Invited

 Happy Sunday!

"God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list?" "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable.  Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this.”(Psalm 15 Message).

Jesus often spoke about being invited to banquets.  His first recorded miracle happened at a wedding.  It's exciting to be invited to special occasions, and it's good to know how to conduct ourselves when we attend events.  Luke 14:7-11 says, "Then Jesus noticed that some of the guests were choosing the best places to sit. So he told this story:  “When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t sit in the most important seat. They may have invited someone more important than you.  And if you are sitting in the most important seat, they will come to you and say, ‘Give this man your seat!’ Then you will have to move down to the last place and be embarrassed. “So when someone invites you, go sit in the seat that is not important. Then they will come to you and say, ‘Friend, MOVE UP here to this better place!’ What an honor this will be for you in front of all the other guests. Everyone who makes themselves important will be made humble. But everyone who makes themselves humble will be made important.”(Easy-to-Read Version).

Jesus is the ultimate example.  Acts 10:38 says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing GOOD, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."(KJV).  Then the Apostle Paul encouraged the  Philippians, "If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his LOVE has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."(Philippians 2:1-4 Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia