The Great Commission
The Great Commission
*All scriptural references taken from the New American Standard Bible.
Those who have been in the Body of Christ for any length of time are familiar with the following verse:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
This one verse has been long touted as “The Great Commission.” However, it is my belief that it is not the great commission, but a great commission.
The great commission reads as follows:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30/Deut. 6:5).
When this commission is honored, the going “into all the world” becomes a natural out-flow of the former. It becomes autonomic, and we carry out the command whether we’re filling our tank at the gas station or commanding an audience of 300,000 people on the plains of Africa during a power-evangelism campaign.
I wish to focus briefly upon the three words I have emphasized above: “all your heart.”
There is a reason the Lord emphasized the heart first in this command; for as you peruse the gospels you will find that Jesus always spoke to matters-of-the-heart above all else. He was and is after our hearts, first and foremost.
In this context, consider also 2 Chronicles 16:9, which reads:
“The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
As Christians, we all have gifts, ministries, callings and unique destinies in this lifetime, which require the Lord’s equipping, anointing, commissioning and favor—His “strong support.” However, we cannot tap-into such fully, until our hearts are “completely” His.
The full maturation of our unique callings in this lifetime will not come about until every cavern of our hearts are fully yielded to His habitation, and fully devoted to loving Him—first.
Proverbs 20:27 reads: “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.”
As we carve-out quality time to sit in His presence, in stillness and in silence, our spirits (our “lamps”) reveal secret caverns deep within our hearts, through the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit—caverns which remain void of His Lordship—secret caverns which have yet to be released to Him. One prolific and anointed writer, long ago stated: “The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He will not force Himself upon anyone, but He will accept a cordial invitation.” As we then still ourselves on a daily basis, and make ourselves available to His probing, we offer him a cordial invitation to turn the “lamp” on, to illuminate the dark places.
Such caverns are often those which represent bitterness, unforgiveness; shame and guilt over secret compulsions, habits, obsessions and sins—sins which we feel eternally damned for—as if Christ cannot fully cleanse us of them.
Some of these caverns contain wounds that were initially so painful that we were afraid to allow the Master Surgeon to heal such. This posture is not unlike a child that skins its knee, and immediately pushes away the arms of those reaching to help; for fear that the wound will hurt worse when it is tended to. Some of these caverns contain wounds as the result of heart-searing slander, brutal character assassinations and erroneous judgments which have destroyed our reputation.
Some of these caverns house wounds that we hold onto for years, as we feel it our personal right to harbor them as reminders of those who have wounded us—knowing full well that we hold them hostage in doing so. Some of these caverns contain secret affections, unhealthy and inappropriate affections for others—adulterous affections.
Some of these caverns contain such permeating sadness that it seems it resides within our very bone marrow—caverns which may contain the void of a deposit we could not receive from our earthly fathers.
While still in the womb, while an infant, while a toddler, while a child, and while a teen; I incurred a series of traumas representing enough collective emotional, psychological and physical anguish to crush the strongest among us. These wounds later propelled me into deep isolation, seclusion, introversion and depression. And when I ultimately met the Lord at age 21, though the encounter was powerful and life-changing, I yet held onto and carefully guarded several secret caverns deep within my heart—caverns that I did not allow the Holy Spirit to fully inhabit. As the result, I wounded many people, over many years, deeply. The fact of the matter is that wounded-people-wound-people, and healed-people-heal-people.
One of the fascinating dynamics of prayer is that we are often immediately aware that others are praying for us. We can be immersed in our jobs, riddled with stress, anxiety and frustration within a typical work day, and at once begin to feel an internal warmth—a reminder that the Lord is near. Sometimes it’s as if warm syrup is being poured over our hearts, to melt the hardness. This very often is the real-time effect of someone praying for us. In the same fashion, there are times when the Lord chooses to visit us—wholly removed from the prayers of others. These are times when He decides we need a power-encounter with Him. Often times these can be described in practical terms, as a major tune-up or overhaul. We can rarely anticipate these moments, they simply come when we least expect them. Often times we are shocked by them, as we had previously resolved internally that we would never experience Him in this way, in this dimension, again. In this context, allow me to share a brief story of a man depicted in the book of II Samuel.
