It is time to receive your apostolic mantle!
Five years ago, I shared a post about a prophetic word I received that described those like Timothy, the disciple of the apostle Paul, being called to step into their apostolic mantle. [anointed purpose, position and function]. Today the Lord has impressed on me to reshare it with the fresh breath of the Spirit upon it.
“My apostles will set the stage. They will come with a plumb line. They will come with My order. They will come with My design. I am setting My Ekklesia in order.” says the Lord.
It would seem that Holy Spirit was highlighting this particular word for such a time as this.
On Monday this week (Oct. 28,2024) during my devotional time, the Lord spoke these simple words to me. “prepare yourself” I was led to the apocryphal book of Sirach, sometimes called Ecclesiasticus.
Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him. Sirach 2:17 (NABRE)
Enveloped by Holy Spirit, I was reminded of this verse in Revelation.
Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. – Revelation 19:7 (CSB)
While I was in prayer on Monday, I kept asking the Lord what He meant by “Prepare Yourself.” I was overwhelming impressed that it was a bit of a head’s up. It had to do with a coming spontaneous, ‘God’s about to show up’ kind of moment. I asked, “How do I prepare?” And in a weird way I kind of got the impression that there really wasn’t anything I could do to prepare but also that I was already prepared. (if that makes any sense)
Then, yesterday I felt led to grab my laptop and head to the coffee shop. You don’t have to tell me twice. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I felt led to review some old posts. One that consistently gets a lot of hits, I wrote in 2019. (original post) As I read through the post something occurred to me. This prophetic word was as much for now and more so, than it was when I originally posted it.
As I read through the word, Holy Spirit spoke to me with fresh insight.
“The new apostolic company has been in a prepare yourself season. For the past several years these called and anointed saints of God have been plodding along obediently following Holy Spirit. They have been doing what I have called them to do regardless of how mundane or ineffective it may have seemed. I have highlighted this today because we have come to a fulness of time moment.”
In the New Testament there are three Greek word that describe time. Chronos is the general process of time. Kairos indicates an opportune time. Pleroo is a fullness of time or a completion of time.
Transitioning to Delivery is Coming
I’ve heard one analogy that I think perfectly describes the transition of chronos, kairos and pleroo. It’s like what a woman experiences with childbirth. She spends nine months in chronos (development). The seed was planted and it is growing. But it needs time to develop. Then when it’s time, she shifts to kairos. Kairos is the part of the process that transitions us from the passing of time (chronos) to the fullness of time (pleroo). Kairos is the opportune time. During this stage there is a lot of pain and shifting as her body makes ready for the fully developed infant to come forth. Then finally, it’s time to push. She has shifted from labor (kairos) to delivery (pleroo). Only at the point of delivery can fullness (pleroo) happen.
This is a pleroo moment
The word I wrote in 2019 has reached fullness. It’s time. This is the pleroo moment. Something is being birthed. That something is this new apostolic company. Not only are they being birthed, what they carry is being birthed as well.
Exciting days are ahead.
Below is the updated version of what I posted in 2019.
When it was time for Timothy to step into what he had been commissioned for by God, the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. He had trained and taught Timothy. Now Paul was giving him a fresh word of knowledge from the Lord. In essence he said: “Now is the time son, to be sent forth to fulfill your apostolic calling.”
In the same manner, there is a new generation of apostles being summoned to step into a new position. It is time for them to be empowered with a greater anointing. The time has come for the fresh reinforcement division of apostles to come on the scene.
Like Timothy, who was commissioned by apostle Paul, there are those who, in the prior season were anointed to one day pick up an apostolic mantle. That anointing, which was placed upon them by God, is what qualifies them to step into this role; a role for which they have spent years being prepared.
Timothy had already been doing the work of ministry. But now there was something different to which God had called him. This was an aspect of his calling he hadn’t stepped into yet. It was the call to act as apostle.
Every apostle has to go through a time of preparation. There is the initial anointing. Similar to that of the shepherd David, You know you have been anointed. And even when after you have lived an aspect of that life, you also know there is still something yet to come. It may have been your season for one aspect of fulfilling the call of God. And you did that. Until now it hasn’t been time to step into the fuller dimension. However, that time is now.
