There is a most remarkable verse of Scripture, Revelation 3:20, where the Risen Christ invites believers in Him to “dine” with Him. The Risen Christ says to us, Revelation 3:20 [NKJV]: “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.“ In the Living Bible translation, the Risen Christ is even more insistent: “Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me.”
This “dining” and “fellowship” with the Risen Christ is an extraordinary privilege. He’s inviting us to share with Him the type of spiritual food He ate during His ministry, not known then even to His disciples: “ I have food to eat of which you do not know.” (John 4:32).
Think about it: the Risen Christ is inviting you and me to have communion with Him! And then fellowship! Did you ever wish you were present at the Last Supper? That you could have placed your head on His heart as John did? In the Holy Spirit we can do that—- the Risen Christ invites daily communion and fellowship with Him as often as we wish! We simply have to remove the distractions of the world and flesh and open the door of our hearts to Him to spend quality time with Him.
In addition to the pure joy in fellowship He has a purpose: He wants to lead us in His path of righteousness for His name’s sake. He wants to sanctify and cleanse us to grow in His holiness. He’s coming soon as the Bridegroom. We believers are His Bride and need to be without spot and wrinkle, holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27).
We could have no better mentor in this process than the Risen Christ Himself. In the presence of His awesome love as the Risen Christ He coaches us to be zealous to repent: “ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. “ (Revelation 3:19)
Under His blood and under His name He helps us uncover places in our hearts blocked by betrayal and pain, or generational curses, or vows made in the past, or unforgiveness. He helps us uncover every stronghold blocking us from manifesting the fullness of His Holy Spirit miraculously given to each of us upon becoming a believer in Him.
Like a Passover seder there are bitter herbs in this process. Like the perfect mentor, He will point out the remaining sin in our lives. We all fall short of the glory of God. He can’t let the evil in our lives and nations continue without judgment. Above His righteous judgments that will be coming will be the mercy, grace and goodness of God. When His judgments are in the earth, many will cry out for mercy, will turn to him for salvation, and “the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9).
Prior to His judgments today is the time to repent. There is no better place to address the deepest of all wounds than in this intimate time with the Risen Christ. He’s standing at the door of our hearts, knocking. Letting Him in, we can confess sins that He already knows about, experience His forgiveness, and choose sincere repentance. All wounds can be uncovered and released in His love when we repent—turning away from the world, from the flesh and the pride of life—refocusing on Him.
In contrast to bitter herbs, after repentance comes His Joy as our strength. Joy follows repentance. As we follow His path of purity, beginning to be vulnerable to others, to love as He loves, we become the overcomers He urges to join Him:“ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “ (Revelation 3:21).
Dining with the Risen Christ! What a privilege! And then to sit on His throne! Glory be to God.
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A key opportunity for personal and national repentance will take place on April 30, 2015. Many will take time to pray, fast and repent, privately or in Bible study or in a church service, during another National Day of Repentance, this one focusing on America. Many will continue with further days of prayer, fasting and repentance for the week leading up to the National Day of Prayer on May 7. During this entire time we will be supported by an international group of prayer intercessors, headed by the National Day of Prayer team in Australia. [link to their media release]. There are two goals this year: on April 30, at 7 PM EST, 4 PM PST, 9 AM May 1 in Canberra, Australia many prayer intercessors in many nations in their respective time zones will join us in the unity of the Holy Spirit in a five minute “Declaration Prayer for America.” [attached]. And in honor of George Washington’s Godly inauguration as our first President on April 30, 1789, at least 1,789 repentance services are encouraged at the grassroots throughout the USA during the repentance week. In a Bible study, in a prayer closet, in a community church service the prayer is for those repentance services to spark a repentance revival April 30-May 7 at the grassroots to bless the Body of Christ and this nation.
The repentance services will be unique to each person or group and will provide times of prayer and repentance for personal and national sins— as did Nehemiah and Daniel. God willing, thousands will take a stand and repent against apathy, cowardice, fear, pride, worldliness, sexual sins, the threat of redefining marriage despite Jesus’ clear definition, idolatry, apostasy, breaking of our Godly covenant including not standing with Israel, moral decay, the shedding of innocent blood, and loss of religious liberty.
Resist satan’s distractions. Take even thirty minutes in the next few days to answer His knock on the door of your heart and invite Him in. Enjoy communion and fellowship with the Risen Christ and His unique spiritual food. Repent as He lovingly coaches. Then as His salt and light share His Joy with others!
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Jeffrey Daly pastors Jesus Christ Fellowship in Middletown, Lake County, California and continues to practice law. Together with two other pastors he founded National Day of Repentance in 2011 as a nonprofit organization and has volunteered since that time as the communicator for the project. NDR through its website, www.dayofrepentance.org, has now expanded to other Christians in other nations wishing to hold days of repentance in their nations. He welcomes comments at jdalylaw@aol.com and is currently writing a book, “Dining With the Risen Christ and Repentance” planning soon to post it on the website as an ebook. Earlier ebooks and other repentance resources are already on the NDR website at no charge.
