“An Intimate Invitation” - From Revelation 3:20

The book of Revelation is the last book in the Christian Bible. From chapter 3, verse 20, Jesus Christ extends to you a very personal invitation. And even though the invitation is found on the pages of an ancient book, the offer is timeless. The invitation still stands. Imagine yourself sitting in your favorite chair in a cozy corner of your home. The house is quiet with no distractions. Sit back, open the invitation and read God’s intimate offer to you. It begins with these words…

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

“First of all, it’s important for you to pay close attention and make sure you recognize the truth of my words. I, Jesus Christ, fully God and the one who became fully man so I could fully identified with humanity, I am at this very moment standing right beside you. I know this sounds odd since you are not able to see me but this fact is nonetheless true. And since I am everywhere present at the same time, no matter where you are on planet earth this very second I am with you. I am standing in front of that mysterious gateway into the supernatural world; that secret place whose exact location is known only by Me; that place where eternal matters flow in and out of your very soul, from your world to mine. I am standing at the spiritual entrance to your heart… “In human terms, I am telling you that I am knocking right now, in this your “present” time. I am at this moment, in your time/space continuum which I can move in and out of at will because I am God, standing in front of that sacred threshold. I came here with a purpose. My plans for you have, are and always will be for your good, never for your harm. That’s because I love you. I come today with the hope of being with you…“I knock as a gentleman, not a barbarian. I don’t pound on doors or bang the knocker so loudly the neighbors start complaining. I didn’t come to your front door with My angelic police force at my side. I came alone. But don’t be fooled by this. My armies are always on tactical alert ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. But they were not invited to the event I have planned tonight. The table is set for only two persons: Me and I hope, you…

God continues, “If anyone hears My voice…”

“Even though I am outside the front door of your heart, I can still see you. Even as you sit reading my invitation, you are lonely and troubled, weeping alone in a dark corner in one of the rooms of your heart-home. (By the way, I made those rooms.) When I saw your pain, My heart was moved with compassion so I called out your name. I watched and listened while you momentarily stopped sobbing, caught your breath, blew your nose and wiped your tear-stained face. I watched as you silently tilted your head to the side and sat still, waiting… “So I called again, softer this time. I know you heard Me. I do know your name, you know.
I called you by name even before I made the worlds and created the earth. You thought your parents named you at birth, but I ordained your identity long before I created your soul. I know everyone’s name, but not everyone knows the sound of My voice. Heaven doesn’t have any trouble recognizing My voice, but people seem to be hard of hearing. I don’t have to yell to be heard. I could yell if I wanted to and someday I will come into your world with a shout, but not today. I have a more tender purpose in coming this time… “Anyway, I also know what you are thinking. I heard you think, ‘What was that? It sounded like someone speaking my name, my first name. I know I am alone in the room. I turned off the radio and TV. Everyone else is asleep and there is no one else in the house. The voice was very faint yet, at the same time, very distinct. But who was it? No one I’ve ever known has uttered my name with such tenderness, such respect… ‘The voice seems so close, as if someone were whispering right into my ear. And somehow the voice sounds familiar. This is really strange, but I get the feeling the speaker is waiting for some kind of a response. I don’t have a clue what I’m supposed to say but I am not afraid...’ “While thus engaged within yourself, I spoke your name a third time. I AM personally calling. I AM individually addressing you right now. When My voice goes forth, the heavens and the earth tremble. However when I speak to your heart, it is not to make you tremble or cower in fear. I speak ever-so-gently to woo you and draw you closer towards my arms of love. They are open wide, ready for you, longing to embrace you… “In the midst of your current inner dialogue, I watched as you again wiped your eyes then remained absolutely still. You hardly breathed. Now you are certain you’re hearing voices, but not the tormenting, haunting kind of voices from your past. You are beginning to move towards the sound of Love. I sense a subtle yielding to My invitation has begun… “You’re still not exactly sure what is happening. This experience is like nothing you have ever known. All you know for sure is that in the midst of overwhelming loneliness and darkness of soul you heard someone call you by name. When troubles abound, hearing someone speak your name with tender love can be powerfully soothing. This I know… “You are not hallucinating or dreaming. You are certain of that. Someone is in the room with you right now. You “feel” their presence. And whether from this earth or another place in the cosmos or outside all discernable dimensions, it doesn’t seem to matter. A single reality has eclipses and enveloped all other realities. You know that you know you are not alone. I, too, know the pain of loneliness. I understand how encouraging loving companionship can be… “(On a different note, I want you to listen very carefully to another reality. I know there are other voices which also utter your name. And they know very well the emptiness and despair human beings experience when they are far from My presence. They prey on such fears. They beckon you to stop, to listen, and to yield to their enticements. They promise companionship, fulfillment and success. But they only deliver abandonment, disappointment, and the ultimate failure—eternal separation from My arms of love. Destruction is their never-ending pursuit. They can’t deliver life because they live for death. It’s the only reality they know… “Be ever so careful, My Beloved. Those other speakers do not love you and will only entice you to walk further and further away from Me. Trust Me in this. I know what I am talking about. I know it seems hard for you to distinguish between the sound of My voice and those other voices which seem so familiar and feel so right at times. But I know if you listen very carefully and really want to hear My voice, you will discern the difference.) “Like I was saying earlier, when you turned, even slightly towards My voice, My heart was filled with gladness and joy as I anticipate our communion. But, there is a problem…

