When they started giving out stress cards to recruits in boot camp, I was a bit surprised. If I had gone to submit one of those cards to my TI he would have said, "Son, you're feeling stressed? I don't think you know what stress is." and would have made my life very stressful for the next week. After that, he would have asked, "Are you feeling stressed now?" I would have replied, "SIR, NO SIR!" and tore up those cards happy to go back to the normal stresses of training.
When I see all of these people parading around claiming to be apostles living extravagant lifestyles I want to ask them, "Oh, so you want to be an Apostle? I don't think you know what that really incurs." Let a real Apostle instruct us on the life of an Apostle.
1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
I do not see an extravagant lifestyle here nor get fame even among the people Paul led to Christ. No fancy banquets and clothes. No top of the line chariots or fine houses.
2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Persecuted, perplexed, and cast down does not speak to a prosperity gospel. Indeed, Paul, why did you not just decree and declare all of this mess away? Should you not have been the head and not the tail? Why did you not slay some demons and live your best life now? You cast demons out of others. Why let this happen to you?
2 Corinthians 11:16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Well, here is a resume that no modern apostle wannabes want to have. Paul, you are the Apostle to the Gentiles and will write under the Spirit's influence most of the New Testament. Should you not have been honored in the public forums and invited to all of the elite functions? You should have been on the top one hundred scroll's list. Why did you not walk in your identity? Are you not more than a conqueror? Why did you not use the law of attraction to bring better things? Bro, you needed some contemplative prayer to get a better vision.
Philippians 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
What? Going to prison helps the Gospel. Bruh, you could have had a prison ministry without becoming an inmate. I know! I know! People did not send enough money to you to keep you out of jail! That is what is keeping Jesus from coming back. Your supporters just did not sow enough money into your ministry. Did God let you down? I mean if He had dropped down some gold dust or jewels or the angels had dropped the right feathers you could have avoided all this. Indeed, if you had walked in a glory cloud no man would have been able to do all of this to you. Right? Not!
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Brother Paul, the thorn would have left if you had faith enough. That is why you had to leave Trophimus at Miletum sick and Epaphroditus nearly died because you had a lapse of faith. Oh, wait, God said He put that on you. Pride got ya, Bruh, and God had to rein you in. Now, if you were just as great in the faith as we are you would not have had that put on you.
What? God takes pleasures in all of that stuff in verse 10? No! No! He wants us victorious, healthy and wealthy. I am confused. Should not Paul have slayed the demon as the little god that he was?
Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
G4742
st?´?µa
stigma
stig'-mah
From a primary word st?´?? stizo¯ (to “stick”, that is, prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), that is, (figuratively) scar of service: - mark.
Total KJV occurrences: 1 Strong's Concordance
When you apostles and apostlettes come up with resume like Paul's and the other Apostles who were in many of the same dire straits as Paul with their own scars maybe I will listen to your story. By the way, the real apostles all died broke or were exiled. Where is the prosperity gospel in that? You are apostles of a false gospel and endless heresies based upon eisegesis. No, you really do not want to be a biblical apostle or prophet. Don't worry, you won't be and there will not be anything like them until the two witnesses in Revelation show up. So you know, they will be killed and not living their best life now in prosperity.
I would suggest you rethink your theology because I think you may make the head of the line in the wrong way. Enjoy your fame now as you may not be known by the one you should be known by.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
