Apostolic Church

What is the Apostolic Church?

Elvis Iverson

www.elvisiverson.com

The Apostolic Church was birth from of the Throne Room in the third heaven. If you could see what the apostolic church looks like with spiritual eyes. It would look like a burning and increasing fire of the Lord coming to eat and burn away everything that is not of the nature of Christ. The apostolic church is not man made or a man made ideal. The apostolic church commission is to bring reformation to all things in the church to the image of Christ. Who is the head of this burning fire? Jesus Christ the chief Apostle and Head of the Church.

In addition, the apostolic anointing flows from the Head of the Church to the body of Christ and the apostles. The apostolic anointing brings increase to the living church. The apostolic anointing brings life to the will of God for the Church. The apostolic anointing reforms us to truth and the image of Christ. The apostolic anointing comes to us that Christ and His Kingdom may come to us.

Moreover, the prophets prepare the way; prepare you for the Lord, and the apostles bring the way, the Lord and His Kingdom to you. The apostolic anointing is greater then one apostle, or a few apostles, or even a company of apostles, this anointing comes from Christ. You may not know an apostle, but you have Jesus the Chief Apostle over you.

Beside, we will see living apostles moving forth with authority and power just as in the book of Acts so shall it be with today's apostles. There were the Apostles of the Lamb, then there are the Apostles of Christ, all true apostles are apostles of Christ. An apostle is called through one on one contact with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

However, apostles are not the main event, the saints are, and the Holy Spirit, and Christ. Apostles and Prophets are to form the foundation for the saints to move forth and fulfill the great commission.

Apart from that, what is the apostolic church? In this article I will try to list the characteristics of the apostolic church. It is important to know what is the apostolic church and what is not the apostolic church. The apostolic church is the local church, cell churches, homes churches, networks, city church centers, city church networks, and the mature city church.

However, the first goal of the apostolic movements is not to become another religion, instead to add to church in restoration. The apostolic movements are the platform for all great movements to come forth. We are laying the foundation of the apostles and prophets to establish a lasting and enduring platform for revivals, and moves of God to always happen and never be without, and to have lasting revival.

In addition, the second goal is to begin an end to all Christian groups that are not according to the image of Christ, to bring end of the Christian religion and replace it with the body of Christ, to reform all things in the church to the image of Christ, plus to bring an end to all religions and open the gates and doors wide to Kingdom of God.

Moreover, the third goal of the apostolic movements is to equip the saints to the work of the ministry, marketplace and workplace ministers, that the church will no longer lack any gift. The fourth goal of the apostolic movements to establish the church into the apostolic government, and raise the church up to fulfill her destiny in Christ. The fifth goal is to birth the kingdom church and to prepare the church for the end times. Plus that church will come to the unity of the faith. Plus that the apostolic church will birth the city church, the sixth goal is to rise up the saints to fulfill the great commission. The seventh goal is to restore the church to her true authority in the Earth.

Besides, what the Acts church had was the foundation of the apostles and prophets, gifts of Spirit, saints ministry, signs, wonders the power of God, and the city church. At the same time this was not the perfect church or mature church, instead, they have these things that lead to the perfect and mature church. I believe that today we will be learn from these godly principles of the acts church to the perfect and mature church, which is the city church, which is the kingdom church.

24 characteristics of the apostolic church;

1. Saints, believers, workplace, marketplace, and business Christians do the work of the ministry. No more a few does the ministry, instead the many, while the few equipped the saints. The Apostolic Church is a body ministry.

2. There is a team of elders with a leading elder working among them. The apostolic church is not a one-man ministry.

3. There is a team of ministers; team workmanship is the way of ministry of the apostolic church.

4. There is freedom for the gifts of Spirits, freedom for any gift from God.

5. The apostolic church is a house for the prophets. Prophets are protected and welcome.

6. The order of the house is one of freedom, grace and functional accountability.

7. The Apostolic Church is a restoration house for falling ministers and believers.

8. The Apostolic Church is a missionary home base to the nations.

9. The Apostolic church is a house of signs, wonders, miracles, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

10. The Apostolic Church is a church that works with other churches in their city, they believe in the city church, and the body of Christ.

11. The Apostolic Church is a place of covenant relationships, Biblical fellowship, discipleship, equipping, mentoring and fathering.

12. The Apostolic Church is a place for compassion and mercy ministries and works.

13. The Apostolic Church is a church that is not limited to the four walls.

14. The Apostolic Church is a grace giving church.

15. The Apostolic Church is a church of many people groups in Christ.

16. The Apostolic Church is a church where women and Children are honor for their gifts and skills, and are not hinder. There is no age gap or gender gap, or race gap in the Apostolic Church.

17. The Apostolic Church does not conform to the many cultures, instead they conform to the kingdom culture and they conform the cities and people around them to the kingdom culture.

18. The Apostolic Church does not only wins many souls to Christ in turn they disciple them into Christ's Disciples.

19. The Apostolic Church is a house of prayer for all nations.

20. The Apostolic Church is a house of true worship according to the Tabernacle of David.

21. The Apostolic Church follows and applied the models of church life in the book of Acts in today's church life.

22. The Apostolic Church is a church of deliverance, and casting out demons in the name of Jesus.

23. The Apostolic church believes in a glorious church in the future and the end time church.

24. The Apostolic Churches believers that the Jews rightful land is the nation of Israel, and that Jerusalem is the rightful capital of the nation of Israel.

Beside, the Apostle Church is the modern day Antioch church. Antioch is the model for the Apostolic Church today. We not only believe in Apostles and prophets are today, we also believe that the books of Acts are for today too. Today's book of Acts will not be called the Acts of the Apostles, instead the Acts of Saints in the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the body of Christ will become the Apostolic Church. The Apostolic Church will reform all things in the church to the image of Christ. After the Apostolic Church has fulfilled it's purpose, the unity of the faith will come and increase and grow to the point that the Apostolic church births and gives way to the Kingdom Church, which is the city church in every city of every nation in the world.



Copyright © 2005 S.I.M. All Rights Reserved

Be a Apostolic!

Catherine Brown:

"We Are Entering into a Time of Acceleration on a Global Scale"

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone."—Ephesians 2:19-20

I hear the Spirit of God saying that we are entering into a time of accelerationbuilding anointing that is being released from Heaven, particularly upon apostles, apostolic leaders and prophets (although not limited to just this group of leaders). on a global scale. I also hear Him speaking about a

An apostolic leader is a person who has a distinct apostolic dimension operating in their ministry, evidenced in apostolic functionality such as planting, pioneering, establishing, foundation-laying, building, nurturing and fathering/mothering. The apostolic dimension may also be revealed in the authority of signs, wonder and miracles flowing in a person's ministry (see 2 Corinthians 12:12). Furthermore, it may be shown in the fruit of the lives of those who receive the minister as an apostolic leader. For instance, the Believers in Corinth were regarded by Paul as a "seal" of his apostolic ministry to their hearts and in their lives (see 1 Corinthians 9:2).

Apostolic Building Anointing

Apostolic building must be carried out by revelation given in wisdom and in heavenly "blueprints." Nehemiah was a type of apostolic pioneer builder, who was commissioned by God to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. After prayer, fasting and consultation with the kin, Nehemiah made a reconnaissance trip to Jerusalem and understood through physical sight and by spiritual revelation how to execute the building work. In being thus appointed, Nehemiah was equipped to raise a team of partners who worked alongside of him to realise the vision. Apostolic builders have grace to gather others around heavenly vision and empower ministry partners.

Nehemiah was led to completion despite much enemy harassment and interference. He was able to do this because he had been authorised, anointed and empowered by God for the task. He was equipped to overcome any and all obstacles along the way and was able to develop successful strategies against the enemy's tactics at pivotal points in the building work. The building anointing is a labouring anointing that is relentless in pursuit of achieving the God-given aims and objectives.

Apostle Paul taught the Church in Philippi that they were to live "according to the pattern" they had seen modeled in himself and his team (Philippians 3:17). Pattern makers are visionary leaders who model and exemplify a lifestyle of holiness with Christ, so that others are enabled and equipped to follow suit. Pattern makers are mentors and spiritual mothers and fathers to others. They are often pioneers who are breaking into new territory and doing things that might not have been done before.

If we are to be Kingdom builders, we must embrace the simple truth that holy and righteous lifestyles are an essential aspect of being a fruitful builder in God's house. Godly character will sustain us in times of challenge, and surrender to His will birth ongoing godly transformation in us to the glory of His name.

Acceleration

Acceleration can only happen under the divine impetus of the Holy Spirit. When He mobilises us to a God-given task/assignment, He releases the necessary grace, authority, power and wisdom to us to consolidate and implement vision and follow through to completion. Holy Spirit not only in-dwells us, but rests and remains upon us to become a mighty catalyst to build according to God's will. Mobilisation causes acceleration, and acceleration creates increased momentum to carry vision/building work forward.

This global outpouring of grace is given to engage the worldwide Church in Kingdom endeavours to establish, to advance, and to multiply God's Kingdom on the earth. This level of outpouring will be contested by satan and it is important that the Church prepares for the coming spiritual warfare that will accompany this mighty breakthrough.

Perhaps we might describe this spiritual warfare on three levels: Ground, Occult and Strategic.

Christ's Love

Before looking at a Biblical example of all three levels of spiritual warfare operating in a city, let's first acknowledge that God's love is one of the greatest weapons of our warfare, alongside that of the Blood of Jesus and the victory of the finished work of the power of the Cross. When Believers operate in love and unity and exercise faith and hope in Christ's finished intercession, there is enormous potential for personal and community transformation. We are built up by His love, to enable others to grow in faith and in maturity, to be prepared for works of service and to attain to the fullness of Christ (see Ephesians 4:11-12)

Strategic Breakthrough Prayer

It is by prevailing prayer that spiritual warfare is fought and won, and prayer and faith must operate hand-in-hand. Strategic breakthrough prayer is an absolutely essential part of the deliverance of individuals, communities and nations. Strategic prayer is tactical, planned and deliberate, resulting in blessing and breakthrough i.e. sudden advancement and forward momentum.

It is by prayer that souls are saved, that the demonised are set free and the sick are healed; it is by prayer that principalities are displaced and dethroned and Christ rightfully enthroned as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Church, we must learn to bend our knees and posture our hearts with fervent, prevailing prayer and fasting before Almighty God if we are to walk in the level of glory anointing God desires for us!

THE EXAMPLE OF ACTS 19

Paul arrived in Ephesus to discover a group of disciples who had only received "John's baptism." Paul explained that this was a baptism of repentance and that John pointed to Jesus. "On hearing this they were baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5).

Baptism

Paul placed his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. The Bible records that about twelve men in all received this baptism. Perhaps we could say these men received a type of "spiritual upgrade"! Apostolic ministry always causes increase. Spiritual warfare cannot be entered into without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit was graciously poured out on this occasion prior to the spiritual battles that would ensue.

Apostolic Preaching

Paul preached the Word of God in the synagogue for three months, bringing the message of the Kingdom of God to the people there. He encountered opposition but preached boldly nonetheless. Apostolic preaching challenges, shifts and transforms the spiritual atmosphere into which it is delivered by the Holy Spirit's anointing upon a surrendered servant of God. Preaching the Kingdom message is an essential part of spiritual warfare on all three levels and is, itself, a part of the apostolic mandate given to the whole Church.

Apostolic preaching alters the spiritual atmosphere so that unbelievers are able to "hear" the Gospel and respond. There is no higher warfare than to win souls and disciple them for Christ's glory, and every single salvation is an ultimate trophy of grace in the realm of spiritual warfare.

We must never underestimate the power of the fire of God in anointed preaching! It literally burns up the spiritual darkness around it, penetrating hearts and minds to bring people to a place of revelatory understanding and acceptance of the mystery and beauty of the Gospel message.

