Cast Out Demons!

 

Casting out demons! This is a topic that is rarely preached in today’s Church which, in my opinion, is such a pity as it formed a large part of the Lord’s ministry when He walked among us! Today’s modern Church has not done itself any favours by choosing to ignore such teachings as these, the ones that Jesus himself placed such great emphasis on!

Let’s examine why I make this statement by looking at what Jesus tells us in the scriptures, using at Mark 6 as a starting point.

Mark 6:7 & 12-13 (NIV)

7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

In Mark 16, Mark tells of the resurrection of Jesus and how “Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” But when they arrived at the tomb, they found that the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was gone. A ‘young man’ who was sitting in the tomb told the women to go and tell the disciples that Jesus had risen. This they did but Peter and some of the other the disciples didn’t believe them!

In verse nine Mark tells us that Jesus, after He had risen, first appeared to Mary Magdalene and for some reason he says of Mary, “out of whom he had driven seven demons (also related in Luke 8:2).” This was the first case of multiple demon possession recorded in the Bible. A significant event that both Mark and Luke felt, under the power of the Holy Spirit, that it should be recorded in the Gospels for the benefit of the Church.

To me the fact that demons being driven out of Mary Magdalen was so important that it is mentioned at the tomb of resurrection, right at the start of the Lord’s forty day ministry before His ascension to heaven!

In verse 14 Mark tells us that, “Later (he doesn’t say how much later) Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.”

So, in this verse Jesus tells the disciples off for their unbelief! He then tells them to “go” and gives them what we call the great commission and included in His commission to those of us that believe is, “In my (Jesus’) name they will drive out demons.”

Mark 16:15-18 (NIV)

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Looking at the above verses and focusing on today’s topic let’s note in particular verse 17 where Jesus tells us that those of us who believe will be accompanied by signs and wonders and one of these signs will be driving out demons! We have to believe in order to be effective in our obedience to the Lord!

The Lord’s instruction to those that believe to cast out demons is confirmed by the Apostle Matthew:

Matthew 10:1 (AMP)

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits (demons), to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

And by the Apostle Luke:

Luke 10:49-50 (NIV)

49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Verse 50 above confirms that ‘driving out demons’ was not only for the twelve disciples but for all those that believe in Jesus, including today’s believers.

Confirmation of this is also shown in the Book of Acts where we read of Phillip, a believer in Jesus, driving our demons and performing other such miracles. Although he was not an Apostle, he really was a true believer and was obedient to the Lord’s commands!

Acts 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

In many cases “driving out demons” is synonymous with healing! When we truly believe we can do, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the great things that Jesus did and He himself says we can even do greater things.

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Is casting out demons relevant in today’s Church for today’s believer?

Let’s have a look at what the Bible says and who Jesus is and what He did in this regard, starting briefly with some basic fundamentals and progressing from there. Let’s follow Jesus and become imitators of Christ!

Jesus is the Word that became flesh – human!

John 1:1-5 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the above verses we are told that the Word was with God right from the beginning and that He (Jesus) was with God at the beginning as well – thus unifying Jesus and the Word as one! Everything was made through Jesus and that He is the light and life of the world. Darkness (sin) will never overcome Him!

In John 1:14 we are told that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and walked among us.

John 1:14 (NIV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now, wherever Jesus went His ministry was followed be miracles, signs and wonders. Many of these manifestations of the Spirit working through Jesus involved casting out demons. In fact, casting out demons was such an important part of His ministry, that He gave those that believe in Him the authority to do the same. We have read this in many of the scriptures above.

Now the question I have asked in this section is, “Is casting out demons relevant in today’s Church for today’s believer?”

My answer is, “Yes it most certainly is!”

Why? Because the world has become a lot more populated than it was 2000 years ago and as such has also become a lot more evil. We are already in such times as it was in the days of Noah – deeply disturbing and evil times – men chose not to believe in God – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity!

Matthew 24:37-39 (NIV)

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Genesis 6:5-8 (NIV)

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Today it is the born-again believer in Christ Jesus that has found favour with the Lord – His Church.

Now, if demonic activity and influence over humans was so prevalent when our Lord walked the earth, it stands to reason that it is even more so today. Just take note of the evil that is all around today’s world and how few of the world’s population are truly saved and are thus children of the devil – most of them without even realising it!

Is everybody demon possessed? No! Is every Christian under the attack of the enemy? Yes, especially in our thought life – the devil’s favourite battleground is the mind of man! Can man be influenced to do evil by the devil and his demons? Yes, he certainly can! Anyone who is not truly born-again from the heart belongs to the devil!

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 8:44 (NIV)

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Take every thought captive!

2 Corinthians 10:5-6 (AMP)

5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.

Because of these factors the Church today needs to stand up and ‘drive out demons’ as Jesus expects us to. He has given us this authority as His Church, we need to realise that as the Apostle Paul says, our fight is not against flesh and blood!

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Jesus has not changed He expects us to do the things He did and even greater things! God does not want a passive Church that rolls over and shows its belly whenever the devil reveals his ugly face! He wants a Church that agressively engages the enemy in spiritual warfare and casts out demons! It is part of the ‘Great Commission!’

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Ephesians 5:1 (AMP)

Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT)

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

How do we cast out demons?

The only answer to this is to say, in the Name of Jesus, the same way the Apostles and other believers of the time did!

Demon possession is a topic that many Christians avoid like the plague and many others go ‘over the top’. For many it is a tricky and very scary subject. Many Christians avoid the topic by saying things like, “You can’t look for a demon behind every bush.” And because of their fear and apprehension of the topic they do nothing at all. But there is Biblical proof that Jesus and His disciples did cast out demons and He definitely gave His authority to the Church to do so as well and thus we should be doing so right now! The times are still evil! Jesus didn’t give His Church His authority for nothing!

When I look at the sinful state of the world today, I personally conclude that there could very well be a demon behind every bush influencing man, and possessing many, to become more and more evil by the day just as in the days of Noah. Let’s be warned by the scriptures, Church! Let’s be aware! Let’s be ready to fight the good fight!

I see mass murders, wars whereby men slaughter thousands upon thousands of other men and innocents, people stealing and robbing, gang wars and drug dealing, human trafficking, and every other despicable acts of man’s inhumanity to man. Then I firmly believe that the evil in man’s heart, the acts of warped minds and suchlike, is brought about by man’s sinful nature, the evil that lies in our hearts in our disobedience to God’s Word – the Bible - and made worse under the influence of the devil and his demonic spirits and forces that gain footholds in our lives through our wilful sin and disobedience to God and His Word! The Church is full of people who call themselves born-again but still wilfully sin!

Let’s have a look at a Biblical example of Jesus casting out demons!

Mark 5:1-11 (NIV)

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Now, in the above verses we see that Jesus was approached by a man with and impure spirit. The characteristics of this man’s demonic possession were:

• He was inhumanly strong.

• His mind was tortured.

• He self-harmed.

• He lived amongst the dead and roamed about night and day – he had trouble sleeping and finding rest for his tortured soul!

• He recognised that Jesus was the Son of God – Satan and his cohorts know who Jesus is and that they are under His authority!

James 1:19 (AMP)

You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!

When Jesus asks the demoniac his name, we discover that the impure spirit was accompanied by many other demons – multiple demon possession, the impure spirit being the spokesperson or leader of the pack! The impure spirit tells Jesus that, “We are many.” For when Jesus gives them permission to go into the pigs, we see that the whole herd of about 2000 pigs runs into the sea and are drowned. So, there could very well have been 2000 demons in one person!

After this the demon possessed man was healed and in his right mind.

Luke 8:34-36 (NIV)

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

There are many other examples of Jesus, the Apostles and other believers casting out demons as well. Why don’t you do a little Bible study for yourself?

Luke 10:17 (NIV)

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

John 20:30-31 (AMP)

30 There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God; and that by believing [and trusting in and relying on Him] you may have life in His name.

So, now that we have examined scripture it is plain to see that there is only one way in which we, as born-again Christians, can cast out demons and that is in the Name of Jesus. “Demon come out in the name of Jesus!”

A single command, “Come out!” from Jesus brought instant results, and on one occasion, a whole legion of demons fled at His command.

We don’t have need to shout and scream, chop the air with our hands or shake the person wildly, just simply look the person in the eye and commanding with all the authority that Jesus has given us, “Demon come out in the name of Jesus!” Prayer and fasting are also a part of our spiritual warfare manifesto as born again believers – we should make prayer and fasting a part of our Christian lifestyle – be ready for spiritual warfare at all times!

Matthew 17:21 (AMP)

[But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”

A lifestyle of prayer and fasting keeps a born-again believer spiritually trained and constantly ready for battle!

How do we know if someone is demon possessed?

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit and living life in the Spirit, your spirit will discern what is an evil spirit in another and what isn’t, that is why the Apostle Paul tells us to follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts – the gift of the discerning of spirits is one of them. The key to anything we do as a born-again Christian is having the agapé love of God for others!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (AMP)

13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

The bible tells us that demon possessed people show certain symptomatic and unnatural tendencies in behaviour and actions. Let’s take a look at these.

1. At times they are unable to control themselves.
The evil spirit will sometimes speak through the person in a voice that is not their own or often they will prevent a person from talking at all. Nervous actions such as eye ticks, lack of eye contact with other people, body twitches and even excessive burping – I am speaking from my own experiences in casting out demons. Demons can come out with cries and screams!

Matthew 9:33 (NIV)

And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

Mark 1:23-26 (NIV)

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

2. A demon possessed person can often manifest different personalities.
Demons have evil and destructive, even self-destructive, personalities and these personalities can be made manifest in their victims.

Mark 5:7 (NIV)

He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

3. A demon can speak through a possessed person in a voice or voices that are not the person’s own. Like the demoniac in Mark 5.

4. A demon possessed person will often have unusual strength.

Acts 19:15-16 (NIV)

15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

5. A demon possessed person, under the demon’s influence, will often show suicidal and self-harm tendencies.

Mark 9:21-22 (NIV)

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

A word of caution:

Not every illness, especially mental illness, is caused by demonic possession, the Bible in the Book of Matthew is very clear about this. There are those that are demon possessed and those that have mental illness (lunatic). As I have mentioned before, not everybody will be demon possessed but many, even those that know Jesus, can be influenced and tempted to do evils things – those things that are contrary to the Word of God!

