A reason to celebrate Part 14
Have you ever been in a restaurant and out of nowhere the singing starts. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear_________, happy birthday to you." Usually when the singing starts we try to figure out whose birthday it is because we want to see who is being recognized. Those times often bring a smile to my face as I see joy in the people who have gathered to celebrate.
After the father dispelled the lie the son was believing it was now time to remind the son why the celebration was being held. It was because "this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found."
When I was in Czech Republic as a missionary I had a moment that stands out that I will never forget. It wasn't that I saw a dead person come to life physically. I never saw a person who was physically lost get found (though I did witness many lost spiritually get found). What I did witness was a man who was blind physically who could now see by a miracle of God.
I remember Alex receiving his miracle of restored eyesight and the uncontainable joy he could not wait to share with his classmates at our MTS school. He was healed during a prayer time at about midnight and all of the other students were already asleep in the dorm. He asked permission to go and share what had happened right away. He ran across the parking lot into the building and exclaimed, "I can see, I can see"
As the other students woke up to Alex's excitement a celebration broke out. People had a hard time getting back to sleep. All of us were changed as we recognized the power of God. The next day we threw a celebration party and what a great time we had.
That is how I best understand the celebration that was held on behalf of the prodigal who had returned home to the Father. I feel that it is the same celebration that happens whenever a prodigal returns home, at least in the heavenly realm.
I may be wrong but I think we need to have celebrations when people come into a relationship with Christ. We need to get excited about seeing the lost come home. As important, is getting excited about going to share with those who are away from home. What if we were to throw a party each time a sinner came home. I think that the church could get pretty excited, or would they.
Sometimes we act more like the older brother and are not all that excited to welcome into our churches new believers or the prodigals. We don't know what to do with them. We don't know how to include them in the body. But we must!!!
After the father dispelled the lie the son was believing it was now time to remind the son why the celebration was being held. It was because "this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found."
When I was in Czech Republic as a missionary I had a moment that stands out that I will never forget. It wasn't that I saw a dead person come to life physically. I never saw a person who was physically lost get found (though I did witness many lost spiritually get found). What I did witness was a man who was blind physically who could now see by a miracle of God.
I remember Alex receiving his miracle of restored eyesight and the uncontainable joy he could not wait to share with his classmates at our MTS school. He was healed during a prayer time at about midnight and all of the other students were already asleep in the dorm. He asked permission to go and share what had happened right away. He ran across the parking lot into the building and exclaimed, "I can see, I can see"
As the other students woke up to Alex's excitement a celebration broke out. People had a hard time getting back to sleep. All of us were changed as we recognized the power of God. The next day we threw a celebration party and what a great time we had.
That is how I best understand the celebration that was held on behalf of the prodigal who had returned home to the Father. I feel that it is the same celebration that happens whenever a prodigal returns home, at least in the heavenly realm.
I may be wrong but I think we need to have celebrations when people come into a relationship with Christ. We need to get excited about seeing the lost come home. As important, is getting excited about going to share with those who are away from home. What if we were to throw a party each time a sinner came home. I think that the church could get pretty excited, or would they.
Sometimes we act more like the older brother and are not all that excited to welcome into our churches new believers or the prodigals. We don't know what to do with them. We don't know how to include them in the body. But we must!!!
posted by s.d.w. at 5:31 AM
1 Comments:
Hey! I couldn't agree more about how we should treat the prodicals and those who are lost with a celebration. Let's get excited.
John
Post a Comment
<< Home