Welcoming Apostolic Fathers and Mothers
As many if you have heard, this weekend we are welcoming in Fred and Pat Bruner, leaders of Healthy Kingdom Family Ministries and members of the Bethel Leadership Network, here for what has become an annual (and sometimes more) visit with this wonderful apostolic father and mother. (Click here for a schedule of meetings ).
So, how can you gain the most out of these visits?
First, build your expectation of faith! In Acts 10:32,33 talks about the Roman Centurion named Cornelius and how in faith he had gathered all the people he had influence with and said this:
"32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
The faith that Cornelius exhibited was exampled through first heeding the call of God.
Second, gathering people to hear what Peter was commanded to speak and implicitly, to prepare their hearts to receive. That simple and yet miraculous sequence of events was the way that God used to bridge the message of the kingdom of God into the Gentile world and you and I are believers as a result. A small act of coming together on a certain day and in a certain place, and then a bridge was built to reach worlds that were at that time, unknown.
Could gathering with faith really make that much of a difference?
When we gather in faith we are prophesying into our future by anticipating that God will move, speak and minister to us to lift us into His vision for our lives.
When we gather in faith, we are aligning ourselves with a “kairos” moment; to hear the word of the Lord, in this present moment that will unlock insight, anointing and gifting for what we are encountering now or will encounter later.
When we gather in faith, we honor the gift of an apostle ( Matthew 10:41,42 - 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.”) and thereby, release and receive the gift that the apostle has within them. We are enhanced and enriched through honor as it unlocks gifts for us that we didn't even know were available.
When we gather in faith, we become the fuel for a fire that God releases through apostles. Our faith draws on heaven through the apostolic leaders to release divine power in our midst.
Fred and Pat, who are loved and esteemed by so many fathers and mothers in our stream and beyond, bring the experience of living out healthy, kingdom family. They have been sent to nations and are being used by God to see their voice extended beyond their current radius of ministry. Currently, Pat is working on a book with Leif Hetland on healthy, kingdom family and Fred is beginning to outline one as well. They have influence in many different parts of the United States and Fred travels to minister in many portions of the world.
More than that, Fred and Pat are a trusted voice, both in the life our congregation and in our (Doug and Janice’s) lives as well. We have given them freedom to call out the good, the bad and the ugly as God directs.
We have watched as God has used them to bless and shape kingdom life and family in many other people, including leaders and ministers that we have had a hand in shaping over the years. It has been this dynamic, solid constancy of life that led us to ask them to be a part of the Apostolic Board for Fusion (1). They, along with David and Narelle Crabtree, are there for the best concerns of what God has spoken into the life of the congregation and ready to adjudicate issues if needed, but always to speak life and love into the shaping of our culture.
Janice and I encourage you to ask friends, folks who have had a busy schedule over the summer and into the fall, as well as anyone else to join us and prepare our hearts for what will surely be a God-ordained time. Let’s pull on the gift that is presented before us and see God move in way that we will never be the same again.
As always, with much love to you!
Doug (on behalf of Janice)
(1) Fusion’s leadership structure is based on two areas: legal and spiritual, in which one is required by law as a matter of a non-profit organization in Colorado and the other is what we have added. There is a Board of Directors (required by law), which is responsible for the fiduciary issues of the church, i.e., funding the vision of Fusion. This body gathers 3-4 times per year. Secondly, the staff is made up of vocational and avocational people who help direct areas & ministries. The Family Leaders (elders) gather to pray for the future of Fusion and its expanding horizons, as they help monitor the spiritual atmosphere in and over Fusion. The Apostolic Board is a group of seasoned leaders, Apostolic and Prophetic, who have been invited to speak into the life of Fusion and if there is a disagreement amongst these groups that cannot be worked out, to help navigate the parties towards life and relationship.
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