Five-Fold Today - The Lord's Resistance Army - The Hand of God (Five-Fold Ministry) Beheld in the Mirror
The Lord's Resistance Army
by Lloyd Phillips
Lately the Lord has been speaking to me about His Army. He taught me that one
of the highest levels of spiritual warfare (an apostolic level) is the enlisting,
equipping and organizing of an army. Then He showed me that most of the spiritual
warriors destined for His army have been involved in "Guerrilla" warfare; a very
independent and self-reliant form of warfare. This is the first level of warfare for a
warrior in an "occupied territory". Once the enemy has invaded and established
himself, those living within that area of influence will fight back using their
personal abilities and the provisions which are readily available. Small groups of
individuals may gather together, but larger groups require more coordination than
is available at the guerilla level of warfare. At this level, the warfare is of the "hit
and run" variety, and sustained siege or attack is impossible. It can be very
effective for a single contest against the enemy, but building one victory upon the
last is not the norm at this level. Generally the enemy has time to recover from his
losses before another attack can be assembled.
The second level of warfare is the Resistance Movement. This level is more
organized than the previous, but still "underground". In the wars of this century,
and before, it is at this level of warfare that real and sustainable damage begins to
be effectively staged against an occupying enemy. While using many of the same
techniques learned by the Guerrillas, the Resistance army is able to do more
damage to the structures that the occupying army uses to move and care for its
troops. This level of warfare uses the supplies which are at hand, strikes as hard as
possible, then disappears until the next operation (opportunity) arises. There is
recognition between the members of this localized army, but very little outside of
this "resistance". It could actually be dangerous for the soldier if too many could
identify him or her. This resistance movement is able to afflict the enemy, know his
strengths and weaknesses, map out the enemies' "camp", and form strategies for
attacking the enemy for when the third level, the "Liberating Army" arrives.
The Liberating army is much more organized and disciplined as a whole. Yet both
the Liberating and the Resistance armies need each other. One will not complete the
job without the other. The Liberating Army cannot win without the preparatory
work accomplished by the Resistance. The Church as a whole is currently in the
guerrilla warfare stage. But the battle is quickly out-growing independently minded
soldiers. The "Resistance" Army is formed of committed "companies" of believers
who are relating and setting aside their personal differences for the benefit of the
coming King and His invading army. Those who serve well in the resistance
movement will be commissioned in the Liberating Army which is coming. I would
like to take a closer look at the stages of warfare and what is necessary for
transition from one level to the next.
I believe that some of the most effective spiritual warriors in the fight today are
guerrilla warriors. At this level the battle may be brutal, the warriors learn to trust
only a few, and they cover their own backs if possible. There are rewards and
personal victories, but the frustrations and risks are great. The casualties may be
unusually high at times, especially due to "friendly fire". Friendly fire is not always
due to "fighting in the ranks", but can be accidents caused by mis-communication
between combatants. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the enemy
and the ally. Likewise, expected victories fall short because there is no way to call
up "reserve troops". Also, victories won and territory taken from the enemy, might
be "retaken" by another group of spiritual guerrillas because they are not aware of
what has already been accomplished. It is nearly impossible for groups of warriors
at this level to sustain great victories like the winning of an entire city or area.
While a party of warriors at this level might be effective at taking out a "bridge"
which the enemy uses for transporting evil, the enemy generally is able to re-build
before a major assault can be made upon his stronghold. The guerrillas have
expended much of their energy and resources on that particular target. There is a
tendency to generalize warfare at this level in order to cover all bases. This is not to
say that these warriors or their techniques are not effective, but they are not as
efficient as the next level.
