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Stand Up To Be Counted - Part 1

       In a Bible Study Group, we were studying Luke 12:41-46. One of the participants remarked that the Scripture being shared should be for Pastors and people in authority in the Church. Some agreed with him because they believed they were not leaders, thus the Scripture didn't hit home for them! 
       Sadly, many within the Body of Christ believe that certain parts of the Scripture are for certain classes of people and not for everyone within the Body. This is quite a dangerous belief as many could rationalize their lifestyle and decisions based on the fact that they are not leaders, therefore, certain biblical conditions do not apply to them. This is not true! 
       The Bible calls Believers in Jesus Christ a 'Kingdom of Priests', 1 Peter 2:9-10, (MSG): "But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted." Also, we are told in 1 Peter 2:5, (AMP) "You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ." 
        Every one of us, without exception, is a living stone, a priest to God, the Creator of the Universe, through Jesus Christ. This means we all have a role to play. You might argue that the five-fold ministries exist so that there will be leaders in the congregation. Not so true! In as much as there has to be order or the congregations will be in chaos, there is a very unique purpose for their existence! The ministries were not given to us to create classism or show that some are more anointed or spiritually higher than others! 
      Jesus told and showed us that the Kingdom's model of leadership is different from the world system. In the world, the leaders lead by oppressing the lesser, but in the Kingdom, the leaders are the servants, Luke 22:26-27, (TPT) "But this is not your calling. You will lead by a different model. The greatest one among you will live as one called to serve others without honor. The greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one who has a servant heart. The leaders who are served are the most important in your eyes, but in the kingdom, it is the servants who lead. Am I not here with you as one who serves?" Thus, the five-fold ministries were given to us to train the Believers so they can in turn carry out the work of ministry - the work of God, Ephesians 4:11-12, (TPT) "And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ." 
       This training is to help the rest to function adequately in their several assigned works for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. No Believer is in the Kingdom to be a space/seat filler or an onlooker, but each one of us has been called to do a specific duty as assigned by the Holy Spirit through Grace. And for each one to succeed in this, we must be Discipled (trained) by the five-fold ministries, so that "...we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]" (Ephesians 4:13, AMP). 
        Beloved, this training is paramount even as we see The Day of the Return of Jesus Christ draw ever nearer. The reason being we will not become prey for the many charlatans that have invaded the Pulpits: "So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]" (Ephesians 4:14, AMP). 
       Beloved, if Jesus Christ should return today, what will He find you doing for the expansion of the Kingdom? You have sat on the sidelines for too long, stand up! All that you need to carry out the work is in you (Ephesians 1:3), and the Holy Spirit has positioned Disciplers to disciple you to carry it out successfully! God bless you as you stand up to what you have been put on this earth to do as a child of God!






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