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Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry.

“Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, now I have put my words in your mouth. ‘See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant’” (Jer 1:9-10).

This was Jeremiah’s ordination: it was God’s act of initiating him into the ministry that he was to fulfil. His calling to ministry had been from pre-birth, when the Spirit of God began preparing him for ministry in his mother’s womb. Now, the moment had arrived when God spoke to him directly about the kind of ministry he was to fulfil.

Six Verbs, One Ministry

The six verbs in this sentence, four negative and two positive, indicate the direction Jeremiah’s ministry was to take. God was warning about the corrupt moral and spiritual state of the nation. This was so severe that much had to be torn down and removed from the nation’s life before there could be a positive outpouring of God’s blessing which would bring prosperity upon the land and its people.

These six verbs outline the whole of the ministry that Jeremiah was to fulfil over a 40-year period in Jerusalem. It would be a time of great turmoil and suffering. The uprooting and tearing down was to get rid of the greed, injustice, immorality and idolatry at the heart of the nation. Jeremiah eloquently describes this in his famous Temple Sermon in chapter 7. Corruption, greed and injustice were everywhere among the people and the leadership - both political and religious, from the King to the Chief Priest.

As Jeremiah said in one of his earliest declarations “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, Peace’, they say, when there is no peace” (6:13-14).

The corrupt moral and spiritual state of the nation was so severe that much had to be torn down before there could be a positive outpouring of God’s blessing.

An Almond Tree and a Boiling Pot

Jeremiah’s ordination was immediately followed by a question from God: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” he replied. He probably spoke out loud saying the word ‘almond’ in Hebrew (shaqed), which sounded like the word ‘watching’ (shaqad). The pun was not lost on Jeremiah and the Lord immediately responded “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

This was just the kind of confirmation that the young man needed. It was his first test, showing that he was correctly interpreting the word of the Lord, which indicated that he was ready to receive a revelation of the task that lay ahead. A second question prepared the way for a major revelation: “What do you see?” asked the Lord; “I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the North,” Jeremiah answered.

Some biblical scholars believe that Jeremiah received some kind of picture or ecstatic vision in responding to each of these two questions. But this is unlikely – Jeremiah was not an ecstatic visionary like Ezekiel or Habakkuk. Jeremiah broadly stood in the same type of ministry as Amos, Micah and Hosea, who did not see pictures but heard God speaking his word to them. They were watchmen observing what was happening around them. They then spread it before God to give them understanding, while listening for his word in response. They were then able to declare with authority, “Thus says the Lord!”

At the beginning of Jeremiah’s ministry, seeing an almond tree simply confirmed his calling: that he was now ready to interpret rightly the things that God brought to his attention (later on, for example, he was told to go to the potter’s shop and watch the potter at work through which God would speak to him). In this first revelation he probably saw a housewife pouring out a pot. He noted each detail – even the direction in which the pot was pouring, and from this God gave him the warning that judgment was going to come from the ‘Land of the North’ which was the popular term for Babylon, whose army always skirted around the Golan Heights to the Sea of Galilee and entered Judah from the North.

Jeremiah, like Amos, Micah and Hosea, did not see visions but heard God’s word by observing what was happening around them, spreading it before God and listening for his response.

Judgment and Warning

From that moment, Jeremiah knew that disaster was on the horizon for the nation, as God was warning that he would not protect an unrighteous city filled with the blood of the innocent, with violence and murder on its streets as well as immorality and greed among the priests, and idolatry even practised in the Temple.

Jeremiah knew that his ministry was to uproot and tear down these abominable practices by telling both leaders and the people that God was deeply offended by their lifestyles. Jeremiah’s task was to call for repentance with the promise of forgiveness, while at the same time warning about the consequence of failing to listen.

Jeremiah had to declare that God was a covenant-keeping God who would undoubtedly protect his people and ensure their survival. But he was also a God of righteousness who would withdraw his protective covering over the land and the people, for a time, if they did not heed the words of warning that he was giving through his spokesman.

From this first direct encounter with God at the beginning of his ministry, Jeremiah knew the end from the beginning. Judgment and disaster would inevitably fall upon the land, the people and the city of Jerusalem. Even the Temple would be destroyed, although everyone believed it was inviolable as the dwelling-place of God.

