The building process for many apostles and prophets in this hour is very frustrating. Not only do we have many false concepts, wrong commissioning, self-appointed, network appointed and just plain out of Biblical order and alignment of being commissioned; we also have a frustration being carried by these two foundation gifts who are truly apostles and prophets. The frustration comes by not seeing the fruit of the efforts in what we are building after much hard labor has been invested. Building is not speaking at a microphone, nor doing a scheduled meeting. That does not make you an apostle. Apostles are by nature builders, and it’s not building churches, networks, or platforms. Apostles prefer to speak into hearts than to large audiences. That takes time to know what needs invested.

Both apostles and prophets have differing roles in building but desire the same outcome, the Kingdom established and its apostolic people functioning in destiny. What both gifts do is sustain and speak into the second heaven and create atmospheres for the people of God to enter. The prophet is mainly focused on intercession and then worship. The apostles are mainly focused on worship and then intercession. Both are positioned before the throne of God, one to hear a word and the other to implement that word.

Hebrews 3:1–6 (KJV 1900) — 1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Moses was called by God to build a house and people for the Lord. In Exodus 19:6, it states this people will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The primary thing required in building is faithfulness. Apostles and prophets must be faithful in staying before God’s throne and in stewarding worship and intercession and the revelations and visions they receive. This faithfulness is also required in the people they are building and building with. Faithfulness is the building mortar that is proven which holds everything together. To build with those who are unfaithful, you risk the chance of having weakness in the body being built and the possibility that it will not hold the weight of what is put upon them. It’s setting up for a possible structure failure.

The same word seen in Hebrews 3 for building is also seen in Ephesians 4:13 equipping the saints for the work of ministry. It means ‘to furnish, equip, prepare, make ready, to construct, erect, with the included idea of adorning and equipping with all things necessary’. It comes from a root word meaning ‘according to the vessel, the implement, the man of quality, a chosen instrument’. In other words, God chooses specifically the building blocks being used to cause the corporate man to rise in maturity and fullness of function.

Frustration #1 Not valuing the same things.

Moses built by delivering the instructions he received on the Mount. He expected the people to be faithful with what was given and make those instructions reality in their lives. The apostles and prophets build the same way today. What they give out has had a high price paid for it to be received and then to be delivered. They expect no less with the Body of Christ. They expect the same valuing as they have. People may not all have the same passion, but they certainly must have the same value systems or there will be chaos and individual belief systems formed. Building without faithfulness will end in building a religious structure and not a living single corporate man expression. Without heavenly instruction, the building will only be in an earthy dimension and understanding.

The way people shift is by teaching on values and then they will change how they function once they see it. They also need those values modeled and implemented as a part of the life of a fellowship. There will always be new people coming along needing instructed but those who are settled on the values should automatically instruct new disciples on those values, not losing anything in the conversations as they are transferred along. God did not need any interpretation to the Ten Commandments or the law He gave to Moses. He expected them to follow it and so did Moses. Values maintain our foundations and enable right decisions to be made concerning assignments, vision, and implementation. Frustrations are formed from not valuing the same things, instructions given by God.

Frustration #2 Frustrating the Grace of God

Paul talked of not frustrating the grace of God from working in His life (Gal. 2:21). Many of us see that verse as pertaining to Paul’s actions. But perhaps he was really speaking to what he allowed himself to build with and how much investment he really did with certain people. He did not want that grace to be ineffective and wasted, nor did he want people to take advantage of it. In other words, Paul tried to steward other people’s actions affecting his life! But Paul not only said he was an administrator of that grace (Eph. 3:2) but that it has been given to be wise in the way he built.

1 Corinthians 3:10–11 (KJV 1900) — 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Paul said he was a wise master builder; this is where we get the word ‘architect’. The root meaning of it is ‘the origin, beginning, first place, active cause’. In other words, what is built is traceable to an origin point in God. He said this grace (ability of God to create change, either by positive or negative actions) was given or commissioned. Grace commissions a person into building wisely and the execution of a strategic plan. I believe many prophets and apostles are frustrated by the frustration being applied by those who don’t fully engage, commit, don’t try to understand or are unwilling to take action.

Frustrations #3 Not Entering Creative Atmospheres

Along with maintaining their position before the throne, the Lord gives them both two things. Prophets receive visions primarily and revelation secondary. Apostles receive revelation primarily and visions secondary. God honors the prophet by using them to bring the visions into words for the Body of Christ. The same way God honors apostles by giving them revelation for the Body of Christ. Both are creating atmosphere to build the people of God, just in different ways and dynamics. Everyone has access to the spiritual realms including 2nd and 3rd heaven. But what sets prophets and apostles apart is that they can influence those realms. Prophets generally ask questions in those realms and apostles engage conversations in those realms. Both are affecting the atmosphere they step into and both are affecting the atmosphere they steward upon the earth. As it is in heaven, so isn’t it supposed to be in the earth? The frustration both have is creating atmospheres and opening them to the Body of Christ to participate in yet the Body doesn’t step into those atmospheres. These are heavenly patterns coming to the earth and the alignment of heaven with earth.

When the saints step into these realms, they begin to be qualified for God’s promotion in their lives and ministries. It causes deeper flow in meetings and brings great activation of the Body of Christ. When these atmospheres open, a supernatural breath of God begins to flow! When people step into these creative eternal atmospheres, they begin to move in the same fashion as the apostle or prophet is operating while they are in that atmosphere. Apostles and Prophets love these atmospheres. But what they love more is when others join them and move with them. This is the forerunner activation for awakening that we are yet to see. We haven’t trained people while they are in these atmospheres because so few are coming along and so few apostolic and prophetic people even understand how to bring people into these eternal realms. Frustrations occur because created realms are not taken advantage of.

Perhaps this blog did not encourage prophets and apostles with any real answers concerning frustrations except to maybe understand the valuable role they play and how God honors them. But my intention was to bring into the light and address the people of God more so and challenge them not to add to frustrations but participate in a willing, pleasing way to eliminate frustration. We can all have as little or as much of God as we desire. Apostolic and prophetic leaders are given to lead. They first go to places in the Spirit and then after blazing the trail, expect the people of God to also come down that path and hold that ground in the Spirit.