💥 Chapter 4: You must be called by Jesus to be HIS minister in the New Testament Church today.

2 Corinthians 3

  

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 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.

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 Hebrews 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 

 (New Testament ministers are "called", taught by the Holy Spirit, and appointed by God)

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Just as many try to be born again by doing what man says, many try to be minsters without being called by Jesus.

The ministries of Jesus in the New Testament Church are: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.

Ephesians 4:8;11-14

8  Wherefore HE (Jesus) saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

11 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

 

(Notice there are "many" apostles; "many" prophets; "many" evangelists; "many" pastors; and "many" 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:

14 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;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

(Some churches wrongly teach that there are no more apostles or prophets today. They teach that "Paul" was the last apostle.  This is incorrect.  Acts 1 ... The apostle who replaced Judas was Matthias.)

 

Peter explains:

Acts 1

16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

 

(Someone had to replace Judas as an apostle.)
 

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

We have the 12 apostles chosen by Jesus when HE walked in the flesh in form of a man on this earth.

Judas was the traitor.

After Jesus was crucified and risen into heaven, Peter drew lots to replace the 12th apostle and the lot fell on Matthias.  (Acts 1)

 

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So how did Paul get to be an "apostle"?

Acts 9  (Paul was not the last apostle, but was one of the first of many New Testament Church apostles appointed from heaven by Jesus.)

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

 

In the book of Acts, we see several examples of prophets given by Jesus to work in the office of prophet in the New Testament Church.

 

Acts 11

 

27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

Acts 15:32   And Judas (not Iscariot) and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. 

(So I learned to prove doctrine by the New Testament Bible.)

As a newly born again Christian, in 1975, my best friend came to me and said: "Joanie ... you have to go to church."  I replied, "I do?"

My best friend, Donna, and her husband attended a small non-denominational church in Dallas.  The pastors were professors at Dallas Theological Seminary. 

 

At the time I started at that church, the main pastor was starting a series of teachings entitled, "Tongues are of the devil."  (I had heard of "tongues" but I didn't know what they were.)

I attended his series of teachings.

 

(God had taught me to prove all doctrine by the scriptures in the NT Bible, so I began reading all scriptures listed as "tongues" in the NT Bible.)

I saw something written by the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 14:

 

26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 

 

37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

40 Let all things be done decently and in order. 

 

***

After reading this scripture, one day Donna and I were riding along in her car and I said to Donna ... "Hey Donna ... did you know that Paul said, 'Forbid not to speak with tongues?' "

(She pulled off the highway and stopped the car and said, "Let me see that!"  I always carried a small New Testament Bible in my purse.  So I found the scripture in I Corinthians 14 and let her read what I had seen in Bible. Donna was shocked!

 

She said, "Let's go to my house and look this verse up in every translation that we have of the Bible."  

 

We found this in each translation just as I had read it in King James Version.

 

I Corinthians 14:39 ...  forbid not to speak in tongues.

I said, "Paul said, forbid not to speak in tongues ... At church the pastor is teaching that tongues are from the devil ... I'm not going back to that church again."

Donna said, "Well ... I'm not going there either."

(I went to another church.  Later God gave me a dream to bring me out of that church for they were teaching a doctrine that was false also.)

But I always saw to check the doctrine that was being taught by the doctrine of the New Testament Bible.

(At the time this happened, I didn't know God had called me to be a minister.)

When God showed me that, I asked God, "How can I be a minister?  What about that scripture where Paul told women not to speak in the church?"  

I Corinthians 14:34-35  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

God said to me:  "Look at what these women were doing in that church."

(Next chapter:  What God showed me about women speaking in the church.)

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