Ministry Titles

Doctrinal Statement of First Harvest Ministries concerning “Titles” or “Offices” of the living third temple, often referred to as “The Church” in modern vernacular. Whereas First Harvest Ministries (hereafter referred to as FHM) has been established in the end times to fulfill our role as has many others before us in preparing the future government of the Messiah. We believe that it is our unique duty to begin a fundamental transformation of the mindset of YAHWEH’s people. Whereas in days gone by, we thought of ourselves as a people who were being saved to go to a place called heaven we then adhered to a “church” mindset rather than a “Kingdom” mindset. FHM has been called by eternity to re-train the thinking of THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL from a temporary mindset to an eternal mindset, primarily of ruling and reigning with Messiah in the next age, known as the Millennial reign or the Great & Final Sabbath age, the 7 th day or 7000 th year. Whereas we have come into the fuller understanding of the purpose of our Salvation regarding the coming age, it is now our required duty (specifically of the founder of the ministry) to teach the very principles that will be utilized in the coming kingdom age. As we prepare our minds with a Millennium mentality, we find that old order “church” thinking must be replaced by the mindset of the New Day that is about to dawn. Whereas as we study the coming Kingdom, we first find that it will indeed be a Theocracy with no trace of democracy form of government. There will be complete hierarchy in that Kingdom and a government of immortal saints who were trained in this life in the ways of theocracy. There will be a Headquarters in the coming kingdom with assigned elders (governors) over the various regions and dominions of the Coming Kingdom. All government will be from the top down rather than the type of government we are accustomed to in our western ways of thinking, this thinking that must be corrected by this ministry. Whereas in an effort to correct that thinking, we have chosen to embrace a government of our spiritual body that most closely aligns with the honor that will be shown in the coming Kingdom. The hierarchy as we know it from scripture in the Kingdom age will be as follows: YAHWEH Yahshua King David Twelve Apostles Prophets The Saints who will “govern the nations of the world” The Saints who will “govern ten, five and one cities” respectively Did Yahweh create a prototype to train us with in preparation of this coming Kingdom? Indeed, He did, He created at the ascension of His Son, Yahshua, the glorious five-fold ministry of which he tells us they are worthy of “double honor.” He then continues to tell us in His word to “Obey them that that have the rule over us” and the purpose is “because they watch for our souls.” Whereas YAHWEH Himself tell us that in the end times He would “give us Shepherds after His own heart” we understand those Shepherds to be the five-fold ministry of: Apostles Prophets Pastors Evangelist Teachers Whereas we understand these offices are filled with infallible men and women, we also understand that the office itself is infallible. Therefore, we show not honor to those who fill these offices but rather the office they fill. In so doing we are showing honor to the very one who created these offices in the church – YAHWEH HIMSELF and His Son, YAHSHUA. While we recognize this entire mindset is totally foreign to all humans as all humans have been deceived into rebellious thinking (Rev 12:9) we are thankful that in the end times there will be a people who will not “despise government” as we will practice in FHM what we will embrace in the Coming Kingdom. Whereas those in the Five-Fold Ministry must needs be assisted in their overseeing of the congregations, the Apostle Paul teaches us how to install such governance. He showed us by example to establish ELDERS in every area where the work is being planted. For the uneducated in these kingdom matters who insist there was no use of titles in scripture we would remind you of truth: Both the words LORD and CHRIST are indeed Titles rather than names. Yahshua Himself was referred to with both titles by the Apostles in their reverence of His office as “Head of the church” It would be equivalent to saying YAHSHUA vs. LORD & ANOINTED YAHSHUA – this is indeed His TITLE. Whereas Yahshua our Lord and Savior left the earth, he indeed left its care in the hands of men and women that He Himself gave titles to upon His ascension, personally authorizing the use of these titles and offices. To deny the use of titles is to literally deny the very creation of Heaven and her glorious King. Whereas carnal minds would have us to believe the third temple (the church) was left with no organization or authority structure and every man would do what “was right in his own eyes” we have come to know better. Rather than “despising government” as we were told would be an identifying trait of the end times, we have chosen to embrace government in the Qahal. Part of recognizing that government is the use of honorific titles so that we might obey the scriptures that command us to “give double honor” to these men and women who hold these offices. In closing we now lean to the final authority on these matters: Holy Scripture. Galatians 6:6 – “We should support the one who teaches” Proving to us the two differing roles in the church – the one who teaches and the one who is taught and the duties of the taught to the teachers. 1 Thess 5:12-13 – “Have a relationship of truth with those who are over you in the Lord, the ones who admonish (warn, caution and reprove) you” and esteem them very highly and be at peace with them” Hebrews 13:17 – “Obey those who rule over you in the Lord and submit to them” Hebrews 13:7 “Be mindful of those who have rule over you in the Lord, who speaks the Word to you” Hebrews 13:24 “Salute those who have the rule over you” Whereas it is determined by the leadership of FHM that no opinion matters among men when placed against the Word! According to the Word there were honorific titles given in the early Apostolic church and we are commanded not to forsake these traditions given to us by the Apostles and FHM shall be guardians of these Apostolic traditions in spite of the modern-day mindset of man that fights so hard against these truths. Philippians 1:1 – Here Paul greets “the bishops and the deacons” by their given titles. For clarification: Deacons would equate to our given titles “District Ministers” as the deacons serves the Elders and the Bishops in helping them to govern the Qahal/Church. 1 Tim 3 – Paul spends this entire chapter so enthralled with the offices and titles of the Qahal that gives detailed information concerning the qualification of these esteemed titles. It is the carnal diabolic mindset of this age that despises government and all government is known and identified by the use of honorific titles. We as members of FHM shall rid ourselves of these modern mindsets that we learned in the church of this age and we will fully embrace the coming kingdom form of government as taught to us by the Apostle Paul in all the early churches. Any partner of this ministry who cannot see our goal in these practices perhaps you simply do not share the same Kingdom vision as we do and may not be able to walk among us as we endeavor in our training to establish KINGDOM mindsets. Titus 1:5 – “ordain elders in every city” – a biblical command to ordain Elders. As the founding Bishop of this ministry, I will never be forced to defy scripture for the human reasoning of men. Titus 3:3 – “We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient” to principalities and rulers. Be It Resolved and Understood, we will be faithful to the original mandate of FHM, “Training For Reigning, Schooling For Ruling.” In order to fulfill this mandate, it is my duty as your Pastor, in spite of all attacks against my doing so, to lead you in the path of honor and double honor and to rescue you from your human mind and deliver you into HIS WAY of thinking. We must all move from “self” to “surrender”