In II Samuel 9:1-13, we read a brief glimpse of the life of an unknown, named “Mephibosheth.” In simple terms, and at the time, King David had decided to seek out any surviving relatives of the then deceased King Saul. And as you may recall, King David honored King Saul as “the Lord’s anointed,” all the while King Saul sought to kill David—motivated by insane jealousy, among other destructive emotions. King David, after an exhaustive search, found Mephibosheth, grandson of King Saul, son of the then deceased Prince Jonathan. David dearly loved Jonathan, as his own brother, despite relational hedges that were forced into their relationship in an attempt to wedge them apart.
That David honored King Saul as “the Lord’s anointed,” despite the perversion of Saul’s authority; and that David loved Jonathan, despite the relational wedges that were placed between them; is a powerful story in itself, but one that I will waylay presently, as we rather focus upon the story of Mephibosheth.
Prior to King Saul’s death; and in the heat of one of several battles involving the Philistines attacking his kingdom, and while at the approximate age of 5, Mephibosheth was hurriedly scooped-up into the arms of his guardian, likely a woman who served as a baby sitter. As she ran from the attackers, she stumbled and dropped him. His spine incurred such a severe blow that it paralyzed both of his legs. He then entered into life as a paralytic—a sudden shock which changed every facet of his existence—overnight.
As Mephibosheth aged, he learned the full story of the relationship between his grandfather, King Saul, and David. He then concluded that his condition was that of judgment for his grandfather’s love-hate relationship with David. He also concluded that he should remain in hiding, assuming that David’s men would kill him were he discovered. As one might imagine, his life was deeply laced with many sad emotions, one of which was that of shame. For his name means literally, “Son of shame.” He referred to himself as “a dead dog.”
Mephibosheth’s affliction was deep, physically, psychologically and emotionally. He had resigned from any hopes of walking in what should or could have been his destiny. His affliction prevented him from ever believing that he would be met with favor, love and kindness. But when he least expected it, King David had him summoned to his palace. Mephibosheth then thought his empty life would be met with certain death at the hands of King David.
When King David’s officers carried Mephibosheth into the king’s court, Mephibosheth was shocked to discover that King David rather sought to honor him, as the grandson of “God’s anointed,” and the son of the man he had loved as his own brother, Jonathan.
King David insisted that Mephibosheth sit as an honored guest at his banqueting table. He was also assigned attendants, to tend to his every need. He was given the finest suite within David’s palace, including every luxury that he desired. And for the remainder of his days he sat at King David’s banqueting table, to dine with him on a daily basis.
In short, Mephibosheth had been hiding from the King—when the King found Him and so overwhelmed him with his kindness, that his heart was transformed—overnight. Mephibosheth was no longer deemed a “son of shame,” or a “dead dog,” but as a friend of the King, and as one who was loved by the King.
What is your heart-affliction, an affliction that is hidden from the King? What is that heart-affliction that would make you feel like a “dead dog” at times? A heart-affliction that would cause you to resign to any hopes of receiving kindness from the King?
In the same way that King David visited Mephibosheth when he least expected it, and in the same way that King David showered Mephibosheth with love and kindness when he least expected it, thoroughly transforming Mephibosheth’s heart; so the King of Kings is making His way to your hidden place, your place of seclusion and affliction.
As the New Year unfolds, and as you ponder what it may hold for you, believe that your heart can be healed and completely made whole, by one unexpected visit from the King. As you still yourself, and as you linger in silence, and as you hand-over the keys to the doors protecting those caverns in your heart that have housed afflictions; expect that the King will fill them with His love, and with His kindness—changing your life—forever.
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father [David], and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him;” (I Chron. 28:9).
David Davenport
Email: MustPressOn@gmail.com
*Permission is granted to copy, post and circulate this article as desired.
The Great Commission
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