what is normal accepted ways?

 Mat 11:18  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 

Mat 11:19  The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

John the Baptist came as a minister and a messenger of God. Dressed in camel hair, eating locusts and honey, and preaching repentance. John was in the desert preaching and the people flocked to him. They heard the message gladly, repented and were baptized.

John the Baptist was a most unconventional messenger in the eyes of man. He was not dressed conventionally, not in the normal ways, not in the accepted ways, but the angel of the Lord ,Gabriel, describes him as "great in the eyes of the Lord."

John the Baptist came neither eating or drinking, he didn't socialize and make nice with the leaders, he went straight to the people with the message of God. He preached in the wilderness, in the desert, and the Spirit was on Him, we know this because the scripture tells us. 

Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 

And the people listened. They were hungry for God. They were there in droves to see and hear of God. What this tells me is that the religious "leaders" were not filling the needs in the people's lives, hearts, and minds. John gave them what they needed, he pointed the way to God and the people were flocking to him. For they wanted to know of God.

So what do the religious leaders do? They mock him for not eating and drinking and socializing in the "normal" ways. They question if he could be from God as he was not known to them, the ones who truly knew the law, who "knew" the scriptures and how best to serve God.

John the baptist had a ministry from God, he did what God asked, and his ministry prospered. He obeyed God, that is what made him successful in reaching the people. God. That was all he needed.

Jesus came to the people, He went to where they were, He ate and drink with them and the religious leaders questioned Him, called Him a law breaker, gluttonous.

He went in the cities and towns to the people. He again didn't go through accepted channels, nor did He seek the approval of the "religious" leaders. He was sent by God for a specific mission, a specific task.

Both came in ways that we would never think of.

2 very different ministries, 2 very different approaches. 1 God that was served. Both came and fulfilled their roles the Father had given them. They were obedient even to death. We know John was the forerunner of Christ, we know Christ was God in the flesh. So in that respect we will never duplicate these 2 ministries.

Yet what we can take away from this is that they had a calling, very different approaches and both were blessed by God. Both were heard and loved by the people. Both were respected by the men and women who needed to hear of God and His love for them. John preached repentance for the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus came and taught of the Father and Hs great love for them.

I have asked this question before, What would we do today if a true prophet of God showed up, but not in the normal ways, not through the normal accepted channels? One who came in the power of the Spirit, preaching repentance and the Love of God? What would our "religious" leaders do? Would they accept or would they ridicule for they know the "best" way to God and this prophet didn't go through them?

What would the people do? Would they flock to this prophet for the "religious" are not meeting the needs of their lives? Would the people hear, turn from their wicked ways, and rediscover God?

I know there are no new prophets for we have the Scriptures, the Holy Word of God and His Spirit in us, but imagine the scenario. What would you do?

Preacher would you cast stones for He wasn't doing it your way?

Pew sitter would you flock to them for they had God and His Hand on them?

If there is a work of God going on among the people would you cast stones or would you praise God for the revival? Would you say they are not of us therefore they can not be in the right?

In the 1960"s and 1970's there was a Jesus movement among the hippies and the unwashed. They were seeking after Jesus and His love. The mainstream church cast aspersions, because they were not doing it the right way. There was so much potential there and it got wasted for it was not in the "accepted" ways it was happening.

Are any of us any better? Would we be any different? For we know how God works and that is not His way or He would have told us, for we are righteous.

We say so many times God's ways are not our ways, God's methods are not always what we would do. So why do we not accept any that go through different channels, different routes to their ministry? As long as they are preaching Christ and Him crucified, The blood of Christ shed for the redemption of man, the death, burial and resurrection, why would we cast aspersions?

Priscilla and Aquila saw Paul preaching, and instead of casting stones, or turning people against him, they took him in and polished him up a bit. For they could tell he was of God.

I believe that we are so caught up in how we must do things that we have forgotten the one true vital key to a ministry.

The Spirit.

That is what you need more than anything to have a fruitful ministry. The Spirit of God on you, in you, through you.

We have gotten away from the Spirit and more caught up in the accepted ways, the "normal" ways.

We have left the Spirit at the door for we must do it this way or that. The Spirit of God is the ONLY way to have a ministry of any effect for God.

It's not the routine, it's not the place, it's not the messenger, but the message. It is obedience to the Spirit and Him alone that will bring in the souls.

John was in the desert and in the wilderness preaching and he turned a nation. Christ was in the cities, in the wilderness, among the poor and the rich and He changed lives.

God blessed their obedience, and they had earthshaking  ministries.

Again they were completely unique in the plan of God never to be duplicated. But their obedience is to be admired, their obedience is to be emulated.

If you have a call from God, obedience is a must. The Spirit is a must. All else is window dressing.