2 Words in 1

 

Are You Willing

Sometimes, we are asked to do things, we would rather not do. It seems likely, that God has chosen people in this hour, who have made up their minds, that they would follow Him. No one said it is going to be easy; in fact, there’s a good chance, it’ll be tough. Christ said that we would go through a time in these days, unlike anything the world has seen before. Many people have already been deceived; they have already been led away, after their own desires and the things they covet.

Ever so often, God will give us a task, to see if we are still seeking to be obedient. In other words, He checks to see if we’re still willing. I for one, am grateful that sometimes, it’s just a test. You see, if it was easy, it would not be a test; neither would it be a trial. There are messages that the Spirit is determined to get across; one way or another. And He will yet use those who have truly sold out to what He wants said and done. For some of us, it has become a point of no return; we said we’d follow His leading. We will.

If we have read and studied, we found out a long time ago, that there were times God asked something of His messengers; they didn’t want to do it. If you truly work for God, you can talk to Him; and they did. Often times, they knew they might lose their very lives for saying what God had told them to say. They were ridiculed, beaten and often thrown into prison; just for the willingness they exhibited. They were many times hated and despised. I don’t think they enjoyed being punished; just that they had a real mission.

If I can be a little bit honest, I have told God, more than once lately, that I just could not do what He was asking me to do. I begin every thing I try to write, by first telling the Holy Ghost, that I am not worthy that He might use me. And I further conclude, that if anything is going to get done, it will be because He did it; not me. I’m not boasting; there’s nothing for me to boast about. If something is of the Spirit, it is of the Spirit, not from us, and we dare not take credit for it. The Holy Ghost only moves through us; we are merely vessels that He has chosen. It is His word, and it is never ours.

God will do a lot for us and through us, if we remain willing. Today, He is searching for vessels who truly want to follow what He wants to do. And He will find those who will do it; He always has. That’s one reason, that we were told not to be respecter of persons; we were to recognize the Spirit in people; not go by who they were or where they were from. If we still want to be used of God, we will be. But only if we stay on our face before Him and stay willing to speak as He would have us speak. Are we willing to follow the Spirit; can we fully see, it is the only direction we must go in.

 

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The Way We Come Across

Often times, it’s not what we say that offends people, it’s the way we say it. We can have good intentions in what we wish to say, but lose our audience because we have come across in the wrong way. Many of us, have to constantly check our spirit. I think one reason might be, that we came up under some speakers, who were often harsh in the way they expressed themselves. Old tapes can be very hard to erase; we too often repeat and act, in the way those before us did.

If we are serious about the message we feel we have to share today, then we must go about it the right way. That’s another very good reason we are being reminded over and again, to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. It does not mean that we cannot be forceful in our deliverance; but, we truly can express what needs to be said with true love and compassion.

Paul told Timothy, that there were times he must reproof and rebuke. However, he made it very clear, that it was to done, with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Too much syrup, is too much syrup. We’ve all heard comments about not wanting to sugarcoat the truth. We can respect that, but how about saying what we want to say, using some good fruit; like the fruit of the Spirit. We were exhorted in the word, to speak the truth in love. Oh, we can speak it another way and it still be the truth. But our whole purpose, is saying it in the right way, so that it will be received; taken to heart. We’ve lost too many good folk, by trying to cram something down their throats; literally.

Threatening people today, will likely get us nowhere. There has been so much violence portrayed across the screen, that many would not take it serious anyway. We will have to speak from our hearts; and our hearts will have to be full of grace and longsuffering. Today, if we come across with a harsh and condemning attitude, that, is what people think is in our heart. We are not going to reach this world, on our own. We absolutely must have the Spirit to lead and guide us in what we say, and how we come across.

Yes, we have to have the fear of the Lord and we must be strong and very passionate in what we want to say to people. Sometimes, I hear a voice telling me, “soften it up.” This doesn’t mean speaking with so much syrup; it means, take the harsh edge off.

Anybody, can be crude. It takes a real child of God, to speak with compassion and sincerity today. We will have to override our old patterns of caustic speech deliverance and reveal to those we wish to reach, a sincere and humble spirit.

God has been so merciful and forgiving to us. People should sense that, in the things we have to say.

 

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn