The Apostolic Church Arising: God’s People Gathering and Contending for the Glory Today

 

Chuck D. Pierce & Robert Heidler

 

 

Once again, I recommend the above book for a greater understanding of the apostolic era we are in and how we can prepare as the Church going forward.  The content of this post comes from pages 48-57.

 

In Chapter 5 of The Apostolic Church, the authors discuss the need for a new wineskin to hold the new wine God wants to pour out. “When the Early Church compromised with paganism, God’s glory departed. The power was lost and we have still not recovered. God will not put His glory into a pagan temple” (page 48).

 

What is a Wineskin?

 

“A wineskin is a leather bottle for holding wine. A new wineskin gives fermenting wine room to expand. But when a wineskin gets old, it becomes hard and brittle, and is no longer useful.”

 

“In most of the Church today, when we pray for revival, we’re pleading with God to pour new wine into our old wineskin” (page 49).

 

 

The results of this have been tragic. The Welsh Revival one hundred years ago swept through the nation of Wales as one of the greatest revivals in history. The revival transformed the country.

 

“The Welsh Revival was a great move of the Holy Spirit, but the Welsh Church was an old wineskin. It’s legalistic structure quickly quenched the results of revival” (page 49).    

 

“It’s estimated today that only 5% of the Welsh people are born-again. The old wineskin allowed the new wine to pour out and the wineskin was destroyed (page 50).

 

In Ephesians 4 God told His people how to set up a wineskin (the Church) to hold the new wine.

 

 

When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men…It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers to equip God’s people for the work of the ministry so that the Body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 

Ephesians 4:8-13 (paraphrase)

 

God’s administration of the Church was made up of five distinct gifts:  apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. I personally heard people talking about the “five-fold ministry” 30 years ago, but had no idea what they were talking about.  The problem is that most Christians have no idea what is meant by five fold ministry, nor do they know how to set it in place.

 

Jesus gave five distinct ministry gifts:

 

 

Apostles set the church in order so all gifts can operate.

 

Prophets reveal God’s heart and mind to His people.

 

Evangelists get people saved.

 

Pastors act as “shepherds” of God’s sheep.

 

Teachers provide understanding, instruction and training enabling God’s people to grow (pages 51-52).

 

An evangelist “births babies” into the Kingdom of God. After someone is born again and experiences salvation, they need a pastor to nurture, comfort and protect them. The problem with most churches is a pastor is all they have. (Page 53)

 

We need prophets to grow up Baby Christians, “Where you have prophets people gain vision and are motivated to fulfill their destinies.”

 

Teachers are needed to train the baby and grow him/her up by delving into God’s Word.

 

The apostle sets that whole process in order and makes sure all these gifts are functioning together (Page 57).

 

“The fullness of Jesus IS the new wine.  If we prepare the new wineskin, God will pour out His new wine” (Page 57).

 

 

The next post will be a summary of the reminder of The Apostolic Church Arising.

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Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course

 

 

For the past several weeks, I have heard this scripture resonating in my spirit. I was talking to a friend as I was walking my dog, and she was reading from this scripture. One morning early I was quiet with the Lord, and He spoke “page 27 in Whispers.”  I looked up the page in my devotional book, Whispers of the Spirit. Page 27 was “Tighten Down the Hatch.” I think God might be speaking to all of us about coming away for a while until “His indignation runs it’s course.”

 

Whisper 11

 

Put a guard around yourself and tighten down the hatch. You need extra protection from the enemy in the days ahead. Close the doors and openings that invite enemy activity in your life. Find Me in a place of safety and fortification. My Spirit desires to speak and draw you into the inner sanctuary of peace where I dwell.

 

The darkness is getting darker, and My children need to learn to pull in and tuck away from the evil that so easily besets them. Dwell with Me in the quiet holy place. I will show you the places where the enemy has gained access to your life through relationships. Run from godless relationships and people who desire to live in their own deception and godless ways. I will tuck you away and cover you under My wings. Find refuge in Me, for I am your shield and rampart.

 

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 

 

Nehemiah had tremendous perception and insight about the plans of his enemies. As the men of Israel rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem, they were guards by night and workmen by day. I covered them as their rear guard and allowed the work of their hands to be completed in fifty-two days. I fought their enemies and brought their enemies’ schemes and plans to nothing.

 

They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

 

Nehemiah 4:8

 

 

Be wise and discerning about the wiles of the enemy. His strategy is to kill, steal, and destroy. Do not be deceived about his intentions, for he wants to stir up trouble and wreak havoc in your life. Identify his schemes and resist him through prayer, binding him in My name. Be on guard day and night to meet this threat.

