2
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THE NEXT WAVE
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How to Be Apostolic Without Apostles
Bernie L. Wade
The Binding of Satan Apostle Cindye
Coates
RELIGITICS:
ISLAM AND THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Treatise on Genuine
Apostleship
Dr. Len Robinson
Vision Three: Restoration
Apostle Robert Straube
RESTORE SUCH A ONE
Apostle Bobby Sutton
JOBIAN THEOLOGY
Bishop Derrick Day
The Only Ministry
of the NT Church
Bishop J. Samuel
Willoughby
3
HOW TO BE APOSTOLIC
WITHOUT APOSTLES
By Bernie L. Wade
Imagine you meet someone and in the
3course of the conversation they tell you
that they are Apostolic. When you ask
“What is Apostolic?” They probably don’t
give you a very good answer but they
may be able to give you the general
idea that it has something to do with the
Apostles. A natural follow-up question
would be, “So, how many Apostles do
you have in your church? They answer,
“We don’t have Apostles.” Or “We don’t
believe in Apostles.”
This may leave you
confused. You might
brave the question, “How
can you be Apostolic
without any Apostles?”
One of the buzz words of
the Church today is the
word Apostolic. Words
like Apostles, Apostolic
Reformation, Apostolic
succession, etc. are common.
Coalitions of Apostles have become
common. Churches with the words
Apostolic in their name are in every city.
Denominations with the word Apostolic
in them are equally as common. With
all this attention to the Apostolic one
would think that the mantle of those
New Testament leaders was active in
our modern Church.
While we have this abundance of the
use of the words Apostolic and Apostle,
most of these groups ignore the doctrine
of the Apostles and of the New
Testament Church. One should see a
BUYER BEWARE sign on most of these
self appointed Apostolic groups.
The word Apostolic is used to give the
impression that the group or church is
somehow connected to the Apostles of
Jesus Christ. While their title says
Apostolic, what is actually being offered
seldom represents the New Testament
Church or the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
If these groups or churches faced
litigation for false advertizing
they would be in real
trouble. What is advertized
is not “in the jar”.
The title of this treatise may
seem strange. You may
realize that the concept of
being Apostolic without
Apostles is like an apple
without a core or a car
without an engine. Yet, that
is exactly what we see
repetitively. Apostolic has become a
word almost without meaning joining
advertizing slogans like NEW, NEW &
IMPROVED, BIGGER, BETTER, etc.
FALSE APOSTLES
Inside most of these various Apostolic
groups or churches one generally finds
a variety of things. Few, if any, of these
actually recognize Apostles. Some
4
have not
considered their
position on
Apostles others
teach that there
are no longer
Apostles. For
some the
obvious lack of
Apostolic
anointing was addressed by titling some
of their pastors as Apostles. Among
these the word Apostle is more of a
man-made title than an actual
representation of the imprimatur of the
Holy Spirit resting the mantle of an
Apostle on that person. Most of these
groups continue to use the Roman
system. A system that was adapted
from Nimrod and is patterned on
Babylon and Egypt – not on the New
Testament Church of the Apostles of
Jesus Christ.
You might ask, “Why all the fuss?”
The idea of false Apostles is not new. In
his 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians Apostle
Paul wrote this chilling rebuke,
“But what I am doing I will continue
to do, so that I may cut off
opportunity from those who desire an
opportunity to be regarded just as we
are in the matter about which they
are boasting. For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers,
disguising themselves as apostles of
Christ. No wonder, for even Satan
disguises himself as an angel of
light.” It is evident that these modern
pretenders have similar motives.
The purpose of the true Apostle is to
release Apostolic anointing. The
anointing of the Apostles was the power
to break every chain. When the Holy
Spirit was yet to manifest in Acts
Chapter 8, it would take Apostolic
anointing for the manifestation of the
Holy Spirit and to rebuke the evil plan of
Simon the Sorcerer.
In Acts 19, Apostle Paul found some
disciples of John but they were not
aware that the Holy Spirit was available
to them. After their encounter with
Apostle Paul they received the Holy
Spirit! This is the kind of anointing that
the Apostles of the New Testament
Church brought to impact those around
them. The vision of Charles Parham
and other like minded people of God
was to see restoration of the power and
anointing of the Apostles of the New
Testament Church.
Much of the modern
word usage related to
the Apostolic comes to
us from Charles Fox
Parham (the father of
the modern Apostolic
[Apostolic Faith] and
Pentecostal
movements) who in the early 1900’s
started the Apostolic Faith movement.
From this powerful man, filled with the
Holy Spirit, came a global group of
followers of Jesus Christ who were
focused on seeing Apostolic
5
Reformation; meaning the New
Testament Church and the Apostles
doctrine restored.
Those who continue to use the Apostolic
Faith name seldom resemble these
Apostolic Faith forefathers. Like an Old
Testament passage these wear the title
of their forefathers but “none of them is
able to speak the language of Judah,
but the language of his own people”
(Nehemiah 13:23). These modern
pretenders of the Apostolic seldom
realize that even these forefathers were
not satisfied with what they had
accomplished. Rather, they saw their
efforts as only a beginning and hoped
for the day when the restoration or
Apostolic Reformation would come to
fruition.
APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
In 1901, Charles Parham and his
Apostolic Faith band marched through
the streets of Houston, Texas
proclaiming that God was restoring the
Apostles doctrine. These had recently
understood that the Holy Spirit was still
available (like it was in the New
Testament) with the evidence of
speaking in other tongues as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
Parham was committed to breaking
down the racial, gender and other
barriers, while standing up to the
religious systems of his day. He
envisioned a restoration of the Apostles
and the New Testament Church – an
Apostolic Reformation.
However, men with less vision and
much more ambition hijacked the
Apostolic Faith movement creating a
plethora of denominations, groups,
churches, etc. These were generally
interested in speaking in tongues but
didn’t embrace Apostolic reformation.
Millions would receive the baptism of the
Holy Spirit (evidenced by speaking in
other tongues), but most would not look
beyond this introductory phase to know
more about God, His will and the
mandate he left for His Church and
those original Apostles.
Sadly, when we polled people to ask
them what Apostolic meant; even those
(Continued on Page 7)
6
CALLING ALL INTERCESSORS!
IF YOU ARE AN INTERCESSOR
OR WANT TO BE; WE ARE
LOOKING FOR YOU.
WE CAN ACCOMPLISH NOTHING
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OR CALL.
502.410.4263
7
(How to be Apostolic continued)
who are part of groups that claimed to
be “Apostolic”, we found none of them
could even tell us what the word meant,
let alone explain the purpose, mandate
or imprimatur of the Holy Spirit
connected with its rightful
implementation.
In 1927, John G. Lake
vocalized the realization
that the Apostolic Faith
movement had never
reached the potential of
the divine mandate that
had been given to restore
the New Testament Church.
Among other things, John G. Lake:
called Azusa Street an
“advertizing stunt”1
said that the world does not
know true Christianity, 2
In spite of its popular impact,
Pentecostals (a detour from
the original vision of the
Apostolic Faith) failed to
exemplify true Christianity
John G. Lake made it very clear that this
movement was NOT “comparable with
the apostles, or the leaders of
Christianity in the first centuries.” He
said, “We have rather been an order of
1 John G Lake to Parham. Letter from John G Lake to
Charles Parham MAR 24, 1927 2 John G Lake to Parham. Letter from John G Lake to
Charles Parham MAR 24, 1927
cheap evangelism, with a rather cheap
evangelistic message that is not worthy
in the high sense of being called
Pentecostal (and certainly not
Apostolic).”
Thus, this Pentecostal movement
became a cheap replica of what God
had envisioned in the mantle and
mandate of the Apostolic. Lake
lamented this, “Jesus Christ is not a
church any more--just a mob.”
With little regard for this, modern
usurpers continue to tout the
Pentecostal movement as a genuine
Apostolic mandate even though nearly
all groups claiming to be or using the
word Apostolic are merely holdovers
from the efforts of the last century.
Lake described the situation this way, “a
group of little men with little minds,
trying to fill big men’s places in life and
in the work of God. It is pitiable and
laughable to watch the trick monkey
stuff. NAME WITHHELD is extremely
jealous, insanely so, and this causes
him to stoop to such dishonorable little
things as no one could believe unless
you were on the ground and saw it. It
always makes me think of a bantam
8
rooster among a flock of decent sized
chickens. The only thing the bantam can
do is strut.”
Speaking about the institutionalization of
the concept of Apostolic Reformation,
John G. Lake wrote this, “The spirit of
denominationalism in The Assemblies of
God (one of many pretenders for the
Apostolic mandate) is probably narrower
than even in the old churches from
which Pentecostal people have been
escaping for the last thirty years. So that
as a power to bless mankind and put an
ideal before the world such as the
scriptures outline and as our soul is
longing for, it does not seem to me they
are worth discussing or considering.”
Lake conceded that even the idea of
restoring the Apostolic was dying. That
was 90 years ago!
Lake, Parham and
their contemporaries
(Garfield Thomas
Haywood, Howard
Goss, Maria
Woodworth-Etter,
and others)
envisioned the
restoration of the
Apostolic Church that would be
powerful; releasing Apostolic anointing
in the earth. Lake recorded it this way,
“The same Holy Ghost through Peter
flashed out like a sword of glory and
smote the disease from the lame man at
the Beautiful Gate, was the same sword
that flashed out of his spirit and sent
Ananias and Sapphire to the
graveyard.”3
Lake voiced what was clearly
understood among these forefathers a
century ago. Holy Spirit filled leaders of
the days such as W. Fay Carrothers,
Seeley D. Kinne, Cannon, Dr. Kenyon,
Wallace understood that the outline of
the fivefold ministry in particular and the
church in general outlined by Apostle
Paul in I Corinthians Chapter 12 was a
model that had to be implemented in the
modern church if were to make any
claim to mantle of being Apostolic. This
was a model that was a foreign concept
to those who came from a plethora of
denominations to the Apostolic
movement.
Lake explained to Charles Parham that
the Pentecostals (a schism from the
Parham’s vision of Apostolic
Reformation) settled for one
manifestation of the spirit; ‘speaking in
tongues’ when Parham had envisioned
the whole of Apostolic Reformation John
G. Lake said, “I am rather inclined
feel, brother, that we have been too
small for God's uses and purposes in
this matter.”
NO APOSTLE – NO APOSTOLIC
So, how can you be truly Apostolic
without Apostles? The answer is
simple; you cannot be Apostolic without
Apostles! Just like you can’t have a
3 John G Lake to Parham. Letter from John G Lake to
Charles Parham MAR 24, 1927
9
working car without an engine. What
calls itself Apostolic today is primarily a
fraud living in the shadow of a dream
from the last Century. They are a car
without an engine. There are as was
instructed by Apostle Paul to his son
Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:5, …Having a
form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away.
For the last Century most of those
claiming to be Apostolic have done so
without Apostles. Like Rehoboam, who
replaced the gold shields of his father’s
with brass ones, the embarrassment of
operating without the
anointing of the Apostles
has been compensated by
replacing Apostolic
anointing with a plethora
of man-made programs,
systems and ideas. This
new cart uses men who
their man-made system
calls pastors to replace
nearly every function of
the five-fold ministry.
Many churches have a
multiplicity of pastors and
no other part of the
fivefold ministry is recognized. Seems
like everyone is a pastor.
Without Apostles there is no
Apostolic. No one can be Apostolic
without Apostles. Like Charles
Parham and a host of others, John G.
Lake hoped future generations would
build on their foundation to bring an
Apostolic Reformation. It was their
dream to see,
“A Holy Ghost united, authoritive and
God controlled and God-directed and
God-empowered body, through
whom God could meet the challenge
of Rome (man-made system of the
church that opposed the Apostolic
mandate) and hell and anti-Christ and
every other institution of the devil
that the latter days bring forth.”4
Efforts, movements and outpourings
that might lead the adherents to become
truly apostolic have been
met by with great
opposition by those in this
myriad of religious
traditions.
To be Apostolic we have
to return the church to
being truly Apostolic; not
just being Apostolic in
name only. Apostolic is
not a word on a sign or
letterhead.
We have a plethora of
movements claiming to be
Apostolic while operating
under the same system as the Roman
Church. Rome brought us a man-made
system; a new cart to replace the plan of
God. This man-made system has
generally been the impetus for a
plethora of movements, groups,
denominations, etc.
4 John G Lake to Parham. Letter from John G Lake to
Charles Parham MAR 24, 1927
The Egyptians taking Solomon’s shields of gold. Rehoboam replaced these with
shields of brass
10
What we need is to see a genuine return
to the New Testament Church. To really
be Apostolic, the church is going to have
to have Apostles just as the first Century
Church.
