5 Smooth Stones

INTRODUCTION

God made the stones and placed them in the brook where they tumbled for eons becoming smooth before David pulled out fi ve. He used one of those to kill the giant. Likewise Jesus ascended up on high and sat down at the right hand of God, and, as the head of the church, He has given fi ve gifts to mankind: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. Five stones in His Shepherd’s bag to be used for equipping His church to accomplish the work He is doing on the earth today. Like David, Jesus came with an assignment to destroy the works of the enemies of God. The early church understood that the fi ve ministry gifts were necessary to accomplishing His work on earth, but over time these gifts were replaced by positions of human creation. Today these gifts are being restored to the church in the fullness of their calling. There are challenges in restoring the gifts He has given, in understanding them and how they apply in our day and time. The gifts are freely given, and the calling is divinely conferred, but preparation is an important part of the process, as well as learning how to receive the gifts and their appointment. The Lord’s purpose is that all believers come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God; that they mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ, not as children, tossed about with every wind of doctrine, but grow up in all things unto Him who is the head, Christ. Through a thorough understanding of scripture, with the leading of the Holy Spirit who wrote it, details will be uncovered so that the gems hidden for us in regard to the fi ve gift ministries will be exposed. This study will explain how we can understand, grow in, and receive the ascension gifts and all the bene fi ts that come through receiving and understanding them.

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