Matthew 25:31-40. Though the words of Jesus (of course) also refer to those who are already our brothers now, these prayers refer to those who, through our Gospel labor and witness, will become our brothers when they are transferred by God the Father into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me feed them with the Bread of Your Life; Your Word.
I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me give them a cup of the rivers of Your living water to drink; Your Spirit.
I was a stranger and you invited Me in…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me invite those who are yet estranged and far from you, in to Your Kingdom, that You may draw them near to You to become Your intimate friends.
naked and you clothed Me…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me bring (speak of) the clean robe of Your Righteousness that they may be covered by You, and ashamed no more.
I was sick and you visited Me…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me visit them and bring them the healing balm of your love, hope, mercy and grace.
I was in prison, and you came to Me.
I love You Lord Jesus and I love your little ones, my brothers. Let me go to your little ones who are in the bondage of sin, death, guilt, shame and condemnation and bring them the Gospel of forgiveness, deliverance, freedom and Life in You.
Lord Jesus we love You and all Your other little ones, “the least of these”; all our brothers and sisters. Help us love them and care for them because we love You. Let us love them and care for them because You love them, and they love You. Thank You, our Shepherd and King, for your faithfulness to bring all of Your little ones, the least of these brothers of Yours, into Your safe and loving sheep fold.
NorCal Seedsowers and Calvary Chapel San Jose is hosting the Living Waters Transformed Conference on Sat., March 13, 2010. Come on out and be inspired and equipped for sharing the Gospel biblically and fulfilling the Great Commission! Here is the promo video.
I admit sometimes I lack patience with a certain group of people and rather than press the “ignore” button and keep walking, I do sometimes choose to take on the situation. Some would say this is a major fault of mine, even sin, and others would say this is the desire to Defend the Faith and Contend for Truth (which again, many would say is wrong to do because it causes division and is ‘unloving’). The particular group I’m referring to here is professing Christians who do not believe the Bible is sufficient, but must be mixed with Humanism and Psychology, who think that pleasing and blending with the world is more important than faithfulness & obedience to Christ, who play footsie with New Age Spirituality, and who dislike the authority of scripture, the exclusivity of the Gospel, and evangelism. I’m talking about the apostacy.
Of course the DMV was closed today.
I bumped into a man who is on staff at a Ne0-E megachurch. He was telling me that he is in seminary so I thought he might be preparing to be a pastor. But he is taking advanced Counseling and Psychology courses. I asked him if he did “Christian Counseling” which utilizes Psychology primarily, or “Biblical Counseling” which utilizes the scripture. He was telling me that now these two camps are now blended together. He kept dropping the word “Spirituality“–and I gave him the benefit of the doubt –at first, although that buzzword set off my alarm bells. Then he started sounding more like a New Ager. He said, “Things are different now” (referring to the many beliefs of the clients, and the new methodology); “if someone comes in saying they do crystals or moon rocks (or such), then we work with that.”
I asked him to affirm what I was hearing: that what he was telling me was that he must operate as a functional Universalist in his counseling sessions. He did not deny. I challenged him, asking why he cannot just operate as a Christian, and he said, “It would not work” (because they want to help people). Then I asked him if he was telling me that Pragmatism was more important than faithfulness to Christ? That did not go over well.
The old city jail bars, in use for 40 years, are now a museum display.
Since he was sounding very New Age, I asked him about sharing the Gospel with the clients and he told me he always leaves them (the unbelievers) with “the Golden Rule”- encouraging them to “do unto others”. When I said that is not the Gospel, he told me he would only talk about that “when the door is open”. He had an expression and tone that indicated, “That is not appropriate”. I asked him if Jesus’ words in Mark 16:15 and Mat. 28:18-20 were not the open door? . He got agitated and challenged me: “Well why don’t YOU go down to the DMV and preach! And when they throw you in jail, well, how about that!” (He made it sound like it would be the most contemptible and dreaded thing that could happen.) But raising my arms up in an attitude of victory,
I told him joyfully, “Wonderful! That would raise up more and more bold courageous evangelists who would be glad to go to jail for the Gospel!”
He shook his head, as if I did not get his point. He explained, “No! No! We would….” ( he indicated in word and facial expression that the rest of the Christians would be disgusted and look with disdain and embarrassment upon me.)
One of the new beefed up high security city jail cells.
If choosing Truth and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ lands me in jail someday, the Compromising Christians will be ashamed of me. But those who believe the Word and trust and follow Jesus regardless of the consequences, will not be ashamed. I trust that by the Spirit, God will have you either visit me in jail, or else he will move you out on the street, preaching and telling the Gospel, to your joy, and His glory.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.. 2Tim1:8
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed..2Tim1:12
The witness of The Persecuted
And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts8:1
Therefore those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Acts8:4
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts11:21
Witness to the Religious Establishment
The Religious Establishment wanted Stephen to shut up! They did not want to hear God’s Word or Truth. They could not stand the wisdom and Spirit with which he was speaking. They stirred up the people, elders and scribes against him; they came and seized him and brought him before the council. Stephen was required to give an account to them. They saw that he was full of the Holy Spirit as he preached God’s Word! He declared what God has said, and what He did. Remember, he was preaching to the religious establishment: to professed believers in God- not professed atheists. These professed God, yet they were not born from above. They were not at all regenerate nor in the Kingdom; they were not circumcised in heart. He told them the truth regarding their unbelief, sin and disobedience! He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting and killing God’s people whom they had betrayed and murdered. The religious leaders were enraged! Stephen continued to honor and glorify Christ! The only way they could shut him up was to kill him, but Stephen was faithful to Jesus until the end.
“You men who are stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become…”Acts7:51-52
“I now understand more of our calling. The weakest instruments are chosen to do the greatest work so that the glory might go to God.” ~Paul Washer.
Perhaps this quote is commentary on 2 Cor. 12:10. I found this very comforting. By trials, hardships and suffering for Christ’s sake, God makes us to know and feel our weakness even more. This is His loving sanctifying Grace in our lives! In our utter weakness, He then makes us useful vessels of His power and His strength for His glory. And we are content with this, delighting in our trials with joy as we experience Christ’s strength in us.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, I am strong. 2Cor12:10
The Religious Establishment wanted the apostles to shut up! But having beheld the resurrected Christ and also receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, they could not do anything other than proclaim Christ with confidence and courage!
Witness to the Religious Establishment and Rulers
And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” Acts4:18-20
And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. and the high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts5:27-32
