Skip to main content
#
CITY CHURCH // an Apostolic Community
home
contact us
our facebook page

News & Updates:

Announcements -

Our gathering on Sunday, February 25th was really a wonderful time. We had a great group in attendance - both in person and by Zoom. As always, it was great to be together. In the gathering Michael gave a message entitled, "The Weapon of an Unoffendable Heart." That message is posted in the upper right corner of this page. We urge everyone to listen to this very important and timely message. Also, feel free to share the message with those that you are walking with.


Also, please put Sunday, March 17th in your calendar. We will host a Household Gathering that day beginning at 10AM CST. As always, this gathering will be hosted both in person and also on Zoom. We hope you can be in this gathering with us. Additionally, please put Sunday, March 24th in your calendar for the next Zoom with Sam Soleyn. That meeting will begin at 11AM CST. We hope to see you on Zoom.

This is a busy time for us, and we are sure it is for you too. Both Melinda and I are working on resource creation projects. I am currently working on a large writing project. That is going very well. My plan is to have a new book published by the summer of this year. It is an exciting time.

Until we see you next time please know that we love you very much. :)

Michael & Melinda

New Message -

You will see on the center of this page a new message entitled, "I Don't Know How." This message addresses what I have often found to be a misperception and misunderstanding of one of the most quoted verses in the New Testament. In this message, I share my personal encounter with the broader truth of the Scripture that the message is taken from. I urge you to read this message and also listen to it's companion audio recording which is listed in the upper right side of this home page.

I also encourage you to periodically check this site for new messages. As the Lord is leading us along with the bread of revelation, it is my intention to continue to speak and write the things that I am hearing from the Lord. Part of the "re-engage" word that I heard last year involves writing and speaking messages that are current and relevant. "Profitable" (upper right on this page) and "Patmos" are both messages that are well suited for this time. And there are others soon to come. So, check back as you can.

Resources -

A recent quote from Sunday, May 7, 2023 Zoom meeting. Sam Soleyn said, "the problem with submitting to your own soverignty is that you can never move beyond yourself." If you are not on the email notification list for Sam's Zoom meetings, please email us and we will add you to the list. Email us by clicking this link: infoat@citychurchla.com.

Blessings to you,

Michael


SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 4/2/17
by Michael Barrett

THE ISSUE OF SOURCE
on 3/5/17
by Norman Moreau and Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

AMBASSADORIAL REPRESENTATION
on 2/5/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

ROYAL BIRTHRIGHT OR A BOWL OF STEW
on 1/1/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

BUILDING GOD'S WAY (Spanish)
on 12/4/16
by Javier Lopez

THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
on 11/6/16
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

DESTINED TO FAIL (Pt. 1)
on 9/1/16
by Michael Barrett


THE CRITICAL KEY OF SPIRITUAL HEARING
on 7/31/16
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

LOVE - IF AND IS
on 6/5/16
by Michael Barrett

A TIME & A SEASON

on 5/1/16
by Michael Barrett

CRITICISM, A CRITICAL SPIRIT, OFFENSE & GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY
on 4/3/16
by Michael Barrett

ENTERING AND EXITING
on 3/6/16
by Michael Barrett

THE WEAPON OF QUIETNESS
on 2/7/16
by Michael Barrett

IMMEDIATELY
on 1/3/16
by Michael Barrett

THE BOUNDARIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
on 5/3/15
by Dan Crawford

THE DUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
on 4/5/15
by Michael Barrett

RESURRECTION AND THE TELEIOS MAN
on 10/5/14
by Michael Barrett

A CITY WITHOUT WALLS
on 8/10/14
by Michael Barrett

A CULTURE OF ONENESS
on 7/13/14
by Michael Barrett

EMPOWERED AND ENABLED
on 4/6/14
by Michael Barrett

WHAT'S IN A NAME
on 2/02/14
by Michael Barrett


2013 - 2014
on 1/05/14
by Michael Barrett

A YEAR IN REVIEW
on 12/08/13
by Michael Barrett

CHRIST FORMED
IN YOU

on 11/03/13
by Michael Barrett

WHAT IS GOD TEACHING YOU IN THIS SEASON and WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION
on 10/06/13
by Michael Barrett

The Process of Apostolic Reformation

by Michael Barrett

There is a real need for understanding regarding the process of reformation generally and specifically as it relates to the apostolic.  We need to gain the Lord's view of not only what this reformation is but also how this reformation will come about.  We must understand that the process of reformation is at the same time supernatural and miraculous but by no means immediate.  There are laws that apply in the Kingdom of God such as seed time and harvest.  Jesus taught us that the Word of the Kingdom was seed, blade, ear and full corn in the ear.  If we fail to understand the process we will not be able to cooperate with it or we will assume we are where we're not.  There is joy in the journey if we understand the process.