The true Church will, of necessity have
to see the restoration of fivefold ministry;
not only apostles but also prophets,
teachers, pastors and evangelists. This
will begin a restoration that will return
the church to the model of the
Jerusalem Church and subsequent
Antioch Church; a model of Church that
was abandoned in 380 AD
when Theodosius of Rome
claimed that all the Church had
to answer to him. This edict
ended 300 years of the Church
operating under the imprimatur
of the Holy Spirit and the
direction of the five-fold
ministry and ushered in a new
order of man-made rulers.
Apostolic means, like the Apostles.
Without the Anointing of the Apostles a
movement will never be Apostolic. The
Book of the Acts of the Apostles
outlines the exploits of men and women
led by the Holy Spirit who hazarded their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honor to give birth to the New
Testament Church. These turned their
world upside down. We will have to do
the same. We must be ready to
sacrifice everything for the cause of
Jesus Christ.
Submitted respectfully and prayerfully.
Bernie L. Wade is
President of
the International Circle
of Faith (ICOF), a
network of some 50,000
ministers, churches, and
parachurch ministries
representing more than 25 million
followers of Jesus Christ.
Coming in the January issue of the
Next Wave:
The Protestant Reformation has DIED
by Bernie L. Wade
Here is an excerpt:
Where are we at 500 years after Wycliffe started the Reformation? What have we lost? What have we recovered?
In 1500 John Wycliffe set out on the path to restore the Church to its New Testament origins. Wycliffe boldly declared that he would “do only those things that were Apostolic (that the Apostles taught) and NOTHING that the Papacy dictated.
His resolve would be the spark that would set in motion a movement that would eventually be identified as the
Protestant Reformation. Some 500 years after Wycliffe (who eventually was martyred for his faith) took his bold stance
It seems prudent to analyze how much progress we have made…
11
12
~ Dr. Cindye Coates
I wake up every morning to start my
day living for Jesus, rather than against
Satan. I don't have to bind Satan to get
over difficulties or to make it through life
and neither do you!
There is an un-biblical belief requiring
the Believer to engage in mortal combat
with demons in spiritual warfare in order
to further the Great Commission. This
concept of over-stating the power and
role of Satan is rooted in the false notion
that Christ descended into Hell to
wrestle the keys of Hell and Death out of
the hand of Satan in the corridors of Hell
in order to achieve our Salvation. “In
order for the Believer to live a victorious
life they must constantly battle Satan”,
says those who have been blinded by
this false sense of responsibility.
Defeated. Conquered. Bound.
“In this way, God disarmed the evil
rulers and authorities. He shamed them
publicly by his victory over them on the
cross of Christ.” Colossians 2:15
Jesus came to destroy the works of the
devil and according to Colossians
2:15 He did just that by dying on the
Cross. Period.
“Since the children have flesh and
blood, he too shared in their humanity
so that by his death he might destroy
him who holds the power of death—that
is, the devil“
Hebrews 2:14
It wasn't in the corridors of hell that
salvation was achieved and the devil
was defeated, it was on The Cross!
While some argue that a method of
salvation was achieved by the Cross,
they reject the notion that the devil was
defeated because of the Cross.
Because they read The Book of
Revelation as largely unfulfilled, they
also read the account in Revelation 20
of Satan's binding as also unfulfilled and
yet to happen in the future. But this
interpretation is against the New
Testament's description of Satan’s
position since the Cross.
"BINDING" IN THE BIBLE
"Binding" can be physical, such as being
bound by shackles, chains or ropes
(Mark 5:4) or bandages (Luke 10:34). It
can also be non-physical. That is,
someone could be bound by an
oath (Matthew 23:16; Acts 23:12), a
condition, or an obligation. Jesus
questioned whether it was right for Him
to heal a woman who had been 'bound
by Satan for eighteen years' (Luke
13
13:16). Christ also stated that we could
only 'bind' people on Earth with what
they were already bound by in Heaven.
In this sense, binding referred
to obligations and it meant that people
who could no longer do what the
Pharisees had done when they invented
certain rules they called 'binding rules'
(things forbidden), instead they could
only restrict people from doing what God
said they were restricted from doing.
Meaning of “THOUSAND”
When it comes to
interpreting the
passage in
Revelation 20 about
Satan being bound at
the beginning of “the
one thousand year
reign of Christ”, it is
assumed by some
(who believe in a
literal and future
1,000 reign of Christ on Earth) that
neither the Kingdom of God in which
Christ is king ("1,000" years) or “the
binding of Satan” has taken place.
Silly simplistic arguments are used to
dispute those, who like me, regard the
"1,000" years as linguistically
representing the rule and reign of Christ
from the close of the Old Covenant in
70AD to the present day (and beyond).
To ignore the way the Bible uses the
number "1,000" and to then impose a
literal understanding of it into the
Revelation 20 text is perilous. Job says
that he could ask “a thousand
questions” of God and have them all
answered. Surely this language is
stating the enormous depth of God's
knowledge rather than limiting God to
the capacity to only answer a thousand
questions.
The Law-Giver says that God's love
extends to “a thousand generations” to
those who keep His covenant. Surely
God's love does not expire after a
thousand generations of humanity? The
Psalmist said that God “owns the cattle
on a thousand hills”.
Does this imply that the
cattle on hill number
1001 and beyond are
not God's? It appears
that the biblical usage
of “a thousand” paints a
picture of a number so
large that it's not meant
to be counted as
“thousand” was the
largest increment. The words, “million”,
“billion”, “trillion”, etc… did not exist.
“Thousand” was the largest increment
and so it was used to figuratively
express endless longevity!
That's exactly what it means in
Revelation 20.
And he seized the dragon, that ancient
serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and
bound him for a thousand
years, Revelation 20:2
14
Secondly, since Satan is a non-
corporeal being (that is, he doesn't have
a physical body) physical objects, such
as metal chains, cannot restrict him.
Therefore, whatever binding means in
Revelation 20:2, its certainly cannot
mean a physical restriction. Since we
have already seen that binding can
mean something non-physical, it is far
more probable that the binding referred
to in Revelation 20:2 is symbolic
language for restriction.
The Cross terminally weakened Satan,
and the culmination of the Old Covenant
in 70AD destroyed his ability to exploit
the condemnation of the Mosaic
Covenant.
Therefore, rejoice O heavens and you
who dwell in them! But woe to you, O
earth and sea, for the devil has come
down to you in great wrath, because he
knows that his time is
short!” Revelation 12:12
The teaching of the New Testament is
that Christ came to defeat the works of
the devil. For those who believe that
nothing changed for Satan since the
Cross, then the statement in Revelation
12:12 becomes non-sensical as they are
forced into the absurd position of
claiming that the devil's short time is
from the Cross to the present day. This
type of Bible interpretation requires
mental, theological, and exegetical
gymnastics. For those of us not
prepared to abandon the ordinary rules
of Bible interpretation (including:
Context, Non-Contradiction, Original
Intention) such fanciful interpretations
are not only ridiculous but impossible.
Since we know that the Cross
announced the end of the Old Covenant
which continued to function until the
New Covenant had been preached to
every Jew in the Empire, and which
Christ said was conditional for the
ending of the Old Covenant-
And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be
proclaimed throughout the whole
world [Greek word: "oichoumene",
def'n: 'Roman Empire'] as a testimony to
all nations, and then the end will
come. Matthew 24:14
The writer of Hebrews, who wrote to
discouraged Jewish Christians
encouraging them not to succumb to the
taunts of Pharisaic Jews that the Mosaic
Covenant has not been done away with
since the Temple, Priesthood and
Sacrifices were still in place, revealed to
them-
In speaking of a new covenant, he
makes the first one obsolete. And what
15
is becoming obsolete and growing old is
ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:13
Satan did everything he could to prevent
the first Church from preaching the
Gospel to every creature- because we
wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again
and again—but Satan hindered
us. 1Thessalonians 2:18
But despite Satan's best efforts, the
Gospel prevailed by 70AD- the word of
the truth, the gospel, which has come to
you, as indeed in the whole
world it is bearing fruit and
growing— Colossians 1:5-6
if indeed you continue in
the faith, stable and
steadfast, not shifting from
the hope of the gospel that
you heard, which has been
proclaimed in all creation
under heaven, and of which I, Paul,
became a minister. Colossians 1:23
When all those living under the Old
Covenant had had an opportunity to
convert to Christ and accept the New
Covenant, the Old Covenant could end.
With the end of the Old Covenant came
the 'binding' of Satan. From that point
Satan could no longer come into the
presence of God (as he did in Job 1-2),
instead he was 'bound' from
approaching God, and 'bound' for
eternal damnation ("bottomless pit").
Satan was defeated at the Cross. He
was bound at the close of the Old
Covenant. This means that he is
restricted from deceiving nations and
accusing the brethren in the presence of
God (since he is now cast out of
heaven). For those who claim that if
Satan is bound now "he certainly has a
long leash" - I suggest that if he isn't
bound now he certainly lacks
imagination! If Satan is not now
restricted from conducting unlimited evil
by the Lordship of Christ then his lack of
rampant evil is bewildering.
Noted church leaders are
quick to ignorantly attribute
natural disasters to Satan as
evidence of his unbounded
evil. But so-called natural
disasters are more often than
not a vital part of God's
maintenance plan for
sustaining Creation.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, bush-fires,
floods are all designed by God for the
purpose of sustaining life on earth.
The Biblical expression "1,000" speaks
of not meant to be counted.
(1) God owns the cattle on a 1,000 hills.
PS. 50:10 (2) Job could ask 1,000
questions and each time receive an
answer. JOB 9:3 (3) God's faithfulness
is to 1,000 generations, and so on.
DUET 7:9
In a similar way, after the close of the
Old Covenant Age with the destruction
of the Temple and abolition the
sacrificial system, Christ established His
New Covenant reign.
16
HOW FAR INTO THE FUTURE DID
REVELATION CLAIM SATAN WOULD
BE BOUND?
Some claim that the Book of Revelation
was written about events which were to
be fulfilled in the much distant future.
But the Book of Revelation makes
emphatic claims that its contents
pertained to its original audience. The
opening verses of Revelation could not
be clearer-
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave him to show to his servants
the things that, must soon take place.
He made it known by sending his angel
to his servant John...Blessed is the one
who reads aloud the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who
hear, and who keep what is written in
it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:1, 3
ESV
It flies in the face of logic to claim that
although it plainly states that its contents
are immediately about to happen, it
actually meant that they were thousands
of years off! That is an absurd
interpretation. This also relates to what it
says about the doom of Satan. The
correct interpretation of “Satan's time is
short" (Rev. 12:12) as the forty or so
years (an incredibly short time in the
scheme of Biblical history) as being from
the Cross to the destruction of
Jerusalem. To suggest that Satan's
"short time" was from the Cross to the
present day defies all ordinary senses of
language and basic critical thinking
skills.
“For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
And He did!
Dr. Cindye Coates and her husband Dr.
Stan Coates lead a ministry team for
Solomon’s Porch in Atlanta. Both Dr.’s
Coates are graduates of International
Circle of Faith Colleges, Seminaries and
Universities (ICOF CSU).
17
18
EDITORS NOTE: You need to
understand what we have lost
before you can truly understand
Apostolic Reformation. This
article will explain.
Vision Three: Restoration
by Dr. Robert Straube
A. Introduction
In order to be birthed into the vision of
any local church, it is necessary to
understand what God is doing in the
Church today. It has been the tendency
of some to see the Church only from a
historical perspective – as in the book of
Acts or in the great revivals of the past.
We can learn from what God has done,
but we must not limit His present move
by His past ways. God is getting ready
to do an outpouring, as we have never
seen before, as soon as His Bride
becomes ready!
When writing to believers in the early
church, the Apostle Peter earnestly
desired that they would be “. . .
established in the present truth” (2 Peter
1:12). “Present truth” is that truth which
was revealed to them at that time.
The early church understood the
importance of moving with God in the
present tense. When standing before
the Sanhedrin court, the disciples had
an amazing testimony while sharing only
those things they had personally seen
and heard. The religious leaders “. . .
realized that they had been with Jesus”
(Acts 4:13). This world needs to see the
same type of people moving with God in
the present tense. The Church should
testify to a now relationship with Him,
demonstrating His power with signs and
wonders.
In hindsight, we see a glorious Church
in the first century. Comparing it to the
Church today makes us wonder if we
will ever see similar Christianity again.
Yet the Scriptures make plain that God
is restoring truth and spirit to the Church
in these final hours of history. That is
what Restoration is all about!
Haggai 2:9 “The glory of the latter
temple shall be greater than the former,
says the Lord of hosts: and in this place
I will give peace, says the Lord of
hosts.”
Joel 2:23-25 “Be glad then, you children
of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your
God; for he has given you the former
rain faithfully, and he will cause the rain
to come down on you – the former rain,
and the latter rain in the first month.
The threshing floors shall be full of
wheat, and the vats shall overflow with
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new wine and oil. ‘So I will restore to
you the years that the swarming locust
has eaten, the crawling locust, the
consuming locust, and the chewing
locust, my great army which I sent
among you.’”
Acts 3:20-21 “. . . and that he may send
Jesus Christ, who has preached to you
before, whom heaven must receive until
the times of restoration of all things,
which God has spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets since the world
began.”
B. Restoration Defined
The Hebrew word for “restoration” is
“shalam.” It means “to restore
something stolen or owed.”
The Greek word for “restoration” is
“apokathistemai.” It literally means “to
set something back to its original state.”
Its fullest meaning is “to be complete, to
finish, to refresh, to set again, to put
back into existence or use that which
has been lost.”
The Old Testament has many examples
of restoration where loss was incurred.
When real property was stolen, the
offender was responsible to make
restitution. Here are some examples of
this principle:
1. Restoration had to be made either in
a greater measure, more substance, or
better quality than that which was
originally taken. So, through restoration
one gained more than he had lost. This
principle is clear in the following biblical
principles of restoration:
Exodus 22:1-9
Five oxen were restored for the loss of one ox.
Four sheep were restored for the loss of one.
Two animals were restored for each one taken.
The best quality was to be given when making restoration.
Twice as much money was restored for theft.
Leviticus 6:1-5
An additional 20 percent was restored to that which was originally lost.
Luke 19:8
Even in New Testament days, the principle of restoration was mentioned.
Zacchaeus wanted to restore four times the money for any dishonest gain.
2. Sarah is an example of physical
restoration. The Bible describes her as
being well stricken (smitten) with age.
She was 90 years old – an old woman
who was past the age of childbearing.
However, God promised that she would
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bear Abraham’s son, who would be the
father of a great nation. This could only
happen through restoration.
If we follow along in the Genesis
narrative, we will notice that there was
an apparent physical change in Sarah’s
appearance. Abimelech, king of Gerar,
obviously wanted her in his harem
(Genesis 20:1-18), which leads us to
believe that God miraculously restored
her physical beauty. She was restored
to such an extent that she was able to
conceive and bear the promised seed,
Isaac.
Although man can restore physical
property, only God can restore spiritual
things (Joel 2:25). He alone can cause
change in the lives of believers and in
the Church. By God’s purpose – not
man’s plans – the years the Church has
lost are being restored.
C. The Present Truth of the Early
Church
The power of the Holy Spirit, which fell
on the Day of Pentecost, transformed
the disciples into dynamic witnesses
whom Christ used to establish His
Church. The apostles gave themselves
to prayer and study of the Word, which
caused the early church to operate in
truth. The New Testament was written
during this time by inspiration of the
Holy Spirit through such men as Peter,
James, John, Luke, Matthew, Mark, and
Paul. They experienced:
1. Salvation by faith (Acts 16:30-31)
2. Water Baptism by immersion
(Acts 8:38-39)
3. Holiness and sanctification from
the world (2 Corinthians 6:17)
4. Healing by the power of the Spirit
(Acts 5:16)
5. Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts
2:4)
6. Laying on of hands and prophecy
(Acts 13:3)
7. Resurrection of the dead (Acts
9:36-40)
8. Eternal judgment (Acts 5:1-11)
9. Praise and worship (Acts 16:25)
10. Joy (Acts 13:52)
11. Fellowship of the saints (Acts)
D. The Church Through Decline
Throughout the New Testament, the
Scriptures warned the early church
against slow deterioration. It seems as
if the apostles could look ahead a few
hundred years to see a Church which
would err from its commitment to truth,
holiness and sincere faith. Here are
some of the warnings of this decline:
Acts 20:29 “For I know this, that after my
departure savage wolves will come in
among you, not sparing the flock.”
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2 Peter 3:3-4 “. . .knowing this first: that
scoffers will come in the last days,
walking according to their own lusts, and
saying, ‘Where is the promise of his
coming? . . .’”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come
when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own
desires, because they have itching ears,
they will heap up for themselves
teachers; and they will turn their ears
away from the truth, and be turned aside
to fables.”
How could the Church, which had
experienced such power, such grace,
such liberty, and such pure worship fall,
into the death grip of the enemy? This
decline did not happen overnight, but
took hundreds of years as one by one
the truths were either formalized,
diluted, or lost altogether.
There is a span of approximately 60
years between the writings of the
apostles (which ended around 65 A.D.)
and the writings of the first century
church fathers (which began around 125
A.D.). During this lapse of
communication, the decline had already
begun to grip the Church. As the
Church expanded throughout the world,
it picked up many pagan practices from
other cultures. These compromises
soon were tolerated and seen as
commitment to the Word and the local
church was de-emphasized.
With the slow deterioration of the
Church, many of the revelation truths
were lost or formalized. The Church
reverted from life in the Spirit to a slowly
encrusting heartbeat of lifeless liturgy.
By the sixth century, the Church had lost
almost all truth it possessed in its
beginning. The material below, showing
what the Church lost during its first 500
years, is taken from Present Day Truths,
author Dick Iverson (Copyrighted 1975
by ABC Publishing and used by
permission.
www.abcbookpublishing.com):
1. 30-100 A.D. From the day of
Pentecost to the death of John, the
Church was a powerful instrument for
the extension of the kingdom of God.
From the death of the last of the original
Twelve Apostles we have no evidence
that this type of Apostolic ministry
continued.
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2. 130 A.D. Because the apostolic
ministry was no longer functioning in the
early Church, the parallel ministry of the
Prophet soon vanished. With the loss of
this ministry the doctrine of the Laying
on of Hands became nothing more than
a ritual. By 140 A.D., prophetic
utterance of any kind in the local
congregation was very scarce.
3. 150 A.D. With such lack of
dependence on the Spirit of God and an
actual persecution of the biblical
manifestations of the Spirit by the
established churches, it is not surprising
that the biblical experience of the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts
of the Spirit were no longer evidenced
by 150 A.D. Much of the external form
of these things was maintained, but the
people had no living encounter with the
spirit.
4. 160 A.D. As men no longer
demonstrated a Spirit-controlled life, it
became impractical to have a plurality of
eldership. Without a strong unity of the
Spirit, multiple leadership tends to pull
against one another. As a result,
monarchical bishops became the norm
by 160 A.D., and men began to appraise
clergy on the basis of natural ability.
5. 180 A.D. If man is not able to look to
the Spirit for direction and guidance, he
must look to other men. And so it was
with the smaller and more recently
established local Churches by 180 A.D.
Many of these smaller Churches
became so dependent on larger
Churches that they lost their Local
Church autonomy. By this time, many
such Churches were looking to Rome
for direction, and thus, early seeds of
Roman primacy are developing by this
early date.
6. 200 A.D. By this time the Spirit had
very little control over the lives of
individuals. Very little of the body of
Church doctrine and truth became the
actual experience of believers. A gap
began to form between doctrine and
experience. The external form
remained the same in many cases, but
the spiritual awareness of what was
contained in the form was beginning to
vanish. It was about this time that
Baptism began to be abused in many
ways. In 185 A.D. we have the first
record of infant baptism . . .
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7. 210 A.D. Since the distinction
between clergy and the laity was so
acute by this time, the concept of the
priesthood of all believers was not
understood or acknowledged.
Therefore, the ministry of the body of
Christ (Body-ministry) was not at all
understood. Because of all of these
trends, the truth was soon altered to line
up with experience, and the ministers or
clergy were the only ones designated as
“priests.”
8. 225 A.D. Most Churches by this time
were not receiving direct guidance and
teaching from the Spirit of God. They
could, therefore, no longer depend upon
the Spirit to bring and maintain unity of
the faith. In order to enforce and
maintain an external unity, creeds or
statements of beliefs began to be written
as criteria for Church membership.
9. 240 A.D. By the middle of the third
century much worldliness had crept into
the Church. Without the power of the
Holy Spirit to lead a separate life, the
standard of holiness and the sanctified
life held up by the early Church became
an unrealistic life for many. Some
recognized this problem and began the
first monasteries at this time. This made
provision for a double standard in
Christian living. There was the “average
Christian” and the “ascetic” who tried to
live the “deeper life.”
10. 300 A.D. Because of the rigor of
these ascetic groups, there developed
an over emphasis on works as a sort of
merit for eternal life. This merely laid
the groundwork for what was to come
later under Constantine.
11. 313 A.D. Constantine became the
ruler of the great Roman Empire and
chose Christianity as the best possible
of religions. At this time the state began
to exercise control over the affairs of the
established Church, and men of little or
no religious experience became
instrumental in shaping church doctrine.
Even the outcome of the Council of
Nicaea was the result of the efforts of
Constantine. He also needed more men
for his military to maintain the Empire.
12. 350 A.D. About 350 A.D.,
Christianity being the religion of the
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state, all those who were not in the
Church were persecuted. As can well
be expected, many heathens preferred
to be called “Christian” rather than face
the sword. At this time the experience
of salvation with the doctrine of
justification by faith and the new birth
into the kingdom of God was no longer
emphasized.
13. 380 A.D. This movement
culminated with Theodosius who made
Rome, which was already the capital of
the Empire, the final authority in Church
matters as well.
Thus the Church entered the period
known as the Dark Ages. It continued to
sink deeper and deeper into darkness
until the fifteenth century, a thousand
years later.
E. God’s Plan of Restoration
During the fifteenth century, the
revelation truths began to be restored to
the Church. God was once again
breathing life into His Church.
1. 1400 A.D. The first translation of the
entire Bible from the original scriptures
was made available to the common
people under the ministry of John
Wycliffe.
2. 1517 A.D. Martin Luther was used to
restore the most foundational of all truth
– Justification by Faith.
3. 1524 A.D. The Anabaptist
movement was started as it saw the
restoration of Water Baptism.
4. 1750A.D. Through the ministry of
John Wesley, the truth of Sanctification
and Holiness was restored to the
Church.
5. Nineteenth Century: A.B. Simpson
and others were used to restore the
truth of Healing to the Church.
6. 1901 A.D. The Baptism of the Holy
Spirit came in a mighty outpouring upon
the Church.
7. 1906 A.D. The Gifts of the Spirit
began to be restored in the Azusa Street
Revival.
8. 1948 A.D. The truths of the Five
Fold Ministry, Laying on of Hands, and
Praise and Worship were restored
through a mighty Canadian Revival.
God has moved in revival when each of
these truths was being revealed.
However, denominations were
established by basing their ministry only
on those particular truths. When new
truths were restored, these
denominations were many times the first
to persecute those who were following
the present moving of God. For
example, the Roman Catholic Church
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persecuted Luther’s followers because
of their position on justification by faith.
In turn, Luther’s followers persecuted
the Anabaptists because of their
position on water baptism. The
persecuted became the persecutors due
to their unwillingness to continue to
move into present truth.
We need to learn from historic errors of
the Church and continue to yield to the
Holy Spirit as He continues to restore
the Church unto full stature.
F. Restoration Applied to the Church
Today
For many years, the Church has made
attempts to fulfill the plan of God
through its own programs but without
the Spirit. The need for real restoration
within the ministry of the local Church is
apparent. Yet, since the turn of the
twentieth century, the amount of truth
restored has increased greatly and it
seems as if now each new decade is
seeing a greater illumination of spiritual
truth.
With such an abundance of truth, our
accountability increases. We must
maintain these precious truths without
allowing them to become meaningless
activities or empty form. Worse yet, we
must not allow them to become
antiquated. When truth deteriorates into
form or ritual, it becomes legalistic,
grieves the Holy Spirit and chokes out
life. We must not become stagnant by
camping upon the mountain of one truth,
for this will lead to a narrow perspective
of God’s overall purpose.
Even though many churches have not
even begun to enter into the spiritual
truths being revealed today, this does
not mean that only a small portion of the
Body of Christ will. God has been
restoring truth for the last 500 years,
and He will continue to restore it to
those who are hungry for more.
I believe that we are experiencing the
restoration of truth today. For example,
in Acts 15:15 we read that God has
promised to restore the power of His
presence to the Church. In this
passage, this is described as the
rebuilding of the tabernacle of David. A
thorough study of the Scriptures brings
us to the understanding that the
tabernacle of David speaks of worship
being restored as a priority to God’s
people. The spiritual application of the
tabernacle of David has to do with God’s
people gathering unto the Lord Jesus
Christ to worship Him and experience
His presence. The result will be “. . .
that the excellence of the power may be
26
of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians
4:7).
We are privileged in this day to see this
truth restored to the Body of Christ.
