“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his 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.” (Ephesians 4:7-13)

Verse 8 says, “When Christ ascended he gave gifts to his people,” and before that in verse 7 it says, “…to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

I am not even going to try to attempt to state here that I understand the five-fold ministry any better than anyone else.  In fact, I feel most of the time that I don’t understand it at all, but one thing that this scripture does say is that it is given as a gift from Christ to his people.

Christ as God can only do good.  That is his complete heart and motivation.

When he ascended and gave to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors he was doing something that was “GOOD,” and not bad.

I just had a vision and saw that these offices were to be like rarefied gemstones to the church.  They have great value because there is something within them that is placed there by God and they are valuable because of this.

I have met many men and women of God who would fit within the categories of the five-fold ministry.  What strikes me about them is that each one is unique.  They do not fit within a cookie cutter mold.

As their ministries are released within our midst something is released into the body that would not otherwise be released.  There is a revelation, an impartation, an understanding, an angelic anointing, a healing, a deliverance that they carry that is meant to do what God sent it to do in our lives, and as this is released we become different and changed.

Our ministries become more effective and not because we have learned something, but because that which they carried was deposited into us and we grew as a result.

What does this mean?  I really don’t know if I can express this in words, but I will try.

Elijah was ascending to the Father and Elisha was aware that this mighty man or gift from God was about to leave the earth.  He went with Elijah on his journey in order to receive his mantle upon his departure (2 Kings 2).

The following conversation unfolds between the two on the other side of the Jordan River:

Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”  

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied

How in the world could a man give a portion of his spirit to another man?  This is not possible.  It would have to be a miracle from the Lord.

And there is a mystery or a lesson inside of this story for all of us.  The man or woman of God who is given as a gift from the Lord to the church is a vessel that contains the glory of God like a deposit in a special way.  Every one of us who walks with them can inherit a portion of their spirit or the anointing that they carry.

On many occasions after I have received one of the five-fold into my church and after they have left, many of the things that occurred in their ministry began to occur in mine, and this not by any conjuring of my own.

I have received prophetic words like one of the men that came into our midst.  I have seen gold dust appear like the person that first prayed for me for this to occur.  I have had smells occur like another person whom I invited into our midst.  I have had dreams like the dreams of the man who first prayed for me.

These people carry things for the church and not just themselves.  When we are aware of this, we can ask God to deposit the same anointing in our own lives and He will and He does.

I know I am probably stretching some people today, but so be it.  God wants the Church to receive the five-fold into its midst so that it can grow the way God intended.

It is not all about the knowledge that these people carry, but it is about what is on their lives.  As we receive them we receive what they carry and we need this to be equipped to do the work that God has called us to do and advance into our destiny.