The Next Phase Of The Apostolic Restoration

Recently while Apostle Jim Becton was up visiting NJ for my Apostolic Commissioning, we were discussing where the Apostolic Restoration has been, and where it is going. Such great progress has been made since the Mid to Late 90’s to now in what many have called “The New Apostolic Reformation”. God has mightily used men like C. Peter Wagner, David Cannistraci, Jonas Clark, Bill Hamon, Hector Torres, John Eckhardt, Che Ahn and others.

The focus of this move of restoration was the restoration of the function, title and importance of the Office of the Apostle. The fact that it, like all of the other four Ascension Gift Ministries; were given UNTIL…Ephesians chapter 4. It focused largely on the fact that the Apostle was part of the Foundation of the Church (along with the Prophet) (Ephesians 2:20); and if the foundation be destroyed…what hope is there for the people of God (Psalm 11:3).

The final focus has been the understanding from 1 Corinthians 12:28 where the Greek uses the word PROTON for the English word First, where it says that God hath set in the church first Apostles. This word Proton carries several meanings including: First in time or place in any succession of things or people, and First in rank, influence or honor. Chief. Principal. This is where the Restoration of the Apostolic has been and where we have come to where most have a general understanding and acceptance.

It is important for us to understand that revelation and knowledge are progressive in nature…we don’t get it all at once. The Bible is clear line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little. But where is it going now? That as they say is the $64,000.00 question! This is where I believe we are currently on the cutting edge of what God is doing next in this Apostolic Restoration.

We are now progressing beyond the Revelation of the Apostolic that really began in the 90’s and shifting or evolving naturally supernaturally (or organically) into the Father/Son order. We have begun to grasp and get an understanding that the Previous Restoration of the Gift/Office of the Apostle has been missing this extremely important and key component. Many all over the Body of Christ are beginning to have Malachi 4: 5 & 6 come alive within them knowing that the hearts of the Fathers MUST be turned towards the Sons…so in turn the hearts of the Sons can be turned in response back to the Fathers.

In the previous generation there has been a great emphasis on building and establishing “My Ministry” with little or no thought for the Next Generation that is up and coming. Thank God this is changing in our day. There is a two-fold thrust of this New Apostolic Paradigm that is currently being revealed.

The first thrust of this New Apostolic Paradigm of the Father/Son Order is Vertical. This is up and down. This is where Fathers speak into the lives of Sons. This is a multi-generational lineage that is meant to be perpetuated. All through the Old Testament we see: Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. In Stephen’s defense in the Book of Acts he states about the covenant of circumcision that God gave it to Abraham, who gave it to Isaac, who gave it to Jacob, who gave it to the 12 Patriarchs; which shows four generations. When Paul was writing to his Son Timothy he said, commit thou to faithful men, who in turn will be able to teach others also. So this is also four generations; Paul, Timothy, Those Timothy taught and those that they could teach also.

This is the vertical thrust of the Father/Son order. From Father to Son, From Father to Son, From Father to Son. In this there is always a middle generation like Isaac or Timothy who are the middle generation who are both Sons to their Fathers, and Fathers to those Sons that they are pouring into. The heartbeat now becomes: I must pour into the next generation! I must teach them what I have learned! I must help them avoid some of the blunders and mistakes I have made. The greatest expression of the heart of a Father that I have ever heard is: “Son, my ceiling is your floor!” In other words…you will start where I end because you have the benefit of my experience.

The second thrust of this New Apostolic Paradigm of the Father/Son Order is horizontal. This is across. There was some thought of this in the previous Restoration Move some were referred to as Horizontal Apostles…meaning they didn’t have a Network under them, but had the ability to gather folks together. They are equipped with a gathering anointing. This thought is carried to another level in this current move.

It is not just an anointing to gather folks together, but this is a gathering together of Spiritual Fathers whose heart it is to pour into the next generation. In this Horizontal Thrust of this Apostolic Restoration it is about gathering Fathers Nationally and Regionally. As Fathers become aligned, iron will sharpen iron and the thrust will get stronger. The end result of this Horizontal alignment will be many Sons coming to glory!

Due Season Is Coming For Many In March

I have had this sense for the last several weeks that March 2016 is going to be a pivotal key month for many in the Body of Christ. I have shared this in speaking with several friends over the last couple of weeks. I have mentioned in passing from Pulpits in passing recently while preaching and during radio interviews. It was confirmed to me last night by Nationally known Prophet Doug Addison as he ministered on an Interactive Virtual Ministry Webinar as he spoke about the month of March.

I don’t know all that is going to transpire, but I have this sense that it is going to be a season of the things that have already been in a season of acceleration getting into what Emeril Lagasse used to call “Kicked Up A Notch” from acceleration to EXPLOSION! I can’t put my finger on the whys and the wherefores but I know it like I know my name is Michael Fram. There are two passages of Scripture that have been coming to me for this season.

“Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.’” Habakkuk 2: 2 & 3 NKJV

^“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9 NKJV

I believe that that are many who have been holding on to promises from God and are feeling like they are just never going to come to pass. They are becoming weary in well doing and are discouraged in their faith and are ready to quit and throw in the towel. I tell you what the Prophet declared…Though it Tarries…Wait for it…It Will Surely Come! Don’t Quit Now!

If you don’t quit now you will reap in Due Season…Due Season is about to come for many in March! Don’t quit now when you are this close to your Breakthrough…when you are this close to Due Season. I remember way back in the late 70’s Tammy Faye Baker used to sing a song on the Old PTL Club: “Don’t Give Up On the Brink Of Your Miracle”. Many get so close…then get tired and discouraged and quit right when they are about to break through.

I saw a cartoon om Facebook a couple of weeks ago that showed a man digging a tunnel under ground. You could see where he had dug down, and where he was digging across. You were looking at the picture head on from the front with him digging across underground with the dirt over his head as he was progressing with the tunnel. You could also see how much dirt like a wall was left in front of him until he broke through…and it was just a sliver of a wall…he was almost through to the other side. But because he grew weary he turned and walked away after all the work he had done when he only had a sliver left.

This is where many of you are…you are almost there. Don’t quit now! Don’t give up now! You are almost through…you are right on the brink of the fulfillment of what God has promised you. For many…March 2016 is your Due Season! Just keep digging a little more…you are about to break through that last sliver of dirt! I feel so strongly…Though it tarries…wait for it…It Will Surely Come! You are about to Reap…It is Your Due Season!

The Goal Of Prophetic Revelation

I read a quote on Facebook the other day that said: “The Holy Spirit will warn you, it’s up to you to pay attention.” This got me to thinking and meditating on the discourse of Jesus about the Holy Spirit as recorded in John’s Gospel from chapters 14 through 16. There were several things that stood out to me. This is one of my favorite texts in the entire Bible as it speaks of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His work of revelation to us.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16: 13-15 NASB

I also like the King James Version’s wording of the last phrase of verse 13 where it says: “He will show you things to come.”

The simple point is that God is a God of Revelation! The Bible is very clear about that!

“Surely the Lord God does nothing; Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7 NKJV

The New American Standard Bible says: “He reveals His secret counsel…” I like that too!

The Facebook quote said that the Holy Spirit would warn us. God reveals! Jesus said the Holy Spirit would take what was mine and would disclose…or reveal it to us. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would show us things to come.

This is the very nature of the Prophetic! God wants us to know what He intends to do and what is coming so we don’t miss it. Remember when God was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah? What did God Say?

“The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?’” Genesis 18:17 NASB

This leads me to the crux of this Blog. I came across something in John 14 at the end of the chapter that I had never seen before.

“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you….You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” John 14: 25, 26, 28 & 29 NASB

I don’t know where some of this has been all my Christian life. Look at what Jesus said:

·         These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

·         You would have rejoiced because I go to the Father.

·         Now I have told you before it happens.

·         So that when it happens, you may believe.

I don’t know how many times I have read John chapter 14 in my life…but I have never noticed these four statements before. I have seen verse 26 before about the Spirit being sent by the Father in Jesus’ name. I have seen that the Spirit would teach us all things and bring to our remembrance all that Jesus said…but never these other statements.

The ultimate goal of Prophetic Revelation is summed up in these verses! Namely that we might rejoice and so that we might believe! Look at what Jesus said. I am telling you all of this in this whole discourse while I am with you. But, I am getting ready to go to the Father who is greater than I. You should rejoice over this. The revelation of God should make us rejoice because we have the inside track on the purpose and plan of God.

Notice He said I told you this before it happens! What did Amos prophesy? “SURELY THE LORD GOD DOES NOTHING WITHOUT REVEALING HIS SECRET COUNSEL TO HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS!” What did God say about letting Abraham in on His Plan? “SHALL I HIDE FROM ABRAHAM WHAT I AM ABOUT TO DO?” Do you see a pattern here?

Jesus told them before it happened. Why did He tell them before it happened? “SO THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS YOU MAY BELIEVE!” This so reminds me of what the Word says:

“Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 2 Chronicles 20:20b NKJV

God wants us to believe His Revelation. If we believe His Revelation we rejoice and are made glad. If we believe His Revelation we prosper and are established. If we believe His Revelation we don’t miss what it is He is about to do and we get to be in on it; which is why He revealed it in the first place.

A Season Of Seeing Hearing & Knowing

I was first given this prophetic word on March 3, 2013; but here lately I have seen a greater and growing manifestation of this word in many circles so I sensed to share it again.

