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After the Storm

Dearly Beloved Firehouse,

"Oh the the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways are past finding out! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?' For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. " ( Romans 11:33-36)

Greetings in the mighty name of JESUS whose Lordship and Saving Grace is presently made known more than ever before to us all. We have longed to communicate to you to inquire into your current status as well as to share with you what we have received from the Holy Spirit concerning the devastation that has occurred within our city.

Perspective

       I needed one. We arrived in Dallas on Sunday morning at 11:00 am after driving through the night to get there. We awoke on Monday morning to news that the storm had hit and hit hard. I spent the next two days in shock. I felt disoriented and could not  see any  possible connection between the faithful and sincere prayers of intercession offered on the behalf of  New Orleans and the anarchy and devastation occurring in our city. By the third day, I had to make time to spend with God. There I found Him waiting; there I found release. He is truly the peace that guards our hearts and our help in time of need. The Holy Spirit ministered to my spirit and I will share with you some of what He impressed upon me.

       What has happened to New Orleans is not in spite of prayer, but because of prayer. God has allowed destruction in order to bring construction, or, in other words, to do a new thing. The lawlessness and moral deprivation that we have seen on the news is a visual and physical manifestation of deeply entrenched demonic strongholds that have ruled over the city. These forces have been there all along, thus the daily reports of multiple murders. These spirits are opposed to order, authority, and abundant life. They thrive on political corruption, poverty, racial division, and, most crucial to their survival, indifference and complacency to taking the Kingdom of God by force on the part of the church of Jesus Christ - God's ordained government on this earth. The spirit of lawlessness was exposed in rare form for all the world to see. The failure of emergency response agencies FEMA and the Red Cross caused a spotlight to shine on this catastrophe like none other in history. Watching the human suffering in Katrina's aftermath at the world famous Superdome and Convention Center moved nations, kings, and queens worldwide. The result will be that careful time, attention, and resources will be given to the rebuilding of New Orleans  as the efforts, or lack thereof, to do so will be scrutinized by the entire world. I feel that this entire crisis and it's aftermath have been completely orchestrated under the watchful and purposeful hand of God who never sleeps or slumbers.

      The saints of God in New Orleans have cried out for years for the deliverance of our city. Groups of local ministers have joined for regular prayer, and recently entire churches have joined forces and met for monthly intercession, praying specifically and precisely for deliverance for the city of New Orleans . The National Guard and other military forces have been called in to assist local officials with restoring law and order. This is a visual and physical manifestation of what is occurring in the realm of the spirit. As it is in the natural, so it is in the spirit. Saints of God, help has arrived! A higher level of spiritual authority has been delegated to assist local church officials with restoring law and order to the church! When we rebuild, local pastors will notice a marked decrease in lawlessness in the Christian churches.

       A major area of intercessory concern at our local church has been the condition of the public school system. Katrina has necessitated the relocation of 250,000 New Orleans public school students. Local officials of New Orleans and Jefferson parishes now estimate that it will take an entire year to rebuild the schools affected by the hurricane. Nature has forced the reconstruction of our school system! I know it feels like hardship and inconvenience right now, but God has brought us out to bring us back again.

Coping

       As we have spoken to just the few of you that we have been able to reach or who have managed to reach us, we have tried to encourage your hearts. I have asked you to remember who you are, that you are still a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation unto God. Yes, in the natural many of you are also homeless and jobless. Remember that the enemy strikes when you are vulnerable and consumed with earthly matters. I must remind you that your God is ABLE to supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory! We lived in Dallas for the first week after the Hurricane. The hotel gave us a 25% discount. We split the cost between our three families (ours, Shana's, and Minister Sherman's). Local churches brought meals in the evenings and the hotel provided full breakfasts daily. We traveled back to our home on Monday to survey the damage and to get essentials if we could. (More on what we found later). We decided to return to Houston instead of Dallas since many more church and family members are there including my mother and Apostle's father and most of his family. We decided to reserve a room for 7 nights to give ourselves time to ponder our next move. The only room that we could find in Houston was a penthouse suite at the Marriott Residence Inn for $199.00 per night. We decided that since we are not refugees but chosen, royal, and holy, we would go ahead and reserve the room and let God handle how we would pay for it. We planned to inquire when we arrived as to whether discounts were being offered to Louisiana residents. We arrived late and exhausted after our 36 hour odyssey to and from Louisiana without any sleep. Before we could ask about anything, we were asked if we were Louisiana residents and informed that our room was paid in full courtesy of the Red Cross. Additionally, we were given 14 nights with this arrangement and Minister Sherman and Anya will receive their own room this coming Saturday night (due to availability) for 14 days with the same provisions. We were in awe at experiencing the Living Word of God in action. I have still not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread. The suite has a loft bedroom and bathroom, a master bedroom and bathroom, a living room with a queen sofa sleeper and loveseat and a full kitchen. Royal people-royal provisions. We are who we are, no matter where we go and in what situation we find ourselves. Katrina cannot destroy faith in God so do not hesitate to exercise yours, especially now.

