Apostolic Identity. How Do You Know Your An Apostle?

I heard someone say recently that there should be Ephesians 4 ministries in every local church. (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors.)  I have many thoughts on the five fold ministry. Too many to go into for this particular post, but I would like to take a moment to highlight a few ideas regarding this over emphasis on the gifts.

Ephesians 4 describes an individuals function in the church.  These ministries are better understood as verbs, not nouns. Just because you lead a few people to Christ, doesn’t necessarily make you an Ephesians 4 evangelist. Got it?  In face, there are many in the body of Christ who have actually been mis-identified because of a lack of understanding.  I’ve been pondering lately on why there are so many people weaving in and out of church life proposing to be apostles and prophets. I’ve come to the conclusion that some of these people, not all, but some have been mis-identified because of a lack of understanding and lack of relationship.  This has left a bad taste in people’s mouth, including mine, concerning true apostolic ministry. Here are a few items to note. (For scriptural reference to apostolic ministry I would suggest a good reading of 2 Cor.)

1. Planting churches doesn’t make you an apostle.
In fact, nowhere in the Bible does it command us to plant churches. We plant people…out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of Light.

2. There is a difference between being and apostle and doing an apostolic work.
Every apostle has a different assignment from God and most apostles are called to do that outside of the church. The apostle will bring a revelation of Jesus to the church, but will also be “sent” to a particular sphere for the work of ministry. I know apostles in the music industry. I know prophets in film. I know teachers who are called to the public school system. There are some apostles that simply evangelize. There are some called to government and politics. True apostles know their assignment from Jesus and follow that kingdom assignment. If you don’t have a church presently, don’t feel your not called as an apostle.

3. Apostles need to be submitted and accountable to a local church
Yes, I said it. Some of you may disagree with me. Thats fine, we can agree to disagree, but I find that biblically that apostle’s gift, calling, and proven character were identified within the relationship context of a local church. NEWS FLASH! You don’t graduate from ministry school and go out to plant a church and call yourself an apostle! The apostle will be found in the local gathering of believers and first off known simply as a brother in the Lord. Apostles need care, shepherding, loving and feeding too. They need a place where they are able to rest, participate and share in the fellowship, without the pressure to minister or exercise their gift. Even after the person is recognized and sent out, that apostle should be able to come home, and rely upon that local church for encouragement, strength and accountability. Note: The problem with most local churches is that they lack the “sending Spirit of Christ”. Instead of raising up and releasing people, they hold them for the sake of building a ministry. Very few churches are sending out true apostles into the earth. We need secure senior leaders to have the humility enough to be able to recognize other emerging ministries.

4. Apostles are last.
If your seeking a glamorous ministry position please don’t seek to become an apostle. Contrary to today’s belief that apostles are first…they are actually, from a biblical standpoint least, last and the worst job you’d want to carry out in the body of Christ. (sometimes I feel the prophetic would qualify for this as well) The responsibility is immense, the pressure too much to bear and often you’ll be ridiculed, mocked, and suffer greatly in ministry.  If your a true apostle…you’ll count it all joy. God doesn’t make apostles to wear shiny shoes, rolexs and stretch limos. (not that those are bad.) He makes them to serve, build and bear with the body of Christ until she comes to maturity. An apostle is a “fathering” role.  Many apostles out there today are emerging apostles learning to be fathers. Most of them have skipped God’s process and are in ministry prematurely.

5. Being associated with a “ministry organization” doesn’t make you an apostle.
I understand why such organizations have come about. Its because the local church is sick. But the danger with so called “apostolic networks” or “ministry schools” is that they often give licenses to individuals without any relational context. If there is a form of relationship, its not enough to be actually be considered accountability. A phone call with a regional director once a month doesn’t serve as accountability folks. Having access to ministry material, conferences and books doesn’t give much to go on either. Now, in defense of these networks, they can be great resources and tools for the body of Christ. They are great forums for teaching, training, impartation and networking to build unity in the body of Christ. I would not find them to be a good source of identifying and endorsement of ministry.

This, my friends, is just scratching the surface. I would love to hear your responses.

What is an Apostle?

Since we are in the vein of discussing the apostolic grace, I found this blog post by a friend named Yvette Nietzen from Fresh Wind Ministries. I found it to be very clear and concise as to describing the apostolic anointing…

What is an apostle?
Yvette Nietzen

There are many teachings regarding the Apostolic, and I would like to share what I have learned on this popular subject. My desire here is to make this simple and not complicated for all to understand.First of all I would like to make reference to GMRN where I received my training and where many of the these truths stem from. Without them, I would not be where I am today. I do my part to share the pattern that the Lord has revealed to the end times Apostles and Prophets.

Below are some signs to look for in an Apostle. Having these signs in your life does not make you an Apostle, that is for the Lord to decide.

An Apostle is a pioneer. They receive a plan/blueprint from the Lord, much like Moses did and they begin to execute that plan.

An Apostle is set apart and sent by God, unlike missionaries where they are sent by an organization. They receive a direct call from God and execute that plan. Many times he or she is a loner and viewed by many as odd, or off in the wrong path.

Romans 1:1 says Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God(NKJ)

An Apostle leaves the visible church system to receive training from God. We have the example of Jesus, King David, Moses and John the Baptist.

An Apostle builds the church. But what is the church? The church are the people, not a building. They begin by setting a new foundation in the hearts of the people, doing away with old mindsets and teaching them new truths and revelation from the word.

An Apostle can function in all the five fold ministries. They may have a stronger emphasis in two to three areas, but they are able to function in all five at any given moment as the Lord requires.

An Apostle faces death to the flesh constantly and to things that just don’t go right. They learn quickly to die already, and move on.

