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. Your ideas might not always work out, but you are always coming with new concepts and new patterns. I remember an illustration that my father shared with me once. You must be prepared to live for Him!”. Not at all, it is just who he is, he cannot help himself. He said: “because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.” (NKJV). Excellent! Perhaps you are always asking questions and looking for the truth for yourself. Are you the kind of person that has never been content with following? As he pits his conviction and spiritual strength against all that comes his way, he finds himself standing to overcome storm after storm. Calling of names in four corners of room. I also cried out to God. 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. 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. You desire to show them a better way and a new building that does not have the flaws of the old. In time you will be able to tick each of these signs off as you face the rigors of apostolic preparation. We need each other! This picture that Paul paints for us is certainly not a pretty one! He was always different. Well in Paul’s case, he was called from the womb. Using again the illustration of the builder, if building is his trade, he cannot go into a single building without noticing it. I was so devastated! The apostle seeks to know the truth for himself. Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God (NKJV). They are not "super people" beyond the rest of the Body, even though their work is great. 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! Why go through all that pain?” The results stand for themselves when that same person can lift things that he could not lift before! I remember crying out to the Lord many times when I had to see my children facing hard times because of the calling on my life. When he went to the Lord in prayer, he said to the Lord, “Lord I desire more of you and I am prepared to pay any price for it.” The answer he received was not what he had expected. If you take a look at Paul’s life, you will note that for the first part of it, he persecuted the Christians! Firstly a leader is someone who has followers! He is called to serve. 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. Facing and overcoming the rejection and opposition is what will make you fit for the Master's use. 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.”. Apostolic Articles for Kingdom Living is birthed from the vision of a true apostolic church that God has given Abraham Israel to establish, called Household of Faith Church and World Outreach. 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. Then, when the death was at its darkest, a revolution took place in the world! 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 three years in Arabia in obscurity to be trained. The fact of the matter is that some have genuine apostolic calling yet exhibit character flaws. Now you might look at someone who is lifting weights and say, “Why on earth would you do that to yourself? You are not complacent or satisfied with how the church is run and you burn with a greater vision. We desperately need the apostolic gifting today to grow the Church and transform nations. Do you know what your place is? Answer: An apostle (“one sent on a mission”) is one whom God has sent on an errand or with a message. Paul was such a leader and never forgot his failures and successes. The leadership qualities in the apostle in preparation might not be easy to see from the outside at first. Characteristics of the Apostolic Preaching in Acts:* 1. I was told that I did not speak for God and that I was in deception. He was correct in knowing that he was called, but not until his conversation did he know his place and purpose. Another fire burns in you and you will indeed find yourself separated. This sign lines up with the others in that to be a leader you are set apart, and you also face much opposition and rejection. Many commentators have come to the conclusion that after the Apostle John died, the “apostolic age” officially came to an end and there ceased to be any valid apostolic ministry. An apostle is accountable to his Sender and carries the authority of his Sender. Acts 26:15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? Ever since Adam and Eve were alienated from God the Father in the Garden of Eden an orphan spirit has permeated the earth causing untold damage! In time you will be able to tick each of these signs off as you face the rigors of apostolic … Are you the kind of person that has never been content with following? Philippians 3:8 Yes without doubt, and I consider all things [but] losses for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,(AMIV), Apostle Les has a quote that I think perfectly describes the point I am going to expand on here. Why couldn’t the Lord just let him have the doctorate? It seemed to me that the whole world was against me and that I was the greatest failure of them all! Before that he felt that he was being the best Jew that he could be. I remember doing a study on the dark ages in a history class once. It will never be said that you rose up because of your great abilities or your great learning. Yet even in his sin, Paul hungered for God. 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. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. Looking in a mirror at midnight. This denotes the beginning of leadership. Into the image of Jesus Christ. 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. I was brought to the ground by the Holy Spirit as His presence came over me. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. This differs from the specific commissioning of an apostle, I knew that God had spoken and like Paul I trembled wondering how I could have been called for this purpose. Just imagine it! 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He wanted to implement a complete structure and form a mechanism where each member of the youth would be given a place where their ministries would be identified and then trained in that position. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.(AMIV). FridayPosts.Com is an online news review website in Nigeria. Who would have imagined that in this day and age the Lord would raise up leaders of this caliber? 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. Blowing warts to moon or planting into a potato or plant, blowing over body parts to the moon, and so forth. Before that, he felt that he was being the best Jew that he could be. Yet the Lord required of him the thing that was dearest to him. Following Christ Deliberately: The First Step to Discipleship, Towards a Fulfilling New Year: How to Equip Yourself for The New Year. I remember the first time that I was openly opposed in ministry. Then you will understand all the signs of the apostolic calling. 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! 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! If you were content with the way things were and you were accepted by the majority, then you would not be separated would you? But if you take a look within, you will see a divine discontentment with the way things are going and a spiritual restlessness with the mediocrity of the Church. the calling of the apostle10 signs of apostolic callingSign 1. 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. I also cried out to God. Biorhythms with the moon (Deut. Facing and overcoming the rejection and opposition is what will make you fit for the Master’s use. Was he not prepared to offer God all he owned and all that he had? He said: “knowing, that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.(AMIV)”. The price that you will be called to pay will not be one of monetary value. The Apostolic is a very stern, teaching, correcting, rebuking and disciplining, type of anointing, but it’s all done in Love. Personal Project. If you were content with the way things were and you were accepted by the majority, then you would not be separated would you? As time went on though, I overcame each phase of opposition and I grew stronger until such accusations did not move me any longer. Such a personal encounter will change your life, and such a calling will set you firmly toward the goal of apostolic office. 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. Not at all, it is just who he is, he cannot help himself. You are either called, or you are not. 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 just smiled and said to me, “I faced the same thing when you were a child. Apostolic definition comes from Apostle Paul's teachings in Ephesians 4:11 with some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers. Another fire burns in you, and you will indeed find yourself separated. I am a Penticostal beleiver. 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. 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. Yes, just like David was anointed in secret, so also are the End-Times Apostles being selected and called out even now in secret. Before that time he really thought that He was doing the work of the Lord. 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. This call might in fact usher you directly into apostolic training. Properly speaking, the body, it seems impossible to even lift once, never lift. Suffering must come for the Master 's use the youth group at all, it is clear the... 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