How Gullible Are We?

How Gullible are we?

Illus. By Richard Crow

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan, "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies.

It was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and begin my two day journey back to the hospital. Upon arriving at the city, two men were fighting, and one was seriously injured. I treated his injuries and told him about Jesus Christ.

I then traveled two days, camped overnight, and arrived back home without incident. Two weeks later I repeated my journey. When I arrived back at the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me he knew I carried money and medicines.

He said "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to jump your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards!"

At this I laughed and said that I certainly was all alone out in that jungle campsite. But the young man pressed the point, saying, "No Sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those 26 armed guards that we were afraid and left you alone."

At this point in his message, a man in the audience jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked the exact day that incident happened. The missionary told him - and the man excitedly told THIS story - "On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here, and I was preparing to play golf. I was about to tee off when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Holy Spirit was SO STRONG, I called men to meet me here to pray for you.

"The man said, If you were here with me that day to pray please stand up?" The men who met together to pray stood up. The missionary wasn’t really concerned with who they were - but he wept as he counted their number -You guessed it - there were 26!

James 5:16 NKJ

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Righteous defined; acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.

How do we become free from guilt and sin? By accepting Jesus as our personal Savior and allowing ourselves, to be washed by the blood of the lamb that cleanses us from all unrighteousness!

Who is righteous? Christians are the righteousness of God right?

Who's righteousness is it? His righteousness, becomes our righteousness.

How do we see our needs met and healings take place in our lives?

By praying fervent prayers right? What is the definition of fervent?

exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling : zealous or diligent prayers...

But TBS. (The Bible says) it takes more than feelings for our needs to be met!

The Bible says it takes faith and the faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain.

the Bible also says that everyone has a measure of faith.

However much that is, it is a measurable amount and it's more than enough to do whatever it is we need to do! If a speck can move a mountain, then I would say we have been wonderfully equipped!

Thing is, unless your willing to use it it's useless to you!

Hebrews 11:6 NKJ

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him

You could substitute the words fervently and zealously.

He is a rewarder of those who fervently seek Him!

He is a rewarder of those who zealously seek Him!

We have already Established that we are and have the righteousness of God, through our relationship we have with Jesus right?

We already possess what we need, to move the hand of God in our every situation.

So why aren't we using our faith more and believing in the possible of what we already have?

When we think of examples of great men of the Bible that had faith and exercised their faith and saw Great miracles take place! we think of men like Abraham, Moses and Noah.