As the children of Israel were rebellious against the Word of God, the New Testament church today rebels against specific scriptures which conflicts to that which they have learned at their churches.
But God today sends HIS prophets to the church ministers and individuals though they often harden their hearts today to that word of God that is carried to them and continue in their own preferences.
Ezekiel 2:3-8
And HE (God) said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against ME: they and their fathers have transgressed against ME, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak MY words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
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After Jesus ascends into heaven, HE sets up the New Testament church.
Ephesians 4
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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God taught me the following concerning the work of apostle and prophet to which I am called and set in the New Testament church today.
* apostle: God took me to Acts 15 to show me the basic work of an apostle.
A question concerning "doctrine" arose in the church. "Do the Gentile believers have to be circumcised?" The elders and apostles met at Jerusalem to discuss this matter and to make a ruling for the other churches to follow.
Peter spoke. Paul spoke. James heard what they said and then he pronounced the ruling concerning the Gentiles.
They wrote this ruling and sent it to the other churches in writing. (There was no NT Bible in those days of the early church.)
Today we have the New Testament Bible which the early church did not have.
Basically what God showed me is this: apostles are ordained by God in dealing with church doctrines.
Churches today fall away from New Testament Bible rulings and we try to turn individuals back to what the Bible says.
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* prophet: In the New Testament Bible we have these examples of the work of a New Testament prophet.
Agabus: Acts 11:27-30 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
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Acts 21:7-11 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
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Other New Testament prophets cited in the New Testament Bible:
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 15:31 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
I Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
I Corinthians 14:29 (Paul says concerning the gathering of the New Testament Church) Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
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Throughout the Bible, we see many examples of God using prophets to carry messages of correction and instruction to the church. Prophets of God are not sent to the world but to the church.
5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;
6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto ME: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
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Matthew 23 Jesus says:
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see ME henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see ME henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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Matthew 23:29-35 Jesus says:
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
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