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Prophetic Brief
Insight and Analysis for the 21st Century Anatomy of a Nation in Decline - Part 9 Reference Point God is Sovereign #5

New Video Series

On February 1 the headline in the NY Times blared: In Atlanta, Housing Woes Reflect Nations Pain. Reports and interviews were based in Marietta, a suburb in NW Atlanta where I have lived for 15 years. The article reported that in November, prices of single-family homes were down close to 12 percent compared with a year earlier, the largest decline among major metropolitan areas. Home prices regionally are now below their levels from 2000, making Atlanta one of only four metro areas to have experienced such a slide. In Marietta unemployment is 9.2 percent, slightly higher than the national average, in part because one in every four jobs lost during the meltdown was connected to real estate. Those jobs have yet to return, and people who are working are having trouble qualifying for loans. Nationwide housing prices are projected to drop at least another 5 percent in 2012 because of the large amount of distressed properties for sale. What is God up to in the economic crisis, and how does He expect us to respond? The answer to that question goes much further than expressing personal faith and believing God to overcome within ones individual financial situation. Clearly God is moving against the systems of the earth. Everywhere you care to look there is meltdown and default, political instability and natural disasters. But what is our responsibility when God is moving in this way? There are dual movements taking place in the earth today at the same time that God is shredding the earthly systems He is resourcing His Church and building within us the ability to stand strong within a time of crisis. I wrote in the last issue that God is at work in the earth, exposing the false apostolic order. It talks like God and looks like God but the principles that it operates by are not of the Lord (2 Thess 2:4). It has never been more important for each church to have a quality apostolic connection. When the global economy is melting down and systems are being broken all around us, the church is being renovated and comprehensively built by the anointing or dimension of Christ that is apostolic. To this end we are continuing the interview I had with two of the pastors in our apostolic network in order to provide one small sample of what apostolic building looks like. The details of each church or apostolic network will differ because God is diverse and has given each one a unique calling and anointing, yet the principles of correct building are universal. For example, no matter where you live in a small hut in a village, an apartment in the city or a house in the suburbs the core building is all the same. The ground must be level and some foundation must be laid; it must be built level or it will eventually shift and collapse. The walls have to be square and the roof and outer structure must keep out the elements. No matter where you live these things are universal, and while each home or apartment has a unique layout of rooms and its own distinct dcor, the core building components are all the same. Correct building in the Church is like
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We are living in an unmatched time in the earth; a time when crisis is erupting through natural disasters, political destabilization, and economic meltdown. Politicians and religious leaders are all weighing in on these events, but they dont seem to have the answers to a world in intense distress, and are rightly wondering:

What in the World is Going On?

In this series of Prophetic Briefs, Scott Webster addresses questions that are on peoples minds, and brings prophetic perspective to the events happening in the earth today, so that we can stand effectively in a day when so many things are falling apart. View the full six episodes in the series What in the World is Going On at scottwebsterministries.org.
2012 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

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2 Thessalonians 2:2-4 (NIV) 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from uswhether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letterasserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Dont let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in Gods temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
that. We are looking at the examples of Raleigh and David but it has universal application, regardless of the geographic location or individual anointing your church might have. So lets share some more from that interview. Scott: Share with us some of the principles or realities that allow you to open up your church to an apostolic impartation. Raleigh: First let me define what we think of when we say apostolic. The apostolic dimension is the widespread distribution of apostolic grace to the general body of Christ in order to strengthen and stabilize it and to release the access for the apostolic characteristics to function generally in the life of each kingdom believer. Scott: Thats an important place to begin because it removes so many of the false definers that circulate in the church about the apostolic that it involves how big your church is, or it places too great an emphasis on the individual who is called to function as an apostle. We dont hold to those things; we are very much about getting the nature of Christ and the grace of God in this case apostolic grace from the apostle to the people. Raleigh: Exactly. Back in 1997 our church recognized the need to have greater impartation upon us through interaction with others in spiritual ranking in the dimensions and other aspects of the Christ grace-gifts (Eph. 4:9-16). We could see biblical examples of the demand to avail ourselves to greater dimensions of the Christ anointing. We humbly determined that this relationship: a) Couldnt be political or bureaucratically ecclesiastic; b) Had to have similar mentality and passion for Christ, holiness, faith, Biblical teaching; c) Had to give us a way to improve, grow, connect to the wider Body of Christ, a place of belonging, a covering; d) Had to be a genuine place for the pastor to yield and be accountable; e) Had to offer genuine and
2012 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