There is a reviving of praise and worship
that is beginning to cover the earth “. . .
with the knowledge of the glory of the
Lord, as the waters cover the sea”
(Habakkuk 2:14). We are beginning to
see the fulfillment of all that the holy
prophets have spoken concerning
restoration. Be watchful, for now is the
time for signs and wonders, as a
testimony to the Lord’s power and
greatness, to soon follow.
Isaiah 61:11 “For as the earth brings
forth its bud, as the garden causes the
things that are sown in it to spring forth,
so the LORD GOD will cause
righteousness and praise to spring forth
before all the nations.”
“Lord Jesus, we thank you for
completing your Word for the restoration
of your Church. Praise, honor, and
glory are yours, Lord. Holy Spirit, we
ask you to bring forth your signs and
wonders as you raise your Bride from
her ruins as a witness to the nations of
your power and your grace. We pray in
agreement that your Word be fulfilled, in
Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Gratefully in His love,
Your Servant,
Apostle Dr. Robert Straube
From the book Foundational
Discipling Principle by Dr.
Robert Straube.
On Amazon.com:
or purchase it directly from the
publisher,
Dr. Robert Straube serves as President of
ICOF CSU. He is a member of the US National Fivefold Roundtable and
President of Rock of Zion Ministries
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29
Restore Such a One
Galatians 6:1
By Apostle Bobby Sutton
The last article that I wrote dealt with the
portion of this verse that tells us who
should be involved in a restoration
process. Paul writes it should be saints
of God that are spiritual. This gives us
the impression that the Christian church
should know if they are spiritual or
carnal. Paul does not
leave us in the dark
as far as the traits of
spiritual or carnal
people.
This is what Paul said
to the Corinthian
church "For ye are yet
carnal: for whereas
there is among you envying, and strife,
and divisions, are ye not carnal, and
walk as men? Paul records in Galatians
5:19-20 the deeds of the flesh. Then in
Galatians 5:22 he list the fruit of the
Spirit. If we are manifesting the fruit of
the Spirit and we are loving our brothers
and sisters then the scripture tells us
that we are spiritual people. The
purpose of this article is not to rehash
the previous point but to get to the idea
of restoration.
The word restore in the Greek has
several connotations According to
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
commentary the word restore in Greek
is katartizete is used of a dislocated
limb being put back in place, according
to other Greek authorities the word
refers to setting bones, mending nets.
The instructions are clear as to how we
are to treat “fallen” brothers and sisters.
We are to treat them with the same
tenderness a physician would treat a
broken patient.
These definitions should give us a clue
as to handle a brother or sister that has
fallen into sin. The Apostle James tell
us in James 519-20 "Brethren if any of
you do err from the
truth, and one
convert him; Let him
know, that he which
converteth the sinner
from the error of his
ways shall save a
soul from death, and
shall hide a multitude
of sins."
Jesus taught us in Matthew 18:15-17
this about church discipline,
"Moreover if thy brother shall
trespass against thee, go and tell him
his fault between thee and him alone:
if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
thy brother. But if he will not hear
thee take with thee one or two more,
that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be
established. “
30
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell
it unto the church: but if he neglects to
hear the church, let him be unto thee as
a heathen man and a publican."
There is no formula given to us for
restoring a brother or sister. In Matthew
Jesus is dealing with the trespass of one
brother to another and the formula is
clear. Tell your brother that he has
trespassed against you, if he will not
hear take one or two witnesses and if he
will not hear them tell the church. If he
will not hear the church then he is as a
heathen and excommunicated.
Interestingly enough we do not hear a
lot of this type of discipline going on in
the church. Usually if there is a quarrel
one of the parties stops going to church
altogether or they simply go to another
church of like faith if one is available.
That is not the way to solve the issue.
The subject of quarreling saints I will
cover another time. What do we do with
the excommunicated brother or sister
that comes back to the church family
that they offended?
What is the system for restoring a
brother or sister to the Lord and
fellowship with the church? It has been
my experience as a pastor that most of
the time when someone falls after a time
they return and "pray through"(to use an
old Pentecostal term) at an altar and
then get on with their walk with God. If
the person has been in a leadership
position the pastor gives them time to
see if they are able to resume that
position. In another article I will pursue
the restoration of a minister. In the case
of a parishioner, it has been my
experience, that the pastor serves the
role as the restoration team. This poses
the question of should there be
restoration teams in the church other
than the pastor? Is there a team of
spiritual people available to the ministry
of the church that can fulfill this role?
James tells us in James 5:14-16 "Is
there any sick among you? Let him call
for the elders of the church: and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord: and the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he hath
committed sins, they shall be forgiven
him. Confess your faults one to another,
and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed. The effectual fervent prayer
31
of a righteous man availeth much.
“There are several topics covered in
these scriptures that I will not address at
this time. I will stick to the subject at
hand.
The phrase "confess your faults one to
another" is a powerful test phrase for
our spirituality. Usually our faults are for
the pastor’s office alone and no one else
is supposed to know what they are.
James seems to disagree with this
approach. Are we spiritual enough to
hear each other’s faults without
judgment? Hearing the faults and
praying about them could be prevention
to a person falling. Let me say at this
juncture that when we speak of a
believer falling into sin we are not
speaking of only sexual sin. We are
speaking of any sin that would cause a
person to stop coming to church or be
excommunicated. It could be anything
from gossip (now that should stir up
some discussion) stealing hubcaps,
beating your wife or wife beating
husband, or getting drunk. The system
should be the same for the person to be
restored.
What is the system for restoration?
1. The fallen person has truly repented
and experiences genuine sorrow for sin.
2. There is a decisive renunciation of the
act.
3. There is an attitude of non-
defensiveness, i.e. there is no excuse
making.
4. There is a spirit devoid of bitterness.
These four attributes must be in place
before a person can start to be restored.
The team has to speak to the person
and determine if these are in place.
Some people will fake true repentance
because they are a part of a social
setting in the church and they want to
gain that social part back. Some may
fake true repentance because they were
in a place of leadership and they
received their affirmation from that
position. The restoration team is not
there to make a determination whether
or not a person is faking repentance.
God will judge the hearts and He knows
if a person is sincere or not. If a person
seems to have real repentance then the
team should help.
What about the restoration team? These
people must be spiritual. If the fivefold
ministry is working in the church or if
32
there is the traditional pastoral
leadership the ministry should know who
are spiritual and who are not. James
tells us in the above quote to call the
elders of the church. The word elder
comes from the Greek word
presbyteros– properly, a mature man
having seasoned judgment
(experience); an elder. These are
people that are known for their mature
walk with the Lord and the ministry can
put them in a place of trust. Once the
person has met the four criteria of
restoration then they can be helped to
regain their spiritual footing.’
The restoration team has to lay a
foundation of love. The offender has to
know that the elders love them and want
to help them. Jesus said the world
would know us because we have love
on for another. In order for a person to
be renewed into the kingdom the person
must feel love. No condemnation, no
judgment, no being treatment as a
second class citizen. I was a new
Christian and had the opportunity to
participate in a choir trip to Mexico. We
were singing in churches across Mexico.
In one of the churches the conversation
led to the subject of restoration of a
saint that had sinned. I was told that the
person could come back to church but
they must sit on the back row and slowly
make their way back into the
congregation. That does not sound like
a place of no condemnation. It sounds
like the person is branded and would
always have a cloud of condemnation
hanging over them. The object of
restoration is to bring the offender back
to full relationship with Jesus not to
constantly remind them of their sin. To
refer to the definition of the word restore
in scripture we are to treat those with
the same tenderness a physician would
treat a broken patient.
This is a formula that can be used as a
guide for a restoration team or someone
involved in the restoration of a brother or
sister in the Lord. Love must be the
foundation of the process. (The person
we are trying to help must know that we
love them as Jesus loves the church)
No condemnation. (Jesus has forgiven
their sin).
No attitude of superiority. (This could be
self righteousness and then you become
the fallen)
No discussing the sin. (Gossip)
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Availability. (If the brother or sister
needs someone to talk to that can give
spiritual answers to the issue)
Accountability. (The restoration team is
there for the person to be accountable
to if feeling tempted)
Gender specific. (Brothers should
restore brothers and sisters should
restore sisters. There is too much room
for transference and vulnerability in
these situations.)
Paul warns the restoration team in the
last portion of Galatians 6:1 "restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted."
James 5:19-20 " Brethren, if any of you
do err from the truth, and one convert
him; Let him know, that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of
his ways shall save a soul from death,
and shall hid a multitude of sins."
What a testimony to save a fallen
brother or sister from death and hide a
multitude of sins.
This article does not cover the entirety
of this subject, but it will give you a
guide to go by if you are involved in the
restoration process.
Apostle Bobby Sutton, MA
Christian Counseling is Vice
President of Missions for the
International Circle of Faith.
He is the author of the book,
“I Slept with Potiphar’s Wife”
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.
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Is Tithing still Relevant? & Can God's Financial Structure cause us to Thrive
not just Survive!?
"God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony." (1
Corinthians 14:33 Message Bible)
In the world's system, referring to whatever country we are resident, it is only right and legal that we contribute to the welfare of our respective countries. In fact our country of origin would not survive without a clear structure or system that really works. In the west we call this democracy and there are many different forms of democracy. Why would it not survive? Because living without structure is like living without a back bone! A society without structure or backbone is a lawless society governed and driven by dominant law-lords rather than a system that looks out for the genuine welfare of its citizens. Rather than just letting the strongest survive... its fairness for all. That is the aim of democracy no matter how flawed it is and included in this pursuit of 'fairness' is the necessity to pay taxes; which in turn 'maintains' the overall system. Various economies would be quite manageable if everyone contributed to the systems that have been established through these governments. I'm talking about democratic societies. Jeffry Grant gives some staggering figures about what he calls the 'Underground Cash Economy'. He says, "The greatest problem facing the government is their desperate need to generate additional tax revenues." Doesn't this sound like the Church? And yet we don't
need additional tax, what we need is additional tithes! Mr. Grant goes on to say, "Huge welfare costs and massive interest payments on the national debt have created staggering deficits. However, the resistance of voters to higher taxes has put the government in a difficult position. Studies reveal a huge amount of the economic and financial transactions are not being recorded or taxed at all. Increasingly, people are using cash in an attempt to escape high taxes." Over the last decades various studies have shown that the untaxed underground economies of separate countries are estimated to be well into the billions! With figures for the US economy much higher, even into the trillions each year; however if a significant part of this underground economy was taxed, budget deficits would disappear and governments would be able to begin paying off their national debts. In fact some economists estimate that one third of the economy escapes taxation!
Each government has to decide how to distribute this funding that is generated through these various taxes, for the welfare of its society. With democratically elected leadership, who have authority (locally and nationally), and the responsibly to make the right decisions on behalf of its society. I believe what God wants us to understand and reflect on such facts and figures so that the Body of Christ can rectify the error of perhaps more than 80% of its members, who make the poor decision 'not to tithe' and yet still think that God's Kingdom here on this earth will somehow supernaturally exist without the
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responsibility of its own people. "There is no shortage of finance..."one economist said, "...in fact there are enough resources in this world for everyone to be a millionaire!" Consider our National Insurance contributions and pension schemes that are paid or given on behalf of one's self and one's own family's welfare or well being. These payments (in most cases) bring about personal returns. On thinking about such things God spoke to me one night and gave me a revelation that His Kingdom operates in much the same way. In fact a lot of what we have in society has been taken and established out of a spiritual kingdom. The difference is of course that man is in control of one system, (we call this the Babylonian system) and God is in control of the other! Because of the fall of mankind, much of our earthly system is influenced by greed and the love of money. But these attitudes don't just exist within our society the Church also is infested with much of the same spirit! Finally when it comes to tithing and giving offerings, we are ultimately free to decide what we do with our money, although our flesh usually wins every time! And it is those living and operating out of their spirit and not their flesh who are successfully led to do the right thing where their finances are concerned. Because at the end of the day everything belongs to the Lord and all the time that He is in control there is no chaos.
God is not the author of confusion; spiritual or financial. A book was once written entitled, "Why do bad things happen to good people." And in a similar way, why do faithful people suffer lack? Usually there is a link in the chain that has been severed. God has called us to be one, to be united and to work together in one accord. After all we are in the same kingdom! If only a small percentage of Kingdom dwellers know how to operate in their finances as the Holy Spirit dictates, imagine how much easier things would be if the larger part did their part as well!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father thank you that today I can be led of the Holy Spirit and not of dogma. I can submit my finances to You and see You move abundantly with them. It is always better to give than to
receive and I thank you that as I pursue righteousness and sensitivity to your Holy
Spirit, my giving will be a true blessing to your kingdom. Not compulsive giving that evaporates
and does not really bless anyone. But giving that is in line with the overall agenda of Your
Holy Spirit who can see the bigger picture. Help me to submit my finances today, so that when I
resist the devil from them, he will flee according to James 4:7. In Jesus Name.
