The Living Word

As promised, I am posting this in addition to, and further explanation of, my post yesterday concerning the Structure of God’s Church. It is rather lengthy, however I HIGHLY encourage you to take your time, and truly meditate on these very Biblical principles. Again, judge it based on the Word of God, and not personal opinions and preferences. I am completely convinced that this is one of MANY offices, gifts, and principles that God is restoring to the Body of Christ in our generation. I will explain WHY further down.

As we posted yesterday, Ephesians 4:8, 11 calls the Five Fold ministry “GIFTS.” However, Romans 11:13 also calls the ministry of an apostle an OFFICE. That means that the New Testament only records 3 offices: 1) apostles 2) elders 3) deacons (and “pastor” is not one of the offices listed). According to the apostle Paul, everything else besides these three are not offices in the church, but gifts (prophets, evangelists, pastors (Greek: poimen = shepherds), and teachers.)

Let us start with listing all the Apostles referenced in the Bible. This will help us to understand that the lineage and ministry of Apostles did NOT stop with the death of the original 12 by any means. Not only were there the original 12 Apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14 – and this includes Matthias who replaced Judas as the 12th Apostle of the Lamb in Acts 1:15-26), but there were various other apostles in addition to the original 12 such as: Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 14:14 (AV)
14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

Timothy and Silvanus/Silas were apostles along with Paul:

1 Thessalonians 1:1 (AV)
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

With…

1 Thessalonians 2:6 (AV)
6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Paul called James the Lord’s Brother an Apostle, and He was not the same James as the son of Zebedee, or James the son of Alphaeus who were both of the original 12 Apostles of the Lamb (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16). This James, the Lord’s Brother, who was LATER to become an apostle was not even a believer until sometime after Jesus Christ called the original 12 Apostles of the Lamb (John 7:2-10):

Galatians 1:18–19 (AV)
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

The Bible also calls Titus an Apostle:

2 Corinthians 8:23 (AV)
23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

Notice the original language for the word “messengers” here:

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek Edition
Messengers – 693 ἀπόστολος (apostolos), Str 652; TDNT 1.407—1. LN 53.74 apostle, a special messenger of Jesus Christ, a restricted group, the exact number variously reckoned (Mt 10:2; Ac 1:2, 26; Ac 14:14; 1Co 12:28, 29); 2. LN 33.194 messenger, envoy, one sent (Jn 13:16; 2Co 8:23; Php 2:25+)

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon:
652 ἀπόστολος [apostolos /ap·os·tol·os/] n m. From 649; TDNT 1:407; TDNTA 67; GK 693; 81 occurrences; AV translates as “apostle” 78 times, “messenger” twice, and “he that is sent” once.

As is also the case with Epaphroditus:

Philippians 2:25 (AV)
25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

“messenger” = apostolos in Greek = apostle

For those who would say that the minsitry of an apostle is not longer needed in our generation:

Ephesians 4:11–13 (AV)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Paul said that the ministry of Apostles, along with the other four, would continue to operate “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” That standard has absolutely NOT been attained yet, and so therefore God desires that all these ministries still be in operation in His Church today. These required standards of perfection will be explained in more detail later.

So, understanding that there were many other apostles in the Scriptures besides the original 12, let us move on…

The ministry of an Apostle is the KEY to the functionality of the entire structure of God’s True Church: EVERY church, although having a plurality of Elders, MUST ALSO have access to an APOSTLE. We will explain WHY in detail further down.

