What Is Apostolic Ministry (Part 1)

Dear Blood of Jesus Ministries, and to all the other Saints of God as well,

In my spirit I sense great feeling that God is excited about what He is doing for you in our ministry and covenant relationship together. I just feel in my spirit man that God has something to say to you today, through my spirit. I want you all to know that my thoughts are with you always.

Today I wanted to write to you a little more about the apostle's ministry, but even more, I want to explain to you a little about what it means to be an Apostolic People. I am reading a book entitled THE GIFT OF APOSTLE, by David Cannistraci. He is a co-pastor of Evangel Christian Fellowship. His uncle in the natural is his apostle and spiritual father.

I want you to know that I found and bought this book in a local Christian book store. That means that God is answering our prayers to cause the apostle's ministry to more mightily advance here in America.

This book that I am reading introduces those who doubt the present reality of the apostle's ministry for today, to really examine if their beliefs are scriptural or not. He begins to give a Biblical account of the apostle's ministry, and begins to explain why the apostle's ministry is so vital today.

In fact, I want to share with you, that if the apostle's ministry is not fully restored, then Jesus' return will not be possible. The Bible says that God has set Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, to PERFECT the Saints and to equip them for the work of the ministry.

If the apostle's ministry is not fully restored to the Body of Christ, then the Saints cannot be fully equipped. How can they be fully equipped by the apostles if the apostles are not fully restored and are not fully accepted?

The apostle is the sending of God's Spirit or the sent Nature of God to the life of the Believer.

Galatians 4:6 says that YOU ARE GOD'S SONS BECAUSE God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" The Greek word used to describe the words SENT FORTH is the word "EXAPOSTELLO", which means to send forth. We know that Hebrews 3:1 states that Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

In other words, when Jesus was sent forth into our hearts when we accepted Him as Savior and Lord, the Apostle (Sent-forth One) came to live within us. God EXAPOSTELLOED the Spirit of His Son (the Apostle and High Priest) INTO OUR HEARTS. While not every believer is an apostle, every believer does have apostolic ability to overcome the Devil because Jesus the Apostle LIVES INSIDE OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!

We all know that the Word of God says that He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh or people of every nation, in these last days. Well, God's restoration of the apostle's ministry is actually the beginning of Him finishing all His work through the Body of Christ, on this Earth, in our present mortal condition.

The rising of the apostles is manifest proof that the Spirit is being poured out in a greater measure, and He is causing the greater gifts to arise and to be more mightily manifest for the benefit of God's people, so that this generation of believers can receive the fullness of their apostolic anointing.

The apostolic anointing is not an anointing that makes everyone an apostle, but rather it is the apostolic anointing that more mightily manifests in every believer's life to destroy greater yokes of bondage.

This is why God has SENT or apostled me to you, so that you can all have a greater portion of the apostolic anointing by me sending forth the spirit of my apostleship to you, to enable you to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, especially under great attacks of the enemy.

God sent the Apostle Jesus Christ to DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL! This is why I have said that the sub-title of our ministry is INTERNATIONAL WARRIORS OF FAITH, because you are apostolic people, which means that you are not afraid to war against the Devil and the Kingdom of Darkness.

In times past, they used to send gladiators into an arena to fight to the death, and spiritual warfare is the same now. You are either going to defeat Satan, or he is going to defeat you! If you lose, and allow him to conquer your soul in sin, then he will destroy you into eternal death. But if you remain righteous under his attacks, then you will not be harmed by the Lake of Fire, which is the second death (Revelations 2:11; 20:14).

God is pouring out His Spirit to you today, brothers and sisters, in these last days. God is pouring out His Spirit through the apostles, to those who will believe and take heed and LISTEN to their ministries. Those who reject the apostles are really rejecting the One who sent them and made them apostles. Those who reject the apostles, reject the Spirit of the Apostle who is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In his book, David Cannistraci gives a great definition of apostolic people: "apostolic people are Christians who support and participate in apostolic ministry, but are not actual apostles (themselves). Apostolic people are people who work with apostles to reach the lost through dynamic outreach, church planting, and nurturing (for maturity).

Apostolic churches are churches that recognize AND RELATE TO MODERN DAY APOSTLES AND ARE ACTIVE IN VARYING FORMS OF Apostolic MINISTRY. The apostolic movement is the Holy Spirit's WORLDWIDE ACTIVATION OF APOSTLES AND Apostolic PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER AS A PART OF A GREAT REVIVAL ON EARTH."

The Apostle Emil Cedeno said that an Apostolic SPIRIT IS A SPIRIT OF WARFARE AND STRENGTH. A Spirit of strength means they have supernatural power to withstand attacks, to persevere and endure, until they overcome the enemy. Samson had an apostolic anointing and was able to kill a thousand men.

Judges 15:14-16

14As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. 16Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men."

Judges 14:5-6 5Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

An apostolic movement is a placing or a strong establishing of the apostle's ministry. When the Lord Jesus Christ first Established the apostle's ministry in the Book of Acts, the New Testament Church was birthed at Pentecost with great signs and wonders, and thousands of souls were added to the Lord daily!

