The prodigals are coming! Prepare ye the way! Get Ready! Yes, they are coming and every seat in the Tabernacle, the House of God will be filled!  Many of you who have been faithful in your attendance, will not get preferred seating. Oh Oh! That will be a problem for the “reserved pew seating section” of the Body of Christ.  You may have to sit all the way to the back. They are coming because the true Shepherd for those missing in His flock has placed the call in the realm of the Spirit.  “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27).

            Many sons and daughters that were in the Body of Christ have gone astray, but they are coming back. They are fleeing from the voice of the enemy that has deceived them into believing that the Father does not love them. The signal is coming through with clarity and they are beginning to get understanding and revelation of the truth. “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:5).

            We are all familiar with the story in Luke 15:11-32, of the prodigal son who leaves his father’s house for a life of riotous living, experiencing the lure and trappings of the world system.  Many are in this situation today, but there are some that have heard his voice and are turning to seek the face of the Lord.  The signs of the times and the remembrance of some of the Word of God that was heard or even read is reaching into their hearts.  “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). True peace and happiness has not been found in the world. Some are just yielding to the Holy Spirit, giving up their rebellious ways and finally acknowledging that Jesus is Lord.

            What and who is the prodigal? Those who have experimented and yielded to that which is reckless and foolish, abandoning the wealthy grace and love of the Father for the lavish, luxuriant deception of the world.  The trickery of the flesh, caused forgetfulness of their rightful place as an heir of salvation and the price that was paid!  Where is the remembrance of the purchase price of salvation? “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12).

            Somewhere and somehow the tide is turning and true repentance is at hand for the prodigal. Someone is coming to himself! You cannot out run the call. Better yet, for those of you who have caller id, you know who is calling you! Don’t let the answering machine record the message, because you will not be able to erase it!

            Thank God for His mercy and His grace. He is still waiting for the prodigals to return. He has not given them up or over to the adversary.  The alarm has sounded and time is up! It is the grace of God that welcomes and blesses the prodigal upon his returns to his Father’s house and under his Father’s all seeing and watchful eye.  The prodigal is repentant and submitted to the Father, as he knows the life that he has led.

            In Luke 15:19, the prodigal admits that he is unworthy to be called a son, but his decision to return home regardless of his past mistakes. He is coming whether he is accepted or rejected, having gone from riches to rags. After the father receives the prodigal with love and compassion, he does three things. First, the father puts the best robe on the prodigal, the robe of righteousness, the garment of salvation. (Isaiah 61:10). Second, the father places a ring on his finger, sealing the marriage. (Matthew 22). Third, put shoes on his feet, raising him up from slavery to sonship for a new walk that is shod with the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15).  Finally, the father killed a fatted calf, a sign of the new covenant and there was the great supper.  Unfortunately, his elder brother was not prepared for the return of the prodigal or even ready to welcome him in love.

            In Luke 14:15-23, there is a parable about the great supper and in verse 22, the words “yet there is room” stand out.  There is room in the Father’s house, as He would have none to be lost. It is unfortunate that those who have remained faithful in the house are not ready for those who come home.  They are not prepared to receive the prodigals and are often jealous and offended at the attention that is given. Wrong thinking misguides them into believing that they have a monopoly on the Father’s love just because they have not left. Also, they have the religious misconception, “that I am here and I have done everything right”, a form of godliness with no power of signs and wonders or even growth.

            The elder brother was first, angry at the prodigal’s return; second, he murmured and complained that he was working all the time; and third, his faithfulness and obedience was never acknowledged by the father in the form of a celebration. What is wrong with this picture? Look around, it is an everyday occurrence in the Body of Christ. Just be glad that your brother or sister comes to the point that they know that they need to come home to the Father. Thank God for His mercy and grace to see them arrive and set their feet on Holy Ground!

            Many of us in the Body of Christ, not the church, do not fully have the revelation and understanding of the cross. It is not just a piece of wood. The cross and its symbolism is relational to the Body of Christ. The vertical beam is the relationship with God, and the horizontal is the relationship with each other. Why else was Jesus’ arms spread so wide? To encompass us all! Some of us strive to have success with our relationship with God, but we are lacking in our relationship with our brothers and sisters.  It is at the midpoint, the intersection, that we crucify our flesh, so that we do not frustrate the purpose of God’s grace and reconciliation for us all. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in Me: and the Life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who love me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).

            Make room for your brothers and sisters in you heart when they return. Be glad that they have come back. Please do not hug them with love while you are under the anointing in the service and then let the enemy use you to speak to them harshly to them at the exit door. Do not use your mouth to recall or even discuss the  mistakes they made in the past. The question will be are you trying to drive them away when they just came back?  Remember they have already been hurt, so they do not need you to pick the scabs of the wounds. Is there no balm in Gilead?  Also, there are those who have not been in the house for circumstances beyond their control, whether financial or just life situations and are still connected to the cross. If the truth were told, many have not even lived the way that you may think. Some have had to go through a “separation for preparation”, so that they could hear and see what the Spirit of God is saying.  Extend the love, peace, and joy, showing that you are really glad to see them. Be sensitive, because you do not have a clue what they have endured. (Please note, key word – endured).

            Here is a radical thought for you. Next time you go to the House of God, sit at the back and leave room at the front for those that you have expectation and anticipation to return. Better yet, ask your Pastor about reserving the first 3 or 5 rows for the Prodigals.  Make a reservation in the realm of the Spirit for them in advance of the manifestation of their physical attendance.

     Think on this. If God wants His people back, then what about this nation? If one prodigal returns and then another and then another, will America be the prodigal and return to the Father? The prodigal is one who returns after being out in the world system, much like the nation. Will we wake up, repent, and return to the arms of the one who has kept us with love, grace, and mercy? The robe of righteousness, the ring, the shoes, and the great supper have all been prepared. Repentance, attendance, and unity are required. 

“And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23).

©

2005