ROOTED RENEGADE

More and more I see and read attacks on the five fold ministry that the Bible talks about from the pulpit (one of the five). Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Each office serving a unique purpose for the Kingdom of God. The one who attacks these offices the most are pastors. Sad, but true. It is from the pulpit that the five fold ministry gets attacked, because of a religious spirit that has been allowed to operate for far too long without being called out and cast out.

While it is true that the Word of God tells us that the apostles were the ones who were called by Jesus himself to preach the Word and set up the church. Does that mean that the office of the apostle is no longer active? What about the office of the prophet? No it doesn’t. There are a few places in Scripture where it talks about these offices, and the five fold ministry and gives insight into how they can and are being used today. No where does it state in the Bible that any of the gifts from the Holy Spirit have died out with the disciples.

To address the apostle and prophet offices, where many are stopping in Scripture and attacking the offices: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healings, helping administrating, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other tongues? Do all interpret? But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.” This passage of Scripture, too many who have studied the word and are theologians, explain apostles in this to mean those who had “seen the risen Jesus and were appointed by him as foundational leaders to teach doctrine to the church (Tony Evans)”.

However, the Holy Spirit didn’t stop with the writers of the Bible and leave it with those who were in ministry in the day that Jesus was on the earth. NO. The Holy Spirit kept inspiring Scripture through man and in Ephesians 4:11-13, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul once again to write: “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some. pastors and teachers, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”

It seems to me that we are just not there yet. With the disunity among the body of Christ, the need for the five fold ministry, and the purpose for its existence among believers, is very real and relevant, according to Scripture that is. What is sad to me, are those who are not filled with the Holy Spirit, yet blasphemy the Holy Spirit by attacking the gifts of His ministry. It is an assault against what the Holy Spirit is doing in the church body to edify it and sanctify it for the coming of Jesus. Unity not disunity. Every office of the five fold ministry has gone under some kind of attack by religious spirits, including the Jezebel spirit. What happens is that people are so misguided and misinformed that they will follow their pastors wherever they lead, because they don’t know the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Friends, we don’t live in a day where following any voice down a path to hell is what we should be doing. Back it up with Scripture. While Jesus fulfilled His purpose here on Earth, he left work to be done. It flows all through Scripture. We are to come off the milk and persevere, grow in maturity, lacking nothing on the day of His return (Ephesians 4:13 and James 1:4). You grow and persevere by understanding Scripture in its entirety and having a relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit still speaks and he does so through people, through Scripture, through circumstances. How He speaks to each one of us is different. Prophecy is still being given and fulfilled. There are those who are still building up the church (apostles) and let’s face it, the church needs it. Tongues are still in operation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit still move through pastors and teachers and evangelists. The Bible does not say these gifts died with the disciples. That is what the enemy wants you to believe so that you will not operate in the gifts that you were given. Man’s interpretation is never God’s interpretation.

The Word says “Seek and ye will find, knock and the door will be opened, ask it shall be given Matthew 7:7” so do that. Believe in your heart these things and they will be given unto you. If in your listening to those who would rather condemn the gifts of the Holy Spirit than get to know the Holy Spirit and how He flows through Scripture, then seek for yourself. Back up every word, as a believer that is what we should do. God does not condemn us for coming to Him with questions. Only the enemy condemns. We grow in maturity when we ask and the Lord is so kind to teach us and lead us in the way of the everlasting.

Don’t let the pulpit condemn you in what you know to be true either. For those who have just come to knowledge of your gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, but in all thine ways acknowledge Him and He shall make thy paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6. Man cannot provide your wisdom. Wisdom comes from God above. Even Solomon prayed that the Lord grant Him wisdom above riches.

As I end, for those with a religious spirit who still think the Holy Spirit isn’t speaking….

The Holy Spirit will speak through His prophets, apostles, evangelists, teachers and pastors exactly what His people need to hear, even if the message is for you personally. The messages of Scripture are still true today and are coming to pass because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit given to man to write. We are called to unity in the body of Christ, as believers, not unity with demonic spirits who are set on disrupting the church body to set it against itself. That is not at all what Jesus called us to as His Church, His Bride, His Beloved. Christ is the Head of the Church and we are under Him. The body cannot function if it is detached.

My prayer for those who have been attacking the five fold ministry is that you come to the fullness of Christ and know the Holy Spirit for who He is and how He is moving on the Earth. I pray you don’t grieve the Holy Spirit and that your hearts and minds are cleansed in Christ Jesus. May you be free from religion and religious mindsets in the Name of Yeshua. May your heart and mind be open to the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit and may it never burn out within you. May you come to know who you are in Christ Jesus and may you fully operate in your identity in Him. May His love envelope you and heal you from wounds that have opened doors in your life so that you may be free in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

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