Apostles and Prophets

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Apostles and Prophets

In today’s church structure apostles and prophets are very seldom are recognize. A close examination of scripture showed that God only places five ministry offices in the body of Christ. They are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. I know this sounds strange at a day and time when bishops, pope’s, superintendents, and other man-made titles that are ruling the church. Actually, at the very beginning bishops and overseers and all other offices was appointed by the office of the apostles and prophets. For example, Paul appointed two bishops, one name Timothy and the other Titus. Their responsibility was to oversee the pastors in their jurisdiction. These bishops were appointed by Paul the apostle who was responsible for writing two thirds of the New Testament. Nowhere in his writings did Paul ever instruct the church to be led only by bishops, overseers, and superintendents. It was through church tradition and the manipulation of church dogma that the Biblical office of apostles and prophet was eventually eliminated from their appropriate places. Some Bible Scholars and Theologians teach that there were only twelve apostles. If you examine the Biblical record closely you will find it was more than just twelve apostles, which would quickly eliminate this false teaching. Another popular teaching is that the writing of the New Testament is completed, there is no need for the prophetic ministry. My answer to this is rather simple, the entire New Testament was written mostly by the apostles. The reason for this in my opinion that although the writings of the New Testament are complete, it is the prophets that help bring the full insight and understanding of scripture revelation. That is not to add or to take away from the scriptures, but to give divine insight of the heart and the mind of God.

And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (Eph 4:11)

Notice here in Paul’s teaching that He which is Jesus Christ gave to the church the five-fold ministries. These fivefold ministries are extensions of Jesus Christ. It takes all five of these ministries to fulfill the goals that are mentioned in Ephesians 4:12-13. Let's look at it this way, if you take away one of these ministries the goals cannot be fulfilled. All five ministries were needed to accomplish the goals the apostle Paul mentioned. Look at it this way an automobile can only accomplish its purpose which is basically transportation if all the parts are in their places. Can a car run if the carburetor is missing? Well, maybe today we have fuel injection engines. All parts are needed on the engine to make the vehicle useful. If one of the major parts is missing it will not run. In the same token as the engine cannot fully function without all its parts, the church cannot fully be functional without the five fold ministries.

Let us take a look at the list Paul have provided for us

1. For the perfecting of the saints

2. For the work of the ministry

3. The edifying of the body of Christ

4. And this until we all come into the unity of the faith

5. And of the knowledge of the Son of God

6. To a full-grown man

7. To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

Remember what I have stated that it takes all five of these ministries to fulfill the lists Paul had laid out for us. It is not hard to see that we have not fulfilled the items on this list. Do all the believers behave in a mature Christian manner? Has all the work of the ministry been completed? Have the body of Christ been completely built up? Are we united in the faith? Do we have a full knowledge of the son of God? Has our spiritual growth measure of the fullness of Christ statute? If we are lacking anything in this list, then we are still in need of all fivefold ministries. I know this is hard for some to accept this teaching, being taught church tradition so long. It would become us to lay aside the tradition of church teaching and rely on the Word of God. The Word of God is not complex, nor is it hard to understand. Simply read it and let it speak for itself in a plain and understandable term.

for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Eph 4:12)

And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Eph 4:13)

so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit. (Eph 4:14)

But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; (Eph 4:15)

Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.

(Eph 2:19-22)

…and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, …

Here we plainly see that the foundation ministry of the church is the apostles and prophets. Just imagine for a moment what will happen if you remove the foundation of a building. More than likely the entire structure would fall apart. How are we building the body of Christ, if we have no foundation? I’m amazed by the height of the Sears Towers in Chicago, IL,. The foundation of this building is very deep. If the foundation of this building was not put in correctly a strong wind would easily blow this building down. How much more important are the foundations of the body of Christ must be, which are the apostles and prophets.

In the church God has put all in place: in the first place apostles, in the second place prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues. GNB

(1Co 12:28)

And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.

(1Co 12:28) KJV

So God has appointed some in the church [for His own use]: first apostles (special messengers); second prophets (inspired preachers and expounders); third teachers; then wonder-workers; then those with ability to heal the sick; helpers; administrators; [speakers in] different (unknown) tongues.

