A "BEFORE" PRAISE AND "AFTER" WORSHIP

[prophetess m. brignac]

All of our lives can be divided into two categories, of "before" and "after", beginning with our own individual selves. The world and our nuclear families exist ,and existed in a time marked off by "before" we made our entrance in the earth, and "after" we graced our families and the world with our wondeful presence. From birth to death, we have a vast multitude of "before" and "after" experiences, circumstances, and testimonies. We have memories of "before" I started school, and "after" I starterd school, "before Daddy decided to walk away from the family", and "after Daddy dipped on us"! For others it's "before Mother was afflicted with insanity or had a crack habit, and "after" the demons and strongholds of addiction, mindlessness, and utter insanity, stopped by our address! We have the more profound and impacting memories, somehwere in our mental archives regarding, "before" I was molested, violated, raped, beaten, or abused", which led to the "us" that we are now, as a result of the "after" I was " molested, raped, violated, beaten, and/or abused"! Our whole life is formed and molded by these "before ,and "after" events and seasons ofour lives. The "man" or "woman", "husband" or wife" that one evolves into, is heavily influenced by their "before" and "after" experiences in past relatonships, what one witnessed in nthe lives of others, or whatever the atmosphere at home may have been for them in their formative years. Our spiritual life and walk with God is based on the manifestation of Jesus "before" the "Cross",, and "after" the "cross". Our lives further unfold and progress into more profound and relevant "landmarks" such as "before" I received, and recognized Christ as the Lord and Saviour of my life, and "after" I was rescued from my own personal horrible pit, by Jesus, the Christ! From there, once our little sanctified souls have been anchored in the Lord, we can, and many do, go up "higher" in the Spirit, and enter another dimension of time called "before I was baptized with the fire of the Holy Ghost, and "after" I received the second baptism, that was like flames of fire that sat upon me! By the time we have advanced through all of these assorted transitions, a certain level of spiritual stability and maturityshould be evident in our lives, and one of our greatest testimonies should be concerning the "integrity" and "rightousness I had "before" I became acaquainted with the heart and mind of God, and said yes to his Covenant agreement, and "after" I read all the detailed "fine print" of my Covennat with God, to walk in His statutes,and let my "yea be yea", and my "nay be nay" and thereby evidence kingdom integrity! That's a mouth full, and quite a few of us "choke" on that one, and the unfortunate consequences are that we disqualify ourselves from the benefits of the next progression of "befores" and "afters", unless we take the time to earnestly and fervently repent and turn away, get ourselves together, regulate our minds and whatever situations we may have created, and allow God to resanctify our hearts, minds, souls, desires, and actions. All of these things that make up our personal "dossiers", life 'resume's", or life stories serve to prepare us for the most intense seasons and events of all, and they are classified as "TROUBLE", and even though we experienced discomfort, tragedy, and misfortune, prior to surrendering to nthe Lord, nothing really compares to the level, and sort of "trouble" that seems to manifest, once you've deided to "make Jesus your choice"! Even greater turmoil is guaranteed, once you've said "yes" to a calling or tothe service of the Lord. Mercifully, provision has been made for times like these, if one is wise enough and willing to take the time to "exchange" yokes and burdens with Him and to "learn" of Him, for he is meek and lowly of heart"! It is in the "learning of Him", and yielding to Him, that we develop the mind, determination, and the divine skill to praise Him, until "praising" Him, is just what we do, and what we live for! As we become acclimated to this new environment called "praise central" , where we establish a habitation, we are groomed and equipped to live such a life of perpetual "shabach", "exaltation", "halal", and adoration of the Lord, that we store up "deposits" of praise, that are held in "escrow" so that when "TROUBLE" comes, we don't have to shift gears, because "praise" is who we are, so we never miss a beat, in lifitng Jesus higher, or exalting Him above the storms, and the floods, the lions, tigers,, and bears, Oh my!, or the "sucker punches" and deviant attacks of the adversary! So, we offer up unto God a "before" praise that glorified Him long before "TROUBLE' kept it's appointment with our lives, and as we maintain that steadfast posture, "in spite of", "anyhow", "anyway", "no matter what", and "still", it begins to transition into "WORSHIP"! It reaches the "highs" and "lows" the "peaks" and "valleys", until we "Worship" Christ without effort, and without thought, because our gradual evolution ends in our becoming "ONE" with Him, and no one can tell where Christ begins, in us, and where we end, so, even though the "before" nightmares generated a sustaining and overcoming praise in our lives, greater storms arise, like the ones Job experienced in the loss of ALL of his precious sons and daughters, ALL of his substance and wealth, and after his very own wife despised him and lost her piece of a mind, but yet, he demonstrated the reality of "after" WORSHIP! "And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. THEN ("AFTER" one of the greatest devastations and calamities known to a single man!) Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground AND WORSHIPPED! This is the posture the Lord expects from us, because great losses and fierce tribulations are ahead, but thanks be unto Gosd Who cause us to always, and IN ALL WAYS, triumph, in Christ Jesus, that unlike Job, we Have the benefit, and the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost, so we don 't have to "put on sack cloth and ashes, or shave" off our "glory", but we can just "keep it moving" and just "pump the gas' a few times to shift from the "before" praise to the "after" worship! GLORYYY!!!