GLOBAL COMMUNION: Apostles and Prophets together

Slowly we’re making our way through the power packed conference here in Charlotte several weeks ago. This was not a new subject for me, but the emphasis was very different. Foundational in organic church “construction” is the Headship of Jesus Christ. Wolfgang Simson traveled from Germany to provide a valuable and unique perspective on the mission of the Kingdom. Here’s more information on Wolfgang from his own blog:



Who is... Wolfgang Simson

As form follows function, my life and existence is best described by the vision that has me. As a result, I have three passions:
the reshaping of the Church of Jesus Christ to accurately reflect the design of its author and King;
an economic reformation by returning to Kingdom Economics, the messianic principles of money and work;
and a reformation of unity, that will happen as the Body of Christ repents of its human fragmentization and returns to it´s original design, the smashingly attractive Bride of Christ.

No one will see these goals reached on behalf of any one single ministry, church or network. The primary vehicle by which God will see those goals reached - with or without us - is a global Holy Spirit guided synergy and partnership that is obedience-driven, not convenience-oriented. One of these partnerships - the Starfish Partnership - is a flat-structured global apostolic network born out of the fresh organic movements that are emerging everywhere


The messages during the conference (with the exception of Frank Viola’s) were not recorded. But I will do my best here to convey what Wolfgang Simson shared with us. His topic: INCREASING OUR GRASP ON APOSTLES AND PROPHETS FUNCTIONING TOGETHER AS THE FOUNDATION OF WHICH JESUS IS THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE

Amos3:7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Wolfgang Simson began by reminding us of how the Lord works. He first reveals what He will do through His prophets.
Simsom discussed how the Lord positioned Paul for his apostolic work. He brought him to a place of dying to self. It takes time to make an apostle, but it also takes time to “break” an apostle. He had to be broken before the Lord fully used him.

An apostle needs to listen prophetically and act apostolically. We need to be on the lookout for people who can also reproduce this in others. Prophetic people see vision. Apostles work with them to make it happen.

Wolfgang talked about our tendency to see prophetic ministry as something for the church. But truthfully God wants to take the prophetic into the world. Simson believes we’re about to move into what he calls “the inspirational age”. It will be a time marked by the Lord inspiring His people to invent things that succeed and fund the mission o the church. He referred to “industry prophets”, but added it will take the body to bring those inventions to fruition.

How Do We Build?
Church as we know it prevents Church as God wants it.
God provides His love, His grace, and His blessing. The blessing part is conditional. We must walk in holiness…which means within the confines of God’s word.

Prophetic ministry helps to remove the masks. It helps to bring us out of our cages and be real before God and others.

Form follows function. The church must be designed this way from its inception.
Simson believes we’re in the middle of the largest reformation in the history of the church. The group that hears this with a clean slate can go for it and see amazing blessing.

In this era we will see:
Kingdomization: We all move into the kingdom, the domain of God’s uncontested rule. We remain by obedience.
Building principles: Founding by apostles and prophets. But if apostles start selling their ministry they end up lonely.
Money: grasp radical economic principles. This will release the church. The only plans God blesses are his own.

House/organic church growth. A typical house/organic church has 15 people. If they grow by multiplication, 100,000 becomes 200,000. At this rate it would take only 13 years to reach half the planet. Simson compared the organic church to a “starfish”. If you cut a leg off, it becomes another starfish. The church must function under Jesus’ headship. He will build His church. We need to learn to listen to Him collectively. We seek God individually for “our piece” and bring those pieces together to discern the mind of the Lord.

Prophets must be honored. Sometimes prophets are made to feel like “dogs” as “apostles” use them for their purpose. We must be obedient to the Lord and the patterns he reveals. And we must be clean vessels for Him to use.
We also have another stark choice: we can ask for God’s blessing, or we can do what God is blessing. We have to come to a place where we proclaim: “I don’t have a vision. His vision has me”

Chinese Christians have learned well that quick and costly obedience advances the kingdom. What most of us are accustomed to is cheap decision making.
But ultimately we will fall into one of 3 categories as churches:

Revolution: a new work
Reformation: Start with something and learn to listen to the Lord to change
Retirement: these are made of people who don’t obey
We must burn our individual purpose statements

Many of us are building on wrong foundations: we’re giving consumers what they want.
We must also beware of vultures. There are rich people who want to control things. They “buy” people if they need to. Fathers and grandfathers must build a fence of protection around God’s work.

If you’re not sure of what to do, stop! Don’t let money or habit keep you. God has to immobilize us before he can mobilize us.

This is a time of Apostolic Transitioning. We are getting recalibrated in the kingdom.For years we’ve experienced Babylonian captivity of the church. It’s been market driven. We see the mountains of the holy land and painfully realize we’re on the wrong mountain! We have to come down the wrong mountain and go through the desert to get to the right one. Simson likened our state to that of the ship Paul sailed to Malta. The people were saved, but the ship was not.

