WHY SONSHIP?

During the recent apostolic ministry school here at SHILOH, Paul was addressing this issue: ‘Why Sonship?’ A series of significant points emerged from the testimony of Scripture and we wish to share them with you.

In Matt.16:13-19, Jesus addresses Peter very specifically, making it clear that Peter is to play a vital role as a foundation apostle in the building of the church. Jesus set him in place as a foundation apostle. In Eph.2:19-22, Scripture reveals that the “household of God is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets”. Paul warns us that any minister who is building the church must build upon the foundation “which is Christ Jesus” 1Cor.3:10-17. The house of God is made up of living stones (1Pet.2:5) and each individual Christian is “a temple of God” even as the church corporate is the temple [house] of God. The house of God must be built with that which is lasting, not that which can be burnt up.

 

At the end of the age God is restoring fathers and fathers are to raise sons. The good soil will yield a harvest of “some thirty fold, some sixty fold, some a hundred fold” Matt.13:23. As sons are raised and they become fathers, begetting many more sons, then multiplication is happening and truly ‘the sun will not go down on sons.’ This is what is beginning to happen in the nations.

 

Why Sonship?

1. God’s purpose is to bring many sons to glory through Jesus Christ: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Heb.2:10. We are the children of God by the new birth, but God’s goal is ‘sons’. Sons are the mature ones, able to walk in His glory.

 

2. We are born again to become the sons of God: “But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, to those who believe on His name: who were born … of God.” Jn. 1:12-13. When we are born again we are babes, but the seed of God is within us to grow up into maturity, becoming sons. There are three main stages of growth in our walk with the Lord. John writes to “little children, young men and fathers” 1Jn.2:12-14. The fathers are those who have come to maturity as sons, now able to have spiritual children.

 

3. The release of the spirit of sonship is a sign that we are at the end of the age: “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, least I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Mal. 4:5-6. The spirit and power of Elijah is being restored to the church to prepare for the coming of the Lord. The Lord is coming for a “glorious church”, that is, “many sons” having been brought to glory. Through the restoration of apostles, fathers have been restored with true hearts for the children of God. Thereby the children receive the spirit of sonship and the church begins to enter her inheritance.

 

4. We are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” Rom.8:29, and when we reach the age of maturity we receive the “adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself” Eph.1:5. It is as we walk as mature sons in the inheritance that God has reserved for us that we begin to reflect His glory. Many have put off inheriting the glory until after Jesus returns but in fact God has predestined us to walk in ever-increasing glory now. 2 Cor.3:7-11, 18.

 

5. Children do not inherit even though they are “joint heirs with Christ” Rom.8:17. “The heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave,” Gal.4:1. God is waiting for the children to grow up “to receive the adoption as sons, no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Gal.4:5,7. This happens when we receive the spirit of sonship or “the Spirit of His Son into our hearts” v.6. Even as Jesus was always the Son of God but He did not walk in the Spirit of sonship until after His baptism, so we also must grow from being a little child to a young man to a mature son, ready to inherit.

 

6. All of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God so that creation “itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” Rom. 8:19-21. All of creation is waiting: this is an amazing reality! All of God’s creation was subjected to a curse because of the failure of the first man. But now all of creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God to be delivered from that curse.

 

7. The finality of the adoption as sons is “the redemption of our body” Rom.8:23, and this is confirmed in Eph.1:13-14 “the Holy Spirit of promise is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession”. Even now the same Spirit “that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies” Rom.8:11, but finally we “eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” Phil.3:20-21.

 

We are all heirs of God in Christ. That means there is an inheritance to be received in the earth in these days of fulfilment and restoration. The work of redemption, [the payment of the required price to redeem man and creation], has been completed by Jesus Christ through His suffering, death and resurrection. He has done it all! God has “accomplished His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord” Eph.3:11. It is time to receive our spiritual inheritance! It is time to become secure in Christ as a son! It is time to fulfil the part He has for us in the body! We are no longer to be children Eph.4:14. The foundations must have been laid properly for us to go onto perfection Heb.6:1-3. There will be pain [suffering] because “the Father chastens every son who comes to Him” Heb.12:3-11.

But Paul says “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy

to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Rom.8:18.

 

 

DEVELOPMENT OF APOSTOLIC COMPANY

The two weeks of SHILOH School of Ministry were an experience in some small way similar to the 120 in the upper room of Acts 1. God has been leading us in the formation and development of apostolic company for four years now and the reality of this deeper fellowship is growing all the time and was especially powerful among all who came to the school.

