The Necessity of Converting Apostolic Ambitions (Part 2)

June 1, 2015 by Bryan Anthony Leave a Comment

The Necessity of Converting Apostolic Ambitions

There’s a definite slippery slope when it comes to operating apostolically and/or prophetically. Along with any ascension gift comes the ability to influence and persuade people. With the apostolic and prophetic function there comes an inherent governmental nuance that is able to bring unprecedented impact into the life of a believer or community. However, if the potential to persuade is touched by carnal ambitions, it can wreak havoc in the lives of God’s People.

One of the sure signs of such apostolic carnality is that the ability to influence and persuade is used to direct people away from Christ and Christ being formed in them towards a “thing”, a new revelation, a mission, a project, an organization, etc. Essentially, rather than pointing believers to Christ, something is presented to believers as a lens that must be used in order to view Christ. It becomes THE THING and without it, a believer will “miss out” and “get left behind in what God is (really) doing.”

I’m pausing here because thinking about this and writing about this upsets me. I get angry. I get sad from having perpetrated such hijinks on precious believers in the past. It doesn’t matter that I was ignorant of it. I trusted my heart and went with what I thought God was speaking to me “to do”. My heart betrayed me! I was an orphan looking for significance. I had to “build” some thing in order to validate who I thought I was. My heart became broken. Since then, Father has been working at giving me a new one. Would to Father, other apostolic types would take heed and listen to what I am saying.

I am extremely thankful for a brothers/sisters who loved me, suffered with me long enough and were forgiving enough to see some maturity emerge in my life, character and calling. The Body of Christ is a beautiful thing!

In a previous post, A Basic Understanding of Apostolic Being, I offered the following statement:

A true, genuine, authentic, God-called and equipped apostle has to have converted ambition. Ambition is an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction. What is it that true apostles earnestly desire to achieve? What is the distinction they hope to obtain? Well, I can tell you that it isn’t to be known as God’s man of faith and power! It isn’t to lead a large congregation or organization. It is not desiring to plant/start churches or even to win the world for Jesus! (gasp!)

Would you like an example of what I am saying? Let’s just stick with apostles being THE THING, shall we?

One of the things which have been established as foundational principles in regards to the apostolic ministry is that apostles operate as wise-masterbuilers and are responsible for devising “apostolic strategies” to get this whole Kingdom thing d-o-n-e!

I REALLY wish apostolic brothers would STOP saying that……….especially about themselves!

I know Paul said it. He said it once.

And, he said it to a group of carnal believers in Corinth, who at the present time, were dominated by their evil nature, spiritually immature and unable to receive Paul’s spiritual teaching because they were not governed by the Holy Spirit. He fed them with milk rather than solid food because they were not able to assimilate the latter. (1 Cor.3:1-2)

He never used the “wise-masterbuilder” metaphor again to the Corinthians or in any other letter written to the churches. Nor, do you read anywhere in scripture where any other apostle does so.

Hmmmmm, I wonder why?

So, he is talking baby talk to infantile, carnal believers so they could potentially understand the point he was trying to make about himself and the other apostles mentioned in the chapter or that they knew. What was he trying to get across to them? Paul and Apollos are NOTHING but God is the Source that causes growth. And, in light of such basic truth, as believers they should stop being divided by choosing which apostolic brand they wanted to associate with in the faith.

But, brothers who want/need for apostles to be THE THING will use that verse as a proof text to establish that apostles are wise-masterbuilders, and, as such, should be honored, supported and heeded.

My question is, “Why aren’t all apostles heralded as laborious gardeners?” I’ve never heard an apostolic message on that one, especially in the Western world.

But before he lays down the wise-masterbuilder metaphor, Paul uses the gardening metaphor to illuminate his point. But, I reckon being identified as a sharecropper isn’t as glamorous to our unconverted ego as is being proclaimed a wise architect.

The truth of the matter is that Paul is referencing laying the foundation of Christ accurately in the life of believers so that they themselves can begin to build upon that foundation. Ultimately, the grace Paul received belonged to God and the People belonged to God. He isn’t talking about using his apostolic grace in building a ministry, organization, network or any of the other stuff our religious, idolatrous, unconverted ambitions can devise.