This is a time of religious detox. We have to learn to exist without religious things. We can leave the system but the desert helps us get the system out of us.

Discussion
After Wolfgang Simson’s presentation, other panelists and others in the room offered comments. I’m posting just some of those

-What God wants to do will likely be advanced by people who don’t mind being insecure. Often He leads us to go past the point of no return… there’s no fuel to get back to where we were. The challenge for us is when things get tough that we resist the temptation to go back

-Greg Austin added: we need to torch the bridge along the way. We must have passion in our hearts instead of just principles in our heads. There must be an impartation of the Holy Spirit.

-People infected with “the system” will try to discourage you. Security is intoxicating. This panelist continued with this disturbing characterization of Jonathan, Saul’s son. He died in the wrong war on the wrong battlefield with the wrong people. Jonathan covenanted himself with David but did not “uncovenant “ himself from Saul. This was his undoing.

-God builds with the King, but also with a royal family. But he’s building His kingdom, not our little empire

-There are 2 kinds of churches
1. Reactions to reactions, ad nauseum
2. Kingdom churches. A lot of Christians are not in the kingdom but in church. The goal is to build kingdom shaped churches where Jesus is not only my Saviour but also my Lord. Words are simply not enough

-A change of values must happen first or we will default back to what’s familiar and comfortable. We must destroy and avoid “programs”

-I build but not I, Christ builds in me

-Our Father does not want us to love things of Him more than Him. Some people love the form more than God. Every new season requires repentance. The last season of God is often the biggest challenge to the next one. We must present our body as a living sacrifice. Our first move is Godward, not manward. Don’t be conformed (which much of the institutional church is) but be transformed by the word of God, so you can prove what is the acceptable will of God. He will give you the option to obey or he will let the circumstances “kill” you to the point you’re ready to obey.


I’ll end with a favorite line from Don Atkin. The first time we met last month he said “church is not what you do, it’s what you “be”. On this day he summed it up well: We must stop doing and start being. If we abide in Him, He will accomplish His purpose in us.

GLOBAL COMMUNION: The Apostles' Doctrine

When I picked up and couldn't stop reading "Reimagining Christ" by Frank Viola on August 1st, I had no idea how his writings would impact my life. I also didn't expect to have the opportunity to meet and hear him speak in Charlotte less than 2 months later. And Frank's message on "The Apostles' Doctrine" was clearly one of the highlights of "The Global Communion" conference last week.

We put so much "church" time and energy into teaching, preaching and doctrine. But in all of the religious "education" and activity, I think many of us have a nagging sense inside that something's terribly missing. (Truthfully its SOMEONE who is missing) Find a quiet place with your bible and a notebook and listen to this message from Frank Viola on the topic:

MOVING TOWARD A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTENT OF THE APOSTLES' TEACHING THAT WAS STEADFASTLY FOLLOWED BY THE EARLY CHURCH.

It was the Second Roundtable Session for the conference, and I guarantee you it will be 39 minutes you will not regret setting aside for the Kingdom.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=56XJDKWK

GLOBAL MINISTRY GATHERING: Apostles: Discerning between the True and the False

My soul is full of joy tonight? Why? It’s because I’m nearing the end of a high octane week experiencing the glory of the living God. I’ve joined with dozens of others here in Charlotte for “Global Communion”, an apostolic gathering.
Why has this been such a “high impact” event? There are several reasons:
Jesus is all over it
Honoring Jesus Christ as Lord of HIS church is the driving force of the people gathered here
There’s cultivation of a kingdom vision. No one is recruiting to their brand or religious franchise






So as a result, God is pouring out His glory and forging an incredible unity of heart and purpose in leaders from around the globe. Jesus is truly ministering through His people. This has not been just another religious seminar. It’s a family gathering brought about through organic relationships, and I believe everyone will leave with new friendships that will advance the kingdom.
One relatively new friendship I’m very grateful for is with Don Atkin. Don brought all of these kingdom workers together this week. And he began the first session with a hard hitting topic:

PURSUING TOGETHER A FRESH AND CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF APOSTOLIC MINISTRY THAT IS NEITHER REACTIONARY NOR APOLOGETIC, NEITHER HIERARCHAL NOR WITHOUT SUBSTANCE.

Don began by defining ministry: it is a supply of Christ to the body. Then he addressed our ministry challenges here in the 21st century. As many of us have discovered the need to go beyond Pastor-Teacher leadership, a rediscovery of apostolic ministry is emerging. But Don warned of the danger of putting an apostolic layer over an existing religious structure. He says this is an exercise in futility. There must be a rooting out first of everything that’s not about Jesus. Then apostles and prophets can build upon a foundation of Him and Him alone.

