Monthly Archives: July 2014

Kingdom in Fullness?

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We have a lot of Kingdom language, verbiage and even definitions. The question is why then are we not seeing more of the Kingdom displayed? There seems to be a vacuum between what we proclaim and what we actually are experiencing.

Perhaps the problem is we are not in alignment within this Kingdom. We are citizens of the Kingdom, children and heirs of the King, but not really functioning in fullness. As with all things of God, there is always an order and a set structure to that order. Nothing is done randomly and nothing is done without connection to another thing in some way. This is a pattern from heaven itself.

I believe the reason we do not see Kingdom displayed is we are not aligned apostolically. The apostolic is the structure in which God has chosen that the Kingdom would be displayed. Apostolic government demands a response just like the Kingdom, but also makes a way for that response to take place. Apostolic is more than a titling, but is actually a grace given for Kingdom activity to be released. In recent years, both the apostolic and Kingdom are seemingly appearing simultaneously. This is because the two are directly connected and you cannot have one without having the other. Thus if we deny one, we deny the other.

As I see lots of events, conferences, prayer gatherings, etc, the things I am looking for are Kingdom and its expressions. The Kingdom of God is eternal and thus all things connected with it are eternal as well. This means we are looking for things that carry eternal weight, not things that are temporal. So prayers look different, they are not begging God but decreeing the intentions of the Kingdom. When we beg God, we don’t know our rights or citizenship. We actually are praying from a temporal perspective instead of an eternal one.  Kingdom knows authority and operates in it. This is why apostolic is so critical. Apostles know who they are and what they are carrying. For the most part, apostolic led prayer is being limited and not allowed to fully function.

As we move into functioning in the Kingdom, it is not about having Kingdom principles, but activating those principles into reality. Apostolic equals activation. It is more about the breath of God that brings life and creates than anointing that sustains life. The breath is advancing and the Kingdom is always advancing and expanding. Apostolic is also about advancing over sustaining. When we have the right leadership and allow them to lead into true Kingdom, then we will see the advance we are looking for. This grace gift of the apostle will release the Kingdom in fullness. Right now we are seeing in part.  Until then, we will continue to sustain with the anointing and gifts of the Spirit.

The apostle is a sent messenger carrying a mandate to bring forth the Kingdom of God and put it on display. If the Kingdom is truly functioning, then apostles would probably not be sent into that region. But if we do know that an apostle has been sent, then we should know the Kingdom is in need of being brought to the forefront as well. Apostles do this with apostolic proclamation that comes by decrees or revelatory preaching that reveals Kingdom dynamics and life giving flow. This style of preaching is not making statements about God which is what most preaching is, but making the Word of God, His Word, revealed in the present moment. This unlocks the Kingdom in fullness. Those that are sent have the Spirit without measure or limitation. The depth of the Kingdom can be displayed through their lives if they are received and given freedom to minister without limitation as well.

Apostolic structures help release what is eternal and is not concerned with what is temporal. Since apostles are visionary, they see the Kingdom in the fullness of what it can be and anything else then that needs to be adjusted. Apostles know how to place people into the Kingdom to function the best and also how to develop them for that Kingdom. Hence again, leaders who have not had apostolic oversight in development will probably lack in Kingdom understanding.

Perhaps because we have not embraced apostles and released them, we are not truly seeing Kingdom.  I believe we are seeing the Kingdom in some promising ways but far from what we desire and see in the early Church. At the same time, we are seeing the apostolic in some promising ways but far from what we desire and saw in the early Church. Both are interconnected and can only function in fullness when both are allowed to have full expression.

 

Elders of the City

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This blog has come to fruition after a phone conversation I had recently where we talked about Kingdom age eldership and I explained who the real elders are. I believe this will help many see their place and help align us into some Kingdom perspectives. We need to shift a lot of things with right leadership and some old mindsets will have to be replaced.

As Apostle Paul traveled, he went into cities and appointed elders. He found certain qualified people and then gave them the title of elder. We must look at things contextually and see that he was not appointing elders over churches but over The Church (Ecclesia) and was not even appointing elders over a group of believers even though that is part of their focus since they belong to a city. The Ecclesia was Kingdom minded and governmental. To maintain that culture, elders were appointed. Eldership of the church was eldership of the ruling reigning ones and not the full congregation as we now know it.  Since there was no division and also not many believers, his task of locating them was more simplified than we would do today.

But what Paul was actually doing was appointing elders over a city and not over a congregation. This is more in alignment with Kingdom and the large viewpoint needed. These were watchmen who were watching over the souls of men and what was coming into their culture and region. They helped maintain a Kingdom culture and not a denominational belief system. These elders are seldom mentioned in the Bible, but since Paul appointed them “in every city” the emphasis being “city”, there was a structure he was putting into place within a city. Paul was looking for a larger oversight of a city. He knew that as the Church grew, he could not keep in contact with hundreds of elders in hundreds of congregations. These city elders worked closely with the apostles in making decisions and also in implementing those decisions.  Acts 15:22-23, Acts 16:4 That is why Paul told Timothy to “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine”  1 Tim 5:17.

