ttob12

The Testimony of Believers

Lesson Twelve: by turtle

Have you ever gone on a trip with no money. I can say I have. I can also say I did not know how I would take care of the
necessities of that trip. Fortunately where we were staying provide both dinner and lunch box for the next days trip. However the
unconvinced of going and having a person with you that was not of your household made things difficult. Yet blessings came
with that trip as well as having our car breakdown with no extra cash. I promised myself I never take a trip like that again.
However if you are in ministry sometimes you do take trips without funds or do things without the ability to do them. Some
would say buzzard luck, and others say blessing from angels on earth, and others say you idiot how could you even think of
going on a trip with no cash or credit. The fact remains the things we do sometimes are necessary and others times not so
necessary. Yet if God says go, you better go, understanding God will wants you there, everything else will come, even if it
means walking on them hush puppies ten miles into the middle of no where. Many missionaries went to countries and place to
help people and to share the gospel in the middle of nowhere. Many missionaries could not take but what they could carry. What
is a few months without modern conveniences, what about a life time of service in the backwoods. Of nowhere. Decisions to
just that has to be done on the leading and surrender to God alone. To do it just to do it, seems inhumane. Yet there people that
go has part of military service, or other agencies beside the church world with no conviction from God. What is difference in
what Christ told his disciples to leave everything behind and to go and share the gospel two by two. Let us look at the passage in
Luke 10.

Luke 10:1-16
(1) After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and
place, whither he himself would come.
(2) Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,
that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
(3) Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
(4) Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
(5) And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
(6) And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
(7) And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not
from house to house.
(8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
(9) And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(10) But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
(11) Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that
the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(12) But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
(13) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have
been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
(14) But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
(15) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
(16) He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent
me.

Difference is Jesus sent them to heal, not with medical knowledge but by the power and authority of His name. Not one doctor,
nurse, dentist or other medical people can heal by there own name or by their own word, but they can heal based on knowledge
they have about diseases and ailments. We must remember the twelve disciples were not doctors. No doubt they knew how to
treat minor problems, like most people did, unless the problem got worse. Yet the seventy that went out healing went without
anything extra and if welcome they were to abide there and if not then they were to leave.

Luke 10:17-24
(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
(18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
(19) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall
by any means hurt you.
(20) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written
in heaven.
(21) In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
(22) All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is,
but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
(23) And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
(24) For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to
hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Today supplies of man are taken to do healing. Few missionaries go without medical skills today. Jesus name is still has effective
then as it is today, but many understand miracles are for the spreading of the gospel. What is done by various groups is to spread
new technology and to teach people trying to catch them to modern world outside there culture. Those that go to spread the
gospel do see miracles, and works of God. God provides for those He sends to reach people who desire to know Him. Can
technology be used to spread the gospel sure it can, by people seeing the love of those bringing the care to them. However it is
the miracles that change lives from disbelief to belief in super natural way, making God more real to the receiver of the miracle
and group. However God is not a computer button you can push to get a miracle or say in the Name of Jesus rise up and walk in
every case. God got a purpose in doing things the way He does them. No better proof is in the telling of the Samaritan story.
God wants us to use our skills, not just ask for everything in His Son name. When you have nothing left in your ability you
have to rely on Jesus ability. Coming to a place on relying on God and not on what you can do. Send out the seventy was Jesus
way allowing those He was teaching to understand God’s provision by others as will as by God. Let us look at the provision the
Samaritan provided.

Luke 10:25-37
(25) And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
(26) He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
(27) And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
(28) And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
(29) But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
(30) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him
of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
(31) And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
(32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
(33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
(34) And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an
inn, and took care of him.
(35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of
him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
(36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
(37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

The Priest and Levite were suppose to have God however they did not even try and aid the hurt man on the side of the road,
even with just a little oil or prayer. Instead they went to the other side to get away from the problem and to avoid it all together.
However a strange came and said no I am going to help this man on the side of the road and provide with my own money all he
needs. Which is more a servant of God the one providing or the one walking on the other side to avoid the one in the ditch. I
rather see ten people helping then five avoiding a situation. Either you are there to help or you are there to destroy. To destroy
would be to leave the person needing help on the side of the road needing medical attention. I am not talking about that
hitchhiker with two good legs needing a ride with a knife, I am talking about that guy in the wheelchair or can’t see needing help
across the road, because traffic is to congested. I am talking doing the best you can under the circumstances, aiding in whatever
way you can. Sometimes you can not help. Sometimes you have no ability to help, but you know either someone that can or
know someone else that has skills, but at least, which is one of the greatest things you can do is pray for a situation. Maybe you
can not fix a tire but you can maybe call someone that can, or maybe you can say a prayer, and give a person a lift to a station.
Using good judgment like maybe using your cell phone or stopping at a store and calling for help for someone is the most you
can do and safest. Yet it is still something. It is like when a friend calls and is sick and you are going to the store. Finding out if
they need something and picking it up might be something you can do. There is always something you can do. Jesus never
attended for miracles to be a magicians act to the point no one does anything to help someone else, purpose was spreading the
gospel, which is not the only way to spread the gospel. Love and mercy is another way.

Each human situation is different. Each challenge is different. Martha and Mary were suppose to be serving dinner, but Mary
will she got sidetracked by listening to Jesus. She could not help but listen to the words Jesus spoke and to worship Him. Yet
Martha thought service was more important. Let’s examine what Jesus told Martha

Luke 10:38-42
(38) Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him
into her house.
(39) And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
(40) But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left
me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
(41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
(42) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Mary chosen the good thing and it would not be taken from her is what Jesus said about Mary listening at His feet to Martha.
We can get busy doing all the work for God and never hear God. Never listening to what God says can lead to mishaps in how
we present Christ and how we present His love and mercy. We actually do things in ourselves, saying what I accomplished, but
it what God is doing in a person’s life. I can boast of doing a Website but if I never say God enabled I giving credit to the wrong
person. If I say Yahoo Small Business Solutions have great tools, and easy to use I am claiming their product is simple and easy.
However without God this site has little to offer, because it is about Jesus, or at least most of it is. Of course there other things
here to do besides read, but that not the point. I had no skills for setting up a website. I had no skills or patience to read a
manual. God however seem to understand all that when I land up here. The point is God knows what we are able to do.
Computer tech people understand people inability to learn programming or read long manuals. You put God and computer tech
people together and you got a winning team. You put amateur like me with a desire to share the gospel around the world from
my home. And will you got it. However unless I read and study I can not share who God is, if I do not experience life I can not
know who God is. Sometimes we need to slow down and listen to God and not worry so much about the serving. The serving
comes with what life throws at you, unless God literally says go to that place where His Word is not and share and teach.

What are you doing that so important that you can not take five minutes to listen to Jesus. What are you doing that you can not
help a friend or a neighbor. What is stopping you from receiving Jesus, is it that lack of a miracle in your life, or maybe a dying
cancer patient. What have you learned from that patient, what have you learn by being there. It not all about the patient, but
how it effects you. God loves, but He allows sorrow and pain on this earth, but not in heaven. Pain and diseases will be gone in
heaven. Even with healing from cancer, disease comes again. Yet God’s word remains, that if we will do those things He ask us
to do we will have eternal life, but works without faith does not bring eternal life with God. One has to still have faith. Earth is
training ground for what heaven will be a place to love without pain and sorrow, do not make this life to be a training ground for
sorrow and more pain in the fiery pit called hell and eternal lake of fire. Whether you are a Christian or not help someone today.
God sees even when you do not believe, maybe you will see the miracle you desire so you can believe.