Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000050
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00:01 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy. . . ♪
00:11 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy. . . ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:21 (Music) PB: The Apostle Paul says 00:23 in II Corinthians 10:4-5, "For the weapons of our 00:28 warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God 00:34 to the pulling down of strong holds;. 00:38 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing 00:40 that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, 00:43 and bringing into captivity every thought to the 00:49 obedience of Christ." 00:53 Today I'm not going to be long before you, but I just want to 00:55 speak on the subject, "How to Handle Strongholds." The 01:03 pulling down of strongholds, the demolition it is and 01:08 removal of your old ways of thinking, so that the actual 01:11 presence of Jesus Christ can be manifested in your life. 01:16 Now, that's the pulling down of strongholds. 01:21 But what, quickly, are strongholds? 01:25 Strongholds in the Old Testament, they had an 01:28 interesting definition. 01:29 Because in the Old Testament strongholds were fortified 01:32 dwellings in warfare that protected people 01:36 from the enemy. 01:38 If you wanted to be protected from the enemy, you went 01:41 to a stronghold and you would stay there. 01:44 This is where we find David when David was trying 01:47 to run from Saul in the strongholds of Heress. 01:51 Because strongholds were physical structures like caves 01:55 where people could hide in difficult times when they 01:59 were being assaulted. 02:02 But when we look in the New Testament, Paul 02:04 has a different definition for strongholds. 02:07 Paul deals with strongholds from this perspective. 02:10 Paul says strongholds are speculations or lofty things 02:15 that rise up against the knowledge of God. 02:19 Strongholds, in other words, are any type of thinking that 02:23 exalts itself above the knowledge of God, which 02:27 means you're giving the devil a place of influence 02:30 in your life. 02:33 So any thoughts in your life that I have, that you have, 02:37 that rises above the knowledge of God is a stronghold. 02:42 And the devil uses that place in your life as a point of 02:46 attack in order to get you going down a path of carnality 02:50 and self-destruction, because everything that has ever 02:55 manifested in your life, it started in your mind. 02:59 What do you think, and why do you think? 03:01 The Bible says that when you find Jesus you ought to be 03:05 transformed by the renewing of your mind. 03:09 Because the most important thing for any believer is to 03:12 understand that salvation is really a changing 03:15 of your mind. 03:18 When you truly find Jesus, yes, your heart gets changed. 03:23 Yore not the same person you used to be. 03:26 The way you think changes, the way you talk changes, 03:31 the people you hang out with, they change. 03:34 You're not the same when you speak. 03:37 When you find Jesus, your outlook on life 03:40 is totally different. 03:42 When you fall in love with Jes, 03:44 as somebody knows that when they fell in love 03:47 with Jesus, that was the best thing that ever happened 03:50 in your life. 03:52 Somebody today knows what I'm talking about when I say 03:55 what a wonderful change in my life has been wraught. 03:57 Since Jesus came into my heart, but on your journey, 04:03 your heart is not what's keeping you from looking 04:07 like Christ. 04:09 It's your head. 04:11 Every temptation you deal with, every struggle you have 04:15 in your life, it's not an issue of your heart. 04:19 Half the stuff you've been tempted with, you really 04:21 don't like it. 04:22 It's not in your heart, it's just something 04:25 you want to try because your head said it 04:27 might be good. 04:29 Well, then, a stronghold is a mindset. 04:33 Mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes me 04:38 to accept something that's contrary to the will of God. 04:42 Sometimes a stronghold can be that thing that says, 04:46 there is no hope. 04:47 Your situation will never get better. 04:50 You will never accomplish that. 04:52 Your mama was nothing, your daddy was nothing, 04:55 you will be nothing. 