Recognising Emerging Apostolic ministry.   On one of my previous blogs about the apostolic, the question was asked about how we recognise emerging apostles in this fresh move of God. There is definitely a new breed arising and I have covered some of what I think the new apostolic does and doesn’t look like in previous posts.   Here are some thoughts on hallmarks that help us recognise emerging apostolic types. I would like to add that it takes time to form apostolic ministry as a lot of this is connected to a person’s relationship with God and their depth of maturity.   1) They are people who do signs and wonders. In a western context any consistent breakthrough in this arena is to be celebrated. A passion for the manifestation of God’s Spirit and gifts has to be core to their values and priorities. 2) Essentially equipping. So they create space, equip and release others to do signs and wonders, and emerge in their own gifting. 3) Fathering/mothering- Apostles can bring others of significant gift through into ministry roles. They can foster team harmony, gain people’s trust, work with others of strong and diverse gifting. Too many people have been burned by significant leaders, we need a fresh outbreak of trust and honour for true 5 fold ministry teams to emerge and flourish. 4) Create a whole culture with durable values. A culture that hosts and pursues the presence of God well; that fosters freedom, not control, or fear; a non hierarchical, gift and anointing based environment; where freedom and love combine to produce cohesion. 5) They have revelation of the mysteries of Christ; a clear understanding of the new covenant, and therefore are free from legalism and judgementalism. They are grace and mercy people with a strong sense of the believers’ new identity. They can make a clear break with old covenant thinking and the religious spirit that attaches to it. They know the Father heart of God. 6) Perseverance through trial and opposition. These are not people who have never tasted difficulty, they have been tested, they have not withered in the heat of trial, and carry no bitterness to men or offence with God in the aftermath. 7) They have a vision for world transformation that is culture transformation, not just conversion (but of course including this) 8) They see the church as the body, one new man, not divided by culture, age, or race 9) Someone who affects atmosphere in meetings and with other people. 10) Their heart is for kingdom, they love what God does wherever he does it, they are not empire builders.   So to identify emerging apostles we need to know them. Do they do the miraculous, are they creating a unified but free environment, is His presence a reality. We need to discern whether they are leading through control or love. Are they and what they are producing durable. And can they sustainably work with strong people and bring through other gifted people. Hope this helps the debate – I could have provided scriptures for all the above, but thought I should be brief.   To almost quote Kris Vallaton - the world has yet to see the full power of a New Testament apostle - but I think we are getting closer.   Andy     Andy Merrick, 11/03/2012 1 Comment Is Church trying to be sensitive to the wrong seeker?   He seeks and saves the lost, he seeks those who worship in Spirit and truth. He, when he is lifted up draws all men.   Are we (I include myself here) making church sensitive to the wrong seeker? God is the seeker of men; men are generally not seekers of God unless he draws them. So surely making him central is essential, He is the main attraction.   Surely our agendas, no matter how noble, must surrender to the single hearted pursuit of Him, with no other agenda than we want Him for his own sake.   By modifying behaviour for others, are we not beginning to perform, moving to please men, saying externals count for the purpose of evangelism. Are we not communicating we are a little embarrassed by our God stuff, and perhaps that He doesn’t know how to reach the deepest needs of men and women.   Ultimately fear of man – performing because we are concerned of what men think – lays a snare. And outward performance starts to lack authenticity, and introduces the idea that form is important above substance, and the end justifies the means. These are legalisms the church has battled her whole history.   When Paul says he became all things to all men in order to save some, surely he was talking about what he did in order to enter their world e.g. he circumcised Timothy and obeyed ceremonial laws on his return to Jerusalem (Acts 21;26), was aware of Greek poets so he could engage with Philosophers in their place of debate (Acts 17). He certainly didn’t make Christianity and its gatherings more legalistic to accommodate the Jews (Gal 3;1-3), or sexually free and idolatrous to accommodate gentiles!   Our goal on earth is to be willing worshippers. To be those who choose Him in the midst of the troubles of life and a fallen world; learning to walk in his presence. In heaven the time for choice is gone, when Jesus returns the time for choice is gone- for believers and unbelievers alike. God is looking for man to willingly welcome him now, God is looking to have a dwelling place with people on earth (e.g. Psalm 132;13-14), before people are taken into his dwelling place. He’s looking for friends, He’s looking to make himself at home on the fallen planet (John 14;23 and Eph 2;20-22).   Are the lost the overriding necessity, the goal that shapes all other agendas? What depths and heights can we approach as a corporate gathering if our overriding concern is what visitors think rather than what is God doing?   