Why go through all that pain?” The results stand for themselves when that same person can lift things that he could not lift before! Perhaps you are always asking questions and looking for the truth for yourself. Know your true calling – Apostolic Prophetic. Now to you it might seem that the Lord was being harsh with this man. Latest Articles. 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. Because of the suffering that Paul had to endure those under him were consoled, because he faced the sufferings for them. I remember the first time that I was openly opposed in ministry. They learn skills in church; they learn the voice of God in church. Such a discontentment and restlessness denote an apostolic ministry and if you can identify with that then be encouraged for you are not in rebellion, you are simply called to the apostolic ministry! The pastor said, “If I had to implement that in the youth, I would have to implement it to the entire church and I am just not prepared to make that kind of change.”. Along with a personal conviction, you need a confirmation of your calling. The Holy Spirit is pictured as a dove, which is a gentle bird that is easily frightened away. This is why apostolic preparation and training is necessary, to ensure that when you do rise up into apostolic office that you judge according to the Lord’s standards and not your own. He was correct in knowing that he was called, but not until his conversation did he know his place and purpose. You desire to show them a better way and a new building that does not have the flaws of the old. The apostle is the same. EVERY joint supplies and nourishes! The Prophetic Apostle These are intuitive, spontaneous leaders who have an amazing ability to think quickly with words of wisdom from the Lord. Before that he felt that he was being the best Jew that he could be. All rights reserved. If you are always doing things differently or coming up with new ways to structure the church, then this is indeed a sign of apostolic ministry. You will know what you are and you will know what you are called to be. Some of these signs apply to any major calling to the ministry. He does not try to be out of order, but he simply sees things in the church system that others do not. (AMIV), It is difficult to understand why suffering must come for the calling on your life when those around you are affected. Have you ever tried lifting weights to tone up your muscles? The Lord has chosen you as His vessel and to be effective you need to have the life-changing answers that will revolutionize the church. It seems that you always end up ministering to believers who need encouragement and direction in their lives. When appeals are made for help you wait for everyone else to step forward first before you offer your services. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE AN APOSTOLIC ANOINTING UPON YOUR LIFE? God often calls a prophet to the ministry using a senior prophet, and even his training might come under the direction of one who has been in the prophetic office for a while. Apostle Les has a quote that I think perfectly describes the point I am going to expand on here. He saw Samuel hold out the oil to him. Paul was not the only one who was trained in secret. By Colette Toach, Apostle and Spiritual Mother. You will gladly give up things that are important to you so that other people may benefit from your actions. The Lord Jesus then spoke many other personal things to me during that time and when He had finished, I felt Him place His hand upon my shoulder and tell me to stand. Now does this make the builder rebellious or out of order? Even as he persecuted the Christians, he did it in zeal for the Lord. Then this is another sign of your apostolic calling. Do you find people are drawn to you without you having to do anything? I also cried out to God. Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (AMIV) This sign follows perfectly from what I have shared already. Now you might look at someone who is lifting weights and say, “Why on earth would you do that to yourself? The prophet is the key to what God does in the earth. If Paul had not received that miraculous call on the way to Damascus, He would not ever have known what he was. Since the call comes gently, you may even wonder at times if you heard right. Just before the end of the last century, the ministry and office of the Prophet were restored to the Church. 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. If your desire to move into the prophetic ministry is one of glamour, recognition and self-exaltation, then you are off the mark. There has been much confusion regarding the difference between apostolic and prophetic function. If you were content with the way things were and you were accepted by the majority, then you would not be separated would you? You are either called or you are not. If your desire is not to help others then it is not a calling to ministry. He said: “knowing, that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.