Dear Ones,

Below is some writing that I am doing to finish our devotional on the gifts of the Spirit that Lightbearers will soon be publishing. The devotional, tentatively titled REMEMBER, DEAR ONES…, should be available sometime next month. I hope you enjoy it!

On another subject, I do have some editorial comments that I trust will not come across in a spirit of criticism, but rather of deep concern and love.

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Prov 27:17 NKJV

The feminization of the Church is right in line with the ‘toxic masculinity’ doctrine being espoused by the spirit of the world. ‘The future is feminine!’ declared the t-shirt the young man wore in San Francisco. I see that spirit coming into the Church. Men are being weakened, emasculated by the spirit of politically correct ‘love’ that in many ways dominates Christian thinking. I recently heard a pastor say that a men’s group was a ‘safe space’ for men because everyone there was ‘nonjudgmental.’ I thought, It wouldn’t have been a ‘safe space’ if I was there! Whatever happened to ‘iron sharpening iron’? I guarantee you that when iron sharpens iron, sparks fly! What ever happened to provoking one another to love and good works? But no, we must be ‘non-judgmental.’ Must we check our ‘uncomely parts’ at the door when we come into church, and forget to pick them up when we leave? Not me! What kind of fruit does that produce? Indifferent men who either acquiesce or in anger quit the whole thing.

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave (Grk ANDRIZOMAI – act like a man), be strong. 1 Cor 16:13 NKJV

The problem in the Church, and in society, is not strong women, but rather a spirit that produces weak men. The future indeed does hang in the balance…

INTRODUCTION TO PROPHECY

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?  The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. John 7:45-46 KJV

In the seven years I trained to get my blackbelt in Taekwondo, in the hundreds of hours of training, I learned to fight with every part of my body, but not the most important part – my mouth. If you can learn to speak by the Spirit of God at a moment’s notice, you will never need to have any other means of self-defense. The gift of prophecy is the sword of the Spirit. We prophesy in proportion to our faith. The ability to speak by the Spirit of God at any time is the single most important training any minister will ever receive.

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (Grk. RHEMA) of God; Eph 6:17 NKJV

A knife is a nasty, vicious weapon, but God’s Spirit is greater! In a restaurant one time, a man pulled a knife on another man in a confrontation. I decided to get involved. I said, “In Jesus’ name, put down that knife!” He put it down, and both men ran away. I went back to work, cleaning the windows. The ability to speak a RHEMA word in any situation is the privilege of every born again one, if they will train for it. I loved the scene in the film THE WAR ROOM where the two born again ones are confronted by the robber with the knife. The mature one takes him done spiritually then goes and eats ice cream!

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. 1 Peter 4:11 NKJV

This little verse, tucked away in the fourth chapter of 1 Peter, speaks volumes. It challenges us to SPEAK BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALL THE TIME! How do we do that? Jesus said, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The key is to fill your heart with the Word of God, then have the courage and love to speak it boldly. When you prophesy, the Holy Spirit will teach you new things or bring things to your remembrance. But if you don’t have any fresh Word in your heart, it makes it much harder for you to have Him bring things to your remembrance. Many times, the word I study in the morning is the word I prophesy in the afternoon.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (Grk. RHEMA) of God. NKJV Rom 10:17

I’ll leave you with this one picture. I was angry, disgusted, lonely and ready to quit bible college. I had only been there three days. I was standing alone outside of the administration center. A fellow student named Allen saw me, came over and started talking to me. I’ll never remember what Allen said, but our conversation changed my life, because I stayed. Allen spoke a RHEMA word, and it cut through the darkness. How many people just like I was, people desperate to hear a word from God, surround you now? And, what will you do about them?

As you study these chapters, dear one, ask the Lord to fill you with the spirit of prophecy, and then go rock someone’s world with words from God…

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…