Lay-ed down lovers for Christ Jesus and the Poor and hungry of the earth

For centuries the people of God have gathered together around specific truths. Denominations and organizations have been formed to unite these groups of Believers. Having common belief systems (see footnote 1 at bottom) has helped to build unity within particular groups and define their purpose. Historically these groups were formed from people who were usually newly saved, or were asked to leave whatever denomination they were previously a part of.

Unity based on common doctrines has a measure of success. But there is an inherent problem with this approach - unity of this nature is based upon uniformity. When God is saying something new (see footnote 2 at bottom), those who are listening are usually asked by their leaders to leave the group they were a part of (see footnote 3 at bottom). Their newfound convictions and beliefs are considered threatening and divisive.

If the whole group doesn't move in step with what God is saying, there will be a break in fellowship. When agreement in nonessential beliefs are considered necessary for fellowship, then division is natural and to be expected. While doctrine is vitally important it is not a strong enough foundation to bear the weight of His glory that is about to be revealed through true unity.

Change is in the Air

There are major changes in the "wind" right now. For the last several years people have started to gather around fathers instead of doctrine. In the natural, it would be easy to imagine a father with two very different children - one politically liberal and the other conservative. While discussions would probably be quite lively at the evening meal, they would not bring an end to the family.

Gathering around fathers gives a stability that enables people to endure differences in opinion without falling under the influence of the spirit of offense. Fathers bring an element of peace that is impossible without them.

Spiritual Fathers

Apostles are first and foremost fathers by nature. True fathers continually make choices for the well-being of their children with little thought to personal sacrifice. They are not jealous when their children succeed, but instead are overjoyed because of those successes. It is normal for a father to desire his children to surpass him in every way. Brothers compete, fathers do not.

In the same way that a father and mother are to bring stability to a home, so the apostles and prophets are the stability of the Church. The Apostle Paul calls them the Church's foundation (see Ephesians 2:20). Good foundations bring stability. The concept of team ministry starts with these two. Stability is the primary fruit of the ministry of the apostolic team.

Team Makeup

Apostolic teams are not necessarily made up of just apostles and prophets. They are a group of people that carry the "family mission" without selfish agendas. They are sent by their leadership, and entrusted with delegated authority to establish God's rule in their realm of experience and expertise. When they go with that heart, they carry an apostolic anointing because they function under the umbrella of the apostle's authority.

We can't be co-missioned until we're in sub-mission to the primary mission. This is true of every Believer before God. But it is especially true of apostolic teams. Setting aside personal agendas is a big part of the success of team ministry. Many teams have failed in their mission because of an individual who wanted his/her gift or opinion to be recognized.

Measure of Rule

A big misunderstanding occurs when apostles think they have the same measure of authority in every geographical location. When Paul went to Jerusalem to participate in the first Apostolic Council (see Acts 15), he submitted his experiences to the other apostles who had also gathered there. It wasn't until James the apostle in Jerusalem spoke that there were any conclusions.

A true apostle carries their apostolic authority wherever they go, but it is foolish for him to not recognize local authority. The same is true with apostolic teams. It is their respect for the local Church and the Biblical authority that helps them to serve effectively.

Authority, like favor, is for the benefit of others. It is not a title to help in building one's own self-esteem, and is never for personal gain. For that reason, the Apostle is at the "bottom of the stack"...the "least of all." The title simply recognizes function. And that function is to make others better and more complete in their walk with the Lord.

The Purpose of the Title

Throughout history, there have been many ordinary individuals who have become desperate for God in unusual ways and have sought God with reckless abandon. The encounters they had with God made them appear extraordinary. Their breakthrough made them household names with remarkable gifts and ministries. But when God gives someone an unusual gift, it is never for the purpose of acquiring admiration and fame, or even drawing big crowds. Those things are normal byproducts, but they are not the purpose.

The place of favor that one gets as a result of God's unusual touch on their lives is a God-given position to equip others. It is God's heart to take those high points of human experience in the man or woman of God and make them the new norm for the Believer. Equipping the saints becomes the focus of true fathers.

The Spirit of Revelation

One of the things that helped to keep the early Church strong and healthy was their continual devotion to the apostles' doctrine (see Acts 2:42). However, you'll notice that there is no mention of a list of beliefs that the Bible declares to be the official record of important doctrines. It is safe to say the "apostles' doctrine" is referring to something other than a specific list.

Peter understood this when he exhorted the Church concerning "present truth" (see 2 Peter 1:12). That phrase is to direct our attention to that which the Lord is emphasizing for this season. That is the apostle's doctrine. The word coming from apostles is to bring clarification of the Father's focus for the Church, and in turn strengthen our resolve to His purposes. Fresh revelation carries fresh fire, which helps us to maintain the much needed fire in our souls.