What are the qualifications of an apostle? The apostle Paul tells us:

1 Corinthians 9:1–2 (AV) Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
Galatians 1:1 (AV) Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

According to these verses the qualifications of an apostle are:

1) An apostle must be “free” – If you allow scripture to interpret scripture, Paul is speaking of being free from all sin (Romans 6:18, 8:2 among many others). Any man, who does not understand God’s call to sinless perfection, cannot be an apostle. The enemy will expose any sin in his life and use them to destroy the saints. This principle of sinless perfection also goes for EVERY CHRISTIAN, so to require it of an apostle is not strange. However, most churches teach that “we’re only human, so we are going to sin.” This is a lie from the pit of hell, and another Bible Study for another time…

2) An apostle must have “seen Jesus Christ our Lord.” – We have no Biblical record that Paul ever saw Jesus Christ in the flesh, so he must be referring to His experience with Christ on the Damascus Road (Acts 9), or some other experience. I Corinthians 15:3-7 is written by Paul as if he is in fact referring to seeing Christ in His resurrected/glorified form just as all the other apostles did whom he mentions in this passage. Regardless, every apostle today will have seen Jesus Christ come to him, whether in vision, dream, trance, etc. at some point in his ministry BEFORE he can be qualified to be an apostle. This is further explained in point 4).

3) An apostle must have a “work.” – In this context, Paul is referring to the Church at Corinth as his “work.” A modern day apostle will have a “work” as well. It may be one church in which he functions as the apostle (as with James, the Lord’s Brother), or it may be numerous churches that look to him to be their apostle (as with Paul).

4) An apostle must be called “by Jesus Christ” – If a man is a true apostle, at some point in his life, Jesus Christ will come to him in a vision, dream, trance, etc. and clearly call that man to be HIS apostle. An apostle cannot be appointed or ordained by any other man, as the Church is the possession of Jesus Christ Himself solely and not ANY man’s. Therefore ONLY Jesus can call His apostles. An apostle certainly cannot appoint himself. And an apostle certainly cannot be appointed by other men. Both of these situations were taking place in the early church which is why Jesus speaks to John concerning the church in Ephesus:

Revelation 2:2 (AV)
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Jesus commends the church at Ephesus because they held everyone who said he was an apostle to the above qualifications listed by Paul. And if a man did not meet these qualifications they were deemed a liar and a false apostle (II Corinthians 11:13).

Again, apostles are not ordained of men. They are called of Christ, taught of Christ, and sent of Christ.

Galatians 1:1, 15-20 (AV)
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

The MAN Christ Jesus Himself being an Apostle, (Hebrews 3:1, Ephesians 2:20), was not called and ordained of men but of God: John 16:27 with many other scriptures to substantiate this fact. The original 12 apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14), we not called of man, but by Jesus Christ Himself. So it will be with ANYONE who is called to be an apostle in the TRUE Church today.

Concerning the responsibilities of an apostle: The ministry of an apostle is the ONLY WAY that continuity is brought about in every local assembly. Without the ministry of an apostle we have a mass confusion of varying beliefs from one local assembly to the next as it is in most “apostolic” Churches today. This was the main purpose of the ministry of the apostle Paul:

1 Corinthians 1:10 (AV)
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

He alludes to this principle again in the same letter:

1 Corinthians 11:16 (AV)
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

The chief responsibility of an apostle is to bring the SAME culture, structure, and belief system to EVERY church that he oversees.

The word “apostle” translated from Greek into English means: a messenger that is sent, ambassador.

Webster’s Advanced Dictionary defines ambassador as:

1) A minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign ruler.

2) A person appointed and sent by another with powers to transact business as his representative.

In that an apostle is God’s ambassador, He is sent by God with power to transact the business of God’s Kingdom in a foreign land, which in our case, is this present world (Hebrews 11:13-16).

In my studies, I was curious as to why Jesus decided to call those ministering in this way “apostles.” The word apostle is not mentioned in the Old Testament. In fact, the word apostle is a word that originates in the Greek language = apostolos. It was Jesus who chose the Greek title “apostolos” for those whom He called, authorized, and sent out. Among the earliest uses of the term were the Greek historians who used it to describe an admiral over a fleet of ships sent out by his king to discover, explore, conquer, and establish his government in new territories. Jesus’ choice of the word reflects this meaning and stresses its emphasis on “one sent from 
another” or a fully authorized representative and ambassador of the sender. So, apostles are fully authorized representatives or ambassadors of the one who sent them, in our case, Jesus Christ is the King who will choose his apostles to represent Him to the world, and to order His Kingdom on the earth.