An Apostle is a servant and receives the call from the womb. We have Jesus as the example.

Galatians 1:15 – 16 says: But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood

An Apostle does not build on other men’s foundation, they receive their own blueprint from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Can anyone be an Apostle? The answer is no. I have written an article titled “Are you Called or Chosen” that answers this question. We need to understand that being called as an Apostle carries with it a heavy price.

Can women be Apostles? Yes, because the scripture does not give reference to gender when distributing the gifts of the spirit. The Lord is looking for willing vessels, ready to carry out His plan upon the earth. Colossians 3:11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. (my personal conviction is that this scripture is referring to salvation in Christ.  A woman cannot be in the office of the apostle, being that Scripture teaches that women are not to have authority over men, also a woman cannot “father” as an apostle should. This is not to say a woman cannot be “apostolic” in the sense she is sent, or called as a co-laborer with apostles as many women are and where in the Bible.–Rusty)

An Apostle does not produce new scripture. So run fast from those that say otherwise.

Apostles are called to leadership, they are not followers.
Romans 11:13 Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles I magnify mine office (KJV)

An Apostle will have a face to face relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and excellent communication.

This is just a very small overview of what being an Apostle is about. As the Lord leads, I will add new articles on this subject.

Hallmarks of an Apostle by Miguel Villareal

Apostle-
Brother Miguel Villareal

Can you update the apostle section with this content. Reading what Yvette wrote spurred me to make corrections and to add more to what i believe are many misconceptions about the call.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren Rom 8:29”

JESUS himself was thee chief Apostle, so only being like Christ can constitute any grace gift as valid, but they are specific highlights of this particularly gift that can be discerned as earmarks of the gift. As noted above Rom 8:29 in context explains our sonship/adoption as children of GOD, but I believe it reveals a spiritual law that apostle carry within them and that is an cognitive-spiritual awareness of being selected from others to operate and function in this gift beforehand. When this person hears this call to apostleship it bears witness long before they understood what it is that would explain the “Foreknowing”.

The next piece would be an understanding that the image of JESUS CHRIST is the chief example or cornerstone in which this particular individual mimics there apostleship. When apostles the heart of an apostle is one who desires to see JESUS CHRIST modeled in the person or people they are called too, this is called duplication. A true apostle duplicates the image or character of JESUS CHRIST ” image of his son” in others. If discipleship is not an essence of one who says they are an apostle they must be guided to scriptures to embody exactly what JESUS was sent to do and that was to seek and save the lost by example. Another aspect of an apostle is the understanding of the“Firstborn” that entails being first not in a hierarchical matter as I am above, but contrary are you willing to be first to be last, are you willing to be first in dieing, are you willing to be first as an mocker in this world, are you willing to first in being a fool in this world, are you willing to be first in being the weaker even though you have revelation that would even inspire angels, are you willing to be first in being despised, are you willing to be first in being hungry so others can eat first, are you willing to be exposed naked first so all can see your sins and weakness so others can be made strong, are you willing to be first in being homeless this could mean that GOD will call you at any movement to pack your cloths and leave your home, attacked, reviled, persecuted, defamed, filth of the world, a reject? If you can see these characteristic in those who call themselves apostles, then they are worthy of double honor.

How To Become An Apostolic Church (part 1)

Miguel Villareal is a dear brother and emerging apostolic leader. He has done church planting in the UK for 5 years and has visited several nations including Czech Republic, France, Germany and South America. He has a mandate to plant organic house churches and currently is laboring in the NW Suburbs of Chicago. He and his wife, Mary and 2 girls live in Plainfield, Il.

Apostolic-Definitions of an Apostolic people.
Brother Miguel Villareal.

Without getting into a analogical argument of it’s meaning we must look into this subject with apprehension. The locus of it’s inception is spiritual and birth spiritually protected by death, and resurrected by HIS blood. It is a smudging of JESUS spirit upon a person or people, it defines the operation of the church and it’s function. To be apostolic is not merely an achievement but a cue that one has obtain fellowship with the saints. JESUS borrowed a Greek word to express what HE wanted HIS body to become. In these twelve men we see it’s cosmic definition prescribed by character, action smelted together breeding a clarion difference between Judaism and Apostolic. It forged away the old, carrying forward anew. Without it the people are perplexed even questioning themselves if they are true. It is a brand, a tattoo that we must not lose cause if this word loses it’s pungency then might it at work without HIS power.

2010 Brings New Guest Bloggers!

2010! For most of us, its just a new year, but for many of us, we understand that not only is this a new year but it is a new decade! We are coming into the next 10 years of our lives. These next 10 years will be very important ones for most of my readers. These are the excellent years of your life! In Biblical numerology 10 is the number of perfect law and perfect judgment. There were 10 commandments given to Israel and there were 10 plagues given to Egypt.  God’s commands to us are not burdensome, but they are blessings. Commands he has given to us because he loves us and protects us. For those of us that are obeying what God has said to us both prophetically and in his Word, we need not fear judgment. But for those of us that have been slack in fulfilling his word and neglecting the word of God in our lives, these will experience great difficulty and possibly even spiritual death in these next 10 years. No time greater in history has it been than to now hold fast concerning the word of God.  I encourage you going into this next year, to know the Word of God better than you know anything else. For no knowledge on this earth is worth as much.

For my blog, this year I will be bringing “guest bloggers” to share with you revelation and experience that will help bring you to maturity and stature in Christ Jesus. Nameless and faceless people who are violent lovers of God. We’ll start off with posts from friends of mine Miguel Villareal, Tatanisha Jordan and possibly even my wife Sarah! Stay tuned and feel free to subscribe to these glimpses of light.