Apostles carry a blueprint in their hearts concerning the Church and God's purposes on the earth. They are used to bring fresh revelation to the Church. Apostolic teams are sent to represent their spiritual father, and carry the word that has been entrusted to their "tribe." They help bring an understanding and establish an order needed in the particular location they were sent to.

The Need for Others

God never gives the whole picture of His plan for the Church to one father/apostle, or even to one tribe. Scriptures declare that "we" have the mind of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:6), not "I." Dependence upon the whole is essential for us to grow up in a way that pleases Christ. As the various "tribes" learn to work together we will see a more complete picture of the Father's intent for planet Earth.

The revelation carried by Apostles and the five-fold ministry will result in a Church coming to a common knowledge of the Son of God (see Ephesians 4). Much division presently exists in this area. He is our common focus. A study of the Scriptures without the Holy Spirit giving understanding creates much religious conflict. Division exists because people are committed to different levels of truth that appear contradictory.

Fathers are necessary to sort these things out. Variety without uniformity is important. These teams carry revelation to help the Church to live out of a common revelation of Jesus - who He is and who we are because of Him. God's aim is to fulfill His word in 1 John 4:17 - "As He is, so are we in this world." We are to become like the Jesus revealed in Revelation, Chapter 1 - resurrected and glorified. We are not headed for the Cross - we live "from" the Cross. Apostolic revelation has that in mind.

The Day of Power

One of the more notable prophets of our day recently told me that he wouldn't be able to come into all that God had created him for until the apostles came forth to their appointed place. The apostles help release the prophets into their destiny, and vice versa. In a sense they complete each other.

Apostolic order without apostolic power is to be questioned. Order based on Biblical principle that is lacking Biblical power is tragic at best and deceptive at worst. Order does not exist unto itself. The wineskin exists for the wine. The wine is the focus. All order exists to house God Himself - not to restrict Him, but to accurately express Him.

Wineskins need to flex in order to be useful, because of the expanding nature of the wine in the fermenting process. The Holy Spirit brings constant change and to house Him means to embrace flexibility as a way of life. The goal is not to create a perfect structure or government. It is to create one that recognizes Him, and flexes with His changes.

Last Days Assignment

All of this serves one purpose - Jesus is returning for a Bride. For this to happen, the harvest must be brought in and must be "cleaned." He's not returning for a Bride that He has to heal up and put together like a puzzle in Heaven. He is returning for a Bride whose body is in equal proportion to her head, and whose parts work together in coordination. It's called a "glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle" (see Ephesians 5:27) in Scripture. Anything less is an illegitimate vision.

The Bride is to make herself ready for that day (see Revelation 19:7). As Larry Randolph puts it, "It is a perversion to think that Jesus will dress the Bride before the wedding." Our assignment is clear, and the gifts are in place. And they are all expressions of Jesus Himself. But they are simple in purpose. Represent Jesus to the world!

The fire of God must rest in the souls of men. Christians without passion are almost as great a mystery as Christians without purpose. Apostolic teams carry fresh fire with divine purpose. They enlist men and women to God's dream, and in the process the Church steps into her destiny.

Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson Ministries

Footnotes:
1. There are three basic levels of Biblical doctrine. 1. There are doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith – for example, Jesus is the eternal Son of God. 2. Then there are doctrines that are important, but not essential – for example, how we use the gifts of the Spirit in a church service. 3. And finally, there are doctrines that are good but not essential – for example, the exact nature and timing of Christ's return.

2. This is never in addition to Scriptures, instead He unveils what is already there. 3. This is far from an absolute rule, as many leaders are in tune to what God is saying. However, some are more concerned with preserving past accomplishments over and above the advancement of the Kingdom. This creates a weakness that tends to miss God's present word.

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October 29

Days of Fire

DAYS OF FIRE

It is very clear that we have entered a new spiritual season. Just as summer turns to fall in the natural, so in the Spirit there are different “times and seasons.” Jesus castigated the Pharisees for being able to forecast the weather, but being completely unable to tell what was going on in the Spirit. And [Jesus] was also saying to the crowds, ‘”When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?” Luke 12:54-56 NASB)

