3rd Wave Prophets will need to call forth Apostles to usher us more fully into the 4th wave. We need some pioneering apostles who can restore the 5 fold ministry by bringing the teaching and the structure that will be able to sustain the next revival.
Most groups and ministries using the word apostolic, 5-fold, or even “4th wave” trace back to Peter Wagner, in some way it seems. C. Peter Wagner was a professor of church growth who concluded that Pentecostal churches grow the fastest. He followed and studied Vineyard’s Apostle, John Wimber. He analyzed what the growing churches had in common. Then he labeled this set of characteristics as the evidence of the “New Apostolic Reformation”.
He called out common culture, style, feel, even liturgy. The extra biblical writings attributed to the Apostles similarly dealt with:
1. Doctrine
2. Practice
a. Liturgy – Collective worship/application
b. Halaka – Individual application
Wagner primarily dealt with doctrine in so far as to notice that the Pentecostal and Charismatic style leads to more church growth. 2a - the implications of doctrine for an individual’s life and practice were never touched, as far as I know, by him, at all, or in terms of laying the foundation of the apostles teaching.
I thank Wagner (and the Latter Rain Prophets before him who prepared the way) for the openness I feel in the body of Christ to the following general tenets:
Wagner retired in 2011. He caught the bride’s attention from the church growth or “revival” angle. With this open ear, he gently led leaders to be open to apostolic issues. In this way, he laid a foundation for an even more biblical and pragmatic discussion of how younger leaders will pick up the torch.
Like apostle Peter in the Bible, C. Peter Wagner ministers largely to the body of Christ. These apostles tread lightly on tradition for the sake of unity, unlike pioneers who can lay whatever foundation they choose from ground zero.
One way to introduce apostolic issues to traditional Christian leaders is to challenge them to find in scripture an apostolic model that meets the following criteria:
Leadership Development Model:
This gives context to introduce an appropriate cell model like g12.
The G12 Cell Church model answers previously un-addressed foundational issues around structure, but the other key ingredient is content. Form without a message is not true apostolic form.
The word apostle means messenger. The message also predominates and guides the form. For example, our message manifests in these new forms:
1. Seek the giver more than his gifts.
2. Signs and wonders follow us. We do not follow them.
Consequently, here are some forms of 3rd wave worship to be outmoded as apostles organize us into the 4th wave:
When Charismatic believers pray, study the Bible, and fellowship together, outside of a unified doctrinal or theological context this happens:
I call this the “
Many Western churches would lose most of their membership if they even began to teach the milk of God’s word. Many churches have been without salt for so long that there are religious rules in place to prevent it from being used. One such rule is “if it doesn’t feel good, it’s bad”. There is no place for a Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. No repentance means no growth. No growth equals eventual death. Thusly, the dying religious monster cries out for “revival” in its attempt to articulate its constant need for spiritual CPR, due to its internally flawed (non-apostolic) structure and teaching.
What will break this viscous cycle? The restoration of the Apostolic office will. These new apostles will be known by their fruit. They will restore the 5 fold ministry by bringing the teaching and the structure that will be able to sustain revival. Who will restore the apostolic office? The Prophets, of course. They have been around in the third wave movement for a while now, and many have offices from which to do this.
Chad Dedmon reported to on 6/26/2011 that an angel appeared
to him. His wife also saw the
angel. The revelation he received from
this messenger angel when the angel opened his hand was Eph 2:22, and Rev
22:2.
Eph 2 (KJV) 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Revelation 22 (KJV)
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Ezekiel 47 9And it shall come to pass, that every
thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall
live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters
shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live
whither the river cometh. 10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi
even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place
to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the
fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11But the miry places thereof and the
marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 12And by the river upon the bank thereof,
on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall
the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his
months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the
fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf
thereof for medicine.
This habitation bears monthly fruit locally (Rev 22), and the leaves on the tree are for the healing of the nations. The vision and mission is to make disciples of all nations, saving, delivering, and healing them. These are the leaves. The focus is not on ourselves or local growth, but that is exactly why we bear fruit.
Luke 10:2
Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
This article includes a chronology and characteristics of
the 4th wave as well as that of the 3 waves before it.
http://firescribbler.blogspot.com/2009/10/fourth-wave-prophetic-ministry-in-light.html
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