my heart to talk aboout this. 

I encourage you to read and soak in Luke 15:11-31. For this discussion let's focus on verses 20-22.  The young man, who was beat down, oppressed, and depressed decided that he had messed up, that he could no longer go it alone "so he got up and went to his father. Is there anyone reading this that is beat down, oppressed, just at the end of the rope? Are you tired and troubled beyond your limits?  If so, know this, you have a father on your side. I am not speaking of an earthly father, but rather the creator of all things, who has the power to transform our lives, run to him, seek him. Now back to the verse(s)   "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick! bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine who was dead, is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. I think this is beyond beautiful, makes me shout for joy.  So what are you dressed in? is it the grave clothes of this world? fear, pride, anger, unforgiveness? or have you put your knew clothes on, love, peace, joy, self control, patience.... 

Notice verse (22) I can't even get my thoughts together at the moment, this is beyond amazing. He took the dirty grave clothes  from the son and replaced them with new, spotless, glorious new clothing. He clothed him with salvation. Now apply this to your life, my life. Do we still have our grave clothes on?  He did not leave the son wearing the same old filthy grave clothes. Are we still thinking in patterns of death, destruction, chaos, and confusion, or have we put salvation, the new man, have we changed our minds or no?  Honey, take them old grave clothes off, change your mind and put on the new glorious clothes and get dressed for a banquet. Get ready to eat at the table set for you, in front of your enemies. Get ready to feast on the goodness of God. 

Now let's look Matthew 22, soak it in. Not sure where to start with this one but I will give it a shot. Verse 1 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent more servants and said "Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner....But they paid no attention and went off about their daily lives, in their grave clothes, concerned and consumed with worldly things..... Verse 8 The wedding banquet is ready but those I invited were not worthy (they never got dressed for the banquet, the never sought their new identity.) Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage banquet. So the servants went and gathered all they could find, both good and bad and the  wedding was furnised with guest.  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which did not have on a wedding garmet: and he said to him, Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes? The man was speechless.  Then the king told the attendants, "Tie him, hand and foot, and through him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  I don't know about you but I do not want to be the one not dressed, not prepared for the banquet. I do not want to be left outside, in the darkness. 

If I have anything to say about this, it would be this, don't miss the invitation, don't be so caught up with worldly things that you  miss salvation. Trade those grave clothes for the new robe, ring and sandals. Surrender, it all. 

I pray that if this was someone that it find them and encourage them.  Either way, it blessed me and hopefully you. Much love.