“And opens the door…”

“The door is still closed. I can’t wrap my everlasting arms of love around you. You can’t feel the warmth of My embrace. You can’t lay your head on My chest and hear the joyful beating of My heart bursting with inexpressible delight that we are finally together. You can’t hear My whispers of affirmations, commitment, and acceptance. And you can’t hear the tender love songs I, as your Bridegroom, desire to sing to you, My beloved bride. Not yet. You see… “There is a barrier between us. The door, this entrance to your heart-home, can only be opened with your permission and consent. As I said, I am a gentleman and will never force Myself on anyone. I am filled with such desire to be near you. If it were up to Me, I would open the door Myself. But I can’t. As you can plainly see, the doorknob is on the inside of the door… “And just so you know, I haven’t made a secret key which will unlock this door and stashed it under the doormat for such times of rejections or refusals. There are no windows, or back doors I can break to gain entrance into your heart-home. If this were possible, you could then rightly accuse Me of breaking and illegally entering the very home of your soul. This could be likened to spiritual rape. My child, forbid to ever think such a thing! Never would I ever violate such a sacred place. Even with all My power, no such thing would I ever consider. Such behavior is totally contrary to My very nature, to everything I am, have always been and always will be… “There is only one way you and I will ever become joined as one. You must open the door. You must invite Me in. You, and you alone, control the entrance into the inner sanctuary of your soul. This is a most sacred, eternal dwelling place which I created for you when I first formed your body, soul and spirit. I made this place for you and I swore no one would ever be allowed to disturb it without permission. Not even I, your Creator. No one gains admittance without an invitation… “You have already extended an invitation to some of those other “alien suitors” I previously warned you about--those rivals to the throne of your heart, which rightly belongs to Me. You have entertained their presence on many occasions and paid a high price for their fleeting pleasures—alienation from Me… “But, in this moment, you hear Me knocking. Will you invite me in?”

“I will come in to him…”

