You can only benefit from those who's ministry you accept

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, he walked by hundreds of sick and dying people. He only healed those who accepted his ministry. Only those who came to him and still come to him for forgiveness of sins are forgiven. If a Muslim or Hindu doesn't accept who he is he cannot receive the ministry Jesus has available.

The same is true of the ministry that is among us as part of the Body of Christ. There are a lot of various ministers and ministries. They seem to have various emphasis.

There are those who are great teachers, those who embrace them will benefit from their teaching.

There are wonderful Evangelists like Billy Graham has been. Those who embrace him benefit from his evangelism.

There are great pastors who seem to be able to nurture the flock to better things. If you have a pastor you embrace and receive you will benefit from his ministry. You are rewarded by receiving the ministry he or she brings.

There are apostles who have been overarching influencers on the body of Christ. People who seem to be authority. John Eckhardt, T D Jakes, Rick Joyner and some others are examples of recognized apostolic leaders. Those who accept and receive them in the name of Jesus are blessed by and built up by their leadership.

There are prophets. They walk among the body of Christ. Some are recognized. Kim Clement. Chuck Pierce. Those who accept and receive them in the name of Jesus are blessed and provided for thru their ministry.

People want and even need ministry. They want it. But, they are selective in who they receive from. In that way they restrict what Jesus might want to do among them. I believe we should be careful. We should be discerning. But the narrower and smaller our vision of those we will receive is, the less of God we can see. This is particularly dangerous in the denominational world. The idea that only a person endorsed or embraced by the denomination can speak into their lives or help reveal God to them is allowed to be received. That's simply not true.

Over the last couple days I have experienced both. In the local church I attend a comment was made about the call of God. We are all called. Of course that's true. But that's not recognizing or receiving ministry from the called of God. We all have giftings but we are not all called as gifts. A gift gives what he is carrying. The only one who can stop the gift from being delivered is the one recieving it. It's like an unopened package still sitting where the tree was. In the comment made was the implication that because we are all called, no gift is different from another in calling.

Read Ephesians 4. Of course there are differing ministry callings, offices. But, you will only benefit from the ones you embrace or receive. (and honor)

The fact that I am not received in the calling or office God has put on me means that even if God should greatly desire, he cannot speak or minister to those people thru me because they will not nor cannot receive the Ministry Gifting Father placed in me. They leave the package under the tree unopened.

Contrast that with my participation at the Church in Rockford. I walk in the door. Acceptance, not of me, of the ministry gift calling. They want to hear from the prophetic. They are hungry for the Word of the Lord. I am Gene, but they call me Prophet. Pastor Felix as soon as I walked thru the door rushed to me and embraced me, not as Gene, as the prophet. I didn't have a word for him, but if God gives me one, he is ready to receive. They receive me as prophet and therefore receive the reward of the prophet. They benefit from the prophetic. Not just by what I bring, but by the flow released in the prophetic in that house. That is the reward of the prophet.

He who gives honour to a prophet, in the name of a prophet, will be given a prophet's reward; and he who gives honour to an upright man, in the name of an upright man, will be given an upright man's reward. Matthew 10:41

There was a period in history before the Birth of Jesus where God was silent. 400 years. We have no prophetic utterances after the children of Israel came back to Palestine. Malachi and then nothing. He actually wasn't silent. It was that the prophets were not heard. Not received. Not unwrapped. Like the days before Samuel was received as a Prophet.

1 Samuel: 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

What's interesting is that after Samuel was recieved as prophet, there we even schools of Prophets. The prophetic was released. It wasn't about Samuel, it was about the prophetic.

This was a new breaking of the first long silence. From Joseph to Moses. 400 years.

That is what is happening and will happen in the church that continues to reject the prophetic. Deep darkness. It's 400 years from the reformation in Wittenberg to the new Pentecost at Azuza.

Now God is Speaking once again. Ears are still not hearing. It's a choice.

The only answer for the church of Jesus to come out of its slumber in the light is to embrace the fullness of the five fold ministries, including the prophetic. The reward will be that God will move and break open the heavens.

Or they will remain in deep darkness asleep in the Light.