So, while a crucified-with-Christ Apostle Paul uses the wise-masterbuilder metaphor in context to attempt to remove himself from in between the believer and God and resolve the division found in community, today’s apostles, with unconverted ambition, erroneously embrace the moniker of wise-masterbuilder and prop themselves up before the people.

Converted ambition is what I’m talking about.

Below is an excerpt from T. Austin Sparks’ writing, An Apostle’s Supreme Ambition.

The impressive thing about this expressed ambition is the time at which it is made. Here is a man who has had a revelation and knowledge of Jesus Christ greater than any other man up to that time. That knowledge commenced whence as he said, “it pleased God to reveal his Son in me“. That beginning devastated him, and sent him into the desert to try to grasp its implications. Later he had been “caught up into the third heaven and shown unspeakable things, which (he said) were not lawful to be uttered”. Between, and around those two experiences, there is evidence of an ever growing knowledge of Christ. Here, after all that, near the end of his life, he is crying passionately: “That I may know him.”

The very least that we can say about this is that the Christ in view was a very great Christ indeed, who outstrips the greatest capacity and comprehension of man. This stands in such tremendous contrast to the limited Christ of our recognition and apprehension! How very much more there is in Christ than we have ever seen! But we must break down our verse. It is divided by its main words, and can be stated in its four phrases.

(1) The all-governing passion: “That I may know him.”

(2) The effectual power: “The power of his resurrection.”

(3) The essential basis: “The fellowship of his sufferings.”

(4) The progressive principle: “Conformed to his death.”

You can read the article in its entirety here. If you made it this far, you might want to go check it out. It is definitely worth your time.

When I talk to someone claiming to be an apostle, I use the 4 points provided above to gauge the conversation.

If the majority of the exchange is regarding their latest and greatest (insert something here), then I bless them and go about my way.

If I hear or can sense any mixture of the 4 points in our discourse, I know there is a potential connection to discover and develop. It’s Christ! It is ALWAYS Christ!

Keep your peace!

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

The Necessity of Converting Apostolic Ambitions (Part 1)

May 27, 2015 by Bryan Anthony 1 Comment

Publishers’s note: I’m happy to re-publish Bryan’s post here. Although I’ve not met him, he seems to be a brother in Christ who has traveled the road to the cross of Christ and back. Bryan is not afraid to talk about the potholes he’s fallen into along the way. This article is humbling and may help build “servant leadership” in the body of Christ. Because the original article is long I have broken it into two posts. This is part one of a two part series.

Converting Apostolic Ambitions

I happen to be a firm believer in the apostolic and prophetic graces functioning in the Body of Christ today. As Ascension Gifts given to us by the Head of the Body, Christ Himself, I know their value to the People of God is irreplaceable and required for maturity to be developed in the believers, both individually and corporately.

In full disclosure, I haven’t always subscribed to apostolic and prophetic function. Beyond NOT KNOWING what they were, I was taught and trained that the apostle and prophet were simply titular offices that ceased with the death of Peter, Paul and the other brothers way back in the day. There was no need for God to “work or speak outside of sola scriptura now” since we have the Bible.

Let’s tap the brakes here. I am not wanting to turn this post into a discussion of the grand old debate regarding Scripture Only and whether or not apostles and prophets exist today and are relevant to the life of current day believers. I’ve circled around that mountain far too many times along the way in my faith journey and such discussions have rarely proven fruitful in cultivating things that truly matter, such as love and mutual respect. So, if you want to bail on this post now, I would encourage you to do so. No hard feelings on my part!

I have discovered over the years (and yes, innumerable debates, arguments and conversations) that people usually fall in three categories regarding the topic of apostolic and prophetic function. First, there is the “No way, Jose” crowd. Second, “Yes, they exist so we are going to make it THE thing now!” crowd. And, finally, those who being led by the Holy Spirit to consider, look into and explore such things and are open to them operating should they actually exist.

Having been indoctrinated into the first group of naysayers as I set out on my ministerial journey years ago, through time and experience, I wholeheartedly plunged full bore into the other extreme of apostolic/prophetic EVERYTHING where the restoration of the apostle and prophet was THE KEY to the closing out this age. With such a mindset, the structures, organizations and schemes to “DO THIS THING” emerge and, rather than equipping believers to function, the apostolic everything serves only to hold believers captive.