The safest place, the most powerful place, the most satisfying place for believer and unbeliever alike is the presence of God. We need to learn to believe that and bring our friends into those kind of environments, rather than waiting for a toned down ‘guest service’ or hoping for our church to become ‘easier’ – in our view - for unbelievers. The best place for an unbeliever is an encounter with the presence of God.   Let’s be sensitive to the seeker of our souls.   Andy     Andy Merrick, 29/12/2011 0 Comments New apostolic environment   Apostles are for today, that argument has been pretty much won. But we are still in discovery mode as to their nature and their true impact. God is releasing fresh insight on raising up people who display this gift in larger measure.   Jesus had 12 apostles, so here’s my 12 points, seeking to describe the apostolic ministry God is raising up in our generation, and the environment it creates.   1) Impartation of Shalom Matt 10;7-14 – Jesus 1st commissions the 12 and calls them apostles. One of their tasks is to impart peace (Old testament word would be ‘shalom’ - the wellbeing of God). Apostles exercise atmosphere changing ability that can be felt, they impart the well being of God in a way that changes the ‘feel’ of a place.   2) They have power not just words. Paul’s test of the ‘false apostles’ bothering Corinth was not ‘how good do they preach’ but ‘do they have any power?’. They heal the sick and cast out demons. 1Cor 4;19 and 2Cor 12;12   3) They have significant angelic assistance – writing letters to the angels of churches is not common practice in western Christianity. Its clear Peter had an Angel. When they speak with heavenly authority angelic forces are released.( Rev 2;1). Like Elisha, apostles and prophets know that there are more with us than with the enemy.   4) Apostolic fathers are the senior level fathers in the church. They are mercy hearted, non judgemental, generous, empowering of others, not afraid of immaturity; they believe the best and therefore create an atmosphere of freedom, risk taking, creativity and invention. 1 Cor 4;15   5) They have a message of the kingdom (Acts 2;42 Matt 10;7-14) Their doctrine is of the manifestation of the kingdom now. They connect the church to her identity and purpose in their generation. Rooted in the power of the cross and resurrection, they do not allow the church to be moulded by the culture around it, but to trust the culture shaping message it has been given.   6) Apostles are pre-occupied with heaven and His face, not the needs of the earthly church – In Acts 6 they refuse to get entangled in the detail of care for the church. In Acts 3;6 Peter and John are more aware of what they have from heaven than the size of the miracle needed. Paul, a man of heavenly experiences taught us to ‘set our minds on things above’ (Col 3;2) and to be aware our battle was against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly realms.   7) Apostles connect to prophets . Apostles can build healthy relationships with prophets. They allow them to affect the DNA of the church or movement, not just to prophecy. Any movement is in trouble when prophets are quiet or not to be found. (Eph 2;20)   8) Apostles have letter churches. 2 Cor 3;2 They have a church, or churches that demonstrate and successfully lives out the revelation they carry.   9) Eph 2;20-22 Apostles and prophets found a building (church structure) suitable for presence. Heaven is centred around God and His presence and is worship occupied. They are looking for that to be reproduced on earth.   The apostolic culture has an atmosphere of worship that attracts the manifest presence of God, within which transformation can take place – heaven’s government touches earth in praise! Ps 22;3 esv   The apostolic culture has an atmosphere of prayer that pulls the will of God to earth.   10) 1John 3;18. The apostolic culture is an atmosphere of love and deep heart connection that survives personal failings and disagreement and where we serve one another.   11) Apostles teach the Bible rooted in deep revelatory encounters with the Spirit. Eph 3;3 ‘how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly’.   12) Apostles have a heavenly blue print – (1 Cor 3;10) they have a sight, a sound, a feeling; an instinct for the architecture of the church on earth so it reflects the Father’s heart and Heavens atmosphere. They have the flavour of the government of heaven in their very souls.   Apostles can see how to build family and not hierarchy how to have cohesion without top down government. They don’t look at earthly models for clues but see into heavenly places. Apostles know that only the presence of the Holy Spirit can produce freedom, unity and diversity all at the same time. And so labour that all are immersed experientially in the Spirit   I believe the raising up of apostolic people is key to both the welcoming of a new revival and sustaining it as it is poured out. I believe that apostles are supposed to be the senior spiritual authority in a city and that is why in Acts they are accused of being those ‘who turned the world upside down’.   