A Time for Equipping!

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:11-16 is a common set of verses and a constant reminder to me of the work that fivefold ministers are commissioned by the Lord to do. As I see the conditions of our families, communities, and nation, I am resolved to do what the Lord has commissioned me to do in building the Body of Christ by equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry. We understand that these ascension gifts, or gifts of the Lamb are sent directly to certain individuals by the Lord Jesus himself. All are called to be ministers of reconciliation, but not all walk in the calling of the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, and evangelist. These offices are not to be taken lightly, and their function must be understood for the Kingdom of God to become fully established in the earth. The work of the fivefold ministry is to perfect (mature) the saints (church members, disciples, members of the Body of Christ) for the work of the ministry and for the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ. We do this perfecting by training and equipping the saints on a deliberate and consistent basis. The positive outcomes of the saints maturing to do the work of the ministry are many:

1. We become mature believers, we grow up and come out of foolishness – we recognize where we are immature and make adjustments quickly.

2. We no longer follow “every wind” of doctrine – we learn to rely on the logos word and the rhema word working together to bear witness as we evaluate what we hear. We recognize deception much faster and our spiritual discernment increases.

3. We are able to speak the truth in love, not in a way that causes hurt or deliberately causes offense. We are mindful of our words, understanding that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

4. We help the body of Christ to increase because we do our part to add supply to every joint, or area, in the body of Christ that we are assigned to supply.

I encourage you to make sure that you are doing your part to build the Body of Christ. Jesus is coming back for a perfected bride, one without blemishes and wrinkles. Whether you are called to fivefold ministry or the ministry of reconciliation, you have a part to play in the Body of Christ! Either do the equipping or become equipped because no-one else can do what you are uniquely called to do as well as you can!

Much Love!
Ken