2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  NASB

I had a person tell me, some years ago, that they didn’t let their co-workers know they were Christians because they feared discrimination in the workplace.  I’ve known some people in my Christian walk who are what I call Secret Christians because they don’t want the people they work with or do business with to know about their faith.  The problem I have with that is it falls dangerously close to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 regarding denying Him before men. 

Although those individuals I allude to did not actually deny Jesus they demonstrated a certain shame and fear of others knowing about their belief in Him.  That puts them in the position and condition that prevents them from fulfilling the Lord’s Commission to “Go into all the world…”  It frees them from the watchful eye of those observing their behavior and words and they could easily lapse into activity or conversation that would not be becoming for a believer without those around them questioning their relationship or Christianity. 

Some have told me that by remaining a secret follower they have escaped the possibility of becoming a ‘stumbling block’ to others.  My response was, SERIOUSLY!  They do fall into the category that Jesus described in Mark 8:38 where He said that if we are ‘ashamed’ of him in this wicked generation, He will be ‘ashamed’ of us in the Day of Judgment.

If I am ashamed of Jesus and hide my faith that causes me to wonder if I have faith!  I am not trying to be the judge of another and will leave that to God, but can anyone be comfortable being a Secret Christian?  Jesus told us not to fear those who could destroy the body and in that destroy our livelihood on earth but to fear Him that could destroy the soul.  He also asked pointedly, “What would a man give in exchange for his soul? What would be the profit of gaining the whole world and losing the soul?”  Obviously, there would only be earthly and temporary gain but eternal loss.

I am not suggesting that you must be out on the streets, knocking on every door you see, and giving a specific witness verbally to everyone you meet. That might not be God’s desire, but you can and should always give a ‘silent visual witness’ by your life, words, and deeds.  Then we should be ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within us. 

You do not have to and should not wear your Christianity on your sleeve and become obnoxious in trying to convert and witness to everyone.  Some are not ready, will not receive, and your actions will only push them further away not bring them near.  Listen to the voice inside and follow your heart but Always manifest the ‘Life of Christ’ and the ‘Character of Jesus’ in your life.  You will be surprised how many people ask about what it is that makes you different.  Some will ridicule but many will come inquiringly and hungrily wanting more than what they have and have seen in others and even churches.  You are letters known and read of men!

So, as you go through life, go with pride that you are a follower of Jesus!  Know that as you manifest Him others will see, and some will respond favorably to His nudging and tugging of their heartstrings.  

Blessings as you go through your day!

Matthew 28:20 – “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NASB

In the context of this statement, Jesus was issuing what we call The Great Commission to His followers.  He identified that He has All Authority in heaven and on earth.  He commanded them to GO and make disciples of all nations.  He instructed them to baptize and teach them to observe All His Commandments.  It was after the conclusion of that discourse He issued the incredibly powerful promise – “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Throughout my Christian walk, I have taken this promise of Jesus as one of my ‘Foundational Rocks’ upon which I stand and take comfort.  No matter what the assignment, how difficult the task, how large the opposition, or how dangerous the endeavor, I know that He is Going to Be with Me!  If He is with me, what do I have to fear? 

If He is with me, what can be too difficult?  If He is with me, there is no reason to shy away from any assignment and the obstacles and opposition are simply possibilities and opportunities for God to demonstrate His incredible power and love.  If I become a casualty in the flesh that is a small thing compared to His eternal purpose.  It would only mean I get promoted earlier than others around me and get to the heavenly party earlier than I would have expected.  That is most assuredly a comfort to me.

He is not with me ‘some of the time’, or for a ‘short time,’ He is with me to the End of the Age!  That means as long as I am on this planet, He Is with Me!  As long as I occupy this tabernacle of flesh, He is With Me!  As long as I breathe life naturally, He is With Me!  Each step I take, each difficulty I encounter, each victory I experience He is There!  He is WITH ME! 

You are not alone!  All mankind could forsake you and you can still know that He is with You!  Therefore, as you go through this day and the rest of your life go in the confidence and comfort that He is with You and will Never Forsake You!  As long as you are here, He is Wherever You Are!  Hallelujah!

So, as you go through your day go in the grace, peace, power, and comfort of the Lord!  BLESSINGS!

Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” NASB

I know that some may consider this wrong and I may receive bad reviews.  Likewise, others will agree entirely and say a hearty Amen!  I may even be deleted from the friend’s list by some for my view on this subject but if that happens it happens.  I am not unconcerned about the feelings of others and would never want to intentionally offend anyone but in pursuit of the truth and in doing what I feel the Holy Spirit would have me do I proceed.

Look at what Jesus said in John’s Revelation:

• I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock.

That door is the door to our hearts and Jesus is initiating the call to repentance and salvation.  He, through the Holy Spirit, brings conviction and convincing to the heart that we are ‘lost’ and need a savior.  He, through the Holy Spirit, brings us to an awareness that there is an offer of pardon on the table, that there is a door to the kingdom and family of God open to us.  He has done His part!

• IF anyone hears My voice and opens the door.

The “if’ is important because too often those He is calling and reaching out to every person in the world of every generation but many do not hear or listen.  God said, “Whosoever will let Him come,” “Whoever believes in Him would not perish”, and “God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance.”  Therefore, we know God desires that All Be Saved! 

It is not the select of the elect that have access to salvation, but anyone born of woman.  But they must open the door to their hearts.  They must act upon the conviction and convincing of the Holy Spirit.  They must respond to the call of God to salvation.  They must make the choice to receive Him.  We are not excluded from the process but heavily included in that we must choose to receive what He has offered.  In that choice, we acknowledge our sin, receive His forgiveness, and make a commitment to follow Him! 

• I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

If we act upon what He has offered and respond to the call of the Spirit of God to come to Jesus and drink of His cleansing waters, He will come to us!  We will not be rejected.  He will dine with us implying that He will break the Heavenly nourishment of Spiritual food with us enabling us to develop and grow in grace and the power of God.  He will walk with us from spiritual infancy through our teenage years, into adulthood and maturity.

He is ‘knocking at the door’ of hearts now. My plea is that we ‘open the door’ of our hearts to Him today.  Allow Jesus to come into our hearts and transform us.  Allow Him to take the child of darkness and make him or her a child of light.  Allow Him to complete the process of ‘adoption’ into the Family of God.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Matthew 5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR  and hate your enemy.’  44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” NASB

I’m sure you have noticed that many of the instructions of Jesus regarding relationships with others are challenging.  Our Lord did not bring an “Easy Button” into the equation when He spoke about interpersonal relationships.  His Gospel is not one of “Easy Believism” but one that is often almost incomprehensible in its difficult for flawed human beings such as we are.  This is one of those examples.

The Jews and most people of that era and many today believe that we should love our neighbor or those like us but hate our enemies or those that differ with or oppose us.  Jesus said that instead of adopting that philosophy or rule of life the ‘Rule of Life’ from God was “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Most find that virtually impossible! 

We want ‘justice’ or ‘revenge’ and want them to ‘pay!’  Loving them is virtually out of the question and praying for them is almost impossible.  Yet, the Lord declared that IF we are to be “sons of our heavenly Father” it must be the Rule of Life for us.  He informed those hearing that if they were to be ‘perfect’ or ‘complete’ in God or as God this must be the ‘Rule of Life’ for us.

Consider the matter of Loving our Enemies.  How do you do that?  It is Impossible unless we ‘forgive’.  I cannot hate and love a person at the same time.  To love someone, I must ‘value them’ and to ‘value them,’  I must not harbor a grievance or resentment toward them.  I must see them as God sees them and realize that God values them as His creation and desires that they should be saved as we. 

Therefore, if God made them, and desires them to be forgiven, I must learn to forgive.  I must swallow my pride, put to rest my resentment and thirst for retaliation and vengeance, and forgive them!  I dare say this will take more than one attempt to accomplish. 

I have found that although I weep with tears streaming down my cheeks and broken-hearted crying out “I FORGIVE” something will happen in a few minutes, hours, days, or weeks that rekindle the old feelings.  In that moment I realize that I have not Forgotten and must go through the process again.  I must continue it until the matter is settled in the heart and I have fully released them from my prison of hatred or hurt.  At that point, I no longer allow what they did to be used in any judgment or action toward them.  At that point, I can love them with the Love of God has forgiven them and then I can pray for them effectually and honestly.