Regardless of who is at the top of the hierarchical system, a pastor or an apostle, the fact remains that the order is an inaccurate biblical and Kingdom representation fabricated by men’s whims, ambitions and imaginations and, therefore, cannot/will not bring about Father’s purpose for and in His family. While both functions of Christ’s Grace are absolutely required and have their role to play respectively, Pastors are not to be preeminent and Apostles are not to be the central, necessary component.

Over the past 15 years or so as I have merged back into the median of the two extremes, I have been blessed by the impact of Christ’s apostolic and prophetic graces functioning and being administered in a balanced and healthy manner.

As a matter of fact, I credit Christ making significant changes and bringing unforeseen growth in my life and character via the apostolic and prophetic graces over the past several years. The administration of those graces has, indeed, come through graced individuals but, more importantly in my opinion, has been administered through a corporate body and community (local and global) who have been equipped by those graces and released to operate accordingly. More about that in a later post.

While authentic apostolic/prophetic function can serve as a catalyst to believer’s growth and maturity, much harm can come to believers and their maturation can be thwarted by inaccurate apostolic/prophetic figures who consider the respective grace in which they function to be THEIR OWN. The key to effectiveness in authentic apostolic and prophetic graces are that they function accurately and according to Father’s intent and Christ’s grace……..not according to men’s intentions, interpretations and men’s design. Although the ego induced shenanigans of ME and MY ANOINTING thrive within the parameters of men’s configured religious settings, such carnality has NO PLACE in the Kingdom and Father’s Economy.

When Jesus said, “I will build (MY) Church (of ME)….”, my opinion is that he really, really meant it. It is His Grace – whether apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and/or evangelist – that functions through a DEAD to SELF, yielded vessel, who, as the Apostle Paul stated, ” I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”

(To be continued in a subsequent post)

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

True Apostles

November 11, 2014 by Bryan Anthony 1 Comment

Editors note: Brian Anthony blogs at “Thoughts Upon Rising.” This post has been adapted from his blog post “True and False Apostles.” His audio sermons can be heard by clicking here.

Qualities of True Apostles

The words of the resurrected Christ to the church in Ephesus ought to hit home just as much in our generation as they did over 19 centuries ago:

“…you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perserverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.” (Rev. 2.2b-3)

In our day there is a proliferation of men “who call themselves apostles, and they are not…”

We have men trotting the globe in three-piece suits and private jets, 6 or 7-figure salaries and all the earthly esteem a man could covet. They have organizational oversight of multiple congregations. Some even boast that they are the apostles over hundreds of assemblies. They shine on full-color conference advertisements and are skilled proclaimers of the “successful life.” My heart aches with concern for some of these men, particularly the ones living extremely lavished lifestyles, maintaining massively marketed ministries, and thinking they are doing God a service. As the saintly old Leonard Ravenhill once remarked, “There’s a lot of public ministry ‘in that Day’ that’s going to go down in ashes, my brother.”

There are other men who have been given the title of ‘apostle’, but who are not guilty of some of the overt abuses I’ve written about here. Yet I fear that there is yet too much of a mixture in most of what is presently called ‘apostolic’ in the western world, to the extent that in most cases I remain respectfully unconvinced when introduced to the men who are bearing these titles. I do not doubt their sincerity. Yet mere sincerity or good intentions are not the qualifications of the men whom God is wanting to send. Have we been willing to do things His way? Have we really been jealous for His glory?

FOUNDATIONAL SERVANTS

There is something transcendent about the truly foundational servants the Lord is seeking in this last hour of history. They are not professionals, nor are their works the result of ingenuity, cleverness, or skill. They have been shattered by a vision of the Most High God, and have become like Jacob. They limp through life, knowing that they would not have become what they are but by the grace of an encounter with Him. They have an authority from another age. They have a compassion that is more than human sentiment. They have a faith that pierces the most disparaging and discouraging of situations. They have a joy that beams. They associate with the lowly. They have a fierce loyalty to the God of holiness. They abide in peace. They do not fear men.

True apostles do not cease to pray. They have become, over time, men of God. They are reverent and faithful stewards of the abiding life of Christ.

There is something presumptuous and vain about much of what is called “prophetic” and “apostolic” in our day. There is a self-appointed premature about the movements bearing these names. I fear for our lightness in these areas, and this is especially flagrant in the charismatic fold of the Church.

