In September the Spirit of the Lord impressed a word upon me for our ministry and for our nation. I took a trip to Virginia on 08/08/08 to spend some time with the Lord. I took a few men along with me for the journey and along the way one of them picked up a brochure about the the 400 year anniversary of our nation in 2007. As I read that weeks later, I could feel the Lord deal with me that 2007 was a year of Exodus. I began to think back on what 2007 was for me personally. My Father-in-law passed suddenly, my Father's house burned, our ministry center was broken into and burned, and my Father passed suddenly. It seemed that no matter where I turned there was no comfort in 2007. I thought of the discomfort of the Israelites and that fact that it is tough to leave "normal", even though "normal" isn't good for us.

I feel the church has grown so accustomed to "normal" that when the Lord started moving us into deeper levels of revelation, we started to grumble, complain, and even think about turning back. We have said, "it is easier to just stay in Egypt than to make the sacrifice to pioneer a path for the next generation to travel."

I then felt the Lord say to me, "we are in the transition stage of labor." I researched what happens during this thrid and final stage of the birthing process. It is in the transition stage when the woman begins to require and even demand someting for pain. I feel the church cries out and demands ANYTHING to numb her so she doesn't have to suffer. We want the Glory of suffering without the price. We want to hold the baby, admire it, and even talk about how it resembles us, but we do NOT want to labor for the birthing. At this stage, nothing feels right to the woman. Sitting, standing, laying, curled up, hanging upside down, sitting in water, NOTHING feels right.

I can see the people of God looking around at our churches, services, conferences, etc. and saying, "I just don't feel right. Something is not right." The woman is told at this time to find an object and focus on it to steady contractions and bear through them while the baby moves down the birth canal. I feel that Lord is showing us that during this time when we are in such transition, pain, and discomfort, we are to FOCUS ON HIM!

We have numbed ourselves with ministry so much that we have lost the essence of why we do it in the first place. I felt the Lord impress me to meet with our Elders and cut out all external ministry for the remainder of this year. I feel as if we can't give another food box, cloth another person, give another dime of monetary assistance, until we are so focused on HIM that not only do we meet needs, but we walk in the anointing to change lives. We are frustrated with DOING ministry only to be frustrated with futility and be angry at our selves because we don't see the change we want to see.

I feel that 2009 is the year of the birthing and we must correctly handle oursleves during this third and final stage of labor. We must stop numbing ourselves and own up to where we are (or where we aren't) and realize that our programs are powerless and our trastitions have gronw useless. We must realize that the discomfort we are experiancing is there to cause us to PUSH!

Finally, our focus is to be on NOTHING but HIM! Many will abort due to fear and anxiety. Others will be deformed as a result of prolonged labor. Others will simply leave their destiny and depend on someone else to take on the burden. I for one, am willing to GO THROUGH THE PROCESS in order to birth the destiny that will change lives and shake nations for the KINGDOM!

Thank you Brother Sammy! AMEN AMEN AMEN!  I really needed this posting this AM. My head hurt, my eyes burned and I haven't been able to sleep. Then I realized I am in intercession. Go figure. heehee Bring it on Lord and reintroduce me to the joy of our salvation again! Blessings! Shalom shalom!

Tina you wrote: If we must sharpen our machete's and begin again to hack open new trails then so be it!!!  Even if we are down to our last bit of strength or vapor then heck.....let's roll.  What other choice do we have????   To give up????........NEVER!!!

Yes, Lord where else can we go, You have the Words of eternal life?      Let's rock and roll children of the Most High God! We can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens us! Hallelujah!

Love in Yeshua, Colleen

Pastor Sammy S Allen,

Glory to God, and thank for the timely post, posted.  Yes 2009 will be the

"Birth"  Glory to God, and for the times we are still standing in 'faith in God', it is still time to 'stand in faith', not as the way we think,   "the way God thinks for our work He gave us to do, His mandate, to date, His will for us, ONLY"

The time has been long,   way long........in coming..... but just a FINAL PUSH...

GLORY TO GOD.........>>>>>>

Rose

Hangin in there till the baby comes,  as it is worth the PAIN>>>>