One of our big challenges is the fact that George Barna estimates 4 out of 5 adults in America could be labeled “Casual Christians”. These are people who display no real difference in their lives from unbelievers. In other words, their profession of Christianity is false. Only about 16% fall under the label of “Captive Christians”. These are people who, like Paul, consider themselves voluntary “slaves” to Christ. They are captive to the heart and mind of God.
And complicating matters is the fact that most of the 16% who are truly followers of Christ are still in institutional churches, and are therefore not able to fully function as God intended.

So in our effort to restore the church, many of us are looking to apostles to help set things in order. But tragically, some of those who profess to be apostles are false apostles. This can be difficult to discern because much of the time false apostles are genuine believers. But Don gave us some helpful insights to make sure those we look to for apostolic leadership are truly apostolic.

Don Atkin put professing apostles into 2 categories: those in the spirit of Ishmael, and those in the spirit of Isaac. This of course is based on the sons of Abraham. Isaac fulfilled the promise, but before his arrival, Ishmael was the product of Sarah attempting to “help” God out. He came first. So very often, before something is truly birthed of God, Ishmael shows up, masquerading as God’s apostolic answer.

So what does the Ishmael apostle look like? Abraham’s first son set a sour tone for sonship. So, in like manner, apostles in this lineage are the source of conflicts. Isaac, on the other hand is a source of peace. Order and peace are fruits of the Spirit. Ishamel had some godly roots, but he produced more of the spirit of Egypt than of Abraham’s God.

Here are key distinctions between true and false apostles, or those of Isaac and those of Ishamel:

Life Flow
Ishmael: life flows from their followers up to them. They are on a platform and everyone looks up to them, and they’re often more affluent than those who they are ostensibly serving
Isaac: apostles are often impoverished. They speak little about money. Paul laid down his life and made tents. Life flows from them, not to them. They lead a love revolution.

Elder Statesmen not merely Fathers
Fathers can be tribal and more subject to competition and jostling for position with other fathers and tribes. Statesmen deal with issues that transcend tribes. They do not subscribe to tribal mentalities that are parochial. They also do not come to seek something for themselves, but seek a kingdom agenda

Cross pollination rather than control
Those of Ishmael seek to control. Those of Isaac promote cross pollination across tribes. They tolerate “messy” growth without smothering with supervision

Legitimize Ideas not people
Those of Ishmael sell legitimacy like priests used to sell indulgences. These apostles legitimate people. They promote a code of brotherhood similar to the KKK or the Mafia in return for loyalty. They are also impervious to accusations. Those of Isaac legitimize ideas. Regular believers are released to do the cutting edge work.

Impact rather than impart
Ishmael apostles pose as purveyors of the power of God. They do all the praying, prophesying,etc to impart something to the people. The rank and file believers are treated as if they have a “junior holy spirit”. Those of Isaac help to unpack what God has already put within His people

Equip instead of inform
Ishmael apostles believe they have to tell the flock everything they need to know, stunting true spiritual growth. Those of Isaac give people multiple resources and keep responsibility for their lives in their own hands where it should be.

Being rather than doing
Ishamel types have to be in charge and active in everything in the church to validate their apostolic positions. They use language to stir the flesh into action. Isaac apostles promote a goal of displacement. Their desire is to reproduce themselves so the body is not always dependent on them. They walk in the blessing of presence. When an apostle is in the house, his gifting rises, no matter where he sits. Gifts are released in people he’s around. Peace is also released. True apostles carry the presence of God and blessing everywhere they go.

Summing up, Don challenged us to do 5 things:
1. Don’t be distracted by what’s false. God will deal with those issues in His time. We have to remain redemptive in our perspective
2. Recognize that some who have the heart of a son may have only been exposed to systems of slavery
3. There will be a continual need to heal the casualties of false apostles. But this is best done in private and with as little drama as possible. This is where we must be statesmen and diplomats.
4. “Isaacs” are raised up by God, not by men
5. Through wisdom, a house is built. Paul was committed to knowing nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. At the heart of a true apostle is SERVANTHOOD. Biblical authority is held lightly, exercised faithfully, expressed relationally, and followed willingly.

In the discussion that followed, one panelist spoke of the challenge of coming out of these “heavy shepherding” systems. He described what amounts to “unpledging” ourselves from these and described the process as bloody, similar to birth.
On a personal note, let me encourage you to consider whether you may be in this kind of bondage, and if you are, call out to the Lord to help you, and reach out to kingdom minded believers who aren’t promoting a “franchise” to help you. The antidote to this poisonous spirit in the church is nothing other than the liberating presence of the Lord in us. Let’s all make sure Jesus is getting formed in us, and that we’re truly growing in maturity… and not simply getting effectively indoctrinated and sermonized.