Apostles today,tongues,signs

Modern Day Apostle / Apostles and Tongues & Apostolic Miracles

To: tvalles@mesa5.mesa.colorado.edu

Subject: Re: Apostles

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The word, "new", in the phrase, new tongues, is kainos; it means, "new in freshness" or "new in kind", i.e. never heard before. Tongues is for unbelievers in that it is a SIGN, the proven results seen at Pentecost, 3000 saved after hearing the Word preached. The sign opened the door for preaching.

Gifts have different administrations and operations. Some supernatural tongues are known languages (but unknown by the speaker). Other tongues are unknown except to God. ~ 1 Cor.14:2.

With tongues we bless God, give thanks, pray, build ourselves up on the most holy faith, and declare the marvelous works of God. We speak to God, not men. Although we speak to God, on rare occasions human hearers understand the tongue. Tongues with interpretation carries the benefit of prophecy (exhortation, comfort, and edification); but the interpretation is not prophecy, it's blessing, thanks, etc. (above). Prophecy is God speaking to man through man.

Tongues and all gifts are given to the IMMATURE to mature the saints. There is no room for pride regarding gifts because they are just that, "gifts"---they are received, not earned. Sorry about those who offended you by their arrogance. They proved the point that we're immature. Brace yourself. Don't be offended, but when, because of them, you quit speaking in tongues, you proved that you were also immature.

RE: fake "tongues".

Some tongues may be all flesh produced from the mind, but yes, the devil can supernaturally counterfeit tongues, so I'm told. The devil is a copycat. He would prefer you to not believe in God, but if you do, he will try to imitate God, and imitate sheep.

Tongues are not divisive, as some would say, but actually united the early Church. Peter heard Cornelius speak in tongues and knew then that God could save Gentiles and that the Gospel is for whosoever will. Ignorance of tongues or rebellion against them or of/against any other doctrine is divisive.

RE: Apostles

The offices of prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher exist today---Given for the purpose of maturing saints to do the work of the ministry until we come to unity speaking the same thing. We are not yet unified, (tongues?, rapture?, denominational rifts? women elders?) therefore apostles must exist too, because they are given until we unify. Indeed, without the apostle we won't unify.

(Unity must be according to the highest denominator, not the lowest. There must be no compromising the faith.)

"... Heaven must receive [Jesus] until the times of restitution of all things." Acts 3:21

We are talking about restoring that which satan stole spiritually, not about getting rich. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world.

The enemy took away the apostle through deception, through the Catholic church false hierarchy and the traditions of man.

The apostle is back again.

Every word of the apostle is not scripture. We minister in part. At least one epistle recommended by Paul we know was not published, the letter from Laodicea (SEE Colossians 4:16) He didn't say who wrote it.

Remember that all the 12 did not write a book in the Bible.

Seeing Jesus in the flesh is not a criteria for apostle. Such is a false teaching of seminaries. Ironically, some heads of seminaries place themselves in the authoritative role similar to the apostle, while at the same time, often denying the present-day office of apostle. Likewise, in the denominations there is one man over thousands (more or less) of churches, whereas a modern day apostle may only head several churches, or for a time, one church. No wonder the denominational leaders want to stifle the apostle. These men DENY the modern apostle, but have stolen that same position -- the job of clarifying true Church doctrine.

Paul did not see Jesus in the flesh. He saw a vision of Jesus. Stephen, not an apostle, but a deacon, or possibly evangelist, also saw a vision of Jesus, but the Bible does not call Stephen an apostle. Paul said "Have I not seen Jesus?" to show that he was not LESS THAN the others, not to establish his apostleship, which was already evident, but to illustrate that he was not a second-rate apostle. Neither was Paul self-appointed, but he was called. It is not necessary to have a vision, that is, "audio/video", to be called, but the voice of the Lord, "audio", is sufficient. "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe". To those whom He calls, He gives a heavenly vision. We see Christ crucified and risen.

We recognize the unique position of the 12 foundational apostles whose names are written on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, but we don't exalt them beyond the measure the scriptures apportion to them. Modern apostles are unique in their own right also. You are unique as well, and have your special place in the temple inhabited by the Lord. Some of the other stones built upon this foundation will be pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets, some other apostles, deacons, and you and me.

Telling the difference between the true apostle and the false:

We are as much against the false apostle as anyone. Revelation ch. 2 says they can be tried to be found false. Unfortunately, most of Christianity says, if you say you are an apostle today, you ain't because everybody knows the apostles are dead, right?

Such errant philosophy requires very little knowledge or discernment; yet, Apostle John commended the saints for discerning the false from the genuine.

In the days of the writing of the book of Revelation, if there had been only 12 apostles, they could have just circulated a list of the 12 valid apostles, and no test would have been needed to "try the apostles", especially in view of the fact that John is thought to have been the last survivor of the twelve at that time. So there must have been at the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation a multitude of TRUE apostles, who followed in the footsteps of the original twelve.

Try their fruits. The discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10) is sorely needed. Check their doctrine. Do they have any followers? Are there pastors, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and other elders under them. Do they have signs following? Do they complete projects they start? Do they reproduce themselves, or hog the show? Are they persecuted?--Apostles are. Are they women?--Apostles aren't. Apostles submit to other apostles. They are not islands. Apostles should be able to accept admonishment; since apostles are elders, they may be rebuked by two or more RELIABLE witnesses. Apostolic doctrine is foundational. Apostles teach what Jesus and the 12 taught. They don't add to the Word.

Sometimes fresh revelation (such as the present topic: last days apostles) causes people to think we are adding to the Word, but we are actually removing the veil placed over the Word by the enemy, who wants to thwart the re-emergence of the apostle.

As to the signs and wonders you are waiting for, which I also long for:

They're coming. Be patient. Keep speaking in tongues. If you disdain tongues which are of the Holy Spirit, the Lord may not entrust you with another additional gift. The "greatest" gift is the one needed at whatever moment. One never "matures" to the point where tongues are dispensable. All the gifts are necessary (1 Cor. 12:22)

Our apostle has a reel to reel tape of eyes coming back into the sockets in Oral Robert's ministry in the fifties.

Our apostle also saw an eye of a NASA scientist instantly grow back. (The eye was destroyed in the lab.) They have all the documents of failed eye operations.

Our apostle was converted from Southern Baptist to Pentecostal when he saw a living skeleton gain fifty pounds at a Katherine Kuhlman meetings in the late 1960s.

He was also instantly healed of fatal blood lupus in the '70s. He has the medical reports.

You are correct that regenerative miracles are far too infrequently SEEN. Your faith can help us in this endeavor. That which is seen is not faith. Keep walking by faith and not by sight, and we'll all see the visible manifestation, which is not so much for us as the unbeliever who knows not how to walk by faith.

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Resisting the renewed apostle movement may deter the signs and wonders, at least in your own life, if you should choose to go the opposite route; because of pre-conceived notions, you could wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time by avoiding places where the Spirit is moving.

Jesus could do few miracles in his home town for their lack of faith.

In the worldwide church, God will sovereignly overcome this resistance in His own timing.

Regardless of the various questionable causes for the lack of miracles, they are coming.

We are all waiting for the last days outpouring of the Spirit when the sun will be black and the moon red, and there will be signs and wonders in abundance then.

Remember, greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world. The Lord Jesus Christ will protect you as you press deeper into the supernatural. He desires a prophetic, miraculous people. Greater things than these shall you also do.

Other related articles:

! Apostle / Apostles / Apostolic Hot Topics !

Modern Day Apostle / Apostles and Tongues & Apostolic Miracles

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