Apostolic assignment assumes apostolic alignment. By definition. Because of who apostles are and how apostles function, alignment with apostolic assignment positions us with what Jesus is doing in the earth in our generation and brings order to the ecclesia.
Alignment answers the question, “Who are my leaders? How do I function? Where should I put my commitment and submit myself for ministry?” Leadership is assigned; alignment with apostolic assignment positions me to function in my assignment. There is never a contradiction between my assignment and the apostolic assignment with which I am aligned; alignment with a properly functioning apostolic assignment enhances my call, gifts, and function.
Apostles don’t recruit children; children don’t choose fathers. Both walk in obedience to the assignments Jesus gives them, and their submission to assignment positions them to function in the authority of assignment. Without alignment, we suffer spiritual authority malfunctions.
Apostles don’t recruit children; they recruit leaders from the children assigned to their assignment. While discipling is leadership development at heart, some disciples move closer to the heart of the leader’s assignment. That is, while all Jesus’ disciples were apostles and leaders, alignment with Peter’s leadership was required to remain in unity with the apostolic assignment that rested upon the ecclesia of the initial spiritual generation of the ecclesia.
Change of Assignment
Assignments change, requiring new alignments. They don’t have to, and we may arrive at assignment we could call “our life’s work” that settles into an assignment “for the rest of our lives.” Fresh orders may arrive from the One who gives assignments at certain times, however, until we reach that “life’s work” assignment. This profound process of assignment change occurs in deliberate manner. It is not compulsive. Receiving release or being released may be one of the least understood processes of alignment. We do better preparing people to be part of the assignment than we do preparing them to leave. (In fact, few leaders train people how to leave, so the process is usually messy.)
Jesus provides a pathway of preparation for change of assignment and a non-disruptive timing and strategy for reassignment. Realignment takes time: I have personally given anywhere from two to five years to transition, and I know many honorable leaders echo that experience. The stronger your leadership, the more time is required for your release. While I have honestly tried to find the best way to walk through transition, transition is usually very difficult. Unnecessarily so.
Assignments are generally stable, long-lasting, and enduring. In any case, we are never reassigned because we are frustrated, bitter, arrogant, or “simply determined to do our own thing.” When reassignment comes, an inner reluctance should govern our motivations. Leaving empty places in the kingdom is not healthy for anyone. People who simply disappear are usually prodigals.
Although there are similarities, spiritual fathering does not function the same as natural fathering. There is a difference between lost sheep and prodigal sons. We leave 99 to pursue wandering sheep. We have to wait for prodigals to come home, and some never return. Fathers wait at the windows, looking down the lane to see the prodigals come home. Sons are inheritors, so they are a great risk, but without the risk of betrayal and pain of vagabonding sons and daughters, no fathering occurs at all.
Alignment Authority
Every kingdom leader walks in the authority of his assignment. Jesus has all authority; leaders have assigned authority. Leaders possess all the authority equal to their assignment. That authority is available for those who share and align with the assignment.
Every kingdom assignment involves many people and multiple spiritual generations. In order to function in the authority of the assignment, those assigned align with the leadership of the assignment. Favor comes upon the assignment, and is invested in those whop align. In other words, the authority and favor is on the assignment more than the people. Authority flows to the assignment, functioning in those assigned. It is not the leader but the assignment. Leaders out of alignment remain called and gifted, but lack authority to fulfill purpose, finish the work God has given them to do.
When people say, “Look at my potential! Look at my call. Look at my gifts.” I say, “Yes, let’s develop and activate. Let’s purify destiny from the vast, unlimited ocean of potential.” I say, “You can function in calling and gift, but you are not ready for authority until you are in alignment.”
You can prophesy, do miracles, give your body to be burned, love sacrificially, preach good sermons, build a ministry, and remain a stranger to your Authority. Remember, Jesus says to those who did great things and operated in call and gifts, “Who are you and how did you get in here? Remove that person!” because they did not do the will of the Father. He didn’t know them because they were not in alignment with His assignment. You are a stranger to Jesus when you have potential, call, and gifts but walk outside your assigned alignment.
Paul’s phrasing about spiritual sons is rich with presuppositions. What he says is based upon conditions of spiritual alignment. He says of Timothy, “I send him because he has my heart. He will lead consistent with my leadership assignment. You can trust him as you would trust me.” Others would appear to preach, teach, and manifest their gifts who were not in alignment; these brought confusion to Paul’s assignment and were identified with satan’s ability to appear as an angel of light: they were compared to that ability not because they were satanic or sent by satan, but that they in the same way were about appearance and spiritual manifestation but working outside their kingdom assignment.
