Go Home and The Five-Fold. Leadership Part VII

 

So far, during this blog series, I have taught without becoming too personal. This blog will be different.
When the Father stripped me of everything that defined me as a person and did a renewal of my spirit through a journey of sickness and homelessness, a few years later, I was thrust into ministry. There was very little in the ‘church’ that I did not get a taste of. I do not mention the following for the esteem of man. Many men would not even consider me worthy of the calling, and yet, I was a counselor and a prayer director. I ministered to those vexed with demonic or mental conditions. I ministered to the homeless, abused, those with addictions and in hospitals. For a season, I taught an adult beginner’s class on the Hebraic roots of our faith. I preached the gospel twice a month from the pulpit. I was thrust into the prophetic ministry and prayed over people who needed healing, confirmation or direction, and when I met my husband, an associate pastor/ evangelist at the time, we often spoke together. We complemented each other, and he was at times bookends for the message I was given. Suddenly, we were doing what we had been called to do all of our lives. But just as quickly as we were plunged into ministry, we were taken out of it. My husband and I both were hurt deeply, but we also felt led to sit down and study deeper. We both needed time to process what the Father was revealing. We felt like we were on an island and wondered if anyone else was seeing all the wonder and awe hidden in Abba’s Word.
However, once you’ve been given a driver’s license and multiple vehicles, it’s hard to hand over the keys, but the Father knew what He was doing.

After several years of keeping His Feasts, we were told to step out again and start having meetings. This has been a blessing, but this new landing has been difficult too. Over the years, we’ve been to several gatherings/events, each one different and unique. Each teacher gifted in different areas. Each had their own style, but none of them except one had a Five-fold structure/staff working together. Most people believe that we no longer need the whole five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4 as well as I Corinthians. For some reason, multiple people in leadership only count the teacher/shepherd as needed.
If the majority today do not see a need or even a scripture-based necessity for the five-fold, then my job through this blog series is to show the hidden truth, and I am not the only one on board with this. Multiple people in Messianic leadership are promoting and making videos to show how we are failing in unity and maturity because we are not keeping the structure provided for us.

Many have been taught that an apostle had to be a witness of the Messiah and that those died out. I’m shocked at how many people are not aware that there were not just 12 apostles mentioned in the Newer Testament, but a total of over 25, not counting the 70 Yeshua called. And they were not all MEN. Remember the book of Acts was written sometime between 60 AD and 70 AD. That’s a long time after the death and resurrection of the Messiah.
“Eleven are named in Acts 1:13, Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James. Judas Iscariot, of the original twelve, the one who betrayed Yeshua isn’t listed here, but he makes 12. Now let’s add Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot. (Acts 1:26).
This makes 13.
14. James, the brother of Yeshua —Galatians 1:19

15. Barnabas–Acts 14:14

16. Paul–Acts 14:14 and many other references

17. Apollos– 1 Corinthians 4:6-13)

18 and 19. Timothy and Silvanus– I Thessalonians 1:1 and 2:6

20. Epaphroditus–Philippians 2:25. While the King James Version translates the word as “messenger,” the Greek word (Apostolos) is actually “apostle.”
21 and 22. Two unnamed apostles–II Corinthians 8:23.
23 and 24. The name “Junia” appears in Romans 16:7, and Paul identifies her (along with Andronicus) as “prominent among the apostles.”
“They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was” (Romans 16:7).
25. Titus (see 2 Corinthians 8:23; “messenger” is Apostolos in the Greek)
26. (Yeshua) and he also appointed 70 as ‘called out ones’ in Luke 10.
Not once does the Bible say or imply that these would be done away with.
Attend any Messianic congregation or Christian congregation, and the Body looks like Mr. Potato head missing vital parts. If you have been following this series, then you know the five-fold is to be in effect until we become mature and unified in the faith. We are still far from this!
Apostles and prophets and teachers/shepherds all need one another.
Recently a story has been circulating through the media. A prominent male Christian speaker told a very prominent female teacher “go home!” No room for you at the tomb. No room for you at a well. No need for us to ‘suffer’ you to teach. Go, home!

I want to describe what it’s like to have a gift and calling that no one lets you use. I can honestly say it is the most heart-wrenching thing one can experience. Not because a person needs the spotlight or wants to usurp anyone else, but because the gift becomes rusty, frozen, and unused and the Body suffers from its lack of parts. A rusty door needs a shot of WD40 on occasion. Picture the prophets hidden in the caves by Obadiah so the wicked Ahab and Jezebel could not murder them. Even so, one day, they came forth ready to flow and be used by Adonai. Just like John, who came as a Voice crying in the wilderness. He came in the spirit of Elijah, the prophet.
We have Anna the prophetess in (Luke 2:36)
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,”
A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (Acts 21:10).
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, the tetrarch, and Saul. (Acts 13:1).
We need prophets and teachers.
Would you rather have spaghetti with plain tomato sauce or would fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil help the flavor?

