Are you the kind of person that people look to for answers? So, if you have received a personal conviction of an apostolic calling, but cannot identify with most of these signs, then give the Holy Spirit some time to work in your life. This is a miraculous and personal call directly from the Lord Jesus. This kind of calling does not happen by chance, and you cannot make such a calling up. The quote goes, “It is not good enough to be prepared to die for Christ. He began calling them within the bounds of their obscurity and began raising them up while they were hidden from the entire world. 2 Corinthians 1:6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. General Sign of Apostolic Call #3: A Servant An apostle is called to servant hood. He dedicated his life to God, but there still lacked that ‘something’. Was he not prepared to offer God all he owned and all that he had? 1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another is building on it. Most of us (even those of us who are gifted as apostolic leaders!) In that instant I was in the throne room of God. 2 Corinthians 1:6 And if we are afflicted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation, which results in your enduring of the same sufferings that we also suffer: and if we are comforted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation. However, there is a reason they are considered … You will know what you are, and you will know what you are called to be. He thought as a leader and acted as a leader and as a result the Lord could use him. If you take a look once again at the life of Paul, you will notice that the first thing that happened after he was called is that he spent 3 years in Arabia in obscurity to be trained. He was brimming with so many ideas of what he wanted to do. A true leader is one that takes responsibility for his actions and the actions of others. If not, then this is the place where you need to begin. The apostle is the same. 4:12 makes it clear that by the offices set in the body, it is, properly speaking, the body itself which preaches. Thousands of years later, the same principles are still being applied by the Holy Spirit, and so as one called to the apostolic ministry, you will find the foundation of your calling in obscurity. Being brought up in the Jewish tradition and trained by the greatest Jewish teachers of his day, the Lord sent Paul to the Gentiles! It is that calling that has remained as gold through the many fires I have faced since and it will remain my foundation until I have completed every mandate that God has given me. He sees the things that are correct and the things that are incorrect and cannot help himself but to judge every church or ministry he comes across by those standards. The principle in Eph. Almost immediately after the fall in Eden, the fruit of this orphan spirit resulted in jealousy culminating in Cain murdering his … With that, there was a new emphasis on visionary leaders in the body of Christ known to function with the five-fold ministry gift of the apostle (Eph. This led them to quote Scripture frequently in their proclamation of the gospel. A simple prophetic checklist that will tell you if you have the signs of one called to be a prophet. Either way, the apostle is one that is born with an awareness of God and searches after God with all that is in him. Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, (NKJV). If you were content with the way things were and you were accepted by the majority, then you would not be separated would you? Not only is it a confirmation of your apostolic calling but it is a tool in the hand of God to forge you into the apostle that He has called you to be. He thought as a leader and acted as a leader, and as a result, the Lord could use him. Paul was such a leader and never forgot his failures and successes. For as the Word of God was hidden from so many in the dark ages, the truths of the End-Times apostles have also been hidden from the Church and the world. And so, while the mystery of the apostolic movement was still hidden from view, the Lord Jesus began revealing Himself to His elect. Paul said it so well in the above passage. So, before you decide whether or not you are going to accept this call and begin implementing the mandate that God has given you, you first need to see if you can identify with the signs of the apostle and then if you are willing to pay the price of that apostleship! When exactly does the Lord call the apostle? You see this man had only one passion in life. Apostolic Leadership – 5-FOLD Ministry An article by: Spirit & Truth Fellowship International •Every believer can and should be apostolic in the sense that each is, in a general way, sent by the Lord with his Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. If you find yourself going to church services and noticing its cracks and flaws, then this too is a strong apostolic orientation. Paul was never satisfied to be a follower. Yet even in his sin, Paul hungered for God. If you dedicate yourself to this calling and accept what is being offered to you, then know that the price of your pride, of your zeal, of your emotion of your strengths and weaknesses will be required of you. Perhaps you are always asking questions and looking for the truth for yourself. Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (NKJV), Les has a quote that I think perfectly describes the point I am going to expand on here. 1 Corinthians 4:10 We [are] fools for Christ’s sake, but you [are] wise in Christ; we [are] weak, but you [are] strong; you [are] honoured, but we [are] despised. He does not just accept anything everyone says, but listens and then seeks his own revelation and conviction. Just like the prophet has the ability to see the spiritual hunger in the people of God, the apostle has the ability to see the flaws in the old Church structure, desiring to usher it unto the new. David was sent to the wilderness and poor Moses to the backside of the desert. Nigeria Breaking News Analysis For Truth & Reason | Breaking Daily & Weekly News Review Online for Nigerians. These five fold gifts are all called to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is easy enough to look around you and identify the signs in others, but once you can identify the signs in your own life, you will begin to understand a bit about the journey that is ahead of you. Do you have a conviction of who you are? Before that, he felt that he was being the best Jew that he could be. This is what makes the apostle stand out! Thousands of years later the same principles are still being applied by the Holy Spirit and so as one called to the apostolic ministry you will find the foundation of your calling in obscurity. Question: "What are the biblical qualifications for apostleship?" So as one called to the apostolic ministry, you will also be called to give up anything that stands in the way of your calling. The apostle seeks to know the truth for himself. Are you forever changing the “way things are”? Perhaps you are always asking questions and looking for the truth for yourself. Paul certainly understood this sign of apostleship! Paul was not the only one who was trained in secret. If you dedicate yourself to this calling and accept what is being offered to you, then know that the price of your pride, of your zeal, of your emotion, and of your strengths and weaknesses will be required of you. This is good. Then as he receives that abundance from the Lord, he hands it out to those around him. Jesus knew He was the son of God from very young. Firstly, a leader is someone who has followers! They are not "super people" beyond the rest of the Body, even though their work is great. As you continue with me along this journey you will come to discover that the complete opposite is in fact true! Why couldn’t the Lord just let him have the doctorate? He was correct in knowing that he was called, but not until his conversation did he know his place and purpose. Reply. You are not complacent or satisfied with how the church is run, and you burn with a greater vision. For most of my life in the church, “apostle” has been something of a dirty word, either because it’s assumed to be an expired gift or because we’ve so often seen it abused. It has been the mystery of the ages, and as the Holy Spirit has lifted the veil from our eyes, an apostolic revolution has come to the Church! It might even be possible that the Lord has called you to an apostolic ministry, but you have not faced sufficient preparation yet to be ready for this phase. Before, only a select few held the secrets of the word of God, but now, suddenly, everyone could obtain it. You can no longer see yourself as a regular churchgoer. Looking back, I thank the Lord for these times because they have enabled me to overcome many storms along my apostolic walk. Reply. Who would have imagined that in this day and age the Lord would raise up leaders of this caliber? As he pits his conviction and spiritual strength against all that comes his way, he finds himself standing to overcome storm after storm. Is it when he decides it is a good idea? To be set apart means to be appointed. You may begin with an apostolic orientation, but your early judgments are likely to be based on your own ideas and preconceived notions. It seemed to me that the whole world was against me and that I was the greatest failure of them all! Paul knew this well and the greatest price for him was to let go of his achievements and great learning. He is called to serve. Then this is another sign of your apostolic calling. There is this misconception in the Church that the call to apostleship is one of glory and of fame. So, if you were active in ministry or in your church when you received your calling to the apostolic ministry and then everything fell apart, then you are right on track. Another fire burns in you, and you will indeed find yourself separated. God is calling His Church to step out of mediocrity and into the fullness of its calling and heritage, that the Great Commission might finally be fulfilled and the glorious return of Christ realized. It will cost you your family, friends, material possessions, and even your country. Calling of names in four corners of room. 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