Andy     Andy Merrick, 02/12/2011 5 Comments Glory Clouds – Let the literal Glory come   It’s been great to see video of the glory cloud manifestations in Bethel Church (Redding California) over recent weeks. I was very struck by Jesus and the 3 disciples encounter with a glory cloud (cloud of bright light with God in it), in Matthew 17. Jesus appears to them shining and Elijah and Moses show up ( I know- representing the Law and the prophets- but before we get sidetracked by the symbolism let’s remember this was an actual supernatural experience). Their instinct is to work, to build. Many of us have preached that they wanted to camp out to sustain the experience, I don’t think that’s the story, as they actually end up on their faces in fear. However, the amazing revelation and experience they have makes them want to work, be useful. How many of us get fidgety in the presence? We can be so works oriented that even manifest presence makes us work, and we could end up missing the fullness of the encounter.   The cloud shows up, the glory cloud, and envelopes them and God speaks. Jesus ‘needed’ time alone with Father. How much of this event was for Jesus and how much was for the disciples we don’t know exactly. But Jesus did often withdraw to be with the Father. In the earlier account of him spending time alone on the hillside, we don’t get any description of what happened, but we do know he decided to walk across the lake and not around it straight afterward! (Matt 15;23-25)   The early apostles are exposed to tremendous manifest presence. They see Him changed before them, get enveloped in a cloud; hear the voice of the Father. Later in Acts they hear a mighty wind, speak in tongues and see fire on their heads and then see their building shake. They then ‘shook’ their world.   Isaiah points to days like ours in chapter 60. When thick darkness is over the people of the earth His Glory appears over us and nations will come to our light. (v 1-3). Again we have interpreted it metaphorically – this is about our shining holiness and good deeds - yet the early church had actual encounter experiences with physical manifestations that led to people being attracted. Could this shinning have a more literal application as well? It’s time to believe that the literal Glory of the new covenant exceeds that of the old. In the Old Testament the Glory manifested visibly in one location, and on one man and it was fading. In the new it’s going to cover the earth by being on the church and it is set to continually increase. Lord let your glory fall as you intend in our day, we don’t want the ancient day, we want the new day. Andy     Andy Merrick, 17/11/2011 1 Comment Apostolic environments   I am increasingly convinced of the obvious! That foundations count; and come first. They set the parameters of the building; they enable or limit its stature and extent. Ephesians 2 tells us that apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church. 1 Corinthians 12 tell us a priority order, ‘1st apostles, 2nd prophets, 3rd teachers’. If you put a teacher in the foundation (first) you get a certain environment, that an apostle or prophet would struggle to work on top of. So surprisingly the teacher gift, and by implication the pastoral gift are not meant to define the environment of church life, but to build their contribution in a culture created by others.   All gifts have great upsides, but real downsides to their upsides. When functioning in the wrong priority in the body of Christ the downsides become more pronounced. So our beloved pastors and teachers, have strengths in looking for Biblical accuracy, objective truth, never teaching anything they think is ‘wrong’ or even ‘suspect’, caring for people and knowing the condition of the flock, feeding and guiding them and where necessary protecting them. So stability, certainty, correctness are strong core values to these gifts. The downside of this is you can get a cautious, controlled, protected environment; a focus on flock not kingdom, a people ‘fat in the word but thin in the Spirit’, an environment that is suspicious of subjective experience and reluctant to allow risk for fear of disappointment.   In short we get a conservative environment, often unattractive to creative types, seers, prophets, powerful ‘game changer’ types, dreamers, risk takers and people full of new ideas. The church is not known as a ground breaking institution in any level of life. And if we are to change our ability to influence and the perception of others, it’s time we became powerful, creative revolutionaries.   Apostles are called to create a culture, as a foundation, that releases all the other gifts without suspicion. Apostles can uniquely work with prophets, build long term relationships with them so they too can influence the church DNA. It’s a mistake to think that prophets merely prophecy, they have a foundational function, in fact they are part of the foundation, without them the building will tilt away from heavenly encounters toward more cerebral approaches to the Christian life.   Apostles believe that the love of God can rule so strongly that protectionism is unnecessary because fear has been removed from the atmosphere. They welcome risk and therefore some failure and disappointment, because these represent a people free to push the envelope and move in faith.   I would like to suggest that apostles are uniquely anointed by the Spirit to create an environment of freedom, diversity and unity, they know that it’s only the active presence of the Holy Spirit that can create this atmosphere successfully; neither structure, or debate and agreement are the source of the church’s cohesion and freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and our unity is found in the Spirit too.   I believe we are in season where God is expanding our understanding of the nature of the apostolic and prophetic foundation of the church and helping us see how much of our culture has been shaped by gifts in the incorrect order.   