Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Luke 14:16-23 (TPT)
Jesus replied with this parable: “There was a man who invited many to join him in a great feast. When the day for the feast arrived, the host instructed his servant to notify all the invited guests and tell them, ‘Come, for everything is now ready for you!’ But one by one they all made excuses. One said, ‘I can’t come. I just bought some property and I’m obligated to go and look it over.’ Another said, ‘Please accept my regrets, for I just purchased five teams of oxen and I need to make sure they can pull the plow.’ Another one said, ‘I can’t come because I just got married.’
The servant reported back to the host and told him of all their excuses. So, the master became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go at once throughout the city and invite anyone you find—the poor, the blind, the disabled, the hurting, and the lonely—and invite them to my banquet.’ When the servant returned to his master, he said, ‘Sir, I have done what you’ve asked, but there’s still room for more.’
So, the master told him, ‘All right. Go out again, and this time bring them all back with you. Persuade the beggars on the streets, the outcasts, even the homeless. Urgently insist that they come in and enjoy the feast so that my house will be full.’”
I am reminded of the story of Leilani’s 3rd birthday. We were pastoring a church in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, just outside of downtown New Orleans. We had planned a special birthday party for her, but for some reason on the day of her birthday, nobody that we invited was able to come...
An excitement rose up in us and we said “there are so many neighborhood kids around us... let’s go door to door and invite the neighbors” and that’s what we did... all of a sudden, Leilani was having the best birthday ever. We must have had about 15 children running around in our house playing with all the toys and having a blast... having being invited to a birthday party for someone they did not even know... out of the blue, their day became a special fun day and they got to enjoy cake, favors and lots of fun games.
Those children were so blessed, but more blessed than that was our family. We got to see our home full of people, we got to hear laughter, see smiling faces and witnessed Leilani having the best 3rd birthday party ever.
Friends, don’t get caught in the rut of life where you don’t see ministry opportunities outside of your norm. There may be people in your everyday life that you share Jesus with and share your life with... but look beyond your boundaries today and ask the Holy Spirit who you need to reach out to.
The harvest is ripe. I pray today for the anointing of God on your life for boldness to reach out and share Jesus with someone you never expected to share Jesus with. Be bold for Jesus today... when you share Jesus, you are bringing people on the outside into the best banquet feast ever. Sometimes it’s the people you least expect that will receive what you have to share and be so blessed.
Today, I got to send an email to someone I had never met... a parent whose child wanted nothing more to do with them, asked me to reach out and extend love and care to her lost child. I have been sitting on the email address for a couple weeks and then today, the Holy Spirit told me to open my email and I spontaneously reached out... to extend an olive branch of friendship, love and care.
The Lord is ready to use you in unexpected areas... just fine tune yourself to His leading and seize the opportunities He brings your way – Amen.
Blessings on you, Esther