I had the privilege of preaching to a group of women in a prison in California last summer and, as the Word of God went forth, the change in the atmosphere was tangible. I made an appeal in 90-degree heat and asked the women if they would like to receive the Lord. They ran forward and were swept off their feet by the Holy Spirit, and many were instantly baptised and spoke in tongues. It was a most beautiful and blessed moment in the little prison courtyard as the bemused guards looked on and angels celebrated.

Teaching the Word of God/Discipleship Teams

By apostolic teaching, the Kingdom of God is not only established in grace, but also advances in the power of the Holy Spirit's revelation, wisdom and truth. Paul taught the twelve new disciples for two years in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, and we are told that both the Jews and the Greeks throughout the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Acts 19:10).

For twenty four long months, the Apostle Paul laboured tirelessly to bring the word of the Lord to his apostolic team in preparation to minister and impact the surrounding community. He trained the young disciples by the Word of God and laid a strong foundation upon which the glory could manifest in signs, wonders and miracles. During this 24-month period of equipping, Paul prepared a team that could co-labour with him in the season of in-gathering for the harvest that was just around the corner.

Anointed and inspired teaching of the Word of God will bring about a Godly transformation in individuals allowing them to mature as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A few years ago I was privileged to lead a core group of 18-25 year olds in preparation for a prayer and repentance tour of Scotland. For a year we met every week to pray and worship together. As well as building vision with my leaders, I also invested much time in teaching them some of the values I held. I saw the leadership potential in each of them and sought to not only train them for task, but to also develop them as leaders. After a year they were sent out as team leaders all across Scotland on their ministry assignments and the Lord graciously moved in power everywhere they went.

Preparing your team is an important part of affecting the destiny of your city or community. May God bless you and pour out upon you a Kingdom-building anointing!

Catherine Brown
Founder, Gatekeepers Global Ministries
Email: admin@gatekeepers.org.uk
Website: www.gatekeepers.org.uk

Fivefold Ministries

Jeremy Lopez:

"From the Nations of the Earth, God is Joining the Five-Fold Ministry to Become One Voice"

In the past 20 years, we have seen God restore the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, but we have not seen the power of the apostolic dimension released or the prophetic voice that can still the rains of Heaven from coming. Each one of the five-fold have been stretching their wings to find out where they fit into the local Church and the Church at large.

As we have seen the past couple of years, there has been an "emphasis" on each one. They have been trying to bring a definition to their character, position and level of authority within the local Church. But God is starting to bring from the nations of the earth the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to join forces together and become one voice. Unity is the Father's cry for His leaders.

The Hand Symbolically Represents
the Five-Fold Ministry

The five-fold (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) have been like fingers stretching out for identity and validation. It is hard when we live in a world where identity is robbed from us at birth and we are taught the "American way" and not the "Kingdom way." As fingers on a hand, they must learn to balance one another out and work together in order to get the task done.

In dealing with the "hand," we must understand God's language and His interpretation of the Word. For example, in dealing with the word "death," Christ referred to it in Luke 8:40-52 as sleeping. We must understand that His language is not like our language. "His thoughts are not like our thoughts, and His ways are not like our ways" (paraphrased, see Isaiah 55:9).

In understanding the hand, we must prophetically look at the hand that appeared in the days of Daniel, writing on the wall (see Daniel 5:1-5), and understand that God is still using His hand to write on the wall of our hearts.

The hand symbolically represents the five-fold ministry: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher.

1. The Apostle is the thumb because it is the only finger that can touch all the others, therefore it establishes and brings order to the other ministries.

2. The Prophet is the index finger because he directs, points and guides the Church in the way it should go.

3. The Evangelist is the middle finger because it stands out from among the rest and reaches out to save the lost.

4. The Pastor is the ring finger because symbolically he is married to the Church.

5. The Teacher is the little finger (pinky) because it balances the rest of the hand and the Church's teachings.

The Hand is Coming into Full Restoration, Authority and Unity of Spirit Again

As we study Matthew 12:13, we notice a man with a withered hand that came to Christ to be healed on the Sabbath Day (Seventh Day). This "hand" was withered and could not reach out in its full potential to grab a hold of its destiny. The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers have likewise been withered because they have tried to function alone without the care and support of the other "fingers." The Bible says, "One can put a thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight" (paraphrased). It also says, "A false balance is an abomination to God" (paraphrased).

When anyone of the five-fold try to "operate" on their own, it creates a false balance on the hand. Did you know that your pinky and your thumb bring a balance to your hand? Without the function of the other one, your hand would be unbalanced! This is the time when the paralysis, arthritis and witheredness goes from the hand. The five-fold will begin to have an understanding and an appreciation of the other one.

Notice in Matthew 12:13 it says the man was healed on the Sabbath Day. As we comprehend the days of God, we must know that the Bible says, "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." It has already been six thousand years (or six days), from Adam until now, and we are entering into the seventh day (Sabbath Day) of God. Praise God! God is healing the five-fold ministry in the seventh day!

God is Thrusting the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers into a Greater Revelation of Him

Symbolically, we now see that the hand of God (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher) is coming to full strength and power on the Sabbath Day of the Lord, which we are now entering into according to God's timetable.

In John 20:27, Christ told Thomas to "thrust your hand into My side, and be not faithless, but believing." Symbolically, Christ is calling His apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to go into the "inward part" of God to understand the deep things of the Father. The deep things of God, which represents His secrets and mysteries, are calling to the deep things of man.

As part of the five-fold, we must allow God to take us into the Holy of Holies to train and teach us how to raise up this army called the Church with love and grace. The apostles will begin to work with the prophets. The teachers will begin to work with the evangelists, and the pastors will begin to work with the apostles. This is the plan of God for His hand, so we can all work in one mind and in one accord. As Christ wrote in the sand when a woman was caught in adultery, His hand continues to write today, revealing mysteries and secrets to the Church and bringing grace to all that have fallen.

I See a Cloud the Size of a Man's Hand

1 Kings 18:44 says, "The seventh time the servant reported, 'I see a cloud the size of a man's hand is rising from the sea.'" This hand we call the five-fold is rising up from out of the sea (a people) and is moving in power, signs, wonders and miracles, but more importantly with love and integrity. Can you see it? Can you see the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers arising this hour with integrity, excellence, anointing and, most importantly, fruit to usher in the Kingdom of God?

