Appropriate Attire

Tonight is a big night for Zeke and I. We are going to our very first Mother/Son dance. We are both extremely excited and have been practicing our "running man" dance. Zeke has had his "cool" black suit set out for days and I have had my red dress (thanks Holly) hanging on my bedroom closet door reminding me of this special evening to come. It's a semi-formal dance. I wonder what they would do if we showed up in our regular clothes? I wonder if they would let us in or send us home to put on the "required" clothing? Hmmmmmmmm......I wonder. I wonder what the Bible says about "appropriate attire."

"Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a King who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had ben invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' But they paid no attention and went off- one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who WAS NOT WEARING WEDDING CLOTHES. 'Friend, he asked, 'HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE WITHOUT WEDDING CLOTHES?' The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
-Matthew 22:1-13

"These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you may become rich; AND WHITE CLOTHES TO WEAR, SO YOU CAN COVER YOUR SHAMEFUL NAKEDNESS; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." Revelation 3:14-18

"Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'TAKE OFF HIS FILTHY CLOTHES.' Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I WILL PUT RICH GARMENTS ON YOU." Zechariah 3:3 & 4

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkeness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissesion and jealousy. Rather, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13:12-14

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has CLOTHED ME WITH GARMENTS OF SALVATION AND ARRAYED ME IN A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS." Isaiah 61:10

According to Scripture, my friends, God has planned a fantastic, wonderful, "you don't want to miss it" kind of "dance"/"banquet"/"party"/"feast"/"reception"/"celebration". The time we have on this earth is our time to look for, find and put on the "perfect dress". The perfect dress is JESUS CHRIST. Scripture teaches that it is only through slipping on His perfect white dress that we will be allowed to enter His wonderful "dance". Appropriate attire is required. If we are not dressed and clothed in Jesus we will not be allowed to enter His party.Please, Listen to His heart,

"He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

"Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?......Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Isreal; Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?"....Therefore, O house of Isreal, I will judge each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Isreal? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:23 - 32

He's already given you the perfect dress. It's there /He's there ready and waiting. You just have to make the choice to slip it on or not.

God doesn't want ANYTHING OR ANYONE to ruin his party. He is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good and pure. He is such a lover of everything truly beautiful, and right. He says,

"Nothing impure will enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27

"For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." Rev.19:7 & 8

May I encourage you on this morning of Zeke's and my dance, to consider what dress you will wear to the "eternal dance party". You know what it's like when you are searching for that perfect dress, wedding (Keisha ) or banquet, and you slip it on and announce, "This is the one!" There is ONLY ONE dress for you. His name is Jesus. The dress is ready and waiting and all you have to do is slip it on. SLIP ON HIS WHITE, PERFECT, BEAUTIFUL DRESS and prepare yourself for the party of a lifetime. Maybe I should be wearing a white semi-formal dress tonight. Does anyone have one I could borrow?

Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link