Matthew 4:24 (KJV)

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic (mental illness), and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

This is why it is so important for born-again Christians to be continually Holy Spirit filled, living life in the Spirit and operating in the Gifts of the Spirit in the agapé love of God (doing everything in love) so that the divine leading of the Holy Spirit can show us the difference.

Having said this, the Church has to be actively aware that demonic possession is just as prevalent today (and probably more so) as it was in the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth. We cannot just sit back and ignore the Lord’s teaching on this subject just because we find it unpleasant or scary or we don’t believe it is for today – it is for today! Jesus instructs us to heal the sick and cast out demons!

The key to a born-again Christians protection from the devil lies in their submission to God and their humility in serving God, in serving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and being Jesus to an unbelieving world!

James 4:7 (AMP)

7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

1 Peter 5:6 (AMP)

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time,

In Christ Jesus we have the victory!

Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to minister the full Gospel to others at all times and without compromise. I ask that you help me overcome my unbelief and my timidity and to act in boldness of the Spirit at all times and to be obedient to your all your commands including driving out demons and healing the sick. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my King, my Lord, my Saviour. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

The Devoted Church

 

The Church of Jesus Christ began at Pentecost and is the only model today’s Church should follow!

The New Testament Church was started just after Pentecost with the first mass outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We can read about Pentecost and the Apostle Peter’s bold address to the crowd of his very first gospel message in the Book of Acts chapter 2. 

Acts 2:41 (NIV)

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

This was the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was established in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was Spirit filled and, unlike today’s Church, without sect or denomination and the preaching man’s doctrines– just preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified!

This is the model Church that today’s Church should be imitating in every way, but sadly does not!

It was the Church that God himself wanted, conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour – the King of kings who never changes!

Hebrews 13:7-8 (NIV)

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Let’s examine how the Church was structured (the way today’s Church should be structured) and were ministering in faith and in accordance with the Word of God brought by the Apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit and let’s not forget the below words spoken to the Apostles by Jesus himself:

John 14:26 (NIV)

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The apostles’ teaching was directly from Jesus who is the Word – taught to them by the Holy Spirit!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Peter 1:21 (NIV)

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Fellowship of the Believers
What were these new believers doing? What did their lifestyle look like? How was the Holy Spirit binding them together in unity to bring glory to the name of Jesus? How did they respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading and to the apostles’ teaching?

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What does ‘devoted to’ mean?

Verse 42 in Acts 2 starts off like this: “They (the Church) devoted themselves to……….”

Let’s examine what they were devoted to and how they were devoted.

Today’s dictionary meaning of ‘devoted to’ is:

"Being devoted to something means being focused on that particular thing almost exclusively. When you are devoted to a cause, you work to achieve its goals. When you are devoted to a person, you place their needs above your own. Being devoted doesn't have to refer only to personal relationships."

So that’s how today’s modern dictionaries define ‘devoted to’, but in order to have a clearer picture of what the early Church would have understood by this we will need to examine the original Greek meaning of being ‘devoted’ to.

The original Greek meaning of ‘devoted’ in Acts 2:42 is:

Proskartereo (pronounced: pros-kär-te-ray-o) and its expanded meaning:

• To join together with

• To adhere to

• To be ready

• To give attention to

• To be fully committed to

• To spend much time together

• To be faithful

This is what the early church would have understood by the ‘devoted to’ and what today's Church needs to be like as well, so let’s look at each term’s meaning on an individual basis.

To join together with:

• What were they joined together with?

• With each other as the family of Christ.

• The Apostles and their teaching - The Word.

• And through this they were being unified as one Church in the power of the Holy Spirit.

To adhere to:

The early church stuck together and did not deviate from the apostles’ teaching – the Word of God, the Bible.

To be ready:

They were being made ready to put into practice what they were being taught and to walk the Christian path as Jesus intended. A path of love, unity of the Spirit and self-sacrifice.

To give attention to:

They were focused on the Word, prayer, breaking of bread, fellowship with each other and with God in the fulness of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

To be fully committed to:

They were fully committed to God, to each other and to the teachings of The Word and in putting them into practice.

To spend much time together:

They spend a lot of time together – devoted to each other in the love of Christ. They didn’t shrink back from fellowshipping together as often as they could. They helped each other and encouraged each other on the path to maturity.

To be faithful:

In all these things they were faithful as Christ is faithful to his Church! The unity of living life in the Spirit as Paul was later to describe in Romans 8!

What was the early Church devoted to – Acts 2:42?

1. The apostles teaching – The Word of God via the Apostles who were led and taught by Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit after the Lord’s ascension:

• Jesus – The Word – God

• Love for all mankind and especially for the family of believers – agapé

• Salvation in Christ Jesus

• The New Covenant by the blood of Jesus (set apart from the Law)

• Freedom in Christ

• The Holy Spirit

2. Fellowship – from the Greek word Koinónia, meaning:

• In partnership with.

• Being a contributory help.

• Participation in.

• Sharing in.

• Communion with.

• Spiritual fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with each other.