(AMIV)”. He experienced the anointing. Well these are the main signposts I can offer to help you clarify whether the Lord has called you to be a prophet or not. Church of God, I am here to tell you that the time of manna is coming to an end and the time of eating from the land has come. You are not so much concerned with making a name for yourself as you are with helping other people. If you suddenly find your ministry opportunities drying up and everything being taken from you, then take heart! How do I tell? The anointing can change. There are special anointings that are there for certain things or specific seasons. So if you have faced more hard times than the average believer and you seem to experience one wave of difficulty after the next, then rejoice! The anointing can lift. Paul was never satisfied to be a follower. It is not enough to hope or to guess or to rely on the revelations of others. Your boast will always be in the Lord and this is why you will be called time and time again to lay all upon the altar for the sake of the call. At times you might not have understood this and thought the Lord unfair. If this is true, then one of the first signs is already there – you are not sure if this is the way the Lord is leading you. What is a leader? Galatians 2:6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me: God accepts no man’s person; for those who seemed [to be somewhat] in conference were no greater than me: 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to me, as [the gospel] of the circumcision [was] to Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)(AMIV). The preparation and qualifications for becoming a prophet are unlike any other ministry, except for the apostle. They are not "super people" beyond the rest of the Body, even though their work is great. If you find yourself going to church services and noticing its cracks and flaws, then this too is a strong apostolic orientation. Apostolic people are in daily need of the work of the Cross just as every other minister and Christian is. No amount of rejection will deter you, no amount of failure will phase you and no amount of fire will consume you. Copyright 2020 © THE PRAYING ARMY. It means to be separated from the rest. If you have been effectively involved in leading the congregation in praise and worship and can cause the anointing of the Spirit to come upon a group when you lead, this can certainly be very clear evidence of a prophetic ministry in operation. I stood up knowing that God had called me. He must sacrifice all for the sake of the ministry. Key Apostolic Prayers and Prophetic Promises (August 2006) (Comments in brackets are added for explanation) Pray for revelation of Jesus’ beauty that we might walk in our calling and destiny by God’s power. We meet every morning by 5.42am at each time zones. He is likened to a dove, which is meek and easily frightened away. At first glance this seems like a strange comment. It is not enough to hope or to guess or to rely on the revelations of others. Another fire burns in you and you will indeed find yourself separated. This goes way beyond an inner conviction. That was Samuel's calling to prophetic … BOX. As he pits his conviction and spiritual strength against all that comes his way, he finds himself standing to overcome storm after storm. Why couldn’t the Lord just let him have the doctorate? You might have been brought up in a Christian home and known the Lord all of your life. Even up to the present time we are hungry, and thirsty, and are naked, and are beaten, and have no secure home; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, [and are] the scum of the earth until now.(AMIV). For this is another sign that you are called to the apostolic ministry and it is also the tool of the Lord to prepare you to be effective in ministry! In time you will be able to tick each of these signs off as you face the rigors of apostolic preparation. He gave everything else up to the Lord and even went into ministry full time, but this is one thing he desired more than anything. I will take you briefly through the following ten signs of the apostolic calling. 17That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of … And when you do something happens inside you and you sense a surge taking place. Is it when he makes a commitment? It was his experience and no one could take that away from him! He is discontent with the meager bits of teaching and truth that are handed out and seeks more. Do you have a conviction of your calling? If you could identify with these points then it is clear that the Lord has called you to an apostolic ministry. David was sent to the wilderness and poor Moses to the backside of the desert. 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. 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. This picture that Paul paints for us is certainly not a pretty one! Your ideas might not always work out, but you are always coming with new concepts and new patterns. 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. You feel unqualified to do the work of the Lord and usually feel unworthy to push yourself forward to suggest that you be given an opportunity. With all of these things in mind, then, let me try to give you a few possible signs of the prophetic call on your life. Are you the kind of person that has never been content with following? Understanding the Apostolic and Prophetic Calling. This is a introductory to Apostolic Prophetic boot camp, training to be effective in the Kingdom. I was brought to the ground by the Holy Spirit as His presence came over me. If you live in Southern Africa near the Johannesburg or Pretoria area, and you have an Apostolic Prophetic calling, you could attend live training which is offered periodically a course at a time. All you can produce in yourself is sin. Rejection and opposition are the spiritual weights that strengthen the apostle. When exactly does the Lord call the apostle? From