What happens when you make a fist in anger? Your fingers come together in unity for war! Hallelujah! Psalm 144:1 says, "Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

God is training His apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for war this hour. The prophets will prophesy the word of the Lord and the apostles will bring forth miracles that will turn this world upside down. The pastors will give us the Shepherd's heart and the evangelist will show us that "God so LOVED the world."

Look up, Church! For the Father's hand is being revealed in the heavens again and writing on the tablets of our hearts!

Jeremy L. Lopez
Identity Network International
Email: customerservice@identitynetwork.net
Website: www.identitynetwork.net

About Jeremy Lopez: Jeremy Lopez is Founder and President of Identity Network International. Jeremy releases the glory and the anointing everywhere he goes with a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. He ministers with a revelational prophetic teaching gift that brings a freshness of the Word of the Lord to the Body of Christ. He teaches the principle that we are positioned in heavenly places and are called to minister out of that realm. He has also ministered to thousands overseas, including millionaires around the world. He has traveled to many nations including Jamaica, Indonesia, Haiti, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Bahamas. He has hosted and been a guest on several radio programs from Indonesia to New York.

Apostolic Prayers

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda:

"Praying Heaven Down to Earth"

This article is an excerpt from The Hidden Power of Watching and Praying by Drs. Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda. You will not want to miss this essential key to the release of apostolic power for these last days.

When we wake up to harmony with Heaven through a life of unceasing prayer, we make contact with the throne from which all things temporary and eternal flow. More than that, we begin a duet with the One who sits in that throne and holds all things together by the word of His power. Our simple, ordinary lives become extraordinary as He invites us into a participating role that reaches beyond our private lives. When we pray "Your Kingdom come," we are praying Heaven down to earth.

The first thing we recognize about God's Kingdom is His absolute supremacy and power as Lord over all. When we pray, "Your Kingdom come," we are making ourselves His subjects. That means we acquiesce to become the servants of His will and plan.

When we pray, "Your Kingdom come," we are moving from passive to aggressive. We become the violent ones who advance the Kingdom by force of His power. "From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12).

Those who watch in prayer are going back to the origin of humankind and, as the offspring of the Last Adam, they are resuming the high call of being created in God's image. Watchers accept and take up again the charge to tend and watch the garden of God while uprooting the garden of satan, which is in chaos and darkness. It was God's original intention that the garden He planted be tended by the man made in His image. But failing the command to watch as well as tend, Adam and his wife fell to temptation.

This failure is echoed in Jesus' words to His disciples in Gethsemane, where He told them to watch and pray lest they also fall into temptation to desert and betray Him. Had the first watchman (Adam) been vigilant, he would have grabbed the devil by the scruff of his slimy neck during that fatal controversy with Eve, and tossed him out of the garden on his ear!

Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the world when God gave him a revelation of the true King as he lay in his bed one night. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he saw that there are spiritual realities conducting spiritual activities that are invisible to the naked eye. He saw watchers, majestic messengers of Heaven, bringing decrees from the throne of God that concerned the kingdoms of this earth:

"I saw in visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from Heaven. He cried aloud and said thus...

"'This decision is by decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.'" (Daniel 4:13,14,17)

The watcher told the king that his sovereignty would be removed until he recognized God rules over the realm of mankind and sets up rulers as He wishes. When Nebuchadnezzar heard the decree he realized he was not in charge. He also learned that holy messengers participate in administering the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The Church enters into that work as, one by one, our hearts are awakened to fulfill our priestly ministry together as intercessors. In these latter days, the Church has become the chosen vessel to carry the Kingdom to the earth.

The main activity immediately coupled with Jesus' first mention of the Church is authority to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth through the activity of prayer!

Jesus said, "On this rock I will build My Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." The word that Jesus used in this first mention of the Church is the Greek word, ekklesia. It literally means "the called out ones." In that day and age, this was the term used to denote the governing authority, those called out to judge and govern the people. This is where we get the idea that the Church is not just an assembly of people, but also a ruling Body of Believers, founded on the revelation that the Rock, Jesus Christ, to whom and through whom all authority in Heaven and earth has been given, reigns and rules on the earth.

The main activity immediately coupled with Jesus' first mention of the Church is authority to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth through the activity of prayer, "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven" (Matthew 16:19).

The Church is the vehicle through which God advances His Kingdom. Prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel are the means by which we will prevail. "Now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:10).

What we see on Pentecost is the glory and presence of God through the Holy Spirit, and the context in which He appears is in the corporate gathering of the Church, watching and praying in one accord. The Church born under the heel of a pagan society, opposed by the might of the Roman Empire, and powerless in its own right, this small band of 120, began to vibrate with the power and glory of the Kingdom and turned the kingdoms of the world upside down in a matter of generations. They accomplished this through corporate watching together in prayer.

In the early Church the power of the corporate Body watching and praying in one accord was the key to the release of what we define as the apostolic ministry: preaching the Gospel with signs, wonders and miracles.

We find that many people want to be part of an apostolic church. They say, "We are apostolic." And yet, they don't give much attention to the Scriptures such as the ones in which Paul the apostle (who is a type of an apostolic church) wrote: "I proved myself with fastings often, in watchings often" (see 2 Corinthians 11:26-28). People don't want to know the part of the apostolic package that involves fasting and watching. Of course, when Paul talks about watchings, it is in the context of watching and praying.

Part of the apostolic release of the end-time Church, we believe, will be a grace for watching in prayer. Signs and wonders and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are there for us, but they come in the context of the preached word and standing in intercession for our families, our churches, our cities. We must learn to be watchmen. God calls the people of the Church to become watchmen on the walls and the more corporate we become, the better it is. There is more power in corporate watching and praying.

We find an extraordinary example of this in the story of Peter's miraculous release from prison in Acts 12: "Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the Church" (Acts 12:5). Peter's plight was dire, but notice that he was not praying—he was sleeping. It was the Spirit-filled Church that had the mission, through prayer and prayer alone, to rescue him from this perilous situation. They understood that they had access to a Kingdom authority that was greater than any held by the earthly and spiritual rulers of that age.