3. The breaking of bread

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.“

1 Cor 11:26

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In the verse above, Paul tells us exactly what we are doing, apart from remembering the work of Jesus on the cross, when we break bread together. We are proclaiming his death until he returns.

Now here it will be good for us to have a look at the meaning of the word ‘proclaim’ from the original Greek translation. It comes from the Greek word ‘kataggello’.

Proclaim – Kataggello

• To proclaim.

• To declare openly.

• To preach.

• To laud (praise).

• To celebrate.

• To announce a message in a definite way.

So, here we see that when we break bread together, at least two significant things happen that only the Church, the true born-again believer, can do.

• We remember the significance of the pain and suffering the Lord suffered on our behalf that we may become born-again and thus reconciled to the Father.

• We announce to each other and to the world in an evangelical way that there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ His son and that we are committed to Him and to each other.

4. Prayer

Personal and corporate, relationship building prayer with God in the name of Jesus.

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Corporate prayer by the Church in unity, ushers in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and brings revival both individually and corporately!

Pentecost is our prime example!

When the Church is devoted to God and to each other in prayer, love, action and devotion, supernatural things happen:

• People get saved, people get healed, people are delivered from demons!

Acts 2:47

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

• We receive favour with the people.

• Miracles signs and wonders follow us.

Are you a devoted Christian and is your Church a devoted Church?

Today’s Church should look like the Acts Church, for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always! Amen!

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
In the name of Jesus, I ask that you continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to become a devoted servant that I may bring glory to Jesus and be a blessing to others in Christ. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

The Holy Spirit Teaches Us All Things

Without the Holy Spirit we will not be overcomers in Christ Jesus!

In John chapter 14 we find Jesus talking to his disciples and telling them that he would soon be leaving them. Now reading between the lines of this chapter I sort of detect that the news of Jesus leaving them has made them more than a little bit nervous and has scared them somewhat, as he says to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

The Lord tells the disciples that he is going back to the Father but that he would come back to fetch them – although He gives them no indication of the timing of when His return will be. And he goes on to tell them not to worry about his departure from the world because he is going to ask the Father to send them the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit who will teach them all things and lead them in all truth.

Now the Greek word for comforter used in verse 16 is ‘parakletos’ (pronounced paraklaytos) and its full meaning besides comforter is: advocate, helper, the one who draws alongside us, consoler, and intercessor. So here we see that the Holy Spirit is everything one could ask for and more. He is our advocate and advisor, he helps us to complete our God-given purpose, he is there to console us and see us through difficult times, and he is our intercessor and continually prays to the Father for us just as Jesus does.

From verses 15 to 31 in the table below I will attempt to explain, verse by verse, just how much we need the Holy Spirit as believers and just how, like Jesus, it is absolutely necessary for us to allow the Holy Spirit to permeate every aspect of our beings and in all that we do in our daily lives. But please remember that my words are fallible – the Word of God is not!

John 14:15-31 (NIV)

15. “If you love me, keep my commands.

In this verse love here is the agapé love of God that expects nothing in return. We can only appropriate this kind of love in its full measure through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. We have a direct connection to God through the Holy Spirit alive within us. It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates our spirit and as such we are to follow the commands of Jesus. This means living according to His Word – the Bible. Every born-again Christian’s life-manual. Know the Word = know Jesus = know the Holy Spirit = know God = a changed me, a good and faithful servant of the Lord! If we don’t keep his commands, we move ourselves out of His perfect will for our lives.

16. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Here Jesus is saying to his disciples (and to us today) that when he is gone, he will ask the Father to give us another Comforter and He shall give us the Holy Spirit who will live within us for ever. It is also interesting to note here that Jesus says that the Father will send another Comforter – Jesus being the first, somebody just like him with all His characteristics who will live within us for ever. The Holy Spirit in us is how Jesus lives in each one of us.

17. the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Here Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. The Greek word here for truth is ‘aletheia’ (a-lay-thi-a) and its full definition is: truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness (ref: Strong’s 225). This is the truth that is God’s and that He wants us to have, and we will only have if we have the Holy Spirit living and working in us and through us. Jesus says that the world does not know the Holy Spirit only those that truly belong to Him will know the Holy Spirit.

18. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Here Jesus again reassures us that he will not leave us alone, but he will be with us always through his Holy Spirit until he comes again! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. A Holy Spirit filled Christian is never alone!

19. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Jesus assures all believers that even though he is no longer with us in the flesh we can still see him in the spirit. Our spirits are alive and connected to him by the Holy Spirit. And when we remain in Him, not deviating from His commands, our reward is eternal life!

20. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Here the Lord gives us a word picture of how it is the Holy Spirit that connects him to the Father and us to him and through him we are connected to the Father which enables us to enter the Holy of Holies into the direct presence of God! And through the Holy Spirit all believers are connected to each other, the same spirit is in all of us – God’s Holy Spirit! We, as born-again Christians, are God’s children and family, therefore we are brothers and sisters to each other through Christ Jesus!

21. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Jesus states here that those that keep his commands (the teachings of the Bible) are the ones who truly love him and as a result of this we will be loved by the Father. 

