Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9, NIV
The last time I heard an invitation to a supper in a church was to a spaghetti dinner as a fund raiser to buy gold lame jackets for the ushers. (I don't know how to put the accent mark over the m in lame, so I'll just leave it as "lame", because lame it was.) Doesn't take a lot of discernment to see the tragically misplaced emphasis here.
Ever go to a church where the service sounded like a business meeting? But, hang on, drink your coffee, and wait patiently. Joke time is coming.
We have such an invitation to tell of! Our host will be our Savior. For some it will be their first full meal, and such a joyous occasion is offered to us. The future for the redeemed is eternal life in a perfect new body. What more could we ask for? Yet our Lord, who never ceases giving, adds this wonderful promise .
Oh, dismal, self-centered churches. Take your eyes off yourselves, and look upon Him.
A wise interpreter of the Bible explained that our robes of righteousness will not just be white. They will sparkle like snow. I'll bet the ushers will look nice in their jackets and that the spaghetti will taste just fine. But at their best they fall short of the glory that lies ahead for the saved.
The church has the wonderful opportunity to issue God's invitation, if they would just lift up their eyes.
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