TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Sunday 12TH September 2021)
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 256TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS!
This is the day that the LORD has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it. Hallelujah!! The sun shines every morning without anyone’s prayer request. There are things God has set to minister help to mankind irrespective of spiritual economic or moral state. He deserves our thanks for all His wonderful deeds.
No matter what you woke up with this morning, giving God thanks for His marvelous deeds should not be an option. The Bible says in everything we should give Him thanks. It says that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. Meaning, it’s a judicial decree in
God’s kingdom that we give Him thanks all the time.
On our devotion today is one of the all times scriptural verses in the Bible. It is a scriptural text that has been ignored by our generation or even counterfeited where they seem not to ignore it.
As I look at it, I sense two words ringing in my spirit to share with us. Maybe because of my assignment.
The words are “Apostolic” and “Impact”. I have shared something about them before. If we add them together, we will have the phrase, “Apostolic impact”. The church as we call it today is full of scandals especially among those who are called church or spiritual leaders.
They argue that we should not be surprised with we find them in sexual immorality because they never claimed to be perfect or sinless. That is a very irresponsible statement from irresponsible leaders. That tells what the spiritual state of followers is. If there is anytime the church needs apostolic impact, it is now.
Apostolic impact is not by title but content. Sadly, we find a group of reckless evangelists by content who call themselves Bishops, parading themselves as apostles. If there were really apostles, then there would have been no scandals among them or irresponsible statements to defend themselves.
THESE ARE APOSTATES WHO CALL THEMSELVES APOSTLES, PROMOTING SIN IN THE LIVES OF CHURCH GOERS.
If they were apostles, the Church would have been without spots and wrinkles by now; she would have been a glorious church shutting down Babylon and neutralizing the mystery of iniquity.
There would have been a great apostolic impact in the lives of men and women.
Now, let us define the phrase “apostolic impact.” First of all, the word apostolic simple means anything that has to do with the early church or the 12 original apostles of the lamb. It also means “that which conforms to the teachings of the early Church, the early apostles or the New Testament.”
The word impact within context means “the force of impression of one thing on another.” It is simply a significant or major effect of something on another.
A true apostolic impact will conform us to the teachings of the early Church or the New Testament without divorcing us from the spirit and letters of the Old. It will form Christ in us and grant us capacity to live above sin, iniquity and trespass.
If we truly understand what authentic Apostolic Impact is, it will greatly help believers in knowing what is missing in the present crop of ministers or ministries. Because sometimes you look at your Church and sense something missing but do not know what it is. In other words, you cannot place a finger on it but you know something is missing.
If you also understand what true apostolic impact should be and you meet so called apostles, and have a feel of their ministries, you will quickly sense that something is missing. That brings us to the three types of apostles in scriptures.
You see, there are three types of apostles in scriptures. Meaning there are three types of apostolic impacts also.
In scriptures, we have the 12 original apostles of the lamb found in Acts 12:12-23. Then we have ascension apostles like Paul and, and then false apostles (exposed in 2 Corinthians 11). Which also present the original apostolic impact experienced by the early Church as the first form of apostolic impact.
THE SECOND FORM IS THE APOSTOLIC IMPACT OF THE ASCENSION APOSTLES LIKE PAUL, THAT SHAPED THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
The first apostolic impact brought a bit of Judaism into the Christian faith. That is why we have scriptures like the ones that speak about the use of Oil, after God replaced it with the Holy Spirit. God raised the second form of apostolic impact to extract Judaism from Christianity and neutralize the spirit of the antichrist wherever it is found.
Wherever the second form of apostolic impact is operational, sin, iniquity and trespass cannot thrive. Whatever is not aligned with God’s kingdom, power and glory will not stand. It is the power of the second form of apostolic impact that Satan fears hence raising a third kind of apostolic impact from false apostles.
You will never get a true apostolic impact by the hand of a false apostle. Present day apostles of Jesus Christ by content, are an extension of the ascension apostles of the crop of Paul. They are the agency of true apostolic impact today. Sadly, they are very few hence leaving the Church in the state that it is. But God is raising fresh apostles by content to deal with the scourge.
If you look at the spiritual landscape today, you see so many false apostles; folks who are “apostles by titles” and not “by content.” Many are just agents of sin and the devil. The Bible calls them apostates.
False apostles are the catalyst of apostasy, and it is important that we know What apostasy is.
Apostasy is a renunciation or departure from the faith. So many are renouncing the faith today and many others departing from it. We are referring to the faith that was once delivered to the saints.
The Bible says in the later days many will depart from (not deny) the faith; giving heed to seducing spirits.
THEY WILL NOT DENY, THEY WILL JUST DEPART FROM IT.
Meaning, they will still be preachers, church goers, choir members, prayers warriors and etc. but will not keep to the truth of the word. The will still call themselves believers but living like unbelievers. They will call themselves born again and live like lost sinners; drinking, committing adultery and fornication, and doing all the abominable.
