History
While our core faith and beliefs (the way we implement scripture) remain the same as John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth and earlier Pentecostal pioneers like Edward Irving, who taught, empowered and released his congregation into the 5 fold ministry (one-to-another) as early as 1829 – we relate culturally to the more Prophetically oriented off-shoots of what remains of these movements.
Past
Movements, denominations, revivals, moves-of-God: Whatever you call them – have factors (attributes) that predict (determine) their life-cycle. One is the goal, hope, or object of the people’s faith. If your goal is to revive a way of doing Church or Christianity that is dead, you can revive it by faith for a few (up to 40 even) years before the un-addressed endemic issues bring death yet again.
Present
Equipping
We are equipped with the tools, wine-skins, or liturgies to actually do Church differently. We are expecting different results not only because we know that God backs His Word above all His names, but also we have observed miraculous New Testament results already.
Challenges
We can train any willing person to do miracles in Jesus name. That will not make disciples of all nations (cultures). This goal will require a pooling of resources across groups (ie. Churches) and generations.
Solutions
That is why we are launching after spending 20 years preparing our nets. Our net is a structure of Apostolic authority: A network of potential and existing Apostolic communities – Churches (Online, Home, Building), Healing Rooms, etc.
The Net
In Matt 13:47-50, Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like a fisherman’s net. In Matt 4:18-22, Jesus told Peter and Andrew that he would make them fishers of men. Then Jesus called James and John while they were preparing to fish by mending their nets.
Future
The Age of the Evangelists and Pastor/Teachers
Do you know any Apostles? No? It is no wonder that the body of Christ acts like a chicken with it’s head cut off. Frantically running around attempting to tell others about a Jesus that they pay their Pastor to know, too often devoid of a depth of experience with Him that speaks for itself.
Leave the Old Wine-skin
In John chapter 21, Jesus appears to his disciples. He verified with them that their methods of catching fish were not working. Then He gave them a better method. They did not know it was the Lord, but were so tired of repeated failure that they were willing to try anything different. Jesus waited for daybreak after they had fished all night and not caught anything.
John 21:4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have [c]any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish…8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about [d]one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish… 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
The fish represent the harvest of people coming to Jesus. The net represents the way that the church mobilizes to help them into this communion community, especially across culture and generations.
Building for Capacity
Could the way that we do church handle thousands of new converts? Or would it tear the tattered net?
Jesus gave them specific instructions that were quite opposite to the way they had done things in the past. God is looking to share His Apostolic Vision of a healthy net: A healthy Body of Christ – spirit, soul, and body; restored in right relationship with God, ourselves, and others – connected with and rightly fitted under it’s head.
Ephesians 4:11 (KJV) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
He is inviting all to embrace His new His new wine-skins, liturgies, or methods, as we become equipped to enter into the age of the Apostles.
Identify, Empower, and Equip Laborers
We are not asking the Lord for more deceitful, shallow, empty-handed laborers who aim to sweet-talk the world into mere mental assent, lip service, or confessions, liturgies, and sacraments that neither they nor their hearers understand.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
We are asking for more of the few authentic, transparent laborers who are real before God, themselves, and others enough to be willing to “do life” together, in an Apostolic community that provides enough structure for that life to bring in and hold the harvest.
Matthew 22 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.