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38
A Treatise on Genuine Apostleship In
the Kingdom Of God
by Dr Len Robinson
Genuine Apostles should be aiding other
genuine Apostles in the advancing of the
Kingdom. However those who in a religious
pretense say they are Apostles but are not
only have at the core of their interest
"building" their own little Kingdoms in the
name of the King.
The groups that call themselves Apostle
Groups, when you read the varied doctrines
that they banter about there is no
pronounced revelation of the Kingdom
besides the word Kingdom being used to
lace their messages in the way a dope
dealer may lace weed with PCP to boost the
stimulation one derives from using the
drug. In that regard many a minister
regardless to gifting is really no more than a
"hope" dealer.
The authenticity of apostolic ministry is not
found in the misinterpretation of Peter's
declaration about the Apostles doctrine.
We've made much to do about baptism in
Jesus name only as though Jesus is not also
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And yet then there are other so called
Apostles who also don't know the doctrine
of the Kingdom of God at all. So on what
basis does one label themselves an apostle?
Many do so believing God has called them
to some high office and they like to be seen
of men as having arrived. These kinds of
leaders are not being driven by the voice of
God but are instead being driven by the
voice of ego.
Jesus did not give the Apostles apostleship
without first teaching them the Kingdom of
God. If I as an Apostle struggle with the
doctrine of the Kingdom that Jesus
preached I may just find that rather than
being an apostle I actually allowed religion
to make me a Pharisee.
So back to the earlier point. Genuine
Apostles will join in covenant agreement to
advance the doctrine of the Kingdom and
Christ throughout the nations of the world.
The covenant truth of the Kingdom of God
39
is that by submission to the Holy Spirit we
experience the reign of God and by living
according to God's image and likeness we
fulfill the law of the Kingdom which is love.
Every so-called Apostle should want Christ
to be formed in the people yet many of
today's apostles messages are about how
you can come into your season, walk in
your divine destiny and experience your
own breakthrough. And where
breakthrough is not the message, fathering
is and yet both messages are not the
message God sent Jesus to preach.
Are you a genuine Apostle.....then get with
other genuine Apostles who have escaped
religion and the traditions of men and are
no longer preaching private revelations but
are truly preaching the Kingdom. You are
honor bound by covenant relationship
between you and the Father to connect
with brethren of like precious faith for the
advancing of the doctrine of the Kingdom
and Christ.
Read Romans 6
By Pastor Saleem Inayat
Chairman – ICOF
FIVEFOLD
ROUNDTABLE -
PAKISTAN
Read Romans 6:5-6
Paul reminds us that our baptism was more
than just a dunking in water. In baptism, we
shared in Jesus' death, burial, and
resurrection. What he did to save us is now
shared with us. We die to sin and are raised
to be a new person, cleansed and made
holy, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We
have been set free from the power and the
penalty of sin. Amen
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41
Come and join an exciting new
church in Henry County Kentucky!
We are LIFE CHURCH OF KENTUCKY
MAKING DISCIPLES is what we are all
about. We are excited about what
God is doing in our ministry. We
continue to need experienced
leaders and those called to
leadership.
The Life Church Praise Band needs
dedicated musicians to join with us;
especially keyboards, drums, bass
guitar, guitar, and other
instruments.
Our Praise Team is open to those
who want to glorify the Lord with
song.
Come and be part of what God is
doing in our area!
Life Church of Kentucky is looking for
people who know sign language (ASL)
or want to learn for our sign team
ANOINTED HANDS OF LIFE CHURCH.
Life Church of Kentucky is looking for
ministers to join our team. Both
those who already are operating in
ministry and those who want to be
developed and trained.
Life Church of Kentucky is looking for
people to help in our Media
department: Internet Technologies,
social media, sound and more.
Life Church of Kentucky is looking for
people a variety of ministries
including children, youth, social,
music, praise, outreach, prison,
Hispanic, etc.For information on any
of these contact or office:
502.410.4263 or
42
ICOF members have united over 50,000 ministers
representing more than 25 Million constituents, several
hundred colleges, universities and other Christian schools,
orphanages & feeding programs, humanitarian aid
organizations, chaplains and other charities.
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Hundreds will protest Islam
Lovefest History textbook
foisted on high school
students
Eric Owens
On Florida’s Atlantic Coast, some 200 or
more local parents and activists have
announced plans to show up at
Tuesday’s Volusia County school board
meeting to protest the public school use
of a world history textbook that devotes
a whole chapter to Islam but exactly
zero chapters to any other religions.
The textbook, called simply “World
History,” contains a 32-page chapter
fondly devoted to “Muslim Civilizations.”
Sections include descriptions of the
Koran, the growth of the Muslim empire
and the Five Pillars of Islam.
The planned protest will include a
demand that students rip out the 32
pages of the Islam chapter unless the
school district agrees to provide
students with a similar amount of
officially-sanctioned material concerning
other religions, reports local ABC
affiliate WFTV.
The seeds for the Wednesday protest
were reportedly planted after an
unidentified local mother started a
Facebook page demanding that local,
taxpayer-funded schools stop using the
textbook.
The district indicated that it will continue
to use the controversial book.
School district officials in Volusia County
insist that there’s no problem because
other religions come up as a matter of
course in the book. Thus, the argument
goes, there’s no need to have a single
chapter dedicated to, say, the Gospels
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or the Pentateuch—or, for that matter,
Hindu or Buddhist religious traditions.
“Christianity and Judaism is [sic] spread
throughout the book,” a school district
spokeswoman told WFTV. The book’s
supporters also argue that students
know about Christianity but need
to learn more about Islam because of
its crucial importance in international
affairs.
On Monday, the Council on American-
Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a
statement criticizing the protesters.
“This group is displaying an alarming
level of intolerance and brazen
disregard of minority religions here in
the US. We find their actions Un-
American and against every core
principal that makes this country so
great,” CAIR said.
Critics of the textbook include District 2
Deltona commissioner Webster
Barnaby, who told WFTV that he is only
seeking equal time for other religions,
specifically Christianity.
“The problem is: there needs to be
balance. In America today, Christianity
is being relegated to the trash heap,”
Barnaby told the station.
“Why relegate Christianity to a footnote
in an entire history book, and you give
an entire chapter on the teachings of
Islam?” he added.
“To suggest that everybody knows
about Christianity, that is total
ignorance,” Barnaby also said.
The “World History” textbook is one of
three textbooks covering similar material
that meet Florida’s criteria for adoption
by the state’s public schools.
As a school district spokeswoman
noted, one reason school districts select
this book is because it covers
information required under Florida’s
Next Generation Sunshine State
Standards—the state’s version of the
Common Core.
The same textbook is used in school
districts across Florid and across the
country. Read
more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/05/
hundreds-will-protest-islam-lovefest-
history-textbook-foisted-on-high-school-
students/#ixzz2jnVPs4su
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46
Jezebel, Occultism and the
End-Time War on the Saints
By Jennifer LeClaire
At first, I thought it was New Age
culture. But I was wrong. It
was occultism.
As I strolled through the streets of Key
West on a 24-hour getaway with my
daughter, I noticed something that I had
never witnessed in Key West before:
occultism seems fully woven through the
culture.
I’ve been going to Key West for more
than 20 years and have spent weeks at
a time on the tropical island. But
something disturbing has happened in
the 10 years since I last visited—and it’s
merely a microcosm of what’s
happening in the world today.
You can no longer walk down Duval
Street—the famous drag of shops and
restaurants—without running into the
likes of Mahadeo Jerrybandhan, a
renowned “peerless palmist” from
Trinidad with a long white beard and an
even longer white robe. But
Jerrybandhan is not alone. He has
plenty of peers in Key West, from
psychics to mediums to channels to
healers to tarot card readers to
astrologers. The only group I didn’t find
down there were the crystal readers.
Then there’s “Robert the Doll.” Key
West profiteers have designed so-called
ghost tours that explore the haunted
history of Key West, including old
wooden houses where spirits
purportedly walk. Tour guides will tell
you that Key West is one of the most
haunted cities in the world with elevated
paranormal activity. A local voodooistic
icon, Robert the Doll will supposedly
curse you if you take his picture without
permission or forget to thank him for the
privilege.
The Abomination of Occultism
As you can imagine, seeing all this
grieved my spirit. But I should not have
been so surprised. Occultism has been
slowly creeping into American culture for
decades as movie makers exalt
witchcraft and vampires while the music
industry pumps occult rock. Beloved, we
are in the midst of a great spiritual crisis
even now. Our literature, music, video
games, comics, films and television
shows are full of mysticism and the
occult. Some of it is subtle. Some of it is
blatant. All of it is wicked.
Again, this is nothing new. Occultism—
which broadly includes magic, séances,
channeling, hypnosis, necromancy,
astrology, extra-sensory perception,
47
alchemy, spiritualism and divination—is
strongly condemned in the Bible.
“There shall not be found among you
anyone who makes his son or his
daughter pass through the fire [which is
an ancient occult practice], or one who
practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or
one who interprets omens, or a
sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or
a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls
up the dead. For all who do these things
are an abomination to the Lord” (Deut.
18:10-12, brackets added).
The Lord rebuked Israel for practicing
astrology (Isaiah 47:10-14). Jezebel
practiced witchcraft (2 Kings 9:22) and
we know how that ended. Ephesus was
known for a population that practiced
magic arts (Acts 19:19). And the book of
Revelation makes it clear that “the
cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death”
(Rev. 21:8).
Kabbalah, Kundalini and Jezebel
And yet we see occult practices,
like Kabbalah, gaining momentum in the
church. We see "prophetic words"
delivered in what appears to be
Kundalini fashion, with violent shaking
and demonic tongues against a
backdrop of tribal bongos that set the
congregation into hysteria. We see
a Jezebel spirit working to seduce saints
into idolatry and sexual immorality—and
oftentimes succeeding. We see all sorts
of strong delusion and strange fire with
occultic ties in the modern church.
But we should not be surprised. The rise
of occultism is a sign of the end times.
Satan’s plan is to fascinate our hearts
with occult power and deceive us. The
Holy Spirit, meanwhile, wants to
fascinate our spirits with a revelation of
the Son of God. I believe God’s people
are enticed by occultism when they
begin seeking spiritual experiences
above seeking God. It’s a subtle—and
dangerous—shift. Many Christians are
on fire for God, but that fire can
suddenly turn strange if we are not
rooted in the Word. If we seek
supernatural experiences, we will find
them—but they don’t always come from
Jesus.
Beloved, we must not play with strange
fire. Ultimately, the occult leads to
murder and mayhem—immorality of all
kinds. It’s not likely that you would ever
willfully visit the likes of Mahadeo
Jerrybandhan, the peerless palmist—or
any of his peers. But could you
ignorantly be engaged with occultic
48
practices that are opening the door to
deceptive dangers? Could it be coming
from what appears to be godly
influences—even within church culture?
Discernment or Deception?
Don’t brush the question off before
praying about it. If you want the truth,
the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide
you into all truth. Please hear me! Even
a little occult is a deadly poison—a little
leaven leavens the whole lump. The
Bible warns about deceptive
teachers, false apostles and deceitful
workers. The Bible warns about self-
deception. And it’s your responsibility to
keep your heart pure. If you've stepped
into this demonic ditch, repent now and
warn others.
Friends, we’re in an end-times war with
eternal consequences. Satan is using
the occult to seduce people away from
the kingdom of God to dance in the
kingdom of darkness. I pray that the
Lord gives you discernment and
awakens your spirit, for you do not know
on what day your Lord is coming (Matt.
24:42).
Let me leave you with a warning from
the apostle Paul: “Beware lest anyone
cheat you through philosophy and
empty deceit, according to the tradition
of men, according to the basic principles
of the world, and not according to
Christ” (Col. 2:8). Amen.
Jennifer is the
director
for International
House of Prayer-Fort
Lauderdale Missions
Base.
Jennifer also serves as news editor
at Charisma magazine. Her work also
appeared in a Charisma House book
entitled Understanding the Five-Fold
Ministry which offers a biblical study to
uncover the true purpose for the fivefold
ministry.
49
50
Life Support is a charitable organization (501 c 3) that helps families
in Henry, Trimble, Oldham and Carroll Counties in Kentucky.
Ways You Can Help Life Support
1. Join our team! We need the help of local businesses, churches, and individuals to make an even larger impact on the challenges that the working poor and those who are economically and socially disadvantaged face. The next meeting of our steering committee is January 21st, 2014. We would love to have you there! Put it on your calendar.