New ones were drawn into SHILOH during the school: one man came off the street and was saved! Another man came off the street on the Wednesday of the first week – he was already a believer – and attended the next 12 days including both the Sunday services; another man, who had met a sister who shared the Lord with him in another place, came to SHILOH, travelling for two hours, to be baptised and then travelled home again. A fourth man, already a believer, came off the street, loved the teaching of the word and attended the last six days of the school. The Spirit is drawing people.

A prophet came

We were joined by prophet, Tony Vogel, for the last two days of the school and it was a blessing to have a brother, who has never been involved with SHILOH before, to come on the second last afternoon and speak a work that confirmed what had been and took us a further step in the knowledge of God.

Grace and apostleship

Paul says in Rom.1:5 that “through Him [Jesus Christ, the apostle of God (Heb.3:1)] we have received  grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.” More than ever before this verse is resounding in my heart and life – it is time to take the message of apostolic reformation to the nation of Australia and to the nations. God has given us unlimited grace and we have experienced greater depths of His grace during the school, a deeper and more powerful release of His word and my heart’s cry is “to go”.

Koinonia [the Greek word translated fellowship in the New Testament]

We experienced a deeper reality of fellowship in the apostolic company: sharing, participation and financial contribution. These are all aspects of the New Testament ‘koinonia’. On the Thursday 23/6, we received an email from Africa alerting us to a desperate need in an orphanage – the children were hungry. I mentioned our desire to meet this need and asked for $400. We received $800 immediately after that session. So two orphanages received their food budget out of the fellowship of the school.

On Sunday 26^th we received news from India, informing us that a group of pastors who had witnessed 86,000 decisions for Christ during the summer months, had been attacked by militants, with destruction of property and physical harm to a number of brethren and the pastor and other leaders in prison, accused of ‘making converts from other religions’. We spent an hour in powerful prayer, intercession and praise; everyone gave themselves to the Lord on behalf of our persecuted brethren in India. We then opened an offering, inviting people to put contributions in a box. By lunch time over $1000 was received and transmitted immediately to a bank account in India.

 

 

TRIP TO INDIA/PAKISTAN

This trip has been confirmed with God’s provision. Ps. Peter De Bressac has his return ticket fully provided, including going to Beijing for two weeks after Pakistan. Paul Galligan has received $3300 towards his fares and travel costs. The other team members have already paid for their tickets. As well we have $600 for the mission. Each team member contributes to team costs plus provision for the ministry in the nations. We always seek to help host the conferences and to this end we are asking the Lord for another $1200. There will be three-day conferences for pastors and ministry leaders in Chennai, Lahore and Faisalabad.

 

We also have the opportunity to support the printing of more copies of Paul’s book in Pakistan. Already 2900 copies are distributed but orders for another 2500 plus are unfilled. $1 AUD prints a hard cover book in Urdu. In India, translation is going ahead but we have no real idea of costs yet.

 

CALENDAR

July 21^st Overnight with some brethren at Ocean Shores

July 23^rd & 24^th with Pastor Wayne Kembery and brethren at Cessnock

July 24^th evening at Dorrigo

July 25^th meeting at Yamba

 

July 29^th Fri. PASTORS and LEADERS at SHILOH – 9.30am to 2pm, lunch included

July 30^th Sat. TRAINING DAY at SHILOH 10.30am to 5pm. Ps. Tony Vogel of Dayboro, who has a prophetic ministry, will be ministering both days.

 

 

 

APOSTOLIC / PROPHETIC CONFERENCE

SHILOH Centre,

19 Russell St., Toowoomba

 Speakers: Apostle Paul Galligan;

                          Prophet Robert Holmes

August 26^th & 27^th

Sessions: 9am, 11am, 2pm, 7.30pm Friday & Saturday

 

** Why Sonship’? 

  ** Apostolic/Prophetic partnerships'   

** The Revelation of the Mystery'  Eph. 3:2-11

  ** God's Prophetic Calender unfolding'

 

Robert Holmes, a prophetic teacher, whom God has raised up in Australia. Robert ministers internationally. He leads a prophetic company based in Cootamundra, New South Wales. Robert is recognised and received as one of the Lord's prophets for today. He has made the transition from the prophetic move to fully embrace the apostolic restoration.

 

Paul Galligan, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, will be sharing the word of God at SHILOH. Paul and the ministry teams that go out with him to the nations are witnessing the awesome power of the Holy Spirit transforming the lives of ministers and saints as they receive the word.

 

Ph. 46130633     email: rma@revivalministries.org.au