Moving in the Apostolic: How to Bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth
By John Eckhardt and C. Wagner
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Author John Eckhardt
We are currently experiencing the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit the world has ever known. God is raising up a new generation of people willing to move in kingdom authority--and you can be part of it!
Join bestselling author John Eckhardt, world-renowned apostle and teacher, as he clarifies the gift and functions of apostolic ministry. Observing the roots of our biblical heritage, Eckhardt explores the function of an apostle--both the office and also the gifting every believer carries. With keen insight he reveals how the apostolic dimension affects all aspects of the local church and how apostolic leadership points the way toward fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Now is the time to respond to the call. Receive your apostolic commissioning and watch for breakthrough in the hearts around you.
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Reviews for Moving in the Apostolic
10 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The best book that every one in the apostolic office have, mark the word MUST
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After reading this book I got a clear understanding of what an Apostolic anointing is and why it so important for a church.
Book preview
Moving in the Apostolic - John Eckhardt
© 1999, 2017 by John Eckhardt
Published by Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3106-2
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified AMPC are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations identified Beck are from The New Testament in the Language of Today. Copyright © 1963 by Mrs. William F. Beck. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified Berkeley are from The Modern Language Bible: The New Berkeley Version in Modern English, copyright © 1945, 1959, 1969 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified Knox are from The Holy Bible: A Translation from the Latin Vulgate in the Light of the Hebrew and Greek Originals by Monsignor Ronald Knox. Copyright © 1954 by Sheed and Ward, Inc., New York. Used with the permission of the Cardinal Archbishop of Wesminster and Burns and Oates, Ltd.
Scripture quotations identified Moffatt are from The Bible: James Moffatt Translation by James A. R. Moffatt. Copyright © 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1935 by Harper Collins San Francisco. Copyright 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 by James A. R. Moffatt. Printed in the United States of America.
Scripture quotations identified Phillips are from The New Testament in Modern English, revised edition—J. B. Phillips, translator. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
Scripture quotations identified Weymouth are from Weymouth’s New Testament in Modern Speech by Richard Francis Weymouth, as revised by J. A. Robertson. Used by permission of Harper and Row Publishers, Inc. and James Clarke and Company Ltd.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by Brian Bobel
"John Eckhardt’s Moving in the Apostolic is revelatory teaching. This book will help set in order the ministry of the apostle in the Church today. Every pastor and ministry leader should read this book."
Cindy Jacobs, co-founder, Generals International
Exciting news of the restoration of apostles to the Church makes fulfillment of the Great Commission seem suddenly within our reach! John Eckhardt’s profound insights into the apostolic ministry will help us all prepare for the coming harvest—and the return of the King.
Dutch Sheets, Dutch Sheets Ministries; author, Intercessory Prayer
Prophetic revelation of Scripture pours through John Eckhardt as he writes about the apostolic dimension—what it is, what it does and what it means to be a ‘sent one.’ Apostle John Eckhardt is destined to be known as an apostolic statesman of the twenty-first century.
Dr. Mary Crum, founder and senior leader, Life Center Family Church, Atlanta, Georgia
"Cutting-edge truth and a prophetic view of the Church’s historical and apostolic birthright are brought forth with revelation and discernment to prepare us for the next millennium. I highly recommend Moving in the Apostolic to the whole Body of Christ."
Apostle Ivory L. Hopkins, founder and overseer, Pilgrims’ Ministry of Deliverance, Georgetown, Delaware
John Eckhardt has provided us an excellent comprehensive study on true apostolic ministry—what it is and what it is not. This book is a solid foundation, which will be helpful to all people who desire to embrace the restoration of apostolic ministry to the local church. I, too, agree with John when he states that the restoration of the apostolic to the Church is a key factor in accomplishing the Great Commission—a mission we all want to see fulfilled!
John P. Kelly, founder, John P. Kelly Ministries
Apostle John Eckhardt succinctly and accurately captures the key ingredient to twenty-first century Kingdom dominion—namely the restoration of the authority and power of apostolic commission upon the life of every believer.
Bishop Harold Calvin Ray, founder and senior pastor, Redemptive Life Fellowship, West Palm Beach, Florida
John Eckhardt has traveled the earth trumpeting the new proximity of the presence of the Lord and hammering out the shapes of new understanding and clear teaching in many spiritual battlefields. I encourage pastors and leaders not only to read this book but to teach these principles in their churches and ministries in order to release the apostolic dimension within the hearts of all saints. An impartational power in the apostolic anointing will come upon you as you open your hearts and minds to receive these truths.
Noel Woodroffe, senior elder, Elijah Centre, Trinidad, West Indies
In this point could never our enemies cause us to faint, for our First Petition was, that the reverend face of the Primitive and Apostolic Church should be brought back again to the eyes and knowledge of men.
