A Rekindling Spirit

Changing into a new person

Behold, Former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:9)

Years ago in my newfound relationship with God, while in Bible College, God told me

"You will lead the church into the new millennium." I shared this with the college

president at that time, and left it there, nothing more said. Today, I make this note

not only to myself but to you. I humbly submit to you this word, God has been

teaching me about being prideful, so I hope I don't appear to be so, I'm just declaring

this as a public announcement, as God says to Shout it from the rooftop.

My life is not my own. Though much of it since the turn of the century has been

dedicated to God, I have faltered several times and God has taken me to my death

bed, so I was told. This too was of my own ignorance and willful sin, trying to ride the

fence is what I heard from God, I had to choose to continue in one course alone.

Having tasted the rich food of God there was no contrition to my choice, God is my

Lord and Savior. I thought I could stay alive with God and do what I wanted as long as

I hurt no one else. This is where God's jealousy comes into play, though only recently

understanding that term, though it's written in many places in the Holy writ.

A few days ago after some intense prayer about a personal matter, God spoke to me

of another young man that he was one of his (chosen), and to accept whatever he

offers. Yet, when his first offer came it was encumbered with some stringent

stipulations which clouded my response. So, this led me back into the prayer closet

for some understanding, the following morning God gave me the answer to do what

I thought was best, so I turned the offer back and started the process over as in the

beginning and waited for his response. (I did send a word to him via another means

informing him that I didn't think he did what God directed him and my answer was

forthcoming.) Later in the day, more later than I anticipated, but I was informed he

is a fireman at work and would sign the offer as soon as possible, It was virtually the

same except without the stringent requirements of the first and this was what I

expected in the beginning, and so it was signed and documented.

In the midst of the transaction from God to me, He applied a spiritual application to

me, one as if a rolled window blind from head to toe. I've inquired of the LORD what

that was, I understood it was an anointing and I believe it was related to Isaiah 42:9

for He referenced that scripture twice, two days in a row.

This morning when I was awakened at about four a.m. He spoke to me about the deer

panting in my backyard, I looked out the window and saw a deer with spiked horns I

saw in the shadow of a backyard light, it was forging and threw itself to the ground

to rest I suppose.

Now, a friend, colleague, pastor, and mentor has passed on to his eternal abode. So,

I want to attend his funeral tomorrow in North Carolina, so I will close for now.

(this portion added three weeks later)

I didn't go to my friends funeral, though I did visit his grave a few days later while I ventured out on a territorial prayer trip through western to central and northern Georgia into Tennessee to Cleveland stopping at The International Prayer Center on Lee University, then continuing along into the foothills on into Tennessee up towards Gatlinburg, though not entering that township because of the hurricane Helena destruction, I maneuvered on small back roads on my trip arriving at Clingman's Dome on down into Bryson City and southward to east and then back up into North Carolina around Asheville over to Hickory to Taylorsville to Elkin NC to visit my friends grave. Leaving here I traversed over to Winston-Salem for the afternoon and began my trek back home to Alabama. This prayer trip covered 1200 miles in four days, stopping a few times to rest, but mostly driving in prayer for people, places, and the graves along the way.

Later on a newscast I heard there were 96 people died in NC alone from the hurricane and its powerful storm surge. Many places in my neck of the woods and these places I visited, I consider my neck of the woods have been changed forever. Let's remember them in our prayers.