“…those who CALL THEMSELVES APOSTLES, and they are not…” (Rev. 2.2)
“Jezebel, who CALLS HERSELF a prophetess…” (Rev. 2.20)

We can be sure that as this age draws to a close, we will see an increase in signs and wonders, both true and false. We can also be sure that there will be an increase in those who are considered apostles and prophets. The question is vital then,

“Who are we to receive as apostles and prophets?”

We may run the risk of rejecting the true on the one hand, or receiving and endorsing the false on the other. I believe the Scriptures have given us a framework for wisdom in this area, and it behooves us to obtain a radical jealousy for the glory of God, that we might pray and believe for the emergence of the same kinds of servants that He Himself is wanting to form and send.

(I am assuming that those who are reading this have already seen through the lie that apostles ceased to exist in the first century.)

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE APOSTLES IN PAUL’S LIFE AND TEACHING

1. A profound revelation of Jesus Christ, and an intimate walk with the Lord.

“For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
…God…was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him…” (Gal. 1.12, 15-16)
“…I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…”

True apostles will be secure in a revelation of Jesus. They will be impart peace and righteousness. They will walk in joy. They will also be sober men. This will all result from the depth and intensity of their walk with the Lord. It will be deep and intimate, and it will rub off on those who they spend time with.

2. A spirit of humility and love towards all men.

“Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God…” (Tit. 1.1)
The False apostles “all seek after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 2. 21)
“…I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you…”
“I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls…” (2 Cor. 12.14-15, seg.)

True Apostles will be men of meekness. They will not throw around their names or boast in earthly influence. They will have a radical inward dependence upon the Lord, and will not be moved by the threats of opposers or the flattery of admirers. They will be servants in the reality of life among the saints. They will not be superstars or self-imposing figures. The fragrance of the crucified Lord will emanate from them.

3. Rejoicing in affliction and hardship as sacrificial servants.

“When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison…
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God…” (Acts 16.23a, 25)
“…rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation…” (Rom. 12.12a)

They will likely provoke opposition and persecution as the result of their living and preaching. They are conveyers of a Kingdom that runs completely against the grain of those whose lives they are addressing, and this will not be a ministry which is free from ramifications, for they are in conflict with the age. But they will not have a self-centered suffering complex. They will simply abide in the Lord and labor with Him, rejoicing even in the resulting sufferings, and teaching the churches to abide in joy in the midst of all trials. They will not be softies, whining and complaining when things don’t go their way.

4. Men of faith and of the Spirit, encouraging the saints to grow in the gifts and power of God.

“The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.” (2 Cor. 12.12)
“For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that…I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel…” (Rom. 15.18-20a)

They will be men of the Spirit. They will have a history in God, a fervent life of prayer, and the activity of Holy Spirit power will be evident in their labors. They will serve to stir others into faith for a Spirit-endued walk with God. They will not discourage the spirit of prophecy or other spiritual gifts. In fact, they will impart and help release them into the community. They will heal the sick and drive out demon spirits. They will be a presence in any locality they visit, posing a threat to the powers of darkness and introducing the Gospel of the Kingdom to those who encounter them.

5. They will be jealous for purity, holiness and the intimate knowledge of God.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” (1 Cor. 15.33-34)
“…so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.” (1 Thess. 3.13, 4.7)

True apostles will be men of holiness, separate from the wisdom of this world. They will despise the immorality of their age, and passionately love the presence of God and the inbreaking of His mercies and judgments. They will preach repentance and mercy. They will challenge the churches to walk in righteousness and freedom. They will despise anything that does not issue from the life of God, whether it be an immoral issue or a religious doctrine or expression that is devoid of the power of God’s truth and love. True apostles will breathe holiness, and impart the sense of God among the saints.

6. They will have lives and ministries that are formed through a communal experience of reality.

“and all those who had believed were together…”
“Now there were at Antioch…prophets and teachers…ministering to the Lord and fasting…” (Acts 2.44, 13)

True apostless will not be loners or self-appointed leaders. They will have experienced life amidst a group of saints who know their faults and still love them. They will be raised up out of a true church experience- life together, in a setting that’s intimate enough for the confession of sin, personal encouragement, personal confrontation, and all the dynamics that come as we give ourselves to the Lord alongside other believers. They will be real men, not performers. They will delight in the fellowship of the saints, and will pursue the formation of healthy relatedness for the churches in which they labor. When they are appointed and sent, it will be by the Spirit of God, through a company of souls who know the Lord and who know them. They will never become relationally inert.

