In 1977, while my wife and I were attending school, I didn't have any idea what God had for my life, so I began to seek the Lord. We lived in an apartment building which was located right beside a huge field. Every day, I would get up early in the morning and walk up and down that field, praying and seeking God's direction for my life.

I didn't know anybody to help me, and I couldn't figure out how God was going to get me into the ministry.

One day as I was walking up and down that field, I looked toward some high weeds. Suddenly I saw faces of all kinds, shapes and colors: white faces, yellow faces, red faces, black faces. They were all over those weeds.

As I gazed at that startling scene, suddenly the anointing of the Lord came upon me and I began to preach. I preached my heart out. I think I must have delivered the best sermon I have ever preached.

When I had finished, I gave an altar call, and people got saved, healed and delivered. A great revival took place right out in that empty field about six o'clock in the morning.

A Dream For The Nations
What had happened was that God had impregnated my spirit with a dream, a vision. From that time on, I knew I was going to carry the Gospel to the nations. I didn't have any idea how God was going to bring that vision to reality; I just knew that somehow He would.

My wife and I went on to graduate from school. Then we attended and graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After our Bible studies, God supernaturally brought us to Little Rock, Arkansas, where we became associated with Agape Church.

In 1982, I began to see my vision come to pass. I started to travel overseas, making contact with people who were doing great things for God. That fall, we opened the Agape School for World Evangelism. My dream was becoming reality.

It was during this time that the Lord spoke to me from 1 Samuel 16:21. He told me to get my priorities into proper order. I learned that I was to be my pastor's armorbearer and to stand with him to fulfill the vision God had placed in his heart.

The Anointing Of An Armorbearer
In order to develop the true spirit of an armorbearer, the first step is to understand our anointing. In other CFAITH articles, I have noted that an armorbearer is anointed to carry another man's shield into battle. His call and duty is to lay down his life for someone else.

But Jehoshaphat said. Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said. Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
(2 Kings 3:11)

I believe that right now there are people who have been faithful to "pour water on the hands of their Elijah."

You mark it down, the anointing of God is coming upon them. God is raising up all kinds of people, and the ones He is looking for are those who have shown themselves to be loyal servants, anointed as armorbearers.

The Word of the Lord may be with you, as it was with Elisha, because God looks at the heart. He looked at Elisha's heart, and the Word of the Lord was with him.

The Mantle Of A Prophet
I wonder, if Elijah were alive today, how many people would be standing in line wanting to receive his mantle? I have a feeling Elijah would be very rough with them. I believe he would tell them, "Get your own mantle!"

Every true believer has his own mantle of anointing. We do not need to covet another man's mantle or anointing.

Elisha remained faithful to Elijah under all kinds of different circumstances. Historians tell us that Elisha served Elijah for about 15-20 years. By this we know that Elisha heard everything that Elijah said, and saw everything he did, whether good or bad.

When King Ahab sent soldiers after Elijah, he was sitting on a hill. Elijah cried out to the captain of the guard,

...If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty....
(2 Kings 1:10)

The fire fell, and 50 men died, leaving 50 horses to go running back to town with empty saddles.

How would you have responded if you had been Elijah's associate at this time? You would have thought to yourself, "Boy, am I glad I'm on his side!" You would have been proud to tell everyone, "I work for Elijah."

Armorbearers Always Maintain Respect
In every leader you will see a lion when it comes to dealing with a problem; a calf when it comes to serving people; a man when it comes to tending the sheep; and an eagle when it comes to standing up to minister the Word of the Lord.

But you will also see your leader as a man when he is hurt and wounded.

True armorbearing is the ability to see the human side of our leaders and still maintain respect for them.

Does that describe you?

Source: God's Armor Bearer by Terry Nance
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers