Who, What, And How

"Consider WHAT you are saying AND HOW to say it."

THERE’S A churchy answer to everything. They have become our default. We say things which we’ve heard in repetition, not studying them for ourselves. And repetition done continually always becomes error.

An ignorant man can preach a pretty good sermon by repeating what others have said. He may not understand much of it, but he’s got the lingo down.

It isn’t about knowing the lingo nor the Scripture references. Nor even who you’ve studied under, what education you’ve acquired, or if you’re affiliated with a particular group of believers. But did God call you to do what you are doing? Because anyone God has asked to serve for Him, to encourage people, will know the moment that God spoke.

Are you doing what He’s asked you to do? He is specific and definite, and there is no guesswork. Many people have written books who are not writers. Many people have written doctrine who reasoned it out. You can study and become a writer. I did. Then God called me. Nothing I write is reasoning, from my mental wranglings or it’d look like mud. It is all from the Spirit.

Many have written books who decided to write them, but God is not in it. Many preach sermons that God has not given them, making self-made spiritual points. Others speak accurately, but it isn’t what God wants to say right now.

With so much inaccuracy and so many of people’s wills involved, their choices and decisions, how are we to know the Truth? Answer: We must walk in integrity, in holiness and honor, each of us for ourself. Meaning, it must be part of our lifestyle and who we are. We want others to say, “I know she (or he) speaks for Jesus, and there is no arrogance or selfishness in them.”

Here’s where the “no one is perfect” comment comes in, and though this is true, no one is perfect except Jesus, when we walk in honor and integrity, when we choose to show holiness, which is righteousness, what God works in us and through us will be known. God will make sure of it. Humility is Jesus. He is the most humble King. If you have any doubts of this from your reading of the Word, then you need to spend more time with Him. We assume how He is all the time, saying how He’d react, what He’s thinking, or what He’s doing. Church Jesus is not the real Jesus. He’s way, way better.

God is so humble that He overlooks most of our errors. People preach choice, saying God has given us the ability to choose between His Life and what is death, or sin. They say this, thinking He just lets us mess up. That isn’t what I just said. People also preach judgment. They say God will judge everyone according to their behavior and dispense reward or justice. But this takes away from the mercy of God. That isn’t what I said either. There is a third group of ideas some people preach. These say God has chosen some and rejected others since the beginning of time, so why fight it? That is not who He is at all.

You can throw all three of these ideas out. God is humble. Jesus arose from death, His body made new, humbled that the Father would raise Him up. There was no crowd of onlookers, no heavenly trumpets, as there will be when He returns (1 Corinthians 15:52). God is also God and knows every detail of all the minutia of everything for all of time. So when the Scripture says He’s chosen someone, it comes from knowing all the details. Jesus died for whosoever. God knew who whosoever would end up being. God sees all of our lives. He also allows us to make our own choices. It’s all the same paintbrush.

He calls people to work for Him, to speak for Him. He places His Spirit upon them to empower them for their service. The Spirit then guides them and teaches them in the knowledge and understanding they need. Perfectly, they are aware of His Voice and listening and obeying. Imperfectly, they think they know how to do what He’s asking. They know some Truth and some error. They hear 50 people preach this subject a certain way and so repeat it.

I’m asking you to wake up. Consider WHAT you are saying AND HOW to say it. Jesus made this statement to His disciples: “The words that I have spoken did not come from me myself. They came from the Father, who sent me. He told me what to say. And he told me how to say it (John 12:49, EasyEnglish)” If Jesus honored the Father in this way, then who are we to do otherwise? We aren’t speaking for ourselves of what we have done, but for God of what He has done so that those who don’t know Him, those who misunderstand Him, will see Him and love Him. It isn’t about our agendas, and until we lay all of them at His feet, selfishness will keep speaking.

In His greatest hour, Jesus said nothing. He told Pilate He could call for thousands of angels (Matthew 26:53). But He didn’t. Instead, He chose to die, even to who He is, so that God’s will would be done.

“I am in the Father and the Father is in me. You should believe that. The words that I say to you do not come from me myself. But the Father, who lives in me, is doing his work.” (John 14:10, EasyEnglish)

“But the people who belong to this world must learn about me. They must know that I love the Father. And I do everything that he asks me to do. I must show that to them. So get up, we must go.’” (John 14:31, EasyEnglish)


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com