7. They will possess a burning consciousness of the mystery of Israel and the end of the age.

“I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;”
“…I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” (Acts 26.6; 28.20)
“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uniformed of this mystery- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…” (Rom. 11.25)

They will not have an immature or unbiblical view towards Israel or the end of the age. They will not be ignorant of the prophetic testimony of Scripture, nor will they merely be educated or caught up in sentimental issues pertaining to Israel. They will have a revelation of the nature of God’s dealings with Israel [and thus mankind], and will be conscious of the words of the prophets pertaining to the end of the age. They will carry a fervent spirit of prayer, a burden and love for the people of Israel. They will have a jealousy for these foundations to be implemented in the heart of the Church. They will walk in a consciousness of coming judgment, inwardly aware of the redemption that will overtake the earth “in that day.” They will see their own labors as connected to that final revelation of Jesus, and will see the Church’s task to be nothing short of constituting a witness to Israel both now, and in the events leading up to the Day of the Lord.

8. Intensely involved in the preaching of the Gospel- to Jew and “Greek”.

“…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9.16)
“I am eager to preach the gospel…For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1.15, 16)

They will have an especial grace to invade localities with the Gospel, both in message and demonstration. Things will change where they preach. There will be an upsetting of “things as usual.” Culture will be affected. Paradigms will be challenged by the wisdom of the Cross. There will likely be opposition, but there will be great salvation for many. They will carry this burden and preach out of it- from the Synagogue to the Streets. Wherever souls are found in darkness, there true apostles will be “eager to preach.” They will preach “Christ, and Him crucified.”

9. A radical concern for the churches- their family lives, and their doctrine.

“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;”
“But I am afraid that…your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11.2-3)
“Wives, be subject…Husbands, love…Children, be obedient…” (Eph. 5, Col. 3)
“Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” (Tit. 2.1)
“…in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified…” (Tit. 2.7)

True apostles will not be concerned for raising up impressive ministries. They will have a radical jealousy for the glory of God in the churches. They will not settle for all kinds of compromises or low views of God in the lives of the saints. They will pray and intercede for a fuller revelation of God to come to His Church. True apostles are seeking something holy. They are pursuing the revelation of God to His people. They are not satisfied with anything other than the fullness of Christ. Families saved and transformed. Lives made whole and complete in the Spirit and character of the Kingdom. They will labor for this. They long to see truth, righteousness, and joy prevail upon the earth, and while they are well aware that this will not transpire in the ultimate sense until the end of the age, they see the churches as a foretaste of that Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, they cannot be at peace with marital disorder, unbiblical doctrine, moral compromise, lovelessness, divisions, laziness or any such thing in the lives of the saints. In a fatherly way, and to the degree that they have time and grace for it, they will labor to remove all that hinders the demonstration of “the manifold wisdom of God” through the Church.

True apostles are being formed even as we speak. They are learning how to abide in the Lord in the secular work place, in unheralded ministries, in the raising of their children, or in other ways. They are learning to love fellow believers, and even enemies. They are being tried in ways that no mere Bible school could provide. They are searching the Scriptures. They are on the wheel of the great Potter. True apostles are being formed. And so is an apostolic church that will reveal God, even to the point of death. What about you, dear saint? Are you allowing the Potter to mold you, or have you sought to remove yourself from His wheel? You can trust Him. You can surrender your life to Him afresh. There is nothing greater than being a vital union with Him.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive statement on apostleship. But based on Scripture, I believe we can say that men who call themselves apostles and have not these qualities, can justifiably be questioned. Let’s not be duped by the false. Let’s give ourselves utterly to the Lord, and cry out for His mercy in this hour, that He might fashion and send these kinds of servants to the darkest corners of the world! Let us cry out for the emergence of a church of this kind. The Lord is jealous for His glory. He is jealous for us, saints.

Father, grant that Your Spirit may come upon the Church. Form and fashion the foundational servants You have always desired. Demonstrate Your wisdom to the powers of darkness. Give us grace to be willing vessels, pliable clay upon the wheel of the Potter. For Your Name’s sake, for the “Day of the Lord” salvation of Israel, and for the transformation of the nations. Amen.