The Fivefold Ministry
The following is a very brief overview of the governmental offices in the church. Included is
a short description of their roles in the Body of Christ, giving understanding and assistance in
receiving their ministry into our lives.
Apostles govern. Apostles are similar to the general contractor who oversees the project and sees the overall picture.
Prophets guide. Prophets are the architects who assist the general contractor to know what the project should look like.
Evangelists gather. Evangelists' concern is for the lost.
Pastors guard. A pastor's heart is for the saved.
Teachers ground. A teacher's primary role is to help the flock understand the Word of God.
Paul did not say, "I have the mind of Christ." He said, "We have the mind of Christ." (See First Corinthians 2:16.) We gain the balance we need and God's perspective on situations when we learn to value the members of the Body who think differently than we do! The Difference Between Prophets and Prophecy
To be a prophet is a calling.
To minister in prophecy is a gift.
When a person ministers in the gift of prophecy, the gift is the Kingdom Supernatural ability to prophesy. The words themselves are the gift. When a person is a prophet, they themselves are the gift. The Book of
Ephesians says Christ gave gifts to men. The gifts that Christ gave to men are other men. An Apostle and Prophet is a gift to the church.
There are actually three components to any mature ministry. These components include calling, gifting, and anointing—all important elements of fruitful ministry.
Calling gives identity. "Paul called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God" (1 Cor. 1:1).
Gifting gives ability. "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10).
Anointing gives purpose. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed
me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives and freedom to prisoners" (Isa. 61:1 and Luke 4: 17-18).
The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable but the anointing of the Lord ebbs and flows according to the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must realize that the purpose in our life describes who we are. The anointing of God provides us with our purpose in life. The gifts that God has given to us become the Kingdom Supernatural abilities in which we accomplish His purposes.
The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
Prophesy Defined
Prophecy in the purest sense is foretelling and forth-telling. Foretelling—to know the future.
The following is an example of foretelling. Agabus speaks prophetically about a famine that will take place all over the world. It happens a few years later. One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius (Acts 11:28).
Forthtelling—to cause the future. A great example of forth-telling is in the following passages in Ezekiel. God instructs the Seer Ezekiel to prophesy to dead bones and they became a mighty army. Ezekiel just didn't tell the future he caused the future!
Ezekiel 37:1-10 Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The power of Yahweh came over me. Yahweh brought me out by his Ruach and put me down in the middle of a valley. The valley was filled with bones. 2 He led me all around them. I saw that there were very many bones at the bottom of the valley, and they were very dry.
3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I answered, “Only you know, Adonay Yahweh.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of Yahweh. 5 This is what Adonay Yahweh says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. 6 I will put ligaments on you, place muscles on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. While I was prophesying, suddenly there was a rattling noise, and the bones came together, one bone attaching itself to another. 8 As I looked, I saw that ligaments were on them, muscles were on them, and skin covered them. Yet, there was no breath in them.
9 Then Yahweh said to me, “Prophesy to the breath![a] Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘This is what Adonay Yahweh says: Come from the four winds, Breath, and breathe on these people who were killed so that they will live.’”
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them. Then they came to life and stood on their feet. There were enough of them to form a very large army.
Realms of Prophecy
There are generally four realms of prophecy.
Realm 1—Prophetic Culture
A prophetic culture takes place when a prophet or high realm of prophetic anointing is present in a geographic location—in this hemisphere, even non-prophetic people can prophesy, although they may never prophesy again. This is demonstrated in the life of King Saul. When he was pursuing David in the wilderness, he encountered a group of prophets who were prophesying in the desert. Suddenly, the Spirit of prophecy fell upon Saul and he prophesied along with the prophets even though he was wicked! The people asked, "Is Saul among the prophets?" People ministering on this level are actually operating out of someone else's anointing. You might say they are borrowing from someone else. In a prophetic hemisphere, even a donkey can speak for God!