04:55 Why are you trying to do that? 04:57 You will never be this. 04:58 And so what happens, it will impregnate your 05:00 thought process and therefore what begins 05:02 to happen, it begins to move you contrary 05:05 to the will of God. 05:07 Let me tell you something: you can hear the Word of God every 05:11 week, but if that stronghold is in your mind, guess what? 05:16 That stronghold is going to try to rise above, in your 05:19 mind, every word that's being preached to you. 05:23 So you come to church, you hear the man of God, you hear 05:26 the woman of God, and that stronghold says, yeah, 05:29 I hear that, but. 05:30 Yeah, that's true, but. 05:34 You see, you always have a but, but God always 05:38 has a but for your but. 05:41 So what's interesting is, when I look at Romans 6:6, the Word 05:47 says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, 05:50 that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we 05:53 should not serve sin." Now, here is the issue for real, 05:57 authentic salvation. 05:59 That I have to view salvation as a crucifixion. 06:02 Salvation is a crucifixion. 06:03 Paul said, "I die daily." 06:06 So if I have said in my heart that I love Jesus and 06:08 I'm trying to work out my salvation and I'm trying to be 06:11 more like him, then I have to say, what in my life 06:14 did I crucify? 06:16 Because the old man has to die if the new man is going 06:19 to come to the forefront. 06:20 Because you can't bring the old man with you and try to 06:22 fit the old man and the new man. 06:25 It's not going to work. 06:25 Strongholds, then, are not random thoughts. 06:29 Strongholds are not occasional sin. 06:33 That's not a stronghold. 06:34 Strongholds are areas in your life that have you in bondage, 06:39 and you're having a hard time trying to break loose 06:42 from them. 06:44 Now, let's be honest. 06:45 How many folk in this place have some stuff in their 06:50 lives--I mean, I know you love the Lord with all your heart. 06:54 The question of your loving God is not the issue. 06:56 You wouldn't be in church today if you didn't love the Lord. 06:59 You wouldn't be in church this long if you didn't love 07:00 the Lord. 07:02 Do I have a witness in this place? 07:03 But the question is, how did it take root? 07:05 How did it start in your life? 07:07 The only way I'm going to be able to deal with a stronghold 07:10 is to go back where it started. 07:12 I can't deal with the fruit until I deal with the roots. 07:16 So you keep asking all the wrong questions. 07:19 Why did he do that? 07:20 Why does she do that? 07:21 That's not the real question. 07:23 Friends, the real question is, what caused you 07:25 to desire to do that? 07:26 How did that even come in your mind to do that? 07:30 Where did that come from? 07:32 What's the source of it? 07:34 The Bible says in I John 5:19, "And we know that we are of 07:41 God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." Now, when I 07:48 look at this, and I have to go back up for a minute, because 07:51 again, you can't just read text, but you've got 07:53 to read the context surrounding the text. 07:55 So I have to go back one verse, to verse 18, to 07:57 understand what verse 19 is saying. 07:59 Verse 18 says, "We know that whosoever is born of God 08:01 sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth 08:05 himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." Verse 19: 08:10 "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth 08:13 in wickedness." So how do we live in the world without 08:18 being influenced by the world? 08:20 We're in this world, but we're told we're not 08:24 to be of the world. 08:25 How do we live in this world without being 08:27 influenced by the world? 08:27 It's not easy, particularly in my formative years 08:31 when I'm most influenced by my environment. 08:35 What does formative mean, Pastor Byrd? 08:37 Formative is just a big word to say, when you were a baby. 08:42 In your early years, it wasn't like you could just say, when 08:48 you were out playing with your friends in the neighborhood, 08:49 you could not say when you were a child, I don't 08:51 want to play with you. 08:52 You were just playing with whoever was outside. 08:55 Do I have a witness in this place? 08:57 Strongholds, then, are an accumulation of uncrucified 09:01 thoughts and unsanctified attitudes that have ruled your 09:05 life since you were born. 09:08 Many of the opinions about life are ours only because we 09:12 know of no other way to think. 