OX CART APOSTLES
“Are You truly Apostolic or did you just change your Business Card?”
We are living in a day when The Lord is moving the Church into what we might call the "Apostolic Alignment" of the Early Church. This is a “Spiritual Shift” from the usual Pastoral Leadership Model to one of “Apostolic Leadership”.
(Please understand I am not implying that this shift means that there is anything wrong with Pastoral Leadership)
It only means that there is a need in this day for The Church to return to the roots of Christianity. That simply means that leaders today need to learn to follow what has been called “The Way of Jesus and the Apostles” or to put it simply, “Apostolic Leadership”.
I would also like to say at the start that this is not an “Endorsement” of or for any individual who uses the title “apostle”…
It’s like the changing of the seasons. A season is never “wrong”. Each season has its purpose in the Plan of God. In my heart, I feel that we are entering into a new season just like we go from Summer to Fall.
But now, even though we are moving into this new season of Apostolic Alignment, there is much of the old still with us. Let me take you to the Old Testament to show you an example of what I mean.
One of the greatest symbols of The Lord was the Ark of the Covenant.
Now there was a time when all Israel had backslid, and The Lord allowed the Philistines to invade Israel. After they had lost a battle we see in 1 Samuel 4:3 that elders of Israel said: “Why has the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us get the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh and when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”
And so, Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the High Priest, took the Ark into the battle. The Philistines won the battle anyway and The Ark was taken.
We are told in 1 Samuel 4:11
“And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”
When Eli the High Priest heard this news (1 Samuel 4:18-22) “…he fell from off the seat and broke his neck, and he died”
This sends a spiritual signal to us… The meaning is that there was an “Order of Ministry” and its time had come to an end. We could then call it “The Old Order” as something new was presenting itself.
This is further demonstrated when Eli’s daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, heard the news just as she brought forth her baby boy; “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory is departed from Israel’.” The death of both Eli and his two sons further shows that the “Old Order” had died.
So, we are seeing that the Glory of the Old Order had faded, and a New Order was being birthed.
Now fast forward to the time that David becomes King. This is the time when The Ark of God, after being captured by the Philistines, had been returned to Israel only to be kept in an obscure place, away from the people. And David, being a Prophet, had a desire from The Lord to bring the Ark of God back to the people of God.
This became a defining part in the “Shift” from “The Old Order” to “The New Order” as I will demonstrate.
So, David made plans to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and to place it in a special Tent he had prepared there which was simply known as “David’s Tabernacle”.
You’re probably familiar with the story but let me quote it here:
2 Samuel 6:1-11
“Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.”
Now, watch how the shift to New Order takes place…
Instead of bringing the Ark of the Covenant to his Tabernacle David “parked” it at the home of Obededom, a Gittite and went home depressed. His plans were all crushed! His friend was dead! David did not understand what had happened.
So, when David went got home to Jerusalem he cried out to God! And behold, the Lord answered him! He showed David that although his intentions were good but the manner in which he endeavored to carry it out was completely “out of order”.
David did not bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem in the right way because for almost 100 years no one had seen the Ark of the Covenant and no one remembered how to approach and handle the Ark. It was simply not a part of their life and so when David decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, he did what the Philistines had done… he put it on a ox cart.
We've got the same problem today with this Apostolic Shift that we need to take place!
No one has seen the way Jesus and the Apostles ministered for nearly 2,000 years!
We are not ministering in the manner that God requires and we are just taking the programs of the past and giving them new names and we expect God to bless our “good intentions”!
Well, we are out of order just like King David was!
We’re trying to guide the Church with an “Apostolic Mindset” but we’re still operating with the old Pastoral Mindset! Almost all of what is called “Apostolic” today is the same old Pastoral thing with a new Name Badge and Business Card!
You can call it Apostolic but to me it’s just putting the Ministry on an old Ox Cart!
Men and Women of God today wonder why their new Apostolic Ministry is not accomplishing what they thought it would. Well, it’s because they’re driving an old Ox Cart and calling it "Apostolic".
They should be raising up Apostolic Presbyteries so that this new thing will be carried on the Shoulders of Mature Men and Women of God! We still have the old “One Man Show” going on in the Church! We’re not seeing Apostolic Presbyteries being raised up. We still got the same old “Rubber Stamp Board”.
The man with the title “Apostle” is still working with his “Yes Men”!
If we’re ever going to move this thing into Jerusalem and not kill off our best men and women while we’re going there, we have to come into God’s Order and not just change our Title and Church Name.
We need men and women of God to cry out like David did and search the Scriptures for the Apostolic Pattern The Lord wants to show us!
I’m thankful for the Men and Women of God who are truly ministering as modern day Apostles. They have found out that they were killing their best friends by placing this Move of God on an Ox Cart and so they have sought God for His Order.
These Men and Women of God are coming together in new Apostolic Relationships and developing Apostolic Presbyteries so that Together We Will Carry The Ark of God Into Jerusalem!
Today The Lord is looking to get His people “Aligned with Heaven”…
This takes place when an Apostle or a Leader with an Apostolic Anointing leads the Church.
This happens when the Members in the Church understand that they are not there to warm a pew but to “do the work of the ministry” that God has entrusted them. Whether it is in the grocery store or the school, on the job or in the Church…
There is so much that must be done…
I hope that this message has whet your appetite for “The New Order of Ministry” The Lord is bringing forth.
Don’t let people with “New Business Cards” fool you with the old “Ox Cart” Ministry!
There’s too much at stake!
If you’ve enjoyed this message, please take a moment and Share it with someone…
And, I’d love to know your thoughts on this too!
If you’re new to my Substack, you can Subscribe for free and get it right in your inbox each week.
You are right, Frank, these "new business card" leaders are everywhere. And I think it does a lot of damage, not least of all because sincere Christians are lured into these churches and eventually realise it is all hype. But some "apostolic" leaders sincerely believe they are implementing an apostolic model! Even if it's just that Mr Pastor is self-identified as sort of prophetic + apostolic and Mrs Pastor is vaguely evangelical + pastorish + likes to teach. There! One apostolic church coming up!! So it's just the same old model with added frustration because no-one will be honest enough to call it as it is. And it still doesn't work. It has always been the way that no-one gives up power until they are forced to. And adding apostolic labels can give even more credence to ministers that should perhaps not even be there.
Thank you!