Manna to Fruit of the Land. 2019 FORTY NINE DAYS FASTING & PRAYER GUIDE. ... Signs of Apostolic Calling. Then I will pass that foundation on to the next generation. A true leader is one that takes responsibility for his actions and the actions of others. model of what it is to be an apostolic/prophetic people. You will find that the call to apostleship will cost you more than just your life. If you desire to do something for God’s glory then it must have come from Him. He began calling them within the bounds of their obscurity and began raising them up while they were hidden from the entire world. So you can imagine how he must have felt when the Lord said to him, “The one thing I require of you is your doctorate. Anointings are different from spiritual gifts and callings; they can come and go, but the gift and calling never leave you. [vslider name=”EagleStar_Bible_College_of_Seer”]. The prophet is sensitive to the moving of God’s Spirit and has the ability to bring the anointing into a meeting. The apostolic calling is not to be feared or awed in the sense that it leads to idol worshipping. Yes, just like David was anointed in secret, so also are the end times apostles being selected and called out even now in secret. You may find yourself telling people which way they should go and what God’s purpose is for them. A lamb is also a gentle creature that does not push its way. 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. You see this man had only one passion in life. So just two days before he was to hand in his qualifying examination that would give him the title he had worked so many years for, He wrote his examiners and told them that he would not be completing his studies after all. 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. He took full responsibility for the failures in his churches and he also carried the weight of his personal failures, calling himself the ‘least of the apostles.’. If your life has been one of intense problems, failures, oppositions, persecutions and pressure, then this could be a sign of preparation for the prophetic ministry. There is also the Prophetic Office, which is a unique setting apart of somebody into the Fivefold Ministry Office of the prophet. Samuel heard his voice three times to confirm. If something is your trade, you find that you cannot even mingle socially without it affecting you in some way. He had a vision that the others did not and this is one sign that is prevalent in all who are called to the apostolic ministry. And our hope of you [is] steadfast, knowing, that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall you be] also of the consolation. If it does not fade over time then it is not an emotional fantasy but something real. I stood up knowing that I was called to be an apostle and I stood up knowing my purpose and place in the Kingdom of God. Galatians 1:17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles [that were] above me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Apr 7 2018. People can shift from an evangelistic anointing to pastoral anointing or from prophetic to apostolic anointing. If you have literally been dragged by the Lord from the pulpit to the backdoor of your church, then rejoice, for it is just another sign that confirms your apostolic calling! 16 But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear to you; 17 Delivering you from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, to whom now I send you, 18 To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Get licensed ordained and join a missions team. The Lord prepares you for ministry by creating opportunities for you. Not many people are likely to share your enthusiasm for what you want to do. Shalom! But I have come to know that if it had not been for those hard times you had to face, that you would never have grown up into what you have become in the Lord.”. You must be prepared to live for Him!” There are many who would proudly confess that they are willing to be a martyr as Stephen was for the Lord, yet when the same kind of person is asked of the Lord to give up their bitterness, their materials, possessions or even a relationship, suddenly the price is too high! Note though that this confirmation will not serve any purpose until you first have your own conviction. If you have received a personal revelation of your apostolic calling, then you are very much set apart! From the day that David was anointed as future king of Israel, he knew what his place was. Do you know what your place is? Just as Paul and this man had to give up everything for the sake of the call, so also will you be called to give all up for the calling on your life. This caused me to rethink my life and also realize that the suffering that the apostle is called to face as part of his preparation is both a privilege and a necessity for their mandate. But no matter where you are in the world, you can get a front seat via the internet. How misdirected he was! It was this conviction that could take David through the many trials that he would still face from that time and it is the kind of conviction that you also need to take you through. Just as Paul was willing to leave his entire Jewish heritage behind and mingle with gentiles, so will you as an apostle be called to change and to rock the boat when everyone has just become comfortable. You always find yourself on the outskirts of church fellowship and standing outside of the boundaries of “how things are done” in