This was the practice of the Roman empire during the time Jesus walked the Earth in flesh. Once the Roman forces had invaded a foreign land, Caesar would send in an “apostle” with a small band of soldiers for the purpose of instituting the culture and custom of Rome on the newly conquered territory. The goal was to convert the barbarians and foreigners to the culture of Rome. And this is what Jesus chose to call His “APOSTLES” to do: take new territory for God, and convert the culture of that city and region to the culture of the Kingdom of God. He, the apostle, will bring THE order and structure of the Kingdom to every church that he has influence over.

Another responsibility of Apostles: As we see throughout the book of Acts, some apostles are anointed church planters. Whether they are planting the church themselves or assisting others to do it, they have an anointing to bring a supernatural power and efficiency to this vital task. (Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, etc.)

However, it is also possible to be an apostle without planting new churches. Such was the case of James. History records that the majority, if not entirety, of his ministry was spent edifying and structuring ONLY the church in Jerusalem.

Another responsibility of apostles: They are called to set local church Elders and Deacons into their offices. This is exemplified by the work of the apostles Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 14:23 (AV) And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

The Apostle Titus was doing this same work…

Titus 1:5 (AV) For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Also, apostles are a key to every other Five Fold Ministry Gift being fully released…

Where the ministry of an apostle is not hindered, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons will abound. The apostle’s ministry will empower the ministry of others (Romans 1:11), so that the church can MULTIPLY instead of simply add to itself. However, when you find that new ministries are NOT being raised up it is usually because that assembly lacks the ministry of an apostle.

These reasons, and many more, are why the modern church in our generation NEEDS the ministry of Apostles to be restored so desperately…

If every church had a plurality of Elders to teach and shepherd the saints, while having access to an apostle to set order in their assemblies, the Body of Christ could truly be PERFECTED. In fact, the only way that the Body of Christ can achieve true and perfect unity (I Corinthians 1:10) is through the ministry of an apostle. God has so ordained it this way, yet men have rejected God’s order and structure.

Many “pastors” today have a personal kingdom mentality in that they want complete control over God’s Church for themselves. They would never allow a plurality of Elders in “their” congregations. Much less allow a God-ordained Apostle(s) to come in and set order in “their” congregation. Sadly, these “pastors” and even more tragic, the precious saints in those congregation, will NEVER BE TRULY PERFECTED as God desires for them to be. Hence God’s prophecies concerning pastors with this mentality, such as Jeremiah 23:1-4 and others. This, among many other factors, is the grave danger of not allowing God-ordained Apostles to function in our midst.

I hope that this helps to open your understanding concerning the ministry of an apostle. If you have any questions please feel free to post them below and I will respond as soon as I can. Also please feel free to private message me if you do not wish to post publicly.

Again, I realize this is a revolutionary concept of church structure for many. I simply ask that you judge this by the WORD OF GOD, and not personal preference or opinion. If you find what I have presented to be Biblically sound, then the ONLY righteous choice is for you to change to align with THE WORD OF GOD. I am praying for everyone who reads this, as the Spirit of Truth is desperately trying to lead us into ALL TRUTH (John 16:13). God will work, but who will let him? (Isaiah 43:13)

Grace and Peace to you all, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus!

As your understanding of Jesus goes, so goes your method of spreading HIS message…

I fear far too many have succumbed to damnable seduction of a “hippie” Jesus.  Many picture Him with long hair (which Paul said was a shame in I Corinthians 11:14 by the way), and maybe even a peace lily tucked back over His ear interlaced with His long, soft locks…

WAKE UP!

Is Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace? YES

Is He the Lover of your Soul? YES

Is He the God of all Grace? ABSOLUTELY, YES!

But that is not ALL that He is:

He is ALSO the LION of the tribe of Judah…

He is ALSO the Lord Mighty in BATTLE…

He is ALSO a God of JUDGMENT!

Many falsely accept the softer side of Jesus, and foolishly IGNORE the completeness of WHO HE IS.