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This help my understanding a lot, yet I still find myself really wanting to do the right thing, but crazy as this may sound I don’t know what it is? If you will bare with me, let me speak. I was really involved with a church. I will keep it as short as I can. Brought many people into the church, most of the pillars their today to include the hardest one to get there was my brother. I became head deacon, head elder, youth pastor, teacher, went out with a hired evangelist to learn how to be in the five fold ministry gifts, I come to the conclusion if that was what it was I wanted nothing to do with it, that is where I was at that time, I believe, but I could not except what I saw and experience. I’ed been out with the evangelist for a couple weeks, returning home, we stooped in Ohio for, should I even say? Lester Sumerall, birthday party. I was waiting in corridor for bus to take us to banquet when my pastor came in with his pilot. He saw me, I saw him, I thought he would be happy to see me, not so!! I didn’t understand. When I return home to my family, I told them we wasn’t going to go to church Sunday night because I’ed just got home and I just wanted to spend a little time with them. They, my family couldn’t believe we were staying home because for seven years we never mist anything. The next day when I return home from work, Dow Corning, my home was in total dis-ray. What happen? The pastor daughter for one was my daughter best friend and she moved out of her locker at school because it was told by my pastor that we had left the church??? How, when, why, and who said so??? I found out my pastor made an announcement from the pulpit Sunday night, that we had left the church!!! Ok, I talk to who ever and found out, pastor, thought I was with a pastor he had hired, and the evangelist he had hired. Unknown to me he had fired them earlier that night? They were in the corridor waiting for the bus the same time I was. The best I could get out of it was he thought I was with them? So, now not only my daughter, but my two sons told me none of the kids in the neighbor hood would talk with them and wouldn’t have anything to do with them either? All, my neighbors I got them to go to the same church and none of them will have anything to do with us? It gets worse, lot worse. All my wife’s friends and I know everyone, and they all know us but we were completely cut off.. I said, to my self this can’t be!!! I did the one mile tithing, and way beyond. I gave thirty-nine acres of property I own to the church also. I can prove all this to you, I have canceled checks, if it means anything. I thought this can’t be!!! We didn’t go Thursday either, it was true, we were marked. I never had one person ever, ever, ever to include pastor or my brother, or deacon, elder, minister contact me??? Ok, go to the brother, I did that, I ask WHY, did you pastor do this to me??? Answer: don’t know!!! Ok, that didn’t seem to do anything, so what do I do next? Take it to the church, who is the church? Ok, so I went to another minister that was elderly in the faith, and a special speaker from time to time at the church. I thought he would give me some guidance, some instructions, WOW, bad idea, I’am going to hell for sure!!! Many years have past now, I lost my wife, one son wants absolutely nothing to do with religion, on his eighteenth birthday only kids he grew up with was the church kids, I was even the Youth Pastor for years, but not a one of them came to his party. I went back to that church, they threw a party for me, cold me a prodigal son. I didn’t understand, I never went to no pig pin. I guess that why I’m writing to you, you talk about a prodigal in your writings, I’ve talked to the pastor again, thought it had to be me!!! He told me if he had to do it all over again he wouldn’t handle it this way??? Why can’t he just tell the church he lied, and restore me so maybe it will work like you talked about. I will do what ever my part is???? Please, do you have direction for me? Recently, we had a nephew according to his dad had some we’ll just say some issues. He called, my brother at the church, later he called me and wanted me to be part of the situation, as well. I called my brother to see if that could even happen, he said, yes, join us. I did some serious praying, I got a release in my spirit all is well. That night, met with my brother, couple other brothers I got in that church years ago. My brother started talking, I said, excuse me brother, I have to tell you there is nothing wrong with this young man. My brother started praying, he stops and says, there nothing wrong with you!!! I said, brother he needs to be baptized. He said , wow great were having a baptismal service tonight. I told my brother I would spend the day with him in scripture and prepare him for the baptismal. He said, great. First I took him out for dinner, that we spent the rest of the day in the Word. Oh, I forgot my brother and I was going to baptize our nephew together. That night I brought our nephew ready. Just before baptismal service my brother came to me and said, pastor said, I could not participate. There so much more, but who cares? I’ve probably lost you already anyway. I hope not, maybe this can help someone too?? I love people, I went to Iraq, no one knew me, only knew of me, Commander and 1st Sgt. released me over there and told me if I needed any backing they would do what they could for me. Released me to just take care of the soldiers, best year of my life so far. Thank you, I’aam not angry, or bitter. How can I be, I’ve got three grandchildren living with me. My step daughter left them with us and mover to Florida. Here is one of my gold nuggets: after smacking me twice, not talking to me three days, the eleven year old boy about my size, says, ” Pa Pa, I know your my Pa Pa, and I know your my Grand pa, but your the best dad I’ve ever had! My battery just got recharged!! We’ve had the kids for about two and half years now, the fifteen year old girl is probably the toughest for me. I guess, I ‘am just rambling now, sorry. Nice talking with you!!! T. E. I. L.