Hi everyone,

In a few weeks we will enter the yearly "banqueting season." From Thanksgiving to Christmas most businesses, schools, churches and other organizations will host banquets to thank their employees and volunteers. People dress up. Some try to wrangle invitations to what are considered prestigious banquets. It' s a big deal! Sometimes the natural�what we can see with our physical eyes, reflects the spiritual�those things we can only see with spiritual eyes. I believe that what we are seeing in the natural is reflecting something the Lord is doing by His Spirit. I believe we are approaching "A Banqueting Season" in the house of God.

Luke 14 and Matthew 22 tell the same story of a King who sends out invitations to a great banquet he is hosting. Back then two invitations were usually sent. One was to invite people to RSVP. A second invitation went out once the guest list was confirmed and preparations were ready. In this parable, the first invitations were responded to. But when the second invitation had been sent, acquaintances of the host responded with flimsy excuses for not coming. The King grows angry and decides to invite people who normally didn�t get invited. He sends servants to invite the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. But he discovers there is still room in the banqueting hall. So he sends his servants to gather the homeless. The bible says the invitations went out simply because the King wants his house to be full. The characters in the parable represent Jesus as the servant, the king is God the Father, the servants are God' s agents�His people. The people invited represent people who accept or reject God' s invitation to come to him.

In one sense we have been in a banqueting season for over 2000 years as we wait for the wedding banquet of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). I have been sensing an urgency in my spirit to take my place with the servants sent out to bring in those the King is inviting to His coming banquet. In a similar pattern, I have felt to go to those who have already been associated with the King' s household�those who say they are part of the local church but rarely participate or even attend when God' s people gather. Some may return to church. Some may decline due to the same, lame excuses. But it' s still right to invite them. Increasingly I find myself looking for those who are spiritually or physically poor, crippled, blind, lame or homeless so I can give them a sincere invitation to come to God, our King through His son, Jesus and to be a part of the people of God�His bride, the church.  

Our church is planning parties and sending out invitations. We' re inviting International Students in our area to a Welcome To America party on August 23rd @ 5:30 pm in the home of Kevin & Nancy Heikkila. And we�re planning a Party In The Park on August 30th at Old Post Road Park from 5:00 pm � 8:00 pm around pavilion #7. I am asking members of FOC to utilize these events, and others to invite friends who have wondered off from fellowship as well as those who may feel unworthy of an invitation. God loves people. Let' s be good servants and invite those God puts on our hearts so that His house might be full. See you at the party!

Yours for our King and His kingdom,
E. Wayne Drain

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him-but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."
I Cor. 2:9-10

posted august 2009