If the Lord were to give us power, authority, and anointing; will we keep things how the Lord wants them? Will we keep the ministry the size that the Lord intends, or will we continue to grow it to a level that is beyond what the Lord intends for us. Will we stay within our assigned sphere of authority, or will we break out into all spheres simply because we can? Once true power and authority is given, many doors are open simply because of the gifting and the miracle working power of God. But if all doors are open, will we only go through those doors that the Lord desires for us to go through?
If entrusted with real anointing, will we choose to live in a small town or rural area if that is indeed the direction of the Lord? Or will we follow our own will and live in the big city to maximize our crowds and income. Will we take invitations from small ministries, and minister in small church gatherings (even home churches); or will we only schedule “the big” meetings where the crowds are gathering. Will we be able to properly discern those people who are supposed to partner with us in releasing the glory and power of God, or will we allow people to be involved who will attempt to market what the Lord is doing?
What if Jesus wanted us to follow His leadership example, and told us not to advertise miracles that the Holy Spirit was doing through us? Could the Lord trust us to do that? Many times when Jesus did a mighty work of power, he would strictly forbid the person from telling about the miracle (Mark 1:40-45, 5:41-43). There were a few reasons for this, but one reason was to be an example to us and keep us from spiritual pride. The more miracles that happen in our ministries, the more attention and people those miracles will draw. Jesus tried to stop the spreading of the news of miracles. This is the complete opposite to many in the current church. Some leaders will use every form of social media to broadcast miracles that Jesus did through them.
We must be careful when doing this. The motives of our hearts are key. Why are we doing what we are doing? Are we posting testimonies of miracles online to draw attention to Jesus or our own ministries? Many would say it’s for Jesus only, but then they may be overjoyed that their own influence and finances are growing. Our hearts can be incredibly wicked and deceived. Jesus put certain safe guards in place for a reason. Part of which is to protect us from our own hearts. Are we following Jesus as our example, or are we following the example of the Charismatic Movement?
The Holy Spirit through Jesus performed a powerful miracle at the pool of Bethesda (Acts 10:38). A man who had been crippled for 38 years, got up and started walking again (John 5:1-13). There were hundreds if not thousands of sick people near the pool, yet Jesus snuck away quietly. Some ministers in the Charismatic Movement could teach Jesus how to minister. First thing, these ministers would have stood up and declared, “Revival is now! Quick go tell everyone in town that God is moving and revival has broken out. Post this miracle on social media right now! Hey everyone gather around, see the miracle that God did through me and my ministry. The anointing is on me. The power of God is rare, but it’s with me. Everyone that needs healing, get in a line.”
But Jesus was only doing what He saw His Father doing. In that situation, if Jesus would have behaved like many in the current church; He would have been operating independently of the Father. I wonder how many times our broadcasting miracles is acting independently of the Father? A good rule of thumb is, if you don’t have a direct command from the Father to share something, then follow the example of Jesus in the scriptures. That is wise and safe. Paul and Barnabas shared healing testimonies to the church, but I believe that they had a word from the Lord to do so; and that they had both experienced enough of the cross-life to handle it and let all the glory go to God (Acts 15:12).
The reality of how we will react to situations like these, determines our readiness to carry the power of God, and minister in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The Two Paths
There are two different paths believers can take after they receive and accept a revelation of the power of God. By “power of God” I mean: the baptism of the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, power and anointing of the Spirit, and the Ephesians chapter 4 ministry gifts of Christ. If a believer acknowledges these truths in the scriptures, they can choose to pursue ministries, giftings, anointings, and power above all else; or they can choose to follow Christ by picking up and carrying their crosses. Jesus didn’t say that we have to do miracles to be His disciples. He said, “Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27 AMPC).
Miracles will take place when we follow Jesus as disciples, but miracles without discipleship produce people like “Judas.” The cross is path number two. The cross-life is the Lord’s way of stripping away our self-life to make us like Jesus thus enabling us to minister in the power of God without that power corrupting us. No one can minister in the power of God and not have their soul corrupted unless their soul has been devastated by the cross, and the continual carrying of their cross. No one.