The Church engaged in constant, watching prayer. They were a picture of apostolic prayer: fervent, continuous, unswayed by circumstances or disappointments, prevailing until the victory is won.

Apostolic Prayer will Move Heaven and Earth, Releasing Angels to Hearken to His Word

They did not pray a few hours one day, but a long time. It says they offered "constant prayer." By the time of Peter's rescue, they may have been engaged for several if not many days of prayer already. Even in the middle of the night, there were some who were gathered together in watching prayer for Peter's life. After days and nights of constant prayer, suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and the prison cell was filled with a bright light. Apostolic prayer will move Heaven and earth, releasing angels to hearken to His Word.

The angel, who had just come from the very presence of God, carried the Shekinah glory of that presence when he came. This glory-light is equation-changing. We've seen it and experienced it. It's alive. It comes from the Presence, from Heaven. And it changes the equations on earth when it arrives. When we pray, "Your Kingdom come," we are inviting Heaven's light to shine into the darkness.

Deliverance comes in the glory light. The angel struck Peter to wake him up, and his chains fell off. In the same way, our corporate, fervent prayers will loose chains of iniquity, injustice, darkness, and oppression and release captives to freedom. The account also gives us a picture of the power of prayer to loose the Church to her destiny, a Church bound by religion, humanism, and principalities of this age; chained between soldiers, imprisoned by iron gates, but set free by prayer.

Peter was led by the angel through the gates and past the guard posts. The city gate opened of its own accord. Jesus, you will remember, said that He was going to build His Church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it (see Matthew 16:17). No matter what the enemy has thrown at you, no matter what gates of iron may seem to block your path, this is the promise to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Corporate watching prayer is God's awesome secret weapon. Personal devotion, personal praise and prayer are powerful, but the corporate Body harmonizing in prayer and apostolic intercession releases authority to see cities taken overnight. I believe the end-time believing Church is on a rescue operation for millions of souls. We are on a rescue operation for our nation to come into revival. We are on a rescue operation for all the members of our family to be saved. We are on a rescue operation to see signs and wonders and the greater works restored to His Church, to confirm the Gospel message.

"What I Say to You, I Say to All: Watch!" Mark 13:37

Jesus went, "as was His custom," up to the mountain to pray during the night watches (see Luke 22:39). Apparently, He usually would take with Him two or three of His watchmen friends, most often James, John, and Peter. Watching was commanded by God in keeping with the observance of Passover. That is where the spiritual concept originates. Jesus kept this observance as a regular way of prayer. It was this kind of prayer, prayer to effect salvation for the world, which caught the imagination of Jesus' closest friends.

As they watched His style they said, "Teach us." We are learning from the Master, who told us to keep vigil with Him. We are taking back the night. We are reclaiming the territory formerly possessed by the early Church, prevailing in corporate prayer. While the world sleeps, the watchmen are awake, routing the enemy, delivering the captives, and taking away the spoils of his kingdom.

"Your Kingdom come," the prayer of the apostolic Church, is a corporate expression. Individually and corporately we stretch ourselves out in prayer in a posture of expectation until Christ comes. We will fulfill what Jesus asked when He said in the Gospels, "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" (Mark 13:37).

The final amen to all Christian praying from the days of those first apostles onward is the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. All Christian prayer prevails in the expectation of His appearing. We are praying toward the consummation of His will, which is His Kingdom established and a new Heaven, a new earth, filled with His new creation.

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda
Mahesh Chavda Ministries
Email: info@maheshchavda.com
Website: www.maheshchavda.com

About Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda: Drs. Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda have served together in full time ministry for over thirty years, reaching the nations with the Gospel accompanied by signs and wonders. Hundreds of thousands have come to salvation and thousands have received healing from critical diseases like AIDS and cancer through their ministry. Many of these miracles have been medically documented, including healings of Stage IV cancer, the lame, deaf and blind as well as the resurrection from the dead of a six-year-old boy. Through the The Watch television program produced by Mahesh Chavda Ministries, Mahesh and Bonnie reach a potential audience of a billion households every week with the saving message of Jesus and are equipping Believers to walk in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Translated into Arabic and Farsi, The Watch is broadcast to 300 million households across the Middle East, and making a deep impact on nations within this critical region of the 10/40 window.

In addition, Mahesh and Bonnie have produced many useful tools for Believers including their books, Only Love Can Make a Miracle, The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting, The Hidden Power of a Woman, Storm Warrior and their latest book, The Hidden Power of Watching and Praying. Together, the Chavdas pastor All Nations Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. They also spearhead a global prayer movement, The Watch of the Lord™, where they have been leading their congregation in weekly corporate prayer for more than a decade.

Divine Love Transforms!

Craig Kinsley:

"The Bait"

Recently, I awoke from a dream which I knew had serious meaning both for myself and, in a larger sense, the Body of Christ. I have been in a heightened prophetic season as of late and I believe God is giving both me and our team fresh outlook on life and ministry. In the ministry of reformation, I'm finding that at times God challenges my life and thought processes without giving me a definitive answer to the question that He poses. This dream was just that sort of situation.

Without going into every detail of the dream, I will give you the highlights, and then the core, of the message. Myself and many other people I know, including my wife, died. We found ourselves in what seemed to be a large lodge on the edge of a large river. One by one each person was interviewed by a group of heavenly beings that took the form of three or four women. After the interview process, the people were placed onto a boat which took small groups to Heaven. For a long while I stood on a dock by the river and watched as one group after another disembarked down the channel. Soon, I realized that I was the only person left and began to wonder if there was a problem. As soon as I thought this, the heavenly beings were standing next to me. They said that it was my time to be interviewed, but that it wasn't my time to go.

As I walked into the room where I was to be interviewed, I had an intense feeling that what was about to happen had serious and eternal significance. I sat in a chair across from a desk which one of the beings sat behind. She posed one question to me, and only one: "Just what kind of bait were you all fishing with?" As soon as the question was posed, I awoke. It took me a few minutes to gather myself and to fully come out of the experience.

