Come to the table

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah 55:1-2 KJV

All my adult life, I've gone to churches that have some pretty active services, to say the least. We clap, shout, raise our hands to the Lord, and testify. In some services we ahve people running around the church. All this in praise to God. Nothing wrong with that. Would you rather be in a service where things are all laid out and orderly? Nothing wrong with that either.

I have been in services where people have been all active around me, praising God, shouting, hugging each other, and I am not feeling a thing. I am going through some struggle and nobody knows. I'm not doing anything about it either. The next service the song leader gets up and says "I'm still feasting from the last service." I left starving, but it was my own fault. I didn't feast, but I also didn't come to the table.

As the scripture states all God offers for us to feast on is free. All we have to do is come and dine. God has a big buffet table of blessings laid out for us to enjoy. It's all free.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.Psalm 23:5 KJV

A cloud of witnesses

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

I have been thinking about those who have gone on before us. This is something brought on by the passing of our dear friend, Suzanne Horne. I believe from email contact and some things she wrote on her blog that she is in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that I will see her some day.

I also believe that, according to the preceding scripture, that she is part of that cloud of witnesses the writer of Hebrews mentions in the scripture I put above.

There's a southern gospel song that says, "I've got more to go to Heaven for than I have yesterday." In the past several years I've lost many people-family, friends, and a former pastor. If the Lord doesn't come soon, I will lose more. those who have given their hearts to Christ will be among the cloud of witnesses. That cloud will also include, Abraham, Moses, and all the other saints mentioned in the preceeding chapter, Hebrews 11.

With that kind of audience, we need serve the Lord with all our beiong.