Luke 11:34 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. (NKJV)
Romans 9:1- 3 - I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (NKJV)
Romans 10:1 – Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
Matthew 16:26 - "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
This week, the Lord has burdened my heart as well as my family’s heart, as well as students and teacher’s hearts with some very pressing concerns for others. Here are some of the requests that have reached our hearts this week. A teacher’s mother who is facing death and the mother may not know Christ. A friend’s father who at 81 just discovered he has cancer and is not expected to live but 6 months at best. A friends daughter who has walked out of the family’s life and has walked away from the Lord and declared she is not one of HIS. A student who has declared that he does not believe in Jesus or has faith at all in God. A freshmen student has just been diagnosed with leukemia (two different students without knowing it, made the same request). A student’s dad and a student’s mom have cancer. A father is dealing with blood clots. A teenager just found out that she has cancer on the brain, which can’t be operated on nor treated with chemo or radiation. A praise that one student reported that she is cancer free at this time. Two daughters and a son from three different families have turned their backs on Jesus for a lifestyle of homosexuality. Two sons from two different families have turned their backs on Jesus and have rejected Him. Multiple requests for grandparents and relatives have been listed who are facing major health issues. A persecuted believer was mentioned today (twice by two different students in two different classes – the same name came up causing us to pray for him as well as a host of believers). The list goes on and on as our hearts, like Jesus, like Paul and like these families, hearts that break and cry out to our Lord –
“O Lord, we come to You with great sorrow and continued grief on our hearts for the these who are facing such horrendous things. It is this on going disease of the flesh that causes us to look to You and it is the sin of rejection and unbelief that breaks our hearts beyond words and tries our faith, that faith that was given by You. Lord, You said, ‘if a man gains the whole world, and looses his soul, what profit is it?” O Lord, our children, our fathers and mothers, or extended family members and our dear friends mean more to us then our own soul. And so we cry out to You and say, as Paul would say, for I wish I could exchange places with anyone of these in order for them to have YOU. These people are like our own souls and we come to You now on their behalf as we came to You when we became aware of our own deepest need – when we cried out for YOU. We now come with that same heart for these dear loved ones. O, Lord Jesus, have mercy on us and hear our cry. We beg You as the gentile women begged You for even a crumb on behalf of her daughter. In that same determination we still come to You today. And we know that whoever calls upon Your name, O Lord Jesus, You save. Amen. “
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