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Ripples from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

(Isaiah 55:10–11 NKJV) "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

While praying over this message, I saw a small pool of still water. Then a single drop of water fell into the center, and ripples spread out across the entire surface. As I thought this over, I heard, "As a drop of water causes ripples in a pond, My word causes ripples inside of a man. What starts small will eventually affect all of his being and those around him."

God's quiet whisper comes as a tiny seed and brings a ray of hope. It is a light that pierces the darkness and helps those who are lost find their way out. It brings encouragement to those who are broken, who feel they are too far gone, and there is no turning back. It brings restoration to the fallen. One anointed word from the Lord changes everything, including their direction in life.

(Proverbs 12:25 NKJV) Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

God sees us. He knows where we are, and He understands. In fact, there is no one more understanding than God Almighty. There is nothing you cannot share with Him. He is the Creator, and He "Gets it," but sometimes His followers may not be in tune with Him.

Some of the attitudes I have witnessed in churches towards sinners are downright appalling. They are so far from the viewpoint of Christ that they have become "antichrist." This is a stench to God. Religion tries to create an exclusive social club to shut out sinners, while Jesus welcomes them with wide-open arms.

God is bigger than our church buildings, and He is breaking out. He will no longer be held inside a brick and mortar structure, to be shared only with the "saved and sanctified." His word will be preached to more than the choir. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. It has always been His goal, and it has not changed.

During Jesus' ministry on Earth, a highly religious group called the "Pharisees" controlled the temple. There was another group of people called "tax collectors" who were social pariahs. The Pharisees considered the tax collectors "unclean" and banned them from entering their temple. They struggled to understand the compassion of Jesus:

(Luke 15:1–2 NASB)  Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

Jesus wanted to share the word of God with the sinners and bring them into the flock. He welcomed them, but the religious establishment rejected them, and they "grumbled" about Jesus even associating with them. It amazes me how relevant and accurate God's word is today. Look at what Jesus told them:

(Luke 15:3–7 NASB) So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

Heaven rejoices when the lost are found and brought into the kingdom of God. There is room for all who are willing, and we should not exclude groups of people we don't like, lest we find ourselves among the outcast. After Jesus had a lengthy conversation with the chief priests and elders at the temple in Jerusalem, He told them this:

(Matthew 21:31 NASB)  ...Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you."

Ouch! It turns out those who were in charge of "God's temple" were not even in the "Kingdom of God." Posers.

It is time to get real in our faith. It is time to seek and save the lost, and I don't mean to become one in the process. Please don't think that I am encouraging sinful behavior. I am not. God hates sin, but He loves sinners.

We should live right, and I also mean outside of our church buildings on Monday. That is where we reach the lost. Your life is a walking testimony to those around you. How you behave on Monday in the workplace tells me all that I need to know about your "Faith."

Five times now, we have hired workers to help us with some projects, and when they learn that I am a pastor, they begin telling me about Jesus. Oh, they tell me the date they were saved and how good Jesus is. Sometimes they quote scriptures to me, and they may have a cross or a fish symbol on their business card or invoice. All five times, we were ripped off. Once they got their check, we never saw them again. It usually ends with, "We will come back and finish it tomorrow," and then not showing up and not returning our calls. Then we have to hire someone else or finish the job ourselves.

Brothers and sisters, this should not be. If you like to quote scripture on the job site, then add this one to your list: (Revelation 21:8 NKJV) ..." all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone..." Those are also the words of Jesus Christ. If you want to be a witness for Jesus, then you better say what you mean and mean what you say.

Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and it's about to get real. God is breaking out of the buildings. A ripple is beginning to spread across the waters. And all it takes is a small inspired word from Him to change the life of a lost soul. He is going to use ordinary people to reach ordinary people. Some of the least will teach the greatest. People are thirsty for real living water, and it is coming their way. You may even share it with them.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my failures and help my actions line up with my words. Fill me with Your living water and give me encouraging words of hope to share with others. Let Your Spirit flow through me Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!