The Rising Of the New Church

Given January 2007

by Apostle Les D. Crause

As I looked to the Lord for direction for the year ahead, and for something to share with the Body of Christ, he showed me a clear picture and some principles which I would like to share with you.

The Emergent Church

I saw a city coming up out of the sea. It was covered with debris and creatures that hung onto it. But as it emerged, I saw all of these things being removed from it. It stood finally in magnificence, shining like gold, in purity and majesty.

The emergent church is about to be manifested to the world. It will be as a city coming up out of the sea. And as it comes up it will bring with it many things that have been hanging onto it. It will be like something that has been underwater and now surfaces. This always contains many things that were in the water that have attached themselves.

So the true church has been growing, hidden away from view. And it has attracted many things that do not belong to the correct pattern. This was not a problem before, but now there will come a separation.

Now the true church will be distinguished from the false. And those who have tried to use the New Move to work out their own agendas and patterns will be exposed. They will be seen for what they really are. For they have just hung on, hoping to be part of the big picture, but not even looking like the real thing.

The Lord will remove all of these ‘hangers on’ and purge His church to make her shine in all her glory.

A Separation of Leaders

As I came closer and looked at this new city of the Lord, I saw that there was a mixture of leaders who stood out. Some seemed to tower over the others, showing themselves to be someone important. They tried to take control and make things happen the way they wanted it to be. And when others tried to move on a different path, they tried to stop them.

I saw the Lord bringing a sword of division amongst these leaders, causing them to separate into two groups. This was repeated twice, until a final group had been isolated who were truly those leaders that were following God’s Order.

First Separation

The first separation that will take place will be amongst the leaders of the New Church. Many have tried to make themselves part of the New in an attempt to still be in control. But they have not embraced the new pattern, and they will now be seen more clearly. They will be shown for what they really are – old wineskins that are not able to hold the new wine.

Second Separation

The second separation will be amongst those leaders who hold wrong motives for leadership and ministry. And those who have tried to exalt themselves and coast on the New Move in order to make a name for themselves will be removed. God alone must receive glory in those whom He calls to the ministry.

Third Separation

The third separation will be amongst those who call themselves Apostles. The nature of a true apostle will be made clearer. Because from the time that it was recognized that End Times Apostles do exist, many have tried to join in who are not qualified to be called apostles.

There will come a greater understanding of what True Leadership should be in the Church. True apostles will be more easily identified and the false will soon fall away.

This situation also existed in the Early Church, and the Lord commended those in the Church of Ephesus who had tested and exposed false apostles.

Revelation 2:1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks amongst the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know your deeds, and your hard work, and your patience, and how you cannot tolerate those that are evil: and you have tested those who say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them [to be] liars: (GMRV)

The Neglected Members of The Fivefold Ministry

I saw the members of the Fivefold Ministry standing as five men. And as I looked, I saw that the Apostle and Prophet were glowing and standing out amongst the others. I saw the Pastor, and he seemed to be huge compared to the others, but he was not glowing like the Apostle and Prophet.

Then I saw the Lord reaching out his hand and transforming the Pastor, until he shrank down to normal size, and looked no different to the others. After that the Lord began to breath upon those who were not glowing, and I saw them all transforming until they began to glow like the Apostle and Prophet.

In the end all five stood side by side and joined hands together. They turned to form a circle, and the Apostle stepped into the middle of the circle as the other four remained in a circle, with hands joined. Then the outer four reached out their hands towards the Apostle, and placed their hands on his head, thus joining all of their resources together. As they did this the Apostle grew in size.

The ministry offices of the Fivefold Ministry will become more distinct as the New Church arises. Each will be recognized by their distinct natures and functions. But the emphasis will no longer be on the Pastor. Instead, as each ministry office stands out in uniqueness, there will come a joining together, and the Apostle will rise up in greater authority and power, but not alone. He will only be able to take his full authority as the other four members of the Fivefold Ministry join together to work with him.

Pastors

The nature of the true Fivefold Pastor will be seen. It will be shown to be different to what the church has seen through the years. And once the pattern has been made clear, training will commence for the new pastors. This will lead to a gathering of the flock under true shepherds who have been trained in the family environment. They will cause the church to become a united family like the Early Church.

Teachers

There will be an increase of and return to teaching sound Bible Doctrine. The new teachers will arise to make the Word come to life. As a result the Body of Christ will find a new love for the Word. Growth and maturity will take place in the people, and the Church of God will grow strong.

Evangelists

The true Evangelistic Office will become manifest once again as it was in the days of the early church. Signs and wonders will be common even in local churches. The evangelist will no longer be a superhero who travels around holding huge conferences. He will work together with the other Fivefold Offices in a stable environment, and under Apostolic Authority.

Changes In Missionary Outreach

I saw the globe of the earth, as if I were up in space looking down upon the earth. And as I watched, I saw movements taking place. I saw men and women being moved from their country of origin to another country.

At first I thought that this represented missionaries leaving for a foreign land. But as I watched, I saw them remaining in the foreign land for only a short season. Then they returned to their homeland, and intense activity began to take place on their return.

I saw many people being gathered together around them, and some of these in turn being sent off like the first. They would go for a short season of training, and then return to their homeland to introduce the new concepts that they had learned.

The era of foreign missions, which was a pattern of the old system, will begin to fade away. It will be replaced by a more efficient method of reaching the nations. God will raise up workers in each nation and people and train them to return to their birthplace. There they will reach the people that they know and understand. And they will present the Word to them in a way that they will readily accept.

There will come a desire in the hearts of many who have emigrated to other countries, to return to the country of their birth. There they will fit in with the people and introduce the principles that they have learned. This will be true missionary work as God intended it to be.

No longer will foreigners risk their lives to bring the gospel to the heathen. No longer will women and children have to suffer because of the call. Instead the Lord will pull people from their cultures and archetypes, and train them to break free of these. Then He will send them back to their own people to teach them the truth.

The pattern will therefore work in reverse. Instead of the free nations sending missionaries to foreign lands, they will invite people from those lands. They will train them and then send them back. To do this there will come a change to the way leaders are trained in the Body of Christ.

The Local Church Structure

As I watched the New Church emerge, the Lord took me back to a vision I had some years ago which I entitled The Coming Storm. The Lord reminded me that this vision was in the process of being fulfilled.

In that vision I saw a storm bringing destruction to the large structures of the Institutional Church. I saw the Lord raising up many small ministries and specific individuals who would rise up as leaders.

Many interpreted this as a sign of the birth of the home church movement, but God has a bigger plan in mind. Although He is destroying denominational structures, He has not left the Body of Christ without strong leadership. The Fivefold Ministry Offices must rise up and lead the End Times Church to glory.

The local church will no longer be a physical building in the community, but the church amongst the people. However the future church will not just be a home church network.

The Home Church

The home church will become any gathering of believers to share the Word. It will include both social involvement and spiritual fellowship. Believers will meet together in homes, public places, workplaces and anywhere that they are permitted. Church will be seen to be simply a gathering of two or three believers, as Jesus said it would be.

But the pattern will not be that set by most home church movements. The church will not be split into little groups under mini shepherds. The early shepherding movement, though now officially dead, is still very much alive. It is alive amongst those who try to set up little master/disciple structures and call this the Bible Pattern.

But this was not the pattern of the Early Church, nor will it be the pattern of the End Times Church. The Church must be led by the Fivefold Ministry Offices, and not mini-gods in the form of little flock shepherds.

The Ministry Center

I saw buildings being raised up in locations all around the world. Some were simply large houses. Others were a collection of buildings on a piece of land. But each one stood in a place where it could be reached easily by those living in the community.

Then I saw people coming to these places to receive training and ministry, and returning to their homes. I saw in each place, facilities for training and resources that were available for anyone who would come to receive them. I also saw business activities, social activities, and a place to develop and use the Arts.  There were printing equipment, music studios, and movie studios, and everything that is needed to produce materials to extend the Word into the earth.

The Early Church met in homes, but they also gathered together in the Temple. This is where the Apostles often ministered to them. Later as the Church scattered from Jerusalem, various ministry centers were created. One of these was in Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas were launched as Apostles.

