One day the Lord asked me, “Why do people have a problem with Apostolic Order?” If you know the Lord, you know He has a way of speaking to you and allowing you to become simultaneously aware of where He is going. I answered, “Yea, Lord! Why do they?” He responded and said, “They do not have a problem with your teaching (on apostolic order). They already recognize the gifts and their functions in the scriptures. Their true issue is trust. They have no problem with the gift of the apostle until the gift is found in flesh. They think they have no issue submitting to Christ, and they are able to look at the purity of the gift because it is Christ. However, when the gift is found in a person who is not in the Bible, they wonder whether they can trust the vessel they are looking at as they would Christ. They wonder whether they can yield their souls to these “people” without paying a price for it. They fear being controlled by people’s will and agenda as opposed to My Spirit. It is this fear that causes them to be skeptical of my order. However, I have already given the answer to this issue.”
Before we get to the answer of this issue, it is important to mention that many in the Body of Christ have abused leadership. Some have called themselves apostles and other leadership gifts, when they are not, and have abused God’s people. However, this does not mean that God is left without a witness. If God has design His order, there are people on the earth that are following it in purity.
Romans 11:2-5
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
God always reserves a remnant unto Himself. A people that are abiding in truth. Thus, the first thing one must ask when they are questioning an issue is, “Is it scriptural.” If something is found in scripture then it should be law for our lives, because the Word is God. Thus, we should not be intimidated by something that God has installed.
Secondarily, you must ask yourself, what is God saying to you. God will never reveal the truth of the scriptures to you and not lead you to it. Moreover, He will not lead you into a ministry that will be to the detriment of your soul. Therefore, if He reveals the truth about apostolic order to you, He is going to lead you to it, in one form or another. There are some who will never leave their church but will ensure they are connected to an apostolic mantle. On the other hand, there are some who will abandon all and follow an apostolic government. All that is important is that you have access to the apostolic word and the revelation of the work of the ministry.
Therefore, if we examine our hearts in truth, we will not be able to declare that God is not leading us into order. He indeed is, however, despite this leading we think we have the right to second guess, or figure things out for ourselves.
Judge this in your heart, has God lead you to order? If He has, He expects you to submit to it.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
SUBMISSION IS THE HIGHEST LAW OF THE UNIVERSE. God does all things in order, and always installs a chain of command. He is always at the top of this chain and expects all to fall in line with this, by choice. Thus, when you acknowledge that God has lead you to something, submitting to that “something” is submitting to Him.
Above the Lord spoke about the fears that the people experience concerning apostolic order, however, I want to take this opportunity to explain that this series is not really about apostolic order, but it is about submission to the instituted authorities in our lives. Whether they are a parent, a boss, the law, a husband, a bigger sibling, an elder, a spiritual leader or even a peer. He mentioned that people fear being controlled by people’s agendas and mistakes, however, He ended by saying, “I have already given the answer to this issue.”
What is the answer to these fears?
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s sunrise.
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