The Lord tells us quite clearly that it is the ones that know the Bible and keep His commands are the ones that love Him. This suggests that if we don’t know His word and keep His commands then we don’t truly love Him! This is a warning to the Church! Do you still wilfully use bad language, get drunk, lie, cheat and steal, etc?? 

It is through this cycle of God’s agape love that the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to the believers. Those that love Jesus truly from the heart are those that keep his commands – the Bible – Jesus is the Word! The Word is the sword of the Spirit!

22. Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23. Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

The answer to Judas’ question in verse 22 is of course that through the Holy Spirit being alive within us, Jesus will be revealed to others. Through the Father’s agape love emanating from the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to us and us loving Jesus in the same way, provides a channel by which Jesus will live within our hearts. The conduit and connection is through the Holy Spirit – spirit speaks to spirit.

24. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

If we do not love Jesus, we will not obey his teachings in the Bible. Our disobedience to the truth of the Word is sin! When we are disobedient and unrepentant we have to face the consequences for God disciplines the ones He loves!

25. “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In these two verses the Lord tells us that even though He is not with us physically, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, he will come in the name of Jesus and will teach us all things and he will also remind us of what Jesus has already said, that is he will remind us of what is in the Word – remembering of course that Jesus is the Word in flesh. The Holy Spirit will also reveal to us the Father’s will for our lives in what lies ahead – this will enable us to bring glory to Jesus, the Name above all names.

27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus is saying here that because he has sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to us and we follow His guidance, we will have peace of mind and we need not be afraid of anything.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) 

 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

28. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

Here I believe that Jesus is telling us as modern-day believers that although he is not with us in the flesh we can still rejoice because he is with us in spirit once we are born-again and have the infilling of the Holy Spirit – we should be joyful that he is with the Father because the Father is greater than Jesus in the flesh and everything that the Father has belongs to Jesus and He gives it to us through the Holy Spirit!

John 16:12-16 (NIV) 

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

 .29. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

Jesus is telling the disciples that what is about to happen, his betrayal and crucifixion, so that when it does happen, they will believe it!

30. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31. but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

Jesus is telling us that the Devil, the prince of the world, is coming in the guise of Judas’ kiss of betrayal. Jesus is also telling us that the Devil has no hold over him and that He loves the Father completely and is completely obedient to the Father. It was the Father’s command that Jesus should suffer and die for our sins, and because of His great love (agapé) he is going to the cross willingly so that we might live! Amen! Thank you, Jesus!

When we, His Church, love Jesus as He loves the Father and when we are completely obedient to Him and The Word, the devil has no hold over us! Yes and Amen! 

When we are disobedient to Jesus and The Word we allow the devil to get a foot in the door of our lives where he will sow evil into our lives through lies and deception! If we are unrepentant in anything, things will not go well! Do not try and hide your sin, God sees you always!

James (talking to the Church) 5:16 (NIV)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and keep on filling me. Lead me in all truth, Holy Spirit, and teach me all things, that my lifestyle would be such that in all I do, I will bring glory to the name of Jesus my Saviour. Lead me on the path of righteousness and let me not go astray. Lead me on the path that the Father has willed for my life. Lead me on the path of obedience to your Word, Father. Bless me, Lord, so that I may be a blessing to others. Protect me from the evil one, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Are You Plugged in to God's Power Grid?

In the above picture we see the power grid of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – one God, three persons. The Church, as born-again Christians both as individual people and as a corporate entity, are able to join God’s power grid by plugging in to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, when asked by one of the teacher’s of the law what the greatest commandment was, responded in this way:

Mark 12:29-30 (NIV)

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[Dt 6:4-5]

And just before He ascended into heaven, He left us with these encouraging and comforting words that shows us that He will live within us and empower us to do greater things than He if we love Him and keep His commands!

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:15-17 (NIV)

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

How do we plug in to God’s Power Grid?

First and foremost, ask Jesus to become Lord of your life and turn away (repent) from your sinful life, confess before Him that you are a sinner in a simple prayer just as I have said it in this sentence.

Once we become born again (repent and give our lives to Jesus) and are baptised, there is a ‘power’ that God makes available to us in order for us to become effective ministers within His Kingdom and to fulfil His purpose in our lives and to help us be conformed to His image.

Acts 2:38 (AMP)

And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We have all been predestined to do the works that God has prepared for us to do, but we need to be moving in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil them. In Romans 8, Paul calls this ‘Life in the Spirit.’

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 8:6-9 (NIV)

6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

Dear Reader, I would encourage you to read and study Romans 8 for yourself. It will change your life!

Let’s have a look at what happened with Jesus just before he began his ministry amongst us.

Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

So, here Jesus is baptised in order to fulfil all righteousness (verse 15) and we see that he was filled with the Holy Spirit (the descending dove) and this was pleasing to God.

Directly after his baptism Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil and by the Word of God the ‘tempter’ was defeated – this was Jesus moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

It was directly after this battle with Satan that Jesus began his Spirit filled ministry to the people!

Luke 4:14 (NIV)

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

Here we see that Jesus was connected into the power of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil his predestined ministry on earth. This is the example that the Church needs to embrace both individually and corporately to be effective ministers in the world and to be overcomers of the world.

Just as a country is connected into a power grid in order to run effectively so the Church needs to be connected into God’s power grid to be effective ministers in Jesus’ name.

