The Apostolic and It's Relation To The Prophetic

An apostolic people that are prophetic in their perception and prophetic in their proclamation will also be apostolic in their action, and in their authority. When the apostolic settles upon a people, it will cause you to be a person of action. Let me just declare this to all of us here with myself included. Our day of inactivity where God is concerned is over with in the Spirit. It is time to pick up. It is time to move on in the Spirit and quit depending on everyone else to deal out the word to us. It is time to quit depending upon someone to pray for us. It is time that we begin to pray. It is time that we begin to get into the word. It is time that we begin to put some pressure on God for a healing when we need a healing!

When you need a miracle from God, God will require you to walk by faith. We have been sitting here listening to the word of God over and over. You do not have to walk in faith when everything is good. You do not have to walk in courage with everything is peaceable. Wouldn't that be something when everything is peaceable and there is no adversity that we are walking around saying, "I am a strong man of faith! I am as bold as a lion!" Let me tell you something. When there are other lions that roar, what happens to our bold proclamation then? You see when we begin to walk around proclaiming who we are, it is usually a smokescreen to everyone else that we have begun to backslide.

You may recall in our last lesson, we looked at the story in Acts 3 of how Peter and John healed a lame man in Jesus' name, through apostolic power and action. Then we saw in Acts 4 how religious leader opposed the power of God flowing though them and arrested them and put them on trial. God gave them prophetic utterance for their defense. They were rebuked and told not to preach Jesus any more. Then the apostolic rose up in Peter and he proclaimed that they would obey God rather than obey man.. Let's pick up the story from there.

Acts 4:21 says, "And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed."

"And when they had been released, they went to their own companions, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them." They did not discuss theology or Peter's sermon about when Jesus was coming back.

"And when they heard THIS, they lifted their voices to God with one accord.." and began to pray for boldness. They asked God to "take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bondservants may speak Thy word with all confidence while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant, Jesus.." Then we see God's response. "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness."

An apostolic people are a people of prayer and the word! I have something in my Bible that defines the word "boldness." A divine enablement that comes to ordinary and unprofessional people, exhibiting a spiritual power and authority. Not a human quality, but a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:32 says, "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all."

Now we have seen and thought that great grace was that they were eloquent speakers and they did not cross anybody. But that is not what grace is. Great grace means great enablement to do what God has called you to do.

Apostolic ministry has the ability to penetrate the darkness and defenses that are set up by the kingdom of hell. Apostolic ministry will always display the results of their prayers Paul said it this way. He said that the fruit of my apostleship is not in a piece of paper on the wall. It is you. Because where there is apostolic ministry, there will always be people that will carry on that apostolic anointing. That is why Stephen had an anointing for signs, miracles, and wonders. That is why the other six had miracles, signs, and wonders going through their lives when they were appointed. It is because they laid their hands on them and gave them the release to do the same things.

Apostolic ministry is a ministry that is sent by God to go in and absolutely set on edge everything that is not established by God and stirs up the spirit realm, causing the kingdom of hell to be shaken. They are called to release the power of God so that the people are touched by the Spirit of the Lord.

The greatest sign that I think that an apostolic ministry brings to itself is spiritual invasion--invading the religious order, breaking the status quo. Stirring it up to such a place that it can no longer be the same. The apostolic always brings an immediate spiritual conflict. I am telling you now to get ready and prepare your hearts for the move of God that is getting ready to be released. God is getting ready to break through tradition. God is getting ready to break through religion. God is getting ready to break through ignorance, poverty, witchcraft, pride, and rebellion. God is absolutely going to release a move of His Spirit likes we have never seen. We have the privilege and opportunity to allow God to take us as vessels of honor, by forewarning us that we can be prepared and be a people that have position ourselves for a move of the Spirit

We have the opportunity to prepare our hearts with weeping, fasting, and calling upon the Name of the Lord to break our heart. We need to ask Him to break up the fallow ground and take away the stoniness out of our heart, so that He may pour out righteousness upon us.

It is eminent! It is right on us! It is almost as if God has a big, huge bucket with no bottom and He has got that thing tipped, and He is getting ready to bring it over the top. Now we have the choice of whether we are going to be washed away by the water, or if the water is going to wash over us and keep going, or if we are going to receive. If you have got a judgmental or critical spirit, you will miss it!

I am going to tell you what God has put upon my heart. The Lord said, "I want you to proclaim what you perceive that is prophetic. I want you to take action with the authority that I have given you -- to lay hands on the people, to release with them their own revival." Revival begins with you and with me. It does not begin when some big move comes across some cosmic hand. God blows His breath upon those who are prepared. God is blowing His breath and preparing us. God is going to release within you a day of visitation. How many of you want a visitation from God? How many of you need a visitation from God? If you are dry, tired, and worn out, I think I am teaching to the right people.

There is a song of the Lord that says, "Blow Your Spirit upon me, Lord. Blow Your breath upon me. Revival is in the land and You're moving by Your Might Hand. Blow Your Spirit upon me." I want you to make that your focus. Revival doesn't come hand in hand because somebody visited town and then left. Revival comes because God has an appointed time and season for a particular people that have their hearts prepared.

Open your hearts to the Lord and allow His revival to begin in you. He desires to revive you and to raise you up as a prophetic and apostolic people that His kingdome might advance thorugh you. The first step of that process is personal revival. If that has not already begun in you, now is the tie and today is your day.