The table has been set, with all the place settings perfectly aligned and ordered. Only, there isn't anyone sitting at the table. The courses prepared are exquisitely done with flavors from around the world, yet the table remains empty. The call goes out to all in the house, dinner has been served! Yet, no one comes.
The host is perplexed, and looks to the servants that he has commanded to fill the table. Quickly he notices that while there are many servants who have worked hard to prepare the table, the food, and are standing ready to serve the host, there are many more who are missing from his staff. Alarmed he rushes to the kitchen to determine where the staff are that should be waiting attentively for those called for dinner.
Upon arriving in the kitchen he is shocked, for not only were staff missing waiting to serve, but there was only a fraction of those hired present creating the culinary masterpieces that he just observed in the dinning room. He quickly demands, "Where are those who I have purchased their services to cook?"
One of the chefs turns and says, "My lord, they have not come to work. It seems that they have all stayed home today. Clearly they think that whatever reason they may have for doing so is more important than the job that you purchased our services for."
Another chef chimes in, "We have labored hard for you my lord, and we have prepared all of the dishes that you have asked for so that none of your guests are left without the dish that you requested for them."
The lord of the manor nods in approval, yet is furious with those staff who have chosen their own selfishness over his command to work and create a meal for his guests. He will deal with them later, but now must return to see if his guests have finally arrived.
As he arrives back in the dining room, he notices that some of the guests have arrived, but many more have not. Concerned for those not in attendance, he quickly sends one of his servants to go through the house proclaiming to all that dinner is ready and will be served.
Slowly a few more came to dinner, yet many sent along their reasons with the servant as to why they would not be attending the dinner. Some were frightened to leave their quarters, others frightened of what would happen along the way, while others still were afraid of what they would encounter once they arrived at the dinner, and worst of all, others due to their fear proclaimed that they no longer wished to partake in the meal, not that day and not any other.
The lord of the manner had waited long enough, for he was ready to serve his best for those who had answered his command to come and to eat. Therefore, he bid the servants to begin to lavish all of the innumerable delicacies that they had created upon those in attendance. The meal was sweet, savory, salty, filling, hearty, and could not have tasted better. Those who enjoyed the meal wondered in amazement at those who had refused the lord's command to come and eat. How could anyone forsake such a meal!
For months I have searched for what I wanted to say in regards to the state of affairs in my state, country, and world. Every time that I felt that I had the words, things would change or a new challenge would arise.
Over the past months, and year, so many churches have abandoned their flocks. So many pastors neglected to care for the souls of their congregation and provide them with weekly nourishment. Instead of preparing meals for the Lord's Beloved, they have proclaimed that their safety is paramount to the safety of their congregations souls. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel as they have been commanded by the Lord, they have rejected that calling in favor of selfish desires and worldly fears.
The Lord has commanded all believers to not forsake the gathering of the brethren. How dare pastors do such a thing by proclaiming to their congregants that this is a good thing to do! Instead of calling their flock to join them at the dinner table each and every week, to eat and drink of the Word, they have proclaimed that physical and temporary well-being is more important than eternal safety and salvation!
Those pastors who have labored faithfully have borne the burden of indignation from those who have given into fear and those who refuse to attend to the preaching of the Word in favor of worldly comfort. Instead of coming together in our common love for Christ, many have taken this opportunity to belittle many pastors who have been faithful and care for the souls that they have been entrusted with.
We have constantly seen churches, pastors, and individuals proclaim that during this time we must love our neighbor. Yet, I have seen very little from those same people in the way of actually loving their neighbors. Instead of following the order of Christ's commands; to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength. Then secondly to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Instead of caring for those who are sick, which the Church has done throughout history, even during the Black Plague, "loving your neighbor" has seemingly become the beacon of becoming hermits and never having contact with others. It is so contrary to what loving and caring for another person means that it has distorted those terms to such an extent as to redefine them. If a husband says that he loves his wife, and yet by his own choice refuses to see her, how on earth would he ever be able to prove that he loves his wife, or even knows who she is?
Recently, we have seen pretty strong support for the people of Ukraine, and yet many of the things that have been promoted in support of that country are things that have been under attack over the last couple of years. We want the people of Ukraine to be free, in their earthly home enjoying their lives that they have. Yet, so many don't want people to be free spiritually and enjoying the Creator. We want the common Ukrainian people to fight against their oppressors, and yet when we try to say that as Christians we have freedom of conscience and freedom of worship to do so as we please, in whatever manner we please, we see backlash that we should obey earthly leaders rather than God.
We have freedom in Christ to worship Him, to dine upon the feast that He prepares for those who He has called every single week. We should be amazed at the glorious wonders that we eat at His table. They bring comfort to the soul, support to the weary, healing balms to the wounded, and salvation to the lost. The meal prepared by the servants of Christ, His pastors, is not something that should be taken lightly. They work diligently to prepare and present a meal each week that they have been led by Christ to bring to His people. He calls His children to come, yet many today want to tell them to stay away. He calls His people to dine, and yet many want to proclaim that it is not needed. He calls His people to love one another as one body, yet they are told to stay as far away from each other as possible.
Those who refuse to obey the commands of Christ to gather, to worship, to fellowship with each other, they run the risk of showing that their faith is not genuine and they were never part of Christ's bride. Instead of being afraid of governments, a virus, our neighbor, we should be the ones standing for truth and caring for those in need no matter what the cost is to our physical health. For is not the soul of greater importance than the physical body? Paul say this very thing!
My heart aches for those in Ukraine and wish that they can keep their country and prosper in freedom. My heart aches for those in Canada who are being arrested for their faith in a country that was founded on freedom. My heart aches to see the local church in America so weak and feeble, caring only about physical and temporary things rather than the eternal.
I live in the state that signified many of the iconic moments of the Revolutionary War. We are are the ones that threw tea in the harbor, rose up against tyranny in the streets, proclaimed to the rest of the colonies that the "BRITSH ARE COMING", proclaimed that God gave us freedom of worship and would not be ruled by a king. We are the ones that brokered peace with the Native Americans and with them celebrated the first Thanksgiving! We are the ones that fought at Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Concord. We are the ones to proudly boast along with John Hancock, "There, John Bull can read my name without spectacles, he may double his reward, and I put his at defiance." I want my fellow citizens to stand in such a way again, not because of those things in and of themselves, but because it flows from an understanding of who God is! I want to see freedom ring from the shores of America again. Not because I want America to be great, but because I want freedom to reign upon our shores. Freedom to worship God as He has called us to worship. Freedom to live happily with our families in the pursuit of godliness. I want to see tyranny thrown off with vigor and gusto. I want to see a genuine love between Christians across this land, as it is the only way that we will ever see a change, knowing that the Gospel brings true life! I want to see freedom to join with those who have a completely different background than that which they have, just as we have done in this country from the very beginning on the shores of Plymouth, and share a meal rejoicing in God's good Providence.
Freedom is not cheap, it may cost you your all, for it can only be found in Christ. Freedom, a call to rise. Freedom, a call to stand for the weak and to care for them once you have defended them, only found within a true understanding of the Body of Christ. They may take everything that we have, but true freedom is in the mind and not the body. They may imprison all those opposed to living a peaceful and godly life, yet they can never defeat us.
I hope that you find peace, grace, and mercy at the foot of the cross. That you begin to understand why this country was founded and what it could represent again, should God have mercy on us and bless us once again with revival as He did in the times of Jonathan Edwards (whose legacy upon this land is to the utmost impressive).