MOBILIZATION’ is the most helpful term to describe the ministry of the prophet in both Old and New Testaments.
Over the past months I have been writing on the subject of ‘The Ministry of Mobilization.’ I have endeavored to explain, as clearly as I could, the biblical, historical and current significance of this ministry – how God used it in the Old Testament, why Jesus gave this ministry to the Church following His ascension and why it is so needed today!
MOBILIZATION’ is the most helpful term to describe the ministry of the Prophet in both Old and New Testaments.
Predicting future events was the minor ministry of Prophets. Mobilizing was the major. It is a sad fact that most Mobilizers don’t understand the Biblical roots of their ministry and the full significance to the Church of their ‘calling’.
Mobilization, in a Biblical context, is a ministry that understands the purpose of God and the purpose of God for His people. It endeavors to clarify what that purpose is and to encourage God’s people into full participation. It does this by providing avenues (primarily teaching and training programs) that provide God’s people with a full knowledge of His will, challenges them to passionate devotion, full dedication and selfless service.
Prophets/mobilizers understand mobilization as “making ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk 1:16-17).
Mobilizers understand that the Great Commission defines the Church’s existence on earth (1Pe 2:9). The Great Commission benefits not only the unreached and the unsaved but also God’s people. Participation in the world Christian movement matures those who participate. In this age God is not only taking out of the world a people for His name but also preparing a Bride for His Son (Rev 19:7) to rule and reign with Him throughout eternal ages!
The Prophetic/Mobilization ministry was intended to be one of only two foundational ministries of the Church in all generations.
Together with Christ as the cornerstone, apostles and prophets form the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20, 1Co 12:28). The reason for this is because apostles advance the world Christian movement into regions where Christ is not yet known and prophets encourage the participation of all God’s people in this task.
The dispassionate attitude, low-level commitment and casual response of the Church, in general, in fulfilling the Great Commission can be attributed directly to the fact that the prophetic ministry has, by and large, been lost to the Church.
Of the five-fold ministries gifted to the Church by the risen Christ (Eph 4:11), for the purpose of preparing God’s people for works of service (participation in the world Christian movement), the most misunderstood is the ministry of the prophet. We are witnessing today the restoration of this ‘lost tribe’ to strengthen the foundation and complete the ministries essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in and through the Church.
Mobilizers must see and mobilize for the bigger picture of the world Christian movement.
The world Christian movement is about reaching all ‘peoples’ and all ‘people’. It involves reaching the unreached and saving the unsaved. The former is a finishable task (Mt 24:14), the latter, not so, but a vital part of the Great Commission, as God wills that none perish but all to be saved (2Pe 3:9).
Mobilizers have often been their own worst enemy in this regard, as we have tended to highlight only the finishable task of reaching unreached peoples.
Doing so has caused missions to be departmentalized, mobilizers to be marginalized, agencies to be viewed with degrees of suspicion and the world Christian movement to be fragmented! We need a lot more discussion and debate, among Mobilizers, on this issue!
Are Schools for Mobilizers Needed?
Well, a definite yes, is my humble opinion! God ‘calls’ (Eph 4:11) but the equipping of those God has called has been given to the Church (2Ti 2:2). The most neglected ministry, as I see it, is that of the prophet/mobilizer. We need to see more mobilizers before we will see more mobilizers and schools would be one the best ways to see this happen!
Samuel became a prophet in a time when there were few, if any, other prophets (1Sa 3:1). Under Samuel’s ministry the School of the Prophets arose (1Sa 19:20) and many prophets were raised up and in less than two generations Israel rose to her finest hour! It would be great to see ‘Schools of Mobilizers’ raised up all over the world – the Church in every nation needs them!
Hopefully, these schools will also lead to many mobilizers becoming ‘full-time’ with the ability to devote their full attention and all their energies to their ministry!
Identifying Three Levels of Mobilization can be helpful.
Level 1, general mobilization, is the most critical need of our time. Level 2 and 3 ministries struggle without level one ministry in full swing!
Level 1 is aimed at producing ‘world Christians’. Local churches, student ministries etc need to be encouraged and guided to include mobilization programs such as Kairos, Perspectives etc as part of their standard discipleship program.
Level 2 is ministry preparation. This often involves agencies and other organizations that train in cross-cultural ministry or provide other specialist training for challenging areas of ministry that require skilled trainers.
Level 3 is field ministry where all God’s people find significant ministry in the Great Commission, either in their own culture or in a different culture. Local churches and agencies can provide guidance and/or training and deployment pathways for meaningful and fruitful ministry.
All the ‘ascension ministries’ are needed to equip the Church for the world Christian movement.
Following His ascension, Jesus gave five distinct ministries for the equipping of God’s people to fulfill the Great Commission. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – all are needed! But we must be united on the purpose – a ‘purpose filled life’ and a ‘purpose filled church’ must all center on the Great Commission – the world Christian movement. In Ephesians 4 these ministries are identified as equipping ministries.
Mobilization is Spiritual Warfare
The enemy will contest every step taken by Mobilizers! Nothing poses a greater threat to His Kingdom than a mobilized Church. It represents a mighty army, filled with the life of God, marching shoulder to shoulder under the command of the Commander in Chief – our risen Lord! Mobilizers must prophecy (mobilize) for this army to emerge (Ez 37). The time to do so is NOW because the time to harvest is NOW – it always was and always will be, for each and every generation, until Jesus returns.
Conclusion
Will this generation stand proud in eternity or stand before the Lord empty handed with other generations rising up in judgment against us? We have not been saved to be saved – we have been saved to serve! The ministry of the prophets could help lead this generation of believers to the Church’s finest hour – ever!
