PRODIGAL SONS

Dear One,
    We need to take a more in depth look at the prodigal son parable that was so eloquently described by Jesus.  He said that the prodigal son was in unity with his father and decided that he wanted to receive his inheritance early. His father obliged him, gave the son all of his land and money that was due him. (Luke 15:11-13) When the son had all of his inheritance, he left his father and went to a distant land where he lived a riotous life, spending all that he had lavishly until all of his inheritance was gone.(Luke 15:12-13)  If that wasn't bad enough, there came a horrible famine in the land to which he had gone, which had previously looked so enticing. (Luke 15:14-15) The son became very impoverished so he went to one of the officials of that land, begged for help and the official gave him a job feeding the pigs.  He was glad to eat the food intended for the pigs because no one else gave him anything to eat.(Luke 15:16) 
     The prodigal son began to remember that his father's servants had better living quarters and food than he had, so he decided to return to his father and ask his father to at least give him the same food that the servants ate.  He was humble, willing to only be treated as a servant by his father. He knew that he had sinned against heaven and against his father.  He returned to his father's land, free from rebellion, pride and arrogance, willing to only be treated as a servant. (Luke 15:17) He told his father that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. (Luke 15:18-21)
     His father had a different view of the situation.  Instead of condemning his son, rejecting him and making him do penance for his sins, the father welcomed his son home and treated him as if he had never left.  He never mentioned that the son had spent his inheritance foolishly, and never ridiculed the son for his unwise decision to leave the kingdom of his father.  What he did was receive His son back into His family, put the family robe on him to warm his son, put the family ring of authority upon the finger of the son and ordered a celebration to be held through outthe land because his son had been dead to him but was now alive, was lost but he now was found. (Luke 15:22-24)
     There is a hidden lesson in that parable that My children often forget about.  The son had originally enjoyed all of the benefits of being the son of a very wealthy man.  My children who come to Me and are born of My Spirit become royalty, worthy of My inheritance while they live in the earth.  Their lives change, their motivations change, their days in the earth are glorious.  Very often, some of My children are enticed to take their wonderful inheritance and join in with spirits from a distant land, from hell.  They think that their lives will continue to be blessed abundantly, even though they have left Me and My constant counsel, guidance and wisdom.  They begin to be prideful and arrogant rather than being humble and merciful, as I am.  They live riotous lives in their thoughts and actions, joining with religious and political strife, jealousy, contention and division rather than being peaceful, as I am. They judge people who still have in their wealth the possessions that My children lost when they joined with the evil spirits from the distant land of hell.  They lose everything, not because of My rejection, but because of their choice of leaving My family and becoming detached from My blessings. 
       I handle My children the same way that the father in the parable handled his prodigal son.  I welcome back into My good graces everyone who has become deceived by the spirits in religious sects, political parties or extreme patriotic persuasions.  My children equate extreme patriotism with love for Me.  It is not so. Millions of people have followed political leaders into the horrors of war, genocide,
mass tortures and killings in the name of patriotism, which can become an unreasonable extreme love for their country.  They put love for their country before love for Me, all the time thinking that devotion to their earthly country is devotion to Me.  It is not.  Often the extreme love and devotion for their country becomes their god, breaking the first admonition of guidance that I gave to the nation of Israel.
       My arms are always outstretched to receive all of My children who return to Me after finding out that their detachment from Me has cost them everything.  They have lost their lands, their fortunes and their families, all because it looked more enjoyable in the distant land which was dangled before their eyes by the devil.  However, when they repent and turn back to Me, there is no condemnation or guilt issued by Me.  Instead, there is a return to their authority of My family. There is an abundance of love and forgiveness.  There is a new anointing of peace, love and goodness.  Repentance merely means to turn and go the other way instead of continuing on the road to destruction.  Repentance does not mean groveling and crawling like a whipped dog back to Me.  It means to reject the old destructive ways and return to My blessed ways, eager to be in unity with Me instead of being in unity with the god of the pig pen.  
      Remember that the prodigal son was extremely blessed by his father before he became rebellious, so that does not mean that the unbeliever is the one who leaves Me.  It means that very often My children who are born of My Spirit leave Me and break unity with Me for what looks like real freedom.  It is not.  It is bondage to the demonic spirits of rebellion, hatred, anger, riotous living, judging others, condemning others, sowing evil seeds in their garden of life, hatred of people of different nationalities and beliefs, physical and mental hardships and eventual death.
     When My children break unity with Me, they go after other gods in other religious and political philosophies and they end up losing everything.  I do not reject them.  I receive them back with joy, anointing them with every good thing that it is My pleasure to give. (Luke 12:32)
     Again I caution you to be a watchman of your mind, watching for any thought that is not a thought of love toward everyone.  That thought is from the evil one, trying to take you away from My love, peace, mercy, goodness and kindness and eventually depositing you into the pig pen.
     I always receive you back with joy, but pig pen life is tough on you spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. 
     Your Loving Father of Plenty