Humility, part 1

1 Cor.4:12 - "... Working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day." KJV

With the resurgence or rekindling of Apostolic Ministry to its fullest functional potential in these Last Days, there is sure to rise up in the Body those who will oppose true Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some of the accusations that have come with this reawakening of this ministry Gift's importance to the Body of Christ, not because of the people who are Apostles, but because of the One Who appointed them.

First I have been told that ministers who want to be known as Apostles are only self appointed officers and not genuinely ordained ministers of the Gospel. This of course is a half truth. While I am sure there are self appointed apostles, I am equally sure that there are God ordained men who call themselves or name their ministry Gift by the word APOSTLE. We could also make the same observation about Pastors. There are self appointed Pastors who live off of God's flock for their own selfish purposes, and there are genuine Shepherds who earn their keep by properly caring for the spiritual needs of God's sheep. What's true about false apostles is true about all self appointed ministers of selfish motives masquerading as ministers of light.

The title Apostle is a title and a word used in the Bibles we read today, and I think any word in the English Bible that is used to describe a functioning Gift today is a Scriptural use of that title. Nobody barks at Pastors who use that title from the Bible, but if we use the title Prophet or Apostle from the Bible, somehow to some people this is to be forbidden in modern day practice. Why??? Has the Christian religion changed? Has it evolved from its Earlier more powerful practices through the traditions of men?

To further validate those faithful men and women of God who are rising up and aren't ashamed to call themselves Apostles, I would like to point out that those who are truly following the Spirit in this modern day Apostolic Movement are not only emphasizing the importance of the operation of that Gift, but they are equally including an EVEN GREATER EMPHASIS ON WALKING IN THE CHARACTER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST as the first mark for what Apostolic Ministry is designed to be and do for the Body of Christ.

To emphasize my point, I have typed up an excerpt of David Cannistraci's book, "THE GIFT OF APOSTLE", so that you can learn first hand what doctrine other Apostolic Camps are teaching, so that you can see for yourself whether or not anything virtuous is coming out of all this teaching on Apostolic Ministry:

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THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE (Chapter 8)

[Although no physical touchstone exists that tries Apostles, it is possible to determine whether or not a person is a genuine Apostle. Just as silver and gold are known for their natural qualities, Apostles can be known by their spiritual qualities. Certain qualities that Scripture points to indicate true Apostolic character and ability. Paul himself had to refer to them to validate his own calling and identity before the Church at Corinth. In doing so, he left us with a silhouette of Apostleship to which we refer in our search for clarity:

Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds. [2nd Corinthians 12:12, K. J. V.]

The New International Version has translated the phrase the King James Version interprets as "signs of an Apostle" to read "the things that mark an Apostle". These signs are literally tokens or indications that mark the presence of an Apostolic Calling and Grace upon a life.

What are the signs of an Apostle? Paul described three: patience, signs and wonders, and mighty deeds. Patience relates to the heart and character of an Apostle, and signs and wonders have more to do with that person's gifting and spiritual abilities. Each of them deserves our keen attention. We will deal with the first and most important quality patience...

Paul spoke of the first sign of an Apostle as "Patience." This is an important concept we must carefully understand. At first, when we ponder the traits of an Apostle, our minds are likely to be filled with images of a person preaching to the lost, raising the dead, planting Churches and other such demonstrations of spiritual power. We probably would not choose patience as a sign of true Apostleship. But the New Testament marks of an Apostle begin with this far-less-spectacular, but far-more-important, character quality of patience.

From God's perspective, character comes first in Apostolic Ministry. Signs, wonders and mighty deeds have their place, to be sure, but having those graces and abilities in operation without the presence of character would be useless, as well as harmful. Although many today seek to validate their ministries by pointing out the miracles and mighty deeds, we know that God is still looking at their hearts before He gives His approval. 1st Samuel 16:7 reminds us that "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Jesus Himself received the full approval of the Father before He ever performed His first miracle. In Apostolic Ministry, character is foundational.]

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Another accusation I have heard is that Apostles are trying to exercise authority over Churches that do not belong to them. I would like to start this segment of discussion with another clip from David Cannistraci's book (who, by the way, makes no claim to be an Apostle) so that we can begin to understand in a greater dimension, the operation of Kingdom authority in the Body of Christ.

