Apostolic Mandate #4: The Call of Jesus, Paul and David
We’ve talked pattern makers, spiritual parents, and trailblazers. But today, we step into a whole different battlefield.
The fourth apostolic mandate is for the Trainers. If that’s you, you don’t just teach, you equip. You get in the trenches. You raise leaders, not just followers. And let me be honest up front: this call comes with bruises.
Jesus. Paul. David.
Each of them carried this mandate.
Jesus walked intimately with His twelve disciples for three years, eating, traveling, correcting, and empowering. Paul? He stayed two years in one place just to train disciples daily (Acts 19:9-10). And David? He turned outlaws into mighty men.
If you’ve got the fire of a trainer, you’re not content with preaching a message. You say,
“Come. Let me show you how to do this. Let’s build together.”
You push, pull, correct, confront, and love your people into wholeness, even when they want to bolt. Especially when they want to bolt.
Trainers Don’t Blink
You’ve got that “trainer eye.” You walk into a room and immediately see what needs fixing, what’s off in a person’s character, their spiritual walk, or even how they carry themselves. You’re not judging. You’re invested. You see the gold under the dirt.
You’ll face tears, tantrums, and straight-up rebellion. You’ll pour years into someone who will one day say, “I’m done,” and walk away. And yet, you’ll keep going.
Because a true trainer doesn’t quit. You don’t train for applause. You train because God gave you the grace to.
The Price of the Trainer
You’ll pour hours, days, and years into a disciple, only to have them leave right when breakthrough is near. You’ll be labeled controlling, harsh, and insensitive because you dared to confront sin instead of condoning it. You’ll pray, fast, cry, and war for people who’ll turn and blame you when the pressure hits. You’ll be accused of control when all you’re trying to do is set someone free.
And yet… you’ll get up and do it again.
Because that’s what trainers do. You pay with your tears. With your emotional stamina. With your sleep. With your reputation. With your heart.
You’ll sit up late at night wondering if you failed them.
You’ll beg God for wisdom on how to get through.
You’ll cry when they graduate, not just for them, but because you know what it cost to get them there.
That’s the price. And you won’t survive it unless God Himself calls you to it.
The Courage to Confront
It takes guts to look someone in the eye and say,
“You’re full of bitterness. That word? It’s divination, not revelation.”
You’re not afraid to pull the mask off a demon when others would rather pretend it’s not there. But here's the difference - you don’t just expose. You walk them through the deliverance. You clean up the mess, not just call it out.
That’s what sets trainers apart. Anyone can point fingers. But a trainer fights for transformation.
You’re Not a Pattern Maker. Stop Trying to Be.
Trainers don’t think in neat boxes. You break the mold. You’re hands-on. Your pattern is constant change.
Don’t frustrate yourself trying to become something you’re not. Own the fire God gave you. You're not here to create perfect systems. You're here to forge warriors.
Final Word: This Is War
Training is not glamorous. It’s not safe. It’s not for the faint of heart.
It’s for the ones who are willing to be misunderstood, rebuffed, and accused, but keep standing. It’s for those who cry behind closed doors, wondering if they’ve failed, but get back up and try again.
And when graduation day comes, when your student stands whole and equipped, you’ll know it was worth it.
That’s when the tears come.
That’s when the scars fade a little.
That’s when you see the fruit of your fight.
So, Are You Called to Be a Trainer?
If you are, embrace it. You’ve been drafted into the most rugged and rewarding mandate there is. You don’t need a title. You need tenacity.
And remember…
Trainers don’t choose this call. This call chooses them.
If there’s no fruit, it’s not training, it’s just tough talk.
But if your wake leaves leaders behind you, you’re not just training.
You’re building the Kingdom.
I highly recommend getting Apostle Colette Toach's The Apostolic Mandate, as she dives deeper into this topic. There, she explains how to function in this mandate:
