Matthew 11:1-19 KJV
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

In scripture there is two types of ministers seen clearly as we walk the road the cross. This scene is time of Christ popularity and second year of his ministry. We been in the third year of his ministry, but I am back tracking to point this out. Not only point it out, but we got til Easter in April to get to the cross, so we got over 30 days to go not quite two months. It important to note Jesus and John ministry was different but the same. John came in his proverty dressed in soft rainment and eating locust. Even enter the king's palace. Yet what we do not see is John ministry to the Gentiles was done in a form of proverty, a man without ministering tot those in need. Jesus came working the inistry with in human wealth, not of poverty, his friends being wealthy, partiers, drunker and gluttonness. HIs own wealth from no doubt the carpentry trade. John being the fore runner to Elias(Messiah to come). Elijah returning to defeat the enemy, though it would be as the Son of God the only beloved Son of God. Elijah himself could not hold even a candle to the Messiah, but the Messiah would be like him. The Messiah came healing the sick, doing wonders, and even raising the dead. Raising the dead caught my attention. He was raising dead perhaps more then was ever recorded. We do not know. Elijah himself had raised the dead as well.

This Jesus one of popularity in the lime light and John walking the road of not in the lime light, but ministry to all that came to him, while he preached a message of repentance and about the kingdom of God. These images of ministry is not always how Jesus is presented either, from pictures, or preception in the message of scriptures. What does it take to be friends of wealthy, to be friends of the common worker that has money to go out and spend lavaciously upon their friends and strangers with big meals and dinners. We see Christ ministering to all, he needed no money of his own. He could sin Peter to catch a fish and pull money out of it's mouth to pay the tax to enter a town.

If you look at these giant ministries you know that their wealth in these churches from business people, from people coming from many different life styles reaching those that others would never reach, because of social work entailed. These ministeries have their place. Then there the small ministeries that reach all types of people too, but they dealing with the mission work often times of the church world. Some people are not cut out for the mission work of th church. Yet they have the money to give. They do not mind even lending a hand but they use to making profit, not giving things away, only when there is excess of products. The people that give out of proverty is different from the business world. In truth most would wonder how missions even survive without the business world caring.

Do these ministries over lap? Often in many ways. Yet the upper class often wants to help the mission but not remain involved because of there work elsewhere. It is not about separation but about having those work with people in their situation, of how God open doors in their life might not always be the same as another, yet it often a step up and process of spiritual growth occuring even in economic provery level people. Not that proverty could not go to Jesus, or the rich could not go to Jesus. Or Jesus could not face kings as John did.

It really about meeting the spiritual needs of both the rich and poor being the same, but the needs of the rich sometimes different then the poor. The poor the receivers and the rich the givers, not that the poor can not give or do for the rich as well. Case in mine, I heard on the news the other day, some students sent their teacher to the superbowl, I sitting and wonder how many friends did that teacher take with 9000 dollars raised for the trip. Students usually have not much money on their own, but they had idea to raise money and they were able to honor their teacher with a gift. I doubt any student that year would get a failing grade. It takes more people to raise money, compared to what one wealthy man might be able to give on his own. Spiritual need always being the same, the need for Christ, need to know to love others as themselves. Both rich and poor learning how to love with their means responsibly.

John ministry would begin outside the temple, where Christ ministry was in the temple as well as to the people of all nations inside and outside the temple. Jesus was working in ministry with some John perhaps would not or spiritual reasons could not of socialize with. Surprising enough the religious leaders often showed up where Jesus was, but did not eat with the sinners. Meaning their social skills were lacking where Jesus skills were not. Jesus would sit and dine with the sinner. Religious leaders were more like John in social setting, but yet not willing to go to the gentiles but allowed them to come and be taught in the gentile court of the temple.