09:14 So we protect our ideas and we justify our opinions as though 09:19 we were born in the womb. 09:22 We think that these are our own thoughts, but they're not. 09:26 That is the environment you were raised in. 09:28 This is the thought pattern that you were exposed to, and 09:31 as a result, you defended stuff that wasn't even 09:34 yours to defend. 09:37 That's why Solomon writes in Proverbs 23:7: "As a man 09:42 thinketh in his heart, so is he." And so now what happens? 09:47 Strongholds take hold because it is the way in which your 09:52 environment and the people in your environment have 09:55 spoken in your life. 09:56 A stronghold can just be a frame of thought. 09:59 The way you think about anything can be a stronghold. 10:02 Now, quickly, then I'll take my seat. 10:04 There are some common strongholds that all 10:08 of us deal with. 10:09 Here are a few. 10:10 Fear is a stronghold. 10:16 Resentment is a stronghold. 10:19 Bitterness is a stronghold. 10:22 This is the stuff that has you, but y don't have 10:24 control over it. 10:26 Bitterness, you can't let it go. 10:30 I'm always afraid, I'm always resentful, I'm so bitter. 10:33 Unforgiveness is a stronghold. 10:38 That's the one the enemy will keep feeding you. 10:40 It's a shame how they did you. 10:43 They let so-and-so sing the solo. 10:46 And so every time you see them you see, 10:49 look at them, look at them. 10:50 They're probably talking about you now. 10:53 It's in your head. 10:55 You shouldn't let them run you over like that. 10:57 You shouldn't let them treat you like that. 11:00 And so what do you do? 11:01 You cut your eyes at them. 11:05 You know how we do. 11:07 [laughter] Apathy. 11:08 Complacency. 11:12 They are strongholds. 11:14 Unbelief is a major stronghold. 11:17 I just won't believe. 11:18 Depression. 11:19 Depression is real, too. 11:20 Depression is a stronghold. 11:24 Can't break it. 11:25 Anxiety, stronghold. 11:27 Always nervous. 11:28 What are you nervous for? 11:29 I just don't know how things are going to work out. 11:31 In the church, lukewarm-ness is a stronghold. 11:36 You can't make up your mind if you want to be in or 11:39 if you want to be out. 11:41 Are you with us or are you not? 11:42 Are you in the river or on the bank? 11:44 How long ye halt ye between two opinions? 11:46 If the Lord be God, you've got to follow him. 11:50 But you're lukewarm. 11:53 Sinful thoughts are strongholds. 11:57 Pastor Byrd, what do you mean? 11:58 Let me make this plain. 12:00 What if somebody could take a cable and hook it up to your 12:03 ear and download on some big screen what's on your mind? 12:10 What would your movie be rated? 12:15 Thank God that doesn't happen, because some of us would have 12:17 bootlegged that already. 12:18 Come on, say amen. 12:23 Lust is a stronghold. 12:28 Pride is a stronghold. 12:32 Greed is a stronghold. 12:36 Drugs are strongholds. 12:39 Alcohol, a stronghold. 12:43 But there are faith principles for the pulling down of 12:49 strongholds. 12:50 II Corinthians 10:4-5 says that we have to bring our 12:56 thoughts into captivity. 12:58 When you bring your thoughts into captivity, what you're 13:04 saying is, arrest my thoughts, I will not allow 13:07 my thought life to dictate my destiny. 13:10 But can we be honest? 13:12 Strongholds are not easy to overcome. 13:16 But I have three principles that I believe will help you 13:19 to break strongholds, then I'll sit down. 13:22 Let's be honest in these three things, because this is 13:24 something the church has been in denial about. 13:27 Strongholds, stuff that's been in you for a long time, they 13:30 are hard to break. 13:31 You see, people getting saved in Jesus and finding Jesus and 13:36 loving Jesus, people accepting Jesus initially, it's like 13:39 vanilla ice cream. 13:42 You can eat vanilla ice cream all of your life, and then all 13:46 of a sudden somebody will tell you, you need to eat chocolate 13:49 and put vanilla down. 13:52 So you get excited and you say, okay, 13:54 I'll eat chocolate now. 13:55 I won't eat and taste vanilla anymore. 13:56 So you go through the act of pickg up chocolate, but 13:59 because you've been eating vanilla all of your life, 14:02 that's all you know. 14:03 So you're trying your best to stay with chocolate, but then 14:06 you relapse late at night, and you say, "I want some 14:10 vanilla." You can't figure out why you're craving vanilla 14:14 even though your heart has chocolate and your hand has 14:17 chocolate, but vanilla has been in your spirit 14:20 all those years. 