CARE FOR THE MESSENGERS

“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
"And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
Luke 9:1-6 (NKJV)

• God sends people out, missionaries, to expand His Kingdom on earth.

Some are sent to preach, win souls, and plant churches, while some are sent to edify believers—to strengthen them and water them (Luke 22:32; 1 Corinthians 3:7-9).

• Paul and Barnabas set out in their first missionary journey as they were commended to the hands of God (Acts 13:1-4).

They later went back to check out on the souls they have won and how they were faring (Acts 15:36).

“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”
Acts 15:36 (NKJV)

• In Luke 10:1-12, Jesus appointed seventy other disciples and sent them out to preach the gospel.

One of the outstanding statements He made to them was that:

“Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.”
Luke 10:4-6 (NKJV)

Jesus said they should not carry money bag, which equally means, they should set out by faith, that He will meet their needs.
Receiving a minister of God, missionary, in your house is a blessing.
When you receive them, the peace and blessings that accompany them will rest on you and your house.

• In our contemporary time, people find it difficult to give to the missionaries, travelling ministers; in fact, some want to take advantage of them and extort them.

Even some so-called 'pastors' or 'ministers' want to use them without caring for their well-being.
After some people might have known that a particular person is a missionary, travelling minister, they want to make unnecessary demand of money from them and extort them.
If you treat a missionary or travelling minister unfairly, you are indirectly provoking God's angry reaction.
Jesus said if anyone receives them, their peace will rest on the person's house 🏠, and anyone who rejects them, their peace which they come with will return to them; and they should depart from the place (Luke 10:8-12).

• If you reject a missionary or travelling minister, you are rejecting BLESSINGS; your Divine or God's visitation.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”
Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV)

Whatever you do for missionaries or travelling ministers attracts rewards from God.

“We therefore ought to receive [support] such [travelling ministers], that we may become fellow workers for the truth.”
3 John 8 (NKJV)

If you bless them, you become a fellow worker with them and share out of the rewards God has for them (Hebrews 6:10).

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV)

However, if you stand to fight them, quarrel with them, in what they do; or give them unnecessary stress in their bid to carry out their assignments, you may attract God's wrath without knowing.

• Take note: An affront, offence, against them is an affront against God.

Anything you do against them, God takes personally.
Therefore, you should not stand against those whom God has sent out to do His work.
If you cannot help them, let others do, do not stand against them.

"I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, HE HIMSELF DOES NOT RECEIVE THE BRETHREN [missionaries or travelling ministers] and FORBID THOSE WHO WISH TO, putting them out of the church.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”
3 John 9-11 (NKJV)

We should be imitators of good things; we should not imitate those who are against them—the missionaries.

“Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the travelling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you.
They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God.
For they are TRAVELING FOR THE LORD, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers.
So we ourselves should SUPPORT them so that we can be their PARTNERS as they TEACH the TRUTH."
3 John 5-8 (NLT)

• Missionaries, travelling ministers, are God's agents of BLESSINGS; wisdom demands that you treat them well that your awaiting blessings may get to you.

Abraham entertained strangers without knowing they were angels, his long-awaited promise of a child came to fulfilment as a result of what he did (Read Genesis 18:1-22; ,21:1-3)
Lot also did the same and he was spared from destruction, he and his family were not destroyed with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Read Genesis 19:1-5).
A Shunamite woman received the fruit of the womb, child, because she opened her house up for Elisha, God's prophet (2 Kings 4:8-17).

• It is my prayer that you will not miss your Day of Divine visitation.

Some have capriciously missed their Day of visitation from God because they could not discern God's move. THEY were not sensitive enough to know that a servant of God which they had a privilege to assist, but turned down, was sent to them by God to bring the answer to their prayers, which they have long awaited. (Genesis 18:1-22, 2 Kings 4:8-17).

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly [not aware of the full fact, unintentionally] entertained angels"
Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV)

• You will not miss your Day of Divine visitation in Jesus' name.
Peace!