As I pondered the dream, it didn't take long to grasp the core of the message. The general feeling of the dream was that God was speaking a message to me with consequences that dealt with people's eternal salvation. This wasn't something to be taken lightly. The question was simple, the answer is not. We are called as fishers of men (see Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). The question posed is, What exactly are we using to attract people to our message?

I believe the idea of evangelism is one of the major areas of our lives, churches and ministries that God is calling us to reform. If we will have ears to hear, I believe God is guiding us to question both our thought processes toward reaching those outside of His Kingdom and the actual processes that we put into action.

"Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner"

I am not a fan of clichés, especially within the Church. My reason being that when a word of wisdom becomes too commonplace, it loses its power and is no longer actually considered.

The old adage, "Hate the sin, not the sinner," is a true word but has lost its power, and it is not widely understood nor practiced by a large majority of Christians. We have lost our compassion and love for those without Christ and have replaced these with a disdain and disgust for those in the world. We call this "standing for righteousness." I believe one of the keys to Jesus' effectiveness at changing the hearts of men from the world to the Kingdom, was His ability to not look at people where they are, but to look at them in the sense of where they could be. He called people out of their sin, but not simply by condemning their sin; rather, by giving them the gift of hope in something greater.

The main message that Jesus spoke of was, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." This phrase has become synonymous with evangelism, as I believe it should, but how can we truly use the message of Christ in preaching the Gospel without a true understanding of Jesus' heart behind the message?

The word repent has become a word that brings connotations of weeping, guilt and, at times, pain. In actuality, true repentance has nothing to do with pain, guilt or sadness. In reality, the message of repentance has its foundation in the hope of the Kingdom of Heaven being available. You see, Jesus never condemned the people, but rather gave them something better. Changing from one way of life and one thought process, which is what true repentance is, doesn't come by simply realizing that your current way of life is bad, but rather by the reality of a better way. "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." That is the central theme of Jesus' message. That message is what actually causes repentance.

In our quest to condemn sin, we have actually begun to condemn the people that are caught in the traps of sin. We place the focus of our message on how bad sin is, rather than on how amazing Jesus is. Before I knew Jesus, I was living in the depths of the world's system and in a drug culture. I knew what I was doing was wrong. Between my past in religion and the ingrained human knowledge of morality, I knew that the life I was living wasn't the best that my life could be. The problem was that I had tried religion; I had tried to do all of the right things, but that didn't change me. What finally changed me was the reality that something better existed. That God had ordained a destiny for my life, a destiny that had eternal significance. And the knowledge that the Kingdom of Heaven was a living reality available to me...that is what changed me.

The world is looking for hope. Our current president was elected on this message. People understand that the current state of things is hopeless. They are looking for change. Between war, famine, disease, economic struggles, there isn't much to believe in. We have the answer. The grace and love of Jesus Christ is the greatest message of hope in all of eternity. Our message should be a message of hope, and leave the conviction to the Holy Spirit.

What are We Standing For?

A few weeks ago I was part of a summit involving Christian leaders from every facet of entertainment, government, education and many different denominations. We gathered to discuss the current crisis facing Christianity in America and to gather a strategy to continue to move forward the message of Christ throughout society. One of the truths that I realized as I sat through a few days of deliberation, was that we as Christians are much more known for what we are against, rather than what we are for. There is much talk within the Church about standing stronger than ever against immorality, but there isn't much talk about standing for anything.

The world knows that we believe homosexuality is wrong. And the majority of people know that the majority of Christians believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Now is not the time to stand stronger against homosexuality, now is the time to begin to let the world know why we do. Is it simply because the Bible says so? Or could there be a better way?

I believe if we begin to stand for what Jesus stood for, more and more people would be attracted to our cause. Jesus' message of love and grace is sufficient. This message is what causes those in sin to leave their current life and to embrace a new life in Christ. For the most part, those outside redemption do not know that the core of our message is love and grace. Why? Maybe because it hasn't been the core of our message.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Grace?

Some people would say, "Craig, aren't you afraid that a simple message of love and grace would cause people to be more open to sin?" This is a widespread concern for some. I understand the concern and I am not a proponent of sin; in fact, just the opposite. My belief is that the more love we acquire, the less sin we will desire. *No rhyming intended.

What changed the woman caught in adultery recorded in John, Chapter 8? I believe this is one of the greatest stories of love and grace found in the Gospels. The Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus. This woman was caught in the act of adultery. There was no question that she had committed the sin in dispute. The law of the day was that this woman should be stoned. This, in the eyes of everyone present, is what should happen. Jesus stooped down to the dirt and began writing on the ground. He then posed a question to all of her accusers and condemners that had gathered: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first" (John 8:7).

Soon all of her accusers were convicted of their own sin and left. Jesus was left alone with her. He then poses a question to the woman, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" The woman replies, "No one, Lord." To this Jesus responds, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." No committee needed. No discussion of what should be done. No process of healing needed. Only one thing was needed: pure and undiluted love and grace. Jesus didn't send the woman out to sin again, rather the love that He showed changed the woman.

Was this too much grace? Did Jesus allow her to "get away" with her sin? Should something more have been done? You see, the love of God is so beyond our human understanding that we feel the need to insert something "more" into the process. Divine love changes people. Condemnation does not. That day the woman found hope. In her search for fulfillment and pleasure she fell into sin. In the very moment the religious system wanted to condemn her, Jesus saw an opportunity to show her the love of the Father. That is evangelism.

After Jesus' instruction to the woman, He addresses the religious leaders that were gathered to Him and says, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." For the most part, our mindset says, "If you don't walk in darkness, then you can follow Jesus." The truth is that encountering the love of Jesus causes you to not walk in darkness. Follow Him and you will not follow darkness. Show people love and the darkness ceases to have power.

Jesus: Was He a Minister to Sinners? Or a Friend of Sinners?

Part of the reformation that is coming to the Church has already begun. I believe the message that calls us to get outside of our buildings and reach people is a needed message. We weren't called to gather people to our buildings, but rather to go out and be light in the world. I applaud this growing message in the Church, but I want to challenge you to take it a step further.

