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This verse speaks of bringing the redeemed into heaven to the marriage feast of the Lamb. What joy will be at that great feast! It speaks of gladness, which is undoubtedly the overflowing of the inner soul with more than just contentment or happiness: a joy that cannot be contained. There will be a vocal rejoicing, the overflow of gladness that He gives us. Such shall be the joy within and without. Spurgeon says: “If there was joy in the bringing, what in the entering? What in the abiding?” Can you imagine being one of the residents of eternity, already seated at the great feast, watching as others gather to enter the great hall? You hear them before you see them, for they don’t come in cautiously or quietly but with gladness and rejoicing. Here is the joy of being brought into the great hall. Now they enter. You watch with deep pleasure as you see those who enter have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb and made themselves ready. Their faces are radiant with purity, and their eyes sparkle with excitement as they are brought into the presence of the King. As each one searches for His approval, they confidently take their place and sit enthralled in the light of eternity. Now for the abiding, the dwelling, and the feasting. They have entered the King’s palace, taken their seats and found a continual feast of good things: a communion with Christ, fellowship with believers, light, life and laughter abound. Theirs is to eat the Bread of heaven and to drink the crystal clear Water of life, to be satisfied to the depth of their souls. “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore.” Revelation 7:16a NKJV There will be no more problems, no more conflict, for the Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to places where they can drink more deeply, where living fountains of water flow eternally. “For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.” Revelation 7:17a NKJV Until that day dawns, we press on. We may not yet see the redeemed being brought into the King’s palace, but we can see the unsaved, the unclean, and the distressed being brought into the church. Whether they come in their ones or twos or droves, let us lead them to the One who is the source of Life, who draws, who leads and who redeems. That we might see and hear our Lord say: “Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him.” Isaiah 56:8 NKJV
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It’s not nice when people plot against you. Whether you have experienced this in the natural or the spiritual, it is still a horrible feeling and one we could all do without.
Our Lord Jesus was far more sensitive to the spiritual world than any of us. He must have picked up the atmosphere of those who plotted against Him. There must have been a gathering sense of darkness around Him, an oppression we would scarcely understand. He faced the darkness alone; but for us, well, we will always have the preciousness of the presence and safety of Christ around us. We read: He is our refuge. (Psalm 46:1) Our tower of strength. (Proverbs 18:10) Our hiding place. (Psalm 32:7) How precious is His presence! How wonderful to feel His nearness amid the plotting. And a special verse received only today from a faithful friend: “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.” Psalm 91:4a How exquisite to find Christ on our side. We will never face what He faced. He looked for someone to take pity on Him, and there was no one. But we will always have someone: we will always have Christ. We will always have the voices and love of those who follow hard after the Master. “And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:17 NLT I was once at a wedding and saw someone very casually dressed. This didn’t bother me in the slightest, but it did annoy some of my friends, who thought the person should have made more of an effort.
However, imagine turning up to the wedding of the Lamb unsuitably dressed: your garments stained with sin, stinking of filth and muck. How offensive, especially when garments had been provided for you by the Host. Recently, a Nigerian baby was dedicated at church. The Nigerian family kindly provided several of us with gorgeous African robes to wear, and we all put them on for the occasion. They were very comfortable, and I loved wearing the one given to me. But imagine if we had refused to wear them because we were self-conscious, didn’t like them, or because they made us look fat! We had been offered a gift, and we accepted graciously and willingly. Our Lord Jesus has bought us robes of righteousness and paid for them with His blood. He gave His life so that you and I could be clean. We don’t need to come into the marriage of the Lamb in rags and tatters or stained and smelly from our wrong choices. When we put on our spiritual robes of righteousness, we are renewed within and without. That is why it is so important to wear them. We need to shine on the inside, too. And when we shine, we are glad. For righteousness makes the soul happy “For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4 NKJV Wouldn’t it be a shame if we did not avail ourselves of the righteous garments the Lord has provided for us and rejoice in the work of Calvary? We have an opportunity to be glad. Let us use it to the full. Then, when the King meets His guests, He will be delighted with our righteousness within and our apparel without. You have received an invitation from the King of Kings to a fantastic banquet. And best of all, it's free of charge! Transport is laid on for you, and you won’t even need to worry about how to get there. Someone will come and collect you when it is your time to go. When you arrive, you will be given brand-new clothes made of the best pure white linen. You will receive a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except you. Perhaps it will be placed where you are to sit at your table. You will meet the most amazing people. People that are renowned all over the world for their fame. Not only will you meet them, you will sit with them at the same banquet.