The devastation comes through persecution, years of waiting, solitude, being misunderstood, being rejected, waiting on God, your faith being tested beyond the point of no hope or no possible way, hope deferred, your dreams being crushed, the fruit of the Spirit coming forth, and your promise (Isaac) dead on the alter. That’s the cross. Ministry success in the power of God is suicide apart from the cross, as Judas found out.
Judas
Even though someone is called as an apostle, they are not immediately a mature and commissioned apostle. This misconception can derail anyone from their God called ministry. The Lord will reveal our calling to us so we can be properly prepared by the Holy Spirit. If we think we are to instantly step into that calling, we run the risk of making the same mistake as Moses. Moses tried to be a deliverer and a leader before he was ready by stepping into the role. Moses had the sense and humility to repent and withdraw to the wilderness when his sin and mistake was recognized. Judas did not.
Judas thought that he was already a full-fledged commissioned apostle. In his own mind he was “Apostle Judas,” with the title in front of his name and a capitalized “A” for apostle. Yet in reality Judas had only been called as an apostle and not commissioned as one. Judas had accepted the call and invitation to follow Christ, but he had not undergone many years of “picking up his cross” and following Christ as a disciple. Most can pick up a cross and follow Jesus for a few years or so. The testing comes when the years multiply and turn to decades. Judas didn’t make it past the three and a half year mark of following Christ. I had followed the Lord for eight years as His disciple before my true test came (and that test lasted six years).
Carrying the cross is much more than some people persecuting you, and speaking out against you. The American church would probably define persecution as people posting negative things about you online. Paul an apostle, defined it as being beaten, stoned, physically attacked, and imprisoned. Persecutors attempted to kill Jesus multiple times, and finally did. A verbal attack or a negative comment on social media would be considered “minor” persecution. I really don’t think that we in the American church know what persecution is, but we will.
Persecution is going to happen but is just one aspect of the cross-life. Every area of your soul-life must be devastated. The devastation of one’s soul-life is extremely difficult when that person has already titled themself (with a ministry title) for the world to see. This shows the immaturity of the vessel, and proves their need to actually pick up the cross of Christ. The cross will drive the need and desire to be “titled” out of the minister. This includes the title of “Doctor.” The self-life loves to be respected by others, and therefore loves titles. Jesus, speaking about those filled with the pride of life, says:
“They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation], and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi. But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.” (Matthew 23:6-8 AMP)
Jesus is not saying that we cannot call ministers “teachers” as a function (example: Paul a teacher). We cannot contradict the scriptures in Ephesians chapter 4. He is saying we should not be titling people (example: Teacher Paul) because it “puffs up” and adds to the pride of life. Why does someone need a title? Wouldn’t it be better to function in a gift and allow Christ to come forth? Then we get out of the way and allow people to recognize Christ the apostle operating through the vessel. I figure if we can call Jesus by His name, then I better be okay with people calling me by my name. I’m definitely not greater than my teacher, and do not need people to call me by a title.
Judas loved the attention that the calling of the apostle brought to him. Sometimes even bad attention is good to people who desire attention. But Judas had both good and bad attention. Thousands of people in Israel were coming to receive healing and deliverance. Judas probably focused on ministry instead of Christ and His cross-life.
Judas was not a false apostle. He was a legitimate apostle who ministered in healing and deliverance. Yet he had the love of money in his soul. This was coupled by the love of success among men. He did not allow the cross to work in him, but rejected the cross.
Judas probably loved the idea of having more followers and being wealthy (or blessed by God). His definition of the “promised land” was a large following and a successful ministry (huge following on social media). God defines successful ministry as bringing people to the “mature man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Judas defined successful ministry as how many demons he casted out of people, or how many miracles he did. Jesus address these Judas-like ministers:
““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV)
Judas-like ministers who only focus on prophecy, miracles, and deliverance; will receive this terrible rebuke from the Lord. These are the ones who made “ministry” their idol. They never chose “the way of the cross” so that their self-life (their own wants, will, desires, and destiny) could be put to death. Instead of having an intimate fellowship with Christ in the secret place and fulfilling their Ephesians 4 mandate, they made the power of God their focus and idol.
