Skip to main content

The Prodigal Son and the Father's House

Five Principles about the Father’s House from Luke 15- 

1.   Forgiveness- Sandals placed on his feet were symbolic of freedom as a son of the Master.  Slaves were forced to live without shoes.  In Christ, we are `no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of God’
2.   Restoration- Ring on his finger symbolizes royalty.  He was saying, `listen you don’t have to enter the family at some lesser rank, but your position is restored to you as heir in my Kingdom.  Too many Christians have relegated themselves to work in the back forty somewhere, while the King says come and eat at my table, you are my child!  Don’t let the past be a whipping post!  “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1
3.   Worship- `Let’s celebrate with a feast’. The angels of Heaven rejoice when one lost sheep comes back to the fold. “We had to celebrate, for your brother who was dead is alive..He was lost but is now found”.  You and I have reason to worship—Look at the cross, look at his restoration power in our lives!  Like Mephibosheth, we have been carried to the table in spite of our crippled condition!
4.   Relationship- The love of the Father placed the son back into right relationship with Himself.  He didn't demand penance, proof or an apology.  The father also worked patiently with the elder brother to restore relationship with the younger son, further proving our need to love and restore those who have fallen. 
Gal 6:1-3 MESSAGE “Live creatively friends.  If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.  You might be needing them before the day is out.  Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed.  Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.  If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.”

5.   Righteousness- Robe symbolizes right-standing or right-wisdom. 2 Cor. 5:21 Saints in Heaven clothed in white robes. Jacob made a coat of many colors for the son he favored, Joseph.

Popular posts from this blog

Receiving the Blessing of Abraham

Two of the most important verses in the New Testament-- Gal. 3:13, 14 “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Deut 21:23) 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.” NLT The Blessing of Abraham is so important that Jesus died to get it to us. What is Abraham’s Blessing? Since it cost Jesus His life to get it to us, we should find out more, and appropriate it for our own lives, homes and ministries. It is more than just the promise of a son; although God did promise that his seed would be as numerous as the sands of the sea, and the stars in the sky. A large portion of Abraham’s spiritual journey was spent carrying the promise of God, never seeing the `blessi...
Read more

Facing 2007 with confidence and hope

Facing 2007 with confidence and hope Did you know that the Chinese symbol for `Crisis’ is a combination of two words- “Danger” and “Opportunity” ? I believe God wants to move us forward in the face of crisis, seizing today’s opportunities, and not fearing the danger of this hour. Jesus said that a sign of the end times would be “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26) . Our Lord’s prophecy is being fulfilled in our days. But as followers of Jesus Christ, we enter 2007 with great hope. We rise above all fear because we have some “inside information!” Let these truths from God’s Word assure you today as you face the New Year with its challenges and possibilities. Throughout 2007, always remember . . . · God is at work in the world . Paul said God “works all things according to the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). He knows the end from the beginning and is fashioning all of history toward a great event –...
Read more

Dare Greatly

It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. ~ Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)
Read more