Realm 2—The Gift of Prophecy
This second Realms of prophecy has been discussed earlier in this teaching. It is simply the Holy Spirit's gifts working in and through a person. Most of the information in this week syllabus is dedicated to this realm of prophecy.
Realm 3—Prophetic People
These people are not prophets because that is not the call on their lives, but they operate in
the Holy Spirit's gift at a high realm. They have other gifts in the five-fold and they can work in the prophetic flow and Apostolic Anointing. They also have a proven prophetic ministry and they have a strong relationship with the church leaders. Therefore, they are often allowed to direct and perhaps even correct people within the Body of Christ. This type of trusted relationship can take years to develop.
The students of the Prophets in the biblical days were in school for 12-to-20 years.
Realm 4—Prophets and Prophetesses
This is the highest realm of prophetic ministry, which was mentioned in this week teachings. They are tuned in, tapped in, and turned on to God. Their ears are at attentive to God's mouth. They listen, obey, humble, and alert unto God.
The Three Parts of Prophecy
Revelation: The person who gives the prophetic word is responsible for the revelation of the word. It may come as a dream, a vision, or any of the ways that God speaks to the individual.
Interpretation: What does the revelation mean? Prophetic people need to realize that just because they had the revelation does not mean that they have the interpretation. We often get into trouble when we try to interpret a vision or some other form of God's voice.
Application: What should we do with the word once we know what it means? Our pastor or overseer should always be involved when the prophetic word includes direction. They should help the recipient of the word devise a plan to actually apply it to their life and walk it out.
The easiest way to summarize the three parts of prophecy: When God stops speaking, we should too! People who are prophesying often feel the pressure to give an interpretation, particularly when the prophetic word seems ambiguous or even silly. It is astounding what some people think their prophetic words mean! The following is a profound example of a powerful prophetic word that was misinterpreted by the person who delivered it. Remember, we don't have to be profound to be powerful.
You do not have to know the definition of the word, your job, and obedience is to speak the word, the way God has given it to you.
A woman traveled to a conference where they were training people how to prophesy. With about 70 people in the room, all prophesying to a woman in the front of the room. They completed ten prophecies, it allowed each person the words given to the woman, a man in the back of the room stood to his feet and said, "You have on a yellow shirt!"
Immediately the woman fell to the ground, crying hysterically. The man continued to
prophesy, saying things like, "The sun is yellow...the moon is yellow," and so on. When
the woman finally regained her composure, the leader of the class asked her what that
word meant to her.
She explained, "I have a son who is autistic and I told the Lord today, ‘If you are going to
heal my son, have someone tell me that I have on a yellow shirt...’"
This is how the word of God lets us know we all prophecy in parts.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10 King James Version (KJV)
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1 Corinthians 14:26-40 Names of God Bible (NOG)
Maintain Order in Your Worship Services
26 So what does this mean, brothers and sisters? When you gather, each person has a psalm, doctrine, revelation, another language, or an interpretation. Everything must be done to help each other grow. 27 If people speak in other languages, only two or three at the most should speak. They should do it one at a time, and someone must interpret what each person says. 28 But if an interpreter isn’t present, those people should remain silent in church. They should only speak to themselves and to God.
29 Two or three people should speak what God has revealed. Everyone else should decide whether what each person said is right or wrong. 30 If God reveals something to another person who is seated, the first speaker should be silent. 31 All of you can take your turns speaking what God has revealed. In that way, everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32 People who speak what God has revealed must control themselves. 33 God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace.
As in all the churches of God’s holy people, 34 the women must keep silent. They don’t have the right to speak. They must take their place as Moses’ Teachings say. 35 If they want to know anything they should ask their husbands at home. It’s shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Did God’s word originate with you? Are you the only ones it has reached?
37 Whoever thinks that he speaks for God or that he is spiritually gifted must acknowledge that what I write to you is what the Lord commands. 38 But whoever ignores what I write should be ignored.
39 So, brothers and sisters, desire to speak what God has revealed, and don’t keep anyone from speaking in other languages. 40 Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.
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