| The Purple Plum Tree I ran from God for over 30 years, infect I was angry with God, had been ever since my first-born was run over by a auto and killed, I blamed Him but I was very wrong. When I first stopped running from the Lord and turned back to Him, I picked a small little Baptist church when I started back to church. There was this anointed brother there who confided in me that God had given him the gift of tongues. I was pure southern Baptist then so it was somewhat of a shock but I knew this man was a man of God because I had heard the voice of God out of him more than once. Well he and I prayed until I had been given the gift and then we began to pray for revival and God spoke to him and told pastor to teach on the gifts, and he began to teach on the gifts and they began to manifest in this little Baptist church. Well I can tell you that them deacons (demons) did not like this at all, so they conspired to fire him and we split the church right down the middle, with almost half of the members from this little Baptist Church we formed a new church and we called it Freedom Church, and the only difference today is that it is now named Freedom Family Church. God blessed us and we grew while pastor preached the word about the gifts and they manifested, so people came from all denominations and all around to see what God was up to. I grew closer and closer to the lord with each meeting and all the while I craved to hear His voice, in fact I prayed many times asking Him just that. My first grandchild was born while we were building the church but for her first 3 years of going to church we rented a vacated bar, on the out skirts of town. There were many fruit trees on the property but there was this one big beautiful purple plum tree, and I have loved plums from my youth, so much so that I endangered my life many times to get them. I looked so forward to church every week and taking Charolette with me that I could hardly wait for Sunday to come around. Charolette is my grand daughter and my first Grand child and the only granddaughter. The year she turned two I was ushering and she was too small for Sunday school so instead of putting her into the nursery we would go out side and look at this big beautiful plum tree. We actually got started because she noticed the beautiful blooms. Because of my fondness for plums I had already noticed it was blooming, and began enjoying the anticipation of sharing her first fresh ripe plum, so we began to make regular visits to the purple plum tree. Patiently we watched that plumb tree 2 or three times a week from blooms to ripe fruit just her and I together. Every week she would ask me if the fruit was ready or not and every week I would tell her maybe next week, finally about the time they were ready she was gone for the weekend. I found my self-wandering around the plum tree feeling sorry for myself. When in the process of rounding the tree one more time, I bumped into a limb and got an eye full of plumb twig. And while trying to recover my sight I noticed that the plumb had a scar and I decided to pull it since it was damaged anyway so I could examine it more closely. When I tried to pull it off the plum wouldn't let go, so about 4 foot of limb came with it and broke off in my hand. Well like any good southern boy I began talking to the plumb and said why didn't you just let go, see what you made me do, now I broke the limb, all because you would not let go, what’s wrong with you anyway? As I turned and started to walk away, I heard a voice, plain as day, repeating my words, but not like an echo, like some one was standing right there, with me. And the voice said " what's wrong with you anyway?" I was startled and jerked around ever which way looking for the master of the voice but I found nothing, just the plum tree and I very carefully and cautiously cheeped back to the tree looking for what ever or who ever had repeated my words. However, I found nothing or no one, but I saw another plumb that fascinated me because it had this white powder on it and I pondered what is it's purpose, all the while still thinking about this voice, that had to be my imagination? So I thought about the white powder, could it be to keep insects away or to protect it from the sun or what could it be and while I was looking at it, I heard the voice again this time louder and more focused at the plum tree and the voice said "what's wrong with you anyway? Well, I was half way back to the building before I could stop and catch my breath, that was close I thought as I looked back at the plum tree once again seeing nothing. Well by this time I was beginning to get all spiritual, after all I had already studied about casting them demons out, So I decided to pray over this possessed plum tree that kept talking to me. Then as I started to think what I would say in my warfare prayer I glanced at the plum that I still had in my hand and noticed once again the scar on this, the first, one I had picked. Even now the 4-foot of limb that had pulled off, with it, still clung to the plum. As I considered the reason of it, why was this scare there and what caused it, and as I thought on this, once again I heard the voice saying, " what's wrong with you anyway?" This time so close, I could not move, I was petrified, and my feet were made of stone, even though my body was ready to react, I could not because my feet were glued to the ground. So as I stood there with my eyes closed tight, all I could do was listen. This time the voice did not stop, but began to tell me about the plums, and each word burned into my heart, and my body trembled while the voice spoke, and time seemed to stand still. As the voice spoke, the words rumbled like thunder, and the voice was saying, "Just like you my son, these plums are just like you. I try to bring you out of this world, and you hold on for all you are worth, and when you finally do come you bring half of it with you. Just like the plum that wouldn’t let go and brought the limb with it when it came. The powder is tarnish and just like you my son, it needs a little cleaning, but with a little polishing it will be just fine." Continue............ |
| Author: Charles Avery |