For example: when you read John 6:53-71 do you get the feeling Jesus was worried about offending people? He didn’t even bother to explain that “eating His flesh” was a reference to communion. He LET them think He was talking about cannibalism… He LET THEM WALK AWAY! Because, He knew they would never receive Truth. He did not chase them down apologizing and watering down his message. He spoke TRUTH, and let the chips fall where they may.

When you read about the message Jesus preached in Luke 13:3,5 (Repent or Perish) do you get the feeling He was worried about offending people?

What about when He went into the temple kicking people out and overthrowing their tables?  There was definitely no hippie Jesus to be found in Jerusalem that day.

What about when He said out of His own mouth:

Matthew 10:34 (KJV)

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Jesus Christ was NOT AFRAID to offend people. In fact, He was QUITE offensive with the SWORD of the SPIRIT which is the Word of God. Knowing this, He said:

Luke 7:23 (KJV)

23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Bottom line: If you can’t heed a rebuke of TRUTH, you will NOT make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Furthermore: If a strong message is presented condemning any and all false doctrine, and this upsets you, you are already in bed with a seducing spirit, and well on your way to committing spiritual whoredom.

We must preach the FULLNESS of who HE is!  Not simply our favorite personal aspect of Him.

I will preach HARD to you, even to the point of offending you, until you repent.  But after repentance, I will embrace you with all the Grace and Mercy that God has afforded us.  This process is the WAY OF JESUS.  The Apostles understood this was the WAY OF JESUS.  That’s why they were stoned, beaten, imprisoned, gnashed upon with teeth, and martyred.  Those things do not happen if you are hiding the message (like many churches today).  Those things only happen if you are utterly offending people with TRUTH!  No matter how you present it, the TRUTH of Jesus Christ is offensive:

John 10:30 (KJV) I and my Father are one. ³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

I am well aware that mercy rejoices against judgment (James 2:13), but not until AFTER REPENTANCE! (Luke 13:3)

Matthew 11:12 (KJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

¹⁵ He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Don’t settle for a half truth… Do not be deceived… Embrace the FULLNESS of who Jesus Christ is, then go and do likewise!

1) What the Bible teaches about judgment:

Matthew 7:1–2 (KJV)
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I am making these bold statements on Twitter and Facebook not through my own judgment, but simply by echoing the judgment that GOD’S WORD has applied to anyone who teaches false doctrines contrary to what Jesus and the Apostles taught.

Speaking the TRUTH of God’s Word is not the same as passing personal judgment. This twisted concept of “judging” is a lie from the pit of Hell that many Apostolics have swallowed hook, line, and sinker. I will speak more of this later…

Here is the judgment that GOD has passed upon the bearers of false doctrine through HIS WORD:

2 John 7–11 (KJV)
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

John said if they are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ (Oneness of the Godhead, baptism in Jesus’ Name, necessity of the Holy Ghost baptism evidenced by speaking in tongues, holiness both inwardly and outwardly, etc.) that we are not to let them in our house (tolerate their false doctrines, read their books, watch their TV programs, go to their conferences, etc.), and neither bid them God speed. If we do these things, we are a partaker of their evil deeds.

Paul also warned us:

Galatians 1:8–9 (KJV)
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul said if they are preaching the Apostles doctrine that we are to let them be ACCURSED. NOT TRY AND PATTERN OURSELVES AFTER THEM AND THEIR METHODS!

We are trying to tolerate things that GOD has called ACCURSED!

Many Apostolics have been lulled to sleep by the lullaby of the broad way, to the tune of tolerance and “not judging.” Paul and John said we’d BETTER judge or we will end up as deceived as they are.

Jesus continued concerning judgment in the same chapter:

John 7:24 (KJV)
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

So Jesus tells us that when we judge we must do it with righteous judgment. What more righteous judgment is there than the WORD OF GOD which is forever settled?

Just because I’m quoting Jesus, John, and Paul does not mean that I am judgmental: It mean’s that I’m SPEAKING TRUTH! One’s response to this TRUTH is what will ultimately judge him or her.

