Change Is Gonna Come

Have Your Way....Flow

I rode downtown today with my mom and I told her that an older lady had told me that her mother said there use to be a stream that ran downtown. My mom told me that someone that worked for the city told her there was more than one and the place where they had been redirected underground had to be pumped out ever so often. This explains why the downtown area is prone to flooding. I contacted my cousin who I also talked with this about and she forwarded me an article that talked about three streams that flowed into the downtown area. The article stated that some people had proposed that the streams be dug up and allowed to flow downtown which would be nice but the streams didn't just flow downtown origionally. It made me think about my hometown...Pensacola Fl. What is it about Pensacola? I wrote a post after the oil spill about our water being contaminated by the oil...now it is becoming clear that natural streams with fresh clean water that flowed freely which residents had access to were covered up and redirected underground. It has been prophesied that Pensacola would be the location of a great revival...why here? I don't know. It is one of America's oldest cities. It is also the place that seems to draw people from all over America. I don't think the incedents with our water are coincidences; I think they are symbolic to the attempts to muffle or contaminate the move of God. Revival is coming and when the set time occurs and God moves his Holy Spirit won't be stopped.

You Have Arrived At Your Destination

REMEMBER WHEN TV USED TO FEEL GOOD?

Study to show thyself Approved

Last night I dreamed I was in a library of some sort with some family members from my father's side of the family. In the dream I was trying to find a bible to read a certain scripture to cast a demon that was there out...what was odd was that even though the demon was there I don't remember actually seeing it which means it was more than likely assigned to that side of my family as a whole. This morning when I checked my email I had an email on memorizing scripture...pretty clear instructions.

If God Said It Believe It/ Feed My Sheep

Water As Land

Standing on New Ground; Step In

One year I participated in something that was called "Dirty Santa"...everyone brought a gift and each person chose a wrapped gift not knowing what it was or who it was from. We were allowed to trade gifts and at the end whatever gift you ended up with was yours. Everyone went for the biggest gifts and the ones that had the prettiest gift wrapping but some of the best gifts were the ones that were small and wrapped poorly. I thought about that today while in church. The messsage was about crossing over; it talked about the children of Israel crossing out of the wilderness into the land that was promissed to them. God often answers our prayers in ways that we wouldn't expect. God often answers in ways that are beyond our understanding. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts and he wants to give us more than we can imagine but the journey to the promise will more than likely not be easy...the journey to the promise will more than likely not be pretty but the promise..the prize will be more than we hoped for.

We Are Stronger Together; Unified in Truth.

There has been something that has been troubling me for a while. I am reminded of it almost daily. Years ago someone did a demonstration that acted it out visually with perfection. There was an infantry and the infantry was victorious but one of the members of the infantry shot a fellow member of the infantry..."Friendly Fire". The soldier knew to be on the lookout for the enemy but never suspected that his demise would come from his friend or a member of his team. That bothers me, that bothers me, that bothers me! but sadly it is very true and happening constantly in the Body of Christ. I saw something on the internet that said something like if church hurt causes you to turn from God, something is wrong with your relationship with God. While there is truth in that statement it reminds me of when someone reads a portion of the scripture instead of the whole to get there point across. The Bible says that people that are whole don't need a physician; what that means to me is that some people are coming to church in a wounded state...if they are coming to get healed and are injured worse, my Lord...how deep the wound. The church should be a place of refuge and healing. Why is there so much division? If there is no intention to help someone at the very least there should be silence...but sadly that's not the case; people come to the church or an individual member of the church needing help and instead of helping they join in with what is already against that person...what is that? I am convinced it is not God. Then not only is the person fighting generational curses, principalities and whatever else trying to keep them from becoming whole (probably because of the damage they would do to the kingdom of darkness) they are now also fighting words from the ones or one that was suppose to help them. I am fired up this morning because I am tired. I am reminded of the old song that says "If you can't help me please, don't stop me; move out of my way...don't try to block me; I got a race to run and I am running by faith...at the finishing line...I want to see God's face." I am also reminded of the scripture Galations 5:7 Ye did run well: who did hinder you that you obey not the truth?." I am also reminded of the passage in the bible that always bothered me 1 Kings 13 where the man of God was doing what God had told him to...he was in the will of God but a old prophet came and lied and caused the man to disobey God and it cost him his life...that scripture always gets to me because had it been someone the Man of God had not recognized as one of God's he never would have listened. What's wrong? Is it envy? Is it pride? Is it that the remedy is unknown and instead of seeking the Lord its easier to condemn? What in the world is it that would cause a brother to wound a brother, especially one is already wounded?" I don't know so I'll pray. I'll pray for unity; I'll pray for the unlikely one; I'll pray for the underdog. I will intercede because I truly don't know but I do know the answer is much needed because we are stronger together. Someone made that there slogan...It may have just been catchy but it is true, just like it is true that our relationship with God is what is key but we function better as a whole....I will pray for unity. I will pray for truth...the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Amen. I love you with the love of Christ.