The details of each church or apostolic network will differ because God is diverse and has given each one a unique calling and anointing, yet the principles of correct building are universal. For example, no matter where you live in a small hut in a village, an apartment in the city or a house in the suburbs the core building is all the same. The ground must be level and some foundation must be laid; it must be built level or it will eventually shift and collapse. The walls have to be square and the roof and outer structure must keep out the elements. No matter where you live these things are universal, and while each home or apartment has a unique layout of rooms and its own distinct dcor, the core building components are all the same. Correct building in the Church is like that.
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meaningful apostolic relationship with others who have spiritual authority to help us grow in faith and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. WHEN THE LORD LED US TO CONGRESS WBN WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE HOME! Congress believes that long term, sustainable success must be based on carefully established ethical platforms (the Word of God). Congress elevates principles such as integrity, excellence, humility, leadership through servant-hood, and achievement through sacrifice. Congress as an apostolic network is a gathering of autonomous, self-governing kingdom communities that are voluntarily united around a common vision and purpose determined by a called, gifted and spiritually functioning apostle. It is set in motion by voluntary mutual receptivity, affording us the privilege of being joined to a wider vision with core operational platforms of apostolic grace and apostolic relationship. Our primary network model is reformation of the church, development of accurate structure that enables the saints to grow, and relationship that builds strength, governance and support. Our network relationships are uncovered or discovered not made or created. The network is in fact the reality of joined lives. We therefore celebrate our relationship within the apostolic grace anointing. Because of this joining there is a consequent covenant brotherhood of all those joined to the same grace. The basis of our relationship is we connect to the same heavenly flow thats how we join by covenant beyond earthly limitations or arrangements. Scott: Excellent. We are talking about a foundation for apostolic relationship that is based in Biblical principles and ethics. I think that is essential because it is like the house I was referring to in the introduction of this brief the basics have to be correct or the house will fall into disorder and collapse. Unfortunately we have seen many apostolic houses collapse because they were driven by competition, desire for personal profile, or some other deficient character attribute in the apostle. I heard of one guy who started a network and he had a pricing scheme those who contributed the most to his ministry were in a kind of presidents circle and got access to the apostle and also to the speakers at his annual conferences, while those who gave less had to sit in the back and never talked to the leader. That was quite a few years ago and as time went on the guy went into deep doctrinal error. His problem was not doctrinal, it was ethical and spiritual he loved money and profile more than he loved God. Darkness is not content to have one part of your life; it comes in and takes over all. This apostle is now fully immersed in a cult he built his house on a slope and it slid down into the darkness. David, same question for you what are some of the principles or realities that allow you to open up your church to an apostolic impartation? David: Well, Scott, there are several key principles that serve to drive our seamless connection with apostolic grace. The first is the principle of spiritual authority. I want to have authority in my life, my marriage, and my ministry; therefore, I realize that I must be submitted to authority. I realized that I often had no authority in my life, ministry, etc., because I was not truly submitted to authority. The apostolic is now greatly released into my church as a result of my relational heart-connection and submission to apostolic grace and impartation. It begins with me being imparted to, and then flows into the
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church that I lead. The second principle is of building on an apostolic/prophetic foundation. Ephesians 2.20 teaches us that the church is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. Therefore, I am required by God to build the Church I lead that way. An apostolic and prophetic foundation creates the accurate space and shape of what God wants built in my church. There are massive resources in God available when we build according to the pattern! I needed a true apostolic / prophetic foundation within the Church I was building in order to truly be building!

A Developed PROPHETIC PERSPECTIVE

A fresh look at Prophetic Operations from a Kingdom Viewpoint.

The third is the principle of collaboration. For many years, my 'battle Now cry' (if you will) was "I want to do something great for God!" What I Available> realize I meant by that was that I, and I alone, wanted to come up with whatever it took to build something 'great'. I was trapped within sight of my own giftedness and abilities and could not see that greatness was not determined by how great "I" could be, but by collaboration to build something was impossible with only "I". Once I began to see that the greatness of God is beyond my own singular giftings, I realized that if I would 'die' to my personal dreams of greatness, and collaborate with the apostolic, I could truly be great. Not because of me, but because of a company of people all walking, building, and living in apostolic grace. Scott: Collaboration and genuine relationship are absolutely foundational. Every pastor, every apostle in fact all leaders MUST be relationally healthy. That is not just a statement, it is a prophetic imperative. I found in traveling to many churches over the years that church leaders were some of the most insecure people I had ever met. Part of that is lack of personal development, but part also is their context. They are genuinely called by God but often the training and mentoring they receive does not equip for the work of leading a church. But because they are a leader they cant look foolish and show their vulnerability, so they are often stuck in a place of underdevelopment. The answer is relationship; being joined to genuine apostolic leadership allows each one of us to open our hearts to receive an impartation. I think if just one thing had to be highlighted about our network that would be surprising, it might be the level of relational joining and mutuality that God has given us. There is a strong relational component to the apostolic! This manifests in many ways, for example how deeply invested I am (and all of our apostolic leaders are) in your churches Raleigh and David. We arent trying to extract something from you or get more dates to fill a preaching calendar; we have come alongside and are building with you. We own it together. We have accepted a joint responsibility to mature the people and care for them that is really beautiful and much more biblical than just one person carrying the load. For us there is no such thing as my people. The inverse is also true the two of you are standing with me as I build SWM, and although you are not part of the designated team of SWM, the fruit of what God helps us accomplish will abound to your account. It is not structural or administrative; it is relational and driven by heart connectivity. We have internalized the verse Am I my brothers keeper? (Gen 4:9). We answer that with a resounding yes!!! David: I agree Scott. Our church no longer looks at me as the SOLE builder, definer, and spiritual leader of our church. Yes, I am the Senior Elder within our local context, but because we are joined to a world much larger than what is in Long Beach, our leadership is greater than what is in Long Beach. When Dr. Woodroffe or Scott Webster (or other leaders within our network) come to our Church, we no longer see them as "visiting ministry", but as our own foundational leadership building OUR (us and them) Church. It is a wonderfully freeing, empowering, and safe way to build.

