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Apostolic Revolution - Strategic Keys - Part 1

by Todd Bentley

 

 

Apostolic Centers

God is not just planting churches, He is planting apostolic centers! During the last few

years of ministry I’ve been in numerous cities and regions where the Holy Spirit said,

 

"Todd, I want you to prophecy about the emerging apostolic centers and what

they look like." In this strategic hour, a call is going out to many believers to take

their place in this sphere. You, yes, you, may be led by the Holy Spirit to join with

others, corporately, to focus on facilitating this whole new thing that the Holy Spirit is

wanting to do in the Body of Christ today. A center may well be located in your city or

region, or in your nation! I’ll speak briefly, once again, about apostolic centers under

"New Government, New Structure" towards the end of Part 2.

 

 

The Apostolic

 

I must ask this burning question, "Are you aware that we are in a move of God?" I

think it’s surprising, the number of believers today, who are still waiting for this move

to begin. Listen! I am making an announcement: "We are in one. It’s still coming, but

we are in it."

 

I’m seeing it like the crest of this next wave-tsunami wave. The healing and the

prayer movements are in this wave, but it’s bigger than this. What’s happening today

in evangelism and the great harvest doesn’t complete the picture either! I believe

these three major moves of God (healing, prayer movement, evangelism/harvest) will

come together and constitute one, global move.

 

 

Definition of an Apostle

 

An apostle is the missionary who first plants the Christian faith in any part of the

world and one who initiates any great moral reform, or who advocates any important

belief. An apostle must be chosen and appointed by God. There are God-made

apostles, but unfortunately, there are man-made apostles, too. We need God-made

apostles who are prepared, anointed, authorized and sent by Him. Therefore, an

apostle must never be appointed by any man or college, institution or church that

might want to do so based solely on their own initiative, separate from the direction of

the Holy Spirit; and an apostle must not be self-appointed.

 

God is restoring apostles in the church today, but I would like to pause and bring a

word of caution. Those who say "I am an apostle" are the ones that we need to be

careful of. Usually the ones that really are apostles don’t say anything about who

they are. The anointing speaks for itself. And when the anointing is there-that’s it!

 

In addition, it is my belief that to even qualify to use the name "apostle," every person

who has an apostolic network should be moving in some kind of miracles, signs and

wonders and mighty deeds.

 

 

Apostolic Anointing and Authority

I want to share with you, nine true signs of what qualified genuine apostolic anointing

and authority looks like:

 

1) Separation

Believers are instructed by God to abandon themselves to a lifestyle of consecration;

those who will be totally separated to His purpose and call. Consecration demands a

 

high commitment to holiness and true apostles will reflect this way of life. "Paul a

bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of

God" (Romans 1: 1).

 

2) Fathering

 

True apostolic anointing is like being a loving father and is reproductive, producing

mature sons and daughters. . "For though you might have ten thousand

instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathersŠ" (1 Corinthians 4:15).

 

3) Team Counsel

 

An apostle has a team spirit and gathers with other apostles and elders for counsel at

prophetic round tables in various cities, regions and nations. Apostles maintain an

attitude that welcomes the wisdom of other apostles from different spheres and

locations. "Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter"

(Acts 15:6).

 

4) Signs, Wonders and Perseverance

 

Many who walk in a true apostolic anointing can even raise the dead! (This is the

most spectacular sign and wonder.) Here’s what Paul said, "Truly the signs of an

apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and

wonders and mighty deeds" (2 Corinthians 12:12). Notably, true apostles never

give up easily; they persevere in signs, wonders and mighty deeds, not getting

disappointed and discouraged. They just keep going. If they pray for one thousand

and nobody is healed, then they pray for another thousand. Perseverance!

 

 

5) Humility

 

An apostle walks in humility; Paul models humility: "Let nothing be done through

selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others

better than himself" (Philippians 2: 3). He also said, "For I am the least of the

apostles who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the

church of God" (1 Corinthians 15: 9).

 

6) Servanthood

"Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11: 1). That’s a pretty big

 

statement for Paul to
make. I’ve been really challenged by that verse. Paul was telling the
Corinthians to follow Christ in everything they did; they were to

imitate him in living solely for the glory of God. He urged the Corinthians to have

servant’s hearts: "Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the

church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own

profit, but the profit of many that they may be saved" (1 Corinthians 10:32,33)

The passion of Paul’s life was to serve Christ and to serve others-that humble

commitment of love is a mark of the apostolic anointing. An attitude of servanthood

always seeks "the profit of many that they may be saved."

 

 

7) True Revelatory Gifting

This is such a significant gifting and true apostles receive the anointing to preach the

gospel through the revelation of Jesus Christ just like Paul did.

 

"But I make known to you, brethren that the gospel which was preached by me

is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it,

but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1: 11, 12).

 

Remember, for quite some time Paul was persecuting the church of God and he

wasn’t one of the 12 disciples. So in effect, Paul is saying something like this: I didn’t

get what I got the way you got it! I wasn’t with Jesus like you and hanging out with the

apostles. I haven’t even been with the apostles. I got it in the wilderness. I was

hanging out for months in the Arabian desert and for months, by revelation, by

visions and dreams and angels -who knows how it came? I got what I got! Also, Paul

emphasized that he saw the Lord just like all the other apostles did. "Then last of all

He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time" (1 Corinthians 15:8).

True apostles, most of the time, possess a strong anointing that is revelatory and

prophetic. They can actually change their "apostolic hat" to the "prophetic hat," but

also step out into ministry with both hats, and like Paul, shake entire cities and plant

churches with signs and wonders.

An accurate revelatory gifting will accompany a true apostle. There is a frequency of

heightened supernatural experiences that come with the apostolic. Apostles have

visions and dreams, receive the word of the Lord and they experience open heavens.

 

 

 

 

Character

 

God wants to raise up apostles with impeccable character who can be completely

trusted. His strategic assignments often involve life and death issues that can affect

multitudes of people. So, God is always examining an apostle’s character. But God

doesn’t just do character checks, He has a plan to build character. This plan is often

an excruciating process. God repeatedly tests apostles, using trials and tribulations to

reveal their real level of character. Apostles-in-the-making willingly go through this

maturing process because they want to please the Lord and to fulfill His call on their

lives.

Not only do tribulations help build character, they also produce perseverance and

hope. The apostle Paul preached about this: "And not only that, but we also glory

in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and

perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint,

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit

who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).

 

9) Breaking Out

 

Like Paul, modern-day apostles pioneer into new territory; they don’t want to build on

anyone else’s foundation. They boldly enter dangerous places and they live to break

uncharted areas wide open with the gospel. Here is what Paul said, "And so I have

made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should

build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written: ‘To whom He was not

announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand’"

(Romans 15: 20,21). Apostles actually enjoy the adventure of new frontiers; their

hearts are set on a pilgrimage. Apostles, operating in their kingly authority, will

always "break out" into new territory and discover new ways of extending the

kingdom of God with power.