WAITING AT THE PORTALS

1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling            

calling for you and for me,

See on the portals He's waiting and watching

watching for you and for me.

Refrain:

Come home, come;

you who are weary come home,

earnestly tenderly Jesus is calling,

calling, Oh sinner, come home.  

The above is the first stanza and refrain of one of my favorite hymns written by Will L. Thompson in 1880. It has been sung severally, and I would like us to look through the wordings for understanding, while we sing with our spirits. 

I hear the soft and tender voice of Jesus calling for you and for me. I do not know about you, but I hope you do hear Him as well. Now He could be calling us to different levels, realms, and capacities, so do not think this post is not for you. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus for Him to become your Lord and Savior, friend and brother, then you need to answer this call. What have you been waiting for? This is the best decision you'd ever make. It's a total new world for you brother. Sister, you'd be joining the biggest family where God is your Father, you get to possess His Spirit and be equipped to fulfill purpose on earth. There's more to your life than you're seeing. The portal is open for you to go in and answer the Shepherd of your life.

There is another portal open for many of us who are already believers. The walk doesn't end at just getting born again. The experience is beautiful, but it's just the beginning. It's a daily walk. God is calling us to deeper realms in Him. He wants to show us many sides of Him we do not know yet. The problem is many of us are too comfortable where we are. We don't even want to "stress" ourselves going deeper. But the portal is open, and He's ready to draw us. This is a key many do not know. We don't need to be afraid of "stressing" ourselves to get deeper with God. That mentality alone is a turn off. So we're just okay where we are. Jesus said

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him [giving him the desire to come to Me]; and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. John 6:44

This key works in our entire relationship with God. You need to consciously and consistently ask God to fill you with the desire of Him. God knows that we can't get to know Him by "stressing" ourselves. That means using all our strength, power, human knowledge, fleshly activities, etc to get deeper with Him. You need to ask Him to draw you. Human beings have the tendency of drawing away from God. We have the tendency to get tired, to be weary, to faint, and even to be too comfortable where we are. But woe to them that are at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Jesus is waiting and watching at the portals.

2. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,

pleading for you and for me?

Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,

mercies for you and for me?

These questions are right there for us to answer. No one will answer them for us. 

Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back (change your way of thinking), turn back [in repentance] from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ Ezekiel 33:11

The first time I encountered this scripture years ago, I literally wept. It was like God Himself read it out to me with the softest tone ever. He asked "why should you die..."? Why should you perish? Why would you let Satan steal you away from God's plans for you. This post has nothing to do with being judgmental or fault finding. We're all a work in progress, so nobody is there yet.  But Jesus is pleading. He's waiting with open arms calling us to Himself. No need to linger anymore. Heed to His mercies that endure forever.

I'll leave us with this last verse.

3. O for the wonderful love He has promised

promised for you and for me,

Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,

pardon for you and for me.

You can listen to this recording to sing the hymn if you'd like to.