Now, only a fool would refuse such an offer! This invitation is extended to ‘many Gentiles from all over the world’ and I’m guessing that includes you, the reader of this text. You might be sitting near Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. Can you imagine the questions you might want to ask? Or you might hear them recounting some fascinating old story. Best of all, you will be in the presence of Jesus. The One who is called the King of Kings. The Bible tells us: “Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.” Luke 12:37b NKJV. Now, this is mind-blowing! How can it be that He who died for us on the Cross will send for us to attend the finest banquet ever, provide transport free of charge and will Himself serve us? And to top it all, He calls us blessed! “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.” Luke 12:37a, 38 NKJV Even if it is the twentieth watch, let us wait and watch. One day, we will be granted entrance into the King’s palace and participate in the most exquisite banquet of all time and eternity. The builders were the Jews who rejected Christ by crucifying Him on the Cross. Christ, the man who only ministered for three years, who never wrote a book and yet who said: “The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will.” Matthew 24:35 CEV.
What an incredible statement to make, that now the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone of our faith. The Spirit is moving all over the world, and this is thoroughly demonstrated through social media. The gospel is preached in every country. We see social media posts repeatedly of people singing praises to God in the open street, of people coming, kneeling, and confessing to Him in the open air, and of thousands gathering at events to worship. Only recently I have seen posts of Christians worshipping in Japan, kneeling in the open streets in Germany, singing and dancing in the streets in Paris, thousands of young adults in the Netherlands, hundreds gathered in London churches, thousands marching for Jesus in Dublin, thousands gathering in California, and others spreading the gospel in Belgium. And my search on social media has been limited. ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ The stone the Jews rejected is now recognised as the cornerstone of the biggest religion in the world. We are moving away from the traditional only, into the free, the happy, the saved, the forgiven, the blessed and we are part of this wonderful move of the Spirit of God across the world. ‘This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ It is indeed wonderful to see, and we should appreciate, marvel at, and ponder it in our hearts. Even in Scotland, we are seeing a new move of the Spirit. Our churches are fuller than they have ever been. Lives are being drawn to Christ and touched by the Holy Spirit. We should dance like those in Paris, kneel with those from the Netherlands, sing like those in California, and worship like those from Japan. Surely we should: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.” Exodus 15:21 NLT We know the story; the owner sent his son, and the tenant farmers saw his son coming and decided to kill him. It speaks to us that God sent His Son into the world, and the tenant farmers, who were the Jews, decided to kill Him. But what struck me today was the fact that the farmers killed him so they could get the estate for themselves.
“Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!” Matthew 21:38 NLT There are always those who are power-hungry within the church. They want to be seen, they want to be in charge, and deep down, they often think they could do a better job than the minister. It was so in the time of Jesus and is still so today. Human pride is a terrible sin. It deceives us into thinking we can do better, sing better, speak better, or interact with people better. But it is not God’s way. “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1 27-29 NLT Are you one of the foolish ones that God is raising? You feel incompetent; some people are far better than you, yet His call has fallen on your shoulders. Have confidence not in yourself but in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie.” 1 John 2:27 NLT Perhaps, as you read this today, you have talents and abilities that are not being used effectively in the church. You can even feel irritated with the incompetence of others around you and deep down you know you could do better. Why have you not been asked to do more? Why have you been left ‘on the shelf’ so to speak? Perhaps it’s because your Heavenly Father knows your motive is not right. You see, you need to come to the point where you lay down your life and become selfless in your giving. It’s not all about what you can give but about working with a team of people for the glory of God. It’s about preferring one another, recognising the anointing and wisdom that God has given to others, and offering to help them as much as you can. When we are faithful in the small things, He may trust us with the bigger issues. But until that time comes, learn to lay down your life and adopt a servant’s attitude. As we embrace humility, patience, and selflessness, we will find Christ. And that is the best of all. ‘Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.’ Romans 12:11 NIV3/2/2025 This verse emphasises the importance of maintaining enthusiasm and passion in our walk with God. The Moffat translation is: ‘Never let your zeal flag; maintain the spiritual glow; serve the Lord’.
This speaks of a constant, ongoing action, not something that occurred once in the past. Our relationship with God is to be burning intense. John the Baptist prophesied: “He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” A natural fire needs oxygen, fuel, and heat to stay alight. For our spiritual lives to remain alight, we need the breath of the Spirit, God’s word, and passionate prayer. Without these three working together, the spiritual flame in our lives cannot burn brightly. In the 1800s, the National Park Service took over care of Kings Canyon Park, California. When there was a lightning strike, the rangers worked hard to prevent the forest fires from spreading. More than 100 years later, they discovered that they had been working against the Giant Redwood trees, new trees were not springing up and growing. Giant Redwoods produce hard cones. During a fire, the cones are heated, causing them to split open and the seeds inside fall to the ground and then germinate - without fire, the next generation of Redwoods could not grow. Fire also has a purifying process in forests, it clears away all the leaves built up on the forest floor, giving space for new growth. Fire also creates a hole in the forest canopy, allowing more light and water in for the seedlings. The rangers had tried to control and manipulate the fire, and in so doing, the next generation could not flourish. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul warns us, “Do not quench the Spirit,” which means we should allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in the church. The Holy Spirit is actively at work in the world. However, if we fail to listen to the Spirit’s guidance, we risk missing the opportunity to be part of God’s work. If we allow the fire of God to fall in our own lives, the hardness will be removed and there will be a purifying. More light will flood in. The fire is necessary for growth. If we get on fire, the people around us will get on fire, our children will get on fire, and our children’s children will get on fire, they will flourish and grow - that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified! Little children are open, impressionable and vulnerable. Are we?