 

Take up your intercessory position and build up the broken walls around you. Stand in the gap for those you love. Do not expect this holy work to be accomplished quickly. Your job is to pray and My job is to answer in My perfect timing. In the meantime, rejoice in My perfect work.

 

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During this year of great hardship, God has drawn the line in the sand about most things. He has flushed out what we believe and where we stand about everything.

 

Did you believe all the propaganda about Covid? The fake numbers, the fake everything, and what they told you about the vaccine. For those who didn’t believe all of this garbage, we are considered to be socially irresponsible.

 

Was Covid real? YEAH! My husband and I had Covid for two months.  It took the third month to recover, but even with that I refused to live my life around this disgusting man-made virus and bow my knee to so many of these ridiculous liberty infringements.  Luckily, in my state we have been relatively free to live our lives. Our politicians had nothing to prove and didn’t have to justify mail-in voting.

 

Many Americans are so self-absorbed they don’t really care about truth and are too lazy to seek it out.

 

Deception runs rampant.

 

They certainly couldn’t go to church and find out anything relevant to the culture and what’s really going on in society for fear someone might be offended.

 

God’s plumb line has been dropped in the churches across America, and He is flushing out fake churches, fake prophets and pastors who have been on an apology tour since the fake election. In the days ahead, we will see these fake churches and pastors crumble and fall. Gird up and prepare for what is going to be revealed in the days ahead.

 

Many of the churches in the states where they could open the doors during or after Covid still kept their doors shut. Those decisions tell you all you need to know about those churches.

 

Woke churches are arising. (If you don’t know what that is, Google it. You will be shocked.)

 

Most mainline denominations are finding themselves compromised and no longer believe the Word of God to be inerrant. Some social version is ok with them.

 

What side will you be found standing?

 

Now is the time to make some hard decisions. Where do you stand on the serious issues of today?

 

You have a voice, so use it. If you do and say nothing during this critical juncture in American history, you will be judged as part of the problem.

 

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If you have enjoyed today’s writing and others from Whispers of the Spirit, you can buy a copy of the book for $10 from Dr. Rambo’s website.

wwwdrbrendaramboauthor.com

Click on books and it will take you to Whispers. 

Whispers of the Spirit sells for $14.95, but for a limited time you can purchase the book for $10.

This is a great time to purchase extra copies for your friends and family.

Whispers makes a great gift!

It has been forever since I have blogged or written anything for public consumption.

There’s a vulnerability associated with writing that makes me uncomfortable. My personal persona is engaging and extroverted, but in reality, I am a quiet contemplative person who has a strong introverted self. My introverted self refuses to write and speak to a wide audience because I am opinionated and have strong opinions about life. As I look around and witness the demise of our country, culture, politics, and churches, maybe it’s time to speak up, and speak out and address some of these issues. If what I have to say touches or changes one person, or situation, it will be worth the time it took to write.

Better yet would be if people seriously rethought their lives, relationships and their purpose for living.

For those who read and engage with my blog, you may or may not agree with my opinion or assessment of a situation or topic. American culture is so entrenched in the sublime and ridiculous that what I have to say may be offensive to those who are mired in the mud of status quo. America has lost her way and is afloat in a sea of godless stupidity. You don’t have to look far to see it. Check out Washington, DC and the insanity of politics!!

Go to houses of worship where most people dress like they’ve been to a rodeo and moved on to a rock concert. Music that is to usher us into the Presence of the Holy Spirit is so loud and offensive that many attendees stand outside the sanctuary or worse yet, in the parking lot.

Many church members are so fed up with the charade that they don’t go to church anymore.

And we wonder why there’s no revival in America.

Pastors have to dress alike and look alike for some ridiculous reason. They are no longer free to be who God created them to be and dress according to their preferences. Pastors and church leadership are so busy trying to be hip and chase down millennials that they have lost their way.

If they sought God as much as they sought millennial attendance, maybe there would be a shift in the American church.

And on the topic of women! Oh, the plight of women from the beginning of time. As a psychologist, I specialized in women’s issues, so I have a lot to say to women of all ages. It is time for all of us to get up and release ourselves from the bondage that most of us have lived in all of our lives. I have A LOT to say to encourage women to live life to the fullest.

Well, my friends, we are off and running. Let’s hope I will push through and regularly write. Send thoughts and comments and let’s dialogue about things that matter to you. If you have a topic you want to address, please let me know.

If you enjoy my post, pass on and share with your friends so they can subscribe at drbrendaramboauthor.com.

Let’s join hands and hearts and take this journey together.

You can find my devotional Whispers of the Spirit on Amazon.