So the question is, “How should we analyze this present time?” I find myself vacillating between great faith and grave concern from day to day.  The global season we are entering will not be fixed quickly, no matter who becomes the next President of the United States. The leader the Americans choose will exacerbate or mitigate the issues that are coming at us in this hour of history, but the leader cannot stop the process that has already begun.  It is imperative that we discern what God is doing in North America now, so that as the Church, we are building new wineskins for the a time of fire.  It is believers who must give leadership as the days of fire manifest.         When John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus, he foresaw that Jesus would bring two distinct baptisms, which would manifest in different seasons.  Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, John answered and said to them all. “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:15-17 NASB) If we follow through with when these two baptisms occurred, we will see that they were for two different purposes and were primarily lived out in two different spiritual seasons. Jesus began His ministry when the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. This was His baptism in the Holy Spirit. The very first miracle Jesus performed after this, according to John 2:12, was the miracle of changing the water into wine. This is significant because in Acts 2, baptism of the Spirit is compared to being drunk with wine. Jesus’ first miracle saw the shift from water to wine, from the baptism of John to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus moves into a 3-year season of unprecedented miracles, with large crowds following Him most everywhere He went.         Interestingly, the ministry of the Church also began with the baptism of the Spirit in Acts 2 – a baptism likened unto wine, manifested in the disciples appearing drunk.  Peter’s explanation is that they were “filled with the Spirit.”  Notably, this baptism of the Spirit was also a season of wine, followed by an incredible outpouring of miracles and salvations.         In the life of Jesus, the baptism of the Spirit preceded the baptism of fire. The baptism of the Spirit inaugurated a season of power and miracles. It was a season of wine – of joy and the power of God’s presence. But as the ‘wine wears off,’ so to speak, Jesus begins to talk about what the baptism of fire will look like: I have come to cast fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?  I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Luke 12:49-53 NASB) Again, both in the life of Jesus and in the life of the Early Church, the subsequent baptism of fire did not look anything like what the season of wine looked like.  The days of fire were marked by division, persecution, and great sifting. In the days of fire, Jesus takes out His winnowing fork and begins to “thoroughly clear His threshing floor.”  The baptism of fire is when all of the chaff is burned up in unquenchable fire as the Consuming Fire searches the hearts of men. It is a refining time, where He purifies His bride, removing the spots and wrinkles, burning up the wood, the hay and the stubble till only pure gold remains.          In the past few years, the contemporary Church has also experienced a season of wine.  A global outpouring of the Spirit, manifested in laughter, drunkenness, miracles and myriad salvations hit the earth for a lengthy season.  But the times are changing.  The days of fire are now upon us. In Jesus’ life, fire signified a very painful time, but even so, it was the days of fire that Jesus longed for.  He wished for this purifying fire to be kindled. He was distressed until the baptism of fire was accomplished. He wanted it to happen and He was not afraid of it.  This is the attitude that we must all cultivate in this hour. We must wish for the fire to burn us, to refine and sift the wheat from the chaff in our personal lives, as well as in the Church worldwide.  Undoubtedly this sifting will manifest in division, because that is what Jesus said the fire would do. Fire does not bring peace, but division, to even the closest of relationships (Luke 12:52-53).          The season of fire will see a new wineskin emerge that is made to hold fire, not wine. Unquestionably, therefore, the prayer movement will be at the forefront of the next global move of God. Only those who can stay awake in their Gesthemanes will endure this season without faltering.  We must enter into the labor of prayer. Even though we may deeply understand intimacy with God, this is no guarantee that we will endure the days of fire.  John the Beloved knew intimacy, but he fell asleep at the time of prayer, and as a result even he stumbled along with the other disciples, leaving Jesus and fleeing naked in His hour of fire (Mark 14:50, 51). The only one who stayed awake in the prayer meeting was the only one who “endured to the end” in the season of fire (ie: Jesus Himself).  This is a lesson to all of us. The days ahead will not look like the days we have already lived. The season has changed. And we must change with it. We must build wineskins that can “take the heat.”          Those who have prepared their hearts so that they burn from the inside out will emerge in this season as burning men. A whole new type of leader is being prepared to be at the forefront of the season of fire. (Heb 1:7 AMP) Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire; [Ps. 104:4.] There are burning men and burning women who have prepared their hearts in prayer to lead in overcoming faith while whole nations are catapulted into fear and chaos. Last year, I prophesied that “the god of Mammon would fall in North America in 2008.” God, whose name is Jealous, will ensure that He alone is our source and prove that His grace is sufficient for us all. The ministers of fire will deeply understand this because they are already completely set apart and burning, ready to bring the answer in the middle of the sifting, division and rampant fear in this hour. Those who only know part of God may be confused, especially as things in the natural disintegrate in 2009.  Prepare your heart now because terror is about to strike the hearts of men like never before.  A convergence of an even greater level of economic crisis, natural disaster and terrorist attacks are set to hit North America. God promised that everything that can be shaken will be shaken. We must remember that the God who baptizes us with His Spirit (wine) is the same God who baptizes us with fire.  He is immutable, immortal, and the only wise God. He knows what He is doing. He will never, ever leave us or forsake us. But He will divide us based on what is in our hearts. He will purify us till nothing but gold remains. Remember, “all things work together for our good.” It will be in the place of prayer that we will find understanding, courage and overcoming power to make sense of this season.         When Jesus sends out his disciples in Matthew 10, three times in 6 verses he says, “Do not fear.”  Faith comes from the Word of God, and as we pray the Bible, faith will rise to both endure and overcome in the days of fire.  God is good . . . all the time. In every season, He is both our example and source. So, fix your eyes on Jesus to prepare to lead others to understand the days of fire.  Set yourself apart to prepare a new wineskin in your personal life for this new and very different season.  We all have the same invitation and opportunity to give solutions when old structures and disintegrating and natural and man-made disasters are increasing.  God will tell you what the solutions are for your spheres of influence. If you prepare your heart, He will give you the overcoming revelation for yourself and all those around you.  Get close to God. Look into His eyes of fire. And let your heart burn as you touch His fiery presence.