I do not suggest that you pray for them to continue following the path they have been traveling.  You do not pray that they continue that lifestyle and attitude and hurt others.  You do not pray that they can continue serving themselves but pray for their souls genuinely desiring them to come to Jesus and receive His mercy and pardon.  That would mean that you do not rejoice in their destruction but rejoice in the redemption.  This is a battle that I wage almost daily and certainly frequently.  It is something that I strive to achieve in my life and know that only as I forgive am I truly free! 

I want to please God in my life and relationships and although I do not believe I can earn His favor I do believe that He honors our persistent obedience to His commandments.  That opens our hearts to receive more and more of His nature and character into our lives and the more we receive Him we ‘decrease’, and He ‘increases’. 

As you go through your day and for the rest of your life make it your objective to be a person who loves their enemies and prays for those who persecute you.  Be a Forgiver! 

God bless you as you go through your day!

2 Timothy 3:1-9 – “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” NKJV

The Bible is replete with warnings about the condition of events and people in the Last Days, a time I believe we are now living.  When you review this list of conditions and characteristics of people in this time period it almost sounds like a ‘newspaper headline’ for today. 

Consider the description:

“Men will be lovers of themselves, money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  

Does that describe the condition of much of the world today or what? We are urged or instructed to ‘turn away’ from this sort of individual or individuals and told that they will infiltrate families, churches, organizations, etc. and deceive people not just women but the gullible. These are ‘ever learning’ but never coming to the knowledge of truth and captivate and capture those of the same ilk.  Those of corrupt minds will be participants in the affairs of this type of individual.

The Last Days will bring trouble and if we are to come through this time of peril we must reject and resist the temptation to participate in the schemes of ‘evil people.’  We must turn our hearts and minds to the Lord Jesus Himself and ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.’  We must always ‘shun the very appearance of evil.’ We must seek the ‘love of God’ to be spread throughout our entire being, our heart, mind, soul, and spirit. 

If we do not want to become entrapped by the devices of the devil in these Last Days, we must recognize and reject this type of mentality and person.  Try to win them but never participate in their devices.

God be with you as you go through your day!

Acts 1:6-8 – “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  NASB

The disciples and the followers of Jesus, in that day, continually had a problem with the natural restoration of the Kingdom of Israel.  They failed to grasp the full import of the truth that Jesus’ Kingdom was not an earthly one but a heavenly one. 

They were hoping to throw off the bonds of oppression from the Romans and see Israel restored as a sovereign nation once again.  Jesus addressed this on more than once occasion and each time He would say, “It is not for you to know….”  On this occasion, after He reminded them that knowing the times and season of what the Father had planned was not theirs to know but something important was in their immediate future and it would impact the known world.

You will receive POWER WHEN… When?  Jesus was saying to them: When the Holy Spirit has come upon you and the result of that infusion of power will be your ability to take this message of the gospel that you have been given to Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.  You will Impact the World more through this than you would if I restored the nation of Israel as a sovereign earthly kingdom right now.  They understand it until the Day of Pentecost and the visitation of the Holy Spirit, in a mighty way, truly and literally transformed their lives, those around them, and as a result, swept the world and is still sweeping it today.

Sometimes we become so involved and interested in ‘uncovering secrets’ that we fail to realize the most important truth. That is, receiving the infusion of the Holy Spirit’s life and power to enable us to take the message of the Cross and the Gospel to the world.  With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we can deliver the witness of Jesus to the lost and do so with God’s Power which is able to convince convict and convert them.  The power that can rescue the lost from their lost-ness and translate them from the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light!

 Instead of trying to uncover the secrets of the Bible and establish dates and times for coming events why not leave that in God’s hands?  Rather seek to be saturated with God’s life and power through the Holy Spirit and allow the Life of Christ to spill out onto those we encounter? 

Our task is to rescue the perishing not to identify when God is going to do His next thing on His prophetic calendar.  I’m not saying finding out what God is up to is bad but it is not the most important thing to be able to predict what is coming and when.  We are ‘watchmen on the walls’ not ‘heralds of coming events’to show our knowledge and skill at research and interpretation.  We are voices in the wilderness!

May God help us and be with us as we go through this day!

1 John 2:15-17 – “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” NASB

I’ve heard more explanations of this than I care to remember and virtually all of them fell short of bringing me the peace and confidence that their explanation revealed the depth of the truth in this passage.  It is obvious, to me, that Jesus, through John, would not have issued this prohibition without reason.  Here we find the command Not to Love Something, but what?  We are told to ‘not love’ the World or the things of the World but what is it that we are not to love?