The whole Church or the whole Body of Christ must recognize the apostle's ministry AND ACCEPT IT! The Church must respond with Faith to the apostle's ministry AND WORK WITH IT in order for its fullest potential and benefit for the Body of Christ to be realized and manifested to God's People.

The apostles are not gifts for the glory of the individual, they are not gifts to themselves, but the apostles are gifts to God's people. Like any other Christian, they must die to themselves so that God can get all the glory in demonstrating His resurrection POWER mightily on their behalf.

Dear and precious Brothers and Sisters, GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BE AN apostolic PEOPLE, JUST LIKE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS. Consider the example of Stephen, WHO WAS NOT AN APOSTLE, but he demonstrated apostolic POWER because he was submitted to the apostle's ministry. In Acts 6:5 Stephen was appointed a deacon or servant who worked with the apostle's ministry. In verse 6 the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them, and in verse 8 Stephen was full of Grace and POWER AND DID GREAT WONDERS AND MIRACULOUS SIGNS AMONG THE PEOPLE.

Another example is Philip. He was appointed and prayed for with Stephen and in Acts 8:6-8 Philip did miracles AND A WHOLE CITY ERUPTED IN JOY!!! And Philip wasn't even an Apostle, but he was part of God's apostolic people because he and Stephen worked together with the apostles to fulfill the vision of the local Church, under the direction and leadership of the apostles, who were submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Even if you are not called into the office of an apostle, ALL OF YOU STILL HAVE AN apostolic CALL YOU MUST RECOGNIZE AND WORK TO FULFILL. I am commissioning you to fulfill this call as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

MAY YOUR FAITH ENDURE IN THE apostle's MINISTRY, AND REMAIN TO THE END, IN JESUS' MIGHTY NAME, AMEN! My spirit and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ will keep those who are faithful to fulfill this call.

What Is Apostolic Ministry (Part 2)

"THE DOCTRINE OF THE APOSTLES"

I am surprised today that many so called Christians are turned away from the Bible and have established their own doctrine by saying among themselves that apostles are no longer for today. If apostles are no longer for today, who then is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, according to Hebrews 3:1?

Hebrews 3:1 states plainly that TODAY, RIGHT NOW, JESUS IS AN APOSTLE. He is just as much an active Apostle in the Body of Christ today as He is our High Priest TODAY. Dear Brothers and Sisters of God, I was hoping at this time to give you a greater revelation of the apostle's ministry, but the Holy Spirit will not at this time permit me. The reason He will not permit me is that so much unbelief towards the apostle's ministry in the Body of Christ still exists today. So, the doctrine of the apostles that I will establish today will be pure milk straight from the Spirit and written Word of God.

I have already shown by Scripture that Jesus is an active Apostle of the Body of Christ today. It also stands to reason that the apostle's ministry did not die when all the original apostles of the Bible were put to rest in the Lord.

In the last of these Last Days, God is restoring the fullness of the apostle's ministry to His Body, even as it is recorded in the Book of Acts. There is one particular reason why the Church is not living in the same manifestation of the Holy Spirit the original Church had. It is that we are not living under the same Divine Authority and the proper Divine Order of the apostolic ministry.

When I say apostolic ministry, let me explain to you exactly what I mean. I am not referring to any denomination; or any other religious sect, creed, or persuasion devised by any man or group of men. When I say apostolic ministry, I am referring to living people of God who are alive today. These living people are genuinely called and equipped by the Spirit of God to operate in and perform all the necessary qualifying functions of the office of an apostle.

The main reason we are not operating under the same Divine Authority of the Early New Testament Church is all too obvious. Chiefly, we do not recognize the same authorities that God has placed in the Church that the Early New Testament believers did.

While the Early New Testament Church put their faith and trust in the ministry of the apostles FIRST, many of us have not placed any faith in the ministry of the living apostles at all. They recognized the office of the apostle as the highest ranking office and the first established by Jesus Christ Himself, while many today do not recognize offices higher than the evangelist or pastor.

Many believe that apostles and prophets today as a part of the Body of Christ are only alive through Scripture. I strongly agree that the spirit and message of the apostles and prophets do live through the Scriptures today. I also believe that today, through the POWER of the Spirit of God, apostles and prophets as people called into the ministry TODAY are alive to us even more. Aren't men more alive than books? Is the Bible the Temple of the Living God, or are men? We both admit and agree that we are the Temple of God and not books. How then can you say that the Spirit of God can no longer Gift men today as Prophets and Apostles? Have the Gifts and Callings of God changed?

Webster's Dictionary accurately defines an Apostle as "the highest ecclesiastical official". Not only were Apostles appointed FIRST by Christ, but throughout the New Testament Scriptures their Higher Ecclesiastical Order is more firmly established by their superior works. Throughout the New Testament there are no Pastors or any other Elders or any other leadership that is named in rank above the apostles.

