‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect ALL...the MISFITS and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’ -Luke 14:21b MSG
AN UNLIKELY GATHERING
In a dream this week, an unusual crowd of mostly 20-somethings was gathering in a small apartment. Through the front door entered a young man dressed in goth attire with his girlfriend. He wore a black skirt, black leggings, and had a guitar slung over his back. Across the room, another young man's flashy, silver, glitter-polished nails caught my eye. Around 10 or 15 people crammed into the joined living and dining area. Several pulled out guitars. Then we began singing worship songs. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the Jesus Movement gatherings in the 60's and 70's.
FROM CASTAWAY TO CENTERPIECE
As I began pondering this dream, the Lord spoke so clearly to me, "I draw ALL men unto Myself." He was emphasizing ALL...referring to even the most odd or unconventional person. He continued, "I am raising up an ARMY OF MISFITS. They will find their BELONGING in Me. I am doing an UNUSUAL thing. I am fitting puzzle pieces together that didn’t fit with the pieces in their boxes."
As He was speaking, I saw many puzzle boxes spread out on a huge table. From these boxes puzzle pieces were being cast aside because they didn't fit with the pieces in their box or match the picture on the box. Then, I saw God’s large hands gently pick up each of these ill-fitting pieces. With purpose, He begin to fit them together one by one. As each puzzle piece met in God’s hands, a golden light radiated along the edges as if they were being supernaturally soldered together. Collectively, these pieces began to form one spectacular picture.
"I am pulling these pieces together to build one big beautiful masterpiece. I am calling them to something so much larger and grander than the boxes they were born in. The scope of My plan is so grand...so magnificent that many will say, 'Who would have thought that these pieces would come together and fit so perfectly.' I am doing something outside of the box. It will not fit inside the picture and framework of church as usual. Watch what I do with a pile of discards."
THE PLACE WHERE I BELONG
With wonder and awe, the voices of the rejected and misunderstood began to echo softly at first and then louder, "I have a place. I have a place. There is a place for ME. I have a place at His banquet table."
Tears began to flood my eyes, as I sensed the brokenness, the loneliness, the abandonment, the worthlessness that these little ones felt. God's tender heart was gathering these discarded ones together in His arms...these whom He wanted so much. And He was bringing them into adoption, family, acceptance, purpose. and belonging. In Christ, they found the place where they FIT PERFECTLY.
BANQUET OF THE BEGGAR AND THE BROKEN
Two Scripture passages were quickened to my spirit from Matthew 22 and Luke 14 as being important and highlighted for the season we are entering.
In these parables, Jesus told of a King who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. However, when the servants carried the message that the day for the feast had arrived, those who had been invited were distracted, busy, full of excuses, and refused to come. Enraged that his invitation was scorned and dismissed, the King told the servants to go at once throughout the city and invite ANYONE you find—the poor, the blind, the disabled, the hurting, and the lonely.’ Yet, the servants returned saying there was still room for more. So, the Master told them, ‘All right. Go out again, and this time BRING THEM ALL back with you. Persuade the beggars on the streets, the outcasts, the afflicted, the misfits, the wretched, and the homeless. Urgently insist that they come in and enjoy the feast so that my house will be full.’ (paraphrased*)
God is going to fill His house one way or another, and I sense that He is heavily emphasizing that He is drawing ALL and I mean ALL PEOPLE to Himself. The church had better wake up and make way for what the Lord is doing lest our delicate sensibilities become OFFENDED by the TYPE of people who will make up this END-TIME HARVEST. We must set aside our preconceived notions of what church should look like, for God is working and moving outside of our boxes. The picture He is putting together piece by piece is beyond the scope of our limited vision and mindsets. He is doing a wondrous thing in our midst if we will only perceive and run with HIS agenda. I pray that we will ask God to shatter our paradigms. May we request to join Him in the work that HE is doing.
In the spirit I hear the Lord asking, "Who will go for Me? Who will go? Who will be My servant who goes into the streets and alleyways carrying an invitation to my great banquet?
Who will take part in the picture I am building?"
LET THE ARMY OF MISFITS ARISE!!!
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL people to myself.”-John 12:32 NIV
Luke 14:16-24, Matthew 22:2-14 TPT & MSG
BEAUTIFUL !!! Yes and Amen!!
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️