by Melissa Nordell
I love to read the red letters of Jesus in the Bible as often as I can. Jesus is the Word, and the Word is Jesus (John 1:1, 14). I love how the anointing and understanding rubs off on us. Reading and meditating on Jesus’ own words blows religion, tradition and formulas out of the water!
Jesus’ own red-letter words are found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and a little bit in Acts and Revelation. Of course, the entire Word of God is vital; but it will change your life, shift your ministry, and blow-up sacred cows when you do a bible study just on Jesus’ own words, and it doesn’t take very long at all.
This time in reading and meditating on His words, Holy Spirit had me think about what Jesus did not do and how that compares with what happens in ministry today. Prophetically speaking, the Lord revealed to me that following how the Lord operated in ministry will be exactly what will bring in the coming Great Move of God in these last days. We need to ask ourselves: “How did Jesus minister?”
But before we see how Jesus fulfilled His ministry, let us look at ways Jesus did not minister. One thing Jesus did not do is to call out sin in a legalistic way when He was healing people who came to Him. Jesus didn’t say to the woman with the issue of blood: “Now you didn’t obey the law. You came in here with an issue of blood, knowingly, and the law forbids you to do this. So go on your way. I cannot heal you because you did not obey the law. In fact, you touched me.”
No – Jesus healed her (Mark 5:25-34). He came to fulfill the law (Matt 5:17). In fact, Jesus even healed non-Jews and the not-yet saved when He walked this earth.
In another example, Jesus didn’t say to Jairus: “Now I am sorry I can‘t heal your daughter. You said from your mouth that she is dying so because you said that, I cannot heal her. Go on your way and think about what you confess with your mouth for a while, and then, maybe then, I can heal her.”
No – Jesus surely has the power to heal and raise the dead – and Jairus’ words could not stop Him (Mark 5:21-42).
In praying about Jesus’ words, I also saw that when people came for healing, He didn’t ask them to test the healing. And He didn’t slap people or push them down. At least there is no biblical basis for this.
No – people absolutely knew they were healed. They didn’t need anything in the flesh. I envision them leaping joyously, smiling from ear to ear, exclaiming wildly how they were made new.
Another way that Jesus, our Savior, did not minister was to tell demons that He was “standing against them.” He never “stood against” any demon! He did not say to the man possessed with demons in Gadara: “Legion, I stand against you.”
No – He took authority and told the demons where to go, thereby setting the man free and bringing revival to the region of Gadara (Mark 5:1-20). And we can take that same authority.
Now that you might be mad at me for blowing up some sacred cows, let’s get to the point of this word I received and how it relates to what we must do for the coming great move of God.
So, how did Jesus operate in ministry? His Word says that Jesus ONLY did what He saw His Father do (John 5:19) and ONLY said what He heard the Father say (John 12:49) – so isn’t that what we should do also? Don’t we have the same heavenly Father as Jesus? How much more should we mere humans depend fully on listening to the voice of the Father through Holy Spirit, then do or say only what He says and does.
What did Jesus say when He was about to ascend to the Father after His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead? He said that He would send Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who would lead us and guide us so that we can do works like Him and so that we could do greater works (Acts 1:8; John 14:12, 16, 27, 26; John 15:26). How much have we been depending on Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to direct us to do works like Him and greater works? For the most part, extraordinarily little. Why lessen the power of Holy Spirit and His guiding by doing things on our own?
When we follow Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to us, we cannot go wrong. Holy Spirit is never wrong. We just need to learn to submit to Holy Spirit, learn how to hear from Him accurately, and follow His directions. It is by reason of use (which means practice) that we learn to accurately hear Holy Spirit (Heb 5:14). Flesh accomplishes nothing.
Jesus healed everyone who asked and operated in deliverance for all He chose. Why are we not seeing these “greater works” like Jesus told us? Because most Christians rarely follow the voice of the Father through Holy Spirit when interceding and ministering. We need to copy Jesus Christ. Jesus healed and delivered people in varying ways as He followed the direction of the Father. Under God’s control is never out of control.
For the last twenty years or so, I have been hearing what I call “the major prophets” say that the last great and coming move of God will be a “grassroots” movement, a movement of the saints, the “nameless, faceless” saints – not superstars. But how can the nameless, faceless do these greater works? By following Jesus’ example, emulating Him by only doing what they see the Father do and only saying what they hear the Father say. It’s as simple as that. We seem to have made it so complicated when it truly is quite easy.
Isa 2:22 says: “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?”
To do this we need to tell our flesh to stay quiet, hear Holy Spirit and follow His direction and not our own. We need to be able to accurately hear the voice of Holy Spirit. We need to yield to Holy Spirit and get off our “thrones.” Holy Spirit has a voice, and we need to listen to Him.
John 10:27 says that His sheep hear His voice. I had the privilege of attending a barbecue at the home of friends who have many animals including sheep. It was wonderful when the shepherd (the husband in this case) called the sheep to go through several gates to get to their food for dinner on an opposite part of the property. Another friend attending was very curious as to how the shepherd directed the sheep. But because she was standing near the shepherd, the sheep were in confusion and scattered a bit. They only listen to their shepherd – not another – for their safety and substance. It’s imperative that we learn His voice and no other.
It is not just for ordained ministers or those in the pulpit – everyone can hear Holy Spirit. It’s by reason of use that we all become more skilled and confident.
To quote the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, this is the era of Holy Spirit. It’s time for us to use and depend on Holy Spirit, the precious One who was given to us by Jesus Christ to fulfill the Great Commission. Let us allow Holy Spirit to have His way and usher in the greatest move of God…ever.
Strategic Prayer Command Ministry 