Invitation

You'll never believe the invitation I received this weekend.

A man in a black suit, wearing an earpiece and sunglasses, came to the front door. He handed me an official-looking envelope with a presidential seal on it. (He then proceeded to search my property for possible evil-doers, which was creeping me out, but that's another story.)

Opening the seal, I pulled out an embossed invitation, words jumping off the page in a bright red:

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Mr. Joyner,

You have been chosen, by the President of the United States, to join him in his work to help the country move forward. You do not need to apply or get approval or clearance. All the work has been done for you. The POTUS would like you to be his ambassador. You will speak in his name, and you will have all the rights and privileges that he enjoys. This is more than a government job. You will not need to face scrutiny or Congressional approval. You have, in a sense, been adopted into his family. It is an executive order, and nothing can change that. You need only to accept what is being offered to you.

Sincerely,


The President
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Wouldn't that be something? Of course, nothing of the sort happened. I didn't have a Secret Service agent on my steps or checking through my shrubbery. I didn't get a White House invite.

I've received something better though.

Instead of a special message from Washington D.C., I have an invitation all the way from Israel, the Mediterranean, and Egypt. It has been waiting for me for around 2000 years.

The Lord of heaven and earth has asked me to be His child. I didn't do anything to earn it. I couldn't do anything to earn it. But He has adopted me as His son, and wherever I go, I am His ambassador. I speak in His name and try to work for the betterment of His Kingdom. I don't always do my best, but I am working always toward the goal of pleasing my Father. The little story above is a weak analogy to what it is like to have this gift of adoption into His family.

If we were asked to serve our country, most of us would be honored, even if we didn't always agree with the current administration. How then, should we consider this invitation we have from the God of the Bible?

What would you do with a White House invitation? How do you think it compares to what I am claiming the Bible offers?

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(This idea was blatantly stolen from my good friend Kerry Neve, who said I could)

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