The forces of darkness are engaged in a vast war in the spiritual realm. This war has raged since before Earth was created. It’s battlefields have included the spiritual realm, Earth, and every human heart. The war is waged against God and those who stand with Him. In multiple places within the Psalms, it says that God laughs at the efforts of these forces of darkness and at the kings of Earth who partner with them. Those who stand with God can thrive in this environment and laugh right along with Him, but most don’t.
By way of analogy, imagine that your spiritual life is a banquet. God is inviting all people to a great banquet. He is inviting you to enjoy the best foods, drinks and desserts ever imagined. He is inviting you to endless singing and dancing to the most enjoyable music. God’s banquet is being held in the most beautiful landscape surrounded by the most exquisite art. On top of this, He desires to give you infinite capacity to enjoy all these good things for eternity.
Our enemy, Satan, uses lies to lure people away from God’s banquet.
Some are lured all the way to Satan’s banquet table. Everything he offers is a pathetic imitation of what God has prepared. It appears sweet, beautiful and enjoyable simply because we have yet to taste the real thing. In addition, these things suck the life out of those who partake. We see examples throughout literature such as the apple eaten by Snow White or the turkish delight eaten by Edmund Pevensie. Many people partake of this table and appear to be thriving. Some are able to amass great wealth. Some enjoy great numbers of friends. Some even seem to be very spiritual. These people actually can interact quite freely with the spiritual realm and can even do supernatural works. However, all of these “benefits” come at immense cost.
There are many who know not to eat from the enemy’s table. However, Satan has convinced these people that they can earn a seat at God’s banquet table. People in religions throughout the world think God’s banquet is a potluck. They are slaving away trying to prepare a meal to impress God when the fact is that all our righteousness is as menstrual rags to God. (Isaiah 64:6)
DON’T BELIEVE THE LIES!!!!
Nothing Satan offers can satisfy like God’s banquet!! Don’t be lured to your death!!
There is nothing you can do to add to this feast!! Stop working so hard to create something that will just make God vomit!!
Jesus already prepared the banquet by His death on the cross. And, He is the only way to get into the party. As John 3:16 says, all you must “do” to get in is believe in Jesus. This word “believe” can also be translated as “have faith” or “trust.” I like the word trust because in my mind, belief can simply look like mental assent to some facts. However, trust implies relationship and resting in the one with whom you enjoy said relationship.
Trust that Jesus purchased your banquet ticket. Trust that following his ways will turn you into one that is worthy to eat at that table. So many see the commands of Scripture as things they must do to get in. However, they are invitations. God is telling you what He wants to do in you, but only His power can do it. My favorite example is when Jesus told Lazarus to come out of the tomb. As a dead man, Lazarus had no more power to walk out of the tomb than you do to perfectly follow any one of the ten commandments. Jesus’ command provided the power for Lazarus to obey. When we trust God to cause us to obey any one of His commands, He will do it in us. As 1 John 1:9 says, if we confess our sins (i.e. agree with God and call them sin), He not only forgives us, He cleanses us of the unrighteousness. WE don’t change our ways!! HE DOES IT!!
So, to reiterate, what must you “do” to enjoy God’s banquet? Simply trust Jesus. There are various levels of trust we are invited to as we follow Jesus. I will explore many of them in future articles. For now, just trust that God’s banquet is one you don’t want to miss and that Jesus has already gotten you in. When you really trust what Jesus has done for you, you can join God in laughing at all the efforts of Satan and his minions to scare you and/or drag you away.
Taking responsibility for your own health leads to freedom.
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