Over the years I have been challenged more and more about Jesus' life in and around those outside of redemption. Lately, what has been especially challenging to me, is the name given to Jesus, "Friend of sinners." While I was pondering this picture of Jesus recently, the Lord said to me, "Craig, was I called a minister to sinners? Or a friend of sinners?" God always seems to ask me questions in order to cause me to think. I thought to myself that I have ministered to those trapped in sin on many occasions, but can I honestly say that sinners are my friends?

In our righteous quest for holiness, it seems that we have forsaken being a friend of sinners, in favor of simply seeing our time with them as a ministry opportunity. We are scared to associate with these people for fear of seeing it as condoning their lifestyle. Jesus' life of love was evident at all times. Whether He was speaking directly about the Kingdom or simply displaying the Kingdom through the Spirit that was upon His life, He was both a friend and a minister, at all times. I believe we are missing a large part of the evangelistic call, which is the call to friendship.

View Through the Eyes of Friendship

As I have sought to understand more and more how Jesus was able to so love us when we were so filthy, I believe I have grasped a key to His heart. I was taught this through the calling of Peter. Peter was a guy that I so relate to. He wasn't perfect by any means, but through the love and grace of God He was able to change the world. As Peter was fishing one day, Jesus came walking by. He simply said, "Follow Me." This wasn't Peter's first encounter with Jesus; his brother Andrew had taken Peter to Jesus prior to this in John 1:42— although this time Jesus called him not just to be near Him, but to be a part of His life in an intimate way.

What would cause Peter to drop his entire life and follow this Man? I believe the key is found in the way Jesus saw Peter. Peter was a fisherman. Not a pillar of society by any means. If you've ever been to a fishing wharf, it's not the most godly place on earth. Peter was probably not the most godly man on earth, but Jesus was able to see past that. Jesus didn't see Peter according to his present circumstances, but saw him according to who he was created to be.

It is hard to see the eternal potential created within someone when we become aware of their faults. We even seem to label people according to their sin instead of according to God's design for them. Once we see a person's or a people's sin, we immediately link them to that sin. For instance, we call people trapped in drug addiction, drug addicts. We call people trapped in homosexuality, homosexuals. At times we even call people trapped in religion, Pharisees. Once we have labeled someone by their sin, it is hard to see them any other way. What caused Peter to follow Jesus so quickly could be Jesus' willingness to look past Peter's faults and into his heart. Jesus continually called Peter to a high calling. He drew him to His heart and did not let Peter's faults, even when Peter denied their relationship, disqualify him from that high calling.

We should pray that God would give us the eyes of Christ, that we would be able to see the lost through their eternal destiny. Only then will we be able to effectively call them out of darkness by showing them the light.

Signs and Wonders Show the Love of the Father

As we begin to talk more and more about relationships with the lost and seeking to love, somehow it gets separated from the power of God. Miracles, signs and wonders are a vital part of demonstrating the Kingdom of God and showing people the reality of His love. We need to understand that Jesus had one life. His life as a friend was at the same time the life of a healer. His life as a teacher was also a life of a miracle worker. He didn't switch gears in order to do ministry, it all went hand in hand.

Jesus taught of the necessity of signs and wonders in this often misunderstood passage concerning a nobleman and his sick son: "When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe'" (John 4:47-48). Out of context, it seems that Jesus is rebuking the man for coming to Him for healing on behalf of his son. If we look at this in context of the nature of Christ, we know that Jesus desires that we would come to Him. His gentle rebuke was not on the sign and wonder, but on not believing unless one can actually see it. You see, Jesus did perform the sign, but not in the pomp and circumstance that was expected. The man wanted Jesus to actually come to his house to perform the miracle. He didn't understand that all Jesus had to do was speak the word and it was done. Jesus simply said, "Go your way; your son lives."

Jesus actually said that the works He does, the signs and wonders, are what point to Him as the Son of God (see John 10). The supernatural works of God cannot be separated from our establishment of God's Kingdom on the earth. If we are to accurately point people to the Father, we have to not simply tell them about the Father, but show them the Father.

The signs and wonders themselves are not where a problem arises. The problem arises when the motivation for the supernatural becomes the building of ministry or the building of self rather than love. I cannot say it enough. Love is our foundation. Without it, none of this exists. The pursuit of love is the now word of the Lord. We have pursued the supernatural and rightly so, but why? Some have rebuked me for preaching a message that promotes the pursuit of the miraculous. I say that I am guilty as charged, but I also preach first and foremost the pursuit of love. Love mixed with power will change the world. Power absent of love will promote your own kingdom. Paul said, "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). The gifts are needed, as long as the pursuit of love is the foundation.

The Bait

So, back to the question at hand: What bait are we using? What is or is not drawing people to our message of salvation? What bait should we be using? The answer is both quite simple and yet eternally complicated. Love is the answer. Not a manmade love, but divine love. A love that should be pursued because it is not natural. A love that Jesus displayed in such a way that the hardest of hearts could be turned to Him. A love that was demonstrated through a variety of miracles, signs and wonders. A love that broke the chains of sin and gave food to the hungry. A love that looked past natural circumstances and excavated the divine purpose buried deep within the human heart. Simply showing someone their sin doesn't change them. Showing them the way of love and life will change the world.

Craig Kinsley
Awake International

Email: info@awake.org
Website: www.awake.org

About Craig Kinsley: Craig Kinsley can best be described as a reformer. His desire and passion to demonstrate and proclaim the reality of who Jesus really is comes through in every word he speaks. You will not find the "norm" with Craig, but rather someone who is constantly at war with the status-quo. In his own words, "My calling is to free the world from the enslavement of religious lies, proclaim a message of love and to raise up others to do the same." As is available to every Jesus follower, signs and wonders seem to follow him wherever he goes.

Elisha Rising!

Denny Cline:

"Elisha Rising—What Do You Have that the Next Generation Needs?"

