Thursday, April 28, 2016

Come!
By Elin Henderson

"And the spirit and the bride say come…”

We all love receiving an invitation in the mail. Whether it is to come  to a wedding, a birthday party, a holiday celebration or baby shower, we are thrilled to be included and able to share in the joy of the event.  Implicit in the invitation is the fact that provision has been made for you to attend. There’s no need for worry. There will be food for you, a place at a table will be set and a name tag will be waiting at the door. We know that the host has made provision, and we can relax and enjoy the celebration!

Reading through the Scriptures, I am always amazed by the number of times that Christ liberally shares an open invitation for all people to come. “Come follow me and be my disciples…Come and drink... Come find everlasting life and salvation... Come find rest in me.” (Mark 8:34; John 7:37; John 3:16,17; Matthew 11:28)

These aren’t empty invitations. They can only exist because provision has been made, a place has been prepared and set. We can come  to Him because He first came  to us!  He “…came to seek and save...came to comfort… came to enable…came to give life.” (Luke 19:10; John 15:26; Acts 1:8; John 10:10) 

When we accept this invitation, we can be assured of  “…a place at His table…our name written in the registry…a down payment/seal that has been placed upon us…the full price of our attendance has been paid…our needs being met on our journey along the way.” (Revelation 19:9; Philippians 4:3; Ephesians 4:30; I Corinthians 6:20; Philippians 4:19)

He comes (bringing all the provision we need); we accept the invitation and come (choosing to believe it to be so); and amazing things happen! Now that’s an invitation that we just can’t pass up! Let’s pass it on and share it with others! He came   so we could come! 


GOING DEEPER:
1.      Can you think of someone who needs to hear about this invitation? Start praying that God will open a door for you to share it with him or her!
2.      Perhaps you have already accepted this invitation to salvation. What about the other invitations Christ offers post-salvation, like: victory over sin, peace in the midst of struggle or His strength in weakness? Have you picked up those invitations and come to Him by faith - - believing that He will indeed provide?    


FURTHER READING:

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to fifteen-year-old Callie and thirteen-year-old Elias.