In Luke 15, Jesus invites us to consider heaven’s perspective on celebration. Apparently, heaven is celebrating lost things being found: lost coins, lost sheep and, ultimately, lost sons coming home to a loving father. Family restoration is what truly brings heaven to its feet for a joyous feast!
When you and I got saved, just imagine: Angels, Jesus, a great cloud of witnesses, all heaven’s hosts and especially the heavenly Father celebrated. Loud, jubilant, abundant celebrations were had! Think of it! A “lost” child was found and heaven burst forth lavishly with love. Apparently, a great cloud cheering louder than any football game and bigger than any gathering you’ve ever seen let loose! You may or may not have fully discovered that you belonged in that very moment but heaven knew that you had been restored to its very own family! They threw up their hands in great praise to God’s ability to manifest His life in you! Can you hear those cheers now?! Let heaven in … louder … louder still!
Why so much fanfare? Consider how tragic a loss had occurred! Heaven had lost family members, not just material possessions or livestock. Luke 15 invites us to consider how royal children, you and I, who belonged were believing themselves to be orphans to the point of spiritual death! Now, can you see why when you got found, it was cause for a fatted-calf level ruckus?!
Exuberant with joy and unstoppable with passion, the heavenly Father Himself ran out full speed with a ring and robe to celebrate you being home again. He pulled you to His chest with both arms and immediately told heaven to “start the BBQ!” But wait, it gets better: Jesus never ended that parable! Could it be that the party for your homecoming hasn’t been called off? In fact, if you can conceive of it, then Jesus is the fatted calf and the table is still full of heaven’s most valuable communion!
I like to think of Mary as our first example when she opened her heart to heaven’s invaluable feast, as Gabriel announced the new day of God being with us in Luke 1:28. That announcement changed everything, and Mary heroically feasted on the inconceivable hope of the Savior, Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit came upon her with power. Her appetite for hope and God’s uncontainable love miraculously transformed her heart into a spiritual womb for hope Himself! Jesus. Heaven’s most valuable and adored treasure was thereby conceived on the earth! All the prophets up until Mary could only perceive the coming feast of heaven to restore the sons and daughters of God but Mary conceived it! The table is open; the feast has been prepared! Will we include ourselves in what heaven celebrates?!
Do you want to join the celebration and conceive of a lifestyle of manifesting heaven on the earth? Join us on our Charisma Network Podcast, Abundant Encounters, to learn how meditation and supernatural encounters with God can help. {eoa}
Christian author Joshua Marcengill produces a weekly podcast, Abundant Encounters, that utilizes meditation and activations to help Christians cultivate more supernatural encounters with God. To help support this cause or learn more, visit abundantencounters.com.