Andy     Andy Merrick, 08/11/2011 1 Comment Revival culture 1   Honouring the carriers of anointing   I had the privilege of being at the revival alliance meetings in Marsham Street in London at the beginning of September. It became very clear there that key leaders such as Bill Johnson and Che Ahn considered the issue of ‘honour’ to be absolutely central and vital to see revival sparked and sustained in our land. Many of us have thought ‘prayer is the key to revival’ ; and of course prayer is profoundly important, but if we can’t receive, respect and be blessed by what God sends because of prayer we can miss an outpouring. More significantly, if we can’t value the person through whom it’s sent we are in problems.   Jesus clearly teaches us this in His visit to His home town. In the Luke 4 account He reminds them of instances in Israel’s history where there have been powerfully anointed men in their nation, but what they had from heaven was actually received outside of Israel, even though Israel needed the same miracles. He was in effect saying, ‘you have breakthrough standing in front of you but you can’t receive it because you are offended at who is carrying it!’ So he only healed a few rather than having a significant outbreak of power that seemed to happen everywhere else.   The church has to escape the ‘tall poppy syndrome’ where no one person is allowed to stand out. Where we either cut down the successful, by looking for faults, or domesticate the anointing for fear of ‘excesses’. I have become aware of prejudice in my own heart which limits the kind of person I am likely to receive from. When I receive from a person, what God has given them, I am receiving from Him! (Matt 10;40)   For me, being able to give this kind of honour and appreciation to another is all linked to my own sense of value before God. He always loves me, always values me, even when I am being a plonker. This needs to be how I respond to others. I need to look for the Spirit in them and receive it and call it out. I believe the turning from deep rooted cynicism is vital in our nation. A repentance is called for, a change of mind, moving from looking for reasons to doubt a carrier of revival fire to looking for reasons to believe. In our culture cynicism and caution have become celebrated as wisdom, whereas in reality it shuts down what God can do. I believe the repentance called for is one of moving from a negative mindset to a positive one; one where we give value and appreciation freely to one another and particularly revival leaders. Where we draw them out and have an inner posture of appreciation.   Honour is going to release the move of God, as it releases the servants of God to move in God. Andy     Andy, 12/10/2011 1 Comment The Lord’s Prayer, a template for a Heaven invasion   The Lord has been teaching His church about His Father heart. ‘Our Father’ is something he wants us to declare from the depths of our being; we know he is a Heavenly dad, without malice, without agenda. He is not loving us to get us to do something or be somebody. He is an infinitely good Father who gave all to have our presence in his life.   He has been teaching us the priority of His presence. We have been learning to set Him apart as unique and special in our lives. Worthy of the highest honour in our hearts; the one we value above all other loves; the one we worship with real affection. We have been learning to hallow His name.   Without disregarding these priorities and realities we move into the kingdom coming. Knowing the Father and hallowing his name sets up a platform for His kingdom manifestation. Enthrone the King and the kingdom comes, love the heavenly Father and heaven comes!   The ‘heaven to earth’ manifestation is explained in the Lord’s Prayer itself. He lets us know what His will being done on earth looks like. Heaven is coming to earth and it looks like something we can experience. It looks like daily bread, material provision, debts released, forgiveness received and given, guidance away from evil and deliverance from Satan and his effects – oppression, control, sickness, demonization and all the destroying, stealing and killing he has been doing in our lives and on the planet.   I believe a profound set of breakthroughs are coming to those who have learned of the Father and hallowed His name. To those who have longed for something of heaven to manifest on earth to fix earth. It looks like material provision for believers and churches to do the things He is giving them to do. It looks like massive deliverance from evil for believers and unbelievers alike. This includes healing and miracles as the power of Heaven overrules the destructive influences of the powers of darkness. Release from addictions, small mindedness, depressions and lingering condemnation; Heaven invading earth through believers who know the Father and hallow his name.       Andy     Andy Merrick, 11/05/2011 2 Comments It’s easy to resist God   Had Adam and Eve existed in the health and safety culture of the 21st century UK there would have been dayglow signs around the tree warning of the dangers and security cameras everywhere. Any approach would be immediately detected and a fast car with flashing blue lights dispatched. As she reached for the fruit she would have been tasered and the fall of man and creation would have been averted…phew! What a risk to put such a powerful tree in such an accessible unmonitored and un- controlled place.   