Message Or Messenger

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives truth, wisdom and insight.   Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”  What they are saying is, don’t get mad at me, I didn’t say it, I’m just delivering the message.  That’s probably good advice.  Here’s another.  Learn to separate the message from the messenger.  A dependable messenger is the best one to send, Proverbs tells us that.   But what the messenger ultimately does, doesn’t change the message, whether they themselves heed it or not, that’s on them.  God taught me a powerful lesson some years ago.  We had a pastor from another country who spent an extended period of time in our home, a man of power and a man of prayer (funny how those two go together).  I was shocked by a story he shared.  In his country, they played an old video of a powerful minister, who had unfortunately fallen into moral failure.  That famous minister was no longer in ministry, but this pastor shared that when they played that video about Pentecost to a large audience… the Holy Spirit swept through the entire crowd with power, with signs and wonders.  I was shocked.  This minister on that video had fallen in disgrace.  And yet God used that old video recording to move so powerfully?  It didn’t fit my theology at the time.  How was that possible?  Because it was never the messenger, it was the message that contained the power.  That’s why Paul said, if anyone else, even me, preach a different message than the gospel we have preached, let them be forever condemned.  Yikes.  But Paul was trying to teach something.  Just like He taught the principle of the Bereans – don’t believe everything you hear, no matter who says it.  Test it through the Word of God by the Holy Spirit.  He was now adding to it… if I ever change what I’m preaching, or my choices become different, my choices don’t change the truth of this message.  So if I ever fall, if I ever rob banks, get into drugs, or pride, or run away with the secretary, don’t get confused between the message and the messenger.  Will that ever happen?  No.  By God’s grace.  Paul said, but for the grace of God, there go I.  We shouldn’t condemn others in pride, anyone can fall who chooses compromise.  Be careful what you choose.  We should take warning, and guard ourselves closely, choosing His grace, avoiding every appearance of evil.  One thing I’ve always felt sorry for God about… He has to use people to share his message.  People, who sometimes make bad choices.  But that doesn’t stop Him.  He knows the end from the beginning, yet He chooses to use imperfect people, flawed people, even people whom he knows will turn away.  Yet the message, the truth of His Word, stands firm forever.  There is a healthy fear that must accompany this message.  God loves us so much, He sent his Son to die in our place, he offers freedom!  Freedom from sin, but He doesn’t change our freedom to choose.  Praying that you will focus on the message, not the messenger, that you would test it by the Word and the Holy Spirit, and that the choices of people would never sway you, or dissuade you.  But that your choices would always be truth and light, obedience and victory, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and God’s unchangeable, unfailing Word.  And pray for those whom God has raised up to deliver His message, that God would guard them and guide them as well.  That He would guard and guide you!  His grace is sufficient, and He’ll help you choose it!
 
Love you all,
dad