Congratulations You Are Called, Welcome To The Process!

If I had a dollar for every time that some well-meaning, excited, Believer has said: “I am called”, I might not have to ever work another day in my life. Sadly, we have treated being called of God as being the end of our ‘Process’ when in reality it is the beginning of our ‘Process’. So many receive ‘Prophetic Words’ these days regarding their purpose or destiny, and then run out to manifest them very prematurely.

I have a friend who one time said something to the effect of: “You have received a ‘Word’ about your future…congratulations…the process is about to begin!” This is absolutely the truth. Just because we have received a ‘Word’ does not mean we are ready to manifest that ‘Word’.

I have often said: “The Prophetic Word releases the Potential of the Purpose of God for your Life.” So often we think that just because we have received a legitimate ‘Word’ that we are ready to manifest and walk in that ‘Word’ immediately. Oh, if only that were true…life would be so much easier…but alas…that is not how this works!

In 2011 I was on a short-term missions trip to Trinidad. At that time I was functioning as a 5-fold Prophet, and had been in the ministry about 32 years. Not exactly a novice or “Johnny-come-lately”. While there, a Prophet friend of mine, who is still a covenant Brother to this day, began to prophesy to me. He said: “Prophet, you are going to be changing again.” (I started in ministry as an Evangelist, but around the year 2000 God began to transition me to the Prophet’s function) When he said this to me, I responded with: “Yeah, I know, Shut Up.” 

I knew what he was saying. I knew that meant that just as I had transitioned from Evangelist to Prophet, I would be transitioning again from Prophet to Apostle. He did not hold his peace, but went on to prophesy to me: “As far as God is concerned, He already sees you as an Apostle. But, you have to go through the Process, the Process, the Process, the Process, the Process.” 

He said the word ‘Process’ five times…this occurred in 2011…it wasn’t until 2016…5 years later…that I was commissioned to the Function of Apostle. It was one year of ‘Process’ for each time he recited the word ‘Process’. He released the Potential of the Purpose of God for my life. I was called to be an Apostle, but I was not ready to function in the fullness of that call yet…I needed more process. Even though I had already functioned as an Evangelist and a Prophet, and had been in ministry for 32 years…I was not ready…I required more ‘Process’. Do you see the point I am trying to make?!

Folks, you can’t short-circuit the ‘Process’! It is required. Receiving the ‘Prophetic Word’ is not enough. Elisha received Elijah’s mantle thrown over his shoulders, signifying: “The Call of God”, but he wasn’t ready to carry it yet. Bible scholars tell us that Elisha walked with Elijah for 7 or 8 years before Elijah was taken up from him and Elijah’s mantle fell to Elisha and he picked it up permanently.

The mantle being thrown was the Call. The mantle falling and being picked up was the Commission. What was in between was 7 or 8 years of ‘Process’. Congratulations You Are Called, Welcome To The Process!

Balance In Life & Ministry

I am not sure where we got the crazy idea that life had to lived to the extremes of one end of the spectrum or the other which always ends up in a ditch. I remember Rev. Kenneth E. (Dad) Hagin used to say: “We have this tendency to get in the ditch on one side of the road or the other, and the truth is always right down the middle.”

Oh, how I wish we in the church would learn that! There seem to be two extremes that run rampant in the church and amongst those of us in Ministry regarding our calling or function in the Body. One extreme is that we exercise false humility and just tell folks to call us Brother or Sister So and So, as if our function doesn’t matter. The other extreme is that we go around announcing our Title to anyone and everyone insisting that folks use our Title when either addressing or referring to us.

Both of these are extremes and way out of balance! There is a “Happy Medium” between these two extremes and a balance that needs to be struck. First let me say that I do not believe that until we accept who and what God has called us to be, we can never function in the fullness of who and what God has called us to be.

Second, folks can only receive from what they perceive, so if they don’t perceive you as your God ordained function, they will not receive from you in that capacity. But those two things being a given does not give us the right to go around declaring who and what we are and demanding that folks call us that.

There is an element of honor and respect that comes with folks that have governmental authority. It is true in the natural and it is true in the Kingdom. This is why we call people: Senator, Congressman or Congresswoman, or President in the natural; and Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, or Teacher in the Kingdom.

To show respect and honor for function is always correct. But it is not a hierarchical Top-Down order that demands that it be lorded over people. In our natural Government we consider Senators and Congresspeople as Servants of “We The People”. In the Kingdom we consider the five-fold ministry graces as Servants of the “Citizens of the Kingdom”.

We must find a balance between stroking our own egos and not considering or valuing our own calling. I have functioned in 40 + years of ministry in many ministry functions. I have worn many hats depending on the season of God I was in and how He was asking me to serve His Body in the earth during that season. Most of us have. It is not unusual to start at one place or function and transition to another.

We identify those primary ways that God has us functioning as servants to His body by names or callings. We notice in Paul’s writings that he knew how he was called to function. He would say things like: “Paul called as an Apostle” or “Paul, an Apostle (not from men nor through man)”. Paul knew how he was called to function and did identify it, but we do not see that he demanded to be called Apostle Paul.

These callings or titles are used as identifiers or the function of how we serve the Body. If people perceive a Prophetic Grace in my life, they can receive from it. If people perceive an Apostolic Grace in my life, they can receive from it. If they don’t, they can’t. But because they don’t does not give me the right to demand that they do.

I trust you are hearing my heart more than you are reading my words. Sometimes I don’t have the words to express exactly what I am thinking and feeling. We must do better than what we have done. We must eliminate the two extremes we have seen. We must find Balance in Life & Ministry!