The virus which began in Wuhan, China (so we are told) has claimed many live around the world.  And the numbers continue to climb in countries which have resorted to draconian measures to control their citizenry.  The platitudes that are being handed around include “it’s for the greater good”; “we have to protect one another”; “protect the children”; “stay away from one another so that you will live”; and on, and on, and on……

The victims of the virus are greater than the numbers of lives lost.  Greater, and taking a permanent toll, on all those left behind.  We have all lost freedom.  We have all lost trust.  We have all lost relationship intimacy at some level.  We have all lost truth.  From my viewpoint, the loss of truth is the worst of all.

We can no longer trust our government to do what is best for us.  The people governing us are now focused on doing what is best for them so that they can remain in power and keep everyone else in subjection.

We can no longer trust the news media as so many of them are no longer reporting but sermonizing the message they have been told to sell.

We can no longer trust the medical community as they are no longer dealing in truth and science, but in fear and subjugation. 

We can no longer trust pharmacists who may be changing the medication we have been prescribed for something they have been told is “better” for us.

The lies being spread on social media and by the fourth estate are propagating fear and distrust, division and hate.  But then, that is the goal, isn’t it?

No organization that is filled with hate and division can survive – whether it is a business, a family, a community, or a nation.

Wake up world.  You have sold yourselves to the devil and now you are allowing him to control your life and your future.  It’s time to take a stand.  Unite under one cause, one flag, one voice:  TRUTH!  Demand the truth from your leaders, your doctors, your pharmacists, and the MEDIA in every form.  A nation divided against itself will not stand.

MARK 3:25  “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Lincoln’s House Divided Speech      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln’s_House_Divided_Speech

My heart, my soul, my life belong to Jesus!

How many times have you said that? Prayed that? Believed that? I can’t begin to count the number of times I have told the Lord I loved Him alone and that I was His to do with as He wanted. I’ve promised to serve and sacrifice and be whatever He wanted me to be whenever He wanted me to be it. Haven’t you? When we get lost in His embrace and the wonder of His amazing love, we promise Him anything and we mean it – at least right then.

I really believed it. I thought I was doing everything He wanted and more. I thought I had it all together and that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for Him – all He had to do was ask. You too, right?

This past week I discovered what a liar I am and how empty those vows to Jesus have been. I was willing, all right, as long as He didn’t invade my secret place and require me to give up my treasured times of relaxation and peace. I put conditions on my service and on my love. I placed myself above the Lord in a position of authority, letting Him know what I was willing to do and what was ‘for someone else’. I made the rules and I expected He would follow them because, after all, He loves me and wants me to be happy.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The Lord has been gracious and has given me just enough rope to hang myself. My wake-up call came two weeks ago in jolly old England. While attending a conference of ministers and evangelists I was humbled and awed by what I heard. I was surrounded by truly GREAT men and women of God. Among them was the head of world missions for an international organization; also, an evangelist who has led hundreds of thousands of people to Christ in Europe and the UK; and, a woman who is the Chaplain in the highest maximum security prison in England – she ministers to heads of terrorist groups and these leaders are beginning to seek answers about Jesus. There was a man who heads another international missions group which was founded by his father who spent 13 years in a Communist prison being tortured because he would not renounce Christ. In the entire group there were no ‘peacocks’, only hard-working, spirit-filled men and women who love Jesus and love serving Him. I felt entirely out of place and ashamed of having spent so much time on myself this year.

Oswald Chambers wrote in “My Utmost for His Highest” – “Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

That’s me, in a nutshell. I refused to give up my right to myself. I wanted to do only those things for which I felt equipped and in which I was comfortable. I literally picked and chose which things I would do for the Lord based upon my needs and desires instead of on His great call. May God have mercy on my soul!

My love, which I thought and felt was so deep for the Lord, is truly a sham. Oh, I love Him – but I’m not sold out for Jesus, like those people I met this month. I’m sold out on the idea of being sold out for Jesus. But don’t press to hard or you might see this cold, black heart for what it truly is: selfish.

This past week a ministry friend shared about children in Iraq who are being beheaded because they refuse to renounce Jesus Christ. CHILDREN. Little babies who have been taught by their parents that they must never, ever say no to Jesus. These children have been martyred and their parents have been left alive to suffer the torture of constantly reliving the beheadings, always seeing the sight in their minds.

Whatever these people have, I do not have it. I am weak and lowly and thoroughly corrupt. I have no excuse.

Please, pray for my salvation and a true love relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe that if I were to die at this moment I would spend eternity in outer darkness – a thoroughly unprofitable servant.

In fear and trembling.