2) While we’re at it: all of this referring to people who love and speak the TRUTH as being “Pharisees” is nothing more than a rhetorical pile of dung.

Who really are the Pharisee here?

Mark 7:5–7 (KJV)
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Jesus said that a Pharisee was one who rejected the commandments of God (believe that he was the Father or die in your sins , be baptized in HIS name for the remission of your sins, and receive His spirit or you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven ) that they might hang on to their religious traditions (trinity, faith alone for salvation, eternal security, outward holiness not being necessary, etc.)

So according to Jesus, the modern trinitarian religious “believers,” hanging on to their traditions of men (rooted in Catholicism) are the “Pharisees” of our generation, NOT the people who are obeying and preaching the commandments of GOD.

3) Biblical ignorance of these issues is KILLING US! We, Apostolics, have become so bound by accepting the damnable doctrines of devils and seducing spirits of our age!

Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

It is high time for us to awake out of our carnal minded slumber, and arise to our rightful place as the unashamed preachers of God’s righteousness in our generation. May God stir our souls unto repentance!

A Paradigm Shift…

It has been defined as: “A change in the basic assumptions.”

Jesus Christ was a Master in the art of shifting human paradigms.  Because of religious traditions most religious leaders would not even come near a leper, yet Jesus touched them with his own hands because He had more compassion than He had fear.  The great majority of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is devoted to changing carnal minded paradigms, and shifting our basic assumptions.  In fact, 5 times in chapter 5 alone he made the statement, “Ye have heard that it hath been said… But I say unto you…”

I believe one of the greatest paradigm shifts that God has ever birthed into the spirit of man is the mystery of verses such as this one:

James 1:2 (KJV) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

The carnal mind’s default reaction to temptation and trouble is to: RUN.  However, the prevailing precept of the God that we serve is to: count it joy?

And so, has the Wisdom of God, echoed throughout the ages even from the time of Moses:

Exodus 20:18 (KJV)  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. ¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. ²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. ²¹ And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

As it was then, so is it today: The people of God are fearful of storms.  In fact, so fearful that we run and separate ourselves from what we perceive to be harmful.  However, in the afore mentioned text, what the people ran from, Moses ran towards…

Why?  Because Moses had a revelation that the people did not: God is IN the Storm.

Job, had three comforters (I use the term “loosely”).  After Job had received all the “comfort” he could take, the Bible tells us of a fourth man who began to speak concerning Job’s precarious predicament.  We are told this mysterious fourth person, was a young man by the name of Elihu.  If you will study his message in contrast to those before him, it is very evident that he contradicted what the other three had said and made some interesting statements concerning God and His Nature:

Job 36:24 (KJV) Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. ²⁵ Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off. ²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. ²⁷ For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: ²⁸ Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly. ²⁹ Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle? ³⁰ Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.  ³¹ For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance. ³² With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

Notice that he speaks of God by describing Him as a… STORM.  He continues:

Job 37:1 (KJV) At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. ² Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.  ³ He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.   ⁴ After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. ⁵ God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

 ¹⁶ Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

Although he is a young man, Elihu had a revelation concerning God that his counterparts did not: God is IN your storm!

Notice the empowering revelation of the very next chapter:

Job 38:1 (KJV) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind…

I know that you have been praying for God to calm the storm that you are currently facing, however, what if what you have been running from is in fact what God wants you running to?  What if the answer that you seek is not found in the calm serenity of cured circumstances, but in the confines of the darkness that now envelopes you?

I want to encourage you: Your answer is IN your storm…

The deliverance will be ushered forth out of the darkness.  The breakthrough will be birthed from your bondage.   The miracle will be manifested out of the mundane.  The  revival will be released because of your revilers!

This storm did not come to punish you my weary friend, but He came to PERFECT you!

