Matthew 10:40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Cathy and I can’t get away from this verse, because we have been received so graciously by so many people in the 30 years we have lived in Omura, yet so few of those have made an open commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. That puts us in the position of having to leave the question of anyone’s salvation up to God, and not to try to figure it all out ourselves. That’s not really a bad situation to be in!

We do not know what goes on in people’s hearts, but God does, and we need to let that be enough. We are to keep striving to make disciples, but not cut people off because they don’t meet our standards. God is more than able to work in people’s hearts and lives, and we are simply to strive to stay available to Him as tools. When the Bible says repeatedly, “They that call on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” (Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, quoting Joel 2:32) we are to give people as much opportunity as possible to know His name, so that in the hour of need they may call on Him. God is certainly far greater than we are, and that’s a very good thing. We cannot save anyone on our own, but He is more than able to use us to save many.

Father, I believe You have many in this city who are not currently identified as Christians, but who have received Your Word at some point in the past. I ask for a massive harvest of those “hidden Christians,” overflowing every church in this city and starting new ones to boot, rising up as a mighty army for You, for the salvation of the whole nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!