the wedding banquet, are you attending?

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The season of Lent has already started last week, I'm on the Youversion (Android) 40 days of Lent reading plan. Today I was reading Matthew 22. This is the second time the Lord brought me to this passage since last week. Matthew 22 is about the wedding banquet. Matt 22:1-3, Jesus said."...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 come but they refused to come."

It really convicted me about where I put my time and resources. Luke 12:34 says,"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few...where am I when the Lord needs me? Am I investing my time and money in the Lord's kingdom or on things on this earth that really doesn't matter to God? How many people out there are still living in darkness? Are we inviting them to the house of the Lord? Or are we also like one of the invited guests who are just too busy to care about the kingdom of God. Busy with our family, busy with kids, busy with building our houses, busy with career or work?

Matt 22:1-14 says " Many are invited, but few are chosen." Even the man who came to the wedding banquet but was not clothed in wedding clothes were thrown outside "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (v13). All our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), the only way to be saved is through the Lord's righteousness.

It really spoke to me about not taking our salvation for granted. Many are believers of Christ but few are followers of God. Do not allow the things of this world to consume me but to follow after the things of God.

The Lord has prepared a big celebration at the wedding banquet, all are invited, are you going?

^{John 12:25-26,"} Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."

glorious departure

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The glorious departure of Elijah really spoke to my heart. In 2 Kings 2, he went to heaven in a whirlwind with chariots and horsemen. Isn't that an awesome sight? As compared to King Ahaziah, who was unfaithful to God and worshiped the god of Baal, he had a miserable death, as prophesied by Elijah in 2 Kings 1. Even on his death bed, King Ahaziah did not repent to God, his heart was hardened.

In Elijah's case, he did not even die, he was taken to heaven in a glorious way. Elijah's life was a true inspiration of obedience and faithfulness to God, we see miracles and powerful manifestation of God's presence in his life. We see the wrath of God towards those like King Ahaziah, who was disobedient to him yet we see how gentle and loving God is towards Elijah.

As believers of Jesus Christ, we will have a glorious departure from this earth. Jesus Christ our Savior is the way to God.

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

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faith: Gideon

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Have you ever been overwhelmed by impossible or difficult tasks?

The Lord brought me to Judges 7 about Gideon and the Midianites. The Lord tested Gideon's faith by asking him to send his soldiers away. From 32 000 men, the Lord asked Gideon to reduce to just 300 men. With mere 300 men, Gideon fought the Midianites, one group numbering at 135 000men and there were altogether three groups of them. The only weapons Gideon and the men had were a trumpet and a lamp in a pitcher. Isn't it amazing how they defeated their enemies with so little resources?

It was such an overwhelming task for Gideon and his men but they trusted the Lord and obeyed him. And they won the battle. Is there something that the Lord has impressed upon your heart to accomplish but it seems impossible to you? Trust in the Lord to do what seems impossible to man but possible for God.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."


When we see the Lord's power at work in these difficult situations, our faith will rise and others will also see the Glory of God.

treasure of our hearts

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Matt 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."


This verse "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" has been speaking to me a lot.  What is the treasure that God is speaking about? A question was posed to us during sermon last week, what is the thing that always occupies your mind? What are the things that always dominates your prayer time? Is it career, my hobby, my children, my family, money matters, health, relationships? Those are the things that may be the idols of our hearts. 


Children are a blessing but when they become the center of our lives, they become the treasure of our hearts and we will become a slave to them. We want to see them successful and healthy, we give them a good education, we want to send them to the best schools, we want them to be our pride and joy. We forgot that our job as a care giver is to provide love and to teach them the word of God. God will teach them and guide them. We do not own our children. They belong to God. 
Isaiah 54:13 "All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace."


How about our emotional security, our popularity, our marriage, our health, our career? Are we affected by how people see us? Do we demand that God heal us? Do we always try to project a good image of ourselves? Where do we put out emotional security? Do we desire material things like a nice car, nice home, nice clothes so that the world can see us as successful? Do we desire popularity among our friends? 


As I examine the lives of David and Soloman, they are man after God's own heart, they are not perfect but their hearts are with God, they seek the Lord always in all that they do. God gave David success. God gave Soloman wisdom beyond measure. They were richly blessed by God because of their obedience. They do not seek after wisdom or success, they seek after God, and God blessed them. 

"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..."
Commit our lives to the things of God, things that matter to God, things that are eternal. Give our money to the missions, help the poor, bring the gospel to the people around us, lead lives that draw men unto God not ourselves. Invest our time and money on things that help to extend the kingdom of God and accomplish his purposes! 

grace and mercy

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It's interesting to read 2 Samuel 9. I was truly inspired by how David show grace to King Saul's family, even though King Saul wanted to kill him. He did not allow resentment and bitterness to build up within him. When King Saul died, he wept for him and wanted to bless his family for the sake of the covenant he made with Jonathan, Saul's son . In 2 Samuel 9:3, he asked,"Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”  When he found out about King Saul's grandson Mephiboseth, who was lame at both feet, he "restored to him all the land that belonged to his grandfather Saul and allow him to eat at his table". Such grace! How can it be possible except through the Lord. 


And I also see the Lord's mercy upon Mephiboseth, who has lost his family and possession, and worst, the use of his feet. The Lord used David to bless him. 


Grace is to get something that you do not deserve; unmerited favor. Mercy is compassion. God is abundant in both. 


Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

If the Lord is gracious and merciful to us who are sinners, we need to show grace to others just like David. He understood the Lord's grace so he was able to extend the same grace towards others. 


Are you experiencing difficult people, or unfair treatment from people at your work place, school or even from your family? We can ask the Lord to help us to extend grace towards them.  We have freedom in Christ to love not to hate. 


Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.