Men’s Conference
by Anonymous

The Men’s Conference was held on the weekend of May 5th, at the delightful home of Ronny and Brenda Luttrull in Pembroke, Kentucky. In attendance were men ranging in age from twenty-five to eighty. Fowler Cooper led an open discussion on the biblical definition of masculinity. From there, the discussion led to the vital role of father-hood and the inevitable impact of right and wrong believing on our children. Time was given to several men who needed to work strategies for some very difficult problems resulting from past unbelief.

Keith Walters shared some deeper insights into the book Alcoholics Anonymous. The Biblical principles in the book have a wide application to all of us, whether we are alcoholics or not, in breaking down the unmanageable problems of life into incremental steps. Each step has a specific focus and goal, and when thoroughly pursued, will lead to recovery as a direct result of a spiritual awakening.

There was also discussion about the word of faith and the role of the intercessor. Essentially, the word of faith is a declaration of God’s will for a person or situation, spoken by Jesus Christ as one of us. It is not a petition or a hoped for event, but the calling into being of something that is not yet here, by seeing it as already done. This kind of faith is only possible by first seeing ourselves as one with Christ, and our desire for the person or situation as Christ’s desire.

The word of faith does not occur in a vacuum, but arises from an ongoing intercession. The intercessor is chosen by God from among those who are willing to believe for someone else who is either unable or unwilling to believe for themselves. He orders our circumstances and often increases our sensitivity to the situation by asking us to pay a price. This price or sacrifice can be as simple as giving up a favorite activity, or as difficult as a radical change in life style. The price does not "buy" a person from Satan, but rather causes the intercessor to stand in the place of the captive, identifying completely with him, and believing on behalf of him. It is often in the midst of identifying with the captive that the word faith becomes clear.

We all returned to our homes, thankful for our time together and resolved to meet again with another men’s retreat soon.