Has anyone ever considered that Jesus may be around us all the time? When Jesus came 2000 years ago, most did not recognize Him. Have you considered that what you are looking for is all around you every day? Do you see Him? Have you seen Him? I'm not talking about some smoked filled room with dim lights and thunder rolling, beloved. I'm talking about Jesus. He is often right under our noses,and we esteem Him not. "What do you mean, Lahry"? I'm glad you asked. Jesus said as brother Joshua already so elloquently pointed out, that if we would but keep His commandments (be obedient to the leading of His Spirit in loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves), that we would be loved by the Father, and the Jesus Himself would manifest Himself to us. That is a wonderful and thrilling scriputure verse, John 14:21. But how will He "manifest Himself"? He tells us in Matthew 25:31-46. He says that when we do it to the least of these, His brethren, we do it unto Him. So who are the least? I stopped at a conveince market one day to get a soda. There was an old black man standing by the newspaper machine outside the market. I could tell when I got out of my vehicle that he was trying to get my attention. I ignored him of course and went into the market. When I came out, he again tried to get my attention but I hurriedly climbed into my vehicle and off I went. As I began to drive down the road it was like a cloud of gloom came over me. The far`ther I went, the worse it got. The Holy Spirit asked, "did you forget something"? "Was that not the least standing back there by the paper machine"? "Yes, Lord". Repenting with tears in my eyes, I turned around and headed back to the market. Thank God, the old man was still there. I walked up to him and asked him what he wanted. He said he was hungry. The market also sold fried chicken. So I asked him if that would be ok. He said yes. I asked him what kind of cold drink he wanted. He told me. I went in and bought him a big chicken dinner and a big cold drink and brought it out to him. Then I told him how God had turned me around. I apologized for being so rude and uncaring. He said that was alright. I asked him if he attended church regularly. He said no. I told him that if God loved him enough to buy him lunch, maybe he ought to attend church next Sunday and find out more about this wonderful God. He agreed, and I was on my way, releaved, still repenting, weeping and trying to drive. JESUS WAS RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE AND I ALMOST PASSED HIM BY. That has happened many times. I do believe I am not alone. I believe it happens to you too. Have you seen Him lately? We keep looking in the secret place. We keep watching for him on tv. We keep attending conferences, crying out "Lord, I want to see you". Beloved, He's been there all the time. He is the hungry, the naked, the cold and lonely. He is the sick and imprisoned. I know that there are many good churches that are involved in this kind of ministry. Thank God. But there are also some who dont' have a clue. They try to get themselves worked up into some kind of emotional tizzy and hope that is God. Well it's not. For Jesus to manifest Himself to us, we have to be obedient. We have to love God with all our heart. We have to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who is thy neighbor? Is it just church folk? Or is it the man in front of a conveince market? Is it somebody searching through trash trying to find something to eat? At one time, I did sales in central California. I had a Chevy El Camino that was very comfortable and ran like the wind. I was zooming along this deserted stretch of interstate one cold and windy day, when I saw a man on side of the road hitch hiking. As I passed the old fellow, he turned and pointed to me in the rear view mirror. I knew who he was at that moment. When I finally got stopped, I backed all the way back to where he was. It took me a while. I opened the door and invited him inside. I asked him where he was going. "Oklahoma" he replied. I asked him where he had been. "Oregon". He had hitchhiked from Oklahoma to Oregon to visit his children and was on his way home. He didn't have a coat on and he was quite cold. I took him as far as I possibly could. We really enjoyed chatting along the way. When I let him back out into the cold, the Lord said, "give him your jacket". "WHAT!" "Give Him your jacket". The jacket I had on was a special jacket. It was an award jacket I had gotten at work. I loved this jacket. It was not too thick, but very comfortable and it broke the wind very well. It was special to me. "Give him your jacket, it's windy and cold out there". So I hung my head and got out and took off my jacket and gave it to him. I told him that he needed it much more than me. "Are you sure", he asked? "Yep". He thanked me and I drove off. Again, tears swelling up in my eyes, even as they are now when I try to type this up. I knew, I had been obedient to God, and Jesus had manifested Himself to me. I knew I was loved by the Father. He flooded my soul. He will flood yours too, if you look for Jesus....right under your nose.