14:20 So now all of a sudden you start having this, 14:23 what I call, in the closet swirl desserts. 14:26 [laughter] You start mixing vanilla with chocolate. 14:33 But let me tell you the moral of this story. 14:35 The closer you get to God, the less vanilla ought 14:39 to be in your chocolate. 14:42 Unless you're working with Neapolitan, have a whole 14:47 'nother thing to work on. 14:48 Come on, say Amen. 14:49 So the whole point I'm making, before I give you three 14:52 things, is what Paul deals with in Romans 7. 14:55 Paul says, I've got this problem. 14:58 Paul says, I've got this stronghold, 15:02 I've got this issue. 15:03 What is it, Paul? 15:05 Paul says, "That that I want to do, I don't do. 15:08 That that I don't want to do, I do." This is messing with me 15:15 and messing with my mind, because the will to do I know. 15:19 But how to do it, I don't know how. 15:22 I know I have a desire to do right, but how 15:24 to do right, I just can't figure it out, it's like 15:28 a civil war inside me, pulling me in different 15:31 directions, and I just came to the conclusion that I'm a 15:34 wretched man before God. 15:36 But I thank God, through Jesus Christ, who gives me the power 15:41 and the victory to get through this. 15:43 The truth is this, friends of mine: I don't care how deep 15:46 you are, strongholds are very difficult, and the very 15:49 problem is this. 15:50 Until the church is honest about everyday struggles, 15:57 people will never get delivered because we'll never 16:00 be able to call out what you are taking responsibility for. 16:04 See, God can instantly set somebody free. 16:08 God can do it. 16:09 I've got some folk out here who believe, and I believe 16:12 that they know that. 16:13 But to be instantly set free is to take responsibility for 16:15 the journey and the struggle. 16:17 Here are three principles. 16:19 How do you break strongholds, not only break them, but keep 16:22 them broken? 16:22 Number one: authority. 16:23 In order to break a stronghold, you've got to 16:30 learn how to use the authority of Jesus' name to bind 16:34 and take authority over Satan's tivity. 16:39 This is something you have been taking for granted. 16:42 But you have to take full advantage of it. 16:44 You have to take authority. 16:46 What am I talking about? 16:46 Go to Mark 3:27. 16:50 The Bible says, "No man can enter into a strong man's 16:55 house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the 16:59 strong man; and then he will spoil his house." What is 17:04 that text saying to us? 17:05 The devil can't come in your house and take your stuff 17:10 unless he first binds you up. 17:13 The devil knows the authority that you have. 17:17 The devil knows that you're sitting on a ton of dynamite. 17:20 The devil knows you have the authority that you have. 17:24 So he has to get you tied up in something, get you 17:27 distracted over something, so then he can come in. 17:30 Because if you are free, if you are loose, the devil knows 17:33 you've got authority over him. 17:36 Why do you think he takes all of these elaborate methods 17:39 to get you tied up? 17:40 You've got to learn, and listen to me good, you've got 17:43 to learn how to issue a spoken command to the devil, that he 17:48 is bound and he must leave the stronghold. 17:52 You've got to learn how to issue a verbal command to the 17:55 devil: get thee behind me, Satan, in the name of Jesus. 17:59 In Mark 16:17, the Bible says, "And these signs shall follow 18:05 them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils." 18:18 Hallelujah, somebody. 18:20 Get this in your spirit as quickly as you can. 18:23 You've got to understand, child of God, how to use the 18:26 name of Jesus, because in Jesus' name, demons stickle. 18:31 At Jesus' name, devils tremble. 18:35 You've got to understand how to use the name of Jesus. 18:38 And you also have to understand that when you use Jesus' 18:41 name, it's nothing to play with. 18:44 Stop playing with Jesus' name. 18:46 You've got to start walking in authority in Jesus' name. 18:49 Somebody already knows how his name works. 18:53 The problem is when you get upset, the devil has 18:56 you using other words. 18:57 But you need to learn how to use the right words. 19:00 Because if you can just say, Satan, I bind you 19:04 in the name of Jesus. 19:05 Hallelujah. 19:06 Here it is: Peter d John, in Acts, chapter 3, there's a man 19:10 at the gate called Beautiful. 