TUESDAY, AUGUST 23
Scripture: Acts 20:25-30

Acts 20:25-30 says, “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” The Apostle Paul is going to see the Ephesian elders no more. In this passage he is saying to them he knew that his earthly days were coming to a close. Isn’t it interesting that as long as he was there, the wolves would not come in. They would not come because Paul carried the anointing to cause them to be cut off. He had the anointing to pray the people that arose to speak perverse things into the grave. Paul warned that after he was gone, they were going to rise up. There is an apostolic standard the Lord is trying to restore to the church and it is a standard of judicial authority. But this standard only comes by faith. When we use that faith on ourselves to walk in integrity we, like Samuel, Moses and Paul, can move the Hand of God when we pray. When we declare a thing, it will be established for us. Now that is the place we want to be. It is essential for the end-times. And the reason the Lord is desiring to restore this apostolic authority is so that the church will have what it needs to walk safely through the last days. In order to gain a harvest in the last days we will need to confront and stand against evil that abounds. But to do that we need the foundation necessary and the priesthood necessary to both resurrect and cut off. We need the authority necessary to bring back to life the young man from Nain and the authority to put Ananias and Sapphira in the grave. We need to see that in the church and when we do we will know the church is ready to walk safely through the last days. God is no respecter of persons. He gave it to Moses, He gave it Samuel. He gave it to the prophets and He gave it to the early church. Surely He will give it to us. We have a right to ask for it! We are supposed to get the former and latter rain at the same time. At some point there will be a double anointing to wind up the age. Let us pursue it, let us believe for it, let us call it forth and let us be willing to pay the price to walk with God until we see it! Will we do our part? I trust we will, in Jesus’ name!