“If you’re sure, consciously, humbly, genuinely desiring My presence to dwell in your heart, I will most definitely come in. I’ll be there in an instant. I’ll waste no time in responding. I’ve been waiting for this moment longer than you can possibly imagine… “The moment you put your hand on the doorknob, pull open the door and say to Me, ‘Welcome, Lord Jesus. Thank you for deciding I was worth your valuable time. Thank You for patiently waiting until I was ready to open the door. You didn’t have to wait. Please forgive me for keeping You outside so long. I was afraid of You, not sure if I could really trust You. I believed those other voices you spoke of. But now, I believe You would never abuse me or hurt me… ‘I am sorry for all the times I ignored Your voice and trusted in my own wisdom rather than seeking Yours. I was stubborn and wanted to prove I could take care of myself, my children, my past, and my pain without anyone’s help. I wanted to be strong and independent. How foolish I was to think I could do anything of lasting value without your help... ‘If You are willing and still want me, please make my heart your home. I am no longer afraid to surrender to your love. I am willing to risk intimacy one more time. I know now You will never abuse Your power as my heavenly husband. I will trust You as the Savior and Lord of my soul. You can have free access to every area of my life. I won’t hide anything from you any longer. I understand now that sacred lovers have nothing to hide from each other. I love You Jesus.’ “I tell you the truth. No words of any language have the ability to adequately express the joy I have as a result of your decision. I thank My Father, and now your Father, that He gave you, His most precious daughter, to Me. I promised Him long ago I would not lose one soul He entrusted into My care. I never have and I never will… “When you accepted My invitation, millions and millions of holy angels simultaneously burst forth with shouts of sheer ecstasy. Singing, dancing, laughter and praises to the Most High God erupted throughout the celestial kingdom. You see whenever a soul repents – that is accepts my open dinner invitation – angelic beings are just as excited as I am. They understand what’s at stake. Their exuberant celebrations can be heard up and down the golden streets of heaven. At this time, only heavenly ears can hear their music… “(Oh, there was a time on earth when heaven’s angelic choir could not contain themselves. Their songs of joy tore through the veil separating heaven and earth and the glory of their praises burst forth for humanity to hear. It was that night in Bethlehem, when I entered human history and became flesh and blood for the sole purpose of dying on that cross to pay the penalty for your sins. I accepted your death sentence, so you could live. Because I died, and your sins are forever forgiven, nothing remains which can keep us apart. Now that you have invited Me to come into your heart-home, we will be together forever.) “Back to what I was saying about My invitation. It is with joy inexpressible I am finally able to declare, ‘Our time has now come’…

“And will dine with him…”

