Marketplace Apostles

I've been thinking about this whole direction the church is taking up regarding business and think it's a good thing. In fact, maybe a great thing since the church (by which I mean the organizational church) for many years taught that the business realm was 'in the world' and surely tarnished by the things of the devil. To work 'in the church' was to be in the stream of God, to work 'in the world' you had to watch out.

Now the OGC (organizational church) has decided it is interested in the marketplace and has suddenly found all sorts of wisdom to share from its deep experience with that part of the world and has even named marketplace apostles to help business people find their way. Just take a look at all the business stuff springing up and all the self named leaders of the movement.

Sorry for my cynical outlook but I'm saying, Wait just a minute OGC before you get another one wrong. Real marketplace apostles already exist, they're called business people, men and women of God who have been sent to the marketplace to work out the mission of God. We don't need any self appointed ones from the OGC. If you like you can certainly walk this out with us and give us Godly counsel and wisdom, prophetic words and warnings, but don't try to take this thing over and make it part of the OGC.

The OGC is always trying to take a move of God that starts outside the church and drag it back into the church. Stop it. Let it happen outside the church where it is supposed to happen. Go out into the world for once in your life and leave the organization behind. If you want to have a Marketplace conference that's fine and good, but get as your keynote speakers business people who live on that mission field. Let them set the agenda. Let them lead. Pastor it. Speak into it. Build it up with prophetic words. Intercede for it. Go with it. But don't take it over. You're not the leader, sorry to tell you.

I think this whole modern day 'apostle' thing is goofy on one hand and seriously correct on another. I can name a few marketplace apostles for you and I think if we called them that they might see their destiny more clearly. They have most assuredly 'gone out' and most certainly 'seen Jesus' and worked with him on this mission field. They deserve the title (which is how you get one).

Currently, I am invloved as an intercessor for three businesses with Kayle at the helm leading the prayer teams. I think it's a good blueprint. The business people do the business, hear from God, dream the dreams and slog it out day to day in the place God has sent them. Kayle leads the prayer teams to listen to God for insight, encouragement and direction which is then submitted to the business people. They can take it or leave it but they at least have a Godly team walking with them in their mission. That works. That's the church in action, without trying to walk in and grab apostolic authority. The authority remain clearly with the business people.

I started this out by saying I thought it was good the OGC was involved in this marketplace movement. I'll stick by that, even if a few want to own it and drag it back inside the church. We'll get this thing right, even if we're messy up front with it. Self appointed apostles won't last long and, if anything, business people are going to get a shot of destiny and the encouragement of a church that cares about them and is finally willing to walk with them. Go out church, Go out. Go out into all the world.

Pa