Apostolic
Truth
This message is not for sissies!
Apostolic
Truth
From
The Word of God
By Bishop Frank Duprée
Ox Cart Apostles
Are You Apostolic or did
you just change your Name Badge?
We are living in a day when The Lord is moving the Church into a new "Apostolic Order". This is an “alignment” or “shift” from the usual Pastoral Leadership to an “Apostolic Leadership”. Now, don’t get me wrong… this shift does not mean that the “old” was wrong or no good. It only means that it’s time is finished and we are entering into another day. It’s like the changing of the seasons. The last season we were in was not “wrong”. It was a part of God’s Plan just as this current season is part of His Plan.
But now even though we are moving into this new season of Apostolic Order there is much of the old still with us. Let me take you to the Old Testament to show you an example of what I mean.
One of the greatest symbols of The Lord was the Ark of the Covenant. Now there was a time when all Israel had backslid and The Lord allowed the Philistines to invade Israel. After they had lost a battle we see in 1 Samuel 4:3 that elders of Israel said: “Why has the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us get the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh and when it cometh among us, it may save usout of the hand of our enemies.” And so, Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the High Priest, took the Ark into the battle. The Philistines won the battle anyway and The Ark was taken.
We are told in 1 Samuel 4:11 “And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.” When Eli the High Priest heard this news (1 Samuel 4:18-22) “…he fell from off the seat and broke his neck, and he died” This meant that the Old Order had come to an end. His daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, heard the news just as she brought forth her baby boy; “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel”.
When David became King, being a Prophet, he desired to bring the Ark of God back to the people of God. This was part of the shift from the old to the new. So David started to bring the Ark to Jerusalem with rejoicing to place it in the Tabernacle he had prepared for it.
You’re probably familiar with the story but let me quote it here:
2 Samuel 6:1-11 “Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. 3And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 8And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. 9And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? 10So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. 11And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.”
Instead of bringing the Ark of the Covenant to his Tabernacle
David “parked” it at Obededom’s house and went home depressed.
His plans were all crushed! His friend was dead! The Ark was in the house of a Philistine and he was getting blessed instead of David! What happened? David went home to Jerusalem and cried out to God! And, behold, the Lord answered him! He showed David that although his intention was good the manner in which he endeavored to carry it out was “out of order”.
What was the problem? Why did Uzzah have to die?
It was because for almost 100 years no one had seen the Ark of the Covenant. No one remembered how to approach the Ark either. It was simply not a part of their life and so when David decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem he did what the Philistines had done… he put it on a ox cart.
We've got the same problem today!
That’s the problem we have today with this Apostolic Shift… no one has seen it before and so we are taking the programs of the past and putting this New Thing on them and we expect God to bless our motives! Well, we are out of order! We’re trying to guide the Church with an Apostolic mindset but we’re still operating with the old Pastoral mindset! Almost all of what is called “Apostolic” today is the same old Pastoral thing with a new Name Badge and Business Card!
You can call it Apostolic but to me it’s still the same old Ox Cart!
Men and Women of God today wonder why their new Apostolic Church is not doing what they thought it would. Well it’s because they’re driving an old Ox Cart and calling it "Apostolic". They should be raising up Apostolic Presbyteries so that this new thing will be carried on the Shoulders of Mature Men and Women of God! We still have the old “One Man Show” going on in the Church! We’re not seeing Apostolic Presbyteries being raised up. We still got the same old “Rubber Stamp Board”. The “Apostle” is still working with his “Yes Men”!
If we’re ever going to move this thing into “Jerusalem” and not kill off our best men and women while we’re going there we have to come into God’s Order and not just change our Title and Church Name. Like David, some today have searched the Scriptures to find the Apostolic Pattern. I’m thankful for the Men and Women of God who are truly Apostles today. They have found out that they were killing their best friends by placing this Move of God on an Ox Cart and so they have sought God for His Order.
These Men and Women of God are coming together in new Apostolic Networks and developing Apostolic Presbyteries so that
Together We Will Carry The Ark of God Into Jerusalem!