A Word From The Lord: Be Strong and Confident and Courageous!

 

Those words were actually spoken to Joshua by the Lord before he was commanded to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land given to the Israelites .... Be strong and confident and courageous! Joshua receives the promise that God will not fail or abandon him. And remember, Joshua had spied out the land, so he knew what was waiting for him. And I believe there is a lesson for all of us who know the magnitude of what is facing us as a nation and as individuals. As Americans in the 21st Century, we see the potential for chaos, lawlessness, and anarchy that lies before us; and we have never been here before. As Christians, we discern the spiritual battles and judgment that are looming over us; and again, we have never been here before. Our physical and spiritual lives have been pretty undemanding and painless until now ... and the rapid changes have left us stunned.

And I want to primarily speak to my fellow Believers today, although what I have to say applies to secular friends, too. I know that many of you struggle with the idea of "prepping" or "training" for a future event that would require us to store up supplies or to defend ourselves. We modern Christians have adopted a belief system that tells us that we are to rely on the Lord for all our needs. While this precept is true in many aspects, it does not represent the fullness of our relationship with God. Yes, God does promise us protection and deliverance, but it may not always look like how we want it to. 

Joshua was a wise military leader for the nation of Israel; wise enough to know that the battle was the Lord's and it was his job to trust the battle plan he was given, using the provisions he had been given, the training he had received, and the men who would follow his orders. He didn't always know how the Lord planned on defeating His enemies; only that he would be obedient in using all the resources at his disposal. We must act in the same faith and wisdom! 

If you are awake at all as a Christian, then you intuitively know that a significant battle with the kingdom of darkness is at our doorstep. And I am discerning that many Christians are struggling with their own concepts of how they want that battle to play out. They desperately want to rely on the old paradigms and traditions of the Church that tell us that 1) we will either be raptured out of here before the battle begins, or 2) as long as we live a righteous life, Christians won't suffer anything consequential -- God will protect us and provide all we need. But God and Jesus have never promised that! In fact, in Isaiah 43:1-3, God tells us that even when the battle is His, He will sometimes lead us through fire or the waters. There is no promise that those closest to Him will escape trials or testing! 

For those who want to dismiss the Old Testament and cling to the New Testament covenant and promise of the Cross, I would remind you that the purpose of Jesus's death and resurrection was to offer us Eternal Life through faith in Him. It delivered us from Eternal Death, but did not promise us we would not suffer from the ensuing battles between the Kingdom of God and Satan's evil kingdom. REMEMBER: Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:45 that God "makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]." There are no promises that we will escape Satan's wickedness or God's judgment upon the nations, even if we are a righteous individual. As an individual citizen of a nation that has sinned mightily against God, I understand that I may be subjected to the righteous judgment upon this nation. I rest in the knowledge and the promise that when that judgment comes, I know He will separate the good from the evil, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

So, I want to make the point that the battle is in both the physical and the spiritual. Yes, we are to pray continually and fervently as the Ekklesia; acting as the representatives of God's heavenly form of government, bringing it to the earth. We must put on our spiritual armor and go to war in the second heaven against spiritual forces of wickedness. There we will battle [in our spirits] against the army of Satan who seeks to infiltrate this physical realm with his demons and powers of darkness to keep us from regaining our Genesis 1:26 dominion over the earth. And besides these supernatural, spiritual agents of the devil, we also must battle with physical opponents. We are seeing that in our halls of Congress and on the streets of our cities!

Again, God does not say that we will not suffer in this physical battle. Just as He tells Joshua to inform his commanders to "prepare your provisions", we need to discern that it is our responsibility to increase any needed food and medical supplies for a potential crisis. And just as Joshua receives instructions from the Lord that his men "shall go across [the river] before their brothers (the other tribes) armed for battle, all your brave warriors, and they shall help them [conquer and take possession of the land]", so must we be prepared to battle in the physical. 

But we must not become obsessed or unbalanced in either the physical or the spiritual. We must pray for wisdom and be willing to evaluate and re-evaluate every situation in which we find ourselves.  We must  use our spiritual gifts and talents, and our physical provisions and training to determine the circumstances and forces we are facing. Then praying in the spirit, we must seek God's battle plan; we must be prepared to act according to His will, whether He intervenes or sends us to the front lines. 