 

Also, God uses people in the process of reforming His Church.  It's like remodeling a house.  The product may seem miraculous but it in fact isn't a miracle.  The product of a reformed Church isn't a miracle though it really is miraculous when you see people respond to the grace of God and the outcome of that response expresses Heaven's will.  The process of apostolic reformation, just as all that God does, involves the will and choice of men.  Very often I find that I am waiting on people to come on line so that the thing I have seen in the Spirit can be administrated on the earth.  "Don't be weary in well doing" is the admonition of scripture and the promise offered for perseverance is, "we will reap in due season if we do not faint" (Galatians 6:9).

 

Early Morning Hours of the Third Day

 

We need to be aware of the stage or phase of reformation we are currently in.  By so doing we will gain understanding which will enable us to be patient and even thankful during the process.  If you think in terms of 1000 years being as a day to the Lord, we are in the 3rd day since the Cross.  However, it would be a mistake to forget that we are in the early morning hours of the third day.  In the early morning hours of any day the light is just beginning to dawn.  The condition is a mix of old and new; light and dark.  In the dawning new day things are obscure and our view is limited.  We have the promise of the light of the new day but we have no alternative but to wait for the light.  A beautiful verse of scripture in Proverbs 4:18 from the Amplified Bible gives me hope in the new day.  It says, "But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].  We are in the dawning of a new day but have the promise of God for our day to reach its full strength and glory!  We can be sure that our Faithful Father will finish what He has started; He will perform His whole will and have His way fully!!

 

There is revelation for our day that wasn't needed by former generations and consequently wasn't given to men by the Lord (see Ephesians 3:5 and 1 Peter 1:10-12).  God gives us our daily bread.  Bread for the day.  You don't get tomorrows bread today--you will get it tomorrow.  We must be careful to position ourselves as Bereans and not Athenians.  The Athenians were always looking for some new thing (Acts 17:21).  The Bereans (Acts 17:10-11) were noble people who studied the scriptures daily.  How often in the scriptures do we find the language, "and the word of the Lord came to" or some variation of this idea.  The point is that God speaks to His people when His people need to be spoken to.  Oh brothers and sisters get this!  God will speak to you when you need to know the thing.  There is revelation for our day that is being given to us that hasn't been given to others because there was no need for them to have it.  Contrarilly, there is revelation reserved for those who will follow us that we have no right to or need of.  We must be careful that we don't lust for what it isn't time for us to have.  At the same time, we must press in to all that the Lord has ordained to give us for our day!

 

Glimpse or Gaze?

 

In Song of Solomon there is a truth or principle that I believe will help us gain understanding.  SOS 2:9 says, "My beloved stands behind our wall and shows himself through the lattice."  There is real revelation contained here that will help us understand process.  This scripture says that our Beloved stands behind "our wall" and shows himself "through the lattice."  (Click here to see article "Through the Lattice" for more thorough treatment of this revelation).  There are walls and lattice in every one of our lives.  Walls of doctrine, theology, belief systems, pride, fear, and on we could go.  Lattice of experience, hurt, disappointment, disillusionment, confusion, success, failure and again we could go on here.  The walls and lattice obscure a clear view of our Beloved.  Through the walls and lattice we get a glimpse of our Beloved.  The problem arises when we have had a glimpse and believe we have seen clearly.  Specific to the apostolic we have seen our Beloved in a glimpse and not a prolonged gaze.  Is it time yet to write books and produce lengthy CD and tape series on the apostolic?  Personally I don't think so.  I don't say these things to judge those who have written books or produce materials about the apostolic, but to warn us to understand that we are just getting started with this thing.  We must be patient and realize that we are very young in the apostolic.  I have found a few helpful books on this subject but others I have found to be more of an extrapolation of sermons preached and lack real depth--thus they won't be particularly helpful to the Church.  The risk with the later works mentioned is that leaders will take them seriously and attempt to build new models of work around the ideas contained in these works.  To the leaders I want to say, we have nothing to lose and much to gain by being patient.  To the saints I want to ask, please be patient with us as we continue to grow through this learning curve.

 

Keeping our eyes on the Prize

 

One of the main safeguards we should employ in the process of reformation is to maintain a clear intention to seek the Lord and not just the work of the Lord.  The more we keep Jesus as first love and refuse to allow the work to slip into first place the safer we are.  Keeping Jesus in and as the center will also insure that the product of the work we are doing will be as pure as possible.  A brother wrote, "We're not just looking for a kingdom, we're looking for a King!"  I whole-heartedly agree.  We must labor to keep the priority of seeking the Lord first and He will add everything to us that is needed for our day (Matthew 6:33). 

 

I can remember working on my uncle's farm in the summers as a young man.  One of my responsibilities was to lay out the fields that were to be planted in rows.  It was tricky to get the hang of this job.  The older men would always say, "son, you don't look at the field to lay the first rows out."  They taught me to pick out a fixed object at the other end of the field and concentrate on driving directly toward that fixed point.  I can remember thinking that I was sure I could lay out straight rows by just driving the tractor in a straight line.  So I would look at the steering wheel or the front wheels of the tractor in an attempt to go in a straight path.  This never worked no matter how much I was convinced that it would.  If I would pick out a tree or some other fixed object and focus on driving straight for it, the rows always came out straight.