The 11 other apostles made it to the commissioning of the apostleship, and the sending as apostles because they let the cross work in them. They allowed the cross of Christ to strip away their foolish self-life that argued which of them “was the greatest.” The 11 let the sufferings that come with carrying the cross, strip away their earthly ambitions and lusts to the point where only Jesus remained in their vision. Judas dropped his cross of suffering to bask in his own version of the “promised land.” Oh if we can only see what God’s promise land really is! A place of rest for the Lord and us. We rest in Him and He rests among us. The promise land is a place where the Lord has what He wants. A bride made ready. A spiritual house that is built together in the unity of the faith, where the Holy Spirit has come and made His habitation.
Judas didn’t allow Jesus to become his inward life. He didn’t allow the cross to crucify his pride of life, and lusts of the flesh and eyes. The lesson we learn from Judas: power and authority have the potential to corrupt those who are still living for themselves or their own life. But for those who are no longer living for themselves, Christ can live through and release His power and authority.
We can’t understand every reason why the Lord would give His power and authority to ministers like Judas. But He does. We can certainly learn from the Holy Spirit if we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. The power corrupted Judas, as it has other ministers throughout the years. Judas betrayed Jesus because his eyes were focused on natural things instead of the Lord. The man had been given supernatural power, but he cared more about natural money than spiritual power. He used supernatural power to gain earthly things.
The idol of fame and recognition has crippled other anointed vessels throughout the years just like it did with Judas. Man has a tendency to rush for power gifts because they are exiting to the soul. Healings, deliverances, and prophecies are exciting. Our carnal self-centered souls can even crave spiritual things like these. Our self-life can then focus and idolize these spiritual things, and because they are spiritual things; we are deceived into thinking we are more spiritual for moving in gifts of power. This is exactly what the church in Corinth thought. They were moving in the gifts, but a very carnal church that needed a lot of correction from the Holy Spirit through Paul. Focusing on gifts and power can actually prevent us from moving onward in the Lord, if we are not carrying our crosses.
We need the power of God, but according to Matthew 7:21-23, we can operate in the power of God and not really know the Lord. This is eye opening. Therefore we cannot assume that every minster that is moving in the power of God, is following the Lord as His disciple and becoming more intimately aquatinted with Him. Judas was following the Lord outwardly, but inwardly he was drifting further and further from the heart of God. Judas also ministered in miracles. If we only judge by outward miracles, there is a significant possibility of us being deceived in the days ahead.
Growing up Spiritually
The seventy disciples celebrated their authority to cast out demons. Jesus gently corrected their immaturity and improper focus.
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”” (Luke 10:17-20 NKJV)
The entire 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians focuses on love, which is superior to power and gifts. When we put away childish things (soulish zeal and excitement of things that hold a lesser spiritual value and importance), the Lord is able to bring us to the “mature man.” As that which is perfect (Christ) grows in us, His love is manifested in us and through us. When the foundation is the maturity of Christ and the love of God, gifts and power are then used properly to edify the body of Christ.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV)
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.” (Hebrews 6:1-3 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit explains to us that spiritual milk or elementary principles are things like the laying on of hands (healing the sick, casting out demons, releasing the anointing and power of God through impartations), and the doctrine of baptisms such as being baptized in the Holy Spirit (and the gifts that come with that encounter). Now the church needs to have to the power of God operating, but our desire must be to go on with the Holy Spirit into the advanced principles of Christ (spiritual meat). If the bride is going to be made ready, we must go on to become what Ephesians 4:11-16 describes.
