Faith to Give and Receive — R. Edward Miller

But not to finish up this revival series we're talking about Elijah and Elisha. Elijah has now been in the story has been taken by the whirlwind of the heavenlies and we go back to Elisha and It is the time of fruit-bearing for Elisha, and there's just one incident.

Elisha and the Fruit-Bearing Season

I'm going to use out of the many. It is life. To illustrate that fruit-bearing and we're going to start with the second book of Kings Chapter 5. The Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel little maid.

And she waited on Nehemiah's wife this Little girl had been kidnapped. Her village had been destroyed. She became a slave. She plays a very important part in the history of Elisha. We're not given a name in Scripture, but I have given her a name nada in a r-a-h nada.

In Hebrew that word means a slave girl. And that's what she was now. When miracles are wrought. When the Word of God was anointing when the Holy Spirit's moving there has to be faith on two sides. There has to be faith to give.

There has to be faith to receive. There was no lack of faith. There's no lack of power and anointing in Jesus. But in Nazareth, he could not do many mighty works. Why? Because of their unbelief not because of his.

Yes, I mean It was there. The power was there so much. So when the woman touched to him his garment without even Advising him and she was going to the power flowed didn't it? Because there was faith to receive there was faith in him to give there was faith in her to receive and immediately There was a flow there has to be faith on both sides.

Faith to Give and Faith to Receive

It has to be the faith to give and that comes from the ministry they have to have that faith and There has to be the faith to receive. Because I don't care how much how much power or how much anointing or how much gifting a ministry may have it will do no good when there's unbelief to receive it and we you remember I've mentioned the story of the of the woman that Matthew 9 20 Behold a woman which was deceived with an issue of blood twelve years came behind him and touched to him of his garment.

For she said within herself upon but if I may but touch his garment, I shall behold. And skipping to Luke 8 45 to fulfill the rest of the story and Jesus said who touched me. When all denied Peter and they that were with him said master the multitude throng you and press you.

What do you say who touched me? And Jesus said somebody touched me for I perceived that virtue that word means power is gone out of me. And Jesus turned him about when he saw he said daughter be of good comfort.

Your faith has made you whole. The woman was made whole from that hour. She but touched him. But she touched him with faith and that's why Jesus said your faith made you whole. It was there in him it was already there and The strange thing is so many people touched him and got nothing.

That tells you something doesn't it? Peter said well, what a question. Everybody's touching that throwing you their pressure on every side. He said no somebody touched me what a different what a strange thing what what a what a how should I say a Word of almost condemnation to all those people that were touching him and received nothing.

Has anybody ever said to you they have to me many times. Well, why is it have God so wonderful and so great and we have the healing service and a few people get healed and rest. Go home without anything.

You ever hear people say that. I Can tell you why? In the day of Jesus one people what one person one woman received and the rest of them got nothing. Why? One person the rest of them banged against him.

There was that touch of faith. There was that touch of faith to receive from God and we're going to leave that now. We're going back to our story. We're going to carry on. The giving and receiving of faith second King five.

Nara's Faith in Adversity

Which led to two to nineteen. We're going now to to carry on where we left off and This Nara this little servant made she said to her mistress would God my lord work here with a prophet that is in Samaria.

For he would recover him of his leprosy. This little girl that had been kidnapped was made a slave lost her home lost everything she had. She had faith. To receive not faith to give. But she had faith to receive somehow.

Before she had been kidnapped before she'd been carried away. She was very familiar with Elisha now. Such a thing as she is saying If he'd go to the prophet he would get healed from his leprosy. It's an amazing thing to say.

Leprosy wasn't something that got healed very often and furthermore in those days it wasn't like this that's what coming the Holy Spirit and the gifts of healing and so on that was before that and when.

We'll see a little bit later when this letter was sent the king asking him to do it. He said but why the man's mad. He's trying to pick a war with me. People didn't do that. How did this little girl have the faith to know that her prophet would do what nobody else had ever done.

It's amazing faith little Nara had you know and another amazing thing is that they believed her. You know what that tells me? That tells me that she knew her God and that tells me that being a slave instead of getting bitter and instead of doing what all the other slaves lying and doing their best to get out of everything and make things miserable for their.

For their owners, don't you did? She gained their trust her spirit was so right. They said she will not lie to us. They trusted her. They believed her totally. That tells me a lot about that little girl.

There's another story very similar in the wall density, but I won't go into it, but it is possible. She had such victory in her heart. She had such faith in her God that she knew her God and she knew her prophet if he just go there and he get healed and.

That faith was contagious because faith is and her words were positive and her words were out of a lip. Lips that were accustomed to speaking truth. They knew they could trust Nara. These were high-class people.

These were the ruling class. This was her. Naaman was the general of the king's army. I think it's wonderful. I think it's a temper. I think it's extraordinary. That that girl was believed in such a momentous in such an important occasion and they did.

And we go on reading she had that faith to receive and so someone went in and told that Naaman the general saying that's and thus said that little Nara out of the land of Israel and. So they told the king and the king they must have heard a lot about that little girl because the king believed it, too.