Remember the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? What an amazing encounter and kingdom confrontation. It was clearly one of Elijah's most memorable feats and what many see as the high point of his ministry. Yet, when John the Baptist comes on the scene as a forerunner to the ministry of Jesus, he was said to have come in the spirit of Elijah. What was the purpose? It was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. This turning was seen as essential to the release of the ministry of Jesus Christ who would both teach and demonstrate the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

After his great victory at Mount Carmel, Elijah experienced a demonic attack, sending him running in fear and despair to a cave with a death threat over his life. In his state of mind, Elijah felt alone, finished and hopeless. But God finally opened his heart to see that the most important influence he would have was yet to come. Elijah would then go on to form four schools of the prophets, and in particular, mentor a young man named Elisha. I believe this story represents something very important for the Church—the Body of Christ today. Jesus is leading many sons and daughters to glory as it says in Hebrews 2:10, and He is doing it in partnership with fathers and mothers in the faith who have been experiencing the glory of God in this present generation.

The Ministry of Elijah and the Ministry of Elisha

More was accomplished by Elijah pouring into the next generation than his own personal ministry exploits had recorded. So too, will more be accomplished by fathers and mothers in the Church by pouring into the next generation—helping them step into their calling with wisdom, support, and loving relationships to fall back on.

In this day and age of so much "fatherlessness" it is ever so crucial for the Church not to mirror our modern-day culture in this regard. So, here are some questions we must ask:

• What are some of the things we can do to help young leaders emerge and succeed?

• Is the Body of Christ aware of how many young leaders are already stepping into their callings with a great deal to offer now—not just in the future?

• Are we ready to put our money and time where we say our hearts are?

• Do we realize what a double portion really represents?

Although both Elijah and Elisha worked signs and wonders, Elisha was more prolific. Further, Jehu, a spiritual son of Elijah's ministry, brought down Jezebel—something Elijah was unable to do on his own. By the time Elisha came on the scene many other prophets were rising up into their callings—unlike Elijah, who was recorded as feeling all alone (although, in fact, he wasn't), showing us just how few relationships there were between Elijah and his contemporaries.

This was not so by the time Elisha received the mantle of Elijah and began to move in power and influence in the nation. Elisha was the most prominent of the spiritual sons of Elijah, and we notice that when Elijah was taken up, Elisha and many of the other prophets who received mentoring in Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan seemed to know each other. Elisha was clearly respected and already recognized as a leader in his generation—moving quickly into a ministry which carried double the miraculous power of Elijah.

I would liken the ministry of Elijah to that of John the Baptist, and the ministry of Elisha to that of Jesus. And it is the ministry of Jesus that we are really after—isn't it? There will always be a need for the forerunner ministry to call people to the next level. But as much as we love, thank God for, and honor the ministries of the saints of the past, we need to reach for the ministry of Jesus in His Body—in the fullness of redemptive character and power today. The entire earth is groaning in anticipation to see this type of ministry in the sons and daughters of God.

We can talk all about the next generation and tell them what they should become until we are blue in the face, but unless we commit ourselves to them and the cause that faces them today (not in the future), they will continue to be held back—or like many of us, try it alone. It's a long, lonely journey without fathers and mothers in the Church who really love and are committed to help you rise up into your calling. I am not suggesting this is not going on now to some degree, but I do believe it is certainly a now priority.

Tell the Youth "Elijah has Come"

I had a spiritual encounter in Germany while doing a conference with Steve Shultz for the first German ElijahList Ministries conference in 2005. My wife Ann and I were resting between sessions on Saturday afternoon. She was reading and I was soaking to worship music in our little room. Suddenly I sat straight up in bed thinking I had just awakened, and said, "Why did you wake me up?" Ann's response was, "I didn't wake you up." And then suddenly the vision I was in came right back at and into me. In the vision a man walked up to me and said, "Tell the youth, 'Elijah has come!'" It exploded in my spirit, awakening something within me.

I had no idea what this could mean at the time and asked Stacey Campbell that afternoon. She said, "Well, the Bible indicates he has come, and he will come. But I am not sure either." Over the next couple of years I watched young men and women intentionally looking and asking for mentoring—father and mother-type relationships in the Body of Christ. They want what Elisha had—relationship with those who have experience in their calling to help them step up and into theirs. They honor and want the experience of mothers and fathers.

They also want to go further than we have gone—but not without a safety net. It's amazing to me the quality and heart of these young leaders—not just their giftedness, which is also incredible. One of the saddest messages I ever saw was on the back of an RV. It said, "We are Spending our Kid's Inheritance!" How heartbreaking and unbiblical. Parents are to lay up for their children—not the other way around.

Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

My prayer for this year and the next few years is this: I pray that fathers and mothers will recognize the emerging leaders in the Body of Christ and reach out to them like Elijah did to Elisha.

Elijah made a commitment to help Elisha rise up into his calling, and Elisha stuck close to Elijah for as long as he could—serving, gleaning, and ministering alongside of him—and then received a double portion. It's time for the next generation to rise up and begin to step into their inheritance. If we do it right, perhaps they will do the same for the next generation. Sadly, Elisha did not. The result was his anointing went to the grave with him instead of being imparted to the next generation. Each generation has its own particular calling and anointing—but the next one needs what the former has.

What do you have that the next generation needs? Is it wisdom in business, a prophetic mantle, gifts of worship or a deep understanding of the Kingdom, etc.? Whatever it is, give it away and insure that it will multiply until we see the fullness of Jesus in His Body.

Denny Cline, Senior Leader
Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Albany
Email: denny@vcfalbany.org
Website: www.vcfalbany.org

Denny Cline and his wife, Ann, have pastored in Oregon for 20 years. With a team of 27 adults, they planted the Albany Vineyard in 1994, where Denny continues to serve as senior pastor. They have been privileged to experience several awesome visitations of the Holy Spirit, impacting youth and adults alike with healing, salvation, and deliverance.

Denny is known and loved for his simple, compassionate, and yet extravagant approach to Kingdom life. A notorious "God-chaser," he has also led the Albany Vineyard in a bold direction that has birthed many developing ministries and produced a rich harvest of fathers, mothers and children filled with the zeal of the Lord.