Giving Others in Exchange

Just wanted to share some aspects of spiritual warfare that we as a family have encountered.

I thought of this when I just recently lost one of my small pups earlier this month. She exhibited all the symptoms of ebola with her suffering. The Lord also made sure I witnessed her take her last couple of breaths before she passed on; late at night. I was sad, but not so cut up this time around. Many of us don't choose to even look at these things; and if He were to ask us beforehand, I for one would say "No thanks" to suffering - so Yeshua is so special and we have to accept that He has shown the way. We are perfected through suffering; and He has told us we are not being asked to endure anything beyond what each can endure according to how He has wired each one of us. There's a certain quality that comes forth from staying under the pressure (remember pressure makes the diamonds). Only GOD knows because we are being fashioned for His purposes; we are not our own.

The losing of animals was one way GOD cushioned attacks on us. A few years ago we lost all four of our big farm dogs in one night! When I thought I had enough of it - I told the Lord that I didn't want any more puppies to be born to our farm dogs. But a collie that we thought would never get pregnant, did get pregnant; even after me begging the Lord "Please no more puppies". So I said, OK these are your puppies; not mine. So it was one of these puppies that died recently. I don't question this anymore.

I also later heard from an aunt (who had been married to my Father's brother [all deceased]); that she remembered this when she was living with my grandparents. Their farm animals would just fall down dead and my grandfather would know that we were under attack. It appeared the attackers were not permitted to touch the humans and their animals copped it instead.

In the years from 2000 to 2002, the Lord led us through some warfare on the nation. This was made up of a series of fasts; repeated a year later. We saw during this period that there would be road accidents where the victims had the exact same names as our family members. The most scary one was when my younger brother (a soldier) had an accident while on tour of duty in Iraq; and was airlifted out of there back home to convalesce because of his injuries. A day or two later there was another soldier from the same tour of duty, killed in a separate road accident, who had my brother's dog tag on him as identification. And they are reporting my brother as dead, when he is sitting in front of us; I just shut my mouth and marvel in my heart!!

GOD gave us His words out of Isaiah to confirm what we were observing: Isaiah 43 - 1b“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush[a] and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

AMEN!

God is amazing!!