2778 Cumberland Blvd Suite 163 Symrna GA 30080 Tel: 678.302.3052

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2012 Scott Webster Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
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The Parable of the Vineyard:

Its About Relationship!
Jesus told the parable of a vineyard in Matthew 21 and it really speaks to the issue of relationship, collaboration and mutuality discussed in the above interview. Mt 21:33-43 Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a long journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. They will respect my son, he said. 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, This is the heir. Come, lets kill him and take his inheritance. 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? 43 Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. The parable is directed towards Israels rejection of the Kingdom of God through their refusal to be a light to the nations. They kept the resource given to them by God for themselves, and by refusing to share with the nations they rejected God. They demanded the privileges of singular ownership when God had made them stewards. The crux of the parable: the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit (Mt 21:43). The parable has some key principles regarding how we build apostolic networks and the positions we take as pastors and leaders:

Principles:
1. Corporate ownership is the primary aim of the Kingdom of God. The purpose for planting the vineyard and supplying it with everything necessary for successful cultivation was to rent it out, or share it with others. God made man to rule the earth and to sit in the throne with Him (Rev 3:21). Deep within the mind of God is the refusal to possess anything singularly. It is an ethical position within the divine mind, not an emotional longing for companionship. Therefore our commitment to shared life is principled, and cannot be based on emotional ties or temporary arrangements. 2. It is deception to think that our productivity is singular in the first place. It is the landowner who supplied the required components that allowed the vineyard to be fruitful. He planted the vineyard, built a wall around it, and put a watchtower in it. The parallel with a specific church is clear: God is the one who authorizes a church to exist (planting of the vineyard); He protects the work and secures peoples hearts (building of the wall), and God is the one who graces leaders with wisdom and understanding to shepherd peoples lives (put a watchtower in it). Those who insist on possessing their lives and ministries singularly are in deep error, for they are not the originator of any Kingdom qualities which they claim as their own. Paul said he was an apostle by the grace of God; he understood that it is God who empowers people to be fruitful in the first place. Such a revelation compels us to share what He has given us with others; freely you have received, freely give Mt 10:8.

2012 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

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3. Abundant fruit which is not willingly shared is judged by God to be barrenness. Servants were sent to collect the fruit produced, indicating that the workers did have success in their work in the vineyard. However, in verse 43 Jesus declared to these same productive workers: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. In the mind of God a persons strident insistence on singularity is equivalent to aborted purpose, even when their efforts produce much fruit. Building an apparently successful church or large ministry alone, without offering it to others to own alongside us, will be rejected by God as barrenness. Many will be shocked when their abundant spiritual works are rejected by God due to their refusal to take on His corporate nature (Mt 7:21). 4. Disregard for our brothers is contempt for God. The refusal to build corporately with our brothers indicates deep hatred for God. John made it clear that we cannot say we love God who we cant see if we dont love our brother who we can see (1 John 4:20). There is a direct parallel between our commitment to building shared life with men and the true nature of our joining to God. Death to self, refusal to possess purpose alone and commitment to the welfare of our brothers are qualities which indicate correct relationship with God.

Questions for Consideration:

a) Are there other principles you can extract from this parable? b) Are there aspects of relational health and personal maturity that God is dealing with you about so that you can live in closer proximity to your brothers? c) How have you dealt with the rejection and betrayal of your past and moved past it? Can you describe how you trust the Lord and move towards relationship in spite of what has happened in the past? d) Is there an aspect of your life or ministry that you hold too dearly? e) How have you deliberately sought to bring others into genuine ownership of what God has led you to produce?

Releasing The New Prophetic Dimension Activating The Capacity To Build Obeying The Command To Finish

2012 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

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