10/22/2025
"Pride is the only disease known to man that makes
everyone sick except the one who has it."
Daily Walk
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,
to repentance."
Luke 5:32
Have you ever met someone who always had to be right? I don't know why that is unless it is a lack of self-confidence that is played out in a different way. I will never understand the motives of another's heart, but then I don't have to. That's God's business. But I am called to love everyone just as they are. Sometimes this is hard.
When Jesus was ministering to the people, He drew crowds from all walks of life and all ambitions. In fact He was highly criticized by the Pharisees and other religious leaders for the company He kept. When the Pharisees questioned the type of people He hung around with, those He separated for His reasons, He answered them with parables. If they questioned Him, hoping they'd trick Him, so they would be able to accuse Him of a crime, He would always counter with His own questions. Although the religious leaders wanted to trap Him so they could haul Him away to the Romans for treason, keeping their hands clean, Jesus would always silence them. They knew if they answered in a way that displeased the people, they would have to face a battle. So they waited, schemed, kept trying to set Him up. Eventually, all their conniving paid off with the arrival of Judas, the betrayer, but even then, Jesus could have called on the angels of Heaven to rescue Him from death, had He so chosen. But He didn't.
When the Pharisees complained about Jesus dining with tax payers, prostitutes, and other seedy individuals, Jesus told them that He had called sinners to repentance, not righteous men, such as themselves, although He implied the last part. In this instance, he spoke about their spirituality and how they loved to be seen by others as important and powerful, to be feared and "reverenced." That really didn't go over very well, but then, usually when someone stands up and speaks the truth, people become offended. Jesus could be very direct, but He was here on a mission, and His plans or the plans of His Father, would not be thwarted.
Today Dutch Sheets, Give Him 15, commented on what he called "The Gift Mentality," common in the earlier days of the Charismatic revolution of earlier years and during the Jesus Revolution of the 70's. The new Christian believers, hungry for the Lord, often tried to grow too fast, and they misused the gifts of the Spirit that they were given. In the Jesus Revolution movie Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel who shepherded these new Christian believers from the hippies movement, didn't really know how what to say when Lonnie Frisbee started experiencing the move of Holy Spirit in his life with gifts of knowledge and healing. Lonnie, not knowing how to respond decently and in order, as the Bible instructs, often interrupted the services, and eventually was asked to leave or chose to leave, when he was counseled by Chuck on this habit. Over the years this misuse of gifts and the subsequent problem of people running after the gifts more than the Giver of all gifts, led to a haughty spirit and misused the gifts of God. Dutch shared about one man, Hubert Lindsay, who although he was a part of The Jesus People Movement, experienced a different response to how to reach people for Christ. Dutch share:
"'I became so burdened for this generation,' Mr. Lindsay said, 'that I would walk the streets of the campus - sometimes all night long - weeping and interceding for those lost kids. I pleaded with God to save those young people.' God had given this man His heart for a lost generation."
Mr. Lindsay wasn't about the "gifts," he was about the calling - the Giver! He was a man after God's own heart, like David. It makes a difference in a ministry. Today we're seeing many people claiming to be gifted and using the title of "Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, pastor, teacher" which are the five-fold ministry gifts given for the edification of the church. Some say these gifts are no longer in operation, because they have made a division between the Old and New Testaments, but they do recognize spiritual gifts and callings. It can become too confusing and create division if we place our eyes on any other than God's Word. Contrary to the belief of many, the Bible is one book inspired by Holy Spirit. If Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then His Word is the same. If He is eternal, so is His Word. Yet there are so many who argue over these facts. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 23:24: "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." He said this in response to the heavy laws they were adding to the scriptures to burden the people, while not practicing them in their own lives, as they were too impossible to keep. He told them that they exalted themselves by wearing phylacteries and enlarging the borders of their garments. In verse 14 of Matthew 23 Jesus scolded them by saying: "'Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers."
Because Hubert Lindsay followed God's way, crying out for the souls of others from pure heart, earnestly desiring to see change in the hearts of the generation, God blessed him with revival, which is the fruit harvested from good seed planted on the prepared soul through intercessory prayer done in the secret place alone with God.
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