Someone asked me what I think makes our church culture different.
The following are my views and only my views. They are not representative of everyone’s beliefs or experiences. Simply mine. Our core values and thinking can be viewed here.
The fast answer is honor of one another, the love for one another and the fact that we are family.
Continue reading My Family Church, The Village Church
While traveling through Boston last night I just gave a lot of thought to my first travels through the city when I was 4 or so. I thought about all the years that had gone by since my mom introduced me to Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere and history.
Life is interesting. Paul Revere’s ride. This from PaulRevereHouse.org
In 1774 and the Spring of 1775 Paul Revere was employed by the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety as an express rider to carry news, messages, and copies of resolutions as far away as New York and Philadelphia. Continue reading A Prophetic Voice and Their Choices
Many folks are coming into a revelation of the need for the fivefold ministry. It is often easy to see the results when we do not see this gifts operative or available.
My own understanding of the need, the hows and whys have changed over the years. So for “today” here are my thoughts!
By what every joint supplies!
“It was he who gave some to be…prophets.” (Ephesians 4:11) Prophets stand positioned in the divine counsel of God and are to be interpreters of His divine will and purpose. They receive what is from God’s heart and mind and release it to others through the gifts of preaching, teaching and prophesying. Prophets also have the supernatural gifting and ability given by the Holy Spirit to see and predict future events and warn of things to come. As we learn more about the ministry (the function or grace) of the prophet, we can come to realize how valuable this gifting can be to the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God on earth and also how dangerous it can be to the powers of hell. The prophetic voice is needed more now than ever before.
Some of the things that I have mentioned are just some of the multifaceted gifting of the ministry of prophets. We can glean even more about the function and operation or the grace of prophets through examples given in the New Testament.
Not only has the Lord giving the ministry gift of the prophet to the Church, He also said that He would send them forth personally. “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.”(Luke 11:49)
This is #5 in our series.
Many Christians today know Jesus as their Shepherd or Pastor, but did you know that Jesus is your Prophet as well? According to the life of Jesus and the scriptures Jesus is Priest, Prophet and King. (Hebrews 7:17-28, Luke 24:19, Matthew 2:2, 21:5)
He is the only man that walked the earth that has held and continues to hold all of these functions or graces. (Through His body.) Not only is Jesus Priest and King, He is also our Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. (Hebrews 3:1, Luke 24:19, Hebrews 2:10, Matthew 4:17, I Peter 5:4, John 3:2)
This is a very important fact to know. Why? Because if we want to embrace Jesus, we need to embrace the totality of all whom He is, not just the parts or functions that we choose to. If we want to totally embrace all of Jesus, this includes embracing and receiving His servants or prophets as well.
The Lord has given the five distinct ministry gifts of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher to the Church. (Ephesians 4:11)
Each of these ministries has been given the charge and responsibility by the Lord to work together as a ministry team to help the saints become spiritually mature. They have also been given the divine grace and ability to teach, train and prepare the saints to do works of service for God, in whatever capacity that He has called each of them to serve Him. (Ephesians 4:12-13, I Corinthians 12:11,18)
There is nothing but stresses when we rely on one man or one woman. Imagine a house built only electricians or plumbers. Continue reading The Prophet, A Ministry Gift To The Church #4
If we asked people in the church and asked them if they believed that there were prophets in the Old Testament, everyone would certainly say yes. Many would respond with Jonah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha and Isaiah to name a few. But if you would ask the same question about whether they believe or thought that there are New Testament prophets today, you would most likely get entirely different results.
If we asked people in the church and asked them if they believed that there were prophets in the Old Testament, everyone would certainly say yes. Many would respond with Jonah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha and Isaiah to name a few. But if you would ask the same question about whether they believe or thought that there are New Testament prophets today, you would most likely get entirely different results.
