Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Recently I was walking through my house and I heard: "Exhort them by those scripture."
I began doing that ... taking the scripture people send us and exhorting the church with each scripture.
Each of us must hear from the Spirit of God and do our assignment. And it is God Who fully equips us when HE tells us to do something.
II Cor. 3 ... Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
I believe I have a spiritual gift of exhortation which is to be used for the benefit of the church. I believe Pam Padgett has a spiritual gift of "helps" ... Pam loves to help people when they are moving. (I've never seen anything like this.) Pam loves to shovel snow. She would be happy to help with neighbor's drive. Pam loves animals and often takes care of neighbor's dogs. I do not have a spiritual gift of helps. If I tried to do this, I know I would fail because it is not of God that I do this.
Each of us must know where we are placed in the body of Christ and stay in our assignment.
Paul explained this in I Cor. 12 ... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28And God hath set some in the church (to care for the church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Romans 12 ... For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9Let love be without dissimulation.
I do not expect others to operate in the calling God has put on my life. Each of us in the body of Christ have a part to play although not all are called to care for the church. Some have a gift to help the church although they are not called as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher.
In Eph. 4, we read that the body functions "as every joint supplieth." ... Even the smallest joint in the member of the body of Christ has a place in the church just as the smallest joint in the human body has a place in the human body and without it the body would not function as well.
But each of us must know the assignment give us by God. We need to know the spiritual gifts given us by God. Those gifts are not for us but are for the church.
Eph. 4 ... (after Jesus arose HE gave gifts to the church) ... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till 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: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Do you know your assignment?
You must work where God assigned you. You must not try to get others to do your assignment. Some do not understand this concept. I receive many letters from "ministers" telling me that I need to go with them into isolated places to preach the gospel to the unsaved. But I know this is not my assignment. My assignment from God is to work with people after they are saved.
We must know our assignment. I do not allow anyone to draw me off my assignment because when they try I recognize it and turn to God and HE reestablishes me in that assignment which HE has given me.