Luke 24:49 tells us to wait, before we do anything, to be clothed with power from on high. This is what happens when we wait and get plugged in to His power!

Pentecost was only the beginning of the power that God has for His Church moving in the Holy Spirit. When we do this Church, we bring glory to the name of Jesus!

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Look what happens when we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit!

We receive power from on high, we speak the Word, boldly, miracles, signs and wonders follow us wherever we go, and the Lord adds to the number of those being saved!

The Holy Spirit empowers us to bring glory to Jesus!

John 16:14-15 (AMP)

14 He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.

How do we plug in to the Holy Spirit both as individuals and corporately as an entire congregation?

With loving (agape) devotion and obedience to:

• God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• and to His Word

• and to each other

Matt 22:37-39

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

1 John 4:20

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

1 Cor 13:1 (NIV)

If I don’t have love: I am a clanging cymbal; I am nothing; I gain nothing!

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:12-14

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Luke 11:28 (AMP)

But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.”

Are you plugged in to the Holy Spirit?

Is your congregation plugged in to the Holy Spirit?

Do you live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?

Do you need to make changes in your life to be conformed to the image of Christ?

Do you live and walk in full obedience to the teachings and commands of the Bible in Christ Jesus?

If you and/or your congregation are not, then you will never reach your full potential in Christ Jesus!

Jesus has so much he wants to reveal to us and this he does through the Holy Spirit. As his disciples we are only able to glorify the name of Jesus when we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit and walking in full obedience to His Word – NOT PARTIAL OBEDIENCE OR OBEDIENCE WHEN IT SUITS YOU!

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

“The Christian’s obedience to the Word (Jesus) opens the channel through which the Holy Spirit will move in, upon and through you! The true Baptism in the Holy Spirit”

When we, as Christian’s, are not in full obedience to the Word – walking in the flesh - we are in willful sin which hampers our Christian walk to maturity!

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled (continually) with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.

Are you plugged in to the Holy Spirit?

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may live my life in the Spirit and not according to my flesh. Help me, I pray, in all I do to bring glory to Jesus! Amen

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

The Purpose of the Five Gifts Jesus Himself Gave The Church

 

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, much like his letters to the other Churches of the day, deals with how Christians should conduct themselves in their day to day living. At the time, especially in Ephesus which was the centre in the region for the worship of the Roman goddess Diana, the people that worshipped Diana were involved in sexual immorality on a large scale.

Accompanying this they were facing false teachings and general Christian persecution much like today’s Church faces but we have it on a much larger and worldwide scale.

In order to counteract these threats to the Church Paul, in Ephesians, sets out and explains how a Christian can overcome these threats from the world by right living in Christ Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit and he explains explicitly how the Church can do this.

And this letter like most of Paul’s other letters to the Church in different areas, was a letter to be circulated to the other Churches in the region of Asia Minor. This shows that the Lord wanted the different congregations of believers to be governed and structure in the same way. The Lord still wants His Church to be structured in the same way.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

OK, now that’s a brief background of the letter to the Ephesians. In this article I’m going to chat with you about how Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, tells the Church, of yesteryear and for today, how the Church needs to be structured in order to attain unity of the Spirit. In other words, how the Church should be structured in order for us to always be on the same page!

Psalm 133:1-3 (NIV)

How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity!

2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,

running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron’s beard,

down on the collar of his robe.

3 It is as if the dew of Hermon

were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the Lord bestows his blessing,

even life forevermore.

In the above verses from Psalm 133 the writer, King David, tells us just how pleasing it is to God when the Church lives together in the unity of the Spirit and when we do this how God’s blessing will be upon us forevermore! Now, just how cool is that!

This Psalm is called a Song of Ascents, its about how we can spiritually ascend to greater heights when we live together in the unity of the Spirit in Christ Jesus – TO JESUS BE THE GLORY!

Now, getting back to our topic, let’s examine the scriptures of Ephesians 4 that show us how today’s Church should be structured in order for us to reach unity of the Spirit and receive God’s full blessing forevermore and in so doing become a Church that is spiritually powerful and a Church that will make the devil tremble! Paul tells us in this chapter how the local body should be structured by the gifts that Jesus gives us.

The Gifts Jesus himself gives to the Church

Now, what are these gifts?

Ephesians 4:11 (NLT)

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

And why did Jesus give them to the Church?

Ephesians 4:12-13 (NLT)

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

That’s right, to build up His Church to become unified in the Holy Spirit and for each believer to reach individual maturity and to be more and more conformed to His image!

When we look at verse 13 above, we see that the function of the five-fold ministry is not to stop until the Church reaches full maturity and unity as a body which, in all likelihood, will only be when our Lord returns and we are clothed in our imperishable bodies!

It is important for us to realise that these gifts are different to the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. These gifts are offices or positions given by Jesus to various people in the local body and should be held by men who lead and govern the local body.

The gifts of the Spirit, however, are given by the Holy Spirit to the Church in general to be used by the members of the local body to build up, edify and encourage each other to walk to individual maturity in Christ Jesus.

Christianity cannot be manifest in lone isolation, it is a team effort! The body of Christ believing as one in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Only in this way can the Church bring glory to Jesus, both as individuals and as a corporate entity!