In study I have found that the word world is used in the Bible in three different ways and speaks to three different things:

• World as in the ‘physical universe’ or God’s material creation.
• World as it refers to and identifies PEOPLE or the ‘world of mankind’.
• World as it refers to the dwellers on the earth who, are ‘by nature without God, acting and living in a way that only has reference to ‘this life.’

If we interpret this passage using the ‘physical universe’ as the meaning, we will be required to ask, does not God love His own creation?  Therefore, would it be wrong for us to love, respect, and appreciate what He has made?  In the second using ‘people’ as the meaning we know that GOD loves all mankind so how could we be prohibited from loving them too?  That only leaves us one possibility and that being the World of Man outside and apart from God.  Clearly, he is telling us not to love the Life of Sin or Separation from God.

Then we notice that he said we are not to love the ‘things of the world’ and if you pursue the reading you will see that he beings to talk about the sins of mankind here listing some as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  In each case it is, clear to me that the prohibition is not referring to people, the planet, or things that we might possess and/or use of this world’s material creation but The Life Outside God.  The World here is referencing a life, mentality, and condition that is a description of a life that ignores God, His Word, and His love.  It focuses on ‘self’ and is in rebellion to God, His Word, and His Love. 

Therefore, we are to Not Love the World meaning the World that is represented by a philosophy, nature, and character that is apart from and alienated from God.  We are to not love the condition that affords licentiousness, lasciviousness, and lawlessness.  We are to Love God first and foremost.  We are to reject the pull of the pleasures of sin and the tug of the devil to be a god unto ourselves.

As you go through this day go IN GOD’S LOVE and share that love with everyone you meet!  Blessings abundantly!

Matthew 5:1-7:28

What have we missed by relegating this sermon to small portions rather than looking at the whole and in the full context? That is a question that has led to a challenge that the Holy Spirit has presented to me to research and study.  I’ve already seen several things with just a cursory reading of it and realizing that most of the time what has been called the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ is not the entire message of our Lord that day. 

It beings in Chapter Five and frequently many stop at verse eleven but Jesus did not stop speaking then and it is an interesting endeavor to do somewhat of an outline of His message that day.

In Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus identified the Blessed by contrasting and identifying human conditions.  He identified and told us of the Blessing to the Poor in spirit. (v. 3) Those who mourn. (v.4) The gentle. (v.5) Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (v.6) The merciful. (v.7) The pure in heart. (v.8) The peacemakers. (v.9) The persecuted for righteousness. (v.10) The falsely accused and ridiculed. (v.11)

He then transitioned to identifying who we are, as believers, and how we should live in Matthew 5:13-20. We are salt which is a preservative as well as a condiment for seasoning or giving flavor to food.  We are light and our light will be seen either for good or bad.  He identified what our relationship with God’s Law and our personal and individual righteousness or piety is to be

In keeping with that from Matthew 5:21-6:1, Jesus broke down how His Gospel and the New Covenant extends far beyond the Mosaic Law.  He identified how it goes beyond being a rigid ‘letter of the law’ to one that deals with the condition of the heart.  In Matthew 5:21-26, we find His discourse on the condition of the heart and our relationship with other humans and how God expects us to resolve conflicts.  In Matthew 5:27-30, we have His treatise on purity.  Matthew 5:21-32 that overlaps into verses 33-37 deals with marriage and sexual purity. 

In verses 33-37 the ‘vows’ connected to marriage are expanded by Jesus to all of life and our relationship with God.  He identified the importance of ‘oath keeping’ and being people of our word.  In Matthew 5:38-48, we find Jesus destroying the Old Testament judgment that permitted revenge and expands it to a ‘new heart’ in which we focus on redemption, Christian charity and love, and the forbidding of showing partiality.  In verse one of the next Chapter, we find the continuation that warns of doing what we do for the accolades of man.

In Matthew 6:1-4 we find the message of Jesus regarding the poor, philanthropy, and anonymity in giving or at least doing so without ‘fanfare.’  He identified that if you give to be noticed you have received all the reward you are ever going to get.

In Matthew 6:5-14 we cannot disassociate this passage from the previous instructions regarding giving because God is saying, “If you give in secret, God will reward you openly.”  He also identified that if we ‘pray in secret’ without trumpeting our time, frequency, etc. of prayer God will honor that and the reward will be visible for all to see.  Simply, you do not need to nor is it God’s desire that you ‘toot your own horn.’ 