There are prophetesses who are lesbians. There are prophets who are gays. There are preachers and church members who are thieves, lairs, criminal minded and all the dark things people do, who still parading themselves as born again. They have not denied the faith but have departed from it.
God’s cure for departure or renunciation of the faith is genuine apostolic impact. The Bible
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28
The ministry of an apostate does not make people deny the faith. It makes them depart from the faith.
That means, they will still be calling Jesus their LORD and savior but will never live the life of Holiness, Righteousness or purity. They will not be alive in Christ but dead in sin calling themselves saved. If you find preachers of believers living as described above, you have found people who have departed from the faith. And that is very dangerous.
Friend, there is a DANGEROUS DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH today. Yes, there is a dangerous departure from the faith that was once delivered to the saints because many now give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils in the name of obtaining deliverance or becoming successful.
When people depart from the faith, they give birth to false Christianity. False Christianity is a Christianity that is not in conformity with the teachings of the early Church or the New Testament.
A CHRISTIANITY THAT LACKS COMMITMENT TO A LIFE OF HOLINESS, AND ALL FORMS OF PURITY COMMANDED BY GOD IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
It is clear that people who cannot stand righteous rebukes and a challenge to lead holy lives, has a way of finding themselves on the broad way that leads to eternal damnation without even realizing it.
Today the dangerous departure (not denial) of the faith has created a Church generation that has become a house for all sort of unclean spirits like the sex goddess! We now believe sex before marriage is okay. But in the beginning, it was not so.
Lying demons now prophesy using the lips of so many people we call prophets and prophetesses. To many, telling lies is no longer sin but an act of diplomacy or maturity. We forget that maturity is having the boldness to tell the truth not the craftiness to walk in lies or the diplomacy to walk in deceit.
The doctrines of false Christianity have been deeply entrenched in the hearts of many today because of absence of the ministry of genuine apostles. People are not aware of what genuine Christianity is because there have not been many accurate interpreters of the divine mysteries of the faith in the Holy Scriptures.
We have too many preachers who use the Bible but do not preach the Bible.
For instance, today, because of what users of the Bible we call preachers have been spreading, when people are rebuked of their sins, they accuse those God may be using to do it of judging them. When they are convicted of sin under a strong apostolic message, they accuse the preacher of condemning them.
This is an expression of an eternally dangerous ignorance of what the faith that was once delivered to the saints look like.
I have said it again and again that a generation that calls rebuke “judgment” and conviction “condemnation” will never be unplugged from the grip of hell. That is why we need true apostolic impact back in Church.
CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT TRUE APOSTOLIC IMPACT WILL GIVE BIRTH TO APOSTASY OR A DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH.
We are seeing people in the Pentecostal and charismatic circles today departing from the teachings of the New Testament. Sound doctrines on Holiness, repentance, revival, a grace balanced with truth, the Holy Spirit, His holy word and etc. are now missing in the hearts of most present-day Churches. Except for few Assemblies of God’s people, there is no true move of the Spirit again.
If there is a time, we need a return of apostolic impact, it is today.
True apostolic impact will conform your life to the teachings of the New Testament and give you rest from the days of adversity. It will make you another Christ on the face of the earth!
True apostolic impact began by the hand of the 12 Original Apostles and continued by the hand of God’s ascension apostles. We need it back by the hands of present-day apostles. But I wonder if we will ever get it back?
The way the church is presently constituted, except there is a spiritual revolution, there will never be a return of true apostolic impact. However, the good news is that revolution has begun! That is why am always glad when I look at our new book, titled, “THE REVOLUTION.”
I believe strongly that there is someone reading this that has had many impacts in life but has not had apostolic impact. That is why his or her life is far from being fulfilled.
If apostolic impact is missing in your life, you will be unfruitful in your walk with God, leading to a disorderly Christian life, wrecked by persistent sin and powerlessness in the spirit. That is why every genuine apostolic touch delivers one from a life of sin, iniquity or trespass. It sets one’s life on fire for GOD.
ANOTHER GAZE INTO WHAT OUR DEVOTIONAL TEXT SAID!
Our devotional text says God placed first apostles in the Church, then other gifts and moves of the Spirit.
Why the apostles first? The reason is to put apostolic content in those gifts so that apostolic impact can be released through those gifts, thereby, producing a Christianity that is in conformity with the teachings of the New Testament, without divorcing the spirits and letter of the Old Testament.
As you pass through this day, make up your mind to start seeking apostolic impact in your Christian life If you do not have a Church making an apostolic impact in your life.
You can join us today in our “Revival Service” if apostolic impact is what you are looking for. I admonish you to come under apostolic and prophetic mentoring or fathering. It will give you rest from the days of adversity and deliver you from the horrors of the last days!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matt 24:11-14 NKJV