Jesus disciples need to catch fish they caught fish. They needed to eat with sinners, they ate with sinners. They need to do ministry work they did ministry work. A constant battle between taking care of the family and their personal needs and the work of the ministry. Though they went humbly to people's house's and they were welcomed in a majority of places, they still had to rely on those in different areas to take care of their physical hunger in some settings as they took care of the physical healing of the body, Spirit and mind. Jesus was welcome almost everywhere he went. Only one town asked him to really leave because they did not know what happened to the man that demons had gone into a herd of pigs. When they went that way again Jesus would be welcome there.

John ministry was to the forerunner of Christ's ministry. John example style was poverty, Jesus ministry was far reaching all over, where John stay more in one location, didn't mean he did move around some, but he was gathering those going into the Jerusalem for baptism and purfication as they enter the holy city of Jerusalem. John as a minister humble ways represented the humbleness of the believer.

Jesus was humble to, but his life style allowed socializing and talking to people so they would listen and maybe even investigate his ministry. If a pastor make 25000 in a small church and his wife works they often able to socialize with people with like economics as well as the poor. They fit into a group of people with similiar needs. Never really able to rub the nose in their money in front of the people. There are people with 500000 and higher a year that will not talk to the poor that make less then 50000. It not because they think they are better, they often have interest that are above the economic levels of some at 50000 dollars. Part of mission work is teaching people to help themselves and to encourage them to achieve. To teach the rich how to help the poor and know when to allow others to be involved in it that can reach the person where others can not. Some never will get above their situation and others will rise to the ocassion. Those that know how to rise up on their own often can lead the pack out of the situation some find themselves in.

Jesus came only to heal spiriitually, know he came caring about all aspects of a human life. Should the church be involved every aspect of their members life. Not really. Yet the can be a center of hope to help people needing work through extra jobs, learning to work and so forth. Mission of a church can be to help people find work if they do not know how, to help them educate on self care if it is needed. Mission of the church is to teach love, and all these things are love, but it not always received in love, because of how it is done. Church can be a mission field of hope, or a mission field of disaster. The mission of church is to spread love and hope. Hope comes in many ways not just a hand out, but sometimes a hand up. The mission of the church is to help the person's spiritual needs, and often the government helps with all aspects of the human life but not the spiritual need of individual. A ministry might only help with the spiritual need, but it teaches people the need that will enable a person to be all they can be in God's army.

During Cov how many people understood from just tv that cleaning was more important then before. Germ warfare was needed. Spiritual warfare the Bible is needed in one's life. How the Bible can walk you through lie even to gettting work, going to school, providing for daily living. Yet does the church fail if someone goes into poverty, no neither does someone fail if they land on the street, they just could not overcome at the moment, they will over come as opportunity God provides not the church itself usually. The spiritual faith to go through storms in life needs an anchor and the anchor is Jesus. The church is only a help in the storms of faith. If they do nothing but at the minimum pray. Seeking God even when the person struggling can not. Those that reach old age never being the full prayer warrior they should be, can learn to pray to help meet the needs of those struggling.

Jesus ministry was the limelight road and John was not a road of popularity though people came to John for baptism and to hear who Jesus was and is. People often want the glitter but not the hard road of John. People want to follow Jesus but they do not want the cross they might have to bear. John bore a cross he lost his head because of his words. Jesus went to the cross because of protecting his Father's house and for our sin. John was not anointed the same way Jesus was, he was not beloved Son, yet John was loved by God. His call not his own, but call from before birth, given the Holy Spirit to be able to do the work of the forerunner before the Messiah. Preparing the gentiles ot sesing the miracles of Jesus and fullfilling the purpose God had in his life.

The ministry of God's people maybe more then spiritual, but the ability to offer hope in other ways help bring people to spiritual faith in Christ. Giving them eternal hope that outlast all situations in life.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we look at what love can be beyond spiritual realm, we also see other hope church world can bring to others. Help us to reach out in ways we can help, if nothing but a prayer warrior that that is what we will be. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 18:1-3 KJV
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.