Presbytery concept

Thu Jun 9 16:14:25 PDT 2011

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

June 9, 2011

 *NAFTALI UPDATE - PRESBYTERY (ELDERSHIP) - June 9, 2011*

 *1. 1 Timothy 1:18 (1:18-20) PRESBYTERY: BASIS FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE. “This
:charge I commit to you, Timothy child, according to the prophecies which
led the way to you, that by them you war the good warfare” (NNT). *This was
one of the first verses found by the elders of the North Battleford Revival
- that encouraged them to believe that it was God and not the devil leading
them! See how powerfully Paul sets this truth forth to Timothy! *Hallowed be
your :name.*

 *2. 1 Timothy 4:14 (4:11-16) PRESBYTERY: RESULTS CAN BE FORFEITED! “Neglect
not the gift in you, which was given you through prophecy, with laying on of
the hands of the presbytery.” *Paul knew that his spiritual son Timothy was
a timid soul - and needed encouragement to push on into full realization of
truth and his potential. We can *all* neglect truth. At times we *all* need
to hear Paul's exhortation to Timothy! *Your :kingdom come!*

 *3. Acts 13:1-3. PRESBYTERY: FOR LAUNCHING MISSIONARIES. “Now in the church
that was at Antioch were prophets and teachers, both :Barnabas and Symeon
:called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen foster-brother of Herod the
tetrarch, and Saul. 2 And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and Saul for the work unto
which I have called them. 3 Then, having fasted and prayed and laid
theirhands on them, they sent
them away.” *The Presbytery sitting in the gate of a City Church - can be
used of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Yet these 5 men continued fasting
and praying after the Holy Spirit first spoke - to ensure that it was *indeed
Him* speaking! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!*

 *4. Acts 15:2 (15:1-35) PRESBYTERY: SOLVES DOCTRINAL PROBLEMS. “And when
:Paul and :Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them
(Judaizers), they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, to
go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this :question.” *For
me, this is one of the most powerful ministries of a City Presbyter. No
matter how difficult the problem - the Holy Spirit through them can give the
wisdom to solve *all such* problems! *Our :daily :bread give us this day.*

 *5. Ruth 4:2 (4:1-17) PRESBYTERY: SOLVES INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS. “And Boaz
took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit down here. And they
sat down” (ASV '01). *I like this example of a City Presbytery. This goes
back to Bethlehem well over 3000 years ago! And the Presbytery was witness
concerning the peaceful solution arrived at by Boaz and the nearer Kinsman.
*And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.*

 *6. Luke 22:66 (22:66-71) PRESBYTERY: A CORRUPT EXAMPLE. “And when it was
day, the elder ship of the people were gathered, both chief priests and
scribes; and they led him away to their :Sanhedrin.” *The Sanhedrin of 70 in
the City of Jerusalem was a Presbytery to solve problems. But through
centuries of sloth, they had degenerated into such corruption - that they
committed Jesus to death in the midst of rank injustice and perfidy. *And
bring us not into temptation!*

 *7. Acts 22:5 (21:37-22:21) PRESBYTERY: A FORMER CONNECTION FOR PAUL! “As
also the high priest witnesses and all the Eldership: from whom also I
received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them
also that were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.” *And what of
Paul's pre-conversion state? He was a member of this corrupt body, and a
witness to the unjust death and martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian
martyr! The conversion of Saul of Tarsus out of such a body is a miracle
indeed! *But deliver us from the evil one.*

 *NOTE**: *The February 1948 Visitation by God at North Battleford,
Saskatchewan, is a Red Letter mark in God's economy. Azusa Street, LA,
California started a Restoration in the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of
Gifts of the Spirit leading to multiplied evangelism. But 1948 added to this
dispensation. 12 Restoration Revival Principles came together this year,
laying an Embryonic Foundation - that God intended to *mature* prior to the
return of His Son.

 The *first* of these 12 Restoration Principles was that of the Presbytery
or Eldership in the Gate of each City Church. Even this first restoration
concept was but dimly understood in 1948. The fullness of its usefulness may
not even be seen yet today. Primarily, it was seen then in the 1 Timothy
1:18 context, and perhaps also Acts 13:1-3. Other functions of this
Eldership in the Gate of each City Church was scarcely perceived, if not at
all.

 There is a Biblical principle often expressed: “The first shall be last;
and the last first!” Strangely enough, the Israeli tribe of Naphtali is
listed *last* on Aaron's Breastplate of Judgment, and is associated with the
“Presbytery Concept,” *restored* on February 12, 1948.

 But Judah is listed *first* on the Breastplate of Judgment over the heart
of the High Priest, and is associated with the Heavenly Choir - and
*this*was the 12
th or last Revival Principle to be restored in Edmonton in October 1948. God
seems to love doing things like this - that we in turn can later search out
and marvel.

 Perhaps the Presbytery Concept restored in 1948, has been one of the most
abused of the 12 Revival Principles of that year. “A text without a context
is a pretext,” has been often quoted. If *only* the full body of Scripture
had been restored in 1948, the aberrations in the development of the
Presbytery concept could have been avoided. For instance - the Presbytery of
3 cities close where Timothy grew up - *all* intimately knew him at the time
Paul asked elders from them to set Timothy apart to be his co-worker. But
today - oftentimes the Presbytery is not allowed any foreknowledge of
candidates before ministering to them. This is unscriptural, and tempting
God, and has caused many prophetic errors to take place that need *not* have
happened - had simply the content of the *whole of* Scripture been applied!
On one occasion George Hawtin watched me doing Greek Word Studies and
outlining NT books on the basis of God's Bible Numerics as revealed to
Russian Ivan Panin. He said - “Jimmy - I wish to God I could do what you are
doing!” I was 25 at the time and thought - “What is going to happen to this
movement if you don't?” Ultimate Reconciliation, British Israel and extreme
Manifestation of the sons of God are but three of some 6-7 aberrations that
came into this movement in the next few years.

 I remember one of the favorite illustrations of Ivan Panin: “Just as a drop
of ocean water holds in *trace form* every constituent element of the ocean
- *so* every scripture must contain in trace form every teaching of the
entire Bible!” No contradictions. That means teachers must be *well prepared
* to share the Word of God. *This* is why James says in his 5 chapter
letter, *“Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall
receive greater
condemnation!” (James 3:1). *So many self-called teachers seem to fail to
understand - that *one day* they shall appear before the Judgment Seat of
Christ to *answer* for the incorrect teaching they gave down here on earth!
This is the reason I have prepared God's Bible Numeric Outlined Interlinear
Greek NT - Greek Word Studies - and a Through the Bible in a Year Daily
Devotional - so that I can correct myself if any of my beliefs or doctrine
does *not* line up with the Word of God. I would rather be corrected *down
here*, than hear Christ correcting me at His Judgment Seat - when it would *
then* be too late! J.A.Watt

 *TO SUBSCRIBE -- Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*

 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE -- Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*

 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES -- Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20110609/06e742e4/attachment.htm>