Peace. Solitude. Silence. Contentment. Serenity.

I am sitting in my ‘prayer closet’ this morning just basking in the wonder of His presence. I find Him here whenever I sit in this chair, whatever time of day, no matter what else is going on. This morning I am just soaking in His presence, breathing in the very essence of who He is. No prayers going up, no great needs to bombard the heavens – just the joy and contentment of being His and having time for just we two. Oh how I love these moments. There really is nothing like belonging to the King of Kings and having Him for your very own.

As I sit here I am aware that just outside of my sphere of Holy Ground there is a battle raging. I sense, rather than see, great raging beings swinging flails and shooting arrows in my direction. The weapons seem to strike an invisible shield and again I sense, rather than see, the sparks fly and the rage increase.

How fanciful! Oh, little child, no fancy here! The battle does indeed rage around you and you are protected from all harm because you have chosen the path of obedience. Your obedience has wrought great victory in the Kingdom and the enemy of your soul rages and beats his chest but cannot harm you. Like a roaring, toothless, aged lion he creeps around you trying to change your direction. He cannot.

Such peace. I am hidden in the cleft of the rock this morning, beneath the shadow of His wing, and I am safe. I do not concern myself with what is happening in the spiritual arena because I know the Victor and I am one with Him. With just a word I send the enemy scattering. With my worship the enemy flees and I sense that he is waiting on a rooftop not far away – waiting for an opportunity to strike when my guard is down.

I do not fear. Were he walking in my house I would not fear. He has no power or authority over my life. I am the Lord’s battle-axe. I have been given all power and authority over the enemy and with the help of the Holy Spirit I have been practicing exercising that power and authority. I am seeing miracles in response to my words. People whom I thought were in authority over me are submitting to my words, spoken softly in truth and love. The Victor lives in me and with His power and authority I am taking a stand against evil wherever I see it and whenever I encounter it – and I am victorious!

What an interesting walk I am having with Jesus! Just this past weekend I met a pastor from Wales and when I told him my name he looked momentarily confused and shaking his head slowly, he said “No, it’s Victoria, isn’t it? Maybe I just think that because you are victorious.”   How prophetic is that?

Dear, sweet children of God: the battle does indeed rage around you but you are the victor because you belong to the Victor. The battle belongs to the Lord – let Him fight for you and through you. Relax in His great love, rest in His mighty arms, and wait for His command. When you are obedient to His command you cannot fail – your victory is assured! My prayer for you today is victory – and the peace and joy that come with it!

2 Chronicles 20:15  …..Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

I’m so excited! Two more days. Two more days. JUST two more days! Actually, my fast ends at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow but for all intents and purposes it’s two more days until I get to eat. I’ve never ended a fast like this before – this excited, I mean. Usually it’s just another day but for whatever reason I’m really UP! I am full of excitement and anticipation about what is happening in the spiritual realm because of the fast AND I am SOOOO looking forward to some frozen chocolate custard (my menu item for lunch on Thursday J )

There is a down side to the fasting business – at least there is for me. Fasting seems to open spiritual eyes and give us clues and sometimes complete pictures of what the Lord is doing and planning in our lives or around the globe. That part is fun. It is really neat to see what God is doing and to be privy to what the outward signs mean. The hard part is that I have not been gifted with an ability to communicate those signs and portents in a way that others can understand and implement in their own lives. Instead, I end up offending someone or making them so confused they want to leave it all alone.

For instance, I’d like to be able to explain the spiritual benefit of fasting as it relates to warfare and spiritual victory. Unfortunately, while it makes perfect sense in my mind I cannot put it into words that make sense. It is like a many-layered cake which has to be delayered to be understood but I can’t seem to get the layers laid out in the proper sequence to convey the message I want to convey.

Or, there’s the spiritual weapon of walking. Yes, walking. I’ve tried to explain the significance and the power of Holy Spirit-filled believers walking around schools, government buildings, communities, etc. etc. but each time I end up with a message that just lays there and kind of fizzles a little bit.

Nope. Teaching about spiritual warfare isn’t my strong suit. Warring in spiritual warfare – that’s where I shine! I can fast for months on end. I can walk for hours making huge circles around communities and I have. I can worship and dance for hours. I can praise. I can pray. I can decree and declare. I can bind and loose. I can rebuke. I can do all of these things and I see great victories when I do.

Today I have a new weapon in my arsenal – RAK CHAZAK! The Hebrew battle cry has become my battle cry as I head into enemy territory and take back what rightfully belongs to God. RAK CHAZAK!

Won’t you join me? Let’s take back that stolen ground and let God turn around what the enemy meant for evil.

RAK CHAZAK!