Have you ever wondered how Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed? Surely the almighty could have squished a million Jacobs with a flick of His eyelid, what’s with the wrestling all night deal. Surely every bookie lost money on that fight?   In Exodus 19 God offers the whole house of Israel the opportunity to be ‘a kingdom of priests’ (vs 6) but when they saw the burning mountain they said to Moses ‘speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die’ (Ex 20;19). They backed off and they ended up with a priesthood rather than being a nation of priests.   You can fight God and win. You can hear God and he won’t make you do it. He can offer you blessing and if you back away he won’t push it on you. He can be quenched and resisted, yet He is omnipotent and sovereign.   Where then do we get the idea of sovereignty that says basically ‘if it’s God’s will it will just happen; it will happen to me or around me then I will change’. God isn’t going to make us do anything. He wants our hearts. We change through co-operation not observation. Although he is the most powerful being he is possibly the least forceful, for He is looking for responsiveness. He is looking for relationship he is looking for partnership. Such is his commitment to this that at times he will let us win the wrestling match and still bless us.   I would suggest that we can shape our level of relationship with Him through our responses. He will offer us things, and if we refuse, over time he will bless us and love us, but our relationship will be poorer than it could have been. However, as we respond to His invitations, however subtle we enter whole new spheres of revelation, because in the Father’s house are many rooms.   Andy     Andy Merrick, 28/04/2011 0 Comments The Lie – Better words will change the world   In Matthew 11;20-24 Jesus refers to some of the most wicked cities of his generation, as well as a Sodom the archetypal sin city from Abraham’s era. He says that if the kingdom had been unleashed in those cities like it had been in Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, places where Jesus did many miracles, they would have repented and Sodom would have remained to His day.   He didn’t say that if the gospel had been preached properly to them; if the words had been just right, accurate in all their theological glory, sin cities would be saved. He says miracles will produce repentance in capitals of sin! Glasgow, London, Birmingham Liverpool and so on need one thing to change their certain course into moral decay, and it isn’t social action or a great preacher, it’s an outpouring of miracles like they have never seen.   The church is being changed so it can offer the same answer that Jesus did to John the Baptist when John asked ‘are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus confidently said – ‘the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and good news is preached to the poor’. (Matt 11; 1-6). I believe the generation around us is asking this question of Jesus again, are you the one? Who can show us any good? We have to have the same confident apologetic as Jesus did, the need has gone past being met with great words and good deeds alone.   (Please note I am totally supportive of great theology, preaching and social action, it’s a question of priority and how we accurately represent Jesus)   Andy     Andy Merrick, 22/04/2011 0 Comments I am an adjusted attitude away from my full inheritance   I have been away on holiday so the blog has been neglected for a couple of weeks. Here’s my latest thoughts.   I am beginning to see that we can be connected to God, yet never really access the privileges that He provides because we have the wrong view of Him. We then come with a set of attitudes and expectations that don’t connect to Him. The elder brother in the story of the prodigal owned the whole estate. Early in the story it is clear that the inheritance was divided between them both, and the father clearly states that everything is His but he is enjoying none of it.   He is angry at the father (God) because he feels he has done a good job of his end of the deal (serving and obeying) but has not had the results he expected. But the father isn’t a legalist and doesn’t respond to a legal argument as to why we should be blessed by Him. So, just as we are not under law we cannot put Him under it either. I do it by saying or thinking my works, or hours of prayer justify a different response than I have had from Him. But I am just using Him for what I can get, not enjoying Him for who he is, and no one likes that kind of functionality, it doesn’t encourage intimacy!   I have access to the whole house, all my inheritance, all of father’s goodness for free and without the need for performance, because it’s inheritance. Inheritance is getting for free what someone else worked for. The father doesn’t connect to my calculations of what I or others deserve from Him. He is crazy full of love for His sons and lavishes His best on us even when we have done our worst.   I am more likely to develop offence at God (anger) if I have a calculating, works orientated view of how he wants me to be and how he expects to relate to me. If I mis-read his heart of love I can get in a paddy and miss His intimacy and abundant supply, even though its all mine and right there for me! The provision I genuinely need is right there for me in abundance, I have to repent of manipulating Him and seeing Him as some kind of heavenly boss and orient my heart to the passionate intimacy he has for me. I access by faith my true rights as a son – I get the whole farm, now!   Andy     Andy Merrick, 31/03/2011 0 Comments