We must come to the understanding that God loves to work through His people; He wants us intimately involved in both the physical and spiritual aspects of this world. That's what Moses and Joshua walked in. It is what the Disciples and the Early Church walked in. That, too, is how we are to walk out our faith. So, I have some serious questions for you in this hour of our history, both as Americans and Christians: Are you waiting for God to orchestrate a miracle that will insulate or shield you from any scary scenario in the future? Or are you willing to be an ordinary instrument of the Lord to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom? Are you focused [in distress] on the problems we face, or are you focused on the Lord of the battle?

I remind you that as Joshua prepared to do battle for the Lord, the Bible says that the inhabitants of the land were terror stricken (Joshua 2); their hearts melted in despair and fear. We must fight against this mindset because it only leads to doubt and unbelief. We must believe that God's will is for us to be protected and succeed in our battles, and that His Grace [which is His power in us to do what we cannot do on our own] always accompanies us to help us carry out our calling and purpose, no matter the circumstances.  

So whether our future holds defeat or victory over the physical and spiritual forces aligning against us, we must be prepared and trained for war; with our provisions in place and our armor on. We must rest in the knowledge of how precious we are to the Lord; the tremendous price He paid for us is our inheritance. When the waters and the fires of testing come, we will not be overwhelmed. We will endure and persevere. The Lord will not fail us or abandon us. And above all else, we must be encouraged by the knowledge that as we pass through these trials, we come ever closer to seeing God's plan fulfilled. And I can think of nothing more valuable in this life than knowing I played my part and accomplished my assignment. Let us overcome old paradigms of how this is going to play out, and let us walk in strength and confidence and courage!

Psalm 66:10-12    But you, God, have tested us—you’ve refined us like silver, trapped us in a net, laid burdens on our backs, let other people run right over our heads—we’ve been through fire and water. But you brought us out to freedom!

The Light Of Truth In The Midst Of The Dark!

These are the kinds of posts I don't particularly like to write, but I'm discerning that there are many who need to hear what I have to say. And my words are directed at everyone -- it doesn't matter where you are in your life's journey, because you can no longer ignore the monster at your door. And I speak to Believers and non-Believers; to the young and the old; to the Church and the public square. And I especially speak to all those that I have tried to forewarn with alerts and warnings, and with advice, and tried to counsel to prepare, both physically and spiritually. If you ignored me, I am hearing from you now, and you've almost waited too long to get in the game.

I want to add a disclaimer to that last statement ... it's never too late to accept Jesus into your life as your Savior; He's just waiting for you to ask. And believe me, you are going to need Him and all He has to offer you to successfully traverse what is coming our way. I do not deny that the fervent and zealous prayers of faithful intercessors can join with the Holy Spirit and Jesus to fend off the devastation that appears to be descending upon us. I vehemently pray that we can avoid the destruction of our nation and the disruption of our lives that seem to be barreling towards us. But I'm going to be honest, this nation is ripe to receive righteous judgment, and we must all appeal to the mercy of our Father in Heaven if we hope to stall the flames of national unrest that are being fanned.

I understand the anxiety and panic that I see in your faces and hear in your voices. I know the sleepless nights you are experiencing. But it is time to realize that there are agents of the Enemy whose sole goal is to destroy the comfortable lives we have built for ourselves. I know all the times that you rolled your eyes whenever Mark and I suggested that you might want to buy some extra food to stock up on, or learn how to garden, or secure your water supply. I know you didn't think it necessary to learn how to protect and defend yourself, and thought we were crazy when we expressed concern about the infiltration of our education system by Marxists, and the effect it would have on future generations.

And yes, I know these are worldly issues, and if we belong to Jesus then we've been taught that we have nothing to worry about; all we have to do is rely on Him. And how many have been taught that we won't have to suffer any of the consequences of "tribulation" because we are going to be taken out of the world before it ever gets too bad? But that's not really what Jesus, Himself, taught us. And it is not what history has shown us concerning the fate of the Body of Christ.

Jesus warned that persecution would come because of His Name. The Disciples and First Century believers certainly experienced that! The Disciples knew that following in Jesus's footsteps would paint a target on their backs, and they definitely did not live their lives in relaxation and comfort. And they didn't expect to escape hard times and evil. Why would we? Besides, Satan has had nearly 2000 years to develop his spiritual structures to forestall our success in advancing Jesus's purpose for coming to the earth. Why would we ever think he would leave this nation [founded as a Christian culture] alone and unassaulted? It is naive, to say the least, to think that we can circumvent the devil's plans to overthrow Jesus's kingdom on earth and defeat His followers.