Evangelist vs Apostleship
Evangelists are often given power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. This is evident in the ministry of Phillip who was one of the original seven deacons (Acts 8:4-8, 21:8). Immature apostles who have the calling but are not fully commissioned, can sometimes function very closely to the gift of an evangelist. The original 12 apostles begin their ministries with a focus of casting out demons, preaching, and healing the sick. If an apostle refuses the cross of Christ, it is possible for them to maintain their giftings and operate similar to an evangelist. But without the sufferings of the cross, these immature apostles will never come to the maturity that the body of Christ so desperately needs. If apostles are prevented from coming to maturity, the bride will not be made ready and Christ will tarry. These apostles will never move beyond functioning like an evangelist.
Salvations, healings, deliverances, and the power of the Holy Spirit are all desperately needed. However these workings must be coupled with apostles and prophets who are laying Christ as a foundation in the church. These ministries are needed (in maturity) so that that the body of Christ can “grow up into all things who is the Head, Christ.” Immature apostles and prophets cannot bring us into the eternal will of God. Simply equipping the saints for the work of ministry will not bring us into God’s eternal will. There must be a perfecting and a maturing of saints for the work of Christ’s ministry and character through them.
Christ Himself operates through mature ministry gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers). He can only minister through His five leadership gifts to the degree that He is allowed to do so by the leader. If the immature leader is mainly focused on ministry building, getting a following, and doing some miracles or works of power; Christ will not be able to flow through that leader to transform His church into His own mature character and likeness. Leaders can do the body of Christ a great disservice by entering into ministry too quickly because they have a power gift. Their spiritual growth is then sometimes stunted, and their ministry is actually used as a tool of Satan to keep believers immature and prevent them from attaining to the high Heavenly calling. If Satan can’t keep people from getting saved, he will then attempt to stunt their spiritual growth and keep them from being among the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Focusing on that which is good, can prevent believers from attaining to that which is best.
The Delay
The Lord has delayed the release of many of His true apostles and prophets. He has done this so that the cross of Christ will complete its task of delivering these vessels from their self-life. Like Moses and Elijah found out, it is a long and painful process. A decade or two (or three) of dying a thousand times. It’s the death of your ministry and call. It’s the crucifixion of desiring to be recognized, followed, and accepted. These are the only safe vessels to carry the fullness of God’s power and authority. Jesus operated in the Spirit without measure because He only spoke the words that came from the Father (John 3:34). The greater the working of the cross in us, the more we will speak the words of God (instead of our own words). To the degree we speak God’s words will be proportionate to the level of the Holy Spirit that rests on us.
Apostles and prophets who choose to stay in immaturity, may operate in healing and deliverance; but they will remain in a lower level of God’s power. Those who let the Lord Jesus work in them will carry greater measures of the power of God in days to come. The level of the power is proportionate to the delay. A quickly gained anointing usually equates to a lesser anointing. The less self-life that is in us, the more the Lord can trust us with anointing. When we ask and keep on asking for power and authority too soon, the Lord may just give it to us. However getting our way too quickly will damage our souls and prohibit the Lord from growing to maturity in us:
“But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; But sent leanness into their soul.” (Psalm 106:14-15 KJV)
The principle of the “prodigal son” applies in this situation. The minister or son is not yet old enough to receive their spiritual inheritance (authority, power, and anointing). But they cry out to the Father for it anyway saying, “Give me my inheritance now!” The loving Father then gives them their spiritual inheritance before the proper time because these ministers were unwilling to wait for it. For a number of years the power of God flows, but since they rushed the process; these ministers simply didn’t have the inward life of Christ to sustain the power. Their spiritual inheritance begins to dry up and is wasted.
Judas heard the call and responded appropriately, but got lost in his own self-life along the journey. The Lord gave Judas power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. Why? The first answer is because Jesus loves people and wants people to be healed and delivered so they can have a greater opportunity to follow Him. Demonic oppression keeps us from following Jesus. Secondly, Jesus gave these gifts to Judas because it was apart of his calling. Thirdly, Jesus wanted to teach us and speak to us about what not to do. He wanted to demonstrate to us that we cannot handle power and authority apart from the cross. Also, he does this to test His people. Will we follow carnal vessels, or vessels that have Christ bursting forth from them?
