Apostolic Sons and Daughters In Relation to the Apostle / Apostles

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.

GENERATION "X"

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.

*[The process of the hearts of the fathers being turned to the children, and the

process of the hearts of the children being turned to their fathers, is an on-

going process as clearly revealed in the relationships that the Apostle Paul

had with other men of God.

In 1 Timothy 1:2 the Apostle Paul declares Timothy to be "a true son in the

faith".

In Philippians 2:22 Paul says concerning Timothy, "You know his proven

character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel."

In 1 Corinthians 4:17 Timothy is Paul's "beloved and faithful son" who was

faithful in teaching the ways of his spiritual father as Paul had taught in

the Churches everywhere.

In 1 Timothy 1:18 Paul committed charges (gave orders) to Timothy as a father

to a son.

In Titus 1:4, Paul refers to Titus as "a true son" with "common faith". A

spiritual son is to share a common faith with their spiritual fathers.

In Philemon 1:10 Paul appeals to Philemon for his son Onesimus who was

begotten (won over to sonship) to the Apostle Paul while he was in chains

suffering for the Gospel. The word "begotten" comes from the Greek word

"gennao", which is a term used of a man who has fathered children. Onesimus

was not just made a believer in Jesus Christ, but Onesimus was literally won

over to the Apostle Paul's way of living. This process of fathering goes

beyond leading someone to and instructing them in Christ. A man can

biologically make a child and give the child instructions or advice (that may

not be followed), but Paul's begetting of Onesimus refers to a father who

lives as such an example before their children that the whole heart of the

individual has been won over to their way and example of living in Christ, so

much that he bonded himself to Paul in the faith as Timothy was to Paul,

becoming bonded servants together in the Gospel as a son with his father.

A father and son relationship in the Gospel goes far beyond what is meant by

the term "mentoring". To call my father my mentor would have little intimate

feelings for me. We don't cry out to God "Mentor, Mentor." We cry out to Him,

"Abba, Father." While a spiritual father is to never take the place of our

relationship with our Heavenly Father, our relationship to our spiritual

fathers should reflect the love of our relationship with Him.

A mentor in Webster's Dictionary is defined as "a trusted counselor or guide:

a tutor; a coach." Paul reveals the more intimate relationship that he had

with those who were considered his spiritual children in the following passage

of Scripture:

1 Cor 4:15

15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors (counselors, guides,

tutors, mentors) in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ

Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

If we want curses to be removed off of this generation, we must get back, as a

Body, to the spiritual father to children relationships that God has ordained

through Scripture. We must press beyond mentoring to caring for our sons and

daughters in the faith as our very own children. We must consider those in

leadership not as political figures in the church structure, but rather as

spiritual mothers and fathers in Christ bound by love to instruct and lead us

by example in such a way so as to present us holy and safe in Christ Jesus.

Every one needs a spiritual father in the Faith.

Even Jesus did not begin His ministry until He submitted

to John the Baptist's ministry and was baptized by him.

It was at that time that Jesus' ministry was confirmed,

established, and publicly declared by the voice of the Father.

To be successful in ministry it is necessary that we first learn

to submit to another minister within the greater ministry

of Father God. In this manner our ministry will be

publicly declared by the voice of the Father. Jesus went into

ministry under the commission of the voice of His spiritual

Father, and He in turn was able to father others in the Faith.

If we refuse the Apostolic Spirit of the Father, we will only be cutting

ourselves off from being able to birth MATURE sons and

daughters in the Faith. Any Christian can lead others to Christ

and bring babes into the Kingdom. Children can lead other children,

but only those who accept the work of the Father in their lives can

truly mature others in the Faith.] ... *<randallmuse@hotmail.com>

"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]

"I Am the Way ..." [Jesus Christ]

See also: Fathering: "This Happened to Me!"

Apostolic Sons & Daughters in the Endtimes