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The New Apostolic Churches

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I'm grieved by what has become of the church. It takes about 9 hours to read the New Testament from beginning to end. Set aside 3 weekends to do this, and it can be read at a steady pace, with enough time to contemplate and meditate on its truths. There is not ONE instance where Paul, Peter, John, Mark, Luke, the writer of Hebrews, James, or Jude ever mention that apostles would fade from church ministry, and then in the last days be restored in order for the Lord to return. If apostles are the foundations of the church and they need to be restored, does that mean the church has been without a foundation all this time?

My faith is in Jesus, and He is the foundation. The apostles received revelation about Jesus and this was used to evangelize and write the Scriptures so all could know Him. That being done, the foundation was completed. It does not need to be laid again, and certainly not by men who take Scriptures out of context, base doctrines on something that's mentioned 2 times in the Bible, and neglect that in 2 Cor. 11, 12, Paul specifically spells out the qualifications for being an apostle, and then he details how he met them.

An apostle

1. preaches the Gospel freely

2. suffers for the Gospel

3. has visions and revelations

4. is humbled under the Hand of God

5. has accompanying signs, wonders and deeds,

6. is mindful to not be a financial burden - Paul expounds on this because he poured himself out for his spiritual children. "I do not seek your things, but you. For the children ought not to lay up treasure for the parents, but the parents for the children." (2 Cor. 12:14)

This is the opposite spirit of what is being promoted in this new apostolic reformation. Paul, the greatest apostle, was great because he recognized there was nothing good in him, and by the grace of God became a servant to all around him. He warned us to not give preference to the rich man but to treat all believers equally, because Christ died for all. Today's apostles require submission by all around them and a nice fat tithe (plus ample offerings) to keep them in their air conditioned offices where they "spiritually map out" a city's principalities. Oh, and they're more than willing to cough up money and gifts to their richest members, as Wagner points out. After all, you have to grease the wheels, right?

**** It should also be noted that in 1 Cor. 15:1-8, Paul seems to state than an apostle must have seen the risen Lord. "He appeared to James, then to all the apostles and last unto me, as one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles" 1 Cor.15:8. Now this is debated by many, but even if this is not considered evidence of apostleship, the previous six signs are.

Likewise, there is no mention that prior to the return of Jesus, the church would be glorious, powerful and overcoming. The NT is replete with warnings that the last days would be marked by apostasy, lukewarm devotion, and great deception. When Jesus gave His long discourse on what to expect as the end of the age draws near, he spoke of tribulation, suffering, betrayal at the hands of our own family, and wolves in sheep's clothing who would deceive even the elect.

Apostles aren't needed to usher us into the great harvest that's coming (which the Bible mysteriously doesn't mention). Where is this great end-times harvest written about? Don't answer with Joel, Isaiah, or any of the OT scriptures, because those are promises specifically for Israel, and only during the millennium. In the same manner, Revelation 7 cannot be used here because that refers to Jews during the Great Tribulation. The parables of Jesus and the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation show that we will be an apostate church with a small remnant of overcomers. We need honest, humble and anointed Bible teachers to equip believers so they won't be deceived by heresy like this. There is a cult springing up within the Protestant church, and no one sees it.

The Latter Rain heresies have led to deceiving doctrines of demons like the New Apostolic Reformation, Kingdom Now Theology, Spiritual Fatherhood, Dominionism, Word Faith, Prosperity, Covenant Theology, Five Fold Ministry, Third Wave, and the extremely sickening Manifest Sons of God - who believe that Jesus will return THROUGH the church and not FOR the church. He will come as a Corporate Man when we have put satan underneath our feet and taken over the world. Interestingly enough, they believe that the Great Tribulation will not be when the wrath of God is poured out on the world, but rather when the Apostles will have overcome the principalities and powers and replaced them in the heavenlies, and then called down curses and judgments on all those who won't submit to their ministry. So if you're a true follower of Jesus and won't submit to this heresy, the Apostles will call down judgment on you so you'll die and the kingdom of God will be purged. Hmmm . . . that would mean that those who are faithful to Jesus will be taken from this earth, and the Apostles and their followers will be those who are left behind.

If you want a Biblical "churchquake", spend time in the Scriptures and stop spouting the ideas of men. No one in the NT took prayer/praise walks around Jerusalem, the principalities over Samaria were not bound, the strongholds of Judea were not torn down and cities were not taken for Christ. Prayers were never directed at satan, and the saints never bragged about their authority before him. Instead, the men and women of the 1st century church praised God in their daily life, prayed without ceasing, and called on the Lord to strengthen them lest they fell into temptation and became prey to those principalities. They surrendered their lives entirely so that the Spirit of God crushed the strongholds of lust, anger, idolatry and greed in their lives and set them free to live lives that glorified Him. They wisely rebuked demons in the name of Jesus because all power and authority is His. They became purified vessels, shining the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all around them and they took PEOPLE for Christ! If the church would stop all this vain and prideful nonsense and do what we are admonished to do, then we too would be like those five wise virgins who had enough oil for their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom.

This frenzied clamoring for a new thing in the church is futile. The new wineskin was the body of believing Jews and Gentiles who rejected the Pharisaical traditions, and the new wine was the new covenant whereby God came to dwell within us through His Holy Spirit. What's needed now is not something new, but something old. In the words of Jesus, "Repent, and do the former works, lest I come and remove your lampstand." Rev. 2:5

Wagner himself admits that the church "catholic" is against him. Up till the 1990's, no one has ventured to reestablish the office of apostle and prophet.

Wagner et al have been confronted with a desparate situation: Church Growth has failed them for over two decades and they admit it! See Chadwick's truly amazing work: Stealing Sheep!

Now, in desparation they begin what Wagner terms in this book: "The reinvention of Christianity." This gathering together of previous CG principles: charismatic, spiritual gifts, leadership from corporate world, marketing, etc., bundled up with real leaders now, is only reached by reading into Scripture what isn't there. Check it out in Wagner's books on the theology behind this: "Churchquake" and "Apostles and Prophets". You'll discover an unbelievably poor treatment of Ephesians 4. So many errors! One careful with the Greek text can make mincemeat out of this!

Hybels et al contribute essays on this New Apostolic Reformation! This is a farce! What reform is needed is to go back and proclaim what a true apostle did and would in 1 Corinthians 2:2!

the book is a compilation of some leaders in the "new apostolic reformation" movement. it was a very helpful resource in that you could see what the leaders thought that the importance and relevance of the Church today is and what it should be. the only problem with the book is that it is a smidge unclear and disorganized in places, due to the fact that it was not written by one author.

Peter Wagner might mean well, but he has been hood wink and is leading people with false teachings. Study to show yourself approve before The Lord and get in the WORD and make a commitment to LIVE the WORD and GOD will enlighten you.

TODAY WE NEED TO TAKE UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS.