The Sabbath is a very unique day in the universe. It was created to bring healing, joy and happiness into our lives. It was a day in which we could focus our attention on Jesus. He is to be our most precious Friend that day.
However, how do we show our “friendship” with Jesus? Since about the 3rd Century, as the Catholic churches became the “norm” and multiplied throughout the Christian communities, “friendship” with Jesus was relegated to sitting in church and the amount of money you gave to it. But that is not friendship with Jesus. Jesus detests that. “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:8. Jesus gave example after example of what friendship with Him meant. The “Good Samaritan” was one of the best. Friendship with Jesus was doing good to the worthy poor, blessing those deserving of need.
To be “Christlike”! Christ gave up all Heaven and His “body” to walk among His created beings as one of us. He served those willing to humble themselves as He humbled Himself. That is friendship with Jesus. To be in oneness with Him.
Bringing blessings! For many who claim to be Christian, they are always looking at the negative. “You can’t do this.” “You can’t do that.” “This isn’t right.” “That isn’t right”. And on and on it goes. Instead of bringing blessings, they bring pain. But Jesus didn’t look at the negatives and the “I can’t”, but the positive, “I can” through the power of God. It isn’t about “me”, but about “Him”. Not what I can do, but what He can do. Many are always looking for reasons why they can’t do something for God, such as “I can’t be perfect”. I just look at what God said to do and go do it. As I step out, the path opens up and what once looked impossible is now possible with Jesus. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.
Luke 14:1 to Luke 14:35
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
Yes He was! Church hates Jesus. Church has set itself up as “the way to heaven” and how dare anyone say otherwise. The churches are carefully watching to see if you are living in obedience to their rules and regulations. I often hear Christians talk about how they have to “hide” so the authorities won’t be able to find them during the “time of trouble”. Jesus didn’t command us to go hide. He taught us to go public with the good news. We are to follow the example of Jesus. He “went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee”. We need to stop being afraid and start being bold for Jesus.
There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
That is all church leaders are interested in, “is it lawful”. Jesus didn’t care about what was “lawful” to the church, He only cared what was “lawful” to His Father. I would assume the Pharisees plotted to trap Jesus. Otherwise, they would never have allowed the suffering man in to eat with them. Caring about those deserving of need is the only “law” in His Father’s kingdom. Everything else is lawlessness. Everything in the Ten Commandments has to do with caring about others and not ourselves.
Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”
There it is! Do you want to be a friend of Jesus? Go pull someone out of the well of sin. You may get your clothes dirty, but what is that compared to eternal life? It may make you late to your appointment, but what is that compared to eternal life? Maybe you thought you needed a big crowd to speak to, or to hold services. No, just pull out of the pit that one person next to you who is in the well of sin, and point Him to Jesus.
And they had nothing to say.
That is right, they will have “nothing to say” if you are doing good. But if you are moping about because you can’t do what you want to do, you are not a friend of Jesus. Go do what He has commanded, not what you want to do.
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:
Way too much of that is going on in our churches. The “pecking order” in our churches is not of God. Jesus took upon Himself the duties of a servant. I have not found one “leader” of a church who is a servant. I’m not talking about the “put-on” servant for show, you know, the kind that passes the offering plate, helps old ladies to their seats in the church. That is showmanship. Leave the church and live the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life.
“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I suppose, in our modern world, we have solved that problem by putting “name tags” where people are to sit. That solves a lot of problems. However, it doesn’t solve the problem in a heart of pride. Prideful hearts are always looking for the places of honor.
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
People do look at the cost of things. When it comes to giving, people look to see how little they can give and still look good to God and/or get their tax deduction, or, how soon they can recoup their “loss”.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
I really don’t think most people believe in the “resurrection of the righteous”. If they did, their lives would reveal it. No, we are way too busy inviting people of importance over hoping that in return they will invite us over. Our lives are full of self, pride and arrogance. Inviting the homeless into our homes is beyond our understanding today. I guess that is why there will not be many in the “resurrection of the righteous”.
I would like to share about Joe. When I learned that Joe would be a homeless veteran, the Spirit of God instructed me to invite him in. Joe, who lived in Texas, was 87 at the time. I was panicking. Could I take care of him? What problems would he bring? But God said to bring him, so I invited him. He came. Now at 92, I am so thankful I invited and built a little bungalow for him. Through my illness he has been a tremendous blessing. Not only that, but his Social Security and disability from the Veterans administration has provided one-third of the ministry’s funding. In other words, this ministry would be hard pressed without him. I look back in amazement at how God provided for the future of the ministry. In return for his help, his health has improved to where he now has the health of a 50 year old. His mind is sharper and his eyesight has improved to where he can read again. When we help others, we ourselves are helped.
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Yes! They will be blessed. Why? Because they blessed the poor. They were willing to eat with the poor. They supplied the worthy poor with food. We are not talking about organizations who take 90% of your donations for their salaries, homes, cars and retirement. No, we are talking about individuals giving to another worthy individual and sharing what they have, personally. I thank those who give to this little ministry so we can give to those who are “poor in spirit” in the knowledge of God. We would not be able to bring as many to Jesus without your support. “Supply the needs of the saints. Extend hospitality to strangers.” Romans 12:13.
Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
In our physical world today, not many would refuse such an invitation. However, Jesus is describing what is taking place right now in the spiritual world. He is preparing a great banquet for the righteous. He has sent us, His servants, to invite those who claim to be Christians to “Come, for everything is now ready”.
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
When I have invited young men to make this ministry their life, they all made excuses. For most, it was “I must go and see” women, drugs and money. Many are involved in their “field of work”; no time for living the Christian life. And, of course, they either went back to prison or remained in prison.
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Many are so involved with their work, cars, airplanes, jet skis, motorcycles and other toys, they have no time to live the Christian life.
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
As blessed as marriage is, when entered into for the wrong reasons, it will keep you out of the “great banquet” Jesus is preparing. Everything we do must be done for the purpose of living the Christian life of servitude. Many inmates sit in a cell fantasizing about “getting” the right girl, car, house, job and so forth. They just don’t get it, it is all fantasy. They are so busy fantasizing they are not preparing themselves to handle the duties and responsibilities of marriage, family and society.
“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
Since the educated, church leaders, professors, wealthy and honored of society were not willing to accept the invitation, Jesus became angry. I don’t blame Him. After all the preparation He went through to put on a wonderful banquet and then to be rejected, He had the right to become angry. The banquet cost Him His life. The work in preparing for the banquet was painful and sacrificial. Then to be repulsed by the prideful, the arrogant, and the selfish was too much for Him.
We, His servants, have been ordered to go into the streets, alleys, prisons, jail cells and other despicable places, by human standards, and invite those rejected by society to partake of the richest banquet in all the universe.
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
There is always room for one more at the banquet Jesus is preparing. No one will be turned away. Those not there will be absent due to their own desires and wishes. “Room” is not the problem in God’s kingdom. “Will” and “desire” is the problem. Most desire this world and “will” not to be in God’s kingdom.
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
So yes, not only have I been going to prisons, jails and the streets, but this ministry has now been going onto the internet to invite people to the banquet. Not many are interested. The world holds way too much power over people. Even those who are going to church will not sit down at the banquet. Church is far too powerful, and church members are not willing to break away from the brainwashing of their church.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
Large crowds are “following” Jesus today. Oh yes, they shout His name, dance in the isles, sway their arms about, bow down before an altar or cross, read all about Him and memorize what He says, but few are becoming like Jesus. It is all a show. But the heart has not been changed.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
We are to love unto death. But we are never to let our love come between Jesus and our eternal life. We are to love family and friends and even strangers, but never are we to let them come between God and our obligations to Him. We are to serve all. The question is, do you serve your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters? Many inmates claim to love their families and especially their children. But when they are on the streets, they are never at home or holding down a legitimate job to support their families. No, they are out acting like children, buying and selling drugs or getting involved in criminal activity. Not much love there for their families. Only selfishness! “Such a person cannot be my disciple.”
And the same is true with those who have not been to prison—yet. They are wrapped up in work, money, hobbies and social gatherings and are not serving father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters.
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“Cannot be My disciple”! We don’t live in a world of absolutes anymore. We have been taught since childhood that everything is “relative”. It is up to each individual to decide what is “right”. No one has the right to tell anyone else what is right or wrong. If you believe you are a women, than, even if you were born a man, you are now a woman. Well, I hate to break it to all of you born after 1960, there is a right and a wrong. There are absolutes! If you are not living as Jesus commands, you are not His disciple. And yes, there are only two genders: male and female.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
I understand that perfectly. I was in the process of building a gym and indoor pool. I’m having to skimp and save every penny in order to have enough money to complete it and pay off the debt. Because of my illness, walking, standing and moving are very difficult. The aqua therapy has been powerful in my healing and “recovery”. I thank all of you who are helping this ministry to pay off the ministry’s debt so God will not be ridiculed.
The same in our spiritual lives. Do you have enough courage, backbone, stamina, desire and love for Jesus to finish the race? Few will finish. Most start out full of enthusiasm, but sputter out and get sidetracked by the things of this world. As I am sacrificing to expand out for my health, so in my spiritual life. I must sacrifice for my eternal salvation.
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Sit down, right now, and consider whether you are able to withstand the judgments of God coming against you as a sinner. If not, you need to make terms of peace with Jesus while He is still a long way off. Days of peacemaking are coming to a close. He is getting closer and closer. You must give up everything of this world in order to make peace with Jesus. This world and everything in it is at war with Jesus. Cleanse your heart, your home, your work place, your thinking and every aspect of your life before it is too late, and peace can no longer be achieved. Many have been hoarding funds in 401K and other savings. But now, it is being eradicated by inflation. How much better if it had been put to work for Jesus. Trust God and support His work before it is too late.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
Will you be thrown out? Salt stings in a wound in order to heal it. Have you been “salt” to those around you? Have you lost your saltiness? Salt also makes food taste better. Do you make the lives of those around you better?
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”