Matthew 10:9-15
Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts - no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
When the Lord sent out the disciples, He taught them several things. First, do not bring gold, silver or copper. In other word, they must trust that God will provide. This is not only true for the missionaries - We can also experience how God provides for us in our daily life. When I studying in Philadelphia, for some reason I stopped to work and we were short of money. One time Mrs. Liu was going out to buy things, but found out that she didn't have any money. She went before God in prayer, and suddenly heard a knock on the door. It was a sister from church who delivered an envelope, and told Mrs. Liu: "I believe this is what God prepared for you." She opened the envelope and found some cash in it! This sister's love offering provided for our needs at the most appropriate time. God not only provided for our needs through signs and wonders in the past, He can also satisfy our needs today through brothers and sisters, as well as other means.
Second, we must bring blessings to others. No matter what role in life God places us in, we have the same responsibility of becoming channel of His blessings. When we go to a city, we need to bless the city. When we enter a home, we need to pray for peace in the home. That's why we need to practice prayer walk. Chinese believers often overlook our responsibility to bless and bring peace to the city and community that we live in, because we're used to caring about nothing but our own business.
The Lord taught us that we need to pray for peace at the city we are living in. Have you ever prayed blessings upon your city? When we do that, people of the world will have two reactions towards the gospel that we preach: First, they will receive this peace; second, they will reject this peace. The Lord said, however, that the Lord's peace will be given to those who receive it, and the Lord's judgment will come upon those who reject His peace. It doesn't mean that we have condemned them of their sins, but they have condemned themselves because of their unbelief and rejection of the Lord. No matter what, we must follow God's will; no matter where we go, the gospel will be preached there as well, and the Lord's blessings and peace will be there too!
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