I married a warrior

I married a warrior. For sixty years we battled the enemy together. We battled each other as well at times. Two iron wills met at the cross, then at the altar and then on the battlefield. My Ted believed me to be so strong that I did not need him to protect me sometimes and that scared me. ... but it also drove me to the Word and prepared me to continue on alone and do battle in Satan's kingdom. 

God has graciously provided four local men who are skilled in different arenas of ministry that willingly help me when I call upon them. It takes four to even begin to match Ted's gifts that God developed in him over his long lifetime of work for the Lord. God is graciously providing some women partners in ministry. For three days this week I made phone calls to many of my prayer and financial supporters across this nation.  Today I will call the west coast and northern friends/supporters. The Lord has put upon my heart for many years to personally keep in contact with every supporter; not only to thank them for their investment in us but to pray for them as they do battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. Some are widows; some are still couples; some are veterans of world wars,  having fought for our nation's freedoms. Now they are nearly unbearably saddened to see that we have become a nation of sheep.

Our "hope is in the Lord".  We have been at war with the enemy from the second we received Christ as Lord of our lives. As the Lord graciously gives me the joy of introducing someone to Christ, right afterwards,  I open scripture to show them that 1) they are no longer condemned and cannot lose their salvation; 2) that the Lord Jesus Christ is God-in-the-flesh; 3) the Holy Spirit has entered their very souls and bodies;  4) the Bible is the Word of God that must be their constant guide;  5) show and tell them in scripture who their enemies are. I don't relish giving a brand new Christian that last piece of news right after giving them the greatest news they have ever heard, but there is good news within the bad news:  Jesus Himself has already won the battle against Satan at Calvary.

Nothing in war makes an army fight so desperately as necessity. What was the fuel that fed Ted's and my passion to fight for the Gospel? ... persecution for our faith in Christ. Ted's dad offered him a full ride through college to prepare to be a surgeon if he would "give up this religion and that woman who led you into it." Ted, already a many-lettered hard fighting athlete and a veteran Navy corpsman said, "Thanks, Dad, but I am going to serve Christ," My family called me names,  yelled at me, mocked me and impugned my motives.  Is it any wonder that the first verse I learned besides John 3:16 is Proverbs 16;7: "If a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even His enemies to be at peace with him." All of these attacks made Ted and me strong....not bitter; not victims, but strong warriors. Early on, we learned that the deal was this: ...It's just us and the Lord. Now Ted's wars are over; mine are not. ...and I get so scared sometimes. ...so very scared. ...and I run to His Word and drench myself in it. He hears my cry. ...and I can, with honesty, tell others that He is our Shield and Defender, our Comforter, our Guide, our Strong Tower, our Provider, our tender but mighty Daddy who fights for us. ...and I am experiencing in a new way that He is my Bridegroom... Add your own lovely definitions that describe your Blessed Redeemer.

Most of the young people I am ministering to are fighting terrible battles. That's why the Lord sends them to me, of course. I do my best to help them be grateful for what they do have and to show respect for their parents. Yes, I tell stories to the next generation as we older ones are admonished to do in Psalm 78.  My Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday students love to get me goin' with my stories, but I always draw them back to biblical truths. These "truths" are all they will have in order to face the coming days. They cannot survive on my stories, but they must let Christ write their story as they depend upon Him and His Word.

Is this a "doomsday message"? Nope. It's prophecy coming to a speedy reality. Every mature student of God's Word that I talked to across this nation this week knows it and is doing exactly what I am doing:

...telling (Tell me)  the story of Jesus; write on my heart every word
Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard
Tell how the angels in chorus sang as they welcomed His birth
"Glory to God in the highest! Peace and good tidings to earth."

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, writhing in anguish and pain
Tell of the grave where they laid Him; tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender, clearer than ever I see
Stay, let me weep while you whisper, LOVE paid the ransom for me.

Love, Jo