And the king said of Syria said go go. I will send a letter to the king of Israel didn't say the prophet. And he departed took with him and Naaman departed took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold and ten Changes his raiment.

He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying now when this letter is coming to thee behold I have herewith sent my general name and my servant to thee that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

Good Lord. When the king of Israel read the letter he tore his clothes apart. He said am I God Expect me to kill and make alive. This general sends me a letter to recover a man of his leprosy. Look, he seeks a quarrel against me.

He wants to make war with me. He was in a quandary and Elisha heard about it and Elisha the man of God Heard the king of Israel rent his clothes. He sent to the king saying verse 8. Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?

Let him come now to me and he shall know there is a prophet in Israel. He had faith to give. Faith to give. He was willing to put his it would put his his name on the line. He's willing to face up to it said send him to me.

You'll know there's a prophet now. He'd never healed anyone like that before and yet and Did he had no qualms? He had no maybe. He had no perhaps. He said no if the Lord will, you know, let me give him way out.

He said just send him to me. You know, there's a prophet. So there was faith to give in the prophet there was faith to receive in Nara a little slave girl. So Naaman came with his horses with his chariots stood at the door of the house of Elisha all this retinue and all these soldiers with their all their arms enough and the all these horses and all this baggage that they carried talents of silver and many talents of gold and Elisha sent a messenger into it didn't go out to see.

Go and wash in Jordan seven times in your flesh. I'll come again to thee and thou shalt be clean. He was sure wasn't he? He didn't have to go out there and go to a some kind of a ceremony or go through some type of a ritual or or Go wash it's gonna take taking care of all you need to do just go wash it off.

Well, I read That Naaman. Let's see. Where are we? There it is. Naaman was wroth. Naaman was angry. I don't blame him. Do you? He thought he's making a fool of him. He was angry. I Thought he'd come out to me and and salute me and talk to me and find out what my problem was it.

He just said go wash. I thought he'd strike the name strike the place of our leprosy is and call the name of the Lord. And he covered my leprosy Jordan. We've got two rivers cleaner than better than that.

Jordan was a muddy river. Better than all the water to Israel. Why can't I wash my own rivers? So he turned and went away in a rage and his servants came here and spake to him said my father It's a prophet and did he do some great thing.

Would you have done it? Well, how much rather than he said he wash and be clean and. And that piece of wrath and persuaded him. Then when he down Dipped himself seven times in Jordan. According to the saying of the man of God and his flesh came again like on the flesh of a little child.

He was clean. He returned to the man of God and all his company came and stood before him. Believing is obedience. Obedience is believing it was all set Name and had to do one thing more. He didn't have the faith to receive.

So God didn't ask that. But he did ask him to obey an order. That's all. Just obey an order. Obedience is an act of faith and God took that that was enough. But he did what was told to do. He went down and dipped in Jordan and lo and behold that wonderful wonderful miracle took place.

Naaman's Confession of the True God

And now it comes back to the prophet. And he said these words. These are marvelous words. I hope they're underlined in your Bible. Behold. Now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now I know that your God is a true God and there is none other like him.

Now I know. Now I know. Now I know. Why how to expect people that don't know our God to know how to expect people that have their own gods. He had their own God. How to expect them to know that we are right and they are wrong.

Now I know. Look what he's done. There's no other God like that. That's what the Christian Church was sent out with we were sent out that way. We were sent out to prove. In in a mark we read that we were to go out and heal the sick.

Go ahead. So lepers raise the dead he said and the signs Following would confirm the word that was preached. These signs shall follow them. These signs shall follow. Why to confirm the Word of God confirm that we are preaching truth to confirm that is true.

To confirm that God is true to confirm that he's a God that kind of God that will do that kind of a thing. Now I know. Now I know he said look, would you let me take a little bit of this earth earth? Just as much as a mule will carry it and take it with me to mule burdens worth just so I can maybe build an altar there and some place a little bit out of Israel God because they had the idea that God's were very localized and He wanted to carry this wing with him.

But he said something wonderful first he said he wanted to Take a blessing take some of the gifts. He gives you said no, I don't want that and then he said in verse 17 Your servant Will henceforth offer neither burnt offering or sacrifice unto other gods but unto the Lord.

Nara as a Missionary to Syria

Little Lara Was a slave missionary to Syria. What a way to become a missionary, huh? What a way. But one of her converts was a general and now he's saying I will worship. No other God. Except your God and I'll tell you something else.

The Bible doesn't say this but I know it. General the army would sit down at the feet of Nara and said tell me about your prophet and about your God. Do you believe that I do I? Do this it you've got something different and she was a missionary and who knows how far that went.

But one thing we do know that after that during that time period of history Syria made no more wars against Israel it made a difference just one person that believes God in. The midst of such adversity in the midst of such trial in the midst of being a slave girl.

She still believes. I think that's wonderful. So she was a missionary to Syria and so he goes on this story and Elijah said to him to go in peace and so he departed from him a little way. Now I want to go to something else.