“You cannot yet fully comprehend what this part of my intimate invitation really means – ‘For Me to dine with you’. A relationship like nothing you can imagine has begun. You and I will enjoy incredible delicacies of communications, indescribable divine pleasures of understanding, immeasurable moments of joys, and innumerable moments of unhindered, unrestricted, and unashamed intimate knowledge… “You will experience waves of un-ending love, like the gentle ocean tides continuously washing over your mind and heart, healing your entire being from painful memories. At times, the closeness of My presence and the fullness of My love will be so overwhelming, you will wonder whether you are alive or already in heaven… “You will never be afraid to let me touch your cheek and wipe away your tears. The companionship we will experience will be hard to describe to those who don’t yet know me. And this is only the beginning of the glories to come… “I will pull back the curtains separating your dimension from Mine. I will share with you visions of indescribable beauty—visions of My heavenly kingdom. You won’t have words to communicate these images. Earthly languages will fail. You will learn new, heavenly tongues to speak of their glories. You will hear angelic voices in reverent worship, resounding with harmonies and melodies, the likes of which will bring you to your knees in speechless adoration… “I will give you My peace – divine peace, holy peace, complete peace. This gift is not like some shallow, earth-bound, fleeting emotion your world calls “peace”. My peace dissolves the anxieties of your past, your present, and your future. My peace is yours because I am yours and you are Mine. My peace will be your constant companion, as long as you remember My words, My unchanging promise to never leave you. I am with you always. Nothing and no one has the ability to separate the two of us. Let this knowledge always comfort your heart... “I will give you My joy – joy to soar above and beyond every trial, every difficulty, every failure, every disappointment. My joy will empower you to live above the struggles of life. My gift of joy is not like what human beings call ‘happiness’ which exists merely in the absence of struggles. In My presence is fullness of joy because I go with you. I am beside you, in you, near you and I surround you as you travel through every hill and valley of life. Walking with me will become your greatest desire and My greatest pleasure. Together we will bless each other… “Absolute trust in My character will become second nature to you and you will hardly remember a time when you feared My presence. You will know the release of guilt and walk in the absence of its torment. You will know acceptance and never need to fear My rejection or abandonment again. All such thoughts will one-by-one be washed away and eventually cease to exist… “You will come to rest in My faithfulness. I will use every opportunity, every event to teach you about my faithfulness. It may seem strange to you now but you will, in time, come to cherish the “good” and the “bad” times, rejoicing in all things. I will prove to you time and time again how I am able to make all things work together for good in your life… “This new life will not happen all at once, but will be accomplished over the span of your earthly life. It is a holy process which I began in you and I will complete in you. You cannot perfect yourself. I am in control of your sanctification. I know its speed, dimensions, depth, and the timing of all your spiritual progress. At times you will be tempted to think it is taking too long and become impatient. I understand. I know everything about you... “Be still and remember that I am God and you are not. My thoughts are not like your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways. But that is your hope. It is a glorious thing that you and I are so very different! “You will also discover how priceless and unique you are—a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, shaped and molded by the skillful hands of the Master Potter Himself-Me. No one else can bear the same glorious image of My Son. No one else can offer the world a testimony like yours. No one else can give to My people the knowledge you will bring. No one else can teach the angels in heaven the wonders of My grace in quite the same way you will. You will provide invaluable service to My kingdom and to Me. This should excite you beyond measure… “By the way. Your acceptance of My invitation to live in your heart-home grants me authority I won’t hesitate to use. When I cross the threshold I will immediately take My rightful place on the throne of your heart and establish my kingdom. I will immediately assume the benevolent leadership role in your life. You gave Me permission, remember? “And just to clarify one point, I will immediately evict all other tenants, those rival gods you allowed to take residency in your ignorance. No “thirty-day eviction notice” for these vicious thieves. They don’t deserve it! “And, since intentions are everything, it is important to Me that you understand Mine. I do not intend to be a temporary houseguest. I will not remain if that is all you want from Me. I expect you to allow Me permanent, unrestrained access to your entire residence – the home of your heart – for the rest of your life. And because I know your weaknesses, trust Me with everything. I will give you the strength to stay close to me every day if that is your sincere desire… “And one more thing. If I remember correctly, you just gave Me permission to do some serious housecleaning. This I will do most diligently, believe Me. Any objects, belongings, persons, passions, habits, or any hurtful ways, either to yourself, others, or to Me, I will destroy. Hear Me clearly when I say, I will not tolerate any compromises on this point. Be prepared for My intervention. I do not take up residency in your home only to refinish, recover, repaint or shore-up the decaying structure. I make all things brand new… “Everything that was part of your life before you met Me must be completely discarded. You must trust Me in this, as well. If you begin to doubt My judgment in these areas and question My decisions, you and I will drift apart, and the passions of our first love will fade. You will not hear My voice as clearly and this will cause you enormous grief. And I would not feel as welcomed as I do now and that would most certainly break My heart… “Once again, My beloved, remember I am not a tyrant. My passionate goal is to lead you into a brand new wholeness and a confident sense of purpose in life such as you never dared to imagine you could know… “I said I would not hide anything from you, but reveal the whole truth to you, so there is one more thing I want you to know. I don’t want you to be surprised and begin to doubt My trustworthiness. “Because you are My friend and you have decided to imitate My ways, sometimes your life will be very difficult. For the simple reason that you love Me, and for no other reason, you will be rejected and ridiculed and misunderstood, hated and may even be put to death. I know that sounds like I’ve just taken back all the promises of the abundant life I first promised you, but I haven’t. I am not an ‘Indian giver’… “It’s just that now you are the citizen of a world not at all connected to this world. And you have been adopted into a new heavenly, holy family. This world does not understand holiness and they have rejected everything pertaining to my earthly reign. That’s because their ways, individually and collectively, are totally contrary to My ways, just like yours used to be. My wisdom, My definitions of success are very different from theirs… “There will be times when their selfishness, pride, un-forgiveness, bitterness, and cruelty will weigh so heavily upon your shoulders you will feel as if you will be crushed by their oppression. You may be tempted to look behind you, to a past era where life ‘seemed’ easier and desire to return to your former manner of living. But I warn you, don’t go there. In reality, there is no such place. It doesn’t exist and it never really did, not in the past present or in this your present perfect sense… “The only safe place for you to be—to walk, to stand, to rest in —is in Me, in the palm of My strong right hand. I hold the universe in its place. I command the stars in heaven so they don’t collide with one another. I hold the earth in its orbital path. I support the very ground you walk upon. I am the solid foundation on which your feet rest. Trust Me no matter what happens. I will never let you fall out of My hand... “Only, I earnestly beseech you, walk with Me. Grow in your knowledge of and love for Me. Stay close to Me. Trust Me. Obey Me. Remain with Me. Watch with Me. Listen for Me. Tell others of our love. Wait eagerly for My return. It is very soon. I don’t ask these things of you to build up My ego, but to give you life, hope and a future… “Friends have close communion. Friends have common interests. Friends find great delight in each other’s company. Friends make time to be together. Friends are loyal. I am your Friend. I have called you mine. Come and see what I have prepared for those who love Me...

