As you know, Operation John is titled after John the Baptist. The reason for this is that as Operation John, our goal is to use our gifts and talents to prepare the way for some incredible things we believe God is wanting to do in world missions. This article is the result of a character study I did when I first got involved in Operation John, and as our documentary will not be ready to be posted for a little while, I thought I'd share this with you. God bless,

Andrew~


Jesus says of John the Baptist "I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John..." Mat 11:11 and Luke 7:28. Think about that for a minute. Nobody was greater. What was it about John that made it possible for Jesus to make this statement? There were plenty of people who performed more miracles. You don't have to look far to find people who traveled farther or influenced more people. Yet there was something in John that no one, not Moses not David not Daniel, not anybody had! What was it? I believe the answer is found in John 3:30. An examination of John the Baptist's words when his ministry was experiencing a dry time reveals the heart of a true minister in a most subtle and profound way.

John the Baptist had perhaps the most unique ministry of any human being up to that point in history. Multitudes would come to hear him preach, and be baptized by him in the Jordan River ; of course we cant forget the camel-skin-cloak or the locust and honey diet. Jews from all over were whispering to one another, "Do you think this man could be the messiah?" But John's ministry was preparing the way. For what he wasn't exactly sure (Luke 7:18-23), but he had been given a vision and a calling by God, and was determined not to stray from it.

John, like every good minister, believed in discipleship. Just like another teacher spreading the message of the kingdom of heaven throughout Judea, he had people he mentored and taught as disciples. His disciples however, were not exactly happy with this new rabbi, Jesus, showing up on the scene. To their eyes, it seemed that all their master had worked for was being wasted, as their crowds were following a new teacher. Certainly, this was not the way it should be, the one who sows has a right to the harvest! And they confronted their dispossessed master with just such an attitude.

In the next verse, John utters a speech which should be constantly resonating in the forefront of every Christians' mind; "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease." The Greek in this last phrase conveys a powerful message, which is lost on modern translations. John's use of active and passive verbs reveal the heart attitude of a true minister of the gospel of Christ. When speaking of Jesus, John uses an active verb, "to increase." Jesus has come, and it is his ministry, his actions that God is going to use to bring his kingdom. Jesus increase was to be an increase of power and action.

John uses the passive form of the infinitive verb to describe his ministry, literally translated, "to be decreased." John's idea of decreasing was not slacking off in the task that God had given him. This use of the passive implies the opposite; John would continue to do exactly what God had called him to, even while his ministry was being decreased by God. Ultimately, if every person that had been a follower of John went to Jesus, John knew that would be the fulfillment of his ministry; the ministry of preparing the way which God had given him. John was going to continue working for the kingdom of God come hell or high water, or in his case Herod's high henchman hefting a long handled headsman's axe for Herodias.

To John, the mission was clear. His success was not about the number of disciples he had any more than it was about how much locust and honey he could eat. It was about doing every day the work God had set aside for him to do. As ministers raised up by God, each of us has Johns choice to make. It is easy enough to follow Gods vision when everything is going according to our standards of success; but what about the other times? Can we stand by, and as John the Baptist, continue to follow Gods call in the times of decreasing? Better to lay one brick in the everlasting kingdom of heaven then build an entire city off to the side.