Book: Exhortations For The Church
Vol. 5, Chapter9
Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
If God has identified to you that you are one of the ministry offices, you should state that office in faith in that which God has shown you.
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Pam Padgett (our little church group) wrote an exhortation. At one time, we thought Pam was a "teacher". But when she wrote this exhortation, she told me she listed herself as, "Member of Body of Christ," (which she surely is, proven many times by the Holy Spirit that is in her.) I told her I thought this was exactly the right thing for her to do.
She had prayed asking God if she is a "teacher" but has never been shown by God that she is a "teacher" to the body of Christ.
Pam definitely has a spiritual gift of "helps" ... There is no doubt of that ... She even loves to help people in secular ways. She went from Colorado Springs to Houston, TX, to help one of our church group move. She loves to help people move.
Once we had a home meeting in Dallas. Pam helped clean and prepare the home where the meeting was to take place.
Pam does all the work for getting writings into the form required to publish e-books and paperback books on Amazon. Pam keeps the blog going daily, putting New Testament scriptures and Old Testament scriptures onto blog daily. She keeps our book listings up to date by adding the book covers to the right side of our blog page and by making links so people can read parts of the listed book.
The fruits produced by Pam clearly show "gift of helps" ... and she loves doing these things. This is a gift of God to the church and is not of herself.
It is very important that we not copy each other thinking that because one person does one of the gifts, so should another.
God explained the gifts are like the human body. The foot does not try to see like the eye. Yet the eye needs the foot. And so it is in the church. We need one another but we do not have the same gifts in the church. I can't do what Pam does and neither can she do what I am called to do. Yet we function together as a unit, doing that which God raised us up to do.
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I Cor. 12:28-30 ... And 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. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
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The placement where each of us are set is an assignment by God HIMSELF ...
I Cor. 12:18 ... But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased HIM.
Identify yourself in the area to which you know from God that you are placed, especially when it comes to the 5 ministry offices...apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. (Eph. 4)
Some (not all) are set in ministry offices by God to care for the church in the office(s) to which they have been set by God.
Paul is set as apostle, teacher ...
Peter is set as apostle, elder ...
Silas is a prophet who often traveled with Paul ...
There is an authority given by God to do that work when you are assigned that work in the church.
God has shown me to identify the offices (apostle/prophet) to which I am set. Just as Paul identified the offices to which he was set, we, who know from God our calling, identify ourselves to the church. This can cause some to turn away from us when we identify our calling. That is certainly okay if they turn from us. Paul was not recognized as an apostle by all in the church when he walked on this earth.
Paul says: I Cor. 9:1-2 ... 1 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? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
If the tree brings forth apples, we know that tree is an apple tree.
An apostle will deal with doctrine in the church and will deal with such with authority from God.
A prophet will often bring correction with authority of God.
If these fruits are on that tree, you should recognize the tree.
If a person has a gift of "exhortation", that person is anointed by God to exhort the church.
Exhort means: to urge earnestly by advice, warning. (There is an authority of God with that exhortation.)
When you have that authority of God on you, you can't hide it. You simply go into the room and something happens to cause "the answer", "the word" to come from you and it is different from other people speaking.
The people were amazed when Jesus spoke. Unlike others, Jesus had an authority that came forth when HE spoke.
After we started the blog (Jesus Ministries Exhortations) a pastor wrote me saying, "I like the way you write." This pastor didn't know what he was seeing was an anointing by God, not a skill inside me as a human.
II Cor. 3:5-6 ... Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; WHO 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.
Concerning the ministry offices and the spiritual gifts:
Eph. 4:8-15 ... (after Jesus arose/after the crucifixion and resurrection) ... Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that HE ascended, what is it but that HE also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? HE that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that HE might fill all things.)
And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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 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; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(You think there are "ministers of music" ... Find that in the Bible, in the New Testament, if so.)
Romans 12:4-8 ... For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry (serving), let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or 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.
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I Peter 4:10-11 ... As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
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I Cor. 12:4-11 ... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
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If the eye could do everything there would be no need for hands.
NO ... we don't all operate in the same gifts from God. We aren't all placed in the same way, by God, in the church ...
I know what my assignment from God is for the body of Christ. (apostle, prophet, gift of exhortation, often given word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits)
I'm definitely not an "evangelist", though sometimes people have been "saved" when I have given them the word from God as it has been given to me.
I'm not a "pastor", even though God gave me a dream once where I was being left on an island to care for "children".
I'm not a "teacher", though I often give instruction and explain instruction.
For those having one of the 5 ministry offices: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher ... we often remind other people of each other when we speak ... Several times, I've had radio station managers tell me I remind them of a certain radio/TV preacher who says he is a pastor. I suspect this man is not really a pastor but is likely a prophet though his denomination, Baptist, doesn't realize there are prophets today.
It is amazing: I see where these offices were given to the church by Jesus after Jesus arose ... and I don't see any place in Bible where they were ever removed from the NT church ...
Everyone should prove doctrine though prayer and through the Bible.
If the fruit keeps appearing on the tree, then that fruit tells us what the tree is.
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BOOK: Exhortations For The Church, Volume 5
Chapter 9
Joan Boney
E-book: $.99
Chapter 9
Joan Boney
E-book: $.99
Paperback: $6.99
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Order from: Amazon.com
Order from: Amazon.com
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