Daily Devotional for Saturday December 30, 2006
Climbing Down out of the Pulpit
(Matthew 9:36)
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)
Over these past 17 years, I have had the honor and privilege of preaching from the pulpits of some great churches. I have always started my message from the pulpit, but honestly can't remember EVER ending my message from the pulpit. It is usually very early in the word I am sharing that I come out from behind the pulpit to be closer to the people I am ministering to. It is usually not very long before I am actually off the platform and down where the people are.
I end every message with an invitation for those I am ministering to to ask Christ into their heart and life by faith, and always flow right from praying with those who want to accept the Lord into their life to opening the altar for anyone with needs to come forward so that I can pray for them. I throw havoc into the schedules of churches with multiple Sunday morning services since I refuse to leave the altar until everyone has been prayed for. I can remember many times over the years when I have been at the altar praying with endless streams of people for many hours AFTER the service was over.
My heart beats to help the lost find an everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ and the hurting find their hope in the Lord as they battle life's problems. Today, I want to climb out of the pulpit, come down in the midst of the people, stretch forth my arms and proclaim to you that Jesus is your only hope during this brief journey through life and that Jesus is your only hope for all eternity. I'm here to let you know that I love you so much and I care about you more than you will ever know. While I don't have a physical altar to meet you at this morning, I do have this virtual altar that I want to invite you to so that I can pray for you, pray with you, and believe God for your needs today.
God showed me many years ago that we have a virtual altar here at Liveprayer.com where every day over 40,000 people come via their email prayer requests with their hurts and pains, with their needs great and small, looking for the Lord to touch them. At the end of every Devotional, right below my signature line is: "If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com." That is the invitation for people who are in need to "come to the altar" and bring their needs to the Lord.
Likewise, each night on the TV program, the bulk of the program is allowing people to call in with their prayer requests, making that program literally an electronic altar for people to come and find answers, hope, and encouragement in their time of need. Those who can't get through are given the opportunity to email their prayer requests so that everyone who watches is able to take that step of faith and seek the Lord's help in their life.
I love you and care about you so much. I want to encourage you today to never hesitate to come to this virtual altar that is literally open 24/7/365. God has raised up Liveprayer not just to bring the Truth of His Word and the hope and love of Christ into people's lives each day through the Internet and on secular television, but so that you have a place to come in your time of need. It is not a matter of can God meet your needs, can God bless you, it is a matter of do you have the faith to believe God will meet your needs and the faith to believe God will bless you.
GOD IS READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO HELP YOU AND BLESS YOU. ARE YOU READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO TRUST HIM?
As I do at the end of each service I preach, as I do at the end of every Daily Devotional, as I do on my TV program each night, I want to invite you to come to the altar today. This virtual altar is your point of contact for your faith to connect with God. I am here at this virtual altar this morning, waiting to pray with you, pray for you, and stand in agreement with you for your needs today.
If you are hurting, looking for answers, need the Lord's strength, Jesus is waiting for you today. Waiting for you to take that step of faith and call out to Him. He loves you, cares about you, and wants to put His arms of love around you today. Come and bring your burdens to Jesus today at this virtual altar.