I'm going to go to book of Acts verse 28. It's after 28 verses 1 to 11. We're talking about faith to give and faith to receive. Acts 28 verse 1. When they were escaped. Then they knew that the island was called Melita and the barbarous people showed us no little kindness for the kindle of fire and received Us everyone because of the present rain because of the cold.

Paul's Faith and the Healing at Malta

And when Paul had gathered the bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire. There came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw that the venomous beast hang on his head they said among themselves no doubt this man is a murderer.

He escaped the sea but vengeance suffered not to live. And he took off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. There is that abiding. There is that faith. There is that that the abiding spirit. And Paul was so certain of it that I was bit by a servant serpent.

It didn't even disturb him. Go back in the fire. And carried on in business. He had faith in the God and the Spirit of God that dwelt within him. Didn't Jesus say That if you bit by a serpent you'd feel no ill.

You could take you could take poison and it wouldn't make you sick. Isn't that so? He knew it was so he knew that the spirit of life was in him and no devil was going to take it out through it through the teeth of a serpent and All he did was shake it off.

He had faith to give. Well, he did give. I see when the people looked what he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly. They looked and looked and looked and looked. Nothing happened. So they changed their mind.

They changed their mind. People do you know when we act in the faith of the Holy Ghost? It changed her mind. I said, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Something's going on. This man didn't die. It's just as strong as ever.

And so in the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the islands whose name was Publius. Received us in larger three days courtesy and it came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and blighted fluke to him.

Obeying Jesus in Ministry

Paul entered in and prayed laid his hands on him and And healed him. So when this done when this was done others also which had disease came and were healed. All of you workers and all of you pastors are going home.

Seek the Lord. That he may confirm his word. That you'll be speaking trust in the Holy Spirit that's in you. Realize he is in me. You don't have to heal anybody. All you have to do is obey Jesus that lay hands on the sickness shall recover.

He didn't say recover them. Did he? You just do that and he'll do the other. I've seen thousands of people healed literally. I never healed one of them. I couldn't. But if I didn't obey him put my hands on and say a little prayer over.

God wouldn't do anything either so between the two of us I Did a little tiny bit and he did a great big bit. But it got done. I'm sure you've heard the story of the flea and the elephant haven't you? Well the flea was in the elephant's ear and The elephant was working hard in the teak forest of India.

And he was laying one big log up picked up with his trunk and with his tusks. Sticking it on the tile and go and get another one and he was working hard all day long. And finally night came and they took the elephant down the river to give him take the worst all the sweat off of him and Give him a refreshing and on the way down there the little flea that's in his ear all day feasting.

He said to the elephant. He said we did a great job today, didn't we? No, we are workers together with God. We do a great job. Oh Yes, oh Yes, I put my hands on pray a little prayer in the name of Jesus.

Amen. You're healed. Oh, well praise the Lord. What a surprise I don't do anything. You don't have to do anything you just do what you're told to do and that's hard enough, isn't it? That will make the sweat break out on your forehead.

Especially if you do it in a sense of a challenge and accept the challenge. Like Elisha send him to me. You'll know there's a prophet in Israel but there was a prophet in Israel and that's where the fruit is because he'd gone through all the Preparation and he'd come to that place of faith.

He knew who he was and who his God was. And he said of himself like Elijah did the God before whom I stand he had that living relationship with God developed in his life and therefore When God works those kind of miracles when God proves himself.

Then people begin to say now I know Your God is true. Now I know there is a real God. You know people all over the world want reality. They want reality. After all, we're all heading down the path into death and then what I'd like to know before I get there, wouldn't you?

But I'd like to know not just have somebody tell me and I hope they're right because if I hope they're right and they are wrong, I can't come back to fix it and I figured long ago that if God's going to demand of me that I know before I get there.

He's gonna be just enough to let me know and have some way to find out before I do. Now I know. Now I know there is a God that's true of all the gods. There is one read the story of Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel.

After he spent seven years out there as an insane King, he comes back and says now I know God reigns. We can sing our God reigns and I hope you can see I know he reigns. But I have to be seven years out like a sane person, but he did know God wants us to have a God that we know is with us and in us and we can Expect him to confirm his word with signs following if I obey and follow his directions.

Carrying Faith Through Adversity

I Said I wouldn't speak long. We'll just cut it off here but we have a wonderful God and I trust you go home with a new faith in your heart a new courage a New impetus to seek his face and realize yes, we're gonna have to go through some things.

I mean that little Nara. She had to go through some pretty rough things to see her home destroyed lose her father and mother everything she had carried away as a slave and dumped in some home and Treated like a slave and yet she took her God with her.

She took her God with her and The result is instead of ending up a slave. She ended up a missionary to Syria. I like that. Don't you God's wonderful. He does things so strangely, but he does wonderful things and I trust you can take your God home with you with a fresh faith.

With a fresh zeal with a fresh love and know he is with me and because he is with me. Then I can try him I can overcome shall we stand.