(Matthew 9:12,13 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.)



1 Kings 13
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
² And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
³ And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
⁴ And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
⁵ The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
⁶ And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
⁷ And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
⁸ And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
⁹ For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
¹⁰ So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
¹¹ Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
¹² And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
¹³ And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
¹⁴ And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
¹⁵ Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
¹⁶ And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
¹⁷ For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
¹⁸ He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
¹⁹ So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
²⁰ And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:
²¹ And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,
²² But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
²³ And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
²⁴ And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
²⁵ And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
²⁶ And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.
²⁷ And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
²⁸ And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
²⁹ And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
³⁰ And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
³¹ And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

Strategy

Today while playing a game that I like to play I got tired of getting beaten by my opponent. I normally play quickly...its a word game and I can easily look at the letters in my hand and find a word to play but I was getting beaten repeatedly. I knew in order for me to win I could not make a move in haste without carefully choosing my play or carefully choosing my words. I took my time, thought out my moves and won the next two games. These wins came after a losing streak; it made me think about how important it is to have a strategy and how important it is to consistantly stick to that strategy.  God has given me many strategies...I always start off good and then something derails me...its normally the kind of attack that causes me to become emotionally unstable. I have made up my mind that the things that God has placed on my heart to do (the strategies He has given) I will do consistently...if something touches my emotions and causes turmoil...I will continue...tissues and sneakers if need be! I won't stop.
Galations 5:7-8
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

PSALMS 24

1(A Psalm of David.) The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Liberty

Psalms 23

Making a Way

More Than Conquerors

Romans 8
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deliverance

The bond between a mother and child is the first and most important bond. What happens when that bond doesn't form or is deficient in some way? I think it creates a trauma and a void in that child that can only be healed by God. I suffered that trauma...the bond was there but it was defecient. It gave way to rejection and I still deal with rejection but I am believing God for deliverance. I don't want to continue to be in a place where the right person saying the wrong thing can cause me to go on an emotional rollercoaster. It's time to be made whole.

Restoration

I remember how I had prayer routes and places that I would go to pray and worship. I would often see something special during the time I would go. Today I visited a spot I used to visit when I wanted seclusion. Two songs came on the internet station I was listening to that had a message about God's love for us. It drew a song from me. I look forward to more moments like this in days to come. I pray that song will break forth from the spirits of God's people.

The Promise is Close

Today I looked up and saw what had to be at least the third rainbow I have seen this week. Earlier this week I came across something I had written in a journal a little over a year ago....I would like to share it: "I feel like I am waiting on a ship that doesn't have a specified arrival time (not one that I know of anyway). I find myself by the water thinking that any minute now my ship could come in, but every now and then the hope that has been deferred makes my heart sick because of the realization that it doesn't have to be any moment. Truth be told if the appointed time hasn't been declared to be now, whose to say it isn't a thousand years from now? one day is as a thousand years. Where does that leave me? It leaves me here in the present and today I choose to sit by the water hoping on suddenly. Hoping suddenly before I leave my ship will appear in the distance."

Today as I sit by the water I feel like my promise is closer than it was before and my ship is about to reach the shore.

Back to the Old Landmarks

I love dreaming about church. Last night I dreamed about my childhood church. I woke up this morning and drove past it; it gave me joy to think about the times we had and I had to laugh when I thought about how we were always made to recite the church info; now that I am an adult I see the wisdom in it..."First Church Emmanuel of Redeemed Saints 1305 West Scott St...(lol)." In the dream my cousin and I were standing on the outside of the church and there were dark clouds above it and it looked like it was about to storm. My cousin pointed up smiling and said "look at that rainbow". I couldn't see it at first and I told her there wasn't one there, but she kept looking and smiling so I kept looking too and then I saw it through the clouds...a rainbow just as she had said...at first I saw a little bit of it...and as I kept looking I saw more. It was beautiful. Emmanuel...God is with us; especially through the storms of life. We only have to keep looking at him. (l really love rainbows...through it all I still and always will really love God).

I Surrender All