John 7:16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
This was Jesus’ response to the Jews’ question, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” Jesus received His learning from His Father. He wasn’t speaking on His own initiative, but passing on the teaching of the One who sent Him. So His authority is clear. It isn’t self-derived.
Years ago, I double-booked on a weekend. It’s the only time I’ve ever done it, and I’m still not sure how I missed it up until a month before the event. So I was faced with telling the host of the homeschool conference that I had made the mistake. I believe there is only one God from whom all things come, so I reasoned that this was from God for the good of everyone. When I asked for wisdom in what to do, the thought came to me to send someone in my place to give the agreed upon messages from their having experienced it in my life. So, I asked if they would consider letting my son, who was, I think, twenty years old at the time, and my daughter and her husband make the presentations. They agreed. So I sent my son to speak in my name with my message. His authority to speak came from His relationship to me, and He couldn’t come up with His own message. His message was my message. He had learned from me, and was there in my name. We both had to trust God, empty ourselves, and receive whatever the Father had for us. It was quite an experience for both Micah and me.
That experience helped us to see the relationship between the Father and the Son, of which Jesus spoke in this verse. Dear friends, we are God’s sons and daughters sent into this world to give His message. We love, serve, and teach in His name. Representing Jesus is no small responsibility. There is powerful potential.
I’ve never had any homeschool organizer collect and send me individual reviews on each message presented, but that’s what this organization did. They had attendees to the session fill out their review of each session and offer comments. One comment stood out above the others. It read, “It was more powerful to see and hear the son than the father.” It was followed by a comment that it gave more authority to the message than if the Father had presented it.
Our living to love with Jesus has authority as we express His love and His message. We are sent by the Father and the Son to love and minister in the power of the Spirit. As my son went in my name as my son to convey my spirit, his message and ministry had authority and power. It was a shadow of the gospel. We are living the gospel today. May we do it full of grace and glory.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