Do not be deceived: God is IN your storm…

Contemplate this striking phrase from the Living Word of God:

Genesis 46:34 (KJV) …every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

When I survey the landscape of the modern Church I am reminded of when Jesus looked out over the chief city of his beloved people and wept because the multitudes were as sheep without shepherd…

Somehow, over the course of hundreds of years, the attitude of the Egyptians toward shepherds had invaded and occupied the minds of God’s chosen people.  And I fear that same mindset still occupies a great majority of Church today: “every shepherd is an abomination.”

Ponder this:

Ephesians 4:8(KJV) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

What were the gifts that God gave to humanity?

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Spiritual Leaders are God’s gift to the Body of Christ.  I do not state that in the arrogant sense, but in the practical.  We have all seen leaders who really did feel they were God’s Gift to humanity, and the stench of that pride has not only filled our nostrils but God’s.  However, the TRUTH remains: God gave the gift of spiritual leadership to the Body of Christ that the Body might be built up and perfected.

Personally, I believe that the Five Fold Ministry is God’s hand sent to guide the Body of Christ in this present world.  And, yes, I DO believe that there are modern-day apostles.  However, I DO NOT believe that there are modern-day Apostles of the Lamb.  That is referring to the original twelve who serve as the foundation stones for the wall of that great city in heaven according to Revelation 21:14 while having authority to pen the Holy Writ.  However, I do believe that the leadership gift of apostles is still active in the Church today, along with the other four vitally necessary leadership gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4.

God’s hand, or more specifically, those gifted with God’s authority to guide the Body of Christ are, in fact, a gift from God that will never be replicated.

Exodus 8:16 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

It’s interesting to note that Moses did not perform this miracle, or plague, depending upon your perspective.  God chose the PRIEST, Aaron, to smite the dust.  The Bible also tells us that we, and our human nature, were created from the dust of the Earth.  And God desired that the Priest was to deal with the dust.  Here is the reason that God’s true anointing will never be replicated by the enemy: because a true priest is more concerned with smiting the carnal nature of the congregation, than he is impressing the multitudes with a miracle.

Notice what happens next:

Exodus 8:17 (KJV) …for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. ¹⁹ Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God:

The magicians of Egypt had been able to replicate the blood and the frogs, however they were unable to counterfeit the plague of the lice.  Why?  Because the true priesthood had the authority and were willing to deal with the flesh, while the wanna-be’s tried to used enchantments to produce the same results.  I perceive the same is going on in Christianity today.  There is an element that does everything that they can to avoid dealing with the carnal nature.  They, instead of dealing with the difficult issues of the carnal minded mentalities, would rather try to entice the people with impressive children’s ministries, and great music programs, or other enchantments.  Please do not misunderstand me: there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve our music programs and children’s ministries.  However, those programs will never be able to produce the miracle of truly changed lives!  The only catalyst that will produce real CHANGE is a pastor that takes his place in the pulpit and begins to deal with the carnal nature in the pew.

I am not in any way condoning the abuse of spiritual authority or preaching that is motived by frustration or fear.  I believe the TRUTH can be spoken in LOVE, yet the TRUTH must be spoken and not ignored.

The counterfeiters of this religious world replicate enchantments to entice people into a pew, but it takes true authority to transform a believer into a disciple.  May we better our programs, but never forget that the greatest responsibility of a priest is to deal with the dirt of our carnal natures.

Notice what the counterfeiters said in verse 19: this miracle is the “finger of God.”  The hand of God is manifested in our lives through those in spiritual leadership and carnal church leaders cannot replicate TRUE authority.

Ponder this exchange between the all-wise God and his beloved children:

Jeremiah 3:14–16 (KJV) Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: ¹⁵ And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶ And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

Many people argue about where the Ark of the Covenant is in our day and time.  My opinion?  IT DOESN’T MATTER.  The gist of this gift from God was this underlying revelation: You don’t need an Ark anymore; you need a PASTOR!

Compare the natural/spiritual equivalents of the contents of the Ark:

1)  Golden Pot of Manna – (fresh bread from Heaven – Preached Word of God)

2)  The Stone Tablets – (the law of God – Lived and exemplified before the people by the priest)

3)  Aaron’s Rod that budded – (the rod of authority – The priest has responsibility and authority to deal with the carnal nature of men and any spirit that may rise up in opposition to the people of God.)

