WHAT IF…?

 

Just a question...

Since it is written in 1 Cor 12:27-28 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, AFTER THAT... 

miracles, 

then...

gifts of healings, 

helps .... 

governments, 

diversities of tongues..."...,

are the 5 fold "governments"?

As in any move of God (as though God has movements), there is always "that which is first is natural, then after that, that which is spiritual".  We get the revelation, and then, like Jacob, tend to run out and try to get it to work.

As ones sent as a gift to the body of Christ, we are to do a couple things: 

1) equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, and 

2) make disciples. 

If we do those two things, then HE will build HIS Church.

A lot of times we are so busy trying to build the church that we forget to build the temple... A person... Until we ALL come to the fullness of the stature of Christ (Messiah).

We tend to try to make it all work backward. We try to establish governments first (by gifting); then get some "helps" gathered around to help us implement what we have birthed; then we try to get some healings going on... And maybe hope for a few miracles later;  bring in some teachers so we can learn what we are doing with a few seminars; get some Prophets so we get pointed in the right direction; and... Finally... Find apostles so we can be covered, find our inheritance, and get order...



What if apostle was like the the General Contractor of the project….. YOU?  He would set all the things in order that are lacking, wanting, and coming behind. he would begin to "show the pattern of the house... And all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof". He would work the pattern in you as a foundation so you would never stray from the blueprint as you got older.

Then the Prophet would come in to your life as the excavator and next foundational person. He would root out, pluck up, tear down, and destroy all the residue of old foundations, stones of stumbling, and roots of offense in your life... Dig deep... And help you re-lay the foundation upon THE ROCK... So that when the storms come, you will not be shaken, but will stand. He helps you lay the footers, pour the slab, and set all the necessary utilities for the rest of the building.

Then comes the teacher into your life, who helps you build on that foundation which has been laid. He helps you finish out the house so YOU CAN LIVE... Have life, and that more abundantly.


THEN, ... Miracles begin to happen naturally all around you, because in the fullness and stature of CHRIST - the Messiah - out of YOUR belly flows rivers of living water. Healing and setting the captive free are following you, because it flows out of who you are.


And now, we all as bones, no longer dried up and separated from all our parts, but fitly joined together, held together by sinew to form a joint ( because it is every joint that supplieth, not the individual bone) "holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col 2:19)

There are very few that will just do who they are in a person's life... Without the accolades... Without the position... Without the title - simply, as Christ, laying down our life so someone else can live. There are few who will "seek not their own", but will take the time to help a person come into the fullness and stature of the Messiah (Christ), so that all of creation finally gets what they have been groaning for: a son of God.


Why is it that we still like the title in front of our name? Why do we still want to be called Dr, Bishop, Elder, Pastor, Teacher, Apostle, Prophet?  Why do we still have such a propensity to still identify with a gift, anointing, place, or title?  (Do we also call ourself Plumber Bob, Carpenter Stan, Mother Theresa? - forget the last one) Is it because we might have never gotten our own seal and identity as a son of God?  Is it because we are not content to be a brother (Mt 23) and somehow desire the recognition of our worth or value in the Kingdom of God?


As a son of God, my identity is in my Father-  "to be found IN HIM". Then I only come to re-present Him. So that, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father"... "OUR FATHER which art in heaven..."

1 Cor 3:3-9
"...are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; ( I am of Sam, I am of Jim, I am of Bruce) 

are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

9 For we are labourers together with God: 

ye are God’s husbandry, 

ye are God’s building. "

Who's building?


What if all we are is a son of God, used as a tool in a person's life to simply bring THEM into the next phase of the building process that their Heavenly Father is building in them?  What if the tool gets no glory, but the ONE who wields the tool DOES?


We get confused sometimes and think that just because we had something to do with the building process, that our name belongs somewhere etched in the cornerstone.

I heard a wise old man say to me once... " let's just be who we are, and let Christ build HIS Church".

If He builds HIS... Then the gates of hell shall not prevail against it... Then we will not labor in vain... the watchman awakens not in vain... And HE SETS the bones (members) in the body as it hath pleased HIM, puts sinew upon it to hold the bones, puts flesh upon it, then skin... And THEN... After it STANDS before Him... HE  speaks to the wind and breathes upon it the breath of life!

What if???