POTENT PRAISE: Seizing the Opportunity Wherever You Are

by Bishop Keith Butler

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:20 (KJV)

God has been so good to you that you shouldn't be a closet Christian. On the contrary, you should preach everywhere that Jesus is Lord. Everybody on the job should know you are saved, because you don't hide your Christianity. You are not afraid to bow your head and pray over your lunch. With all God has done for you, you should almost take a pulpit in the lunchroom, and preach instead of eating because God has been so good to you. I am not telling you to do that. I'm just making a point of how thankful we should be at all times for being redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.

I have preached it from the streets of Detroit to the White House. I have let them know that I am saved and I am sanctified and I am fil led with the Holy Ghost. And if they hang around me much longer I am going to pray for them.

A group of us used to go out on the street corner of Cass Corridor and preach the gospel -- where the drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes were. Those pimps would threaten us because we were getting their prostitutes saved. But we preached anyway, because God is good. It didn't matter what they said, it mattered what God did. He sent Jesus to save everybody. That means the folks on the street and the folks in the White House. He didn't leave anyone out.

Some years ago I had the privilege of being on a program in my hometown with one of the presidents of the United States. Someone arranged for me to meet him. So, when I met him I said, "Sir, it's good to see you." As I shook his hand I told him, "I want you to know there is a church in this city that is praying for you. We are born again Christians that believe in the Name of Jesus and the power of the blood an d we are praying for you."

He looked at me, and the Secret Service looked at me. Perhaps they thought, "Here is one of those Jesus freaks, and he's going to do something." But the president broke out into one of the biggest grins and said, "Pray for me." Now I know he was probably thinking 'Pray when you get to church.' But I seized the opportunity right then. I prayed, "In the Name of Jesus, bless this man and show him that Jesus is Lord."

When you get the chance to tell somebody about the power of the Word and the Blood, take it. That might be the difference between heaven and hell for them.

Scripture References: Hebrews 9:14; Matthew 28:18-20