Some ministers in our day are choosing to ignore the cross of Christ. It will lead to their destruction just like it did with Judas. And if it doesn’t lead to their destruction, they will fall short of completing their assignment. The primary assignment of all five leadership gifts is to be conformed to the image of Christ and transfigured into His likeness. That is the high calling of everyone of us. Leaders who don’t seek first the Lord and His high calling, cannot lead the church into her high calling. You can’t lead someone into something that you are not entering into yourself. What good is a leader who can’t actually lead into the purposes of God?
Some apostles, like Judas, allow the power of God to corrupt them. They go on to merchandise God’s people, or secure an exalted seat in the church. Others allow the anointing to hinder their own progression into spiritual maturity, and stay trapped in a lower form of ministry. Apostles like Paul, wait on the Lord to send them. Paul was probably around 40 years old when he was sent out from Antioch as an apostle. He had gone through the school of the Spirit, and had been broken by the Lord. He like Jacob, walked with a limp because of the brutal dealings of God. The Lord would use Paul, an apostle, to bring believers to maturity and minister in the healing power of God. The Lord used Paul as an example to us. We can embrace this example or ignore it.
Judging Ministers
Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for judging the ministers that came declaring themselves to be apostles:
“I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.” (Revelation 2:2 AMPC)
Beware of leaders who preach that the body of Christ is not to judge leaders or people claiming to be leaders. This mindset contradicts Jesus. We much Judge leaders so that we are not swept away in the delusion of the end times. Even Paul addresses false super-apostles who were ministering in the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11). The church is entering a period of time in which lack of spiritual discernment will cause believers to fall away from the faith. We must let the Holy Spirit prepare us now, by taking solid food from Him. Milk keeps us in immaturity, but solid food of the Spirit positions us to rightly discern:
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV)
So when we come to full age by eating meat, our internal faculty for perceiving, understanding, and judging will be expanded. When we train and exercise this spiritual faculty of perception, we will clearly discern what is good and what is evil. We will discern or distinguish the soulish from the spiritual, the immature from the mature leaders, the holy from the profane, the Christ cross-life from the natural self-life, the fake from the real, and legitimate commissioned apostles and prophets from those simply claiming the title.
Casting out Demons
We know the scriptures teach false messengers will come and perform legitimate signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24). Obviously messengers of Satan can perform miracles, just as messengers of the Lord. However, there is one miracle that cannot be performed by Satan. Jesus gives us a key to help us discern His messengers in these last days:
“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub, and, By [the help of] the prince of demons He is casting out demons. And He summoned them to Him and said to them in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), How can Satan drive out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided and rebelling against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided (split into factions and rebelling) against itself, that house will not be able to last. And if Satan has raised an insurrection against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is [surely] coming to an end. But no one can go into a strong man's house and ransack his household goods right and left and seize them as plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may [thoroughly] plunder his house. [Isa. 49:24, 25.] Truly and solemnly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever abusive and blasphemous things they utter; But whoever speaks abusively against or maliciously misrepresents the Holy Spirit can never get forgiveness, but is guilty of and is in the grasp of an everlasting trespass. For they persisted in saying, He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:22-30 AMPC)
So we see that a false messenger operating by the power of a demon, cannot cast evil spirits out of people. Satan cannot cast out Satan. Therefore ministers casting out demons, cannot be ministers of the evil one. The performance of casting out demons still doesn’t mean these ministers have an intimate relationship with the Lord, but it does help us identify and discern.
“John said to Him, Teacher, we saw a man who does not follow along with us driving out demons in Your name, and we forbade him to do it, because he is not one of our band [of Your disciples]. But Jesus said, Do not restrain or hinder or forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will soon afterward be able to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40 AMPC)
Clearly this man casting out demons did not have an intimate relationship with Jesus. However, he was not and could not be a messenger of Satan. So if the person casting out demons should come to know Jesus intimately and continue into spiritual meat, then he has the potential of attaining to the high calling. If he were to simply focus on the spiritual milk of casting out demons, and never progress to the “mature man,” then he would suffer the rebuke that Jesus foretold in Matthew 7:21-23. We will know God’s people and His messengers by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in them.
