And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelations 22:17
These were the words that were being preached as a homeless man who seemed to have a disability entered the church. For me, it appeared as if he was drawn by the word “Come!” that was being declared by the Spirit and the bride. He must have desired the water that was to be given freely. But for some reason, the bride, the church, changed her mind about anyone being able to take this water even if the person had thirst. So, this man was escorted out without being offered any physical water or the Living Water, who is Christ. How many times has a similar scenario taken place in churches across the world? The bride apparently does not have a similar heart to her Bridegroom who has a great deal of compassion for those who are hungry, homeless and lost. As a church, we are not understanding that when we do not show hospitality to these poor people and instead turn them away, then we are also turning away our Lord and maybe even His messengers.
Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Hebrews 13:1-3
The Greek word used for “entertaining strangers” is philoxenia, which also means “hospitality” and “love to strangers”. That stranger many have been an angel who they turned away not knowing it and so they did not show him the hospitality and love that God expects of His children. God will test how much we love Him when He puts the hungry, homeless, and needy in our paths. How do we treat these less fortunate people? We must start realizing that whatever we do to them, we do to Him and He does not take kindly to the mistreatment or lack of compassion to the ones we consider “the lesser” in our society. God is clear in His word that we should not show favoritism in our church assembles. Unfortunately, sometimes our churches are like elite country clubs instead of God’s house of prayer where all are equally welcomed.
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:1-10
Are we guilty? Are we dishonoring the poor man and showing honor to the rich and influential around us? If we are, we are not loving our neighbor as we should and we will pay the consequences. We may wonder why our prayers aren’t being answered as we would like, even when we fast. The fact is that some of our fasts are just food strikes trying to manipulate God, and He will not be manipulated. If my heart and actions are not right with God, then going on a fast is merely me starving myself because He is not noticing our supposed sacrifice.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:3-10
Now we know why our prayers and fasts may not be bearing much fruit. We need to ask God to search our hearts and see if there are any wicked ways in us. It is time for the bride to have the same heart as her Bridegroom so that whoever God’s Spirit says “come” to then the bride, the church, will welcome that person and show that person hospitality befitting of the ways of the Bridegroom no matter if that person is rich or a dirty homeless man.
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