In The Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ says something that The Holy Spirit has used repeatedly in my life over the years to ensure that I receive God's spoken Word, a prophet's reward, no matter who is preaching or teaching at any given moment. He said, "He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward (Matthew 10:40-41)."
One day after I (Keith) had finished reading those verses in Matthew 10, The Holy Spirit whispered to me the last verse, but a bit differently, in a way that would change my life. I heard Him say, "He that receives 'a prophet' in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward; and he that receives 'a righteous man in the name of a prophet' will receive a prophet's reward." Right then, The Holy Spirit revolutionized my pursuit of being made one in Jesus Christ.
God's wonder-full Holy Spirit had profoundly displayed for me, in real time, how important it is for us to pursue The Holy Spirit whenever we open God's Holy written Word and begin reading. In fact, having God's infinitely wonder-full Gift of His Holy Spirit makes all the difference in our lives when it comes to our being in God's perfect Will for our lives! The Holy Spirit, and Him alone, IS Who leads us to "believe", and ultimately become a "Believing Believer", in Jesus Christ. If we "ignore" The Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves tragically outside of God's Will, even if we are faithful in giving tithes, are "a good person", and/or have perfect church attendance, the best we can ever expect to be is an "unbelieving-Believer." The Holy Spirit made that point evident to me one evening as I was reading in 2 Corinthians, chapter 3, and particularly verse 6.
In Apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians in chapter 3 and verses 2 through 6, Paul teaches us a crucial life-or-death truth, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of The New Testament; not of the letter, but of the (Holy) Spirit: for the letter kills, but the (Holy) Spirit gives Life (2 Corinthians 3:2-6)."
It was that evening, while I was reading and listening for The Holy Spirit's sweet and still, small voice, that I received a priceless gift, a revelation, a Life-giving truth, that God's Holy written Word, in and of itself, is not "an end" but is "the means to an end". As we call on the matchless Name of Jesus Christ, we can meet with and receive, as we read, The Holy Spirit's teaching, a Prophet's Reward.
Now, here is where The Holy Spirit clarified it for me. This is what He whispered into my spirit's ear, "If God's people will receive a pastor, a preacher, or a teacher of God's Word in the name of a mediocre pastor, preacher, or teacher, God's people will receive a mediocre pastor, preacher, or teacher's reward, ultimately cheating themselves out of receiving all that God has for them. On the other hand, if they will receive a mediocre pastor, preacher, or teacher of God's Word in the name of 'a prophet'... then they will receive 'a prophet's reward'."
Perhaps one of The New Testament's most appropriate examples of someone who desperately needed "a prophets reward" is the miraculous account of the woman that received healing from a twelve-year-long issue of blood. Luke 8:40-48 reads, "And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him: for they were all waiting for Him. And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought Him that He would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as He went the people thronged Him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (Luke 8:40-48)."
Question: Out of all of the people who were pressing against Jesus in the crowd that day, why did the woman who suffered from an issue of blood for twelve long years receive healing? Simply put, she was desperate! She "believed" Jesus Christ was Who she had heard other people say He was... and believed it! Most people in the crowd that day, sadly, viewed Jesus Christ as "a good or even a righteous man" at best. If we truly w-a-n-t to personally receive a prophet's reward for ourselves, God's spoken Word delivered to us by way of The wonder-full Holy Spirit, we must desperately "want Jesus Christ". We must "reach" for Him.
Sadly, in my years of walking i-n Jesus Christ, I've heard far too many church folks complain behind their pastor or elder's back that they were "not being fed" spiritually under the teaching and/or preaching of their pastor or teachers. We must remember, when Jesus Christ explained why the lady with the issue of blood was healed, He accredited it to "her faith." Her money was gone, spent on physicians that had no success at healing her at all, and she had reached the end of her rope, so to speak. Here is what compelled her to have the faith enough to be healed: She was at the place in her life where all of us must come to; She not only "reached" for Him with her hand but she "reached" for Him with her heart. She was determined to receive "a prophet's" reward that day. And she was determined she would not stop until she received it.
We must remember, when Jesus Christ explained why the lady with the issue of blood was healed, He accredited it to "her faith." Here is the catalyst for why she was healed: she was desperate; She was at the place where all of us must come to; She was determined to receive The Lord's "reward". If we w-a-n-t to personally receive God's Word, delivered to us by way of The wonder-full Holy Spirit, we must desperately "want Jesus Christ". I can say this with all confidence that "every" time that I have reached for Jesus Christ out of desperation He has always responded to me, and in ways that built my faith in God exponentially.
We would like to conclude with a life-changing piece of advice. Despite what any local church member personally thinks about the pastor --how knowledgeable he may or may no be, or how well he understands or delivers God's Holy written Word-- if we receive a pastor in the name of a mediocre "preacher", we will only receive a mediocre preacher's reward, at best. On the other hand, if we will receive a pastor (or preacher or teacher) in the name of 'a prophet', we will receive 'a prophet's reward'. The Holy Spirit will see to that.
If we will go, believing and expecting to "receive from God" what He gives Jesus Christ to relay to The Holy Spirit to give to us, personally, in real time, we will receive "the prophet's reward"... the priceless Word of God delivered to us, for us, by The wonder-full Holy Spirit. People who do not know and walk in this are understanding are putting an undue load of their pastor's, teachers and preachers by looking to them for what only God can give to us by way of His Holy Spirit. That is why God sent Him, to bring to us want He gives Jesus Christ to relay to The Holy Spirit Who then gives God's message, to us... personally.
As Brenda and I have learned and hold onto is, anything of value is worth fighting for and will be challenged by Satan. This especially applies to our pressing our way in-to God's Holy Presence. The Holy Spirit once emphasized to me how "anxious spirits" are the arch enemies to our obtaining and walking in the kind of "faith" that pleases God. As we prepare to enter through God's gates with thanksgiving and enter into His courts with praise, we must be equipped, in The Name of Jesus Christ, much like clearing a path through a spiritual jungle, to cut through, using the sword of The Spirit, any and all obstacles that come to hinder us from arriving at our Father's feet.
We pray that our message encourages you to reach for Jesus Christ like you never have before. We would also like to mention that, perhaps, the most challenging conflicts that I have ever found myself in have been those that come when I begin my journey into God's presence. Shortly after I find a quit place, get alone, relax, and slowly begin reading God's Holy written Word they arrive, memories, noises, ideas all come in an attempt at hindering our pressing our way into God's wonderful presence. I say that to point out, that it takes work to focus solely on pursuing audience with God, but be encouraged, learn God's protocols, increase your time, from now on, to meeting with The Holy Spirit in the pages of God's Holy written Word and trust us, you will soon receive a prophets reward, God's spoken word delivered to you personally through Jesus Christ by way of God's wonder-full Holy Spirit.
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This blog channel, along with the complete collection of original podcasts, music, blogs, books, CDs, and other Bible-based resources of Toward The Mark, Inc. is made possible by the faithful prayer and financial support of the TTM Sponsorship Family. We'd like to invite you to come on-board, to become a part of the TTM Family as well, by becoming a monthly financial partner. Your support will go toward fulfilling our God-given calling to help provide effective, contemporary outreach tools that are available to everyone, the churched and un-churched alike, who desire to know more of the love, truth, and salvation of Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us, as we, "...press Toward The Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
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~ Keith and Brenda "Becoming God's End Time Executives" BetweenTheLinesTTM Podcast
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~ The Shealys and Toward The Mark Videos on Brighteon
~ From our 1st-ever Audio Book "LETTERS FROM THE FRONT"
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