For you are entering into a Higher Level and a Fresh Dimension in the realm of Seeing, of Hearing and of Knowing. For when you take time in My presence, when you rest and linger in My presence, you open yourself up to Downloads from Heaven. For when you are rushed and hurrying and scurrying through the service the way that you rush and hurry and scurry through life; you miss the Downloads from Heaven. For some things only come to those that have learned the secret and the art of waiting in My presence.

Sometimes, you just have to rest, sometimes, you just have to be still, and sometimes you just have to linger…and it’s in those moments and it’s in those times that revelation does come…that the Downloads of Heaven come. It’s in those moments that all of a sudden the things that have perplexed you, as it were like in the cartoon, the light goes on and you suddenly see and it makes sense. It’s in those moments that the download of My Spirit comes and your eyes are opened and they are illumined and you begin to see.

It’s in those moments that you hear the still small voice of My Spirit inside of your spirit. For when you’re busy and hurried and scurried you can’t hear His voice…because you’re too busy. But when you take that time, in the stillness and in the quiet; learn from the Prophet, who saw the mighty wind but God was not in it, who felt the earth shake and quake but God was not in it, but then there was the still, small voice…and it’s in these lingering moments that you hear that still, small voice.

Know this day that you are transitioning to a place that you have not been, for you are learning to wait, you are learning to linger and you are learning to rest. And in these moments a whole New Dimension of My Spirit is opened unto you and many of you have been prodded by My Spirit with thoughts that you didn’t understand. And many of you have had glimpses of things either as flashing pictures across your mind’s eye or within your spirit, that didn’t seem to make sense and that you didn’t understand…you couldn’t articulate what you saw; in these moments the understanding does come.

I’m raising you up into a New Level and a New Dimension of Seeing and Hearing and Knowing. It’s one thing to see…it’s another thing to know what it means. It’s one thing to hear…but it’s something else to know what it means. I’m raising you up into the place of Seeing and Hearing and Knowing…that not only will you See…not only will you Hear…but you will Know.

Born To Die

The other day I was thinking of an old song that I knew from when I was a kid. The song was called “Ring The Bells” and was written in 1958 by Harry Bollback.

Ring the bells, ring the bells, let the whole world know,
Christ was born in Bethlehem many years ago.
Born to die that man might live, came to earth new life to give,
Born of Mary, born so low, many years ago.
God the Father gave His Son, gave His own beloved One,
To the wicked sinful earth, to bring mankind His love, new birth.

Chorus
Ring the bells, ring the bells,
Let the whole world know
Christ the Savior lives today
As He did so long ago!

Ring the bells, ring the bells, what a glorious morn!
Men and angels worship Him, singing, Christ is born!
Born to die on Calvary, born to set His people free,
God Himself in human form, tell it!  Christ is born.
He has left His royal throne, He has come to claim His own,
Christ the Lord has come to earth, go spread the news of Jesus' birth.

The phrase that got was this: “Born to die that man might live, came to earth new life to give.” As I began to ponder that fact the He was born to die…it led me to thinking about some deeper thoughts.

When the Bible speaks of death, there are three types of death that are depicted. First there is physical death, which means the cessation of life. Second there is spiritual death, which means separation from God. Finally there is the “Second Death” or eternal judgment, which is damnation and punishment in hell.

It is on this thought of three types of death that I want to expound. We all readily accept the fact that Jesus experienced physical death on the cross. Most also believe that Jesus experienced type of death #2, spiritual death, separation from God, for when He who knew no sin became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) on the cross, He cried My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? (this is why Jesus was in such agony in the garden, because He knew the fellowship that He knew with the Father from eternity past was about to be forsaken at the cross)

This brings us to type of death # 3, the judgement death. There are many who do not believe that Jesus experienced this 3^rd type of death. May I submit to you that Jesus indeed experienced this type of death as well…yes my friends…JESUS WENT TO HELL!

I know when I make that statement it ruffles a lot of religious feathers, but it is true just the same and thank God He did or we would still have to! Even the Apostles Creed tells us so:

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”

If Jesus were to truly redeem us from hell death and the grave…He must not just suffer spiritual death, separation from God; physical death, the cessation of life; but also judgment death or going to hell. Let us examine a well-known verse of Scripture:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NASB

What type of death is being referred to here in this text? Is it referring to physical death? Well, if it were the first time you lied to your parents as a child growing up, you would have fallen over dead. Is it referring to spiritual death? No, since the fall of Adam in the garden the Bible tells us that we are conceived in iniquity and born in sin, we are born physically already separated from God.

So obviously the type of death that is the wages of sin is judgment or damnation. Consider with me Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost where he quotes from Psalm 16:10:

“BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY” Acts 2:27 NASB

“He looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.” Acts 2:31 NASB

Did you notice what Peter said? He “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Abandoned has several meanings which include deserted, left or forsaken. In order to be abandoned or left somewhere that must mean that you are there. You can’t be left in China if you are not in China. So therefore for Jesus to not be left in Hades, He must have been in Hades.

