Apostle, Apostles, Apostolic: More Topicsby Randall Muse | randallmuse@hotmail.com ARTICLES: "Should A Ministry Seek A Covering?" | "Apostolic Ministry: Some Questions and Answers""Wrongfully Making Idols of Apostles" | "Developing the Gift in Young Apostles in Training"Should A Ministry Seek A Covering?Yes! If you want to share in the reward of the apostle!If you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, you will receive the reward of what a prophet has to offer. If you receive an apostle in the name of an apostle, you will receive the reward of what an apostle has to offer.Reader's question: >Surely I believe in other 5-fold ministers submitting to apostolic >ministry, to the extent that genuine apostolic ministry is active >in an area (by means of having meetings with churches or church >leaders, sending letters, etc.). My concern with your statement is >that it implies that I should be submitting to an apostle even if >currently no genuine apostolic ministry is active in my area. >I don't think >there's anything wrong with Kingdom-of-God work which is not directly >authorized or supervised by an apostle, as long as we're seeking to >follow the pattern presented by the apostolic writings in the New >Testament, and we're willing to welcome (and submit to) each and every >apostle that the Lord would kindly send to our area.
Dear Brother Norbert, I agree with your above statements 100%. Since the Church has not been following the order designed by God, in the realignment process, genuine apostles will have to be raised up, and only God can show you who is to be your apostle/spiritual father in the Faith. As it is, I did not know any living apostles in person until I met my spiritual father apostle Emil Cedeno after about 8 or 9 years of being in the Faith. The first church I ever attended as a born-again Christian taught that all of the 5-fold ministry gifts and all the gifts of the Spirit were in operation today. That was the full extent of my education on apostolic ministry up until about my 3rd year in the Lord. Even then I struggled to understand apostolic ministry until I met the man the Lord revealed to me that I was to submit to as my spiritual father. Since then I have learned greatly about apostolic ministry from him and other apostolic literature and apostles his ministry has made me aware of, and since have been able to find on my own. My ability to understand spiritual fathering and apostolic and prophetic ministry from the Scriptures has increased also, from that time on. Right now, there are over 19 ministries overseas operating in cooperation with Blood of Jesus Ministries, where there is less resistance from the Saints toward apostles. I receive reports continually of the signs and wonders that follow the articles and teachings I've prepared, as the anointing of the Pastors there continues to increase in apostolic deliverance and healing power from the Lord due to their acknowledgment of the operation of His Gift of Apostleship and its operation in the Church today. Had the Church continued to acknowledge apostles as they should have throughout all
generations until today, I am sure there would have been no shortage of persons operating in that
calling from the Lord. Many apostles have died not even knowing they were called to the office of
an apostle because many of them were taught that apostles no longer exist today. Others, desiring
to avoid persecution, never made their gift known for the benefit of others.
>Neither of them is performing miracles like you would expect of an apostle.
As the Lord matures our understanding of the gift of the apostle, and the apostles are more widely accepted, then the miracle working power of God through the signs of the apostle's gift will begin to increase. The fact that miracles are not happening like you might expect may have nothing to do with the genuineness of the individual's gift. Demonic strongholds over regions may also be responsible for the resistance that comes against an apostle's anointing to perform signs and wonders and mighty deeds. Even Jesus was hindered in the operation of the miraculous due to a town or city's unbelief. Another contributing factor may be the lack of understanding of the operation of the Gift itself. Jesus said that if you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, you will receive the reward of what a prophet has to offer. In order to receive an apostle in the name of an apostle, we must understand all that the name implies or the authority that name or gift enforces, and the covenant benefit(s) the Lord has assigned for that gift to provide for the body of Christ. It is the same in using the name of Jesus. Without proper understanding of what His name has afforded us as joint-heirs, we can never fully appropriate (take over) our covenant rights and blessings. (Top of Page) Sincerely yours in Christ, Apostle Randy Muse Blood of Jesus Ministries http://members.xoom.com/anointed_one/ Wrongfully Making Idols of ApostlesWhy are we so uncomfortable with this word "apostle"? Is it because we have made idols of men who held this position in the early Church? Have we lifted those men up so high that no one in this generation could ever obtain such a position now? The Catholic church has made idols of saints while some Pentecostal, Spirit filled, Bible believing Christians have made idols of the early New Testament Apostles. We forget, that Jesus did not call Saints or the most religious of men to be apostles, but rather He was told by the Father to take common workers like fisherman, hated people like tax collectors, thieves who steal from the treasury, and even murderers of the Church, like Saul (later the Apostle Paul) who imprisoned, tortured and sentenced Christians to death; yes, even these are the men that God called to be Apostles.If you have genuinely received the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the regeneration new birth of your spirit, then you to are a candidate for apostleship if God has genuinely called you to that Office. You can be an Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, have any of the gifts of the Spirit, yes, you can be everything the New Testament says a Saint is or was in the Bible, as long as God has genuinely given and ordained you to occupy that gift or office. And I have good news for all of you--you are all called and ordained to serve Jesus full time as ministers of the Gospel regardless of your occupation, and every single one of us has been given spiritual gifts and abilities from God to benefit the local and ultimately the corporate Body of Christ. The Bible even calls us Christians because we have the divine ability to be like Christ, which is the greatest gift of all!!! Why have we made such an idol of the position of an apostle, so much so that we could