1 Corinthians 12:7 (AMP)

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good.

Let’s now have a closer look at the way these offices in the local body of Christ should function:

The Apostle
The word ‘apostle’ is described as “one chosen and sent with a message” and is derived from the Greek word ‘Apostolos’ used in the New Testament translation and means ‘one sent forth’.

They are to “lay a wise foundation (rooted in Christ Jesus) upon which the local Church is to be built upon” (1 Corinthians 3:10).

The original 12 apostles chosen by Jesus were witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 1:15; Acts 4: 33) but there were also many other true apostles, including Paul, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 14:3-4; Romans 16:7; 1 Corinthians 15:5-7; Galatians 1:1,19).

According to scripture their New Testament function is:

1. Pioneers of new Churches. (1 Corinthians 9:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:6).

2. They ground the Church in the fulness of truth (Colossians 1:25).

3. They bring correction in erroneous ministry and actions in order preserve unity and integrity in the Body (1 Corinthians 3:3-5).

4. Lay spiritual foundations in the Church – the foundation of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10).

5. To be a Father in the body of Christ and to impart spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands. (Romans 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Corinthians 4:15).

6. Manifest and encourage the ministry of miracles, signs and wonders (2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 2:43).

7. Manifest and encourage the ministry of prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).

8. The laying on of hands for the impartation of ministry (Acts 6:6).

The Prophet
The word prophet is derived from the Greek word ‘prophêtês’ and means ‘one who speaks forth or openly’.

The ministry of the office of prophet is one of being moved in the power of the Holy Spirit in prophetic utterance to declare the will of God regarding situations (individually or corporately) to build up and edify the Church, which can be:

1. Predictive – foretell a future event (Acts 21:10-11; Acts 11:27-28).

2. Directive – gives direction (Acts 13:1-3).

3. Corrective – brings Godly discipline in areas of error (Acts 15:22-32).

But the Church leadership needs to beware of false prophets (1 John 4:1). A prophetic utterance should never contradict the Word of God.

God sets clear guidelines; prophecies should be tested.

1. The words of a prophet are judged by church leadership (1 Corinthians14:29).

2. Any prophecy should line up with Scripture (2 Peter 1: 19-21).

The Evangelist
The word evangelist is derived from the Greek word ‘Euangelistes’ and means ‘a messenger of good, one who proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ and him crucified for the salvation of mankind (the gospel) – Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:2.

Their primary function is to:

1. Extend the frontiers of God’s Kingdom by going out to spread the Word in the community for the local Church and further afield as led by the Holy Spirit.

2. They are co-workers with and extensions of apostolic ministry (2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 3: 2).

3. They also equip the local body of Christ with the evangelistic spirit of outreach.

The Pastor
The word pastor as used in Ephesians 4:11 is derived from the Greek word ’poimen’ and means ‘a shepherd (Jesus referred to himself as ‘the good shepherd'), one who herds (guides) and tends (including feeding the Word) the flock – the local body of believers’.

The pastor today:

1. Tends and guides the local flock (congregation) including feeding them the Word.

2. Ensures that the needs of the flock are taken care of in accordance with Biblical instruction and guidance.


The Teacher
The word teacher in Ephesians 4:11, John 3:2, Matt 23:8, Acts 13:1 and many others, is derived from the Greek word ‘didaskalos’ and means ‘a teacher of the truth’.

1. A teacher is an instructor in the Word of God and Biblical subject-master.

2. The teacher tells or shows the fundamentals or skills of biblical teachings, causing others to know the facts and consequences of Biblical instruction in order for the Church to be built up and edified.

3. He or she imparts biblical knowledge to others (sometimes through special revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit).

4. A teacher does not necessarily tend the flock in the manner that a pastor does.

Order of the five-fold ministry
Denoting the order of ministry is not to be understood as order of importance, just order of proper operation. The order that these ministries operate in is very specific:

Apostles are leaders and visionaries. They bring direction to the church. They have the courage and ability to keep the Church moving forward, growing and building in new directions. Apostles are also fathers, able to nurture and disciple the other ministry areas.

Prophets have a strong sense of right and wrong, but even more than that: they have a strong sense of the Spirit’s leading. Their spiritual antennae start quivering when things are going off balance or in wrong directions. Their voice is important for keeping the Church on track in what the Lord wants to do. Prophets also understand justice and are defenders of what is fair and right as shown by the zeal of the Old Testament prophets.

Evangelists are the warriors, the foot soldiers who take the gospel from the local Church to the community at large and further afield as led by the Holy Spirit. They advance the gospel and in so doing they battle directly with the hindrances of the gospel as well. There are many more warriors in an army than there are generals and so there should be many evangelists in the church. The Lord’s Great Commission is to all – Matthew 28:19.

Pastors nurture the flock and comfort them. They build up the sheep in the most holy faith. They tend to the wounded and the sick. They lead the healthy sheep into good pastures so that they will eat on the purity and truth of God’s word to remain well and be strong in their faith. And they look for the sheep that have wandered away so that none will be lost.