The Warning
How many immature believers are following Judas-like ministers? If we judge a minister only based on the power of God, we are at risk of being deceived by Judas-like vessels who have been given power and authority by God. The Lord Jesus is not okay with mixture as the scriptures make clear. He expects us to follow Him and know Him so we can discern properly. If ministers are exalting themselves or allowing their followers to exalt them, it is a major warning sign. We should not be under the coverings of man as the scriptures do not teach this, except for a husband and wife (see my teaching: Spiritual Covering and Authority).
We should be under the covering of Jesus. If we follow Judas-like ministers then we are at risk of being polluted by them. If we allow them to lay hands on us, we allow the spirit that is operating in them to be transferred to us. Remember, they have a mixture. Judas did have genuine anointing, but he also had internal spiritual issues and evil attitudes (that were hidden). We have to be very careful not to submit to mixture simply because the power of God is flowing.
The Lakeland, Florida revival in 2008 is an example of mixture. Miracles and healings were taking place from a legitimate gift of the Lord. However the minister was full of mixture. He divorced his wife, and married one of his assistants (which Jesus calls adultery). The Lord ended the revival. The Lord is teaching us through this if we can see it. Christ living through us in holiness and maturity is necessary to maintain the power of God.
Christ living in a vessel looks like the person being a humble servant of all. It’s the opposite of the servant exalting himself/herself and making others serve them. I recently saw a video of a “prophet” from Tanzania getting out of a helicopter. Carpet was being rolled out for him by his servants, so he could walk from the helicopter to his motorcade. Another “leader” in the video was praising and glorifying the minister, and even calling him “the prophet of prophets.” Exalting ministers is not the humility of Jesus Christ, and it is not “honoring” since it is a dishonor to the true “Prophet of prophets” (Jesus Christ). It is the flesh, and it is a “different” spirit from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus and draws attention to Him (John 16:14). Demonic spirits will draw attention to anointed vessels, in an attempt to take glory away from Jesus.
Closing
““Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].” (Matthew 10:16 AMP)
Jesus commands His disciples to be wise as serpents. This means that His disciples must “discern.” We are to have childlike faith in God, His word, His Spirit, His supernatural power, and His will; but we should not have childlike faith and trust in fallen men and women just because we see power flowing from them. We need to see the character of Christ in them, before we trust them. If we blindly follow ministers because they have the power of God, we are not “being wise as serpents,” and we may end up following a Judas (and being filled with demonic serpents).
The childish will believe anything someone tells them. For example, a child believes that Santa Clause is real because he is told Santa is real. So if we blindly believe things that we are told by anointed ministers, we are no different than a child. Children can easily be deceived or fooled. This is the exact opposite of a wise serpent.
Jesus commands His disciples to be innocent as doves. The Greek word used for “innocent” translates: unmixed (without mixture of vice, evil, or deceit), sincere, blameless, harmless, simple, pure as in wines or metal, and free from guile. We must have pure hearts and be wise in our discernment if we are going to follow Jesus and be His disciples. A pure heart will enable us to properly discern, while a heart of “mixture” will cause us to fall into deception.
Carnal Christian’s exalt power. The same is true in worldly people. They exalt money, fame, and power. We need the power of God, but power is not the goal. The inward transformation into the image of Jesus Christ is the goal, and intimacy with Jesus trumps power every time. We must have our priorities aligned with the King and His Kingdom.
We must come to maturity so the Spirit of Christ can flow through us in power. We will only get there by discerning those ministries that are not walking in a pure focus on Jesus. We have to avoid the traps of the enemy. The path is narrow, slippery, and rough. It would be easier if these spiritual issues were obvious and straightforward, but they are not. The Lord is increasing our understanding so we can discern properly. Let’s contend for the release of the Lord’s power to those who have been emptied of “self,” and Christ is living in them.
Jesus is our example. His relationship with the Father, His character, and His ministry of the power of God.
