In the first Kingdom system on earth, God planted a Garden in the east of Eden. A garden is a place of order, unlike a jungle. And the east is the place of the rise of sunlight or revelation.<\/p>\n
You know, the Garden of Eden was where the voice of God came walking in close fellowship with mankind. And it was in the east where God revealed Himself.<\/p>\n
This Garden of Eden is the picture of the church that Jesus builds in reintroducing the Kingdom system.
\nYou know, our dear Jesus told His own \u2018apostles\u2019 that He Himself will build His church \u2013 Matt. 16:18.<\/p>\n
I call this the Kingdom-church because it brings about God\u2019s Kingdom on earth, linking Heaven to earth \u2013 Matt. 16: 19. It is a multi-faceted church that is so complex that only Jesus can build it \u2013 Zech. 6:12-13.<\/p>\n
Now, there is chaos and gross darkness in the world, as it was on earth in the first Kingdom system. But, God builds His church as a place of Kingdom-order in the midst of the religious-disorder among men today.<\/p>\n
Beloved, even the orderly arrangement of man is chaos to God.<\/p>\n
And, it is only in Kingdom-order that the voice of God or Jesus can come to us even without our \u2018looking\u2019 for Him.<\/p>\n
The Kingdom-church is the place of fellowship with God that equips you to go into the \u2018chaos\u2019 to subdue it and plant more Kingdom-gardens there; after the prototype that God did for Adam to manage \u2013 Gen. 2:15.
\nSo as managers, man is to manage or exercise dominion, ruler-ship or Kingdomover the chaos in the world, to bring it into kingdom-order \u2013 Gen. 1:26.<\/p>\n
To fulfil this kingdom-purpose, God gave mankind a five-fold Kingdom-plan of being fruitful, multiplying, replenishing, subduing and having dominion over allthe earth.<\/p>\n
To fulfil this five-fold Kingdom-plan, God finally gave man the five-fold ministry or governmental gifts in Christ, the Last Adam.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s Kingdom-strategy is that these governmental gifts of apostles, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher would equip all believers to get back the image of Jesus that mankind lost in Eden, i.e. the image of ruler-ship or dominion over all the earth \u2013 Eph. 4:11-16.<\/p>\n
Then, these believers can use the same five-fold Kingdom-plan of fruitfulness, multiplication, replenishment, subduing and having dominion, to get to the ultimate place of establishing God\u2019s Kingdom-order on earth, as He first did in East Eden.<\/p>\n
With these ordinary believers having practically established God\u2019s Kingdom-order or system, all other men will be inspired by the Light or example of believers to submit to branches of God\u2019s Kingdom-order in their various societies \u2013 Mk. 4:30-32.<\/p>\n
It will take obedience on the part of the five-fold ministry or governmental gifts, for this Kingdom-strategy (of practically establishing this \u2018new\u2019 Kingdom-order or system in the religious arrangement of men) to work \u2013 Zech. 6:12-15; Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Matt. 24:14.<\/p>\n
It is therefore when we have Kingdom-order in the church that we, as believers, can have the light or revelation of Jesus.<\/p>\n
One of the fundamental qualification and work of all the five-fold governmental gifts is teaching \u2013 Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 3:1-2.<\/p>\n
For the five-fold govern-mental gifts, one of the greatest ways of loving God\u2019s people is to teach them to fish, not to give them fish. When you give children fish, they will always hail you and bless you as the best thing that ever happened to them.<\/p>\n
That does not mean you are doing them good, and God \u2018approves\u2019 of it.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s people must not be given the impression that those who focus on imparting knowledge to them do not love or care for them. This is because the best way to bring God\u2019s people to the maturity that He has called all five-fold governmental gifts to bring them to, is to teach them – Matt. 28:18-20,<\/p>\n
\u201c…All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.<\/p>\n
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…\u201d<\/p>\n
Dear Minister of God, Jesus was very clear, once again, about how to equip or mature believers. It is by teaching His Words.<\/p>\n
And, Jesus taught copiously about the Kingdom of God, both before and after His resurrection.<\/p>\n
Yes, there is nothing else you can do to mature the saints, except to prayerfully teach them the Truth in love and wisdom.
\nAnd the five-fold govern-mental gifts of Ephesians 4:11 are going to lead in teaching.<\/p>\n
For example, speaking in general terms:<\/p>\n
The main work of an Apostle is to use his grace, to equip believers by teaching them to move into, and remain in the \u2018new\u2019 order of God.<\/p>\n
The main work of a Prophet is to use his grace, to equip believers by teaching them to know Jesus the Word of God, for themselves.<\/p>\n
The main work of an Evangelist is to use his grace, to equip believers by teaching them to be able to lead others to true faith in the Lord.<\/p>\n
The main work of a Pastor is to use his grace, to equip believers by teaching them to be able to care for and help one another.<\/p>\n
The main work of a Teacher is to use his grace, to equip believers by teaching them the love for the Truth, and the spiritual tools needed for them to mine God\u2019s treasured Truths from the Bible for themselves, so that they walk in the full Counsel of God.<\/p>\n
A believer who is exposed to these five-fold ministry gifts receives the graces on them, in order to mature into Jesus\u2019 stature; as all these graces came from Jesus, through these five-fold governmental gifts.<\/p>\n
The whole church should receive the diffusion of the grace of the five-fold governmental gifts, that we all, individually and collectively, become \u201c…a perfect (matured) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.\u201d \u2013 Eph. 4:13b.<\/p>\n
In every equipping there-fore, teaching is critical. People are not equipped when they are given fish, but when they are taught to fish.
\nJesus came as the Word of God, and the only way to impart Him, and get people to be like Him, as His matured disciples, is through teaching Him \u2013 Col.1:28,<\/p>\n
\u201c…Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect (matured) in Christ Jesus. To this end (i.e. to the ultimate aim of maturing every man) I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, let us discuss the main thing that the five-fold ministry or governmental gifts, should engage in. We will call them five-ply governmental gifts.<\/p>\n
Then, the imagery is that of plywood, being made up of different layers of wood, but consolidated into one piece of board, by the glue of Kingdom-love, never to stand alone.<\/p>\n
I prefer this imagery because to me, it best captures their oneness of purpose which is: for them all to equip the saints to do God\u2019s work or ministry.<\/p>\n
It also captures the oneness of the general method they should employ i.e. to teach.<\/p>\n
Again, I prefer referring to them as governmental gifts than ministry gifts. It is because they are actually to form the government of the Kingdom-church.<\/p>\n
You will notice that in Eph. 4:12, the word \u201cministry\u201d is introduced when all saints or believers are mentioned; not when the five-ply governmental gifts are mentioned.<\/p>\n
Believers should do the work of the ministry whiles the five-ply governmental gifts equip or mature them for it.<\/p>\n
So, the five-ply gifts should agree to primarily equip or mature all believers to dotheir priestly ministry to the unbelieving world \u2013 1Pet. 2:9.
\nThe five-ply governmental gifts need not focus on doing the work of God outside the church.<\/p>\n
Beloved, the saints must be equipped or matured to do that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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