By Sister Laura Sauer

Everyone in the Apostolic/Pentecostal faith is very familiar with this Scripture. But, how many of us have really paid attention to it? My guess is very few have taken the time to ponder what this passage means. And if you allow me to I will step on you toes (as well as my own) when I say that most of the time, we have downright ignored this passage. How terrible!

Recently a minister’s wife told me of an incident that had happened to her. While at a church conference, she and her husband were treated as royalty. That is, UNTIL it was noted that the Cadillac they had driven was only rented. They did not own it. The "royal treatment" was then dropped, and the couple was simply of no importance.

When I heard this, my heart hurt so much. I had to turn away from this dear sister and hide my tears. Then I became a little angry as I remembered, not only had I witnessed this type of injustice, but sometimes I had even been a partaker of this kind of action.

Ladies, I ask you, "Just who do we think we are?" There is so much pain in rejection. There are people in our church pews that are hurting and we are so caught up in our material thoughts that we cannot see their pain. There are wives of ministers and pastors that are aching and hurting from the fight to save souls for the Kingdom of God, and we snub them because they only have ten or twenty people in their church, and they don’t drive a Lincoln or carry a "Dooney."

Maybe they just don’t fit because of their style of dress. No, I am not speaking of Hollywood. I am speaking about our Apostolic/Pentecostal churches.

Why do we place so much importance on the material things in life? Yes, my husband and I have owned a Cadillac and sometimes I have been seen carrying a Dooney. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for these things the Lord has blessed us with. I am thankful for what he has given you, dear Sister in the Lord.

My point is this: There was a little lady in the Bible who gave the only thing she had to the Lord. Two pence. Jesus made an example of her. Or what about the prostitute that washed the Lord’s feet with her hair?

It is a good thing people like Mary Magdalene and Rahab don’t go to our church conferences now! Can you imagine how Ruth would fit into our "circle" of friends. She had to actually go out into the field and glean in order to eat. Why, she didn’t even come from a godly home.

Do you see my point? Would any of these ladies from the Bible be in you cliques if they were alive today? Each woman I have listed became an important person in the Bible, most of them were even in the lineage of Jesus Christ, our Savior. How do you know the woman you just recently ignored isn’t the very woman that the Lord will use in a mighty way, just like He did in Biblical times?

Ladies, have you visited Him and helped Him when He was sick? Have you taken Him in as a stranger?