2. Organize a Food and Fund Drive
LIFE SUPPORT relies heavily on local support to continue to
provide meals to those in need. A company-sponsored Food
and Fund Drive is a great way to build team spirit and
community good will within companies, schools and other
organizations.
The 250 Pound Pledge
Food drives are great as it helps us stock empty pantry
shelves. It would really help the Life Support if you can
commit to collecting at least 250 pounds of food through your
food drive.
3. Donate Funds For every $1 donated, the Life Support is able to acquire and
distribute food for 4 meals. Donations can be made in cash,
by check, money order, Visa, Mastercard or American
Express.
4. In Kind donations (clothing, furniture, vehicles) are also welcome.
LIFE SUPPORT
P.O. Box 72 Sulphur, KY 40070
Phone: 502.410.4263
Rev. M. Joy Willoughby
Pastor - Life Church of Kentucky
Co-Chair
Rev. Jeff Maggard
Pastor – Sulphur Christian Church
Co-Chair
Rebecca Goins
Life Church – Sulphur Kentucky
Secretary
Dr. Bernie L. Wade, Sr.
Chancellor - ICOF CSU
Rev. Earl B. Higgins
Pastor – 2nd
Baptist Church
Campbellsburg, Kentucky
Rev. Blanca Wade
Pastor – Life Church of Kentucky
Rev. Jason Hunt
President
Frontier Christian University
Rev. Bernie L. Wade
Masterstouch Construction
Pastor Michael Jackson
Pastor – 1st Baptist Church
Pee Wee Valley, Kentucky
Rev. William A. Goins
Pastor – Life Church of Kentucky
Dr. Daisy R. Wade
PR - ICOF
51
TWELVE DIFFERENT
KINDS OF
APOSTOLIC
LEADERS
By Joseph Mattera
I have been in the apostolic movement
since the late 1980’s and have observed
many kinds of apostolic leaders. By
“apostolic” I am referring to a person
who functions in the apostolic ministry
gift as mentioned in Ephesians 4:11.
They may also oversee an apostolic
church that exerts great influence in
their community, and/or lead a network
of churches.
One size definitely doesn’t fit all in the
apostolic, or in any of the other ministry
gifts for that matter! They all have
different modes of operation and/or
function as well as different motivational
gifts and bents. Of course, any true
apostolic leader may have one or more
of the following characteristics.
The following are the different kinds of
apostolic leaders I have observed:
1. The Connecting Apostle
These apostolic leaders are like the
Apostle Barnabas mentioned in the
Book of Acts. Barnabas was always
connecting people together and was the
one responsible for connecting Saul
(later on he became the great Apostle
Paul) to the Jerusalem church (Acts
9:26-27). These leaders love networking
key people together, function with a
strong heart of mercy (they give people
second and third chances; read Acts
15:37-39), and have an amazing
understanding of where to place people
for the maximization of their gifts and
callings.
This kind of leader also has a burden for
unifying the Body of Christ and are
adept at creating horizontal networks or
associations of leaders in their regions,
either for fellowship or to fulfill a joint
mission (hence they are usually quite
ecumenical).
2. The Truth Apostle
Paul the Apostle focused on teaching
the truth and was committed to maturing
people in the faith through his teaching
ministry (Colossians 1:24-29). These
are scholarly leaders who write much
and attract people into their networks of
influence through their great scholarship
and practical insight. They also major on
quality, doctrine and developing
covenantal systems of engagement
within their circles of influence.
What separates these from others with
mere theological theory is their ability to
form strong coalitions with high-level
commitment to fulfilling the kingdom
mandate of spreading the gospel.
3. The Prophetic Apostle
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These are intuitive, spontaneous
leaders who have an amazing ability to
think quickly with words of wisdom from
the Lord. They are great visionaries and
dreamers and think ahead of the curve
and have a great gift of exhortation
and/or preaching extemporaneously.
With their great gift of motivation, they
are able to attract many leaders into
their spheres of influence.
4. The Military Apostle
These are like military
generals in the Body of
Christ who create
hierarchical networks with
a strong top-down
leadership approach. They
usually lead strong vertical
networks with high
commitment and are not
really interested in
participating in ecumenical associations
(unless it fits their particular agenda or
they lead it). This is because they are so
focused on their purpose and lack
patience and grace to work with other
strong leaders who have a different view
of the church or who do not want to
submit to their leadership.
5. The Cultural Apostle
These apostolic leaders attract leaders
into their networks because of
political/social issues such as traditional
marriage, abortion, immigration, social
justice and the like. They have a
prophetic bent and are also great
unifiers of like-minded leaders.
6. The Signs and Wonders Apostle
These apostolic leaders are like the
Apostle Peter who spread the gospel by
the use of extraordinary signs and
wonders through the gift of faith (Acts
5:15). These leaders can draw great
crowds, build large churches, and
regularly take risks of faith regarding
finances, building bigger buildings, as
well as helping others walk in the
supernatural. They will draw
other pastors and leaders
into their networks that are
hungry for the supernatural.
7. The Community Apostle
These apostolic leaders dive
into the economic, social
and political lives of their
communities with a goal of shepherding
their cities, not just a congregation.
Many of these leaders create programs
that serve their communities with their
churches or networks becoming key
agents of change for surrounding areas.
8. The Missiological Apostle
This apostolic leader is focused on
statistics, trends, demographics and
cultural relevance, and helps lead
innovative networks and/or
organizations that lead the global
charge to spread the gospel. They are
very scholarly and introspective yet
brilliant leaders who are totally focused
53
upon kingdom expansion for the glory of
God. They are great lecturers in
conferences and provide a great service
for the Body of Christ at large as they,
like the sons of Issachar (1 Chron.
12:32), understand the times and know
what the church ought to do.
9. The Shepherding Apostle
This is an apostolic leader who is more
focused upon the lives of the leaders of
their network than upon having a
corporate mission. They have a paternal
anointing and take the most joy in
washing the feet of their sons and
daughters so they fulfill their vision and
destiny! This is perhaps the most
lacking apostolic leader in the church
today since there is a dearth in the
church regarding true apostolic spiritual
parenting.
10. The Entrepreneurial Apostle
This kind of apostolic leader is a
hyphenated leader with a dual ministry
of church and business who creates
wealth through initiatives that support
the work of the Kingdom of God. This
kind of entrepreneurial ability attracts
many leaders who desire an impartation
from them so they can also be
prosperous in everything they touch!
11. The Statesman Apostle
This kind of apostolic leader is a very
wise person who is able to represent the
Kingdom of God to other denominations
and those in the political and social
realms. They are generally very
ecumenical and have a ministry of
reconciliation and are sometimes called
upon to be peacemakers between
opposing groups. These leaders are
usually respected by Christian and non-
Christian alike and are by nature very
ecumenical.
12. The Intercessory Apostle
These apostolic leaders spend much
time in prayer and engage in high-level
spiritual warfare so light can break
through in dark places. They are able to
attract enough people to start large
organized networks of pastors and
leaders who believe their main calling is
to expand the kingdom through prayer
and spiritual warfare strategies. What
separates these from typical prophetic
intercessors is that they not only have a
great gift of prayer but also are able to
create influential networks of prayer
leaders.
In closing, many leaders I know
probably stand in about three to four of
the categories above. These twelve
kinds were written for the sake of clarity
but not meant to legalistically confine
our thinking in such a way that limits our
perspective regarding apostolic
leadership. Also, there are probably
many other categories others could
think of, which would further complicate
and mesh various anointing and ministry
functions together.
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55
THE LIGHT OF DAY
BY LEA BATES
John 9:4-5 “I must work the works
of Him who sent Me while it is day;
the night is coming when no one can
work. As long as I am in the world, I
am the light of the world.”
Christ had work to do. He was bound
to the One who sent him. He
willingly did what he was asked to
do by his Father. Time was limited
for him while on this earth. Time is
limited for us too while we are here.
Christ didn’t stop working at
pointing others to the Father. It was
not His desire that others make a
celebrity out of him. No! God was
the celebrity (if you will). Christ
didn’t just talk about what he
needed to do; He made a business of
it. Jesus understood that the
daylight was a time for working, for
when the night came one rested.
Do we not work while it is day? Your
lifetime is your day! While on this
earth we were sent here to share the
light. Christ has already had His day,
and He sits now at the right hand of
the Father. He shared the love of
God and told us to do likewise. He
never asked to be worshipped.
Instead He pointed all to the Father,
the Creator of all. Yet we have made
an idol out of a man who was sent
by God, who was God himself, who
only asked that we love others, to
carry out God’s desires and to give
the glory to the Father.
Knowing that death is certain, any
child of God should behold an
urgency to improve their inner
being, to desire even more of Him
and to do good. Our nighttime may
come on suddenly, without warning,
and our day to do our part to
enlighten His kingdom will end. Our
lamps will be snuffed out and
darkness will overshadow the day
where our assignment was laid
before us.
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Do we insist on walking in darkness
even while on this earth? Christ
came to give sight to a blind world.
He was God walking, faith talking,
grace living and love giving.
He represented everything about the
Father! He was light in our darkness.
Why would we desire to look
elsewhere? Can one not see more
clearly when light shines on
darkness? Dirty deeds are hidden
well in the dark. But the Light of the
world exposes them so that we may
clearly see. Then, through the Holy
Spirit’s power within us, we show
others how they may see. Quickly
and urgently should be our
motivations to lead others into their
own daytime, so they too may
experience His marvelous light.
Our God is not a onetime God. He is
an all the time God. He is not a
Sunday God or a whenever I feel like
I need him God. He is not a God of
convenience. He sent his only Son to
die for us. Yet we treat Him with
weakened homage and tradition.
He gives us trials to strengthen us,
yet we curse Him. A candle was
made to burn. So should our own
lights shine. So that others may see
His light shining within us and glorify
the Father who is in Heaven. Jesus
was the light from Heaven that we
look to for grace and mercy. We pray
to Him as he makes intercession to
the Father on our behalf. The only
cost is our willingness to yield
through faith as we allow His light to
shine within us. What are you doing
during your daytime? Is your light
shining for all to see?
Lea Patt Bates is a
writer and teacher
with prophetic
gifting. She is a
member of the
International Circle
of Faith
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INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE OF
LIFE CHURCH
MAKING DISCIPLES
502.410.4263
Come and be part of our Dream Team in the
quad county area of Henry, Trimble, Oldham and Carroll Counties.
MEMBER ICOF NETWORK OF CHURCHES
Currently meeting at Sulphur Christian Church
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INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE OF
FAITH LAUNCHES GLOBAL
NETWORK OF CHURCHES
Praise Jesus! I am delighted to introduce
the International Circle of Faith (ICOF)
Network of Churches. Since our inception
in 1932, ICOF has operated primarily as a
ministerial fellowship. By
the Grace of our Lord, Jesus
Christ, we have been
blessed to network 10’s of
thousands of ministers.
Going forward we will
continue to have a strong
interest in ministers and will
continue the ICOF Ministerial
Fellowships and the ICOF Fivefold
Roundtables.
However, we are launching a new initiative
to directly network churches. While we
have some 50,000 ministers in our Global
fellowship, we have to this point not really
gauged our impact on churches. Many
church families feel isolated, alone or void
of fellowship. We want to help. Thus, we
are excited to announce the launching of
the International Circle of Faith Network of
Churches. To become part of this network
please write to Dr. Bernie Wade’s office for
details:
EMAIL DR. WADE’S OFFICE
Or call the ICOF Office:
502.410.4263
There is NO CHARGE to become
part of the ICOF Network of
Churches. Each member church will
receive a Certificate of Membership
for the wall of the church and a plethora of
other benefits outlined in the membership
packet that can be obtained from
contacting ICOF.
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ICOF 2014 MINISTERIAL
CREDENTIALS ARE READY!
ICOF Credentials for the 2014-2015 year are ready at the ICOF Global offices. We
are excited about a plethora of updated features in our new
documents. We have updated both the wall and the pocket credentials. Because of the
interest in counterfeiting our documents we have updated
security measures for all credentials.
All members are encouraged to email Dr. Wade’s office for
their renewal.
Those interested in obtaining ministerial credentials can
also apply at this time.
502.410.4263
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61
Jobian Theology
By Bishop Derrick Day
In this article I’d like to take on a subject that has silently taken over a large
portion of mainstream Christianity.
Jobian theology comes from the premise that what happened to Job is greater than the finished work of Christ. Now, no Christian would ever admit to subscribing to such foolishness, but their words and deeds contradict this. By definition, a “Christian” is someone who aspires to be “like Christ.” However, many “Christians” when evaluating their own lives and circumstances, see themselves more “like Job” than “like Christ,” hence, “Jobians.”