Then we can go to the writings of the Apostle Paul where he quotes from Psalm 68:18 for more clarification:

^“Therefore it says, WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, (He led a parade of captives – New Century Version) AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN. Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?” Ephesians 4:8 & 9 NASB

Notice Paul also talks about Jesus descending into the lower parts of the earth; other translations say depths of the earth or lowest parts of the earth. Folks, the simple truth is this…Jesus was born to die as part of the Father’s Master Plan of our Redemption:

“But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:7 & 8 NASB

Remember the words of Jesus in agony in the garden? If it is possible…let this cup pass from Me…Nevertheless, not My Will but Your Will be done. So during this Blessed Christmas Season when we remember His Birth, may we also remember that He was born to die…three types of death…as part of God’s Master Plan of our Redemption.

Don’t Lose Heart

As society seems to be “going to hell in a handbasket” all around us, it is very easy to get discouraged and lose heart. Everything we see seems totally contrary on every front to a move of God and an “Awakening”. Yet as children of the Kingdom…how do we live? Do we walk by what we see in the natural; or by what we see by the eye of our faith with spiritual eyes? I am reminded of what Apostle Paul wrote concerning Abraham.

“(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17 KJV

Even when Abraham was way too old in the natural to be the father of many nations, he believed God, because God calls things that be not as though they were. Too many of us call things that be as though they are…we talk about the things that the News Media and the Political Pundits ram down our throats 24x7; which are contrary to what the eye of faith sees and says. Look how the New Living Translation translates this verse.

“That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, ‘I have made you the father of many nations.’ This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.” Romans 4:17 NLT

This thought also makes me think of Mary and the Christmas Story. She came to a similar realization during her encounter with the angel Gabriel Remember she asked?

“Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’” Luke 1:34 NLT

As the angel answers her he gets to the point that he utters these words:

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God…For with God nothing will be impossible.’” Luke 1:35 & 37 NKJV

For With God Nothing Will Be Impossible!

We need to remind ourselves of that. No matter what we see around us…no matter how contrary what we see in the natural is to what we see in Scripture and by the eye of faith; God is still the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. He has not changed…He is the same Yesterday, Today & Forever. Won’t He Do It? YES I say He will. No matter how bad it looks in the natural…believe God…Nothing is impossible with God…Do Not Lose Heart.

Who’s Your Daddy?

There is an expression that is used in the streets quite regularly…”Who’s Your Daddy?” This question is often asked when the lineage of an individual is not known. It is really kind of a derogatory question that is surely not a complement…but a dig.

What has me thinking of that question you may ask? It seems we have a plethora of “Quote on Quote” Ministers these days all over social media calling themselves Apostles and Prophets. The truth of the matter is anyone can contract Vista Print to make Business Cards for them and can put whatever title they want on them. Vista Print doesn’t care if it is true or not as long as you pay them for their services.

There is a custom in the Jewish faith that when a male child reaches 30 years of age, even though he has already had his Bar Mitzvah at 13, that the Father of that male child announces him as being fully matured and able to rule and take over the family business. If you remember when Jesus was baptized by John, He was 30 years of age. It was then at that baptism as He came up out of the water that the Father announced Him as His Beloved Son in Whom He was well pleased.

If you recall in First Corinthians chapter 4 when Apostle Paul wanted to send someone he could trust to the church at Corinth; he said that he was sending his son Timothy. Timothy was announced as his son by Paul. Jesus was announced as God’s Son by His Father. The question remains: “Who’s Your Daddy?”

So many that are saying I am Apostle this or Prophet that…have never been announced! Who is their Father? Who trained them? Who raised them? Who sent them? Whose message are they carrying? Jesus was and is the Pattern Son. Jesus said My message is not my own, it is the message of Him Who sent Me. Jesus said whatever I see My Father do…that is what I do.

In the natural a child gets their DNA from their Father. Jesus had His Father’s DNA. When Paul said he didn’t have anyone else that he could send…one that would say the same thing that he would say…he sent Timothy. Timothy was a Sent Son…sent to Sons (Paul said that he had begotten Corinthian Church…they were his sons). Jesus was a sent Son. Who’s Son are we? Who is our Daddy?

The truth of the matter is the Son carries the Message, the Method, the Mantle, the Mandate, the Mindset and the Mission of the Father that sent them. Jesus did. Timothy did. What about us today? As I see so many of these supposed leaders I ask: Who sent you? Who announced you? Who’s DNA do you carry? Who’s Message, Mantle, Method, Mandate, Mindset and Mission are you carrying? Who’s your Daddy?