“And he with Me.”

Jesus Christ says, “My banquet table is ready. I have prepared a feast fit for you, My most Beloved, holy Bride… “I am My beloved’s and she is now Mine. I am in My Father and My Father is in Me. The Holy Spirit is in Me and in My Father. You are now in Us and We are in you. We are all one together. “The entire divine trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – now resides within your eternal spiritual home. This is a most profound truth that has concerned many people over the years. Don’t be too concerned since you cannot now understand how this kind of indwelling can occur. One day you will. I am just telling you the truth when I say it is to your advantage to be sure... “You have the Holy Spirit of God living in your home. His eternal purpose is to teach you about Me. He will remind you of the things I have shared with you. He will bring My comfort to you when you are discouraged. He will send you My strength when you are weak. He will teach you the right ways to live and correct you when you wander away from Me. He will teach you the difference between the truth and a lie. How necessary this will be for you. The longer we walk together, the more you will treasure His presence… “My Father has committed His love to you as well. He will be like a most loving Father to you, His daughter. It doesn’t matter what your earthly father was like. Your heavenly Father is perfect kindness, perfect understanding, perfect acceptance, and perfect love. Even His discipline is perfect and always done with your ultimate good in mind. He loves you so much that whatever you ask of Him, in My name, He will give to you. No good thing will He withhold from those who love Him… “And then, as I have already told, I, Myself, Jesus Christ – the Creator of the world, the divine Healer of your soul, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the First and the Last, your Savior, your Shepherd, your Husband, and your Friend – have taken up residence in your most sacred home… “Welcome us all. We love you. How many more ways can We show you? Let Us prove to you that Our love is the most valuable, durable, personal, constant and undefiled reality in the entire universe. Nothing compares with Our love.”

Jesus ends His invitation by saying, “Remember also these words I spoke to you.”

“The sheep hear His voice and He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
John 10:3. Just as a loving Shepherd has intimate knowledge of His flock, Jesus has
intimate knowledge of you. He knows your name. You are His sheep when you hear
His voice and follow Him.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…” Rev 3:22. God created you with two physical ears and one mouth. He also gave you a sufficient number of spiritual ears so you could hear His spiritual words. This was God’s responsibility. It is now your responsibility to exercise the sense of hearing He gave you.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me…” Hebrews 3:15. Today, you have read God’s invitation. It is absolutely critical you do not fold up the card and throw it in the garbage can. There are no guarantees you will live another day to hear and RSVP. And even though this is currently an “open invitation”, God is not obligated to keep this offer open indefinitely. One day the offer will expire.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’. And let the one who hears say, ‘Come’.” Revelation 22:17. All creation waits for your reply. What will they hear?

How to RSVP to God’s Intimate Invitation

If you have heard the words of God’s invitation and would like to respond by asking Jesus Christ into the home of your heart, you can do so right now. Simply stop what you are doing and say a heart-felt prayer to God similar to the one you just read. The exact words are not as important as the sincerity of your words. God knows what you are trying to say.

If you have accepted God’s intimate invitation, please let us know. It would be our privilege to welcome you into God’s forever family and to provide you with practical tools to grow in the knowledge of God’s love and His wonderful plan for your life. Please write us at contact@houseofcompassion.org.