Today there are elders of the city. They are men and women who have a great desire to see God within their city and are in tune to what God is doing. They may or may not be leading a congregation. Some pastors are more elders of a city than a pastor of a congregation. Some may be businessmen. Some may be in the political arena.  I know several who have no real ‘ministry’ but have the pulse of a city. They are not apostles or prophets or pastors but move and function as elders. They meet the qualifiers Paul talked of and see things in the larger picture. They have vision for a city, hear God speak about their city and may have prophetic warnings as well.

Those people that we call elders in a local church are really deacons in function and qualification. The need of local eldership in a congregation seemed to be the natural flow as the Church grew. But the reality is apostolic teams and companies have been replaced by elders. Most elders in a local congregation are stagnated in function and their only real role is to decide the best for that congregation. We need elders of cities who help decide the needs of the city and what is needed to see the Kingdom come. This is the difference between church age eldership and Kingdom age eldership. Our paradigm shift needs to occur in this area so we can further empower those true elders of the city. I imagine many of you reading this can easily identify the elders of your city.

Apostolic Teams and Companies

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Since I have been teaching on this subject over the last few weeks in our School of Ministry and web stream, I decide to write a condensed version as a blog so more people can have these insights.

We see in the Bible, that there were apostolic teams sent into regions to bring impact and that Paul traveled with a company of people as well.  Let me first say that all apostolic teams/companies always travel with an apostolic leader. Apostles lead these teams with strategy and vision and a deep knowing of the overall destiny and assignment of the group. Apostolic teams focus on pioneering movements. They cultivate a set of core values that empower such a movement. Apostles gather other fivefold ministries to come alongside and travel into a region with the intention of aligning that region with Kingdom dynamics and to leave a deposit behind that would have an ongoing effect. That team is decided based on what grace gift is needed to create the impact.

At times, along with these teams, there might be an apostolic company. The company is made up of those of same passions and understanding to help model the overall value being imparted. They are already moving in the overall movement and come to demonstrate that for others to see. They speak the same things and articulate the core values. Apostolic teams and companies are not easily formed or brought into existence. They require great investment and long term investment to be able to carry the same vision, heart and voice. The greater the time of developing, the greater the effectiveness that will be seen.

Sometimes both an apostolic team and company are needed to bring the shift that is required. The team is made up of those carrying the message by the breath of God and the company is there to reinforce that message. Generally the team has seasoned fivefold people that are also seasoned in the message. The company will be those who have been impacted by the message and are possibly future leaders. All apostolic teams are part of the company but not all the company is part of an apostolic team due to overall calling and grace function.

Apostolic teams are focused. Apostolic teams are not apostolic because the team members are prophets or apostles but because they are apostolically led. We easily see this pattern in the scriptures and we don’t see teams or companies being sent without apostolic oversight. Apostolic teams must understand God’s strategy for the present moment of time. That strategy is then released into the company formed under them. The team is built to establish the Kingdom and the company is supporting their endeavors.

If an apostolic team is sent into a region by God that means God is endeavoring to release new Kingdom dynamics into that region. He brings a group of men and women either by team or company to show the depth of how important the message is that they are carrying. If God has sent such a group, then He must have a tremendous desire for that region to embrace that message. He has prepared hearts in advance of the team or company coming to embrace that message. The apostolic team knows the right timing and season that is occurring so they know when to go with the right message.

What makes the team and company dynamic effective is how they move in faith when they go into a new region. This faith walk they have has already been cultivated and has been challenged by the apostolic leader. The apostle may not fully know the way the vision will occur but does see the vision in fullness. The apostle is going by faith and expects the company/team to do so as well. This allows the Holy Spirit to be depended on and for faith to be activated. The team/company trusts the apostolic leader even though they may not fully see or understand. This empowers the apostle to move to greater dynamics of faith thus releasing the team to move deeper as well. This is the empowering to shift a region or city by released authority and faith creating Kingdom in places not seen before.

These apostolic teams and companies can only truly function in fullness in areas they have been invited or sent by God directly to break something open. Generally the apostle has a deep knowing in their spirit of the intentions of God. They mobilize those under them to fulfill this intention. The apostle trains them knowing what is required to do the assignment. This training is by instruction, activating, and by having vision for the individual knowing how they fit the overall plan of God locally. The local training is the proving point for being part of a team or company to be sent out later.

Some of the main things an apostolic company will do are confront principalities over regions. They discern the things opposing the move of God and confront with intercession in advance, and public decrees while in the region. These teams empower upcoming gifts in the region they go to. They confirm callings and empower leaders into greater authority. They come to support what is occurring but also to challenge into greater positioning.

Apostolic teams also carry one thing that really sets them apart and that is revelation. The team and company are both a living example of the revelation they are carrying. The team can release current revelation directly from God and also knows how to flow in the Spirit to make a harmonious meeting without breeches. They sense the Spirit’s desire for meetings and know how to steward those moments. The apostolic company traveling with them also has revelation but may not be able to fully present it. They may not know how to fully steward a meeting, so they once again rely on the team and the apostle they are under as the final authority.

Apostolic teams and companies show the functioning single corporate man. They show how to function together as the Spirit leads. They also show how unity multiples grace and authority, and causes impact. Conferences today are taking the place of apostolic teams but are not truly apostolic teams by Biblical pattern. The group called to speak at a conference has not been connected before the conference and have not necessarily been sent as a team or are under apostolic authority. They may act more as individuals trying to work together than a group appearing as a single flowing Body.  Apostolic teams and companies need to be released and embraced again so regions and cities can be impacted.