Job is the “poster boy” for religion. Whenever someone has to explain why bad things happen to good people, religious apologists run to Job.
First to level-set, the common assumption is that God granted permission to Satan to afflict Job. Nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, God was not setting Job up
to be knocked out-of-the-park by Satan. The question in Job 1:8 “Have you considered my servant, Job,” could be better translated “Hast thou set thine heart on,” or “Hast thou given thine attention to.” In other words, God was asking the devil why did he have his heart set on Job?
Satan saw the blessing on Job’s life and thought Job served God only because he was blessed. In fact, Satan’s strategy was to get God to afflict Job. It is important to note here that when Job was afflicted, it was Satan, and not God, who afflicted him.
Another thing to note is how Satan approached God about this. He showed up at a time when the sons of God (angels) were gathering at the throne.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them (Job 1:6).
He tried to conceal himself among the heavenly host. There’s a lesson to be learned from this: that everyone among you isn’t with you!
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But back to the main point…
The next point of consideration is that Job was operating in fear. Job continually offered sacrifices for his children, whom he suspected weren’t living right:
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. (Job 1:4-5)
The proof that Job was operating in fear was revealed later:
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me (Job 3:25)
Nothing invites the devil into your situation more than fear. Paul said it best in his second letter to Timothy
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:17)
I’ve said in prior treatises that faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. Conversely, fear is the currency of the principality of darkness. Job, like many Christians, today, failed to properly exchange his currency. As a result, he brought the will, culture, and intent of the principality of darkness into his world.
More to the point, Job was a man without a covenant. Job is the oldest book in the Bible, chronologically speaking and Job had neither the covenant of law nor the covenant of Grace. Job did not have either Jesus or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This made Job vulnerable, and it is proven when God makes a profound statement that has been terribly misinterpreted by theologians:
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. (Job 1:12)
The challenge I pose here is, where is the permissive clause? Where does God grant Satan permission to afflict Job? Let me help you, it ain’t there. I’ve done a lot of searching and study on this, and – as near as I can figure – whenever God says “behold,” it is usually followed by a truth. It is never used to grant permission to do anything. Here are some examples:
Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 1:21)
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Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16)
In both cases, a truth is stated but no permission is granted. In other words, what is stated in Job 1:12 (“Behold, all that he hath…”) and in Job 2:6 (“Behold, he is in thine hand…”) was not granting permission, it was stating a truth! It is critically important that this is seen because sin gave Satan access to anyone outside covenant with God.
One thing that must be made abundantly clear, here, is that God did not grant Satan access to Job – Satan already had it! Job did not have a “hedge about him,” that was Satan’s misunderstanding. However, God did raise a hedge around Job twice (Job 1:12 and 2:6) limiting what Satan could do.
So, here’s the million-dollar question, “Why didn’t God stop all this?” Glad you asked. God can do anything but lie, fail, or violate His Word. The Psalmist tells us that God esteems His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2). Once God
establish a thing by His Word, He will not do anything contrary to it. A great example of this is the concept of seedtime and harvest; God will not do anything contrary to this principle
Another thing that must be clarified is that God is a good parent. Indeed, He is the most extraordinary of parents. As such, He will always do what is best for His children. That, said, would any good parent turn their child over to a known pervert to discipline them when they are out of order? Well, since God is the greatest parent and Satan is the greatest pervert – in fact, he’s the original pervert – God would not do that. It just doesn’t add up. But God gave man dominion in the earth (Genesis 1:26-28) – dominion by which God expects us to influence our environment with His Word. Therefore, God didn’t do anything about Job’s situation because Job, himself, didn’t do anything about his situation.
Whew. That was long winded – but I hope you caught it. If you didn’t read it again (and again, if necessary) until you do!
One more thing: do you realize that God didn't actually chasten Job until near the end of the book? That's right, God didn't deal with Job until chapters 38-41 - and when He did, did He heap more affliction upon Job? No, He chastened Job with His Word! This is consistent with 2 Timothy 3:16. In other words, the chastening for the child of God is the Word of God, not sickness, plague, oppression, pain, or poverty! And, at the end of God's chastening - and after Job repented (changed his mind) and prayed for his friends, God blessed Job with far
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more substance than what he had, before! Man, that is Good News!
If God afflicted Job then delivered Him, God acted against Himself - and since a kingdom divided cannot stand, God cannot be divided or double-minded! Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and empower us to do likewise (1 John 3:8). God will not use the works of the devil to chasten and afflict His children when He already sent His Son to destroy those works!
Let me say this, God doesn’t miss – He does what He says and says what He does. He is perfect in every way. However, He expects us to emulate Him. Also the Body of Christ is an interdependent vessel – every part is dependent upon other parts. In other words, the timely blessing of others may be contingent upon us being in the right place at the right time. So, when bad things happen to good people, it ain’t God! Sometimes we miss it in what we pray for and decree. Other times we miss it when we miss an assignment. And, we must remember we live in a fallen world – and sometimes the devil uses the implements of this fallen world to thwart the prayers and actions of the Saints.
Bottom line, whose report will you believe? Will you trust in the finished work of Jesus, which gives us everything we need to experience abundant life (John 10:10) or will you place your trust in a statement that a mere man who suffered great loss without revelation of who stole from him (Job 1:21). Will you believe that God gives Satan permission to afflict you, or will you trust that God will protect you (2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 John 5:18). Will you trust law, or place your trust in Grace?
In what and whom you believe determines whose you are – are you of Job or are you of Christ?
Bishop Derrick Day is Chairman of the ICOF Fivefold Roundtable of
North America and Pastor of Agape
Dominion Outreach. © 2013 - Derrick Day
(www.derrickday.com)
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Africa
KENYA Crusade in Mwanza, Kenya
Pastor Okumu We are praying for our brothers and sisters that are affected, by terrorist attack It is our moment of sadness, we need strength and more hope Our country has been passing through many challenges and we need prayers, I believe God is doing something powerful and new for our country, though the enemy is not aware God is raising a standard above our enemies God will be one of the powerful nations in the world people will never imagine Yes I believe Jesus is preparing this nation, and what has been happening is bringing us together, also makes people come together. Elder Victor Odongo Dear Beloved one in Jesus Name. Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus. Brother, how are you? How are your family and the ministry doing. Here we
are not well we are passing under the difficult situation, as I informed you here in Kenya in our Capital City there was a Terra gunmen attack the Business house it was noon time by the time we had finis3h the church comity and some of our Beloved one whom travel from Nairobi to our place to inquire me and other Elder we to give them a branch they were short Dead with the gun men when they where pass near this Business Building. "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30 "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." Exodus 34:6 UGANDA Bishop George Kasharu We had a good women’s seminar for four days and this was great because the last day the church which sits four hundred people had nowhere to sit. Women came from many churches from Mafubira where we have 20 different denominations. This was the first women's seminar with good attendance our theme was' you see how bad the situation is the walls are burned down by fire come and let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem so that we may not reproach;. I preached last on the Saturday, surely we saw the hand of God
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Dear I send you my greetings in the lord we are fine in the lord and I want to appreciate you for the prayers you have been offering me we have been to Uganda in a Mission then we moved to Webuye for two days and today our pastors team are travelling to Tanzania in the same mission and it will take us 13 hours to reach so pray with our team that the lord will supply all our needs and he strengthens his servants. We believe that God will open to reign in his people and those in trouble to be relieved. The region of Tanzania is covered with Muslims but we are praying that the lord may take control over that. God bless you Yours Pastor Alex
KENYA
Praise His Majesty! Thanks for that comprehensive spiritual material and may God bless you. However, I called the Bishop from Nigeria and we talked but via e-mails. I would like to be part of this great team because as shared earlier when I called you, you said that by 2015 you will be in Mbita, Kenya. Be Blessed, Apostle Paul.
NIGERIA Hi Dr. Wade Sir, Blessings. Thank you for this mail. I want you to know that ICOF is waxing strong in Nigeria, ICOF women for Christ is strong, ICOF Chaplaincy is making a serious wave in Nigeria. I am believing God that by next year we will start building the multimillion naira ICOF Global Union African Co-operate Headquarters in Nigeria. This complex will be made up of: ICOF Global Union Co-operate African Administrative Headquarters, ICOF University and seminary, ICOF Chaplaincy Corp and ICOF business dept. we had already acquire that land. So we will start the buildings by God grace. Please let me know the time and the number of people that is coming with you to Nigeria and Africa so that I can plan well. Thanks and be blessed. Bishop Daniel Joseph.
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ASIA INDIA Dear Bishop Wade, From 20th November onwards up to 1st January 2014 we have special small group prayers. Please remember about our ministry in your prayers. I am very happy to share with you. At this time we need your prayers and support to feed the needy Orphan children and widows and old-age people in the Christmas time, and also we are praying in the presence of God to provide for them clothes and as it is winter season for us the old-age people and small kids is suffering lot without blankets. So please pray about this. If you come forward to help them we will be very happy. Christians have a clear command to care for orphans, and there are many ways to get involved—praying, giving, mobilizing your church or adopting a child helping for thier studies. I hope to hear from you also. Always our prayers will be with you. Your's Brother in Christ, Ezra Anand Kumar Garnipudi, Evangelist MALAYSIA
NEPAL Ministers training
PAKISTAN
I am Rev. Azar naz ,Chairman LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES REGISTERED IN
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PAKISTAN.I am also Chairman All Churches Pastors Counsel in Pakistan.20 Pastors are working with me in different areas in Punjab. Last night on 16 October 2013, there was a whole night meeting in my church. Started from 8:30 pm and close 4:30am on
17 October morning. there were 74 people,
25 people accept Jesus as their Personal
Savior and baptizing with water, 20 people
received the baptizing with Holy Ghost. One
young man was abnormal since his
childhood. Now he is 28 years old, when he
came this meeting under the Shadow of the
Holy Spirit touched him and he is healed
completely right now. Praise the Lord, You
are requested to pray continue for them all.
God bless you.
Bishop can you share the word of God on
Skype in Pakistan. Jesus said “Go therefore,
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and in the
name of Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Javed Siddique
WONDERFUL REPORT OF GOSPEL WORK TRIP OF PUNJAB PROVINCE. From 7 to 11 Oct. I have preached with my Gospel team. I have come back from the Gospel trip of Punjab, I have preached in 4 villages of Punjab. Where more than 4000 people received blessings when they attend meetings. 300 received Jesus as their savior. 237 healed from their sicknesses.
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REQUEST FOR SUPPORT
MONTHLY GROCERY
With due respect, we want to bring into your
kind notice that LIVING HOPE ORPHAN
HOUSE was established in January 2011
and registered under the Islamabad Capital
Territory Administration in January 2012.
The Living Hope Orphan House is taking
care for 37 children (boys and girls), orphan,
semi- orphan, children of broken families
and poor families.
The management of Living Hope Orphan
House is running this institute with the
generous support of God fearing and well
wisher of orphan and poor children. Till
today we have no regular support from
government, non government organization
or any support from abroad. This institution
is situated in New Iqbal Town, Islamabad in
a rented building.
We are bearing a lot of expenses like,
building rent, bedding for children, food,
clothing, educational expenses (school fee,
books and stationary, uniform) and medical
expenses for these children. It is very
difficult to meet all the expenses of children
because we have no regular financial
support.
Therefore we request you to give us
Monthly Grocery for children. It will be a
great contribution from your kind hearted
decision. These poor and orphan children
will pray for your long life and prosperity.
Looking forward to your favorable
consideration.
Regards,
Bishop Dilshad Bhatti – ICOF Pakistan
Pakistan
Bishop Bernie Wade ministering with Bishop Tufail Bazmi
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Ministering in Pakistan with Bishop Tufail Bazmi
in their Friday evening meeting! What a wonderful presence of the Lord! What sincerity
of worship. – Bishop Bernie L. Wade
PAKISTAN (continued)
Pastor Saleem Inayat – ICOF Church of Lahore ministering in United Aram Emirates
Keep the ministry there in UAE in prayer.
Pastor Saleem Inayat has been
appointed Chairman of the International Circle of Faith Fivefold Roundtable of Pakistan.
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NORTH AMERICA
USA We are excited to announce that a new web site is coming for ICOF Global. The IT Dept has removed the old site and a new one will be up soon! Keep watching! http://www.icof.net
ARIZONA
ICOF Fivefold Roundtable –
Phoenix with Chairman –
Bishop Derrick Day
KENTUCKY
LIFE CHURCH of Kentucky is
preparing for an
ordination/
consecration meeting.
