End Time Spiritual Levites

Are You a Spiritual Levite?

1) Have you known for a long time that God's hand is upon you and that somehow you are going to do something very significant for His Kingdom? Yes__No__

2) Does it seem like Satan has been working over time to make your life miserable, through financial struggles, things breaking down, sicknesses, and problems, all designed to wear you out and get you to settle for less than God's best?  Yes ____       No _____

3) Although you have lots of vision, up until now everything you've tried has worked for awhile, but then, just as it is on the verge of taking off, it fails or it stops, always for a different reason, but the result is the same. Now because it has happened so often, have you've become convinced that anything you touch will in the short-term fail?  Yes ____       No _____

4) Do your friends and family have a hard time trying to understand why you keep going on when you have so little to show for it? In fact, they consider you to be a dreamer or a visionary and talk to you about getting on with your real life?  Yes ____       No _____

5) As much as you have tried, you have never been able to fit into only one part of the larger body of Christ and many times in the past have said to others, "I'm not a (pick a denomination), I am just a Christian. Do you feel called to all the body of Christ, not just one part?  Yes__ No____

If you answered Yes 4 or 5 times, then there is a good chance you are a Spiritual Levite.

What is a Spiritual Levite?

	In Israel, the Levites were the tribe who was chosen by God to be totally dedicated to Him. Some were priests; most were laymen, but they all served the Lord in ministry. The other tribes each received an inheritance of land, but the Levites inheritance was God himself. While the other tribes were primarily concerned with what was happening in their little area, the Levites were spread throughout all the other tribes and their concern was for God and His interests.

	I believe that in a spiritual way, within the church, there are different streams of God's moving and that each stream, under closer inspection, has many characteristics similar to one of the twelve tribes of Israel (remember that it was God who set up Israel in 12 tribes to start with. He didn't have to do it that way.) One of these streams is a group of people who function very much like the Levites.

In the Old Testament what did the Levites do?

Ministered to God

- To stand before the Lord, serve Him, bless presence of the ark as musicians and prophets.

- Had charge of the tabernacle and the temple

- Carried the Ark of the Covenant and were the Lord's Royal guard

- Took the place of the firstborn children with the Lord as their inheritance

Helped the priests

- Prepared the shewbread and were custodians of the tithes and offerings

- Killed Passover lambs while in captivity and assisted in preparing the sacrifice

Helped the people as ministers

- Teachers of the law, scribes of the sacred books

- Judges and pronounced the blessings of the law

- Gatekeepers of the doors

- Overseers in building and repairing the temple

Served the whole country

- Spread throughout all the other tribes and linked & unified the tribes.

- Loyal to God's ordained ruler and subordinate to the sons of Aaron

- Assigned the 6 Refuge cities

- Supervised weights and measures

- Exempt from enrollment for military duty

Biblical examples of Spiritual Levites

	Old Testament - Aaron and Moses - Aaron (Moses' older brother) was both a physical and spiritual Levite. When Moses didn't want to fulfill God's call to speak for Israel, Aaron took his place for a time and then gradually turned it back over to Moses when he was ready.

	New Testament - Barnabas and Paul - Joseph, a physical and spiritual Levite and probably one of Jesus' seventy was nicknamed Barnabas (Son of Encouragement) by the Apostles. When Paul got saved, he came to Jerusalem and tried to associate with the saints, but none of them would because of fear. So, Barnabas got involved and took hold of Paul and brought him to the apostles.

	A few years later news came of a number of Gentiles getting saved in Antioch, in response Jerusalem sent Barnabas (perhaps he was the only one who was willing to go). After he saw what was happening, the first thing he did was to go and find Paul and bring him to Antioch, so that he could train and disciple him over the next year.

	In Acts 11:30 they are addressed as "Barnabas and Saul". In Acts 13:1, we have a list of leaders in Antioch; Barnabas is mention first and Saul last. Later in the same passage, they are called by God for a mission and addressed as "Barnabas and Saul".

Change in their roles

	Then we begin to see a gradual transition in Acts 13:7 when they come to Paphous it is as "Barnabas and Saul". In 13:9 Saul begins to be called Paul and in 13:13 they leave Paphous as "Paul and his companions". Then in 13:42 it is "Paul and Barnabas" and Barnabas willingly pulls back and leaves it that way until they part.

	In Acts 15:36 when Paul suggests a new trip, Barnabas wants to bring Mark along, but Paul sharply disagrees because Mark had deserted them halfway through on the last trip. The result is they split up, and went on separate journeys. Barnabas takes Mark and Paul takes Silas.

	The focus of scripture, however, follows Paul, so all we know about Mark is two things: 1) In his later life, Paul (2Tim 4:11) asks Timothy to pick up Mark and bring him because he is useful to him for service. (A little bit of a change) and 2) He wrote the book of Mark.

The results of Barnabas' ministry

	So what did the "Son of Encouragement" do with his life? He took two people, who others had rejected, and he helped both of them find their ministry and between them they wrote half of the New Testament. He also built the foundation for and pastored the Antioch church (which became the strongest church of the Early church age) and with Paul he developed a ministry to the Gentiles (95% of the church today).

	Barnabas had a fairly significant life and yet most Christians think of him as simply Paul's helper, funny, as it may seem, that's probably the way he would want it.

Modern Day Spiritual Levites

	A Spiritual Levite today generally belongs to and supports a local church (lives in the land of one of the tribes), but his heart is for the whole church. Usually, you will find him involved with people, ministries or callings that others have given up on or rejected. Their ministry involves coming along side and determining what is needed to get things back on track; they then encourage the person or people in those specific areas.

	In some cases, however, there is so little to begin with that the Lord actually uses them to get things started. Then, they gradually step back, as those who are called are ready to take over. Their assignment is basically to serve the whole body of Christ by helping to bring every person or ministry up to it's full maturity in Christ. Like Barnabas, at the end of their lives, it will seem like they have very little to show for it, and yet if you look closely, you will be amazed to see how much they really accomplished.