LUKE 15: 11-32
PRODIGAL SON
NOTHING WORSE THAN COMING INTO A TIME OF CELEBRATION AND REALIZING THOSE YOU WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU ARE NOT REALLY WITH YOU!
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE WENT THRU SOME THINGS, FELL IN SOME MUD – CRIED A FEW TEARS – AND JUST FOUGHT A LOT OF FIGHTS!
YOU SEE THE MEASURE OF YOUR CELEBRATION IS SOMETIMES BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TRIBULATION YOU HAVE BEEN THRU!
YOU CAN’T REALLY CELEBRATE IF YOU HAVENT BEEN THRU SOME STUFF!
YOU SEE IN EVERY CELEBRATION – THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT WANT TO APPLAUDE YOU!
THEN YOU BECOME DISTRACTED BY WHO IS NOT WITH YOU AND LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE WHO ARE IN YOUR CORNER! YOUR FOCUS GOES FROM THE PRAISE TO PRESSURE OF WANTING THEM TO BE JOYFUL FOR YOU!
THESE ARE CYNICAL PEOPLE - believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
THESE PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES JUST MAD BECAUSE THEY NEVER GOT THEIRS – OR MISSED OUT ON WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE GOT! WHEN THEY HAVENT GOTTEN THEIRS – THEY SURELY DO NOT WANT YOU TO HAVE YOURS!
THEY THINK THAT MINIMIZING YOU – MAXIMIZES THEM!
YOU SEE THIS OLDER BROTHER AINT ALL THAT MEAN- THINK ABOUT IT – HE ALMOST HAD A RIGHT TO BECOME BITTER! HE HAD BEEN FAITHFUL – DID WHAT WAS REQUIRED – BEEN STABLE – STEADFAST – BUT IGNORED!
ITS FRUSTRATING WHEN THE WORLD SEEMS MORE PROSPEROUS THEN US! IT CAN GET AGGRAVATING WHEN YOU HELP AND HAVE BEEN HERE AND HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES – BUT THEN SOME JOHNNY COME LATELY COMES – GETS WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GET!
HARD TO BE HAPPY WHEN YOU DESERVE THE FAVOR! YOU SEE THAT WHATS FAVOR IS – GOD WILL GIVE PEOPLE AT TIMES A BLESSING THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO WORK FOR – AND THEN HERE YOU SIT BEEN PLOWING – WORKING – FAITHFUL – WHY AINT MY DOOR OPEN!
SO IT MAKES SOME SENSE THAT THIS OLDER BROTHER BOYCOTTED – REFUSED TO BE PART OF CELEBRATION! HE WAS SPENDING THE MONEY WHILE I WAS WORKING! NOW HE IS GETTING A PARTY – I DON’T THINK SO!
WHAT DO YOU DO? HARD TO SEE THEM BLESSED – BUT YOU! WONDER – WHEN IS IT FOR ME! WHEN IS MY TURN – HOW MUCH LONGER WAITING! HOW MUCH MORE BEING BROKE – BEING SICK – HOW MUCH LONGER!!!!
THE WORSE THING WE CAN DO – IS SIT DOWN AND GET BITTER! ONCE YOU HAVE BECOME BITTER – IT’S HARD TO GET BETTER!!!! DON’T KNOW HOW – WHEN – OR WHAT GOT YOU TO THIS BITTERNESS – ALL BECAUSE THE FATTED CALF – OR THE BLESSING WASN’T GIVING TO YOU!
BUT YOU SEE AS LONG AS YOU ARE BITTER – YOU WILL NEVER BE BLESSED! THE OLDER BROTHER WAS NOT A BAD GUY – BEEN DEPENDEBLE – BEEN GOOD SON – BEEN FAITFUL!
A LOT OF PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE STAIN – AND CANNOT SEE THE CLEAN! SEE THE BLESSING – NOT THE CURSE – SEE THE FRESHNESS – NOT THE OLD! SEE THE BLESSING!
HOW CAN YOU BE A GOOD PERSON – NOT BE BLESSED?
WE MISUNDERSTAND HOW BLESSINGS WORK SOMETIMES!
ANYBODY EVER HEAR – YOUR SEASON IS COMING – ALMOST MAKES PEOPLE FEEL LIKE – I WILL JUST WAIT ON MY SEASON! ---YEAR PASSES – 2 YEARS – DID I MISS IT – WHAT HAPPEN TO MY SEASON MY TIME?
THEN TELL GOD – I HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL – BUT I AM YET TO GET MY FATTED CALF?
YOU SEE THE EARTH IS THE LORDS AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF – YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT – BUT YOU HAVE TO GO GET IT!!!!! TAKE IT BY FORCE!
IF YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING – YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYTHING! AS YOU THINK IN YOUR HEART – SO YOU SHALL BE!!
STOP BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE – BEING MAD CUZ IT AINT HAPPENING HOW YOU THINK – OR WHEN YOU THINK – OR HOW IT SHOULD FOR YOU!! YOUR BLESSING IS THERE – GO GET IT! YOUR PROMOTION IS THERE – GO GET IT! YOUR MINISTRY IS THERE – GO GET IT! YOUR FRESHNESS IS THERE – GO GET IT! --- I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME – STOP JUST SAYING IT – DO IT!!!
IT IS NOBODY ELSE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE YOU WHAT GOD ALREADY SAID IS YOURS!
YOU SEE THE OLDER BROTHER WANTED THE FATTED CALF – WANTED THE BEST ROBE – WANTED TO BE CELEBRATED! BUT WHAT HE DIDN’T REALIZE – HE WAS LONGING AND CRYING FOR SOMETHING HE COULD HAVE HAD LONG AGO! IT WAS ALWAYS THERE – HE JUST NEVER WENT AND GOT IT! IT WAS IN THE BARN – ROBE WAS IN THE CLOSET – BUT NOW HE IS SUFFERING – FOR DOING NOTHING!
A LOT OF PEOPLE CRAVE AND WANT SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE HAD ALREADY! – BUT THE DANGER OR SITTING BY AND DOING NOTHING – CAUSED BITTERNESS AND CYNISCM.