The "Resistance Army" could be considered similar to an organized level of
guerrilla warfare. Here the commitment and technique of fighting learned at the
first level are retained within the organized army of resistance "freedom fighters". It
is in fact an "underground" army. Unlike the guerrilla warfare level, however, there
is a higher level of communication and coordination of the warfare being carried
out. Losses due to "friendly fire" are dramatically lower. It is often difficult for
many guerrilla warriors to make the transition to this level. This is usually because
of distrust. Many at the previous level have lost trust in leaders, and therefore
attempt to accomplish all that must be accomplished while remaining separate. In
an army the only personal directive an individual soldier is given from "Head
Quarters" is where to report for duty. All other directives come to the unit for
action. Too many of our soldiers, who have fought well in the guerilla army, are
wondering why they are not asked to use their abilities to win the fight as they
surely could, yet they have not "reported for duty" at the proper unit yet. One
indication I see of someone stuck in the first level is that of attempting to cover
their own back. The armor God has supplied to His New Testament soldiers does
not provide for protection of the back of the warrior outside of the intercession of
others (Eph 6:18). This is also consistent with the armies of Old Testament Israel
where the "glory of the Lord" was to be their rear guard. (Is 58:8).
Since the glory of the Father was given to the Son and He said He has given it to us,
it is manifested only through unity. (John 17). The intercessors are the main
example of those who are able to call for the Glory of the Lord as the rear guard for
the army. Yet, at the first level of warfare there never seems to be enough
intercessors or intercession. This is not the case in the Resistance Army where there
is a greater ability to specialize rather than to generalize and the intercessors are
informed and released. In fact, true intercessors need little else than information
and time to pray. At the first level it seems the information is sketchy at best, and
usually too little and too late. The intercessors fall to counter attacks by the enemy
because the enemy is given too much attention and time in conversation. However,
when intercessors come into the Resistance, they become more aware of the Glory,
and less aware of the darkness. There gene Żems to be enough intercession
available at this level, and the casualties in the commando units are lower. It is
possible here to coordinate intercession with the warfare campaign strategy.
One of the greatest hindrances to moving from the level of guerrilla warfare to that
of the Army of resistors is a fear of authority. While this distrust may have been
due to legitimate hurts in the past, this creates a type of catch twenty-two. Because
this type of casualty is more likely to reoccur while making the transition from the
first level, but much less likely to occur again after having made the transition to
the second level, it is difficult, sometimes, to make the initial shift. The key to
transition is two fold, first there must be a recognition of the need to move on, and
there must be a willingness to "forget those things which are behind and reach
forward to those things which are ahead". In order for this transition to be possible,
there is a need for recognition of those who are walking in true spiritual authority,
rather than the examples of "religious authority" and control which have been
counterfeits to true authority. These are often the source of much of the past hurt,
and present distrust of authority. The two cannot exist together, and true spiritual
authority will always intimidate counterfeit authority. Because true authority is
counterfeited it is imperative that discernment be used in locating those in
authority in the Resistance Army. Those in true authority will exhibit a willingness
to "lead from the rear," in humility, by placing the needs of others before
themselves, to be the least so others may be first. Yet there will also be a
willingness to "lead from the front" when it comes to actually getting up and going.
In short, they will be willing to mobilize for the good of the Kingdom.
Participation in the Resistance Army requires the recognition of rank or else there
would be no coordination possible. Unlike many examples we have had in the past,
there is no need for "advertisement" of rank. In reality, it may be dangerous at this
level to advertise rank. In fact, secrecy from the occupying enemy is imperative to
success. Therefore, the members of the Resistance Army, including the "officers,"
must look and act just like the rest of the population when they are not deployed on
maneuvers. It is regrettable that it is the unwillingness of some to give up their
recognition of rank among the guerrillas for less advertised rank among the
Resistance that keeps them from moving forward. Often guerrillas have ascribed to
themselves a rank which the Lord has not specified, or has only indicated would be
given to them in the future. Often there is a wealth of experience and knowledge
which should be passed on from those guerrillas to the Resistance Fighters, but this
can never happen without a willingness to come together so sharing may be
completed between the two. There are presently thousands of "independent"
ministers, ministries, and churches. While the birthing of these ministries was often
out of necessity and called of God, the Holy Spirit is presently calling us to
question what are we "independent" of, and to become "interdependent" with one
another for the good of the Kingdom.
