Posted: 09/22/2014 at 10:43pm | IP Logged

In his book 'Apostolic Foundations', Art Katz writes in
the preface:

"I have a very special respect for the word apostolic.
To lose its meaning threatens the loss of the faith
itself. It is not a word that is easy to define, and yet
there is something about this word and its meaning that
is at the heart of the faith. It is an ultimate word,
and it is a word that needs to be resuscitated, and not
be thought of as merely a denominational identification.
It is a word that pulsates with glory, and therefore we
need to seek for and rescue the apostolic foundation-or
we will not have a church worthy of that word."

Katz continues:

"A church with apostolic foundations is that body of
people whose central impulse and principle of life,
being and service is one thing only, namely, a radical
and total jealousy for the glory of God." (The whole PDF
at this link:

http://strangersandpilgrims.ca/wp-
content/uploads/Books/Apostolic%20Foundations.pdf     

In 35 years on planet Earth, all but six of those years
as a Christian, the closest I ever came to the genuine
apostolic is "those who claim to be apostles but are
not" (Rev. 2:2). The Bible says nothing about powerless
apostles, but that's all I have witnessed. Apostles are
a dime a dozen today; maybe one in ten thousand apostles
actually has the signs and character traits of an
authentic apostle. The 9,999 are busy building their own
kingdoms and promoting what they think God is promoting,
but the innermost gold seal and authentic stamp of
certification of true apostleship-- the desire and
burning drive to see God glorified-- is entirely missing
among them.

Too bad we have settled for the cheap, the imitation,
the scraps of food from the Lord's table, the fake, and
the grandiose (usually full of pomp without power). But
Isaiah had the heart of a true minister of God
(primarily apostles and prophets): "Yes, in the way of
Your judgments, oh Lord, we have waited for You; THE
DESIRE OF OUR SOUL is for Your Name and for the
remembrance of You" (26:8). Come quickly, Lord.