THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING CLOTHES

BACKGROUND
In this parable, the King’s son is to be married and the king is planning the wedding celebration. He had invited the obvious people, the great men of his kingdom, the people one would expect to be at such an occasion, but they had treated his invitation with contempt. They have proved unworthy of it. But the King cannot cancel the banquet. This is his son’s wedding; it must be celebrated; there must be guests to fill the banqueting hall. Where can worthy guests be found, guests who will not spurn but be glad to be there and really share the joy of the occasion with the King? Who will prove worthy to be a guest at the wedding banquet?

NOTE ON THE TEXT

PART 1: THE SPECIAL INVITED GUEST REFUSE TO COME (MATT. 22:1-3; REV. 21:2, 9)

UPDATE: 21 wounded as bomb rips through Jerusalem bus; We’ll settle the score with these terrorists says - Netanyahu

The rported bomb blast ripped through a bus in Jerusalem on Monday and sparked a fire, wounding at least 21 people, Israeli police said, in an apparent escalation in a wave of violence. Earlier, Israeli rescue service says a bus has exploded in the heart of Jerusalem, wounding at least 10

Details were still emerging, but police said a bomb had exploded on one bus in a relatively isolated area of Jerusalem, sparking a fire that spread to another one as well as a car.

Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet referred to the explosion as a “terror attack”.

The bombing was expected to lead to a sharp increase in security ahead of Jewish Passover celebrations beginning Friday night.

Breaking: Explosion in the heart of Jerusalem wounds 10

Israeli rescue service says a bus has exploded in the heart of Jerusalem, wounding at least 10.

Monday's blast comes amid a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis, mostly stabbings, and immediately raises fears of a return to the regular suicide attacks that ravaged Israeli cities a decade ago.

Images show fire and large plumes of smoke billowing from the back of the bus.

Salvation from Coca-cola and Fanta, By Femi Aribisala

At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and cried out, saying: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-39). However, no one seemed to be interested in what Jesus was offering. No one asked him for a drink of this so-called living water.

Unwanted water

“Clarus, which water was he talking about?” “He said living water.” “What kind of water is that?” “Frankly, Gringory, I don’t know.” “Is it as good as Coca-cola?” “Actually, I think he was talking about spiritual water.” “What do you do with spiritual water? Can you serve it to your friends at a party?” “I doubt it.” “I don’t think Jerusalem is ready for that kind of water. Of what consequence is living water when what you want is Coca-Cola?”

God says: “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns- broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13).

According to Jesus, there are two types of water: natural water and living water. Of the two, the prescribed choice is living water. Jesus says: “Everyone who drinks of (natural) water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14). What precisely is Jesus’ living water? It is the Holy Spirit.

Hard choices

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 30 - "CARE FOR THE BRETHREN" - PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL  FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 30 - "CARE FOR THE BRETHREN" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE: Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

 READ: ROMANS 15:25-27

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

MESSAGE

Apostle Paul in the Bible reading for today, teaches us one missing ingredient of true discipleship in today’s contemporary Church; which is the ministry of care. Despite the great anointing with which Apostle Paul was ministering to both Jews and Gentiles, it is amazing to read that the ministry of care was not absent from his vocation as a preacher of the gospel. It is also interesting to note that the lives of the early apostles of Jesus Christ were not only in alignment with the teachings of Jesus Christ but were also in alignment with their own teachings. Jesus Christ taught that his followers should be hospitable, kind hearted and generous. He said to us in Matthew 10:42 that:

HOSANNA, THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY: ANY SIGNIFICANCE? - Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi

THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY: ANY SIGNIFICANCE?

(Text: Luke 19:28-40) Palm Sunday, the annual celebration before Easter Sunday commemorates the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The event happened on the first day of the Passion Week. The name "Palm Sunday" comes from John 12:13, "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna?'" (NIV). 

The celebration started around 3rd-4th century AD. However, does the event have any significance for us today? Can we learn any lesson from it?

This event demonstrates humility and peace by Jesus (verse 30). Jesus opted to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (see Matthew 21:2), not a horse. Donkey and colt symbolize humility and peace while horse is usually associated with power and war. The outcomes of His option were honor and glorification (verses 37, 38; John 12:19). 

The Christian message is not of force or domineering, but a message of peace (see Ephesians 6:15), because "...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14 NIV).

The event amplifies total surrender (verse 35). The owners surrendered the colt to the strangers that came to untie it. Likewise, the colt allowed itself to be used by Jesus to ride on it. We should also be ready to surrender our possessions and even ourselves totally for the Master's use.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Saturday 25 January 2014 "GOD RULES IN HUMAN GOVERNMENTS" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Saturday 25 January 2014 "GOD RULES IN HUMAN GOVERNMENTS" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Daniel 4:17b
To the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:5-6

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 

6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?


Message

God rules in the affairs of men. There is no government of this world outside the control of the sovereign Lord. Political scientists may try to predict future events that will occur in a government, but the most accurate information about a government lies in the hands of God. 


In an ideal democracy, people assume elective positions based on the votes of the masses. The constitutions of such countries spell out how long a government should stay in power before a change can take place by the same electoral process. The sovereign Lord does not require such procedures to change any government. 

The fact remains that He is in charge in the affairs of all nations. Wise people would therefore pray and commit their government into God’s hands. Those who think they can carry on without Him have realised too late that there is someone above and over all the governments of the world. A good example of God’s intervention in human government is the case of Egypt. They were at one time the strongest of all governments on earth and so controlled to a large extent, the affairs of the known world. 

The sovereign Lord intervened in the dream of Pharaoh King of Egypt. He had a dream that troubled his spirit. The meaning and application of this dream was beyond what the magicians could look into by their usual consultation with the powers of darkness. 
Sometimes, God conceals a secret for a divine purpose to be fulfilled. God revealed the secret to Joseph who interpreted the dream. This feat earned him the position of the prime minister. Ordinarily, the slave boy could not have become so powerful by human manipulation.

Prayer for those in government is very good and clearly recommended. God expects His children to pray in this direction: that He may control the affairs of their government and that He may get the attention of those in power. This is why Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 advised that we should pray for public office holders, that God may use them to maintain peace in our environment.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

We must cultivate the habit of praying for our governments if we want God to rule in our affairs for justice, peace, progress and prosperity.

Action Point:

Decide from today to spend time praying for the various governments of your country and for those in position of authority.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HEBREWS 1:1-5:9 and PSALM 23