Are you suppressing the Testimony of Christ?

To the people who are looking for signs and wonders. WE ARE THE SIGN. WE ARE THE

WONDER. We are a sign to future generations that God is faithful, and it's a wonder we survived - BUT GOD! The testimony always went forth after Jesus or the Apostles performed a miracle. Guess what? WE ARE THE MIRACLE. How will people come to believe unless we become transparent enough to tell how ugly things appeared to be when we did not have a relationship with Christ?

Last night in prayer, I meditated on Christ's passion. I thought about how ugly he appeared to be while being dragged through the streets, beaten, ridiculed, humiliated, mangled and ultimately killed, but the power of the Testimony of Christ is that after three days he rose to fulfill every promise that He and the Father had made, and God poured out His Holy Spirit into believers that reconnected us with Him forever, and we received Grace. I thank God that Jesus didn't care what people thought about Him.....Then, I thought about how we suppress the Testimony over something as small as we are afraid of what people might say or think about us. Guess what? IT'S NOT ABOUT US.

Here's another thing. If the Lord says, "dance for me", and we don't. If he says, "sing for me", andwe don't. If he says, "pray out loud in front of everyone" and we don't, we are suppressing the Testimony. The testimony isn't always a story. Sometimes, it is the creative action of the Holy Spirit working through us that brings about deliverance, healing or leads an unbeliever to salvation. God often used the prophets of old to communicate a message through demonstation. Ezekiel had to do some things with his hair [Ezekiel 5]. Hosea had to marry a prostitute

We are instructed through the Word of God to not be afraid of the faces of men [Jeremiah 1:8; Deuteronomy 1:17]. Think about this. Why should you be afraid of what someone will say about your testimony? It is their salvation at stake if they deny the power of Christ. In Matthew 12, Jesus healed a man of demon possession. The Pharisees who witnessed this miracle said that Jesus was able to cast out the demon because He was the ruler of demons. Jesus'reply to them was that they blasphemed the Holy Spirit, for which they could never be forgiven [Matthew 12:31]. So, we should pray for those who mock us, but definitely not be intimidated by them.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word oftheir testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev.12:11

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thoudo it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have thetestimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is thespirit of prophecy. Rev. 19:10

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; Rev. 1:19

The Dance - Donated to the Las Vegas Center for the Arts

The Dance

Lights, Camera, Action!
I AM Center Stage
In front of a sea
of expectant faces…
that are waiting
for my next move.
Bright lights blinding;
Palms Sweating;
Knees Shaking.
Take a Deep Breath.
Greater is He who is in me
than He who is in the world.
Don’t be afraid of their faces.
I AM is with you.
Music begins.
Body kicks into autopilot.
Arms outstretched like wings
Taking flight.
Overcoming fright
I AM flying.
I AM masterful.
I AM poetry in motion.
I AM free.
It really doesn’t matter
What they think about me.
I’m pleasing the One
That they cannot see.
Twirling, Leaping, and Soaring like a bird…
Then, the music stops.
I AM in mid-flight.
The sounds of
Clapping, Whistles, and Shouts
From the audience
Bring me back down to earth
From heavenly places.
Taking a graceful bow
To my audience of One
I AM is pleased.

© Jan. 22, 2009 Arletia McInnis

What MLK Day means to me

It is a blessing to see the fruit of God's promises that were spoken through Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we inaugurate our first African-American President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama..

In the 60's, I was one of the first black students in my neighborhood to be bussed to an all-white Elementary school. In addition to participating in several civil rights marches as a child with my mother, we were also one of the first proud owners of the Negro Heritage Library Encyclopedia series. So, needless to say, all of my book reports in school were about black history. I taught my fellow students and teachers all about famous black doctors, lawyers, orators, artists, authors and inventors that were not mentioned in our history books at school. I was a straight A student.

One Halloween when the other children were wearing store bought costumes, my mother swaddled me in brightly colored fabric and tied a turban on my head to match. She called me her little African Princess, and it made me proud. My posture and attitude completed the costume. You couldn't tell me that I wasn't royalty. When questioned by the students and teachers about the costume, I told them stories about the great Kings and Queens of Africa.

On the day that Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated, my mother cried and fainted on the kitchen floor when she heard it on the news. The whole family mourned like we had lost a relative; in essence we had. Dr. King was a part of our family. My dad, who was a preacher himself, played Dr. King's speeches over and over on a phonograph, and recited them vebatim. As a child, Dr. King's words instilled dignity, pride, hope and faith in God into my young soul.

A few years ago, my step-children came home upset because they had been called the "n" word at the playground in our community. They didnt' know what it meant, but they knew it was an insult. I could see the pain in their eyes. So, during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, we watched the whole series of Alex Haley's ROOTS. They loved the story, especially the Chicken George character. When it was over, I asked my daughters what they thought about what that little boy had called them now. The oldest replied, "He just doesn't know God, Mommy. " I was impressed. "That's right baby. Some people just don't know God so you have to show them who God is by being yourself because you are so full of God's love that it will just spill off onto them," I told her while giving her a big hug. "...and through you, maybe they will want to know God even more."

It's important to teach our children about their ancestral history. Unlike most cultures, much of our African history was lost during the slave trade (i.e., our language, surname, family members, etc.), and many of us may not even know who our great-great grandparents were, let alone our Africa roots. However, the history about African-American's who have overcome hundreds of years of slavery, stereotypes, prejudice, and injustice are stories worth telling, and a legacy worth knowing. Maybe our children will appreciate who they are and the liberty and freedom that they have today if they know the boldness, struggles, and sacrifices that were made by our ancestors that made these things possible. During Black History month, I encourage you to visit the bookstore, library, museum, cultural events and recreation centers to learn more about Black History and Culture.

The Prophetic Scribe

New Year's Day on Prayer Mountain

Testimony from Prayer Mountain
By The Prophetic Scribe

The Lord told me, “Go to the mountain on the East that I will show you, and meet me there on New Year’s Day. According to the instructions of my Prophet from Colorado, you will decree and declare dominion and victory over this region called Sin City. You will take authority over the gateways leading in and out of this city. As my prophetess from Chicago further confirmed just last week, you will come to the mountain in obedience to me, your God. Even the vision that I showed you ten years ago of the mountains behind you and the city laid out before you confirms the purpose and promise of this meeting. You have been obedient to go to the East as I have directed you from the beginning. You have not detoured from my instructions. Consecrate yourself, for where we will meet is Holy ground. Meet me on the mountain that I will show you before sunrise on New Year’s Day. I will keep my promise to you.” Said the Lord

Up until New Year’s Eve, I did not know the location of the mountain or the road that would lead me there. I knew what the view looked like, and I knew it was on the East, but that’s all I knew. In angst, I began to search aerial maps on the Internet, road maps, and even thought about going to other mountains that were more convenient to get to, but the Lord said, “I will show you.” So, on the way home on New Year’s Eve as I fretted about it, I arrived at the intersection leading to my house and suddenly the Lord said, “Go straight.” So, I did. The road led through a new community of homes and just where the road should have ended, it continued up a hill along a ragged, but paved road straight to the foot of the mountain. When the road ended, I turned the car around facing the city, and got out of the car. Behind me was the mountain and before me laid the entire Las Vegas valley. There were no houses or buildings. It was desolate. It was the exact view that the Lord had shown me in a vision ten years ago. Tears came to my eyes as I worshipped God on the mountain. Then he said, “This is your mountain. I give it to you. Meet me here at sunrise.” I couldn’t believe that the mountain was five minutes from my house. I thanked the Lord all the way home for keeping his promise, and making it so convenient.

I went home and tried to prepare myself for my meeting with God. I gathered scriptures, a worship CD, my Bible, and of course, my journal to record the word of the Lord. I prepared as I would for any important meeting. Before I went to bed, the Lord led me to the book of Ruth. I read it, prayed to the Lord to prepare my heart, mind and Spirit for our meeting before going to bed. I could hear gun fire and fireworks around midnight, but it did not effect me as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I got up at dawn, a little concerned about being late, but the Lord reassured me. “You keep saying dawn, but I told you to meet me on the mountain before the sun rises,” He said. I was relieved because even though I was meeting God and trusted Him for my safety, the prospect of being on that mountain alone in the dark was a bit uncomfortable, but the Lord had taken care of that too. So, I got dressed quickly and headed up to the mountain, five minutes away. As soon as I arrived, I was met by the glory of God. Tears streamed down my face again as I praised and worshipped God. Then, I confessed all of my known and unknown sins and surrendered myself completely to God. I asked Him to purify my heart, and He told me. “If you will dine on the fruit of the Spirit daily, you will be purified.” Afterwards, I prayed scripture, made declarations concerning my life, the West Coast region and Las Vegas, and made petitions and intercession on behalf of myself and others. I thanked God for being My God, a Faithful God, a Just God, and extolled His many virtues and attributes. Then, the sun began to rise over the mountain behind me. The Lord said, “As the sun rises, praise my son who rose, and met you here on this mountain.” So, I raised my hands to the heavens and praised the name of Jesus on the mountain. As the sun hit the buildings below, they began to sparkle like stars, and the Lord confirmed His promises concerning what He would do for me as I walked in obedience to Him. He referred to the Book of Ruth, and told me to “glean” until He gave me the land to possess. “Your husband will provide for you,” He said. When I finally looked at the clock, it was time to go to work, so I left my Prayer Mountain…..until the next appointed time. As I drove down from the hill, I noticed debris scattered on the side of the raggedy road and a sign that read “landfill area.” It was ironic because as I drove down from the mountain, I knew that the spiritual debris that I took up with me was not coming back down with me.

It was the best New Year’s Day/Date that I have ever had.

Genesis 12:8And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Ezekiel 11:23And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

Zechariah 14:4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.