The Fold of the Lord by Pam Clark

By Pam Clark
The Lord reminded me today about "the fold" in five-fold ministry, how it is like "folding in" ingredients in a recipe. That word "fold" for us is also used as a fold of sheep, or a sheepfold, to refer to them as a group. Then I saw a "picture" in my head of an Emergency Room, and I have been a patient in one of those before. You know that in a hospital, there are the doctors and nurses, and cleaning staff, and lab techs, and supervisors and records clerks and other people that play important roles in a hospital.
The Fold of the Lord by Pam Clark
 
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The Lord reminded me today about "the fold" in five-fold ministry, how it is like "folding in" ingredients in a recipe. That word "fold" for us is also used as a fold of sheep, or a sheepfold, to refer to them as a group. Then I saw a "picture" in my head of an Emergency Room, and I have been a patient in one of those before. You know that in a hospital, there are the doctors and nurses, and cleaning staff, and lab techs, and supervisors and records clerks and other people that play important roles in a hospital.
 
The Lord said (by impression to me) that they all work together and if you are not that overwhelmingly sick, you notice them and many take on personalities to you. That is like the ministry gifts.
 
But if you are really sick and injured and have to go to ER, then they are working as a fast-moving TEAM, and you don't know or notice who is doing what so much. They know the protocols, the order, and the assignments they each have, and they must work well together to get the job done to take care of you if you are the one who is sick or injured!
 
The doctor may call for a type of medicine and someone not only knows where to get it, but it's recorded as well. Someone is there cleaning the floors as needed, some are doing x-rays or lab tests and nurses are adjusting things to help the doctors and the patients be more comfortable, or assisting with procedures for the best diagnosis to help discern needed treatments, or even a surgery if that is needed.
 
EACH ONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT in that "body of people" that do that work to make it successful. And even then, there are challenging and difficult situations. (There are even tv shows now about Saturday nights in ER when people are doing "recreational" things more and the demands are especially high from accidents.)
 
Each one of those medical team members are doing a job that is NECESSARY to make the whole team and project work! They are not the same, but they are a TEAM, and we need to see the ministry gifts the same way.
 
We should be able to liken in our minds that a doctor has to be prepared to know each gift like an apostle would. Some like a prophet would have to be able to see "down the road" on the upcoming needs.
 
I am being very simplistic here. Some have to stock the shelves, and make sure the lab is running okay and clean as it should. Nurses and aides attend the daily care, like a pastor would, there are people who need to keep all the others informed like teachers would. Administration would make sure the right supplies of people and things are there. Again, this is just an example but is an example of how a good and effective TEAM would work!
 
Where do Our Giftings Fit In?
 
We need to seek God for our giftings and where they fit in as the Body of Christ. We need to get trained in them and then seek where WE should be - to fit in and function in God's overall Plan! These can even change over time. We even have to fight unbelief at times.
 
These ministry gifts "fold" in together to function. And you know, people who offer vacations after hard work are appreciated too! But if you major on rest before the job is accomplished, you are not looked on as so functional.
 
But if we are on a good TEAM, and educated in our positions, we can APPRECIATE how the team works and what it needs to in order to get the Job Assignment done! We can thank God for each member and bless them and help them. We are not robots!
 
But IF THE CHURCH is not equipping THE TEAM, then when problems and even crises happen, things fall apart, and less are saved or helped or ministered to as the Lord would seek to provide for His peeps! (That is His decision more than ours, please note. We must continually seek Him.)
 
Some people would disregard different values because it has little or no meaning to them until they need it and then is it there? Not to mention there are those idiot enemies who also need special attention of their own to prevent mayhem. We are still in a fallen world and we need to pick our Team and see that they are educated, and then get the job done!
 
We have to learn how to judge and discern in the proper ways because of what our purpose is. Not everyone is identical. Many get surprised and even shocked to find out the world is not all about them! But we are on a Mission, should we choose to accept it! Let's "fold" this thing together the right way!
 
Pam Clark