THE WEDDING FEAST
                                ARE YOU READY?

COME, MY PEOPLE
 THE WEDDING FEAST IS BEGINNING

    COME, MY PEOPLE
    AND SUP
REALLY SUP AT MY TABLE

    COME, MY PEOPLE
      THE FEAST IS BEGINNING . . .

WHERE ARE YOU?

 ARE YOU
WORKING IN THE FIELDS?
   ARE YOU
LABORING FOR WHAT WILL
NOT
BRING FORTH FRUIT?

WHERE ARE YOU?

ARE YOU
STRIVING TO MEET THE DEMANDS
OF ANOTHER?
ARE YOU
STILL IN SLAVERY?

WHEN YOU ARE INVITED TO A FEAST
YOU PUT ON
THE BEST OF GARMENTS
PUT ON RIGHTEOUSNESS!

YOU COME
HUNGRY TO THE FEAST
EMPTY YOURSELVES OF
ALL
THAT IS NOT OF ME
NOT
TRUE FOOD OF THE KINGDOM!

COME
AND LAY DOWN
ALL THAT HINDERS YOU
FROM SUPPING AT MY TABLE

I CALL
MY PEOPLE FIRST
I CALL
THEM . . .

DON'T
BE TOO BUSY TO COME
DON'T
HARKEN TO ANOTHER VOICE
THAT TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN COME
ANY TIME

I CALL YOU NOW!
THE DINNER BELL IS RINGING

I CALL AND I CALL . . .
WHOEVER COMES
WILL TRULY SUP OF THE NEW WINE
AND EAT OF THE NEW GRAIN
AND
I WILL POUR UPON THEIR HEADS
THE NEW OIL OF GLADNESS!

I WILL GIVE YOU A TIME TO COME
BUT THEN
I WILL BEGIN
TO CALL
THE WORLD
AND
THERE WILL
NOT
BE A PLACE LEFT
FOR YOU

CALL!

CALL ALL
TO THE WEDDING FEAST
I AM
POURING OUT MY ABUNDANCE
AS NEVER BEFORE
I'M CREATING
NEW - NEW - NEW
WHAT WAS OLD AND RELIGIOUS
AND BROUGHT FORTH ONLY WIND

GIVE BIRTH, MY PEOPLE!

GIVE BIRTH
TO SALVATION UPON THIS EARTH!

GIVE BIRTH
GIVE BIRTH TO MY PLANS!

GIVE BIRTH
TO MY RIGHTEOUS RULE AND REIGN!

GIVE BIRTH
TO MY LOVE AND COMPASSION!

GIVE BIRTH
TO MY FAITHFULNESS AND JUSTICE!

I AM
YOUR HUSBAND
YOU ARE
MY BRIDE
COME - COME - COME
AND
SUP DEEPLY
IN MY LOVE

COME, PEOPLE
NOW IS THE TIME
THE TABLE IS PREPARED
THE GUESTS HAVE BEEN INVITED

WILL YOU COME
OR
GIVE YOUR PLACE
TO ANOTHER?
I WILL MAKE ROOM FOR
ALL
WHO WILL COME
BUT
MY INVITATION
IS FOR A TIME . . .

WHAT IS
OF MORE IMPORTANCE
THAN YOUR COMMUNION
WITH ME?

WHAT
DRAWS YOU AWAY
DRAWS YOUR ATTENTION
AWAY FROM MY FACE?

WHAT IS YOUR "BAAL"?
CAST IT DOWN
BURN IT
DESTROY IT AND
LET THE ASHES FLEE

FOR YOU SEE
THIS IS THE TIME
FOR
REDEMPTION!

THIS IS THE TIME
OF
SALVATION UPON THIS EARTH!

THIS IS THE TIME
TO
SET UP MY KINGLY REIGN!

I WANT MY BRIDE
READY
AND
REIGNING
WHEN I RETURN
BUT
TO REIGN
YOU MUST OVERCOME
YOU MUST OVERCOME
IN EVERY AREA

LAY DOWN
YOUR SACRIFICES

LAY DOWN
YOUR PENITENCE

LAY DOWN
YOUR FASTS

LAY DOWN
YOUR PRAYERS

AND
JUST COME NAKED
BEFORE ME
BARELY ABLE TO UTTER A WORD
AND
SURRENDER ALL TO ME
AND
THEN WE WILL SUP
WE WILL SUP IN THE HEAVENLIES
IN A REALM YOU HAVE NOT
EXPERIENCED
AS OF YET!