When Paul saw by the Spirit, that Timothy was reaching his time of fullness, he wrote to Timothy.
Years earlier, he had lain hands on Timothy to impart the gift of God. Until now however, something was still as yet unfulfilled. When Paul knew by the Spirit, the elder Paul reached out to Timothy with fresh breath on that prophetic word.
There was a gap of time between the impartation of that commissioning and the pleroo time (fulness) for Timothy to step into this new aspect of his calling.
All throughout the book of second Timothy, Paul charges Timothy with the work that he needs to accomplish. Timothy was already walking out what God had called him to. But now it was time for Timothy to begin to walk in the apostolic gift to which he had been anointed by God to fulfill.
2 Timothy 1:14, “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
This prophetic word continues an insight the Lord showed me in 2007.
In 2007 the Lord was speaking to me about an entire generation of apostolic leaders dying off before a new apostolic company would be put in place. Their mantles were falling.
The first sign of its fulfillment came in February of that year. I had been in a gathering of the saints in the home of a friend. In attendance was an elderly gentleman along with his wife. The two served as founders and senior leadership for a fairly large and influential ministry.
The man got up from his seat and walked across the room. As he passed in front of me, in the Spirit I saw something fall. It looked something like a prayer shawl. As I saw it fall to the ground I heard the words, “His mantle is falling.” About a week later this elderly gentleman died. When I heard of his passing, the Lord reminded me of the mantle I saw falling a week earlier. (update: the woman passed in 2013)
Later in 2007, again the Lord spoke this message to me through a dream. In the dream the newly empowered apostles that would lead the Ekklesia were waiting to go forward while an entire generation of apostolic leaders would slowly pass away. They had run their course and it would soon be time for their mantles to fall as well. It was simply time, like the apostle Paul, when he said, he had finished his race.
Angelic Assistance Needed
The Lord further revealed that prophetic and angelic assistance was going to be needed in order for the new apostolic mantles to be picked up by the proper individuals.
This wasn’t going to be an immediate passing of the baton. The Lord showed me that there was going to be a gap period. This gap period was necessary for the new apostolic leaders to be prepared to be launched.
This was also not about continuing the work these amazing fathers and mothers had begun. This was about building something new on top of it. We would see a phasing out of one season in order to prepare for the new thing that is coming.
The time of preparation needed for these new apostolic leaders to be ready is winding up.
During this gap time, there have been people who either seized the open positions or others who had the old mantle thrust upon, them regardless of their qualifications. It wasn’t time to pick up the fallen mantles just because they had fallen. But it was like during the time of Samuel the prophet and Israel was crying out for a king. The people would be crying out for someone to take the vacant positions.
But these would merely be place holders. These are not the ones who will be coming on the scene, operating in the gift of apostolic authority to set the Ekklesia in order. No, this new apostolic company are not being raised up to fill someone else’s shoes.
Ephesians 4:11-13 BSB – And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
Some of the ministries which these passing apostolic leaders left behind were supposed to fade away as well. But people couldn’t understand why God would want the ministry to die just because their beloved leader was gone. Afraid that chaos would fill the gap they wanted to hold on to something familiar.
They didn’t have vision for what God was getting ready to do. And in their desire to keep things going they either took the position for themselves or thrust it on someone they deemed capable. Their intentions were well meaning. Yet, they had no vision for what God was doing. They were seeing through the eyes of an outdated and obsolete paradigm.
There was supposed to be a gap of time between the old order dying and the new order coming on the scene. They faithfully completed phase one of a century long strategy for reestablishing apostolic order. Now it is time for the new strategy to be released.
Here’s a quote from word I received from the Lord in 2019:
“There are some ministries who have passed the mantle to the wrong heir because there was no resident prophet who would speak My truth into the situation.
And there are those who even after hearing the word of the prophet were determined to seize control. Those who usurped authority which I have not ordained for them have had their day. They will now be removed from their illegitimate rule. They will no longer have the authority or power to maintain these positions.