I plead with my generation as did the Apostle Peter with his:

1 Peter 5:5–6 (KJV) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

May God exalt us as we truly embrace the revelation of submitting ourselves to God’s gift of leadership in the Body of Christ.

“Balance.”

A few years ago, I embarked upon a very intense season of seeking God for an increase of power and anointing upon my life and ministry.  At the time, I considered it odd that as I was seeking to progress in power and authority, that God answered my petitions by whispering into my spirit only one abstract word: “Balance.”

One of the greatest joys a parent will experience in their lives is the precious first steps of their beloved child.  From the time our babies first find their way up on their knees to crawl, an expectancy begins to develop in our hearts.  That expectancy grows every time we see our child pull themselves up from the floor and stand on their little feet while gripping that couch or coffee table for dear life, attempting to build up enough confidence to take those first few steps of faith.  It seems that the there is a deep sense of calling in our nature to fumble and fidget our way through the process of progression from laying down, to crawling, to walking.  Once we learn, walking will be our primary mode of progression throughout our lives.

Notice that the key element to being able to walk is BALANCE.  You are born into this life already equipped with everything that you needed to walk.  You had feet, bones, muscles, etc.  Yet, you couldn’t immediately begin walking from the womb.  Even though you are physically equipped with every thing that you need to progress, the one element that you lack is BALANCE.  As as it is in the natural, so it goes in the spiritual…

The attempt to ”progress” in life, or ministry, without first learning the essential element of Balance is an exercise in futility.  Before God is ever going to turn us loose down the pathway of power, He is adamant that we first embrace the revelation of BALANCE.

I see some ministries stumbling feverishly down the path of compromise and calling it “progress.”  But, is being “progressive” in the wrong direction, really progress at all?  I see others, looking over their shoulders suspiciously at the “compromisers,” while progressing further down their own path of isolation, because they fear compromise more than they fear a loss of balance.

The enemy of our souls really does not mind which side we lean towards, as long as we are out of “BALANCE.”  What a tragedy it is to believe that we have achieved balance while, in truth, we are fumbling down the path of our own preference.

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

The Words of Solomon have echoed in my soul since the very day that God whispered that single word of wisdom into my spirit. I feel within my heart a compelling call to pursue a true BALANCE.  However, it is absolutely a tedious and treacherous pursuit.

If I judge the balance of my life and ministry on the scales of popular religious opinion, I make myself vulnerable to delving into the deception of a false balance.  Yet, thanks be to God, there is another apparatus by which I can find TRUE BALANCE!

Amos chapter 7 speaks of God holding in His holy hand, another measuring device: a plumb line.  A scale can be manipulated, but a plumb line is impossible to pervert.  It is a weight tied to a string, and gravity is the ONLY determining factor.  With a scale from Bible times, you are comparing yourself to another object, but with a plumb line you are comparing yourself with only the force of gravity.  When I compare myself with others, my measurements can become tainted.  Yet when I compare myself with the gravity of God’s Word, it’s ONLY there that I discover the true balance that I pursue.

One of the places I am currently seeking balance in my life is in the area of Mercy and Judgment.  Many times, we focus so much on one that we lose sight of the other.  BOTH are absolutely necessary!

Psalm 101:1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

We must desire to be able to sing of mercy and judgment in the same song as David did.  And the audience which we attempt to impress must be the only wise God, our Savior!  Not this religious world or its tainted scales of popular opinion.

The pursuit of Balance is definitely a process.  A process that I daily find myself enduring.  Even when the plumb line is released from the hand of the Master Builder, there is a season of time in which the plumb swings back and forth from side to side.  We all find ourselves in that season of searching for balance from time to time.  But, if left alone, the plumb will eventually finds its rightful place of true balance.  That’s the place that I am pursuing with all my heart.  The place where I can be still, and know my God!