Don’t Believe Us Unless We Are Doing the Works That Jesus Did!
Jesus was walking down a crowded road with people from all sides trying to get close to Him.
A woman reached out and touched His garment. He stopped and asked, “Who touched Me?” The disciples were startled by such a question because to them, it had been such an obvious answer—everyone! But Jesus went on to say that He felt virtue (dunamis) flow from Him. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The actual power of the Spirit of God left His being and flowed into that woman and healed her. The anointing was resident in Jesus’ physical body the same as with every believer. The faith of that woman put a demand on that anointing in Jesus. She was healed because the anointing breaks the yoke.
A very popular verse for receiving an offering is, “Freely you have received, freely give.” But the context of the verse is often forgotten. Jesus was referring to the ministry of the supernatural. Listen to the implication: “I have received something that I am to give away!” What? The Holy Spirit. He is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. And He is living in me.
When we minister in the anointing, we actually give away the presence of God—we impart Him to others. Jesus went on to teach His disciples what it meant to give it away. It included the obvious things, such as healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. But it also included one of the forgotten aspects: “When you go into a house…let your peace come up on it” (Matt. 10:12-13). There is an actual impartation of His presence that we are able to make in these situations. This is how we bring the lost into an encounter with God. We learn to recognize His presence, cooperate with His passion for people, and invite them to receive salvation.
He has made us stewards of the presence of God. It is not as though we can manipulate and use His presence for our own religious purposes. We are moved upon by the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming co-laborers with Christ. In that position we invite Him to invade the circumstances that arise before us.
The more obvious ways are in preaching or praying for people’s specific needs. Don’t underestimate this important tool. By looking for chances to serve, we give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to do what only He can do—miracles. I don’t see everyone I pray for healed. I’m not batting even close to a thousand. But there are many more healed than would be had I not prayed for anyone!
Give God a chance to do what only He can do. He looks for those who are willing to be smeared with Him, allowing His presence to affect others for good. A visiting minister recently told us, “The difference between you and me is this: if I pray for a dead person and they are not raised from the dead, I pray for the next dead person too. I don’t quit!”
Jesus said, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.” The works of the Father are miracles. Even the Son of God stated it was the miraculous that validated His ministry on earth. In that context, He said, “he who believes in Me…greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father” (John 14:12). The miraculous is a large part of the plan of God for this world. And it is to come through the Church.
I look forward to the day when the Church stands up and says, “Don’t believe us unless we’re doing the works that Jesus did!” The Bible says that we are to pursue earnestly (lustfully!) spiritual gifts, and that those gifts make us established. Which ones? All of them.
