“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day; And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,” (Luke 16:19-20)

Not wanting to be inconvenienced in his riotous living, man has erected barriers that keep the Gospel out.  To his own damnation!

The True Gospel TROUBLES the sinner!  His entertaining pleasure is disturbed by the groans of a travailing Church.  This, in turn, causes him (the sinner) to avoid the Gospel even more.    

So, while Lazarus sits in front of the house proclaiming “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding…” (Phillippians 4:7), the rich man is HIDING BEHIND THE GATE!  Looking at the Bible picture from another angle: Lazarus lies in pain while the rich man is watching a game!  

An amazing fact came to my attention some time back: in the city of São Paulo (the fifth largest city of the world) there are more than 20,000 buildings OVER fifteen stories high!  The higher they can live, the farther they get from that bothersome Gospel that wants to ring hope into their ears.  In simple words: the higher they go, the less they hear Lazarus at the gate.  It stands true to say that every single building in São Paulo has a 24 hour watchman whose main job is to keep everyone else out!  In reality, there is an invisible sign in front of every high rise:  DON’T BOTHER ME!  I want to watch TV and “numb” away my worries about eternity!

One could think that the Gospel makes more inroads among the poor… and it does.  Yet, an end-time phenomenon indicates that the poor, too, are now running from the Gospel!   “Poor folks” are hiding behind their “do not trespass” signs, their pit bull dogs and empty beer cans as they flee from the deep rooted reality that they too ARE LOST!        

What about us, the redeemed? How are we to fulfill the Great Commission?  How can we knock down the gates and tame the dogs as we attempt to pull one more soul from the flames of hell?    

Did I hear someone say “travailing prayer” is the answer?  Without doubt, concentrated prayer is one of the keys… but prayer ALONE will NOT unlock the penthouse door… especially if there is a pit bull dog in the yard!

The way I see it, there is ONLY one answer to flush them away from their 42” plasma multi-media screen into the arms of a loving Savior: Jordon River Preaching!

It was John the Baptist’s preaching that got the Pharisees, Sadducees. Publicans, Soldiers and even Kings to come out of their gated communities to hear red-hot preaching by the Jordon River.

Lukewarm televangelists  will NEVER reach the penthouses nor pit-bull communities!  Why?  Because both groups can see past the floodlights and the mascara into the flaky hearts of falsetto preachers!    

Jordon River Preaching means getting MEAN with sin!  It also means looking the slick-willy crowd in the eye and telling them the Truth (“Your money won’t keep you out of hell!”).    

It took a man dressed different (Apostolic camel hair coat), who ate different (no social wine drinking)… and preached different (“behold the Kingdom of God is at hand”) to get them into the water of REPENTANCE!    

The reason why we have such small success with the penthouse/pit-bull dog crowds is because many among us want to join the “wow” preachers… “Let’s launch an Apostolic TV program!”

I am not worried about being locked out of the penthouse buildings… I am worried and wondering: where are the Jordon River Preachers?