Paul describes what our gatherings should look like. It is a rich marinade of flavors bursting forth in unity when we apply the structure and order of a gathering or event.
“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, ‘each one’ has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (I Cor 14:26-33).
Everyone in the Body should prophesy. This is not the office of the prophet. Multiple people in the Newer Testament prophesied (both men and women). Numerous people in the Older Testament prophesied, even Saul laid naked prophesying. Moses said that he wished that all God’s people would prophesy. “Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29).
“On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.” Acts 21:8-9.
But somewhere along the way, a mindset has been that prophets were getting ready to go out of style. No need to have them. No need to have daughters who can preach the good news with authority—GO HOME! Why would Philip and his wife have daughters who could prophesy if we don’t need them anymore? Are they all false today? Are all the teacher’s merely wolves in sheep’s clothing or just the office of the prophet? See how that works?
If the gifts were dying out and no longer required, why do multiple people have titles in the Newer Portion of our Bibles as Elders, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, and teachers?
Think outside of the boxes you’ve been taught with. Can you only unlearn some of the traditions of men? Shouldn’t we be unlearning all of them?
Let me give you some examples of how it can feel for a person with gifting to sit idle while other gifts are percolating. We all have gifts and the ability to prophesy, but some parts of the Body deemed less important may need to be relooked at.
“The eye cannot tell the hand, “I don’t need you!” or in turn the head to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the Body that seem to be less important are indispensable. 23 Those parts of the Body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe with greater honor; and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty; 24 but our presentable parts have no such need.” I Cor. 12:21-24.
Let’s say you are a writer, but you had a stroke and now cannot talk and your right side is paralyzed, and your left hand is curled up into a disfigured fist. All-day in your head, you hear poetic phrases, stories, and songs, but in your attempt to relay them to others, you have no outlet. You make grunting noises as your face contorts and people try and make sense of your words.
What if you were given paints and brushes and beautiful canvas and art supplies? You know precisely what you want to paint, and you are gifted at painting, but your hands are placed behind your back in cuffs. You sit and watch as those around you carve wood, shape clay into pots, and make glass mosaic, but you are not allowed even to open your paints. Can you say frustrating?

Or let’s say, you are a skilled pianist and sing songs unto the Father, but no one at your gatherings has ever asked you to sing. They know you sing, but they’re not sure about you. Although you’ve been gathering with them for some time, they still do not know if you’re sincere. The Father gives you prophetic songs in the night, and you hear the melody in your ear, but at every service, they play basically the same five songs and the same person sings every week. You sit and wonder why your gift is stuck inside you. The words from Psalms and other books jump forth from your heart. You consult people about your gift, and they tell you to wait. They inform you your gift will make room for you, and it will, but people may not. Today we have many outlets for us to sing songs on or write books or do just about anything in public via the internet.

Some leaders may even explain that a person may have sin or issues to deal with before a door opens. Sit on the pew and wait, they say.
Each service during worship you repent that you are sad during the worship because you long to share your gift too. You ask Father to search your heart for any signs of anger towards leadership. You pray for your gift to come forth as your belly leaps with life, but like a baby crowning that never comes forth, you go home feeling empty and yet full of LIFE just waiting to burst forth. After a long season of waiting, your baby suffocates in the womb. Does this sound harsh? It’s happening in the Body.
Perhaps your gift is Apostolic, and you can see and envision how something should be set up, but when you present it to leadership, they find you to be usurping or trying to take over. You have a vision and an outline of how to start up a youth program, a ministry to visit children with cancer, a ministry to feed those in need, but no one takes you seriously. Yes, things must be done in order but what if those in authority are missing some puzzle pieces?
I know most people think we have left the ‘church’ system, but we haven’t. To understand the role of leadership and the warning signs of bad leadership, click HERE.

David knew he needed a Nathan, but teachers today who hold ministerial positions don’t? Have we thrown out Acts II and Joel II? Why do we not allow the spirit to be poured out when He has already told us thousands of years ago to wait for the gift? That gift came on Shavuot, and I got news for some of you that mock spiritual gifts and make fun of the ministry of others, the Father is not pleased. Joseph’s brothers did the same thing to him. One may be impressed with knowledge, and we all need it–the truth does set us free, but I’ve never seen a soul broken, addicted to drugs, a death sentence, a child off in Neverland, who didn’t need ministering to by the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil. Even children know how to pray. You don’t need to be a scholar to have compassion and empathy for those suffering.
Can we find good in the gifts of one another? I see more and more people warning of “watchmen” “Prophets” dream groups, etc. See if its foundation is built on Torah.

Where can young prophets go today to be adequately trained?
Where are the schools for that in this movement? They had schools for the prophets in the Book of Acts. I have clearly shown in this series that prophets and apostles and Elders were operating in the congregations together with the teachers/shepherds in the newer portion of our Bible’s, and we know this because their TITLES were named. Many would say, “Hush, Hush, Tekoa, you know titles are pompous” (sarcasm).
Not if the Father gives them to you and THE BODY GIVES THEM TO YOU!
“Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (I Cor 1:1).
Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
2 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
In the Christian world, one can find multiple “prophets and apostles,” but in the Hebrew Roots movement, no one even deems they exist. Isn’t it easy for the teachers to say we don’t need prophets today, or they don’t exist? What if the people were saying, “We don’t need teachers today?” If there are warnings in scripture for something false, shouldn’t there be the real deal as well? If people are going to warn of false prophets and apostles shouldn’t they use counter balance?
What is our foundation built on?
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Let’s start building on a good foundation. Let’s start praying for the Father to help leadership see His Five-fold structure and beyond. Get out the WD40 and start spraying. It’s time for the people to start being unified.

Blessings!

Tekoa.

Part I HERE

Part II HERE

Part III HERE 

Part IV HERE

Part V HERE

Part VI HERE

Part VIII HERE