Some took the lead position because it was thrust upon them by others, even though they knew they weren’t anointed by God to carry the mantle, or fill the office. They have done their best. But cannot carry things through the transition and to completion without the mantle and commissioning of apostolic authority. Those faithful servants who follow me will be stepping down from their positions so that they can go forward into what I HAVE for them to do.
I am even now calling my reinforcement division of apostles to their positions.
I will fill the office of apostle throughout the body of Christ in a way which no one could have expected. I am creating room in the body of Christ for this gift. I am making a way where there seemingly is no way. The body has not been ready but I am making room regardless.
I am sending my apostles out to do the work for which I have called and prepared them. Now is the season. Now is the time of their release. The body will be inundated with apostolic authority that will go beyond even what was experienced in the early church.
Get ready Ekklesia, it is the day of visitation. I am revisiting my Ekklesia to set things in order again.
My apostles will set the stage. They will come with a plumb line. They will come with My order. They will come with My design. I am setting My Ekklesia in order.” saith the Lord. This new armored division of apostolic leaders will come in like an armored tank and take territory which has been heavily laden with enemy forces. They will unsettle, root out, and dispel the embedded forces of evil from among My people. They will build up the body of Christ. They will exhort and equip My people and make My people a mighty force once again.”
Get Ready for the Pleroo Phase
The Lord is showing me that the pleroo (finishing) phase is about to begin. The fresh division of apostolic reinforcements are preparing to be sent forward to establish kingdom order.
They will wage war, like Joshua, with divine apostolic authority. These are new leaders who have been commissioned to establish order and set the troops in place.
That means the body of Christ is going to be getting realigned. People will be shifted from where they are to where they are supposed to be. Some people will be resigned as they are released into their proper gifting. Some will be disconnected from one group and reassigned to another.
This is so that the body can be fit for service
and commissioned to do what each individual is called to do.
As the apostles set the order, individuals in the body of Christ will be released to perform accordingly with their unique gifts and callings.
In the days, weeks, months and years ahead there will be a lot of shifting and realigning as these apostolic leaders set the Ekklesia in order.
These are spiritual leaders who have been commissioned with anointing and authority by the Spirit of the Living God. They will be setting up new training centers for the equipping of the saints for ministry.
They are going to bring the body of Christ into divine order. And they are going to get the troops ready for battle. This will not be done in the way things have been done in the past. The Ekklesia is going back to boot camp to get retrained.
PREPARE YOURSELF
How to Prepare for a Spiritual Encounter with God
Engaging in a spiritual encounter with God requires intentionality and preparation. Here are steps you can take to cultivate an environment that is conducive to experiencing God’s presence.
1. Set Aside Time
Dedicate specific time in your schedule for prayer, meditation, or worship. Treat it as an important appointment with God.
2. Create a Sacred Space
Find a quiet place where you can minimize distractions. Consider lighting candles or utilizing soft music to help create an atmosphere of peace and reverence.
3. Pray for Guidance
Begin with prayer, asking God to prepare your heart and mind. Be open and receptive to whatever God may reveal or speak to you during the encounter.
4. Study the Word
Spend time reading scriptures that are meaningful to you. Reflect on passages that speak about God’s nature, promises, and character, as this will deepen your understanding and connection.
5. Practice Stillness
Learn to quiet your mind. Spend a few moments in silence, allowing your thoughts to settle before engaging in prayer or worship.
6. Engage in Worship
Worship can be a powerful way to prepare for a spiritual encounter. Singing, listening to uplifting music, or expressing gratitude and thanksgiving can open your heart to God.
7. Fast if Led
If you feel called, fasting can be a way to focus your attention on spiritual matters. It helps to remove distractions and can heighten your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
8. Journal Your Thoughts
Write down your thoughts, prayers, and any scriptures that resonate with you. Keeping a journal can help you process your experiences and recognize God’s voice.
9. Invite the Holy Spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you during this time, helping you to discern and understand God’s presence and message.
10. Be Expectant
Approach your time with God with expectation and faith. Believe that God desires to meet you and has something important to share.
Take Action
Preparing for a spiritual encounter with God involves intentional steps, creating a conducive environment, and cultivating an open heart.
As you engage in this preparation, trust that God is with you and desires to reveal Himself in profound ways.
