|
|
|
|
Apostolic
Sons and Daughters |
In Malachi 4:5-6 the Word of God says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." We know that the beginning of the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6 began in the life of the Prophet, John the Baptist. Jesus said in Matthew 17:11-13, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."
Christ's first coming as the Lamb Slain from the foundation of the world was as a gentle breeze. But just as He shall return in cyclone fury on that future "great and dreadful day," likewise, the intensified Spirit of Elijah shall again go before Him throughout seven years of fiery wonders and earth-shaking apostolic miracles heralding that fateful day to come. John the Baptist did no miracles---but when that Spirit of Elijah returns, supernatural signs, wonders, and glimpses of the imminent Kingdom shall be the anticipated norm.
80% of school age children are from broken homes. They have been labeled "Generation 'X'".
The media has tried to curse our children with this stigmatic title, but we will convert it as a banner unto the Lord. Wherever there is an EXhusband, there is an "X"father. The children of this age have no choice but to cry out to the Father of all spirits, the Father God. We will have an "X"generation of supersaints who have known NO Father, but Father God, so that they may boldly proclaim, "God is My Father!"
Our high apostle, Jesus, when speaking of the Spirit of God, said, "I Am in the Father, and the Father in Me. Jesus takes of His apostolic anointing, the Spirit of the Father, and bestows the gift of apostle upon men. The anointing flows from the apostles, the heads of the local churches, unto the elders, deacons, and saints. It is God's desire that all saints move in the apostolic anointing of the Father to rear this last fatherless generation, to introduce them to the supernatural paternal attributes of God---God is unreciprocal love!
Do you know why Abraham was called the "friend of God"? Was it because of Abraham's righteousness works? Was it for his great faith? Was it for feats of bravery?
Abraham was called the friend of God, because Abraham had a father's heart:
"And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do ... For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord ... that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." (Gen 18:17,19)
The Lord knew Abraham would perpetuate the pattern of godliness that the Lord had entrusted to him; Abraham wanted to see God's seed in his heart come to fruition in the hearts of his offspring. The Lord commissions apostles not because of their great oratory or great administrative knack or military prowess, but because the Lord knows that the apostle will surely impart the apostolic pattern of the house of God unto his apostolic children that they might hand the same pattern down to subsequent generations.
We have received the Spirit of Adoption. We have received, NOT to retain His Spirit, but to share His Spirit---We must impart the Spirit of Adoption unto multitudes of spiritual orphans who are crying, "Daddy, please love me! I want to be part of your family!" Not only must we forgive, because we have been forgiven much, but we must adopt, because we were adopted into so great a family, when no one else but God would have us.
The Lord illustrated the Father's heart in the parable of the prodigal son. We are to welcome home the repentant prodigal who has NOTHING left to offer us. He can give us nothing. We are to unreciprocally give, Give, GIVE him our robe, our shoes, and our ring. We must embrace his grimy body that is reeking with the stench of swine, and hug him tenaciously so close to the Father's heart that the fragrantly spiced golden ointment of the Spirit exuding from that Heart will overwhelm, exceed, and displace the pernicious odor of the past. The squandered inheritance will be replaced one hundred-fold with the Father's mansion and streets of gold.
All fathers are not apostles, but ALL apostles are spiritual fathers, though they may be in the natural a celibate, as was Apostle Paul. Just as the anointed right thumb of the High Priest touches the remaining fingers, smearing oil upon them, likewise the fathering anointing extends from the apostle unto the rest of the fivefold ministers that all might have the ability to mature saints to the stature of mature children of God.
The apostle applies the covenant blessings of the father upon his apostolic children, and he nurtures those seeds of prophetic promise, imparting his maturity in wisdom, faith, and anointing until the children reach the age where they in turn can beget spiritual sons and daughters.
Apostolic fathers point the eyes of their spiritual children heavenward to the Source of Life. Life begets life. Ministries without an apostolic vision, whose vision is inward instead of upward, are sterile. The ministry dies without offspring. But a reproducer produces reproductive children. "Father" means "generator" or "progenitor." We must receive the Apostolic Spirit of the Father into our midst. We must welcome the anointing of the apostle.
Just as the seed must go into the ground and die to produce much fruit, so the apostle is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. He desires to protect them until they are of the age where they can defend themselves against the wiles of the wolves.
Paul said, "...Yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel." (1 Cor 4:15) Notice, Paul did not ask his spiritual offspring to entitle him, "Father."
Jesus said, "Call no man Father." Lest anyone should accuse us of the Catholic tradition of using the title, "Father," what we are talking about here is relationship. The proper title of apostolic fathers is "apostle".
As the apostolic anointing saturates our spirit and those around us with the paternal Spirit of the Living God, we are all to become godly stewards, role models, who can nurture as a husbandman those that are set under us in the Lord until the seasons of harvest shall burst forth with ripe fruit.
Finally, the whole flock shall be gathered unto the
Bosom of Abraham and will become covenant partakers of the everlasting
paternal blessings of Abraham's family of God.
"You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are!" [Richard Crisco]
"There is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go and that is to travel that way yourself." [Abraham Lincoln]
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. [Isaiah 30:21]
"I Am the Way ..." [Jesus Christ]
END
