SHOUT! FOR THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU THE CITY”
MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS BAILEY-
“”And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.” Joshua 6:15
I am sure every pastor has probably received this scripture at one time or another. Frank and I got this word early on when we came to New Orleans in the late 70’s. New Orleans can easily look like a Jericho. We had been sent down from our bible school in California to close down the small work that was here or try to revive it. We were thrilled to come back to our home town after four years of being away. Little did we realize that we walked right into the “Charismatic outpouring” in the city. While Frank and I were part of the “Jesus Movement” in California, New Orleans was having quite an outpouring of Pentecost in the Denominational churches. After a year of being here, Frank had a dream to leave our present affiliation with the bible school and we met with our leaders to pray about our next step. As we were praying, the phone rang, it was an Assembly of God Pastor asking if we were looking for a building. (We told no one that we needed a building.) After speaking to him and agreeing to become Assembly of God, we moved our small struggling congregation of young people into a AG church in Metairie. There was one hiccup, the previous group of 10 members of the church evidently didn’t appreciate us moving into what they thought was their building so they begin to picket us that first Sunday! Well as fate would have it, the local news came and they were filming our church folk having to cross the picket line! The picket signs read things like, “Woe to you shepherds, and “Jim Jones” (founder and the leader of the People’s Temple, best known for the cult murder/suicide in 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana) thinking we were from California. Every Sunday for 11 months the picketers were faithful and our church exploded into five services every Sunday for years till we moved into our next location. In Hebrews 11:30 it says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” Matthew Henry says, “It was a shot of prayer, an echo to the sound of the trumpets which proclaimed the promise that God would remember them; with one accord, as one man, they cry to heaven for help, and help comes in.” Thirty-four years later we find ourselves still shouting and God is still moving the walls of prejudice, hatred, sin, and bondages. This season in our life is ripe for revival again! SHOUT!