Troublesome Topic: TWO WAYS TO DELIVER A MESSAGE IN THE NAME OF THE COMMANDER

Allow me to return to my illustration of the runner during a battle, except this time there will be two runners.

A General needed to send a message to the captain of one of his regiments, so he asked his aid to find him a runner.

The aid considered several boys who were good runners and chose one. But another boy was present who said to himself, “I’m a good runner. I want to run too.”

But he did not wait for the commander to give him the message; he had his own message in mind. So he took off running. The chosen runner started a bit after him.

When the self-appointed runner arrived at the captain’s post, he declared in a haughty voice, “I come in the name of the Commander”.

The captain asked him what the message was and the boy said, “Victory is sure! And, after the battle is over, three carts full of plunder are to be sent to the house of (and he named his father’s house) in the town of (and he named his own town)”

The captain immediately told his body guards, “Tie this boy up and put him with the captives for now. I’ll deal with him later.”

The battle continued for a little while, and then the chosen runner showed up. Between gasps he stated, “I have a message for the captain, from the commander.”

(Notice that he didn’t say the secret code – he did not say, “I come in the name of the Commander.” So he got that part “wrong” in our way of thinking.)

But the captain still wanted to know what the message was.

The boy relayed the message just as the commander had told it to him.

The captain did not hesitate at all; he responded, “go back and tell the Commander that it will be done as he commanded.”

One of the messengers used the right words but the captain knew he did not come in the name of the general. Therefore, he and his message were rejected.

The other one did not use the right words, the secret code, but he and his message were accepted as coming from the general. He came in the name of the general without using those exact words.

The reason for the difference is that the captain knew the commander; he knew what the commander wanted to accomplish, his priorities, his way of thinking, his strategies, and what he would not allow. Despite using the right words, the first runner was rejected because his message did not fit the purpose and reputation of the commander. The second was accepted because his message did fit the purpose and reputation of the commander, making the special words unnecessary.

The next lesson is THERE ARE ONLY 3 SMALL WAYS TRUE PRAYER CAN CHANGE THE ACTIONS OF GOD