the local church. A desire has been burning in you for a long time to minister to the Body of Christ. They often start quite early in church, as we see Samuel with Eli in the temple. Designed by Femotronics LLC. Using again the illustration of the builder, if building is his trade, he cannot go into a single building without noticing it. The price that you will be called to pay will not be one of monetary value. Prophetic Prayer-Calling Down Fiery Forces While Western Nations burst into violent riots and looting, and extremists attack and burn down churches, police stations, & courthouses, it’s easy to wonder where G3D is amongst the Chaos. You cannot hope to be an apostle and you cannot try to be an apostle. Before that time he really thought that He was doing the work of the Lord. In that instant I was in the throne room of God. So the first sign with which you can confirm your calling is to identify when the Lord first called you to be an apostle. If you have been led to pray things into existence or birth them in the Spirit through intercessory prayer, then your prophetic ministry is already starting to manifest. 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. The key ministry of a prophet is intercessory prayer. If so then rejoice, for it is another sign that God has called you as an apostle and that His hand has been on you to prepare you. Ebook also available in docx and mobi. I was told that I did not speak for God and that I was in deception. The apostle is as a master builder who will look at a structure and notice all its weak points. It is not so much a desire to bring unbelievers to know the Lord, but more a desire to help believers in their daily walk. It was heavier than I expected! Being brought up in the Jewish tradition and trained by the greatest Jewish teachers of his day, the Lord sent Paul to the Gentiles! Well in Paul’s case, he was called from the womb. Do you have a conviction of who you are? 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. Because of this you are called to be prophetic. Review Apostolic Ministry. 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. You may be able to identify with all of them, maybe you will not. If you are called to be a prophet, then your preparation will span many years and will be one of the most difficult and troublesome processes. Apostolic Prayers Key Apostolic Prayers and Prophetic Promises Prayer for revelation of Jesus’ beauty that we might walk in our calling and destiny by God’s power 17 That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes… It might be a desire to encourage and lift believers up. (Luke 14:28). The Lord could use Paul because he was willing to follow the Lord instead of man. Well that man could have had his doctorate and sacrificed the anointing for it, but he came to realize that this doctorate was something that he could boast in and not something the Lord could boast in. Regarding these two functions, when we examine the Scriptures we find only a slight difference regarding ability in executive leadership roles, the main difference being the actual ministerial expression of leadership ability. It can move from one office to the next. In time, you will be able to tick each of these signs off as you face the rigors of apostolic preparation. To begin with, I would like to make it clear that the call to the apostolic ministry does not come in a grand announcement where all of the world can see it. If you can identify a hunger for the things of God from a young age, then this too is just one sign of an apostolic calling. He is not only willing to take chances, but he is also willing to change. These prophets are nurtured by senior apostolic leaders, training and equipping them. Now this can be particularly hard for someone who has a desperate need for recognition, but until you have been trained in secret, you will not be ready to rise up in the public eye. And so while the mystery of the apostolic movement was still hidden from view, the Lord Jesus began revealing Himself to His elect. You have to be a failure before you can be of use. Sometimes others can see your ministry more clearly than you can see it yourself. There have been many occasions where I have seen the Lord Jesus, but one occasion really stands out to me as the day He called me to be an apostle. The desire to do the work of God is planted by God and grows over a period of time. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.(AMIV). Often you will not be, People have told you that you have helped them, even when at times you have not been aware of it. Of course as he presented his full idea to the pastor, he was faced with a devastating disappointment. He was always different. He just smiled and said to me, “I faced the same thing when you were a child. If you find yourself being led to spend a lot of time interceding for others and you have had times when you have been very clearly led and have seen definite results, the elements of a prophetic ministry are certainly there. As I said earlier, the prophetic call is a call to death. Even amongst the apostles of his time, he stood apart. Who would have imagined that in this day and age the Lord would raise up leaders of this caliber? If not then this is the place that you need to begin. Yet the Lord required of him the thing that was dearest to him. The Lord Jesus said that: For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? Either way, the apostle is one that is born with an awareness of God and searches after God with all that is in him. God "came and stood" there (v. 10a), and He gave Samuel a prophetic word about Eli and his sons. The Holy Spirit has lifted the veil from our eyes and an apostolic revolution has come to the church! They may warn you to be careful, to calm down. 