What kind of Clothes are You Wearing?

Rabbis would often use parables to teach a Biblical Truth and Yeshua, Jesus, the Rabbi with all Authority, is a Master at this. 

Yeshua again used parables in speaking to them:  "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son, but when he sent his slaves to summon the invited guests to the wedding, they refused to come.  So he sent some more slaves, instructing them to tell the guests, `Look, I've prepared my banquet, I've slaughtered my bulls and my fattened cattle, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding!'  But they weren't interested and went off, one to his farm, another to his business; and the rest grabbed his slaves, mistreated them and killed them.  The king was furious and sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city.  "Then he said to his slaves, `Well, the wedding feast is ready; but the ones who were invited didn't deserve it.  So go out to the street-corners and invite to the banquet as many as you find.'  The slaves went out into the streets, gathered all the people they could find, the bad along with the good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.  "Now when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who wasn't dressed for a wedding; so he asked him,  `Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark!' In that place people will wail and grind their teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen."  Matthew 22:1-14, Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

In parables the King is always God, the Kingdom of Heaven –- God's Kingdom, and in this case those invited are children of Israel.  The Kingdom of Heaven starts now as we walk arm-in-arm with God and following after Yeshua the Messiah.  (While Yeshua talks about all those who were invited and did not come, we should remember that many Jews did follow Him and believed in Him - By the thousands!)

Yeshua is telling His audience that God will destroy those who refused to come to the wedding, and if fact, killed the messengers -- the prophets who have called God's People to repentance and foretold the coming of the Messiah.  Since those who were originally invited would not come, God now has expanded the invitation to the rest of the world, the Gentiles - Guess what, we're all invited! 

Now the King comes to be the guests and finds someone not dressed in his wedding clothes, and has him cast into the darkness where there is wailing and grinding of teeth.  But we say; "Wait a minute!  They were just brought in from the street.  How would they have time to go and dress?  Maybe they didn't even have wedding garments! 

In ancient times, when a king would have a grand feast, a wedding or some grand celebration, he would often give gifts to the guests -- garments suitable to wear to the feast.  Who would not put on the wedding clothes?  When God invites us into His Kingdom, to His Wedding Feast -- And we accept the invitation -- He gives us wedding clothes!

 I am so joyful in ADONAI! My soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in salvation, dressed me with a robe of triumph, like a bridegroom wearing a festive turban, like a bride adorned with her jewels.  Isaiah 61:10, CJB  

And, He gives us other fine garments as well -- Gifts of the spirit!   

Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good.  To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, CJB.

Now when our King sees us at His Wedding Feast -- What kind of clothes will He see us wearing?  The ones He gives us or the same clothes we came in with?  How can He tell?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.  Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake.  Galatians 5:22-24, CJB   Everyone will know that you are my talmidim (my disciples) by the fact that you have love for each other.  John 13:35, CJB

So . . . If we say that Yeshua is LORD but the King sees us and asks; "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?";  What does that mean?  Have we only given mental acknowledgment that Jesus, Yeshua, is LORD and Savior (but not really LORD and Savior of my life)?  Are we living as someone who belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven?  Did we really put on the Wedding Clothes?  What kind of clothes are you wearing?   

Keep silent before Adonai ELOHIM, for the Day of ADONAI is near. ADONAI has prepared a sacrifice; he has set apart those he invited.  When the time comes for ADONAI's sacrifice - "I will punish the leaders and the sons of the king, also those who dress in foreign clothes."  Zephaniah 1:7-8, CJB  

We pray you have your Wedding Clothes on!  

The Miracle of Chanukah and The Manhattan Declaration

Hebrews, our ancestors in the Faith, celebrate the tradition of Chanukah for eight days during December. Today, the focus of Chanukah is that there was only enough pure, holy, oil to light the seven lamps of the Tabernacle Menorah for one day; the oil lasted eight days.  Menorahs with nine lamps, called Chanukiah, are lit during Chanukah.

In our opinion, the focus is that God gave a small group of passionate citizens miraculous victory against an oppressive, superior, enemy force who seized, desecrated, and defiled the Tabernacle and tried to force them to abandon Him. They would not, under any circumstance, stand idly by as their religious freedom was assaulted.

They were prohibited, under penalty of death, from fulfilling the covenant God made with them to circumcise their sons (cf., Genesis 17:9-14), keep Shabbat, the Sabbath, and from obeying God's instruction to celebrate His Feasts, His appointed times (cf., Leviticus 23).

They reclaimed the Tabernacle and religious freedom.  They purified the entire Tabernacle and relit the Menorah. The brilliance of the lighted Tabernacle radiated for miles!  God’s people once again kept Shabbat and dwelled with Him again as they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. Chanukah is a time of Dedication (cf., John 10:22).

In America, religious freedom is being constantly assaulted.   A growing number of Americans, like our Ancestors in the Faith, are committed to not stand idly by as religious liberties are assaulted.  They are taking action by signing a document called the Manhattan Declaration.  Read it.  We urge you sign it as a declaration of your commitment to obeying God no matter what the cost.  If your Pastor hasn't brought it to the attention of the Congregation; ask him to!  Make it a time of Dedication: http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/ .

May we honor God by obeying His instructions, standing firm in faith, and purifying our personal Tabernacle (cf., 1 Cor:16-17). May the brilliance of our Saviour’s light in us flood a dark world! May we dwell with Him with great joy in preparation for the time when we ALL tabernacle with Him in Jerusalem (cf., Zechariah 14)!