Five-Fold Today - The Lord's Resistance Army - The Hand of God (Five-Fold Ministry) Beheld in the Mirror

Friday, March 31

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
Miles City, Montana
jlmoore@mcn.net

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face." 1Cor. 13:12
The Hand of God (Five-Fold Ministry) Beheld in the Mirror

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:
1950s - The Evangelist (Oral Roberts and others following the Latter Rain Movement)
1960s - The Pastor (Discipling and Shepherding Movement)
1970s - The Teacher (Charismatic movement and cassette tapes and television shows)
1980s - The Prophet (Kansas City prophets and others established)
1990s - The Apostle (conferences and books on the Apostolic)

"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.'"

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