never imagine that a man could ever obtain or be called by the same God of the Early New Testament Church to be called an Apostle in the same New Testament sense of Apostleship that the apostles of the Bible received? What if I told somebody that they could call themselves a Pastor, but could never be regarded by Christians as a Pastor in the New Testament sense of the word, as defined by the use of the Gift in the Word of God by those who held that office in Scripture? What benefit for the Gospel could this gift bring if it were not defined by its New Testament use in the lives of men who occupied that position in the Bible? If an apostle is an apostle of any other origin than that which is defined in New Testament Apostleship, then that person is not an Apostle of the Gospel at all, if their gift is not defined the same as the apostles of the New Testament apostles mentioned in the Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus said with strong emphasis on what He was saying that "among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matt 11:11) We think to ourselves that this was a nice thing that Jesus said about New Testament Christians, but what Jesus is really saying is that the least of all Born-again believers is greater in their position and calling than even that of the Prophet John the Baptist called to prepare the way for Christ in His ministry. And even more than that, He said that the Prophet John the Baptist was the highest order of minister born to his day, but yet, we are greater than that. Greater than the Prophet Moses, greater in ministerial position and gifting than our Father Abraham, greater than the Prophet Elijah, greater than Samson, and the list goes on. How many Saints now really believe that God has called them to a higher Prophetic order than that of the Prophet John the Baptist? John the Baptist had a higher order of Prophetic ministry than all the Old Testament Prophets, and Jesus emphatically states that ALL NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS HAVE A HIGHER ORDER OF PROPHETIC MINISTRY THAN THE PROPHET JOHN THE BAPTIST. A lot of Christians don't even understand what prophetic ministry means. It does not mean that we are all New Testament Prophets, but that we have greater prophetic abilities than John the Baptist and all the Old Testament Prophets. Our message carries greater authority and power than theirs, because the covenant they were predicting and the shadow of blessing they were living under has more fully come into effect in the Light. I just wonder how many Prophets and how many Apostles and how many Saints have died not fully walking in the fullness of the authority of this truth? The miracles of the Old Testament Prophets are nothing compared to what the New Testament Saints can do, and yet, too many Saints don't even walk in a measure of the anointing that could compare to that of an Old Testament Prophet. Too many Saints don't understand the apostolic and prophetic authority pronounced over them by Christ, and so most Christians live their lives without even a manifestation of power that could compare to an Old Testament Saint. Of course leading others to Christ is the most important thing, but maximizing how many souls we can lead to Christ can only be measured by the level of New Testament authority and power the Saints walk in and experience in this generation and day. Of course we can lead others to Christ with a minimum amount of understanding, but how can we do all that Christ has called us to and how can we lead all the souls to Christ we are assigned to if we don't live in all of who we are as the whole Body of Christ? How can a body with missing limbs function in every given purpose a body is designed to function in? How can the rest of the body receive nutrition from every part if all the joints aren't in place? How many Saints of God have died without realizing their fullest potential because some preacher told them that this gift and that gift and miracles are no longer for today, or aren't functioning like they used to? Any part that isn't functioning like it used to is broken down and out of place. How many of those with gifts died never knowing they could be used in that area of ministry because some ignorant Christians and theologians told them that miracles died with the Apostles and are no longer for today? Imagine how sad the Heart of our Heavenly Father is when all He has purchased for us through the death of His son is unrealized and goes to waste, not to mention the souls that were to be saved by the gifts we failed to use. Unrealized potential due to false doctrine is a tragedy. UNSAVED SOULS DUE TO UNREALIZED POTENTIAL SADDENS THE HEART OF OUR FATHER. Love believes in all things that are of God. There are MORE VOICES rising up proclaiming the Apostolic Message. Could it be that God is raising them up? If so, if you fight against these voices, you just might find yourself fighting against the very Voice of God. We are merely a channel for Him to communicate through to preach this message of the Kingdom to the World. This message is not some fad doctrine--the message of the Apostles is here to stay. The Church has been built upon the rock of Apostolic Revelation and Ministry, as a foundational Gift of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gates of Hell (the place of souls departed from God and the territory of the god of the lower regions) will not prevail against it. Book after book and message after message is being sent. This apostolic message is being preached and taught in the nation and around the World. The Voice of Apostolic Ministry will only become stronger and more established on the Earth. Satan cannot stop it. Many prophets and apostles of God are predicting that during the rise of the apostolic movement, God is going to pour out His Spirit through the movement of the Saints. Apostolic ministry is only preparing the way for what's ahead for the Saints. (Top of Page) Sincerely yours in Christ, Apostle Randy Muse Blood of Jesus Ministries http://members.xoom.com/anointed_one/
Developing the Gift in Young Apostles in Training[List member] jamisonz@swbell.net writes:> Hi my name is Josh Jamison. I am a second year student at the Jerry > Savelle Bible Institute and School of World Evangelism. Our term paper > is to create a 25 page minimum term paper entitled, "Model Ministry > Paper." Part of the assignment is to do an interview with someone that > is walking in the ministry I feel called to, which is an Apostle. Would > you please do me the honor of answering 5 questions? I could use the > questions back by this Saturday, February 20. I appreciate your time > and willingness to help a fellow laborer in Christ. >> Interview Questions >> 1. What should I look for in people in considering my board of directors?