This powerful instruction on personal private prayer is so enlightening and liberating that were we to implement it into our lives we would immediately be transformed into a different person altogether.  We are warned in verse 14that if we refuse to forgive, we have blocked forgiveness for ourselves and there are no loopholes in this, it covers everything and every situation.

He expanded His message in Matthew 6:18-34 to cover fasting, money, life, and faith.  He gave the recipe for the Victorious Abundant Life climaxing that revelation in verse 33.  Jesus did not lay out a ‘retirement plan’ but gave us an ‘eternal plan’ for our provision in life. 

In His discourse Jesus dispelled worry and fear.  He wiped out the fears that arise from a bad economy and a dead-end job that has no apparent benefits.  He destroyed the concern of only being able to live from payday to payday and the normal fear that comes with planning for our golden years. 

If you question whether verses 25-33 are connected to the previous verses notice how He began verse 25 saying, “For this reason….”  What reason? The reason just mentioned regarding serving two masters, laying up earthly treasures, and the need to have a clear mind and heart regarding this world’s goods as is described in verses 22-23.

Then we come to another expansion of all that He has been teaching as Matthew 7 begins.  Judging is more than rendering a verdict as to what you think of someone or their actions it also addresses the previous verses and thoughts.  What is your judgment on giving, forgiving, the poor, laying up earthly treasures, marriage, sexual purity or impurity, and personal relationships?  You cannot make this a standalone passage because the context will not permit it.

From Matthew 7:1-28 we find His finale or conclusion which ties it all together.  He brought to light our own imperfections and the fact that that condition must be taken into consideration when we view others.  He warned about trying to give the holy and pure truth to those hearts that are filled with darkness and reject Christ and the things of God. 

Please understand He is not saying we do not witness to them, but you cannot maintain the same relationship with them as with those of the household of faith.  Yet, we treat everyone the way we desire to be treated even those who are the aforementioned and walk in total darkness.  Does that guarantee they will treat us with kindness and respect? NO, but it sows seeds before them that will follow them into eternity.  He identified that this lifestyle is not only difficult but one that ‘few’ will be able to or willing to follow and practice.  He identified that in following this lifestyle we will be able to recognize the ‘false’ and ‘counterfeit’.

That is very sketchy but a brief overview of the “Sermon on the Mount” and how I believe it should be studied.  Each new thought or seemingly new thought is tied to the previous and if studied in its connection to the previous we will glean new insight into that new thought.  Remember that chapters and verses were not part of the original text but are a man-made insertion to help us identify and locate passages.  It would do us well to read the Bible without any consciousness of chapters and verses and read paragraphs not just chapters.

I love the way Matthew concludes in Matthew 7:28 – “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for Hew as teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”  In East Texas vernacular, “His preaching was not all foam and no beer, all hat and no cattle, all hammer and no nail, all shot and no powder, or all sizzle and no steak.”   He spoke with authority and power rather than just reciting the words.  My cry to God is Lord let me be a voice, not an echo.  Let me speak with authority, having experienced the Word not just reciting the words.  Let me demonstrate the message not just refer to it.

Blessings, have a fantastic day!

Matthew 25:31-46 –” But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35’For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 38’And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39’And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  NASB

That is a long passage of scripture to draw out one verse and highlight what I hear the LORD saying to my heart and what made me weep before God.  It is verse 40 – “unto the least of these…”  Jesus said, that if we ministered to the insignificant, the unknown, the obscure as well as those with renown and celebrity we are ministering to Him.  That is arresting and challenging. 

Most Christians would say, “Amen!” We believe we are doing that but some I recently had the Holy Spirit challenge me on how I and much of the Body of Christ responds to Prayer Requests.  This is a dangerous topic for me to talk about because of the battles my wife has been having with Breast Cancer.  We are super blessed that literally thousands have and are going to the Throne of God on her behalf.  What I am going to say is not about us, our situation, but something I was challenged by the Holy Spirit regarding “Praying the Heart of God.” 

Let me cautiously proceed and if this touches you then you must respond as your heart directs. I do not mean this condemnatory or that we should not do some of the things I will highlight but that we should learn the heart of the Father for All People.  If you get that part, you will understand the challenge and it will likely have the same result in your heart as it has in mine.