The apostles cause the authority of the other 5-Fold Ministry Gifts to become complete. Without the apostles, the other 5-Fold Ministers will never achieve maximum fulfillment, and neither will the charisma gifts (gifts of healings, etc.). Without the full restoration of the apostle's ministry, all other gifts will not reach maximum use or fulfillment.

Apostolic BOLDNESS

"'Now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the Name of Your Holy Servant Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness." -Acts 4:29-31

When the saints of God operate under the administration of the apostles, an apostolic boldness will come upon all God's servants to preach the Word more boldly. This boldness will also be strengthened because of the greater increase of the manifestation of healings and signs and wonders under the administration of the apostles. Prophets will prophesy in greater dimensions. Evangelists will evangelize in greater dimensions. Pastors will feed and protect their Flock with greater dimensions of authority. Teachers will protect the sheep from false doctrine, false teachers, and will educate the sheep to prevent the Antichrist's manifestations of spiritual experiences in greater dimensions also, under the administration of the apostles.

Apostolic ABUNDANCE

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul (under apostolic leadership); neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. AND WITH GREAT POWER THE APOSTLES gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. AND GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM ALL (under apostolic leadership). Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." - Acts 4:32-35

Under the administration of the apostles, the finances of the Body of Christ are going to abound in the dimension to where THE NEEDS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST WILL BE FULLY MET! SO MUCH SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO LACK AMONG ANY BELIEVER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD IN THESE LAST DAYS.

Up to the time the prophets and apostles are fully restored in the Body, the Body's dimension of financial prosperity will be limited. The prosperity of the saints will not extend beyond the administrative and governmental authority of the 3-Fold ability and boundaries of blessing of the evangelists, pastors, and teachers. This is because without the apostles and prophets they are equipped with the 3-fold ability to restore finances and the 3-fold ability to teach prosperity to the saints of God. Under the rule of the apostles, embezzlement, robbery, and mismanagement of the funds of the saints will no longer be tolerated, and judgment will be met swiftly according to Acts 5:1-11! Broken vows will not be tolerated in these Last Days. Remember Ananias and Sapphira!

What Is Apostolic Ministry (Part 3)

THE DOCTRINE OF THE APOSTLES

Apostolic HEALINGS

"And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. AND THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD (under apostolic leadership) in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. (Under apostolic leadership, people who do not want to whole heartedly serve God will not enter as goats to pollute the sheep fold.) And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, crowds of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a crowd gathered FROM THE SURROUNDING CITIES to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, AND THEY WERE ALL HEALED!" -Acts 5:12-16

In these Last Days, full apostolic order and administration will cover the apostolic and Divine gifts of healings, to the point where every member of the Body of Christ will be healed. The FULL believer's authority will also be manifested under the administration and oversight of the apostles. The Body of Christ's apostolic ability to lay hands on the sick and see the sick instantly healed, demons cast out, and the dead raised is going to be a reality again. Instant healings are going to occur through the elders of the Church! There will be a full apostolic activation of the elder's ordinance of anointing the sick with oil in every local assembly, according to James 5:14-16.

Apostolic ORDER

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. THEN fear came upon EVERY SOUL, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles." -Acts 2:42-43

When the Bible here refers to "the apostle's doctrine" or teaching, it is not here referring to pastors and evangelists teaching about what the apostles wrote in the Bible. When the Early Church continued steadfastly or strongly heeded the teachings of the apostles, the rest of the 5-fold ministry not only came from, but remained in complete submission to the apostles. The entire Body of Christ is to continue steadfastly and strongly heed the teachings and doctrine of the apostles. This was not something the Early Church did casually, but fervently and regularly they were taught by and continued to fellowship with the apostles, praying with them also. There is no place in Scripture where the Bible says that this practice of the Early Church is to cease.

Until the prophets and apostles are fully restored, the Body of Christ is only continuing steadfastly under the doctrine or teaching of evangelists, pastors, and teachers. We will see a mighty outpouring of God's Love and Spirit when His prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers all abide under the doctrine and fellowship of the apostles.

This great love includes apostles submitting to each other's authority and working in agreement both spiritually and doctrinally, so that every individual of the entire Body of Christ can be clothed with the greatest authority the world has ever seen. This will occur when the entire Body of Christ willingly submits again to the authority of the apostles.

Only then will the entire Body of Christ throughout the whole world see the Greatest OUTBREAK of apostolic signs and wonders (miracles and great works of amazement) the world has ever known. Every pastor, teacher, evangelist, and prophet needs to come under the governmental rule of an apostle. Then the whole Body of Christ will be in complete submission to the Divine Order of God, as established BY GOD in the Early New Testament Church. This example of submission will cause us to resist and stand strongly against the Devil to do the same works the Body of Christ did in the days of the Book of Acts.

Faithful is He Who called us, Who also will do it. May His Grace richly abound in your life to enable you to PERFECTLY OBEY and fit into this Plan of His! ~ Randall A. Muse

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