Teachers build the foundations of the local church in Christ Jesus. They minister in the Word of God and remind us of the priorities and foundations that will keep us stable in our lives. They teach the church how to be wise in the ways of God through preaching the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. They impart knowledge in specialist areas of the Word to build up and equip the body to fulfil their God-given purpose in life as individuals (bricks) within the body of Christ.

Unity is implicit among these five offices. They should move as one yet operate individually to the full measure of the grace given to each one. This is the master plan for every Church and the Church needs to operate in this exact way to receive the blessings of the Lord. If we look at Ephesians 4:11-16, we see the enormous blessing for the Saints if the church operates as it is supposed to, s Jesus intends it to.

The result of the Lord’s work using the five-fold ministry is to raise up a bride (the Church) that is a direct reflection of Christ Himself, having the identical nature, character and attributes. Being conformed to Christ’s image – life in the Spirit! Jesus is coming back for a Church without spot or blemish.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Very often there can be a certain amount of cross-over amongst the holders of these offices within the Church but the holder’s primary calling and anointing with remain clearly evident within the body.

The work of the Church through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Jesus!

The function of the ‘Five-fold Ministry’ working in unison and in the power of the Holy Spirit is to equip the body of Christ to do the work that each believer has been predestined to do and to build up the Church and lead it into maturity in Christ Jesus. This is done in an attitude of servanthood in the love of God – serving the body in God’s love, grace and mercy, in the power of the Holy Spirit - just as the ministry of Jesus is.

When expressed correctly, all spiritual gifts will always point to Jesus and give him glory.

1 Peter 4:10-11 (AMP)

10 Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]. 11 Whoever speaks [to the congregation], is to do so as one who speaks the oracles (utterances, the very words) of God. Whoever serves [the congregation] is to do so as one who serves by the strength which God [abundantly] supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified [honored and magnified] through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The difference between the gifts Jesus gave directly and the gifts of the Spirit

One of the most common questions regarding this topic is, “What is the difference between the gifts described in Ephesians 4 and those found in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12?”

In Ephesians 4 there are two key factors that are unique to them that the Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 gifts do not have.

1. The source is Jesus (Ephesians 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,), whereas the gifts in Romans 12 come from the Father through Jesus (Romans 12: 3-8 by God’s grace and the faith He has given us), and the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 come from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them).

It is fascinating how this highlights the Father, Son and Spirit (The Holy Trinity) working together in perfect harmony and unity to generate and distribute all these gifts! And it is these gifts operating and functioning in the Church in the power of the Holy Spirit that will ensure that the body of Christ works together in perfect harmony and unity of the Spirit to reach full maturity and be conformed more and more to Christ’s image! Working in unity the Church receives God's full blessings forever more!

2. The second factor is that the Ephesians gifts are nouns (naming words) and are thus actual people who hold this office in the local Church congregation because they carry that particular anointing from Jesus, rather than showing an activity or manifestation through any member of the congregation as are the other gifts.

For example, an evangelist or a pastor is a person who holds that office in the local body; in contrast, a person showing the gift of mercy as an activity or someone sharing a word of wisdom are manifestations of the gift through a person speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit or a person prophesying under the power of the Holy Spirit for a certain time or event for encouraging an individual or a group of people.

Moreover, the Ephesians gifts result in a singular and unified effect with the other gifts of the five-fold ministry (rather than showing diverse effects as the other gifts do): specifically, equipping and building the saints to perform the works of service in the ministry, which builds up the body of Christ towards the goal of unity, and displaying the full measure of Christ Jesus in the Church both as individual believers and as a corporate body.

The gifts Paul describes in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 are all transitive verbs and are thus doing or action words – they require an action to be done to or for someone or something, for example giving a word of knowledge to someone; showing mercy to someone or giving an act of service to someone. They are the gifts that the children of God use under the power of the Holy Spirit for a specific event and/or time. These gifts can also be used by the person holding an office in the five-fold ministry.
  
The importance of the fivefold ministry in the local congregation 

The Church, including every local body, needs every part of the five-fold ministry that Jesus has given to us. One or two are not enough; we need all of the five-fold ministries working together in unity to build up a vibrant and Spirit-filled body!

Sadly, in recent times, the five-fold ministry has not been operating to its fullness in many local Churches, one or more of them are missing. But as God restores these ministries to the Church, as He is about to do, we must correctly respond to them.

God’s purposes will not be fulfilled outside of His divinely appointed leadership structure. When the Church embraces the fullness of the ‘Five-fold’ ministry, then the more the Church in every local congregation will flow in God’s gifts under the power of the Holy Spirit and the more we live life in the Spirit, so the more we will become like rivers of living water – more like Jesus, glorifying His name and bringing life to the local community in general!

A local congregation that is not built on and governed by the five-fold ministry will be unable to function to its true potential in the power of the Holy Spirit. It will be like a bicycle wheel that is missing a number of spokes – it will wobble and misfire and be led astray and will only be able to progress so far and then buckle or just stagnate, injuring many people in its wobbly path!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father
I pray in Jesus name that you would restore the five-fold ministry to your Church, to each and every local congregation across the world so that the Church can be empowered by your Holy Spirit to be the Church that you intended it to be - working in the unity of the Spirit to bring glory to Jesus. Amen.

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!