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RELATIONAL AUTHORITY

[Dick Iverson widely observes, "Relationship, not hierarchy, is the basis of spiritual authority. Holding a position, filling an office, or being elected to gain a place of importance is not how spiritual Elders are made--they earn it! One qualifies to be a leader by developing relationships."]

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In 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, the Apostle Paul says,

"Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord." (NKJ)

Here in these verses of Scripture, Paul is stating the reason for his qualification of Apostleship in the lives of some, which may not necessarily be so in the lives of others. The reason is found in verse 1 when he says,"Are you not my work in the Lord?" Relationally, they accepted Paul as an Apostle sent by God and they willingly accepted his exercise of authority in their lives for their edification. Others however did not receive the benefit of his work, because they refused to accept him as a genuine Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It wasn't that Paul was less qualified from God's perspective, it was just that the will of others rejecting his gift made the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life of none effect toward them.

Paul never forced himself on anybody. He never denied who he was, but he also never used force for others to accept his beliefs as he once did for the Jewish religious system before his life was transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the same way, all authority in the Kingdom of God operates on the basis of relationship and not by trying to force the will. Even those who will be Eternally Tormented in the Lake of Fire will do so because they chose to reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and not because God is forcing them to go. God is against it, that's why He sent His Son.

Paul was completely unselfish in his Apostleship, even in his relationship with other Apostles. He wasn't trying to see how many Churches and ministries he could be the Apostle of, he knew that he was only sent to have a relationship with those that God was sending him to have an Apostolic Covenant with.

Rom 15:20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, (NKJ)

Paul had no ambition to try to move in and be acknowledged as the spiritual father of a House where Apostolic Government had already been established. It was the false apostles who were coming in and trying to claim apostleship over the Churches that he had laid the Governmental foundation for, without his approval of their ministry prior to their operation of authority. They were apostles who had no covenant with the sheepfold or the founder of that House. They were in VIOLATION because they were exercising authority without RELATION.

Even today there are Pastors who try to steal sheep from other Shepherds for greater finances in their fold or for the purpose of boasting over the size of their church. Pastors who try to get others to leave other Churches merely for the sake of having people join their own are the equivalent of false Apostles or false Shepherds, rustling sheep from other folds into their own. Either that, or a Pastor belittles the Church or the Pastor down the street or perhaps some minister on television, sowing the poison of discord instead of unity in the Body of Christ.

Jer 23:1-4 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!"says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings," says the LORD. 3 "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 "I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD. (NKJ)

Another example of relational authority could be the Pastor's authority and the authority of a husband and a father of a natural household. While a Pastor is higher ranking in authority in the Kingdom of God, yet when he or she enters the house of one of his or her church members, the authority of the father and mother of that household is violated if a Pastor exercises authority in that house without the approval of the father and mother of that household. While a Pastor is under the roof of another person, he is covered by the authority of another man. In the same way, an Apostle only has authority in local churches where the minister is accepted as a genuine Apostle. While an Apostle is higher ranking than a Pastor in the Kingdom of God, yet when an Apostle comes into another leader's house, he is under the authority of another man. If an Apostle does what a Pastor disapproves of, the Pastor has the right to excuse the Apostle from his or her local assembly and to never invite that Apostle to return. The authority of the Pastor of that household is violated if an Apostle exercises authority in that house without the approval of the Pastor of that household.

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In conclusion, Apostles can only build up the lives of and be Apostles to those who are in agreement with their Calling and Grace. To those who don't accept their gifts as genuine, they are mere men or more than likely accused of being false.

1 Cor 9:2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord. (NKJ)

The results an Apostle produces in the life of those who accept his Gift is proof that their Apostleship is validated, approved, inspected, legalized, ratified, certified, and made official by the Lord.

1 Cor 9:1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? (NKJ

When Paul asks, "Aren't you my work in the Lord?", what he is really saying is this, "Isn't the genuine change that you are experiencing in your life proof that my claims to be laboring as an Apostle in the Gospel are true?"

Question: Is a person who claims to be an Apostle today true?

Answer: Is the Gospel they're teaching and preaching causing you to experience genuine change in your life? Does their message drive you to the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) or does it turn you away from the Word of God? Does their message make you love Jesus more? If it does, then you can trust what that minister of God says about himself. Part 2: Questions & Answers

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