I have launched and participated in prayer vigils, massive calls to prayer for well-known individuals facing grave need, and issued a DEFCON 1 alert on their behalf.  I have participated in intercessory prayer on behalf of men and women of God who are virtual household names, have a measure of celebrity and acclaim.  That is good and I would never want it to cease.  God wants us to intercede for His warriors.  That is His heart!

I had to acknowledge to the Holy Spirit that I have not exercised the same level of earnestness on behalf of those virtually unknown whose needs I have been asked to pray about.  The LORD asked me how many times I had called for prayer vigils on behalf of the unknown mother, the farmer, the truck driver, the widow or widower, the student, or others who few knew outside the local church they attend.  I wanted to say, I take all prayer seriously, but knew in my heart that my level of earnestness was not equal for all requests that came to me.  I knew that, in a measure, I was showing respect of persons rather than praying the Heart of God.

I would never want the Body of Christ to fail to call for prayer vigils on behalf of those who are known and being used mightily of God.  We, the Body of Christ, are mandated to pray for one another.  I do not believe that God has to have sickness to take someone home and therefore when I see sickness or tragedy that threatens a believer’s life, I do not consider it a tool of God to take them home.  If I did, I would feel that I was praying against God if I prayed for their healing.  I believe Jesus bore the stripes in His body that ALL could be healed, and He came for the express purpose of destroying the works of the devil and I believe sickness is a work of the devil.  It is not from God!

The LORD challenged me about my attitude and response to prayer requests and it has prompted me to make a serious change in my approach.  I believe that when the LORD challenges us, He is desirous of changing us and motivating us to take a different pathway in our behavior and attitude. 

I feel that going forward I am to prepare a prayer journal in which EVERY REQUEST, especially those of graveness which would include life or death, is logged and prayed over with the same fervency as those of the well-known who have a measure of celebrity. 

I heard the Holy Spirit say to my spirit, “If you make one life more valuable than another you are breaking My heart and not praying the Heart of the Father.”  That broke my heart and I am still repenting for my failure to do “unto the least of these as well as to the greatest of these.”  I am still repenting for falling into the trap of being a respecter of persons.  That may be due to my love for them as a friend, a family member, etc.  It may be due to my respect for them or my view of the importance of their minister or life.  Regardless of the reason, it is not justifiable in the eyes of God because He Loves All.

The Holy Spirit challenged me with the thought, “Who did Jesus die for?  Is the Blood of Jesus more for those with a measure of celebrity or for EVERYONE?”  If Jesus did not die for ALL, then He died for NONE!  If God is concerned with the little birds and counts the numbers of hairs on our heads, then He is surely concerned about EVERY SOUL!  Therefore, for me to take one grave life or death need more seriously than another is to violate the heart of God. 

I want to be one who Prays the Heart of God.  I want to be one that ministers to Him by ministering to the Least of These.  I want to be one that considers every believer a member of the Body of Christ and valuable.  As a member of the Body myself, I must consider their need My Need and pray about it as earnestly and seriously as I would my own need.  If I do that, then I am much nearer Praying the Heart of God than if I respond with more earnestness and fervency for some than others.

We all have people that are closer to us than others and therefore their needs will loom larger for us than those of people we do not know or barely know.  But, if we truly Pray the Heart of God, We Value Everyone Equally and pray with the same fervency.  Who knows the impact of that little-known or unknown person?  They may be the prayer warrior that changes the world.  They may be the one that wins the next Billy Graham or sires the next Elijah or Elisha.  John 3:16 tells us the Heart of God when it says, “For God so loved THE WORLD…”  The World not just special people in the world.

Please know that as I write I weep and am continuing to repent before God for my failure to value every person as God values them.  I am asking the LORD to help me always bear this in mind and to learn to Pray the Heart of God for All Needs.

I ask everyone to forgive me for any lack of earnestness I may have taken regarding a need you made me aware of.  I am heartbroken that I may have failed you or anyone and want the Father to transform me so that I take all needs seriously.  I realize that it is not possible or practical for the Church or individuals to have a prayer vigil for every need.  However, we can make a note of the need, and as we go through the course of our day, Pray.  That would transform us into people who “Pray without ceasing.”

I hope my open confession helps you in some small measure.  God bless you and I pray you will prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.