19:11 He's bound, he's bound because he's begging. 19:14 He's lame, he's got all these issues. 19:16 He asks these two preachers, Peter and John, fresh from an 19:20 apostolic experience, he said, "Alms for the poor, 19:23 alms for the poor. 19:24 Can you help me out." Peter looks at him and said, "Silver 19:26 and gold have I none. 19:28 But such as we have, in the name of Jesus, get up and 19:35 walk." And the man took up his bed and he walked. 19:41 There'authority when you use the name of Jesus, when you 19:45 can just walk around your house, when the devil's 19:48 running through your house, folks are cussin' and fussin', 19:51 folk have attitudes, you'll go in the room and you'll start 19:55 crying, no, honey child, get your head up, and start 19:58 calling on the name of Jesus. 20:00 I declare peace in this house, Jesus, I speak it 20:04 over my house. 20:05 I speak it over my bed before my spouse lies down. 20:08 I speak it over the dinner table, 20:10 I speak it over my children, I speak it over my car. 20:14 I walk in authority. 20:16 Say the name Jesus. 20:19 Stop being a wuss. 20:23 There's authority in his name. 20:25 Then number two, quickly. - Intercession. 20:28 Let me be clear, and I don't mind if I step on some toes. 20:34 They holler, say ouch. 20:36 If the shoe fits, wear it. 20:38 You've got to learn how to come together with other 20:42 like believers and pray to intercede against strongholds 20:48 until you get some results. 20:50 You need some Holy Ghost intoxicators, arms waving, 20:55 tongues speaking--not speaking in tongues like we think about 21:00 that, but I'm talking about calling on the name 21:04 of Jesus' friends. 21:05 So you can break some strongholds in your life. 21:08 You need some good interceptors in your life. 21:12 That's why I tell you, I don't let everybody pray for me. 21:18 When it comes to strongholds in my life, when it comes to 21:22 specific areas, even Jesus had his peter, James and John. 21:26 Nothing wrong with Andrew, nothing wrong with Bartholomew, 21:28 but everybody needs their own Peter, James 21:31 and John. 21:33 And when it comes to specific areas in my life, I've got key 21:36 people that I have assigned to pray for me. 21:40 And you ought to have it to. 21:43 Everybody, let me be clear. 21:44 They're telling you they're praying for you, 21:47 ain't praying for you. 21:48 You want folks to be in agreement with what you 21:51 believe in God for. 21:52 Do I have a witness in this place? 21:54 That's why when you look at Matthew 17:9, the Bible says, 21:56 "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why 21:59 could we not cast him out?' And Jesus said to them, 22:02 Because of your unbelief." If you had the faith the size of 22:07 a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, be removed. 22:11 Jesus never said, climb up the rough side of the mountain. 22:16 Jesus said, "Speak to the mountain, and say thou, be 22:19 removed, and it would leave from this place. 22:22 Nothing shall be impossible for you." Verse 21: "Howbeit 22:26 this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." I've 22:32 learned in my life, there are some things that only come by 22:36 prayer and fasting. 22:37 You have to learn, hallelujah, to go on and just talk to God. 22:41 You've got to stop being cute. 22:43 You've got to say to God, Lord, I've got to be honest. 22:45 I can't keep doing this. 22:47 I can't keep living like this. 22:49 Lord, this is too strong for me. 22:51 I need you to break this, I need some folk who are around 22:54 me who can believe me for my breakthrough, because I cannot 22:58 go on and let this thing self-destruct who I am. 23:02 Let me tell you something. 23:03 Every day you've got to pray and you've got to believe God, 23:06 and you've got to fast and open up your spirit, so 23:09 intercession can take place in your life. 23:11 Somebody knows, you can pray your way out of some stuff. 23:14 Do I have a witness in this place? 23:18 Because you can pray your way out of some stuff. 23:22 Sometimes in your prayer or intercession, God will prevent 23:24 also some stuff from coming to you, hallelujah. 23:28 Finally, number three: displacement. 23:31 What does this mean? 23:34 Establish the presence of God. 23:38 When Satan has been commanded to leave your life, 23:41 you better fill it with the presence of God. 23:45 Because in the presence of God there is fullness of joy. 23:49 Because where the spirit of the Lord is, Satan isn't. 23:54 Because wherever there is liberty, Satan can't be. 23:58 Because Satan hates worship. 