Jesus told Simon Peter in Luke 22:31 "Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat."
When we step into higher callings or promotions, it requires us to go through a time of testing. We have all been going through this. Notice it says, "Satan has asked to sift all of you." We have ALL been going through a time of shifting and sifting. But this testing time is coming to an end.
God is Readjusting Kingdom Assignments
Mantles are major callings from God that require years of preparation. Often many people value mantles instead of recognizing God's assignments. But what we miss is that the Kingdom of God operates more along the lines of assignments.
We are used to hearing about demonic assignments. Satan imitates the things of God. We know that there are angels and that assignments are given to us to advance God's Kingdom on earth.
An example of this is in Acts 1:8 when Jesus spoke to His followers, the apostles, just before returning to Heaven. He gave them an assignment: they got the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:17-18 and they became His witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea. But they never ventured outside of their comfort zones to Samaria and the ends of the earth.
It took ten years for God to raise up others to fulfill the assignment to Samaria. In Acts 8, it was Phillip, a deacon, who went to Samaria. Then in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas took the message of Jesus to what they considered the ends of the earth.
These were assignments, not mantles. As you step into an assignment and go through the testing, it then develops into spiritual authority. An office or mantle can further be established in your life and ministry. It takes years. And honestly, most people give up.
Our Gifts are Functions, not Titles
When we stay with what God has called us to do then God can promote us into a closer relationship with Him. He grants us greater authority to do the work we are called to on earth.
I am a prophet but it has been decades in the making and it wasn't until 2010 when it started to take shape.
But after a commissioning time in 2010, I went through three years of extreme rejection. I was banned from speaking in the churches I helped start, people lied against me, there was jealousy and misunderstandings. I had both Christians and the occult praying against me. I ended up very sick, depressed and in debt.
But in 2013 I was given prophetic strategies to get out of debt and the favor of God and man is rapidly returning. Jesus also visited me on August 31, 2013 and gave me new strategies for breakthrough.
If you resist or give up during the testing times, you then adjust back down to the level of authority you can handle in your life. This is God's grace and love and not a demotion. He does not want you to die - because higher callings can indeed kill you if you are not prepared.
Assignments and Callings Reshuffled
You have to understand the aspect of assignments to grasp what I am about to share with you. We have assignments and we are being sent by God to fulfill them.
"Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them." 1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV
I have been seeing assignments being reshuffled and dealt out to new people. This is because others either said no, got under warfare and quit, or whatever. This is the time to ask God for an assignment that has been discarded and the grace to carry it out.
Spiritual Promotions
Often times we don't recognize when we are promoted spiritually. This is because it usually is not announced but suddenly, we feel extra pressure.
Think about taking on more responsibility or getting promoted in your job. You are really encouraged and feel good at first. Then you realize that the new job is stretching you, causing you to learn and use more effort.
This is the same as when you get a spiritual promotion. You move into a new season where you are being stretched. And just like with a job, there might be people who treat you differently or are jealous.
This happens with the demonic realm and you may encounter some "spiritual bullying." Promotions are major shifts in our life that after you begin to grow more from the experience you settle into the new authority you have in the spirit.
Everything Happens to You
The most beneficial thing for you right now is to realize that everything that happens to you is allowed by God to help you mature and grow. Once you realize this, you can gain a higher perspective on your life and the trials you are facing.
Life is never without trying times and pain. The key to it all is how you view it. If you think everything that is happening to you is punishment from God, then the enemy has succeeded in short-circuiting your spiritual growth.
If you think bad things happen to you because you must have done something wrong, then you will most likely not get out of the loop of discouragement.
The fastest way to grow and mature is to realize that God loves you and is not your enemy. Begin to see your pain or disappointments as a time of learning.
You can change anything in your life right now by changing the way you view it and how it affects you. Here's some good news for you: people who have a higher calling and great destiny receive lots of discouragement and setbacks. This is because what you will learn through it all goes into a firm foundation that God can build your tall calling on.
Doug Addison
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