From the beginning of his ministry, Jeremiah knew that he was going to meet bitter opposition. The word came to him, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” He received an assurance that God would give him extraordinary strength in the face of extraordinary opposition. Right from the beginning, he received a promise that was to strengthen and sustain him throughout his long and turbulent ministry: “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declared the Lord (1:17-19).

Jeremiah was to declare that God was a covenant-keeping God who would not forsake his people, but he was also a God of righteousness.

Seeking the Lord’s Heart

It is this kind of ministry that we attempt to fulfil in Prophecy Today and Issachar Ministries: watching what is happening around us on the national domestic scene and observing the wider picture of what is happening among the nations in Europe and around the world, then spreading all this before the Lord and spending time listening for his response, so that we can know the word of the Lord for our times.

This is what the elders of the Tribe of Issachar did who came to King David at the time of his ordination, offering their services as watchmen and intercessors.

Of course, we don’t claim to be unique in this kind of ministry. We believe that all God’s people should be desiring to understand the times, and we are always open to hear from others who are seeking similarly to hear the word of the Lord.

But as Jeremiah was constantly troubled by false teachers and false prophets who gave words out of their own imaginations, promising peace and prosperity when God was calling for repentance and warning that disaster lay ahead, in the same way today there are many false teachers proclaiming another Gospel, and false prophets promising revival and glad tidings of peace and prosperity, when God is actually calling for repentance and turning.

This is why in recent weeks we have warned about the false teachings and false prophecies of the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR). Of course, their messages are popular with the people, as were the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day. But those who know the whole word of God in the Bible and who genuinely seek for truth will surely recognise the true word of the Lord.

As Jeremiah declared in the letter he sent to the exiles in Babylon, the solemn promise of God is: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord (29:13-14).

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

Margaret Wiltshire reviews two biographies ahead of the Christmas break.

With so much unbelief in the truth of the Bible these days, including within the ‘Church’, it was a treat to read biographies of two Englishmen who have followed the Lord their entire lives.

One is five years older than me, the other five years younger. They have both created lasting legacies in God’s Kingdom; but how different their callings.

'Strands of Destiny' (2017, Sovereign World)

Peter Horrobin began his working life lecturing in college and university, and late moved into publishing. One day, while restoring a broken-down car, God spoke to him: “You could restore this broken car, but I can restore broken lives. Which is more important?” So began Peter’s search for what God meant him to do and finally the opening of Ellel Grange in Lancashire as the centre for a Christian healing ministry in 1986, 16 years after his original call to the healing ministry.

Peter’s model for the healing ministry has been replicated in two other centres in England: Glyndley Manor near Eastbourne, and Pierrepoint near Farnham. Ellel Ministries also has centres in 30 countries round the world; continuing to grow and spread the fragrance of Christ and his healing love. Peter remains international director.

This easy-to-read book about how God prepared Peter for his life’s calling and established his ministry over a period of several decades is encouraging and faith-building

‘Strands of Destiny: How God used a crashed car to envision and build a ministry that touches the nations’ (464pp) is available from the publisher for £14.99. Also on Amazon Kindle. Find out more about Peter’s life and work on his blog.

'A Man After God’s Own Heart' (2017, Eurovision)

David Hathaway’s biography is a much more challenging read. An evangelist from his early years, he found himself unwanted by the Church in this country. In 1959 he heard that there was to be a World Pentecostal Conference in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in 1961. He wanted to be there, but had no money to buy an air ticket, so he decided to go by car and set up an expedition to take paying passengers.

Everyone said it was impossible, but his own father had taught him ‘that there is no such word in the English language as ‘can’t’’. His was the first overland trip - and it generated so much interest that he was almost forced to set up his own travel company. This led him to several Eastern European countries, through which he had been travelling, taking Bibles to the underground churches.

Eventually he was caught and spent a year in a Communist prison in Czechoslovakia. What he endured. How he learnt to pray! What vision and courage he had after his release, to proclaim the Good News to people. What miracles he has seen as he has evangelised in the former Soviet bloc. And now God has given him a heart for our own nation.

