"For many are invited, but few are chosen." 

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 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.  ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.”  [Matthew 22:11-12 ]

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"For many are invited, but few are chosen." 

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 some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.  The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.  The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.  Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’  So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.  ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘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 throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The man without a wedding garment is one who professes to be ready for the kingdom but who has never been clothed in the righteousness of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Christ, he is speechless when challenged as to his right to enter the kingdom.

Wedding Banquet

 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.  Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.”  [Matthew 22:8-9]

Wedding Banquet



"...but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us" 

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 “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  [Joshua 1:5 ]

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"...but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us" 

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.  Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.  Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.  They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.  They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

 When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,  he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land.  I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

  The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.  When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

  “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

  “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Before Gideon went into battle, he desired a pledge of victory from God.



Fire flared from the rock

 “Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.”  [Judges 6:21]

The Angel of the Lord touched the meat and the bread...



"Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" 

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 “And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”  [2 Kings 6:17 ]

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"Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" 

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them"
 Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Syrians are going down there.”  So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

 This enraged the king of Syria. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

  “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”  Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

  When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

  As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

  Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

  After they entered the city, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”

  “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”  So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Syria stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
"..He who is in you is greater than be who is in the world."  1 John 4:4
In our spiritual battle with the forces of evil , we have protection and power given us by our omnipotent Ally.  Through the prayer of faith the Lord can open the eyes of our hearts to the reassuring fact that He is defending us and frustrating Satan's destructive intentions.






Chariot of Fire

 “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”  [2 Kings 2:11]

Chariot of Fire



Are you “Acquitted” or still “Condemned”? 

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 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”  [Romans 4:7-8]

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."[Romans 5:12]

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Are you “Acquitted” or still “Condemned”? 

As a result of Adam’s sin, human death entered the world. Death became the common lot of all Adam’s descendants because they had all sinned in him. It is true that they all committed individual acts of sin. Paul’s point is that Adam’s sin was a representative act, and all his posterity are reckoned as having sinned in him.

Man is condemned on three grounds: He has a sinful nature, Adam’s sin is imputed to him, and he is a sinner by practice. But his crowing guilt is his rejection of the provision which God has made for his salvation.

All those who put their faith in the Lord were saved eternally. But they died physically just the same, and the reason they died was because of the sin of their federal head, Adam.

There is another important contrast between Adam’s sin and Christ’s gift. The one offence of Adam brought inevitable judgment, and the verdict was “Condemned.”

The free gift of Christ, on the other hand, dealt effectively with many offenses, not just one, and resulted in the verdict “Acquitted.”

Every person born in this world will hear a verdict.  Are you “Acquitted” or still “Condemned”?






FREE GIFT

 “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”  [Romans 5:17]

Free Gift



Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

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 “Unless the LORD builds the house,
   the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the guards stand watch in vain.”  [Psalm 127:1]

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Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  “No,” they answered.
 The Lord Jesus met them by the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee). Seven of the disciples were together at the time--Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John(the sons of Zebedee) and two others whose names we do not know.
Simon Peter decided to go fishing on the lake, and the others agreed to go with him.  This seemed to be most natural decision. That night they caught nothing. They were not the first fishermen to spend night fishing without success! They illustrate the uselessness of human efforts apart from divine help, especially in the matter of fishing of souls.
Jesus was waiting for them as they rowed toward the shore in the morning, although they did not recognize Him. Perhaps it was still quite dark, or perhaps they were prevented from knowing Him by God's power.
It is the same as if the Lord asked, "Young men, have you anything to eat?" Disappointedly they answered Him,"No."
As far as they knew, He was just as stranger, walking along the shore. Yet, in response to His advice, they cast the net on the right side of the boat, and lo and behold! A great load of fish. So many that they could not pull in the net! This shows that the Lord Jesus had perfect knowledge as to the location of the fish in the lake. It also teaches us that when the Lord directs our service, there are no more empty nets. He knows where there are souls ready to be saved, and He is willing to direct us to them--if we well let Him.



Miraculous catch of fish

 “He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  [John 21:6]

Miraculous catch of fish



 

"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven"

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 “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home.”  [Matthew 9:4-7]

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"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven"

Four men came to Him, carrying a paralytic on a crude bed or mat. Because of the crowd, they had to tear up the roof and lower the man into Jesus presence. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."
When some of the scribes heard Jesus declare the man's sins forgiven, they accused Him of blasphemy within themselves. After all, only God can forgive sins, and they were certainly not about to receive Him as God!
The Lord Jesus read their thoughts, rebuked them for the evil in their hearts of unbelief, and then asked them whether it was easier to say. "Your sins are forgiven you." or to say, "Arise and walk."
Actually it's as easy to say one or the other, but which is easier to do? Both are humanly impossible, but the results of the first command are not visible whereas the effects of the second are immediately discernible.
In order to show the scribes that He had authority on earth to forgive sins, Jesus condescended to give them a miracle they could see.  Turning to the paralytic, He said, "Arise take up your bed and go to your house."
When the multitudes saw him walking home with his pallet, they registered two emotions-- fear and wonder. They were afraid in the presence of an obviously supernatural visitation. They glorified God for giving such power to men.
But they completely missed the significance of the miracle. The visible healing of the paralytic was designed to confirm that the man's sins had been forgiven, an invisible miracle. From this they should have realized that what they had witnessed was not a demonstration of God giving authority to men but of God's presence among them in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But they didn't understand.
As for the scribes, we know from later events that they only became more hardened in their unbelief and hatred.
Do you believe Jesus Christ as the God who came into this world to die for your sins?



Paralyzed man healed

 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  [Matthew 9:2]

Paralyzed man healed




...But I come to you in the name of the LORD

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 “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”  [1 Samuel 17:37]

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...But I come to you in the name of the LORD

The Philistines assembled their troops for war at Socoh of Judah.  Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the Elah Valley, where they got organized to fight the Philistines.  The Philistines took positions on one hill while Israel took positions on the opposite hill. There was a valley between them. 

A champion named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp. He was more than nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore bronze scale-armor weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds.  His spear shaft was as strong, and its iron head weighed fifteen pounds.

He stopped and shouted to the Israelite troops, “Why have you come and taken up battle formations? I am the Philistine champion, and you are Saul’s servants. Isn’t that right? Select one of your men, and let him come down against me.  If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves, but if I overcome him and kill him, then you will become our slaves and you will serve us.  I insult Israel’s troops today!” the Philistine continued, “Give me an opponent, and we’ll fight!”  When Saul and all Israel heard what the Philistine said, they were distressed and terrified.

“Don’t let anyone lose courage because of this Philistine!” David told Saul. “I, your servant, will go out and fight him!”

“The LORD, ” David added, “who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.”

“Go!” Saul replied to David. “And may the LORD be with you!”

The Philistine got up and moved closer to attack David, and David ran quickly to the front line to face him.  David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone. He slung it, and it hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell face-down on the ground.  And that’s how David triumphed over the Philistine with just a sling and a stone, striking the Philistine down and killing him—and David didn’t even have a sword!  Then David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, drew it from its sheath, and finished him off. Then David cut off the Philistine’s head with the sword.

David had no trace of fear as he responded to the giant's curses. He had complete faith that the Lord would give him the victory.


David Kills Goliath

 “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”  [1 Samuel 17:50]

David and Goliath