I do not relish being so blunt and candid. I wish I could sugar-coat it and assure you that we come out of this period of anarchy and chaos; that we will be restored to a previous perception of unity and cohesiveness. But it's time that we all take a good hard look at who the Enemy is using to instigate the violence and unrest our nation is suffering, and it's time to take our stand for what is righteous and good. Black Lives Matter (BLM) is more than a sentiment and a social philosophy. It is a well-funded organization, whose founders identify as "trained Marxists". They have aligned themselves with Antifa, a militant political protest movement who also self-identifies with Marxist ideology. 

Why is it important to understand their Marxist characteristics? To identify with Karl Marx is to form a spiritual alliance with Satan, himself. Sound extreme? Not when you do your homework and understand who Karl Marx was. I urge you to read an insightful piece of writing by Richard Wurmbrand, titled Marx: Prophet of Darkness; Communism's Hidden Forces Revealed. He wrote it in 1986 and it greatly enhanced the study and knowledge I already had about the Socialist revolutionary. And it is especially chilling when Marx is described in this way: "It is hard to think of many who have has as much influence in the modern world". 

I want you to understand who this man is that is so revered by BLM and Antifa forces in our nation, and why his influence in these "movements" is so destructive. It is important to understand because Karl Marx hated God and worshiped Satan. In 1986 when Wurmbrand wrote his thesis, Marxism governed one-third of the world. But I would venture to say that it's impact has grown, and is even more promoted in our universities and practiced around the world than ever before. But here's where they are so deceived... Marx is represented as being a humanist; a man whose sole goal was to help the impoverished masses. And he saw capitalism and religion as the obstacles to achieving his "collective utopia" where all men would live happily ever after in an everlasting, universal brotherhood.

But all one has to do is read some of Karl Marx's poems to know that he doesn't wish to serve a "universal brotherhood of light", but answers to an Anti-Christ spirit. Consider these lines of some of his poems, for instance ... So a god has snatched from me my all. In the curse and rack of destiny. All his worlds are gone beyond recall. Nothing but revenge is left to me! I shall build my throne high overhead; cold, tremendous shall its summit be. For its bulwark -- superstitious dread. For its marshall -- blackest agony.

Here's another poem : The hellish vapours rise and fill the brain, til I go mad and my heart is utterly changed. See this sword? The prince of darkness sold it to me. For me he beats the time and gives the signs. Ever more boldly I play the dance of death. In his poem, titled "The Pale Maiden" Marx writes: Thus heaven I've forfeited, I know it full well. My soul, once true to God, is chosen for hell. This is the spirit of the man! But in his twisted mind, he equated his Socialist philosophy and the tenets of Communism with the perfect "state" of Heaven. He promoted perfect Communism as economic liberation, freedom, peace and justice... the same concepts as Marxist agitators in BLM and Antifa espouse. But they don't practice them! Instead of economic liberation, they instigate burning and looting of businesses; instead of freedom and peace, they incite violence and walled off "zones"; instead of justice, they terrorize, assault, and kill innocent people. And they are not going to just disappear after the election!

It is time that we face the monster that Karl Marx and his Prince of Darkness have unleashed upon this country. As Christians and followers of Christ, it is time we put on the Belt of Truth and Breastplate of Righteousness, take up our Shields of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit and battle this unholy alliance. With our Helmet of Salvation firmly in place, we set our feet, which are shod in the Gospel of the Kingdom on the road to Peace in our Savior. We don't need Socialism or Communism to give us their version of "perfection". We must counter the injustice, the violence, and the hatred with our message of the Kingdom of God, where we will experience righteousness, peace, love, joy and the right to possess our own mansion and garden. 

But we cannot continue to sit idly by and hope that Jesus will come do it for us! The Anti-Christ spirit is operating uncontested on the streets of America and we are not occupying the ground Jesus left us. Faith in Him is a verb! We must stand and fight as the Ekklesia on earth and as warriors in the spiritual realm. We don't yet know if our God in Heaven will decide we deserve His wrath and judgment, or whether He will believe that we have humbled ourselves and repented in truth so that He agrees to heal our land -- it all remains to be seen. But I will not surrender my identity as an Ambassador of Heaven living in the United States of America. I still believe that the goodness of this land and people can overcome the evil that has cracked our foundation. I join with the righteous remnant who seek the Father's heart for this nation, and I still believe in miracles and the Might of Heaven to come alongside us to rescue us from Satan's plot to destroy us. Let us stand firm in this battle for our national destiny, and let us not cower in the face of the demonic monsters sent against us. Let them know who we belong to and why we are here!

2 Corinthians 6:4-10     ... but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known [by God]; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

From 9/11 To Now: What My Spirit Has Learned

 

Yesterday, as I contemplated the anniversary of September 11, 2001 I realized that this year it feels different. It is still heart-breaking to hear those nearly 3000 names being read, and to remember what it felt like that day -- as if my innocence was lost and that I had awakened in a whole new version of my world. For perhaps the first time, I questioned my perception of my country, and if I'm being honest, I examined my understanding of my God.

It's been nineteen years since that fateful day, and I will tell you, that Jesus has done a lot of work in my spiritual life. You should know that I was about to enter into my own personal seven years "in the wilderness", as I call it. I had just resigned from my job [ending 25 years in the conventional workforce] to join my husband in his art business, becoming a 100% self-employed family. On top of that, we were in the process of renovating a 75-year-old farmhouse on 129 acres of leased land, exchanging a metropolitan city for the isolation of a country lifestyle. And on the morning we were in Lowe's buying kitchen cabinets, the planes hit the towers.

And two weeks later we were scheduled to exhibit Mark's artwork at a major gallery in Santa Fe. The nation was reeling and in mourning; I was struggling with a major lifestyle change; our government was trying to remain stable; and who was going to be interested in buying art? All of that and more was like a tidal wave of worry threatening to engulf me. But, instinctively, I knew that this was where the rubber met the road in terms of my faith. I had been a self-declared Christian for about 14 years, but now it was time to go beyond a profession of faith and actually demonstrate it. So, the Lord began opening my eyes and my heart to His presence. My faith became about seeking Him and building a real relationship. I began talking to Him and being honest about what I didn't know and about my fears.

And the biggest thing I had to learn was to trust Him. You see, the iniquity in my family line centers on the worry about money. I call those seven years on that leased land "my wilderness" because it was a time of deep and intense battle with the Enemy as I overcame the spirits of Doubt and Fear and learned to trust the Lord for my provision. It was during those seven years that Jesus revealed the origin of the fear of lack and poverty -- that it was an attack upon my family line and I needed to overcome it and defeat it. I had grown up seeing that same fear in my father and it was an inherited trait in my own life, and I hated it. All the factors had come together in my life to make it a stronghold and the devil was taking full advantage of the situation -- 9/11; being newly self-employed; the economy was slow to come back; and Mark was still in the process of building his reputation and business. Throw those fiery darts of Doubt and Fear into the mix and I was a mess.

But that's when the Lord brought a love of studying the Bible to Mark and I. In the midst of our lean financial times, we turned to relying on Jesus to strengthen us. I learned that our money was not ours, but a gift and blessing from God, and that He had plans for us and wanted to prosper us. We just needed to trust Him. In fact, I can remember starting to receive thoughts that I knew were not mine, and they were ideas of how to grow our business. And I remember hearing the Lord say to my spirit, "If you will be faithful and trust Me, I will be faithful to you". We formed a covenant that day, and those words are still something that I hear and believe in today. So, praise Jesus, I was able to break the bondage of that generational iniquity, and recognize the fiery darts when they come, and declare all the times that my Lord has been faithful to deliver us the provision we need when we need it.

But learning that valuable principle of faith in Jesus is not all that the Lord has taught me. At the end of that seven year lease, He delivered us to our current property and home and set us upon a higher calling of ministry in Inner Healing, and Teaching others about the Kingdom of God and sharing that important Gospel. In addition to these new assignments, He has let me see behind the curtain and discern the spiritual war that is going on in the dimensions. 

Nineteen years ago, I was not cognizant of Freemasonry and its roots in my country; of the New World Order; or Satan's agenda to use corrupted men's power to advance his kingdom of darkness. When I said earlier that 9/11 represents the loss of my innocence, it is true. But I see clearly now. Nineteen years ago, I believed in the righteousness of sending our military to avenge the deaths of our citizens. Today, I am aware that in the physical, a secret cabal of the world's elite plotted those horrific events in order to advance their agenda of endless wars and their own takeover of the world. And, today, I see what happened in the spiritual -- those evil men joined with Satan in performing a gigantic sacrifice of 2,977 lives. 