Many times those who are tremendous guerrilla warriors are inadequate in enlisting
and retaining recruits. On the other hand, there are those who are able to recruit
and mobilize, but haven't the guerrilla's ability to train new recruits. It is only by
laying aside our outdated methods of warfare and coming to the Lord together that
we will prepare ourselves as an Army of warriors strong enough to resist the
powers of darkness, and prepare for The Liberating Army which the Lord will lead.
The time to UNITE is NOW!
God bless you, your fellow laborer,
Lloyd C. Phillips
http://www.flintnet.org
JOHN L. MOORE
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face
to face." 1Cor. 13:12
March 28, 2000:
Eighteen months ago, while driving a visiting prophet
to the airport, the Lord gave me a quick open vision that
I perceived as a new wave of evangelism that would sweep
the Earth during the final Great Harvest. "This is the
Five-Fold office of the evangelist," I heard the Lord say.
And I knew in an instant that much of what I
understood about the dispensations of the Five-Fold
ministry was incorrect. It was merely a type and shadow.
Recently the Lord began impressing on me the image of
a photograph I took years ago for a college photography
class. The photograph was of a mirror with the images of
sky and corrals on its surface. The image appeared
correct, but it was not only a representation. It was also
in reverse.
"What is the perceived order of the Five-Fold
dispensations?" the Lord asked me.
That's easy, I thought:
"What's wrong with this?" the Lord asked.
It's backward, I thought. The foundation, not the
capstone, was to be apostles and prophets. They were to be
first, not last.
"However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural,
and afterward the spiritual." 1 Cor. 15:46.
Entering Third Day power means turning and looking away
from the mirror and toward reality. In the mirror the
Apostle is shown last, which is true according to 1 Cor.
4:9 : "For I think God has displayed us, the apostles,
last, as men condemned to death."
But these Second Day movements were birthed out of a
Babylonian system. In most cases the system rejected them
and spew them out of its mouth, but its origin was still
Babylon. That is not to say the movements or the leaders
were ungodly. They were Godly, but their foundation was
the worldly church system.
As we press into the Third Day the Apostles will not
be men and women who call themselves apostles and have
transformed themselves according to 2 Cor. 11:13-14, but
they will be called by God and transformed by the Spirit.
They will lay down a new work and persevere until it
is finished. When this foundation is laid, the prophets
will be embraced and released to speak without
restriction. They will not fear man nor will they promote
themselves. They will openly declare that which is
"revealed by the Spirit of His holy apostles and
prophets." (Ephesians 3:5)
The proclamations issued by the prophets will be a
clear heralding to Teachers and these will search the Word
and lead others to truth. Both the prophet and the teacher
will carry a new imprint of the apostolic on their office
and life. Under the old system, Paul noted: "For though
you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you
do not have many fathers.: (1 Cor. 4:15)
The new teachers will carry the seed of the Father.
They will not provoke their children to wrath, nor will
they spend their children's inheritance. Instead, they
will mentor the son into maturity.
After teachers have laid down the foundation of the
Word, the new pastor will be released to shepherd the
sheep to green pastures. Sheep cannot be force-fed, they
can only be guided to where the Lord's provision is
established. The hireling mentality will be purged. The
fathering, apostolic spirit will not allow shepherds to
seek their own, but will incite them to lay down their
lives for the sheep.
Lastly, the heralders of Good News will be birthed and
they will go forth as laborers into the fields. These new
evangelists will be unlike anything the world has ever
seen. Most will be very young in the natural, but they
will carry the wisdom of age and they will display that
"... the Kingdom. Like oil dripping down from the head,
all the other anointings (apostolic, prophetic, teaching
and pastoring) will be upon them.
Signs and wonders will follow; fire will come from
their mouths; the Word will be revealed in their words;
and the lost shall be searched for and found as they
dedicate their lives to doing "the work of an evangelist."
(2 Timothy 4:5)
Life and Death is being set before us as a doorway has
opened in the heavens. We are in a period of painful
transition. We can be like Alice and enter the looking
glass in search of a Wonderland, or we can turn and
receive the reality that has been prepared for us. "Your
ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the
Way, walk in it.'"
Friday, March 31
Miles City, Montana
jlmoore@mcn.net
The Hand of God (Five-Fold Ministry) Beheld in
the Mirror
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