Character is the #1 thing you should look for in considering your board of directors. Some
character traits are loyalty to the ministry (pays tithes and offerings, speaks well of your ministry
and vision even when you are not around), transparency and willingness to confide in you and
confess their sins to you according to James 5:16, making their humility known (not proud or
hiding sin in darkness, but confessing their weaknesses to overcome them in the light, not hiding
anything); someone who is not proud or boastful; someone who it is apparent that they pray and
study the Word and are able to teach others, showing fond affection for God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. Someone who has no problem doing what you ask them to. (For additional
qualifications, study the qualifications for Elders and Deacons in Titus (the whole letter); 1 Tim
3:1-14.
> 2. What do you feel the biggest hindrance is to getting started in ministry?
1. Believing in yourself, and finding others who believe in you or convincing others of your Gift by your patient example, in a way that would cause others to WANT to support your ministry and become CO-laborers with you in Christ Jesus. 2. Getting others to catch the vision that God has placed in your life for your ministry to do the work God has called you to, and to fulfill its purpose. a. get your congregation(s) to support your vision and understand the importance of fulfilling the vision with the same zeal you have for accomplishing your ministry's purpose > 3. What do you do personally to develop the gift of an Apostle that you walk in?
The first significant breakthrough I had in walking in my Apostolic Office was when I first
submitted my ministry to the person God revealed to me as my spiritual father in the Faith, the
Apostle Emil Cedeno. Submission and accountability to both God and the person God has
assigned as your spiritual leader is the first key to maximizing the development of your Christian
character. In addition to submitting my ministry to a previously established and ordained ministry
of God (as did the Apostle Paul when he went to the other Apostles and told them all of what the
Lord had showed him), I continued in my office with authority and permission from my spiritual
father, not moving out in my office prematurely; who has recently charged me to proclaim who I
am in my apostleship now more than ever. Satan is after our identify, and a spiritual father
confirms the voice of the Heavenly Father over your Gift and completes the process of walking
humble in your life (no selfish ambition when you are granted permission from another who
hears from God to begin and remain in ministry). Then you are not walking in your office in your
own authority, but rather from the authority of the Father who ordained the authority of the local
church. Even Jesus submitted to the ministry of the Prophet John the Baptist, even though John
tried to restrain Jesus from doing so, knowing that he should be submitting to the Lord. But Jesus
humbled himself under another man's ministry and authority from God, and the Heavens opened
up and the voice of the Father reigned over the earth saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased."
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." (Matt 3:13-17 NKJ) Without the spirit of sonship through submission to another leader, your ministry or gift can never be used by God to father and bring true maturity in the lives of others. (These principles apply to all ministry gifts and persons in the Body of Christ.) In addition to this, the things I do personally to develop the gift of an Apostle is concentrate on
walking in the character of the Lord Jesus Christ above all other things. In addition, I have
listened diligently to the teachings, tapes, books, conferences, etc., of others who operate in this
gift and I use the knowledge I have to teach others about the Gift. The Word says, "Give and it
shall be given to you." God has continued to increase my understanding and ability to
communicate and function in my office through these means. (This of course includes the standard
practices of Christianity -- focusing on walking in love, praying, studying, tithing, giving offerings,
going to church, fellowship with the family of God, etc.)
> 4. What is your wife's role in your ministry?
To me, my wife is the #1 CO-laborer with me in the plan and purpose of God for my life. She is my #1 confidant and most intimately trusted friend. Our relationship together and our service together in the Lord we can say has been thoroughly tested and both our service to God and marriage together are proven to have Godlike enduring character. We both agree on this point together. When God moves us into the particular area of Pastoring a local congregation together, she will
be a Pastor with me along my side. Right now we are currently working in the House of our
Apostle and spiritual father, even though I have other ministries that are currently under my
apostleship in the faith (more than 20 Pastors and local church stations, the number is growing
continually). My wife is one with me in my call and office even though she herself is not an
Apostle. Together we fight together back to back for our family and for the families of God we've
been assigned to assist, along with fighting shoulder to shoulder with our Brothers and Sisters in
Christ.
> 5. As an Apostle does most of your income come from honorariums or regular supporters of
your ministry?
As an Apostle, almost 100% of my income comes from the work my wife and I do in the secular world. "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:33-35 NKJ) Sincerely yours in Christ, Apostle Randy Muse | randallmuse@hotmail.com
"Apostolic Ministry: Q's & Answers"
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