November 24th, 2013
Dinner at 12:30
Meeting: 2 PM At Sulphur Christian Church,
Sulphur, Kentucky
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE NEXT WAVE MAGAZINE IS THE
WATCH
ICOF
TV LIVE
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New Orleans, LA
Friday, December 5
Greensboro, NC
Friday, November 14
Detroit, MI
Friday, October 10
Louisville, KY
Friday, September 5
Vancouver, BC
Friday, August 15
Des Moines, IA
Friday, July 18
New York City, NY
Saturday, June 7
San Antonio, TX
Saturday, May 24
Anaheim, CA
Friday, April 11
Tallahassee, FL
Friday, March 14
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On Friday November 8, 2013 Typhoon
Haiyan hit the Philippine Islands with
devastating fury. Recorded as one of the
strongest storms every recorded, its path
was three hundred miles wide. Super
Typhoon Haiyan has devastated the
Philippines. The UN reports over 330,000
people are displaced, and thousands are
feared dead. Many of the storms
survivors are desperate for supplies. To
ensure maximum relief to
the region, our bank is waiving all
transaction fees when you donate to help
the victims.
Our national pastors, their churches, and
congregations focus on ministry to the
poor. And we fear the worst for them. At
this time there is a tremendous need for
food, temporary housing, medicine and
finances. With a generous gift to the ICOF
PHILIPPINE RELIEF FUND you can be an
encouragement to our brothers and sisters
in Christ as they seek to survive and rebuild
their lives. To donate, email ICOF
PHILIPPINE RELIEF FUND
OR CALL: 502.410.4263
MAIL TO: ICOF PO. BOX 72 SULPHUR, KY
40070
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INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE
OF FAITH COLLEGES,
SEMINARIES AND
UNIVERSITIES
EDUCATING TOMORROWS
CHRISTIAN LEADERS
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WANTED INTERCESSORS
IF YOU ARE AN INTERCESSOR WE
NEED YOUR HELP! We are putting a
team of intercessors together to
pray for our new church plant. We
know that we can never accomplish
the vision that God has given us
without intercessors.
LIFE CHURCH of Kentucky is in the
process of a new church plant. As
part of our launch team we need a
plethora of God called intercessors.
We would love for you to be part of
what God is doing in our area.
If you will commit to praying for LIFE
CHURCH of Kentucky we will commit
to give you timely updates on the
needs.
Together we are makinh a real and
lasting difference for the Kingdom of
Jesus Christ.
Or Call
502.410.4263
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79
The ONLY Ministry of the New
Testament Church
By J. Samuel Willoughby
The lightning like speed with which
this tragically deceived, tormented
generation plunges toward an
eternity without God; wrenches from
the heart of every concerned saint
any desire for gospel games or
spiritual amusements. Leaving in its
place only a lonely crying out to
know where went the power of
Pentecost; and the profundity of its
gospel witness.
~From The Power Witness,
Mark Hanby & V. A. Guidroz
There are 18 separate verses, in the
New Testament, that speak to us about
ministry, using the word ‘ministry’…
THE MINISTRY:
Acts 1:17 For he was numbered with us,
and had obtained part of this ministry.
Acts 1:25 That he may take part of this
ministry and apostleship, from which
Judas by transgression fell, that he
might go to his own place.
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves
continually to prayer, and to the ministry
of the word.
Acts 12:25 And Barnabas and Saul
returned from Jerusalem, when they had
fulfilled their ministry, and took with
them John, whose surname was Mark.
Acts 21:19 And when he had saluted
them, he declared particularly what
things God had wrought among the
Gentiles by his ministry.
Romans 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on
our ministering: or he that teacheth, on
teaching;
1 Corinthians 16:15 I beseech you,
brethren, ye (know the house of
Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of
Achaia, and that they have addicted
themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we
have this ministry, as we have received
mercy, we faint not;
2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offense in
anything, that the ministry be not
blamed:
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers;
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12 For the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ:
Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus,
Take heed to the ministry which thou
hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill
it.
1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus
our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, putting me into
the ministry;
2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all
things, endure afflictions, do the work of
an evangelist, make full proof of thy
ministry.
2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me.
Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for
he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained
a more excellent ministry, by how much
also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon
better promises.
Hebrews 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled
with blood both the tabernacle, and all
the vessels of the ministry.
LET ME SAY FIRST OF ALL…EVERY
SAINT OF GOD HAS A MINISTRY…
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US…
And you and I will stand in the Judgment
some day with the fruit of our ministries
or the lack thereof, and give account to
a great and awesome God, as to our
handling of the part of ministry that he
has placed into our hands…
However, in all these scriptural nuggets
concerning ‘the ministry’, there are only
2 passages out of the 18, which actually
tell us what ‘the ministry’ is and give us
clear insight into a real-time, day-to-day
approach as to how to perform that
ministry.
TEXTS:
Acts 20:24 But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear
unto myself, so that I might finish my
course with joy, and the ministry, which I
have received of the Lord Jesus, to
testify the gospel of the grace of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them;
and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you
by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be
ye reconciled to God.
THE ONLY MINISTRY FOUND WITHIN
THE NEW TESTAMENT IS…
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THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!
Let me take the time to back up here for
just a bit and lay a foundation that we
can stand on from the Word of the Lord.
First of all, we need to know the answer
to the question, “What is the Gospel?”
MINISTRY: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
(Theologically) 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you
the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and
wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep
in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the
Scriptures;
4 And that he was buried and that he
rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures:
According to the apostle Paul, the
Gospel, or “the Good News” is the
Death, the Burial, and the Resurrection
of Jesus Christ. He indicates in this
passage in Corinthians that it is what we
stand in by faith; it is the very thing that
saves us…unless we have believed in
vain. But that begs the question then,
“How do I apply that Truth to my own
life?”
(Practical Application) Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent
(death to sin), and be baptized (buried)
every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
(the resurrected life in Christ).
39 For the promise is unto you, and to
your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall
call.
I am identified with Christ, or as Paul
says in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified
with Christ…” retro-actively in the New
Birth experience when I Repent or die
out to my sins, then I am Water
Baptized (buried), then I receive His
Resurrection Power in my life with the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
And the understanding that ties those 2
powerful passages of scripture together
is what Paul wrote in Romans 8…
(Connection) Romans 8:1-4 There is
therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law
of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God
sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin
in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness
of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit.
Romans 8:10-11 And if
Christ be in you, the body
is dead because of sin;
but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you.
MINISTRY: WHAT IS
RECONCILIATION?
Definition: Merriam-Webster
1a: to restore to friendship or harmony
b: SETTLE, RESOLVE
2: to make consistent or congruous
3a: to check (a financial account)
against another for accuracy b: to
account for
Strong’s Lexicon tells us:
1) Exchange
a. Of the business of money changers,
exchanging equivalent values 2)
Adjustment of a difference,
reconciliation, restoration to favor
a. In the NT, the restoration of the favor
of God to sinners that repent and put
their trust in the expiatory death of
Christ.
JESUS’ MINISTRY:
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And
all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry
of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of
reconciliation.
Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it
behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, TO MAKE
RECONCILIATION FOR THE SINS OF
THE PEOPLE.
LET ME SAY AGAIN…
THE ONLY MINISTRY FOUND WITHIN
THE NEW TESTAMENT IS…
THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!
And the two-pronged method of fulfilling
that ministry in our lives is…
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• Intercessory prayer for the
reconciliation of all men and women to
God…
• Sharing, or testifying of the Gospel of
the grace of God…
BASICALLY, YOU PRAY IT IN…AND
THEN YOU SPEAK IT OUT
Do you know what really SHOCKS
God?
It is NOT sin, or lukewarmness, or
backsliding; NO, IT REALLY IS NOT!
Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was
no intercessor: therefore his arm
brought salvation unto him; and his
righteousness, it sustained him.
Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was
no man, and wondered [a prim. Hebrew
root word- shaw-mame'- meaning:
stunned, numbed, devastated,
stupefied, amazed, or astonished] that
there was no intercessor: therefore his
arm brought salvation unto him; and his
righteousness, it sustained him.
When God cannot find anyone, AFTER
ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US, to
intercede for His lost world in
PRAYER….or anyone that can be
bothered to testify of His grace and
power to bring healing and peace to a
troubled life…He is stunned, numbed,
devastated, stupefied, amazed and
astonished!!!
If I am not involved in the reconciliation
of lost people to Jesus Christ…And/or
the restoration of fallen brothers and
sister back to right standing with Jesus
Christ…Then I have no part in New
Testament ministry…and I really need to
take my sign down.
How can I call myself a Christian if I
don’t love His lost world enough to die
daily in prayer for it?
How can I call myself a Christian if I “just
can’t talk to people about Jesus”,
because I’m too embarrassed?
How can I call myself a Christian if I
cannot bother myself to be a part of
reconciling a fallen brother or sister back
to right relationship with God?
IT AIN’T ROCKET SCIENCE, MY
FRIEND!!
WE PRAY FOR PEOPLE AND TELL
THEM ABOUT JESUS.
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WE PRAY FOR PEOPLE AND TELL
THEM ABOUT JESUS.
WE MODEL HIM IN FRONT OF THEM.
WE GLORIFY HIM IN THEIR
HEARING. WE LIVE IT AND TELL IT.
They said in Acts 4:20 “We can only tell
what we have seen and heard” … AND
THEY TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE
DOWN!
Acts 8:1-4 And Saul was consenting
unto his death. And at that time there
was a great persecution against the
church which was at Jerusalem; and
they were all scattered abroad
throughout the regions of Judea and
Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to
his burial, and made great lamentation
over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the
church, entering into every house, and
haling men and women committed them
to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching the
word.
It is NOT just the preacher’s job!
In Acts 8, everyone got scattered out
from Jerusalem, EXCEPT THE
APOSTLES! And verse 4 says, “they
that were scattered abroad went
everywhere preaching the word.”
Too many of us have allowed the devil
and our own laziness to rob us of our
VOICE!! In the prayer closet of
intercession for a hurting world…And on
the street; telling that lonely, hurting
world of a Savior who can bring them
healing and peace in a world that has
gone to the limits and beyond in
degradation and debauchery!
Let me say again…EVERY CHILD OF
GOD HAS A MINISTRY…every single
one of us…Ministry is merely the outflow
of a healthy spiritual life…
And we will account to God, for “the
power of Pentecost; and the profundity
of its gospel witness.”
….And what we’ve done with it.
Bishop J. Samuel Willoughby brings
a lifetime of ministry
experience to his role as
a Teacher in the Body of
Christ. He is a member
of the International
Circle of Faith Fivefold
Roundtable for North
America.
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LIFE CHURCH OF KENTUCKY MAKING DISCIPLES
502.410.4263
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Life.Church.13/
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Dr. Marcus Benson From Dublin, Ireland
International Circle of Faith - Chairman of the European Fivefold Roundtable
LIFE CHURCH OF KENTUCKY
DECEMBER 15TH 2013
2 PM
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LIFE CHURCH of KENTUCKY
Dr. Robert Straube Assistant Presiding Bishop - International Circle of Faith
2 PM 8047 Sulphur-Bedford Road, Sulphur, KY 40070
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Fellow Laborers in the Gospel,
The International Circle of Faith (ICOF) has been given a vision and a mandate to herald the importance
of the Five-Fold Ministry Gifts (Ephesians 4: 11) to the church for the following objectives:
Equip the Saints for the Edifying of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12)
Unify the Church in faith (Ephesians 4:13)
Encourage the Saints to be grounded in truth and doctrine (Ephesians 4:14)
Bring the Saints into maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:15)
Because these objectives have not been met, the Church – by-and-large – has been operating in a
diminished capacity, not fully manifesting the power of the risen Christ and demonstrating the Greater
Works (John 14:12) that Jesus told the Church it would do.
For this reason ICOF is looking for sons and daughters of God who long to see the power expressed in
the first-century church in the modern church. We call this initiative the Five-Fold Roundtable.
Participation is simple. There is a conference call held on the first Monday of every month at 8:00PM
EST (7:00PM CST, 6:00PM MST, 8:00PM PST). Here is the conference call information:
Phone Number: (712) 432-0373
Passcode: 680181*
If you’re inclined to be a part of this vision, you can start by forming your own local Five-Fold
Roundtable. This will require stepping outside your comfort zone to introduce yourself to, and
fellowship with, ministry and Christian business leaders in your area, sharing this vision with them. In
order to make the vision plain, we have broken it down into three areas:
Identify Five-Fold leaders locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
Equip Five-Fold leaders to reproduce first in their local ministries then in their community
Deploy Five-Fold leaders to displace the powers of darkness with the Kingdom of God
If you desire assistance with this, you can email me directly, and ICOF will bring resources to bear to
help you with your effort.
We look forward to laboring with you!
Yours in Christ,
D.E. Day
Bishop Derrick Day, Chairman
ICOF Five-Fold Roundtable
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