RICK JOYNER on the 'APOSTOLIC' Movement
Posted by: revival4 <revival4@...>
fact the exact opposite of the authentic apostolic." -Rick Joyner's
comments on the current 'Apostolic' movement make enlightening
reading (below).
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Forwarded by: pjablonowski@dese.com
Paul Jablonowski writes:
I just finished reading a book by Rick Joyner called "The Apostolic
Ministry." I can highly recommend reading this entire book, and
thought you might be interested in reading and perhaps publishing
this excerpt from the book below.
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"The Apostolic Ministry" (pg 13-15).
-by Rick Joyner (MorningStar Ministries).
I travel quite extensively, and everywhere I go I try to have at least
one meeting just for pastors and leaders... For several years now,
the question that I am most asked is what I think of the new
apostolic movements. Usually, this is a "loaded question" in
which the one asking is at least disturbed, and in some cases, has
been deeply offended by them. As I try to get a reading on the
others, it is obvious that this is one question that almost everyone
seems to have a great interest in at least.
Even though I have my own opinions about them, I always try to
share them as just that, also understanding that we "see in part,"
and "know in part." (see 1 Cor 13:12). The following are some
things I have seen from inquiring of the Lord, and though I feel He
did show me something that is accurate, I still believe all prophetic
revelation is still seeing in part. This is the part I was given.
When I inquired of the Lord about the present state of the apostolic
ministry, I was shown a number of beautiful fast looking cars.
However, they were not running, but were being pushed about by
people, because they did not have motors. The apostolic movement
was also one of these cars, and it was going faster than the others
because it had a few more people behind it pushing.
What does this mean?
What we have now may look good, and even look fast, but without
a lot of human effort it would not be moving at all. This is not only
true of the apostolic movement, but it appeared true of all of them.
However, as I watched, motors were brought and put in these cars.
The motors that came were the apostolic ministries. These did not
just come to the apostolic movements, but to the others as well.
When they were put in and started, all of the other parts began to
function the way for which they were created. When that happens,
they are going to not only be able to go fast, but will be able to
carry people instead of requiring the people to push them.
As I pondered this I began to wonder how many churches and
movements really exist to equip people, and get them to where they
are called to go, rather than just using the people to go where they
themselves want to go. From my experience, this seemed a very
accurate reflection of where the church is in general.
This is not to imply that what has been done to build the church,
or the present apostolic movements, will not be useful. A motor
without a car will not do us much good either. Those who are
waiting for the car to get its motor before joining it, will more than
likely wake up one morning and find that the car has left them far
behind.
Even so, there is a big difference between what God is empowering
and what is being pushed along by human effort. Today the church
may have a lot of great looking vehicles, but is their performance
really more the result of human effort than the power of God?
Motivating people for a purpose is not necessarily wrong, but the
apostolic ministry is much more than the ability to motivate people,
or even to lead people. The apostolic ministry has much more to
do with releasing the power of God, and empowering people with
the authority and power of God in which they are called to walk,
rather than it is getting people to follow them.
For this reason much (not all) of what is today called "apostolic" is
in fact the exact opposite of the authentic apostolic. Just because
someone is a good motivator, a good recruiter, or a good
administrator, does not make him an apostle. We only have true
spiritual authority to the degree that the King Himself lives in us,
and expresses Himself through us.
-{Rick Joyner - http://www.morningstarministries.org }
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