There has been a growing revelation in the Body of Christ since the 1970s of the Father's (Agape) Love that it has been said will be an even greater reformation than the grace reformation where Luther declared we are saved by grace apart from works. It is said in 1 Corinthians 13 that "love never ends" but that even prophesies will cease but love will go on far past these. I believe prophesy is such a powerful gift to call forth that which is not as if it is so, God was constantly using the prophets throughout the Old and New Testaments to proclaim what He was doing on the earth. God through 1 Corinthians 13 ranks love above the very important reality of prophesy, even saying at the end of the chapter that the greatest of the three: faith, hope, and love is love. In the Agape Reformation will the raising up of sons and daughters of God look like it has in traditional discipleship movement? The most important revelation in the Agape Reformation is the revelation of the Father's Love in Christ, yet another revelation that is following is new ways to raise up sons and daughters of God. Much of traditional discipleship has emphasized Biblical knowledge and insight but has been weaker on the area of transformation of the disciple, since often the focus is on "head knowledge" of truth rather than on "heart knowledge". These models often emphasized the model which said, believe, change, and then belong. Whereas Jesus way with His disciples was belong, believe, and then change. Many times when Jesus would display the Kingdom of God to the disciples they would react with unbelief or not understanding, yet He patiently brought correction to their thinking so they could see God's perspective. Jesus called and chose the disciples through listening to the Father's voice, the disciples belonged before they even believed or truly followed Jesus in their heart.
One of the more extreme movements coming out of the discipleship movement is the "shepherding movement", this movement emphasized a need for greater accountability and submission to shepherds that ended up becoming legalistic and controlling. Unfortunately in the Body of Christ, we often judge what we perceive as errors within the Body of Christ instead of learning what was of God and what was simply of the flesh. We need to see that God is seeking for us to build on previous revelation, instead of having new revelation which abolishes past revelations. New revelations of who God is and what has been done for us through the finished work of Jesus Christ, will shine light on areas of past and current deception bringing us into the truth at a new level. Growing in revelation means that my life is transformed as I personally encounter God and through this encounter I now believe truth (truth is a person) and the Word of God tells us "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." There is much we can learn from the discipleship movement and the shepherding movement, yet not seek to repeat that which was fleshly for our future. According to Jack Frost the Agape Reformation is bringing relationship reformation in six areas: 1) Father God's supernatural love is driving out fears of trusting, rejection, intimacy, and believers are becoming convinced that they were created to dwell in God's love. (See I John 4:18; Romans 8:15; Isaiah 66:12-13.), 2) Christian leaders who employed control and positional authority are being humbled as the Body of Christ is seeing that all believers need intimacy with God and others. (See Romans 2:4; 1 John 1:5-9; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12.), 3) We are seeing a move toward greater unity in the Body across denominational and doctrinal lines. (See John 17:21-23.), 4) There are prodigal sons and daughters coming home, as there parents humble themselves asking for forgiveness for misrepresenting God's love. (See Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 15:17-24.) , 5) Believers who have been wounded by religious and performance-based Christianity are returning to the church to heal and encounter God's love. (See John 3:16-18, 5:19-24,12:47; 1 Corinthians 4:14-21.), 6) Pre-believers are being drawn to sons and daughters of God who display His love through bringing them into Love Encounters with God through prophetic words, healings, and miracles. (See Luke 15:1-2; John 13:34-35.)
Many believers are confused about the shift in the renewal movement toward the New Apostolic Reformation, which puts emphasis on the restoration of the five-fold ministry from Ephesians 4:11 as some new trend. I believe Father God is restoring this Biblical model of leadership to the Body of Christ because the Kingdom of God is meant to be a family and there has been a need for spiritual fathers in an orphan and fatherless society. I believe people who are true apostolic leaders are those who are laid down as living sacrifices to Jesus and embody being leaders who are sons and daughters of God who serve and lift others up. Those self-appointed apostles who use their position for special privileges and for self-promotion I believe have missed God's heart for apostolic leaders. Believers gathering around spiritual mom's and dad's who carry the Father's heart are more likely to be built up as sons and daughters of God versus those who submit themselves to programs and classes but don't engage in this kind of mentoring relationship. I believe discipleship was designed by God and clearly the Bible says to make disciples of all nations but the whole earth is groaning for the revelation of the unique sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:19).
Father's Love Reformation,
Bret
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