David’s own remarkable story definitely comes with a challenge to the reader. While we are not all called to ‘live on the edge’ in the way that he has, we are all called to deepen our relationship with the Lord and to grow our faith. Are we ready to step out, in our land, and see great things happen for the Kingdom?

‘David Hathaway: A man after God’s own heart’ (254pp, paperback) is written by Katie Morris and Timofey Medvedev. Available from the publisher for £10. On Amazon Kindle for less.

Monica Hill continues to look at the ministry gifts of Ephesians 4.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13, emphases added)

An evangelist is usually defined as one who has the ability to communicate the good news of the Gospel in meaningful and convincing ways to those who have not heard or understood it fully, with a view to people responding in faith, baptism and commitment to the body of Christ. Without evangelists, the Church would lose its calling and settle down to being just another community group.

The enabling aspects mentioned in Ephesians 4 include the ability to galvanise God's people in the area of evangelism, so that it becomes a prime factor in fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Old Testament Teaching

Evangelism is a New Testament concept – introduced to spread the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ widely across the nations. Neither evangelism nor the evangelist are mentioned in the Old Testament. Judaism is not a proselytising religion¹ – you are born into it. The religion is passed on from generation to generation and proof of ancestry (especially in the maternal line) is needed in order to be recognised as Jewish.

Without evangelists, the Church would lose its calling and settle down to being just another community group.

God-fearing Gentiles were acknowledged, and even one of the Outer Courts of the Temple was called the Court of the Gentiles. It was set aside for them to pray and was probably the one that Jesus cleared of money-changers (John 2:12) just before Passover, when he became very angry over its wrong use.

New Testament Teaching

Although there are only three references to an evangelist in the New Testament (Acts 21:8; Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5), there are numerous references to people evangelising (euangelizo in Greek) in the book of Acts. This is referring to the spontaneous witness of ordinary believers who could not keep quiet.

Evangelism became of paramount importance following the stoning of Stephen, when Christians began to suffer great persecution (Acts 8:1). In fact, the more persecution there was, the more the Church grew! In the 2^nd Century AD, Tertullian commented: “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”. And certainly this was the way the early Church grew.

When the Christians were forced to leave Jerusalem following the stoning of Stephen, there was a significant change in recording this growth – from “the Lord added to their number” (Acts 2:47) to “the church…multiplied” (Acts 9:31 ESV). Even those with little mathematical understanding will be able to deduce how significant this was.

There are numerous references in Acts to the spontaneous witness of ordinary believers who could not keep quiet.

There were named evangelists in Acts 8: Peter and John after their visit to Samaria evangelised many villages on their way back to Jerusalem (v25); Philip evangelised the Ethiopian eunuch in the desert (v35) and then evangelised in all the cities as he travelled to Caesarea (v40). But the greatest growth was brought about by every believer sharing their faith.

Ministry vs General Calling

We are all called to be witnesses and should be brimming over with the Good News to share with others - although only some will be called to the ministry of an evangelist. But even they are dependent on God entering the lives of those they have introduced to the Gospel, because only God can bring that life-changing relationship into being.

Evangelists are single-minded and so full of the Good News that they are able to share it wherever they go - and in all situations. Paul even said “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16-19). It was his whole calling – he as so full of the risen Jesus that he could not keep quiet!!

In fact, only Philip, one of the Seven, is called an 'evangelist' (Acts 21:8), although Timothy is told by Paul to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). Timothy took every opportunity to share Christ – so Paul probably meant that that Timothy was not to wait until people came to him asking questions.

But of course Paul is often seen as the model evangelist – the one who does not settle for too long in an area but is an itinerant tent-maker and church-planter. Our concept of evangelists usually accepts this definition - but there may be ways in which in future we need to change our mindset towards evangelism, in order to be more effective.

Evangelists are single-minded and so full of the Good News that they share it wherever they go.

In the ministry of Jesus, we can see all five ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4, including that of an evangelist: in the synagogue at Nazareth he claimed that he was the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy “to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18).

Evangelists Today

Today, we have often taken evangelism out of the local church and assigned it to para-church organisations, who flourish, commending different types of evangelism. But this in many ways means that evangelism is seen as an optional extra – reserved for ‘professionals’ or those from an evangelical tradition.