It has taken nineteen years of slow moral deterioration and depravity to seep into the spiritual framework of my beloved country. I still believe in the essential goodness and purpose of our founding, but I have taken off my rose-colored glasses and discern the weeds that the Enemy sowed into our fertile ground. I still believe that our nation can produce a good harvest for the Kingdom of God, and I am trusting that the Lord is going to send out His angels to uproot the evil sowed by Satan -- that those who align themselves with the devil's human agents in order to cause violence, to disrupt society, to avow Marxist/Anti-Christ ideals, and to further the plans and schemes of the wicked global elites, will find themselves gathered for divine judgment. 

The last nineteen years have led us from that seminal event on September 1, 2001 to what we are experiencing today. It has been one long campaign by the Prince of Darkness. So, what has my spirit ultimately learned? I have learned that I am seated in Heaven with Christ and that I have power and authority to act in His Name to defeat those forces who practice the evil of their diabolical god. My spirit has informed my soul of my true identity. I am no longer swayed by the schemes of the Enemy and I know that I do not war against flesh and blood. I know that, ultimately, this battle is the Lord's and He has already won. But I also know that there is a final battle to come; one in which the sons of the evil one will be judged and punished, and we who occupy until He comes will shine forth, reflecting His radiating Glory. 

I do not enjoy contemplating the slow decline of my nation. And I do not like to consider many aspects of what we've become. But my spirit knows the heart of my Father in Heaven, and I know He discerns the hearts of His faithful remnant. We will not be identified with those who seek power and riches for themselves, or who foment racial division and violence. We join our spirits and our voices to declare that we are the children of the Most High God and we are the Light in the midst of this current darkness. We will not surrender this nation to the Fallen One and his cohorts. We dedicate our lives and our flesh, soul, and spirits to revival and restoration of the glory of God in our land. We ask You, Father, to honor those who are trying to represent You in righteousness. We ask for Your divine protection and strategies, and we ask for continued strength and courage. We know what's coming and we are ready. Bless us, Father, and fight for us, Jesus and Holy Spirit! And we ask for all of this in Your Holy and Mighty Name! Amen!

Psalm 144:1-2       Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, Who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle; My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my rescuer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.

 

 

 

Ekklesia, Covid, and The Separation of Church & State

I know the title of this post sounds like incompatible pieces to a mismatched jigsaw puzzle. But let me see if I can tie it all together. Today, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to write about and He brought these disparate and distinct topics to mind. I mean, what do Covid and the separation of church and state have to do with each other? Nothing that I could see until He showed me that His Ekklesia is to relate to both.

Here's how it all fits together... Let me begin with Covid. Our nation has been in the grips of Covid-19 since mid-March. This pandemic has literally stopped us in our tracks. All of us have been affected by it and it has dramatically changed the nature of this country. I don't believe we will ever be the same country as we were at the dawn of 2020. And while many may mourn this notion, I actually join with those who discern that God is using what Satan meant for evil to accomplish a Godly reset ... if we will cooperate with Him. 

You see, many Christians were forced to be separated from their Church buildings and Church families by the lockdowns imposed by state and federal governments. For some, who were willing to see and hear from the Lord, they were shown not only the emptiness of their buildings, but the emptiness and shallowness of the message about God inside those buildings. They discovered they were actually hungry for something they had not tasted -- the fullness of the Word of God and true interaction with the Holy Spirit. Being forced to isolate, they learned the value of true intimacy with the Lord and their spirits were awakened to what a true relationship with their Savior looked and felt like. 

Not content to wait for the doors of the Church building to open up again, and dissatisfied with online sermons that did not ignite their hearts and spirits, small groups and home churches have begun forming in a new dynamic; they are discovering and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit to stimulate change and progress in their walk with Christ. They are learning the power of intimate prayer with each other, and the profound and personal connection of taking communion as a bonded body of believers. Returning to the old paradigm and model of "Church" might not seem so attractive.

And so I see that Covid-19, meant for evil by the devil, has become a transformative agent for personal revival. And this is the kind of revival that I think the Lord has had in mind -- one believer at a time until the fullness of His remnant to discharge the purpose of the Ekklesia within the Body of Christ becomes a reality. As I have long espoused, Jesus never said He would build His "Church", but an Ekklesia, and it would rest on the foundation of His teachings and authority and power. We, as committed Believers are to be agents of His kingdom government to transform earth to resemble the kingdom of Heaven.

