It IS Strange

It IS Strange 

by David Brenneman 

In Matthew 22, Jesus tells the parable of the Marriage Feast. It's a forshadowing of the Invitation to all to come to Christ to be saved and to be with Him forever.  The Invitation is for all, regardless of race, regardless of color, regardless of anything.  Yet look at what the response is from most people.

Verse 3-5 (NASB) "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.  Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no attention and went on their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest siezed his slaves and mistreated them and killed them."

It's strange and yet not so strange.  What you value you make the time for.  When you indeed choose to make time for God, He's ready to be there to make time to be with you.  Do you push Him away?

In Exodus 33:11a NASB "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to a friend."  

We read in the Gospels that in that moment of the event of the Transfiguration, Moses was one of those speaking with Jesus.  Again, face-to-face. 

It's strange how we choose to either value our time or waste it either knowingly or unknowingly...or we are wreckless about it, not considering the days.

Bad habits are to be replaced, not just removed.  Because eventually you will go back to them again because of familiarity.  I've replaced aimless television watching with instructionals.   There's value to spending time wisely.   You want to do something you should first learn how to do it.  In Godly living you need to ask God what it is that He considers Godly, then pursue it. 

We waste so much time in our culture yet at the same time complain that there's not enough time to do things, to get things done.

We listen to the world as to what is supposed to be of value.  The craze is to look for 'influencers'.  The ONLY Influencer that I want in my life is the Spirit of God.

I added additional Bible reading to my day and it's been a wonderful thing to do.  

Choosing to spend more time with God tends to improve the relationship WITH God.  Funny how that works.

I have 3 journals that I write in.  1 is my daily, 1 is my ideas to build or do and the last is my things found in the Bible as I find them.  

It's funny how people think about giving at church yet they have to issues with spending money on self for take-out or a restaurant right after church.

It's funny how people indeed, as the picture shows, will spend 2 to 6 hours at sports events or concerts, yet complain about spending an hour or so with others worshipping God.

It's funny how people think they don't have the time to spend reading, yet they find the time to spend on other frivolous things that do not do anything for them in the long run.

It's funny how people think they can't live with out this or that, yet for thousands of years those things didn't exist and people got along just fine.

It's funny how...this can go on forever...because the mind of man drifts that much!

The truth is it's not funny at all.  The decision to come to Christ, that Invitation that is written about is NOT some thing that is easily tossed aside.

There's no other choice you will ever make that will CERTAINLY impact your future life after you die as much as THAT one.

It's funny how people wil dodge that question because they are afraid of what it might mean.  

Afraid of what it could do to their lives when in all truth and honesty, they DO NOT KNOW.

It's the unknown that they fear more than fearing spending eternity in painful torment rather than the insignificance of the few years they have in this physical world.

Good deeds are done by countless billions in Hell.  Consider that one for a moment.  By some...ALL THEIR EARTHLY LIVES.  Think on THAT one.

Yes, people who, by all worldly standards were pillars of the community in which they lived!  People who gave all the appearances of loving others and themselves!  People who spent their fortunes on the less fortunate!  People who gave of themselves above and beyond!  Are in painful torment in Hell.

Why?  Because they ignored and refused the Great Invitation from God to come to Christ and be saved.

They indeed wasted everything they ever did because they said no.  

YOU, my Dear Reader, have a choice before you that they did.

YOU, my Dear Reader, can make a choice that will impact your eternity.

YOU, my Dear Reader, have Jesus right outside the door of your heart, gently knocking, asking you to let Him in.  That's YOUR Invitation...it ONLY exists while you are breathing.  

You have nothing to fear about the future after you choose to receive the free gift of Salvation in Christ Jesus alone.  Nothing!  As Jesus said to others He says to you...what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit your soul?   God has SO many good things in store for those who decide to come to Him and be saved.  The Bible says that eye has not seen nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man all that the Lord has prepared for them.

He's PREPARED for you.  Did you realize that?  Did you know that?

Jesus is ready for you.  Every single thing that you think is right or even wrong in your life, He's prepared for it!

It's strange how we often drift from thinking about such things...why?  It's proof of our sin nature.  It's proof from within that we need that free gift to set us free from sin.  Our sin nature wants nothing to do with that free gift from Jesus.  It's GOING to try to talk you out of it because IT wants to stay on the throne of your heart.  It doesn't want that eviction notice from on high.

It's strange how your mind has probably been distracted all the while reading this.  

Jesus is at the door of your heart gently knocking...and waiting...don't let it be strange.  Don't let it be that the day comes when you no longer hear that knocking because Jesus came and the invitation is withdrawn.  Salvation will indeed come to those during the Great Tribulation that's coming...but woe to those who are saved in those days, to those who came to Christ AFTER Jesus returned.  You thought the last few years were difficult...it's nothing in comparison.

Don't let it be strange...find the new normal in Jesus that's just on the other side of you saying "Come in!"