(1Co 12:28) AMP

And God set some in the church, firstly, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers, then works of power, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, kinds of languages.

(1Co 12:28) MKJV

“And God set some in the church…”

“So God has appointed some in the church [for His own use]:”

“And God has put some in the church, …”

“In the church God has put all in place:”

In the King James Version the word “hath set” come the Greek word “tith’-ay-mee”, which mean “to place, appoint, ordain”. Let me put emphasis on the meaning of the word set, that is to appoint, to place, ordain. It is God who is sitting in place in the body of Christ apostles, prophets, teachers and other works of the ministries. If God has appointed these ministry gifts who are we to say that they are no longer operational today. We must lay aside the teachings and the tradition of men and rely wholly on the Word of God.

Let me also deal with another false teaching. Many have come to me and said I should not use the title “Prophet”. For if I was a true “Prophet” God would just reveal it to the people I am ministering to and therefore it would be no reason to use the title. There is no scriptural basis for this teaching. It is just a doctrine someone made up. You call a Pastor, a Pastor. You call an Evangelist, an Evangelist. You call a Teacher, a Teacher. What would you call a Prophet, a Prophet? Does an evangelist or pastor exalt themselves because they use the title Pastor or evangelist? Of course not. Neither does a prophet exalt himself (or herself (prophetess)) by using the title of the office God has called them to.

Many times believers tell me that we have to be careful because there are so many false prophets. This is true, yet at the same time there are many false pastors, and false evangelist. If something is false, it is a copy or imitation of that which is true. You cannot have the false without first having that which is true. I will recognize that within the body of Christ that there are false prophets. I have seen churches which had been devastated by false apostles and prophets. I have also seen churches devastated by false pastors and teachers. I was recently told of a devastating situation concerning a local body (church), where the so-called prophet came to. He removed the pastor and took total control of the congregation. No one could make any decisions except they came to him first. He would give them a so call "word from the Lord", concerning their affairs. This should have not been hard to recognize as a spirit of control and manipulation.

Let me be open with you, the prophetic ministry is extremely powerful and people are drawn to it. Sometimes people are lazy and refuse to seek God for directions for their own lives. It is easier for them to get a “word from the Lord”, than it is to seek God for themselves. A lot of the things people ask me they would know for themselves if they had developed a relationship with God. Many prophets fall into the trap of giving words and direction to people, without redirecting them back to a relationship with God. People become more reliant on a “prophetic word,” than having a relationship with God. This was understandable in the Old Testament days where the people did not have the infilling of the Holy Spirit. If they needed direction from God, they would go to the priests or the prophet to hear from God. In the New Testament age in which the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they don’t need be leaded the priests or the prophet. The Holy Spirit will lead him and guide them into all truth. Nowhere in New Testament writings are the prophets or the prophetic ministry was to lead and guide you into all truth. The prophetic ministry will confirm, a word you have already received from the Lord. True, there are times that a prophet would give you a word you have not heard before. In this case there are two things you should do. Never act upon a "prophetic word” without a confirmation in your own spirit. Second, if you do not have confirmation or direction from the Lord concerning a “word from the Lord”, a prophet has given you simply put it on the shelf. If it is surely the Word of God, he will confirm it in the process of time, if it is not, no harm is done because you did not act up on a word because there was no confirmation. I recall to memory a particular prophetic meeting I was holding in the city of Gary, Indiana. I have given this woman a prophetic word, later after the service she asked if she could speak with me for a moment. She said Prophet Flowers you have given me a word which I do not agree with my spirit. What should I do? I reminded her of the teaching given to them concerning prophetic words, they do not have confirmation for. Place it on the shelves if it truly a word from God he will come to pass. If it's not a word from God you have done yourself no harm by not acting on. I forget about it until a few years later she asks she could speak with me. She asked me if I remember the prophetic word I had given her, of course I did not, I give prophetic words to many people in the course of the year. She reminds me of the words I have spoken to her and how God miraculously brought it to pass in her life. She was not foolish to act upon a prophetic word without confirmation in your spirit. Simply put it on the shelf if it is truly a word from God he will come to pass, if it's not you had not acted in any manner that will bring harm to yourself.

I'm reminded of a situation concerning a young couple. They were given a so-called "word from the Lord" to leave their home and jobs and go full-time in the ministry. This was rather foolish for them to do for a number of reasons. They had just recently received salvation and did not even understand basic biblical principles, and had no training for ministry. Well, as you can imagine the result was a disaster. They lost their home and car trying to fulfill a word which was not from God. There were a number of things that went wrong in this situation, where was their pastor? The pastor is a shepherd over his congregation. It is his responsibility to watch out for the well-being of the local congregation in his care. One of the best defenses against false prophetic ministries is a pastor that is knowledgeable in the Word of God. Any ministry gift, a prophet, an evangelist, a teacher or whatever secretly tries to instruct people about their lives and finances without the knowledge of the leader of that church should be asked to leave the church he is speaking at immediately. Let me explain, when I am at someone's church to minister I am very open to the pastor of the congregation. If one of his members asks council of me. I will gladly give him of the wisdom given me, I also will inform the pastor of that congregation that I had counseled one of their members. Reason for this is twofold, one if I have no ill intention or wrong motive why can I not tell the pastor? Remember the pastor is a shepherd of that congregation not me. Second of all it is safety for the person to know their shepherd has been knowledge of the advice I given them.

Another thing I have found helpful in giving people prophetic word is for it to be recorded. This way everything I have said to a person can be faithfully recalled. Sometimes people only remember the things that sound good to them and leave off parts that may not be so exciting to them. For example the person may be given a word concerning their life and ministry, God may also require prerequisites to be fulfill in their lives before he fulfill the prophetic word. Often time what will happen is people forget about the prerequisites and only remember the promises. So some would come to me and say the words that I have given them did not come to pass. It is impossible for me to remember every prophetic word I have given. If it is recorded, we can go back and retrieve what was actually said. Many times they have forgotten the prerequisites God have required to fulfill that prophetic word. Sometimes they will take it out of context, what was actually said. So by recording the prophetic word, it brings safety for me and for them.

Some people have the audacity to try to give me a test to see if I am a true prophet. There is no prophetic test to see if a person is a true prophet. There are certain actions and behavior which will reveal the true nature of a prophet. There are five things I have noticed about false prophets. All five may not be present at once, but one of these in the lists usually indicates a person operating outside the Spirit of God.

1. A spirit of manipulation and controlled

2. Alternating the Word of God for their own personal benefit (especially with finances)

3. Make allowance for the practice of sexual sin.

4. Who calls sin, righteousness, and righteousness sin.

5. Who perverts people from the Word of God and lead people into mysticism, witchcraft,

6. New age, and other false teachings.

Let’s go into a little detail for a better understanding.

A spirit of manipulation and controlled

We who are called to the fivefold ministries need to always be sure about our motives and intentions. People rely more on our gifts and anointing than they do on the Lord. This seems to be especially true concern prophetic ministries. How often someone comes up to me and asked me to give them a word. As if I have some automatic switch, in which I switch on and a word automatically comes out my mouth. People fail to realize this is not some kind of game. When this type of atmosphere is created it gives the way to those who wish to abuse their authority. Let me explain, I recall a person who was a prophet of God. He was given much insight and revelation and people begin to depend on him for every area of their lives. Not being cautious with the gifts of God, and not understanding his full responsibility toward the people of God. He began to control and manipulate every part of their life. If they wish to buy a new home, they had to come to him first. If you wish to marry, he would decide who your mate was. It became a very sad story. They soon build a building in which all the members of the congregation were required to move into. They had to surrender their valuables, bank accounts, and jewelry to him. They soon cut himself off from everyone. Only certain people were allowed to come out and buy the necessary goods they needed to sustain themselves. I will not relate all of the details of the entire story, but it end up having the government come in and remove the people from the building. So be very cautious of anyone in ways to control your life. This is usually a very good sign of someone who no longer operating in the Spirit of God, but use the name of God and the office of the prophet to control and manipulate people.