And like Jesus, we are to continually encourage people to change their way of thinking [Repent!] because the Kingdom of God has arrived -- there is a new kingdom come; with a new way of ruling; and He intends for us to be His legislative body; called to defeat the gates [ruling power] of the one who has ruled with the power of Death. Furthermore, He is giving us the key of authority to open or close [loose or bind] God's heavenly principles on the earth, thereby offering Jesus as the gate [or doorway] into the kingdom of God. Jesus perfectly models for us God's design to establish His people, in His place, under His rule. 

And this is where the Ekklesia intersects with the concept of "Separation of Church and State". This nation has been deceived for too long on the idea that we were founded with the belief that Faith and Government are to be separated in our lives. How many of us have grown up with the wrong ideology that religion and politics don't mix? Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, this concept of "separation" has been wrongly applied to the First Amendment, whose purpose in the "establishment" and "free exercise" clauses concerning religion were meant to ensure both that the government does not show preference to a certain religion and that the government does not take away an individual’s ability to exercise religion. 

But here's where Ekklesia busts down that counterfeit wall of separation! Our faith is supposed to interface with government. As ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, we are to influence the laws of this nation to reflect the moral laws God has instituted in Heaven. Because we have acted as "the Church" instead of "the Ekklesia", we have allowed a man-made government model to supersede God's intended heavenly model on earth, and to suppress our role as righteous legislators of God's law. We have stood silent and subdued while prayer to God was removed from our schools; while abortion became the law of the land; and God's definition of marriage was subverted and corrupted. We have allowed human trafficking to become a $150 billion a year business -- with $99 billion from commercial sexual exploitation -- without demanding that our lawmakers stop this evil industry. We have believed the lie that our faith has no place in man's government, and that we are to follow the laws of that government without interference.

It's time we walk in our identity! We were created to represent God in all facets of our life. Our politics should reflect the righteousness and principles of a Biblical worldview. And  our government should reflect God's nature, His will, His purpose for mankind, and His Heavenly Kingdom model. And Christians should be heavily involved in all of that! The Ekklesia needs to walk in its moral authority; we need to be praying fervently for God to heal our land and change the hearts of all who are standing at the gates of hell. 

Covid-19 is a diversion, and so is all the violence stemming from social injustice and the upcoming election. We have been essentially neutered from involvement in our worldly government. Satan has been effective in using them to get us to act out of our humanity. Let's stand up and show him who we really are! We are citizens of Heaven who rule from spiritual authority given to us explicitly by our Father in Heaven. And we are here to defeat the schemes and strategies of our spiritual enemies and establish our Father's government on earth, as it is in Heaven. We are throwing off the false identity of being the Church and putting on our kingly and priestly robes and ruling earth as Heaven is ruled. We praise you Father for all you are doing in the midst of the chaos. We trust You as you strengthen and fortify us to be the Ekklesia! Amen!

2 Timothy 2:15   Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.  

Are You Ready To Become Like Deborah?

I am writing this blog for all women, who like me, do not want to sit on the sidelines while our country and this world goes down the tubes. It doesn't matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or Libertarian; whether you are a Christian or not; whether you are political or not. I am writing for all the women whose instincts tell them something is wrong....terribly wrong....and are ready to throw off the shackles of fear and claim their personal power; to overcome the paralysis of panic and dread, and take command of their lives and their circumstances.

I used to be comfortable and contented in my life. My husband and I had built a nice little home on a few acres in the country. Our small business was successful, and I thought everything was going to be smooth sailing from then on out. But you know that old saying, "If you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans?" Well, God obviously knew a whole lot more than me what was coming down the pike!

It seemed like overnight, all sense of security in my country, my government and my future went up in smoke. My husband and I both knew something was really wrong. This country was headed down the wrong track, and the conductor was taking us there as fast as he could!

We have felt heavenly promptings to re-evaluate everything in our lives....to prepare for economic hard times and radical changes in our society. And [to be honest] it has scared the crap out of me! But instead of giving in to the suffocating fear, I have made a choice to face it. I will not give up that easily in all I believe in!

Everything you just read is what I wrote on December 5, 2011 -- my first blog post. Little did I know that everything I felt and sensed nine years ago would be compounded exponentially until we find ourselves in 2020, at this turning point in our lives. And so, I find myself writing again to encourage women (and men) to overcome the "paralysis of panic and dread"; the loss of "security in our country, our government and our future"; and "the economic hard times and radical changes in our society". 

