This short but power-packed book in two volumes will speak to you mightily! There are so many wonderful passages; so many nuggets of great, transformational paragraphs throughout that will soar in your spirit man that this reviewer couldn’t decide which good quotes to quote! Volume one, only 79 pages long, talks about the role of the Armorbearer to his leader. Volume two speaks of finishing your course and keeping the faith, as in Paul’s charge to Timothy.
…Just read this: “Whether you are a pastor, an associate pastor, a music director or a layman, each of us has a flock. That flock belongs to us individually, and God expects us to tend it. David’s flock was his assignment from God, and he knew that, although he had been anointed to be king of Israel, his first priority right at the moment was to continue to tend to his first assignment.”
“You see, the giants will come. But if you stay with your assignment, when the time comes you will meet and conquer your giant just as David met and overcame his. Like David, you will be exalted, after you have first proven yourself faithful.”
…Now that really spoke to me; does it speak to you? We often want to speed things up and jump ahead in ‘our’ strength and not follow the line of authority or be patient enough to prove ourselves faithful. Each of us has to understand our anointing. The armorbearer is anointed to carry another man’s shield into battle. His call and duty is to lay down his life for someone else. That is heavy stuff, right?
This reviewer particularly appreciated the chapter 6 discussion on ‘How to Develop the Spirit of the Armorbearer.” Step 1: Free Yourself from Pride; Step 2: Free Yourself from Anger; Step 3: Free Yourself from Immorality and Step 4: Free Yourself from Bitterness.” This reviewer needs to be transparent here and found that I had a spirit of bitterness that I had not yet been thoroughly delivered from. So – I’ve prayed against this, cast it down and replaced it with love. Wow – just from 2 pages of this powerful book! You must read it! The bookstore won’t be able to order enough of them, right?? We are God’s armorbearers! We CAN and WILL go forth to conquer in the power of the Holy Spirit! Whohoo!!
Nance states, “Ours could very well be the generation that rises to meet Jesus in the air. It is time for us to re-evaluate our lives, and our ministries, to make sure that we are where we need to be and doing what we need to be doing.”
One of Nance’s prayers for readers in writing God’s Armor Bearer is that the ‘Holy Spirit will impart into you an Armorbearer spirit with the stability to stand during the good times and the hard.’
Here is a statement of hard truth, “When a portion of the people begin to call out for you to become their new leader – beware. When they are ready to make you captain in place of the pastor, because you will lead them the way they want to go – look out!”
We must put God’s word first. Seek and trust God every day for a ‘spirit of humility, meekness, forgiveness, purity and a clear conscience.’
Nance introduces us to the armorbearers of Saul, David, Jonathan…as they were called to serve a general of God’s army. Whoa! So I’m called to be an armorbearer of my pastor in God’s army?? YES – exactly that. The author speaks to his readers about the relationship between the armorbearer and the leader…'Do not get your feelings hurt if you are not asked to have dinner with the pastor every Friday night’! Okay, now…are you hearing that?
He warns us about getting into rebellion...go to your leadership in love and let them explain why they operate the way they do instead of speaking against the pastor or the leadership. Nance then spends time discussing the Five Structures of Authority. Pray for your employers....that God would get ahead of them and turn them into "gentle masters." He says, stop complaiing and start praying! Then the author's denoument -- the Keys to Teamwork. Totally cool.
I know you will get a lot from this inspiring piece of non-fiction, so carefully and lovingly crafted by author Terry Nance. He is transparent and has the "brave" heart of the armorbearer, as he’s been there and done that! In the author’s words: The Armorbearers of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Until next time.......happy reading.
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