Alternating the Word of God for their own personal benefit (especially with finances)

They take the Word of God and use it for their own personal finances. In the book of Samuel, Saul is searching for some of his father’s lost animals. After a few days of searching he and his service realize they are not far from Samuel. So they make the decision to go and asked him of the whereabouts of the lost animals. Here we see a principal understood by the people of that day and time. If at all possible when you come to the men of God to require of the Lord bring a gift. “But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God..:” Now the principal is true and should be respected and understood in its proper content. The problem is some have taken this and perverted to their own personal financial benefits. Unless you bring a certain amount of money you cannot see them, or talk with them. We should be willing to minister to people as much as we possibly can. Sometimes people understand this principle, while others never heard of it. We as ministers of the Gospel of the kingdom are required to minister to people if they have money or not. I seldom have time for personal ministry, about time I get into town I may have enough time to get some rest and prepare for the next service. When I can, I minister to as many of God’s people as much as my time would allow. Elisha the Old Testament prophet in the book of Second Kings, came to the widow house. It was a time of drought. She was preparing for her and her son to eat their last meal. Elisha was instructed, go to the widow’s house, where God had promised to sustain him. She informed him that this was the last meal for her and her son. Elisha said feed me first, and you will always have a supply of meal, and oil for the whole time of the famine. She follows the prophet's instructions and ate many days doing the entire famine. There are some who will take this biblical principal and use it for their own personal gain.

And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

(1Sa 9:6-8)

Make allowance for the practice of sexual sin.

You would think people could easily recognize this and know this is unbecoming behavior for believers, especially for those who walked in the calling of the fivefold ministries. The scriptures plainly lay out the moral standards for every believer. To my surprise, people do not easily recognize this for one reason or the other. It is like when the Pharisees brought the woman who found in the very act of adultery. How quickly they brought the woman to be stoned. If she was caught in the very act, what happened to the man? To my knowledge it takes a male and female to commit adultery. What happened to the man? It seems to me quite obvious if someone is committing sexual sins supposedly preaching the Gospel they are no longer being obedient to the Word of God. “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Rev 2:20-23). Jezebel was a false prophet (actually prophetess same thing instead of a male it is a female prophet). She was teaching and seducing the children of God to commit fornication. The word “fornication” means “to act the harlot, this is (literally) indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or (figuratively) practice idolatry: - commit (fornication).” You would easily think that someone was saying and understood to be a teaching adverse of the Word of God.

When I was in Minneapolis, Minnesota I came across a church that was seduced by the so-called prophet. After exposing him as being a false prophet, just about every woman in the church had committed sexual sin with this man. When I began to question them and asked them did they know what the Word of God says about this kind of behavior. The answer still amaze me to this day, I was told he told them that he was a prophet and God let him do whatever he wants. I couldn’t believe an entire church was seduced by this lie. If that wasn’t enough the church was paying his child-support, and other various bills. It is true, sometimes good men falls into sexual sins, such as King David. But he was not trying to seduce everyone into his lifestyle of sin. He cried out before God and change his ungodly behavior. The great occupational hazard to those in the ministry is to be tempted with sexual sins. A great majority never falls into this trap, but to those who do God’s forgiveness and love is available to them. Be very careful of those who tries to seduce you into thinking and accepting this kind of behavior as normal.

Who calls sin righteousness, and righteousness sin.

This is pretty much like sexual sins, just in a different arena. I once had to deal with the situation where the so-called prophet has convinced certain people it was all right to commit murder in his behalf. I’m thankful to God, I was able to talk common sense into this group of people before they actually carry out this ungodly plot.

Who perverts people from the Word of God and lead people into mysticism, witchcraft, new age, and other false teachings.

More and more this is happening in Christian circles that people realize. Mysticism is the doctrines or beliefs of mystics; specif, the doctrine that it is possible to achieve communion with God through contemplation. Be very careful of any services that you go to and someone is very mystical in their behavior. I nicknamed “spooky church”, and is usually full with new age teaching.