Book Review: A Jewel of the Kingdom

When I picked up A Jewel of the Kingdom by Cho Larson and began reading, memories surfaced of earlier days.  I remember my mentors pressing me to ask God for the desire to prophesy.  I remember feeling intimidated, studying Scripture and asking God to use anybody but me to prophesy revelations of Him.  I remember witnessing flawed vessels who created chaos in Christian meetings.  Over the years, I grew less ambivalent.  My pendulum swung from “this is crazy” to “I can’t live without it.”  

What exactly is this gift of prophecy?  How do I know if this gift of the Holy Spirit is for me?  What is the purpose of this gift of prophecy?

The gift of prophecy is the kind of gift that has to be ministered in the correct Scriptural order.  What is that order?  What do I look for in judging if a prophecy is the real thing before I embrace it?

The author addresses all these questions and much more.

A healthy church allows the gift of prophecy letting God’s spirit produce awe in His people, building them up and strengthening them and sometimes convicting them of sin.

When this gift is abused, do I shy away and think that prophecy is not necessary? I cheat myself when I neglect its importance.  Reading this book helps me to be less fearful of making a mistake.  I'm encouraged to embrace a loving God and his gifts so that I can love Him back and serve Him with a passion knowing God uses flawed people for His purpose. 

The book lays out the checks and balance system for Christian believers in a group setting that allows the gift of prophecy.  When believers are accountable, hidden sin cannot stay hidden!  It’s beautiful when we understand God's order.

I find it inspiring to reflect on Jesus making his bride beautiful with treasures that are spiritual.  Author Larson writes that we should desire this gift of prophecy, to wait for it, and to adhere to Jesus Christ. 

The author’s writing style made it easy to read.  His confidence and boldness as a teacher got my attention and I sat up straight learning and enjoying the journey of this teaching of the wonderful gift of prophesy.  You will too!