I will tell you that two things have changed for me in that last paragraph since 2011 .... first, I am no longer scared. The Lord has strengthened and fortified my spirit to face what is coming. And second, I not only will not give up easily, I absolutely will not surrender to evil forces. I can see clearly how my beloved nation has become disobedient, rebellious, and idolatrous. I see how we substituted God's moral laws for "that which has seemed right in our own eyes". That abandonment of God's righteous ways has led to corruption from within and opened doors for oppression from without. I see our spiritual temperature growing colder and if we do not humbly submit ourselves to the authority of God as a nation, we are subject to the same bondage and captivity that His favored nations of Israel and Judah suffered.

But don't get discouraged! God has shown us throughout His history in the Bible that He raises up the most unlikely heroes to carry out His will. One such story is that of the prophetess and judge Deborah. She lived in a time of chaos in Israel after the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan. Armed bands preyed on Israelite peasants. Travelers and caravans, the lifeblood of her region, were too frightened to take the main roads. Much like today, this was a time that called for strong leadership. Deborah answered the call of the Lord on her life and led an army against Israel's oppressor; and under her leadership, Canaan's army under Sisera was defeated.

I believe that just as in that chaotic time in the Bible, we as women in the 21st Century can hear from the Lord and affect transformation and change in our circumstances. Now is the time for us to step forward in courage to lead our families in obedience and wisdom. I often tell mothers of young children that they must become like Sarah Connor from the movie series The Terminator. If you will recall, Sarah finds herself in the unlikely situation of becoming a hero responsible for saving the world from a diabolical plot to destroy humanity. Like Sarah, women today must develop strength and resiliency in order to prepare our children for a future that could look drastically different than any of us have ever expected. But unlike the movie character Sarah Connor, and like the Biblical character, Deborah, we have the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord to lead us into our victory. 

I want to encourage you to become like Deborah... to support the people of God; to encourage them to know and understand their power and authority in the Kingdom, and then to act on it. Your belief and strong faith in God will earn the trust and respect of people in your sphere of influence and you will be able to motivate them to walk in their purpose. Be direct in your application of God's Word, and do not back down from efforts to modify or revise the power of the Word. Ask the Lord what His agenda is for this time, and then teach others His plan ... not yours, nor theirs, and not ungodly leaders. Be confident and never hesitate to carry out the assignment or responsibility He has given you. And of course, give all praise and glory to God, for any victory we have over this demonic threat against our country is His. 

In this hour of peril in our nation, there is not one person who is not effected. It is time you know what your core values are and what spiritual gifts you possess, and then to put them into action according to the will of God in your life. Jehovah Nissi knew who would be obedient to follow His lead into battle for the nation of Israel. He knew whom He could trust to walk in integrity, honesty, compassion, and dependability. And He knew who would be fearless as they went into that critical battle. 

I believe we face such a crisis today. And I also believe God is calling a multitude of Deborahs to rise and step into those leadership roles. We do not come in a competitive stance against men, but we work with them as Deborah did with Barak, a military commander of Israel. Like Deborah, we can become women who are shining examples of faith in our God when things look bleak. Faith is sorely needed today and service to God can be the last thing on people's minds as they struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their family's heads. But Deborah believed the Lord and urged her countrymen to serve the Lord who went before them in victory. 

I choose to steadfastly and persistently trust in the Lord to lead us to that victory, no matter what it might look like. Yet, I am not unaware that this nation deserves God's righteous judgment. And if it is judgment that comes, then Deborahs will be needed all the more. Let us ask the Lord for an anointing of the Deborah spirit in our lives as we go forth declaring His sovereignty over Evil, and the power of Heaven to assist us -- just as from heaven the stars fought; they fought in their courses against Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army" (Judges 5:20). And when we have fought this battle and won, let our nation have rest, just as the nation of Israel experienced. 

I finished that long-ago blog post with this appeal ... As American women, we have overcome much in our history, and it is not in our DNA to lay down and quit. So no matter what stage you are at in coming to terms with our country's decline, together we can help each other be prepared for what is coming. Together we can become an army of Deborahs and lift our nation above the hopeless and pessimistic forecast that is staring us in the face. Let us join together and walk as women of the Lord who can be trusted to carry out His plans to transform this nation; to battle together to see the rebirth of this nation in His Light and His Glory!

Judges 5:31   So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.