Suggestions

1.   Katrina has knocked all of us out of our box at least for a season. Seek to understand your purpose for this season of your life.

2.   Remember that a distinction of an apostolic church is the pioneering spirit. Pioneers see opportunity when others can see only devastation. Awesome opportunities are set before all of us. Take advantage of them! I spoke with my supervisor from UNO. She is in North Carolina with her mother. She says that she has always desired to be a waitress and she is looking for a job as a waitress to pay her bills until UNO reopens!

3.   Speaking of jobs, be bold! Dare yourself to find one and don't be so serious about it. Apply and apply until you find one. The spirit of grace is upon you in this season of your life.

4.   Refuse to be idle. It is the playground of depression, anxiety, and worry. Brainstorm and storm heaven for your next move. This can be one of the most exciting and fertile times of your life.  At the least, seek to help those who lack the spiritual resources that you possess. This is an awesome season for sharing the goodness of God. People need a  perspective on this tragedy. I have shared mine with you and if it has helped you in any way and on any level,  PLEASE share it with others!

5.   Speaking of sharing, I went to apply for food stamps today (Oh yes I did!), and there were hundreds of downcast people there. I had to adjust to the situation and overcome feelings of degradation and  embarrassment. I did so by reminding myself that I have sown into that system for years and now, in my time of need, I am entitled to reap from it! I was drawn to so many people and I began to realize that people like me never go to places like that and people like those never get to hear what God has done for people like me. I then felt honored to be there, recognizing my status as ambassador for Christ. The people there touched me and I hope that I touched them as I shared my hope for a truly "Greater" New Orleans . So, as you apply for whatever assistance is out there, and we strongly suggest that you do so, hold your head high. You have been good citizens, and you still are. It is your turn to reap what you have sown.

6.   Avoid isolation. Keep in touch with someone with whom you can share your feelings and to whom you can be an encouragement. Remember that everyone needs a support system.

7.   Acknowledge and tend to your emotional state. You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body (Hagin). Regardless of how spiritual you are, the human side of you is experiencing things that you may not understand. Grieving for the familiar and for the losses in this catastrophe is very natural. Allow for it. Take care of yourself. Your whole self. Do not permit a build-up of emotional distress that may lead to deep depression or overwhelming anxiety. Pace yourself by permitting expressions of whatever you feel when you feel it. (See number 6)

8.   Manage your attitude. It can be a powerful tool in coping with this awful situation. It can also determine your altitude. I was scheduled to finish all course work this semester and to graduate in the spring. I have no idea where all of that stands now. We had planned to announce that Minister Sherman and Anya are expecting our second grandchild in April. We looked forward to our church family enjoying the experience with us. We now have to adjust our expectations and all of our plans. This can become a source of despair or it can pose new and unexpected possibilities. I choose the latter and I pray that you do also.

9.   Apostle Sherman strongly urges you to call your creditors and request deferred payments of at least 90 days. Handle your business affairs faithfully.

10.  He also reminds you to be gracious guests wherever you are. Seek to ease the burdens of those who have opened their hearts to you by helping with household chores and in any other way that you can. In other words, let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

What We Saw at Home

During the ride home , WWL reported that the residents of New Orleans would not be prepared for what they would see. They were absolutely correct! I have not seen the type of devastation caused by Katrina from any other storm in my life time. As we drove through our neighborhood, we felt as though we were in a disaster movie. Massive trees were uprooted, most roofs were damaged, and most fences were destroyed. Iron lamp posts on lawns were also uprooted and knocked over. The streets were eerily silent and it felt like the movie "The Day After." which chronicled the aftermath of a fictitious nuclear holocaust. We wondered about criminals lying in wait to pounce on returning residents. There were none. National guardsmen were very present. Our home was still completely boarded up the way we left it. We did not get any water in our home or in any of our cars. The house held the unbearable stench of rotting food from the kitchen refrigerator and the freezer in the library. We dug a hole in the backyard and buried the food as instructed. Huge flies buzzed around the house as we worked and the heat and the stench were sickening. It felt nothing like our home. We spent two hours getting clothes and relevant papers and a few supplies. We drove all of our vehicles back to Houston .

Conclusion

My earnest prayer and hope is that you would forward this communication to anyone whose e-mail address you may have. Or, you may know addresses where our members are staying. If so, please share it with as many people that you hear from as possible. Thank you. Finally brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. You have everything you need to get through this and you will; and you will not be able to believe it when you see the "new" in New Orleans !

In the Service of King JESUS, 

Pastor Corrine

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