24:01 Oh, you all don't hear me. 24:04 Satan hates worship. 24:09 Why do you think in the Three Angels' Messages of Revelation 24:11 14 it says, "Worship him that made heaven and earth, 24:17 the seas and the fountains of water"? 24:19 Satan hates it when I worship God. 24:22 But when you come to the point that you become an authentic 24:27 worshipper, and you don't care what anyone thinks or says, 24:33 when you get to the point where you create an environment 24:36 of worship, the glory of God will run Satan out of town. 24:44 I believe I've got some witnesses up in here who know 24:47 what I'm talking about. 24:49 You've got to learn how to tell Satan, Satan, 24:52 you have no place. 24:53 I displace you through my worship. 24:56 And let me throw this in before I take my seat. 24:58 You don't just have to be at church to worship. 25:03 [applause] I had praise and worship this morning 25:08 in my shower. 25:09 I wish I had witness in this place. 25:11 In the shower, at the breakfast table. 25:13 You better learn how to worship God. 25:15 And worship Him in spirit and in truth. 25:18 Because when the praises go up, the blessings 25:20 come down. 25:22 When you begin to praise God, things begin to happen. 25:26 And I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into 25:30 the house of the Lord. 25:31 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. 25:35 His mercy endureth forever. 25:37 Oh, come and magnify the Lord with me, and let us 25:41 exalt his name together. 25:42 I will bless the Lord at all times, and his praise shall 25:46 continually be in my mouth. 25:48 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, 25:53 bless his holy name. 25:56 You've got to take authority, you've got to learn how to 25:59 fast and pray, you've got to learn how to worship God, 26:03 displace the devil and put God in his place. 26:06 Do I have a witness in this place? 26:12 PB: Thank you for watching Breath of Life. 26:14 I would like to invite you, our dear viewers, to watch 26:16 Breath of Life's first annual Christmas special. 26:19 This special will feature ten-time Grammy award winners 26:23 "Take Six" and other wonderful artists, and will also feature 26:26 yours truly as I bring the Word of God. 26:29 This special will air Christmas week, and we hope 26:33 you will call your local NBC stations and ask for: 26:36 "The Present" Beginning in January 2012, 26:40 I will continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 26:43 Breath of Life will still be here, but it will come from 26:47 the sanctuary of the Oakwood University Church, Huntsville, 26:50 Alabama, on the campus of Oakwood University. 26:53 It will be the same Breath of Life, 26:55 the same preacher, the same Gospel of 26:57 Jesus Christ, the same channel, 27:00 the same station, at the same time. 27:03 Just a different location. 27:05 We solicit your continues prayers and support as we take 27:08 this wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world. 27:14 May God bless you. 27:17 >: The Breath of Life gift offer this week is : 27:19 "Help in Daily Living," a practical guide 27:21 to everyday blessings by renown Christian author 27:24 Ellen G. White. 27:26 The book contains four powerful chapters on having 27:28 true and lasting relationships, developing 27:29 godly characters, walking a practical daily faith that 27:34 brings blessings, and staying the course of being 27:37 a light in the darkness until the Lord returns. 27:38 You'll discover the benefits of trials, the importance 27:40 of little things, the influence of living a 27:43 consistent Christian life, and the joy of the Lord. 27:46 "Help in Daily Living" is yours for a gift 27:49 of $5.00 or more. 27:50 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:54 That's 877-265-6333. 27:57 Please have your credit card ready when you call. 27:59 Or you may write us to request your copy. 28:02 Just send your check to Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 28:04 Newbury Park, CA 91319. 28:08 Break out of the ordinary life and into the extraordinary 28:11 life God intended for you to live. 28:13 Get your copy of "Help in Daily Living" today. 28:15 PB: The devil can't come in your house and take your stuff 28:19 unless he first binds you up. 28:24 Salvation is really a changing of your mind. |
Revised 2015-02-06