When we first come to Christ, we have no idea what will be expected of us or how He will change us. We must learn to accept that all things are new. When we begin asserting our thoughts and ideas, we must recognise that we are wrong because clinging to old opinions won’t help our spiritual progress. We must ask the Lord Jesus to transform our minds and show us His new way. There will be times when we genuinely don’t know the answers to problems in our lives. It is okay to say ‘I don’t know’, and wait in prayer for an answer. Sometimes new ideas or concepts trouble us because they are strange, and God’s way seems harsh. That is often because we are looking at the rules or the laws of God rather than God Himself. Focus your gaze upon Him. There is much for you to learn! God is holy and pure, yet overflowing with unparalleled kindness and compassion. When you encounter His purity and profound cleansing, it feels as though you are inhaling a breath of heaven: indescribably lovely. It resembles the release of unhappiness, darkness, and shadows, replaced instead by laughter, light, and glory. It reaches the innermost part of your spirit, completely transforming you and altering your ways of thinking, seeing, and being. It instils within you an incredible yearning for more. We begin to comprehend how holy He is and the reasons for His unwavering stance against sin. Purity is the essence of God. Holiness is the breath He exhales. We cannot change Him simply because we fail to grasp His ways. Be like a little child. When you don’t understand something, leave it alone for another day. Your Heavenly Father knows all that troubles you and will explain in time. ‘If there be first a willing mind...’ 2 Corinthians 8:12 KJB That’s all we need: a willing mind and a childlike spirit. Human nature does not like being shown the right way to live. We become indignant when one or another tells us what we are doing is wrong. The world is slowly spiralling out of control, trying to please everyone.
We pose the same questions that the prominent priests and elders posed in Jesus’ time. “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” Matthew 21:23 NLT Authority is a peculiar concept. When a police officer dons their uniform, it grants them authority. When a young person qualifies as a teacher, he or she immediately has authority in the classroom. When a minister or priest adorns their Sunday robes, they gain the authority to inform the congregation what songs to sing, to teach them from the Bible, and to officiate weddings or offer guidance. Jesus transcended all these barriers. He wore no special attire and possessed no qualifications, and yet we read: ‘When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority – quite unlike the teachers of religious law.’ Matthew 7:28,29 NLT The crowds recognised Christ’s authority was not the same as the authority shown by the religious teachers. They couldn’t analyse the difference, it would just be a feeling. Here was one who seemed to be an ordinary man who didn’t set himself apart, yet taught with an authority that made them want to listen and follow. It is the anointing that confers this authority. I recall the first time I experienced it. I had devoted many hours to prayer for a particular situation, and the difference I felt when I entered that situation the following day was astonishing. I felt as though I understood precisely what was happening, and there was a renewed confidence in my approach. It was a God-given gift. People get rankled at that kind of confidence. What they see is just an ordinary person without any special qualifications or attire, with a confidence they don’t understand. They have never known God’s anointing in that way. Instead, they rely on their intellect and understanding, and they perceive God-given confidence as arrogance. It was the same in Jesus’ day. He goes on to say to the leading priests and elders: “For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.” Matthew 21:32 NLT Which category do you fit into? Are you like the critical, leading priests or those hungry to better their lives and change? God grant that each of us may seek Him in prayer and find that wonderful God-given anointing that will make us wise as serpents and gentle as doves, with love and humility that become our robes of righteousness. We may not have the attire of the priest or minister, but we look for the Holy Spirit until we: “have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 NIV “But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Matthew 10:29 NLT12/1/2025 I can almost imagine Jesus watching the little birds bathing in the dust and dirt, flurrying about, and using their antics to bring such incredible truths to us.
Here, Jesus is telling the people about the Father: all-knowing - omniscient, all-present - omnipresent God. “All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.” John 1:3 AMPC Our omniscient, omnipresent God is present in all things. He created everything, and all existence comes from Him. “Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” Jeremiah 23:24b NLT Our God is everywhere. He is in the delicate daisy, the mighty oak, the soaring eagle, and the tiny sparrow. He knows when the little sparrow falls to the ground, for He is within the sparrow. We read on in the Gospel: “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30 NLT Our Father does not need to count the hairs on our heads, for He knows them already. He knows everything, for He is in everything. Look around you: everything you see, He is there. How can we ever feel bereft of His presence? He is in the sun that shines, the clouds that race across our skies, the blustering wind and the torrential rain. He is in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink. He is everywhere. He has gone before you and is behind you. He knows your uprising and your down-sitting. He knows when you go out and when you come home. He knows the hours you rest and the hours you work. He knows everything about you. Our Father is all-knowing and all-present. As the Psalm describes so perfectly: “O Lord, you know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” Psalm 139:1-6 NLT |