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. I went to Les and aired my frustrations and my anguish. Paul was such a leader and never forgot his failures and successes. You can no longer see yourself as a regular churchgoer. 1. There was no doubt in his mind that he was anointed! I was standing in my bedroom and cried out to the Lord with all that I had. In the prophetic there is a calling to the Prophetic Ministry to function as a prophet. (AMIV), If you have had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and received your calling from Him directly, then you can identify with this sign. You have an idea in your mind at all times of what you would do “if you were in charge” and when given the opportunity you would turn things upside down! With each conflict I have faced and overcome, it has given me the weapons and knowledge I need to help others overcome. You are always wanting to let the people of God know that there is a “Promised Land” where things are different! He was indeed a spiritual entrepreneur who did things differently! I heard the Lord say to me very clearly, “Go heal my people.” After a moment more, I heard Him speak again, “Go feed my people.” And again, “Go set my people free.”. For when you have that conviction, nothing will move you. It is like majoring in a specifie… Now I have already painted some pictures for you on what an apostle looks like, but I want to bring it home now and apply it practically to your apostolic calling. I was so devastated! $12.99; $12.99; Publisher Description. Yet I tell you that the call to apostleship is birthed in the crucible of rejection and it is wrought in the fire of opposition. I remember an illustration that my father, Apostle Les D. Crause shared with me once. When the Lord moves upon you by His Spirit He always does it in the same way. Accept the importance of your calling and you will not only be content but you will be privileged to serve your call, delighting even in the small things that are often a … This call might in fact usher you directly into apostolic training. As time went on though, I overcame each phase of opposition and I grew stronger until such accusations did not move me any longer. This is often seen in musical capability or a particular ability to lead effectively in praise and worship. Know and be faithful to the high call upon your life. When this happens, there is a much broader mutual recognition of apostolic offices, thereby raising the credibility of contemporary apostolic ministry in general. The call of God comes from God and not you. Just as Jesus went to the cross and faced death for us, so also will you be called time and time again to face sufferings and to overcome them for the sake of others. The fact that you want to do something different could be proof that this desire is from the Lord. This is a miraculous and personal call directly from the Lord Jesus. The leadership qualities in the apostle in preparation might not be easy to see from the outside at first. Not at all, it is just who he is, he cannot help himself. However as you pit your muscles against that weight time and time again, your muscles grow in strength until you can lift a greater weight. At times, an apostle might call upon apostolic peers who have agreed a he or she has the gift of apostle, in order to set them into the apostolic office in a public ceremony. Paul certainly understood this sign of apostleship! 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. Can I say that the desire must be there for you to have pondered this question, so the chances are the Lord has already begun to speak to you about this ministry! Is it when he decides it is a good idea? Just because the anointing was there at one time does not mean it is there forever. He must sacrifice all for the sake of the ministry. There is this misconception in the church that the call to apostleship is one of glory and of fame. Les D. Crause. Firstly a leader is someone who has followers! You may begin with an apostolic orientation, but your early judgments are likely to be based on your own ideas and preconceived notions. To be set apart means to be appointed. As you continue with me along this journey you will come to discover that the complete opposite is in fact true! The grace of the Seer is shared in its role. 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! Your ministry is unique, so do not expect others to share your burden. Jesus is called the Lamb of God. Chief Apostle, Apostles of the Lamb, Transitional Apostles, and Modern Apostles. His knowledge and natural strengths will be tried in the fire and brought to naught before God can use him. They might even accuse you of being paranoid. He also knew what he was called to do, but only as He stood in front of John the Baptist the confirmation of His calling came. I cried out, “Lord, what do you want from me?” In that instant I felt as Paul must have when he was struck to the ground. Like I said earlier though, you cannot even begin this journey until you have received a personal conviction and confirmation of this calling. Do you know that God is calling you to be an apostle? Yet even in his sin, Paul hungered for God.