John Knox, The History of the Reformation in Scotland
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Epigraph 7
Foreword by C. Peter Wagner 11
Introduction: A Time to Review 15
1. The Apostolic Commission: Mission Impossible? 17
2. The Restoration of Apostolic Ministry 25
3. Anointings and Commissions 37
4. Pioneering: Back to the Basics 47
5. Warfare 57
6. Apostolic Reformation 75
7. The Apostolic Seal 89
8. The Apostolic Church 103
9. Apostolic Authority 131
10. A Blueprint for Apostolic Living 143
Appendix: Apostolic Spirit—A Sending Spirit 161
Notes 167
About the Author 169
Back Cover 171
Foreword
God has begun reinstating the gift and the office of apostle.
This may sound at first like a simple statement, but its implications are profound. The Body of Christ is in a substantially more complete form than it has been, perhaps since New Testament times. This means that God is now prepared to do things through His people here on earth that He has been postponing for a very long time.
Since the 1990s (when the first edition of this book was published), the world has seen more quantity, intensity and sophistication of activities involving aggressive spiritual warfare than ever before in recorded history, including the book of Acts. Parallel to this have come new levels of prayer, specifically intercession and prophecy. Partially as a result of this, we now live in the first generation of Christians ever to see light at the end of the tunnel of the Great Commission. No previous generation could even measure the remaining task, let alone realistically plan to finish it!
The restoration of the ministry of apostles to the Body of Christ is directly related to this good news. By this I do not mean that there have not been apostles through the centuries of Christian history. There certainly have been, even though many of them would not have used the title apostle
to describe themselves. What I do mean is that the Church as a whole did not recognize the crucial role of apostles—they did not understand it.
Therefore, they were unable to bless it, accept it and relate to it in a godly way. For one thing, books like this one were not on the required reading lists of Christian leaders.
I am gratified that a rapidly growing number of leaders are now beginning to move in the apostolic gift and the apostolic office. But not all of them will have the ability to stand back, see what they are doing in the broad picture, analyze what is happening through them and exercise the self-discipline to organize their thoughts and put them into book form as John Eckhardt has done. This is not to put the others down. They are highly effective practitioners, and they are advancing the Kingdom of God in an awesome manner. John Eckhardt just happens to have both the gift of apostle and the gift of teacher.
From the first page, John Eckhardt focuses his whole book on the completion of Jesus’ Great Commission. Nothing could please me more! Too many Christian leaders become so infatuated by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, the remarkable advances in Christian unity, the drama of spiritual warfare, the evident signs of revival and the excitement of power evangelism that these are in danger of becoming ends in themselves. For God, they are not ends in themselves, but means toward the end of getting lost souls saved. As you read this book, Apostle Eckhardt will not let you forget this incredibly important truth.
The current literature we have on the ministry of apostles is excellent. But Moving in the Apostolic is not a repetition or rehash of what the other authors are saying. This is the first of our current books written by one who takes his personal role so seriously that he uses the title Apostle John Eckhardt
without apology. As a result, this book, more than any of the others, lets you go backstage, so to speak, and see just what is going on in the heart and the mind of a true apostle. I have no doubt that, as a direct consequence of this book, a number of other apostles who may have been a bit timid will find themselves gaining the courage to use the title apostle
as well. I do not see this as a trivial thing, because I believe that the biblical office of apostle carries a dimension of power with it that the function alone cannot attain.
My favorite segment of the book is the chapter on warfare. All the apostles I know would agree with John that a primary role of the apostle is to lead the Body of Christ into aggressive spiritual warfare. But none of them have said it as well! If you are a browser who hardly ever reads a whole book, I recommend that you start with that chapter. It is powerful!
I do hope, however, that you and others will read the entire book—not just once, but several times. When these truths penetrate your heart and mind and the hearts and minds of Christian leaders across the board, the day for actually fulfilling the Great Commission will be right around the corner! I want to be here when it happens, and I know that you do, too.
C. Peter Wagner (1930–2016), chancellor emeritus, Wagner Leadership Institute; vice president, Global Spheres, Inc.
Introduction
A Time to Review
If you are thinking, This book cannot be for me. I am not an apostle, so I cannot get anything out of reading a book about apostles—think again! Have you ever read the book of Acts and marveled at the power that seemed to be resident in the early Church, yet come away puzzled at the obvious lack of power in the Church today? Or how about Jesus’ words in John 14:12? Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Have you ever wondered why we do not see the fulfillment of that promise in the Church today? Have you prayed and fasted and beat your hands bloody against the gates of heaven, only to have your prayers bounce back and lie inert, seemingly unheard and unanswered, at your feet? Because if you have, you are not alone.
God is stirring up in His people a discontent with the average, run-of-the-mill, status quo Christianity that has tided us over, for the most part, since the deaths of the early apostles. God is calling His Church to step out of mediocrity and into the fullness of its calling and heritage, that the Great Commission might finally be fulfilled and the glorious return of Christ realized. But that will only happen through the restoration of the apostolic ministry and an aggressive appropriation of all that means to the Church.
For this reason, I can say with confidence that if you are a part of the Church, this book is for you. You see, it is time for the Church to review the ministry of the apostolic. If we are reviewing something, we are looking over,