And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, Eph 4:11NKJV
The Marine Corps colonel reached across the table to shake my hand, after he heard what I did for a living. He was a rough man, a combat veteran, having led his battalion into Fallujah Iraq in 2004. He said, “Thank you for going, so that we don’t have to!” Although not a believer, he recognized that where Christianity prevailed, and men and women of God were sent to that nation, the Marines didn’t have to go fight the bad guys, a very true reality. Scientifically researched, peer reviewed case studies have proven that the greatest thing you can do for any nation is to drop anointed, Spirit filled missionaries into their midst. Within a hundred years that nation will have better educational standards, better medical standards (the true measure of the wealth of a nation), better social, political and economic standards than a similar non evangelized nation because the missionaries fight for, pray for and evangelize the nationals. The case for fivefold ministers, those truly called of God to serve Him as fulltime ministers is nothing less than the case for civilization itself!
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Rom 6:5-6 NKJV
One thing you must understand is that man will always live according to his nature. He cannot be comfortable living any other way. Political freedom follows spiritual freedom. A man who is a slave inside will only be comfortable living in a slave system, just as a man who is free inside will always seek to live out that freedom. You say that Americans live in a free country. But I say, look at the mountains of debt many people live under, the addictions they live with, both sexual, chemical and emotional, and you offer them a way out of their slavery, but have few takers. Why? People only are comfortable living out what they are inside. The only true change is through Christ coming in, and He changes their nature. The Lord uses His fivefold ministers to bring in, then bring to maturity that new nature in Christ, which makes people free. George Whitfield, a fivefold minister from the UK, launched the first great awakening in the American colonies, and was credited by Benjamin Franklin as being the initiator of the American Revolution. Where the fivefold is in manifestation, people become free.
“The priests, the Levites — all the tribe of Levi — shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. 2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them. Deut 18:1-2 NKJV
The fivefold ministers of today are to the body of Christ what the Levites were to the children of Israel under the Old Covenant. Of the twelve tribes of Israel, one tribe was called to serve the Lord full time – the sons of Levi. The Levites were to have no inheritance in the land because the Lord was to be their inheritance. The rewards of God are God Himself. When God called us to fulltime service, we left everything – my business I gave away and our house we gave back to the bank, moving instead to another state to start Lightbearers. The rewards of God are God Himself, and the Lord has been wonderful, even in the material realm.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle. Num 3:5-8 NKJV
Numbers sounds a lot like Ephesians.
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Eph 4:11-13 NKJV
Some people will say that all of God’s people are called to be ministers. No…no they are not, not fivefold ministers! Israel was a kingdom of priests but most of the people were farmers, ranchers, tradesmen, even carpenters, all of which were godly callings. In those callings they could serve God and serve the body of believers, but they were not called to the fulltime service of the Tabernacle and Temple, like the Levites were. In fact, if they tried to usurp the Levites calling, they would die. This idea that ‘all are ministers’ is a devilish perversion of truth to minimize the fivefold callings and squirm out of the responsibility of tithing. Don’t be deceived! God is not mocked…
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. 1 Sam 2:36 KJV
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 2 Cor 11:13 NKJV
Not all who say they are apostles or prophets are, in fact, fivefold ministers. Some seek the fivefold offices only to get ‘a piece of bread.’ When I was invited to apply for acceptance into the International Coalition of Apostles back in 2002, one thing they asked on the application was ‘How are you acting as an apostle?’ I loved that because they weren’t seeking ‘apostle wannabes’ but actual men and women who were bearing the fruit of the office. Years ago, the Lord told me that the old spirit of the village chieftain had gone into the pastors. In business we call this rebranding or repackaging – bright, new name but same old corn flakes. The Lord calls each of us to have real discernment about the fivefold offices so that we are not duped and defrauded in our lives. Fivefold ministers must bear the fruit thereof!
Two contemporary fivefold ministers who operated outside of the traditional Church structure but whose lives effected millions positively, bringing a measure of salvations and freedom, were Mary Kay Ash and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King had his peccadilloes, as we all do, but his courage and vision lead millions to a better life – YOUTUBE the ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, watch and weep – and he got people saved, too. His short life blessed the world. Mary Kay founded the eponymous company that empowered millions of women to have their own business, and she did it with love for Jesus, integrity, strength and courage – two visionary fivefold leaders who changed the world!
“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. Num 18:21 NKJV
The fivefold ministers today are to be supported by the tithes of the body of Christ. Let’s be clear! A tithe is 10% of your income; not 2%, or 1% or pocket change. People say, I can’t afford to tithe! Let me be honest, you can’t afford not to tithe, even if you are ‘upside down’ in your bills and debt. 90% with God’s blessing will go much farther than 100% with you being in sin by withholding the tithe. We have always tithed. I have made many dumb mistakes, but never with tithing, and I can testify that God has been BEYOND faithful in opening the windows of Heaven for us. Let me say this as well – in the richest country on earth, one report I read said that 30% of fulltime ministers retire in poverty, and one reason is that the people don’t tithe. The ministers give themselves freely but are not being recompensed by their people, and we wonder why American civilization is deteriorating. We need to bless the men and women of God with our gifts to God for them and let them do their work!
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4 NKJV
Jesus is both the apex, foundation and centerpiece of civilization. His Spirit and His words are the light and hope of any man, of any nation. His presence changes everything. His abiding presence transforms the very ground and air and sky. The unsaved are brought by the Church to Him as He works through His fivefold ministers, and they then join the team. Jesus trained and commissioned twelve fivefold ministers to go into all the world and bring them to Him. It’s amazing how successful they were! Andrew went as far as Scotland, as legend has it. Thomas to India, Peter to Babylon (or perhaps Rome), Paul at least as far as Spain but perhaps even to the British Isles. Fivefold ministers are leading the Church to do the same today!
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Matt 7:15-16 NKJV
How can we help them? First, discern the true ministers. I ask the Lord if they are ‘sweethearts’ or ‘bandits.’ By their fruits you shall know them. Once you discern the true ones, then in love find time to pray for them and support them with your tithes. That’s what we do! As a ministry we tithe and support fulltime ministers, and we do personally as well. Tithes are for one thing only, not building projects or even outreaches – that is offerings – or what you do for the poor – that is almsgiving. Tithes are to support fulltime fivefold ministers. It’s their inheritance from the Lord! Dear Americans, please realize electing democrats or republicans won’t change America for the better. It’s only Jesus changing the spirits and nature of man that can uplift any nation, and to that end Christ has commissioned His fivefold leaders to lead the rest of us. Amen? Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…