Since the Fivefold Ministry Offices are given to the Church Universal, their function cannot be confined to a home church. They must operate from a larger structure, and this structure will be the ministry center.

The minister center will be a place of training, healing, and housing the leadership of the Church. It will not be a big church building, but it will operate in a physical location. This could be a piece of land with several buildings, but it could even be a large home.  The early disciples of Jesus all lived together in such a place. It was there that the Pentecostal Outpouring took place.

Such centers will be built amongst the people of the community. It will be like the early Tabernacle of Moses. It stood in the middle of the camp, and the people all lived around it. The resident Fivefold Ministry will move amongst the people and also travel out from the ministry center. Then they will return there.

The Training of Leaders

I saw Leaders from the community coming to the nearest Ministry Center to receive hands on training for their ministry. I saw them come and access materials that were freely available in the form of books, audio CD’s and DVD’s. Each ministry center held the materials they would need to learn what they needed.

Then I saw resident members of the Fivefold Ministry taking such leaders and spending time with them each day, showing them how to carry out their ministry. I saw the trainee leaders being given opportunity to preach, to teach and to counsel and pray with people who came for ministry.

All training requires both theory and practice to be successful. So the training of all leaders and the Fivefold Offices must include both of these. The Ministry Centers will be centers of learning and training. They will hold all the resources needed for anyone who wishes to grow in the Lord. They will also hold all training materials for those who wish to rise up into the higher ministry offices.

Those who need to be trained for specialized ministry tasks will no longer need to give up their employment, sell their possessions, and travel to a place of learning. They will find all that they need in the nearest Ministry Center. The most they might need to do is to find a house nearby and live there.

From the ministry center they will receive hands on training from qualified leaders who are able to show them and shape them into something that the Lord can use. They will obtain knowledge, experience and impartation in this way, without even giving up their normal employment. And if they qualify and the need is there, they could become part of the full time staff in a ministry center.

Revival of The Arts

I saw all believers who were gifted or desired to develop their artistic gifts come to the nearest ministry center. There they were given the opportunity to receive training and to meet with others who shared their passion. And together they began to produce materials, using their skills.

I saw them using their musical talents to create new songs and musical recordings. I saw them developing their acting abilities and begin to write plays and screenplay scripts. I saw them being inspired by the Holy Spirit to produce materials that edify and build up. And then I saw them produce materials that will replace the offerings of the world.

I see the Church taking back the land that the world has captured. One of the major “land masses” that is controlled by the enemy and the World System, lies in the area of the Arts.

The Lord showed me that the Church will rise up and set a new standard in the arts. We will no longer follow the ways of the World, and allow the world to set the standards for what we do in the Arts.

The Church will create music that is anointed and ministers to the hearts. We will see Christian musicians and singers rising up who are not seeking to make a name for themselves. They will not follow the worldly ways of presenting their music. But instead they will seek to touch the hearts and meet the needs of the people.

There will come a displacing of the archetypes of Hollywood and the Music Industry. People will learn to act, write, play, sing and exercise all their artistic abilities for the Lord. The goal will not be to make money or become famous, but to extend the Kingdom of God.

Business Activities

As I looked at the city that resembled the New Church, I saw business activities taking place. I saw the wealth of the World coming into the Church, as God raised up men and women with business skills.

These businesses were not simply Christians who owned a business and poured financial support into the church. They were businesses owned and operated under the authority of the local Church. They not only provided employment for members of the Church, but they also produced enough finance to allow the Church to grow and reach out.

I saw money changing hands very rapidly in business, and pouring into the Ministry Centers. And from there it poured out to the needs of the people, just like the early church.

Let The Church Arise

As I continued to gaze at the Emergent Church, I saw it grow, until it seemed to full the whole earth. It shone with glory and began to reach into the darkest corners of the earth.

It was a Church Magnificent, a Church Glorious, a beautiful bride, ready and waiting for her bridegroom

I believe that the year 2007 will see this church beginning to emerge and become more visible. It has been hidden away in preparation, but now it will come forth in power and glory.