PUBLIC STATEMENT REGARDING PROPHECY TO TODD BENTLEY

The recent statement by Fresh Fire Ministries about the marital separation of Todd and Shonna Bentley has brought a lot of pain and confusion to the Body of Christ. It is especially confusing because of the manifest miracles and demonstrations of power that have occurred, along with the public endorsement and prophetic blessing given to Todd only a month and a half before his separation from his wife, Shonna.

I gave Todd Bentley a public prophetic word, which was broadcast around the world through GodTV. The essence of the word was as follows: there is a generation that the Lord has spoken to me about that will operate in both the gifts/annointing of the Holy Spirit and the glory of God at the same time. Although this is potential for every generation, the Lord highlighted to me 20 years ago that I was to help build and prepare a coming generation that He would pour His Spirit out on in a distinct way for national transformation. Biblically, there are certain “fullness of time” purposes on certain generations. As well, we see from Church history that there are different times and seasons where “God comes close” and that generation sees a marked increase in revival and signs and wonders. I believe it is God’s will for every generation to attain fullness and labor for God’s kingdom “on earth just as it is in heaven;” however, I recognize that this does not always manifest on earth.

I prophesied publicly on GodTV that Todd Bentley would be a “first fruits” of a generation that would walk both in the anointing and the glory of God. I would like to acknowledge, that although Todd Bentley began his ministry this way, he has not finished his race this way. Miracles are an expression of the glory of God (John 11:40). However, the primary purpose of the glory of God is to make us one (John 17:22). And marriage is the primary earthly expression of oneness (Ephesiens 5:31-32). Separation from his wife is evidence that the glory of God is not currently operating in Todd Bentley’s ministry.

Many people question how the gifts of the Holy Spirit can operate separate from the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We know from the Bible that this is a possibility. As far as I understand, everything that has transpired regarding their decision to separate took place from the day of the commisioning onwards. Very similar to Acts 4:30-5:10, in the middle of “great power” and “great grace” and the Church having “all things in common,” Annanias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). It is possible for believers to sin in the middle of great power. Even more revealing, after a great victory, Satan incited David to number the people (1 Chronicles 21:1), thus bringing the whole nation of Israel under judgment. We know also from the Bible that great men of God (Moses, David, Peter, etc.) committed great sins (ranging from anger and denial of Christ to murder and adultery), all the while serving God sincerely. Abraham stumbled mid-journey through unbelief and was then able to recover and fulfill his destiny. Knowing this, I would like to call on the Body of Christ to manifest what Todd & Shonna Bentley are not yet able to manifest – the glory of God.

When Moses asked to see the glory of God (Exodus 33:18), what God showed him was His nature (Exodus 34:5-7): His compassion, mercy, forgiveness, etc… This is not the time to throw stones. This is a time for compassion to stand in the gap for the Bentley’s marriage. This is a time for prayer, not gossip. We are to weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). When a leader of the Body of Christ falls, we are all affected by their fall, whether it is Ted Haggard, Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, Paula White, Juanita Bynam or whomever. Similarly, when a leader succeeds we are all strengthened.

In summary, I believe that it is God’s will for Todd Bentley to walk in the glory of God. I acknowledge that he is not doing that at this time. Perhaps the intercession of the Church could call him back into his destiny.

I am truly sorry for any confusion my prophecy may have brought to the Body of Christ. I am fully aware that Todd is not walking in this prophetic call. I do believe, however, that the potential is still there for the glory of God to manifest, not only in Todd and Shonna Bentley’s marriage, but in all of us who are saved through faith in the blood of Christ. May we all increase in glory, which will be manifested in unity (John 17:22).

Sincerely,
Stacey Campbell

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August 24

The Fire in HIs Eyes