That Which Distinguishes Jesus' Ministry

This morning I felt I should read from Luke's Gospel. I am always encouraged when reading from any of the Gospel's for reflection on the life and teaching of Jesus, helps me to understand the heart of the Father, for everything Jesus did was directed by Him (John 5:19).  This morning I am reflecting on the following verses - Luke 7:20-23 NIV:

[20] "When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?' ”

[21] "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. [22] So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. [23] Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

This is such an encouraging and at the same time challenging passage, for it is clear that the results of Jesus' ministry point to His identity as the Messiah, but they also set a very high bar for ministry.  If our goal in ministry is to continue His ministry on the earth, fulfilling the great commission He gave us in Matt 28:18-19, then one would think that the same identifying marks of His ministry should be found in ours!  That is where the rubber meets the road, for His ministry was a ministry with visible and astounding results.

I think that the world is asking the same question, how are we to know if Jesus is the Messiah?  If our answer is that we have the bible and good teaching, generally good people in our churches with good programs that help others, then I am not surprised that the world is looking to other things.  Good people with a high moral standard is not a bad thing, but it is not a sign of God's presence on earth. There are actually atheist churches where people gather on Sundays, hear good teaching, participate in good helpful programs, have small groups, and have fellowship, yet God is specifically not invited ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/atheist-church/).  There must be more to our churches and to our ministries if we are to continue Jesus' ministry on earth, and be a light to the nations.

I believe Jesus' words, found here in Luke, should be our standard goal for ministry, for this is the model He gave us, and how He distinguished Himself from all the others who had come before Him.  When Jesus gave the great commission, as recorded in Matthew's Gospel, He wasn't telling us to reach the world with a discipleship program that teaches virtuous living, instead He was sending His followers, who had been trained and given authority to go to the world and make disciples, in the same manner that they had been to Jesus. Jesus fully expected them to continue His ministry, through the power of the Holy Spirit, as He directed them in Acts 1:4-8.

The problem for us all is that on our own we have no power, and we must rely on the Holy Spirit.  Over time, much of the church has developed theology to explain away what it was unable to replicate under its own power, and thus we have a church with limited power and authority.  For many of us, our theology has been affected by our lack of experience of the supernatural, and we have settled for what we could produce, rather than pressing into that which we are called to do.  Jesus gave the following directive to His disciples, "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matt 10:7-8 NIV)

The good news is that there are many churches and ministries who are pressing in and expecting the Lord's ministry in and through them to have the same or similar results as Jesus' earthly ministry, as it was recorded in the Bible. The following three ministries (and many others I am sure) regularly experience miraculous results to prayer.

Bethel Church in Redding California, under pastor Bill Johnson.  Here is a link to their testimonies - http://www.ibethel.org/testimonies/

Global Awakening, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, PA and run by Randy Clark.  Here is a link to their testimonies - https://globalawakening.com/testimonies

Iris Ministries - Headquartered in Pemba, Mozambique and run by Heidi and Roland Baker.  Here is a link to their website - http://www.irisglobal.org and here is a statement from their core beliefs: "We are totally dependent on Him for everything, and we need and expect miracles of all kinds to sustain us and confirm the Gospel in our ministry."

This morning I am encouraged to press in for a full experience of the ministry of Jesus, evident in my life and the church.  I am encouraged that there are other ministries that have refused to alter their theology to fit their experience, but have rather pressed into the Lord expecting that He will move in power.  Finally I am encouraged that the Lord fully intends for His church to shine brightly in this world, and will provide the means to prove to all that He is our Lord and Savior.  We  won't just have to take someone's word for it, but will rather have experiences that make this clear!

Come Holy Spirit empower Your church, let our light shine!