Crusade evangelism with named individuals like Billy Graham or Luis Palau is still seen as a major (if not the main) form of evangelism, with seaside, street, marketplace or door-to-door outreach drawing church members away from activities with the faithful to become involved with not-yet-believers. But these kinds of evangelism rely on limited encounters. This does not mean they are not worthwhile, but they must be supplemented with the building of continuing relationships, which is so important. This is where the personal sharing of faith – or friendship evangelism - has been proved to be the most effective.

Ideally, every church member should be taught how to share their faith with others - and when and where. They should be prepared to share their faith especially in their links outside the church – say in the family, workplace, school, and even in prisons (although all of these are becoming more difficult). Surely the worst comment any believer can receive is “I did not know you were a Christian!”.

Evangelism is the most important gift for the continuity of the Church – we know in theory that ‘God has no grandchildren – only children’ but we are not very good at passing the baton on to others, and so there is a large gap in age within many of our churches.

We also often fail to recognise that the best evangelists are the newly converted – they still have non-Christian friends and the experience of conversion is a living daily subject with them – they are excited by everything that is opening up for them. Perhaps this was what was lacking in Ephesus (referred to in Revelation 2:1) – that the members had lost their first love. This enthusiasm and excitement for sharing the Good News with others should continue to be present in every member of the Body so that there is a living witness portrayed to the world.

We often fail to recognise that the best evangelists can be the newly converted.

But we also need to realise that evangelists are not pastors – and should not try to be – churches and believers do not grow up to maturity with just evangelism. Pastors and teachers are needed to take people to the next stage of discipleship and continue the work started by the evangelist. This is why all the five ministry roles are needed in the Church.

Finally, two or three illustrations that might help from the world scene:

• From South America – where one flourishing new church would not allow anyone to become a full member until they had brought someone else to Christ.
  
• From Singapore – where at one time, acceptance to membership in the Anglican Church required training which included a week on mission to share their faith with Muslims in neighbouring Malaysia.
  
• From the underground Church in China - where they could not build up large congregations as meetings of more than ten were restricted; they were in a way ‘forced’ to send their new converts out, and the Church flourished.
  

Next week we will be looking at the more familiar role of the pastor, which is indispensable in our churches today.

Notes

1 Proselytising is converting or attempting to convert someone from one religion to another. Islam is a proselytising religion – by force if necessary, whereas Christianity evangelises by love. In Islamic nations, conversion away from Islam is usually banned.

18 years ago, Anna Hanninen responded faithfully to God's call for her to become an intercessor. Read on to be inspired!

Anna is a retired midwife living in Finland, whose life is committed to intercessory prayer for all the covenant family of God. On her prayer boards are many pictures of friends near and far, for whom she prays every day. Miryam is a nurse and is fully involved to support her mother in the ministry. Their home is dedicated to hospitality for visiting ministers from around the world.

Anna describes her call to prayer:

The Lord was calling me on the night between 17th and 18th July 1998. I woke up that night to the knowledge that the Lord was very close and that He would have something important to tell me. When I felt His closeness my tears began to roll down and I was able to say just, "Lord! You know everything what has been, but You also know that You are dear to me and I'm ready to do Your will whatever it then will be." I felt in that moment within me His voice that was saying, "Your place is to be in the prayer chamber. You will be much alone, but I will always be with you.

I have received prayer targets some Asian countries and Malawi from Africa and other prayer targets. Besides this my primary prayers are for Israel (that had been already tens of years previously in my prayers) sometimes through dreams. Especially there was a dream of Israel during the tribulation of Jacob. [My] second dream was of the suffering body of Yeshua in prisons and third one was of the fate of millions of suffering children on the streets and slave labour of children and in other terrible places.

I wanted [to have] a disciplined daily schedule for the prayers and intercessory prayers. For a few years I prayed for four hours a day regularly. I had been advised to keep Sabbath free of this and to use it to personal recreation and rest and I experienced that it was a piece of good advice.

Later I started to pray three hours a day and during the last year of my prayers have become more the lifestyle and not a kind of "performance" that I do in a set time. Nowadays several shorter times are included in my days when I specially go before the Lord in intercessory prayer, but also in between in the midst of daily chores the intercessory prayer targets are before my inner eyes and in prayer. I think that as much as I can identify with the person or wider intercessory prayer target, so much I can share the loads, battles and experience the attacks of the enemy and share the joys of victories. If we can touch in prayer God's heart, we don't fail.

