HE WHO RECEIVES YOU . . .

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. ( Mt.10:40-42)

Jesus is summing up his instructions to his disciples as he was sending them out with apostolic authority (Mt.10:1-2). The whole set of instructions makes sense, and it's full message comes into context, when we understand this final paragraph. If you receive a man of God, because he is from God, you will receive the thing that God sent him to give you! If you are not receiving; guess what; you're not receiving the man of God!

WHAT FAMILIARITY DOES

Jesus was not received in his home town. Familiarity breeds contempt, and creates a blockage to the release of receiving the thing that comes from God. See the word of the Lord! And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them: "Only in his home town and in his own house is a prophet without honor." And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Mt.13:57-58) Mark 6:4 records reference to relatives.

Among relatives, a man of God is not received. In his home town, among his family, even in his own house; where he has become 'old news'; is a man of God received without honor.

RECEIVING THE FRESH FACE

Yet the guy from out of town, the fresh face; is received with open arms. This is a true principle that even in the secular business world; is well known. The adage goes: "tonight's expert is a guy from another town who does the same thing I do, and says the same thing I say; but because he is a fresh face, and you are not intimate with his faults, you will receive him." The church is beginning to catch on to this principle.

Itinerant ministries are becoming more and more popular, because of the simple fact that they are effective. They are received. God is definitely using this principle, and it is changing the whole world! But there is something more.

RECEIVING THE REWARD

Recently, some of our young men visited a church some distance from ours. The ministry staff at that church had been coming to our church and being received in an effective way, yet when they returned home, they were NOT well received! They were met with the typical bickering environment of family, a familiar environment! Yet when our young men went to visit, and had been announced in a way that they were being embraced as the men of God they are, they were well received. They were received in a way that was beyond their imagination! The one impression that they spoke of most often was the extremely good reception that they had been received with!

Even a little kid, who had no understanding of what was happening; received these young ministers with open arms and an open spirit! And truly, those who have received the man of God, have received the reward that God placed inside of the sending!

HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mk.10:13-16)

How does a little child receive? A child receives without reservation! A child has not learned to remember offenses, only embrace the good thing that is seen! See this! Hear this! It doesn't matter if that child has seen Mom or Dad day after day, and been disciplined each of those days; that child continues to embrace the parent!

YOUR BROTHER IS MADE IN MY IMAGE

As this word was forming in my ability to perceive it; the Lord kept reminding me that we are made in his image. People are made in the likeness of God! He kept saying this phrase: "When you recognize your offenses against your brother, know this: he is made in my likeness, and possesses [has the ability to demonstrate] the same long-suffering and grace and forgiveness that I do."

God's children have his same genetic make up. They are made in his likeness, and have His Spirit, and His love!

THE SPIRIT CLARIFIED, "WHEN----NOT IF!"

The Spirit of the Lord kept saying: "When", not "if"; but "when" you recognize how deeply you have offended your brother; know this: Your brother has within him the same long-suffering grace and forgiveness that God Himself has. Do not expect retaliation from him after you stop your offenses against him. He will suddenly find it easier to love you openly, now that you've discontinued your offense against him!

The hindrance to his ability to receive you as a man or woman of God has been removed, because you've recognized and repented of your offense against your brother! Scripture declares: An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of the citadel. (Prov.18:19)

MURDER TOWARD YOUR BROTHER

Jesus compared offenses against one another with murder! It's the same as killing, to allow an offense to interfere with loving your brother. (Eph.4:15-16). Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ.(Eph.5:21)

God very definitely uses 'out of town' ministries effectively. But we must have completeness in our familial relationships at the "local" level, and we must continue to minister to one another as effectively as we would an out-of-town ministry.

WE MUST REMEMBER THAT CHRIST LIVES IN OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Sometimes, in relating to another person, we have to embrace the "hidden Christ in them", because there is no evidence of anything greater. "...anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward..."

We can not, we must not rely on our human perception. What God has declared is much more powerful than what we can see in our flesh! We must see one another as God sees us, and embrace his declaration: "It will happen that in the very place where it is said to them, 'you are not my people', they will be called; 'sons of the living God.'" (Rm.9:26 [Hos.1:10])

TOUCH NOT THE LORD'S ANOINTED

While some are quick to condemn hypocrites, professors of the law and ministers of the sacraments; David refused to touch the Lord's anointed. Joel says: Let the priests who minister before the Lord weep between the temple porch and the alter. Let them say: "Spare your people, Oh Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" (Joel.2:17)

God Himself says in Ezekiel: Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Eze.18:31-32)

GENTLE RESTORATION

Paul was talking about receiving one another there in Galatians chapters five and six. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (Gal.6:1-2)

Jesus talked about it, and John the Apostle captured its importance more than any other. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

VETERANS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE YOUNG WARRIORS

Veteran warriors know a few things about fighting alongside young warriors. Young warriors make mistakes which jeopardize everyone. A common mistake a young warrior often makes is to become so engaged in the battle, so consumed by the flow of adrenaline, that he begins to flail blindly at anything or anyone who comes near or might threaten him.

This makes it nearly impossible for the veteran to get near the young soldier in order to cover his back---because in so doing, he may be killed himself. The best a veteran can do in this situation is to keep his distance while attacking any enemy that would join the battle against his young warrior-brother. If the old warrior did not actively love the young warrior, he would just let him die. And if the young warrior did not actively love the old warrior, he would instead join this veteran's enemy! Neither must be the case among the household of God.

THE KEY FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD

The key to both young and old warriors surviving on the spiritual battlefield is to love one other in the way described in 1Cor.13:4-7. That love has a singleness of focus that brings unity, not unity of skill level, nor strength, nor wisdom--- but a unity borne out of a joint determination to succeed together---- to soundly defeat the enemy.

WHOEVER HATES HIS BROTHER WALKS IN DARKNESS

We are the people of the Lord--- his sons and daughters, his children.

We must understand His ways! If we do not receive one another as unto the Lord, we lose out on the gift God has put inside us to mutually support and edify one another. As a result, we become weak, and cannot see--because we have become blinded through disobedience to the expressed will of God--to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

The Word of the Lord declares that "whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." (1Jn.2:10-11).

EMBRACE THE PROPHET IN THE BROTHER YOU KNOW

Embrace the prophet in your brother, the one you see every day. Let the prophet in your brother tell you what he sees, and let the righteous One in your brother or sister minister purity and righteousness to you each day!

Do not let the familiarity of your brothers and sisters detract from what God has put right in your midst!

BIOGRAPHICAL INFO ON KERRY KNORR

Kerry W. Knorr, single, male, 41 yr. elder and youth minister at The Gathering Place in Spokane WA. since 1979. I am a consulting arborist (tree expert). I officiate interscholastic basketball games and am involved at the operational level, in the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. At The Gathering Place, I am working with approximately 80 kids, aged 14 to 22 who minister prophetically through Hard Core and Hip-Hop music. I wear ear plugs to work, and yes, I also wear them in church. Since June of 1999, the Spirit of the Lord has been pouring out teaching and poetry to me, and I have had a passion about writing it all down; capturing all of these thoughts. This article, and some poetry as the Lord leads, are a part of that.