Author: newlifenarrabri

Apostolic Summit 2024. The Start

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

The 2024 Apostolic Summit kicked off at Peace Apostolic Church in Rockhampton this evening (Thursday May 30th).

As always, we drove up,starting out at 7 am and arriving after 6 pm. It is on these trips that you realise how big the country is. From Narrabri to Rockhampton,m the road distance is well over 880 km, but when you look on the map it is barely a blip on the continent.

Usually Tim drives the whole way and enjoys the road trip. Today, he wasn’t feeling too well, so I drove the last one third of the journey from Taroom.

We stopped for lunch at a place called Condamine. The flood markers for the highest floods of the Condamine River are shown on the obelisk. What is scary is that the normal river flow is about 10 metres below this point. They really know how to do floods here.

It was great to catch up with the Cooper family who have been on holidays for a couple of weeks. They have been touring Queensland and planned their holiday to be in Rockhampton for the Summit.

Evelyn was unusually shy for the photo.

It was a great meeting with good praise and a great message from Apostle John Alley. John is planning to go over the basics of the apostolic message over the course of the Summit.

Here are my notes from Session 1.

In the mid 90s people were writing about apostles but it was premature. There was a mixture of revelations with a lot of human speculation.

John realised at that time it was bigger than restoration of apostles. The Lord was going to restructure the church to become an apostolic church.


Lots of people calling themselves apostles, claiming the name but using human techniques of church growth and leadership etc.

The new paradigm is relational rather than institutional.

The Apostolic Summit started in 1996 to teach the latest knowledge about the Apostolic Revelation.

Apostles are being released for the purpose of raising the church to a new level of spiritual maturity and authority.

The work of salvation history is far bigger than we can imagine.

The effect of the Reformation is still being worked through. It is all building to something greater.

Apostles are a different order of ministry. They are not just the old style leaders under a different name.

It is not about a network but about relational connection.

Spiritual Authority

We all need an encounter with the Lord that changes us. Jacob had to wrestle the Lord. Elisha had to request and chase the power that was on Elijah. They knew the Lord but needed to get that extra power.

International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders

John was invited to join in 2003. He had reservations but felt he should do so for the purpose of relationships. He felt very uncomfortable in the meetings.

He discerned there was a spirit of control at the heart of it. Spirit of conformity- that is control with the volume turned down.

He resigned membership but felt his apostolic mojo came back. More energy, clarity of mind, return of authority.

Seven Essential Concepts of the Apostolic Message

  • Church Reformation is still under way.
  • Restoration of Apostles
  • Restoration of the Apostolic Nature of the Body of Christ
  • Restoration of Apostolic Covering for churches and ministries
  • There is one church in every place
  • Restoration of City Eldership
  • Father and Son Relationships

Reflection on Isaiah 65

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”

Observation

The Lord was ready to respond but no one called to Him. He said, “Here I am!” but they did not call on His name. He is waiting for His people, but they are burning incense to idols.

The Lord will destroy the wicked, but He will preserve those who are truly His servants. He will preserve a remnant to possess the land. He is creating a new heavens and a new earth. Jerusalem will be a place of joy. Babies will not die prematurely, and adults will live to a hundred.

The blessings will be so great that God will answer prayers before they even pray.

Application

We live under the new covenant that Isaiah looked towards. It is not yet fully consummated as the creation still needs to be reformed.

God’s blessings towards his people are enormous. We don’t think of God answering prayers before we ask or while we are talking about the needs. God sees our need before we do, and His heart is so favourable to us that He answers before we ask.

This chapter begins with God expressing anger because He is ready to respond, but they don’t ask. In the new covenant age, He is happy to answer before we ask.

This does not say that we do not need to pray or to seek the Lord. Prayer is meant to be relational not transactional. We don’t pray to get answers, but from a need to be close to the Lord.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the privilege of prayer. Thank you that you desire to communicate with me. Amen.

Quote for the Day

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

The Christian no longer lives of himself, by his own claims and his own justification, but by God’s claims and God’s justification. He lives wholly by God’s Word pronounced upon him, whether that Word declares him guilty or innocent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Reflection on Isaiah 64

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him.

Observation

Come down from heaven Lord and cause the mountains to shake and the nations to tremble. When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds.

Since the world began, no eye has seen nor ear heard of a God like this one, who works for those who wait on Him.

The Lord welcomes those who walk in His ways, but the people of Israel have not been like that. No one calls on the name of the Lord or asks for mercy.

Yet He is our father. After all the destruction that has happened, will He continue to be silent?

Application

The pagan idea of God, or gods, was that they were unpredictable and likely to cause great suffering unless people offered them sacrifices do mollify them.

But our God is different. He is so different in fact, that nobody has ever heard of anything like it. He does not demand our service; rather, He works for those who wait for him.

This is partnership, not servitude. We wait on God and listen. We make our requests to Him and we listen to His directions. We serve him, but He also works for us.

God is a Father not a distant king. He loves each one of us and is working out our lives so that we become all that we can be in Him.

We need to be careful that we do not start to think of God as our personal assistant, or worse still, as a vending machine of blessings and goodies. It is all about relationship – living and loving.

Prayer

Lord, you are my God. Thank you that you invite me to walk with you each day. Amen.