 

Jesus is the fixed object that we must focus on during the process of the reformation of our day.  Jesus is our Heavenly Apostle and we must fix our gaze on Him like never before. 

 

I had an opportunity to visit with a brother once who had been a leader in a strong movement in our country which had fallen apart seemingly overnight.  I asked him, "What went wrong?"  He replied, "We learned how to have the church and forgot how to have the Lord!"  Let leaders be warned that we, too, could learn how to have the church and forget how to have the Lord.  Let's seek the Lord first.  Let's keep our eyes on the Prize.  Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.  He is the Builder of the House and of His Church.  God bless you richly as you continue to seek Him.

 

Click here to read another article on the apostolic.  Send this article to a friend or ministry leader by clicking here to open a new email.  Copy article link into the email: http://citychurchla.com/city/the_process_of_apostolic_reformation.  Address the email and send.  God bless you richly in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

To go to a printer friendly version of this article click here.

 

RECENT MESSAGE

THE WEAPON OF AN UNOFFENDABLE HEART
on 2/25/24
by Michael Barrett

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR 2024
on 1/21/24
by Michael Barrett

I DON'T KNOW HOW
on 11/5/23
by Michael Barrett

TRANSFORMATION & MATURING SERIES -
JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2023

REPENTING, RENEWING & MATURING
on 9/24/23
by Michael Barrett

THE REVEALING OF THE SONS OF GOD
on 8/27/23
by Michael Barrett

PREDESTINATION, TRANSFORMATION & TRANSFIGURATION
on 7/23/23
by Michael Barrett

SUFFERING AND REIGNING
on 6/25-23
by Michael Barrett

SENDING AND RECEIVING
on 5/28/23
by Michael Barrett

THE IMPERATIVE OF UNDERSTANDING
on 4/26/2023
by Michael Barrett

PROPHETIC STEPS FOR 2023
on 3/26/2023 - Zoom @ Varghese Household
by Michael Barrett

PHILEMON -PROFITABLE FOR YOU & FOR ME
on 2/4/2023
by Michael Barrett

PROPHETIC MINISTRY - SOAKING IN THE ANOINTING
by Michael Barrett

SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 7/21/2022
by Michael Barrett

THE EMOTIONS OF THE SOUL IN THE NEW SEASON
on 7/4/2022
by Michael Barrett

VOWS & OATHS - A REFUGE OF LIES
on 9/6/2020
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
on 6/14/20
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE
on 3/1/20
by Michael Barrett

SAM SOLEYN MESSAGE
on 1/5/20
by Sam Soleyn

THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM
on 11/17/19
by Dan Fox

THE VOICE OF ONE
on 11/3/19
by Michael Barrett (with open sharing)

THE RELATIONSHIP OF SON TO FAITH
on 10/6/19
by Michael Barrett

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
on 9/1/19
by Michael Barrett

FROM MOURNING TO DANCING
on 8/4/19
by Michael Barrett

WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
on 7/7/19
by Michael Barrett


THE GENESIS FACE
on 6/2/19
by Michael Barrett

CREATION'S EXPECTATION AND GOD'S PROVISION
on 5/5/19
by Michael Barrett

SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 4/7/19
by Michael Barrett

JESUS - YOUR KINSMAN REDEEMER
on 3/3/19
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

INHERITANCE - DOCTRINE & EXPERIENCE
on 2/3/19
by Michael Barrett

AN ANSWER FOR YOUR MIND
on 1/6/19
by Michael Barrett

A SON, A HOUSE, A NATION
on 12/2/18
by Michael Barrett

A SEASON OF AWAKENING
on 11/4/18
by Michael Barrett

BROKENNESS, HUMILITY AND PRIDE
on 10/7/18
by Michael Barrett

PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING
on 9/2/18
by Michael Barrett

DAN FOX: A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
MICHAEL BARRETT: PROPHETIC WORD
on 8/5/18

THE EYES, WHICH EYES AND SEEING AS GOD SEES
on 7/1/18
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

THE OIL OF GLADNESS
on 6/3/18
by Michael Barrett

THE HOUSE AND THE PRIESTHOOD
on 2/4/18
by Michael Barrett

EYES ALL AROUND
on 1/7/18
by Michael Barrett
   (click here for companion notes)

THE KINGDOM OF GOD - A KINGDOM OF ORDER
on 12/3/17
by Michael Barrett

APPROACHING THE GOD OF GLORY
on 11/5/17
by Dan Fox

CROSS OVER AND OCCUPY
on 8/6/17
by Michael Barrett

ANNOUNCING A CHANGE OF SEASON
on 7/2/17
by Michael Barrett

PERSPECTIVE - GAINING GOD'S VIEW (includes discussion)
on 6/4/17
by Michael Barrett


ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER
on 5/7/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

*other messages may be found on the "Media Resources" tab at the center top of this page

    City Church
    132 Scopena Circle
    Bossier City, LA 71112

    email: City Church