COME, PEOPLE
I DRAW YOU WITH MY LOVE
I DRAW YOU AND I DRAW YOU . . .

COME
TO THE WEDDING FEAST
I WILL BE YOUR HUSBAND
FOREVERMORE!!!


***
"I WILL BETROTH YOU TO ME FOREVER;
I WILL BETROTH YOU IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE,
IN LOVE AND COMPASSION.
I WILL BETROTH YOU IN FAITHFULNESS,
AND YOU WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD."
Hosea 2:19-20

"IN THAT DAY," DECLARES THE LORD,
"YOU WILL CALL ME 'MY HUSBAND,'
YOU WILL NO LONGER CALL ME 'MY MASTER.'
I WILL REMOVE THE NAMES OF THE BAALS FROM HER LIPS;
NO LONGER WILL THEIR NAMES BE INVOKED.
Hosea 2:16-17

AS A WOMAN WITH CHILD AND ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH
WRITHES AND CRIES OUT IN HER PAIN,
SO WERE WE IN YOUR PRESENCE, O LORD.
WE WERE WITH CHILD, WE WRITHED IN PAIN,
BUT WE GAVE BIRTH TO WIND.
WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT SALVATION TO THE EARTH;
WE HAVE NOT GIVEN BIRTH TO PEOPLE OF THE WORLD.
Isaiah 26: 17-18


***
BUCKETS OF GOLD

I watched
as the people came forward to the Temple
They walked into the building
and would huddle around buckets of gold
These buckets were full and overflowing
The people held out their hands
and the gold ran as liquid upon their hands
and seeped through their fingers to the floor
The people would stay for hours
to receive this gold

I approached the steps
and watched this night after night
I looked at the gold,
but had no longing to go in
for the gold didn't seem to last
There was no trace of it on the people
when they left the building
Strange substance, I thought
maybe the work is an inner work

I sat and watched and each night
old people and young people
would come and sit on the steps, too
They looked hungry and thirsty
I wished the gold that was given out in the Temple
could feed their stomachs and cure their thirst
I began to bring with me bread and water
as I came to the steps
of the Temple each night
As the people would leave the building
they would push us aside to walk past
The gold didn't seem to satisfy their hearts
or change them in any way
There became many of us,
but none of us had a desire to go into the Temple
As the evenings grew darker and colder
I brought blankets and I would speak Blessings
over these dear people
as they slept on the steps
They came night after night, but I knew not why

One night a Stranger approached
One I had never seen before
He was not well dressed or kept
He was joyful though
He invited us inside the Temple
We looked in disbelief
NEVER
had we been invited into the Temple
NEVER
had the thought crossed the peoples' minds
as they stood in their tight little circles
that maybe a few more could enter
We refused politely
and said that we were quite content
where we were

The Man entered the Temple ----
As He did ---- the gold stopped instantly
It stopped flowing
It stopped filling the buckets and flowing
on the hands and unto the floor
He called them "Hypocrites"
He called them "Greedy" and "Selfish"
He called them many names and they fled --
many angry - many outraged
but what could they do?
This Young Man spoke with Authority
and the gold dried up
---    ALL OF IT    ---

He once more
invited us into the Temple
the Great Hall
We hesitated, but we felt it was safe now
We went in one by one
then two by two
then people from all over the city came
and we shared of our bread, and water and warmth
The gold poured once more,
but not from the buckets ---
not the gold that comes and goes
but this gold poured from the hearts
to all
that would come in

Each night
the Young Man would stand at the door
and call for the people to COME
"COME AND EAT
THOSE WITHOUT MONEY - EAT, DRINK
IT'S MY PARTY - IT'S MY TEMPLE
AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!"

***
WHERE
does your gold come from?
Does it seep through your hands?
Have you thought
of sharing it with another?
What will you do
if the Young Man comes to your abode
and stops the gold?
What will you do
with what you have ---
Will you stand and stand and stand
in the Temple
or
will you go out with what you have
and let your heart
contain the True Gold?

Not all
that glitters is gold
Not all
that comes to you is for you, alone
Only
that which is given away
will return to you

Count your gold
Look at your wealth
It will not truly satisfy you
until
you can give it away

GIVE IT AWAY, PEOPLE

COME OUT
OF THE TEMPLE
AND
GIVE
AND
GIVE
AND
GIVE
AND
GIVE
OR
THIS SAME YOUNG MAN
WILL COME AND TAKE IT
ALL
FROM YOU
AND
SEND YOU OUT!!!

GIVE!

ISAIAH 33

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY



STONES