I think also that if God has called [someone] to the intercessory prayer ministry, so it is [a] call for the time of whole life and one can't disengage oneself of it according to one's own feelings and will. For me it is new fresh commitment every morning when I wake up and praise the Lord for His love and tell Him that I love Him and want to be faithful to Him.

As I'm generally alone at home on the five [days] of the week, so the human sense of loneliness is sometimes even harrowing. So it was particularly in the beginning, as I had lived my whole life from under 20 years old in the midst of a congregation actively and our home was always full of guests from far and wide. When the Lord then led [me] to new kind of stage in this regard, so in the beginning the pain of loneliness was so great that I threw myself down on the sofa and cried out aloud this agony of mine to the Lord. Now I have every day before my eyes the big family of the Lord from different parts of the world. The pictures of everybody whose pictures I have had [the] possibility to get and for whom I pray are fixed on two quite big boards and if I don't have a picture, so I have names on the board or paper. This way those who are far away come close and I can besides 'be travelling' in the spirit from one continent to another to meet them daily."

Anna is now 90 years old. She has recently suffered some setbacks in her health, but is still committed to the ministry of prayer according to her devotion of many years.

Anna and Miryam send their greetings from Finland!

'Out of the Desert' by Mike Dwight (New Wine Press, 2015, 79 pages, £5.99, available from Roperpenberthy for £5)

Mike has served as a missionary with WEC International for over 35 years in Europe and Asia. His ministry has involved church planting and leadership training, most recently with WEC Betel International. This book, his first, is based on the talks he gave at their 2013 conference, which centred on Exodus 33 and God's planned journey for Moses and the people of Israel. Drawing lessons from this passage, Mike brings a powerful encouragement to all involved in mission or ministry: to get closer to God in order to serve him more effectively.

Personal Witness

It is soon apparent that God has been speaking to Mike very powerfully in recent times, showing him new things that would change his ministry even after years of experience and success. As the author tells us towards the end, "What I have shared in this book is not the product of study so much as an opening of my heart to what God has personally been doing in me over these last few years" (p77).

Stories and testimonies from Mike's life and ministry flow naturally and regularly as he takes us through the scriptural passages and key points. But these are not mere anecdotes; they enhance his message like lights on an airport runway, guiding us along the path he wants us to share. As his own personal pilgrimage unfolds, his integrity and honesty encourage us to reflect on our own journeys and where we are with God at present. Do we hear the call, as Moses did, to "leave this place" and "go up to the land I promised" (Ex 33:1)?

Mike testifies through his own journey that God is more important than any ministry or calling: we cannot go out of the desert without him."

A Fresh Revelation

But as Mike explains clearly and passionately, you cannot begin this new journey without a fresh encounter with God and revelation of him, otherwise "I will not go with you" (Ex 33:2). Mere gifting and experience is not enough. God himself needs to be at the centre of any ministry and in the heart of anyone desiring to serve him.

We are repeatedly warned that "we cannot drift casually into the purposes, calling and future plans of God, no matter how able and capable we think we may be." (p22). Time has to be spent in God's presence, listening and seeing before speaking and doing. We must rest in God before we can journey with him, allowing him to move our hearts before we move our lips or feet. This is what makes a ministry truly prophetic, one which is alive to the next stage of the journey and aware of what the world most needs from God. It is no surprise that Mike's Biblical hero is Enoch, more renowned for walking with God than doing anything else!

We must rest in God before we can journey with him, allowing him to move our hearts before we move our lips or feet."

New Impetus

The book is both hard-hitting and gently persuasive, a sure sign of being Spirit-inspired. In his foreword, Jim Graham sums it up as "not so much a book to be enjoyed as to be experienced" (p.ix). Yet, it is also an enjoyable read. The spoken word has been expertly transferred into the written word, and the resulting volume, although slim, is packed with help for those setting out in ministry as well as for those who have been in ministry for years but seeking a fresh impetus and greater fulfilment.

Here is a message from someone with a clear call on his life and who has resolutely followed it, but who has also discovered that God himself is more important than any ministry or calling. We cannot go out of the desert without him.