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Strong In Battle With Susie Larson · She Speaks Life - Christian Women, Strengthen Your Faith, Bible Study, Grow Spiritually In Christ

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Hey friend. Welcome back to, she speaks
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life. I'm so glad you're here and I'm
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connect. And in return, you'll receive a
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free download. Right away of God's ID, my ID
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which gives you a rundown of God's characteristics and how
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they apply to our lives. So today, I am so thrilled to
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give you my conversation with author.
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Susie Larson, we talk about her book, strong and battle.
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Why the humble will prevail, which is about gaining victory
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in our hardships and overcoming the obstacles we face.
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Face in life. You know the spiritual battle.
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My friends is real and with this conversation from Susie, you'll
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receive some powerful tools to stand strong in your faith,
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knowing that you're going to see God move and his time and in his
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way, this conversation is so powerful.
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So let's dive into my conversation with Susie Hey,
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Susie, welcome to, she speaks life.
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I'm so glad you're here. So, honored to be with you.
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Jamie, you're a fast friend. I just would just been chatting
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for a few minutes, and I feel like, I've known you forever so
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good to be with you. I know this is great.
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Well, before we dive into your amazing book and story, I love
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to kick us off with a favorite scripture verse?
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Do you have one and why? Yeah, and I pray that I'm not
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coloring Outside the Lines by saying it's actually a chapter.
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It's my yeah. I go to chapter is Psalm 18
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because first of all it's part of my story, it's sort of my
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life script. They say if you have a passage
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or even a verse or story that you go back to again, and again,
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it really is part of your life script.
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As far as the story God's writing with your life, is, he's
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really bringing to life the passages that you're reading and
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resonating with Psalm 18, is that for me because of some
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places and points in my story where, you know, like the
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psalmist I cried out to God because the enemy confronted me
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at a moment when I was weakest. And so I cried out to God and My
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Cry, reached his ears. And from on high, he moved
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Heaven and Earth to reach down and grab ahold of me.
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Rescue me from an enemy, who's too strong for me.
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He rescued me because he delighted in me and, you know,
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and then and then he restores me.
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And if you look at the progression of Psalm 18, then it
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goes to this place. Once he kind of gets you out of
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that place and gets you kind of recovering from the trauma of
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the battle, he's puts a new song in your heart.
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He strengthens your arms to bend a bow, a bronze, he strengthens
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your hands for battle, and the Bible even says in Psalm 18 that
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he helps. He gives you feet like a deer to
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walk. Con high places and what that
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speaks of his spiritual agility, you know, when you're training
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as an athlete, you know, it's one thing to have cardio
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endurance and an aerobic endurance where you can do short
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or long spurts of cardio. But agility is a whole different
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thing where that's why you see football players, Deacon Wright
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deking left forward and back in there able to change and still
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keep their footing and still have wind in there in the breath
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and their lungs. Well, spiritual agility is being
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able to stand on high uneven terrain have the arrows flying
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at you from Every, Which Way and you're still standing because
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you've, you know, God is aware Allowed you to be trained and
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not the best circumstances, where you got this thing coming
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at you from here. And this thing coming at you
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from here. And as you keep your wits about,
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you remember that God has for you, suddenly, you're able to
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navigate under, you know, under imperfect.
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So, you know, circumstances in a Victorious sort of way.
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So it would so amazing. If you look at the progression
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toward the end of the chapter at the first part, you're being
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confronted and pummeled by your enemy, at the end of the
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chapter, you're chasing him down and put him under your feet
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until he's defeated. Heated.
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So, that to me is the story of the of the saint, you know, he
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rescues us when we're week, he chooses the week to shame the
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strong, the things that are not to nullify, the things that are,
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he puts a song in our heart, he makes Warriors out of us so that
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we're not intimidated by the enemy.
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And I just think, you know, our battles don't have to be wasted
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on us. And I think that's awesome.
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Really illustrates it. Yeah, that's beautiful.
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While you're speaking my language because I had two sons
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and football so I know. There you go, you know, they're
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talking about, yeah. Oh, that's so great.
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And you know, you went through that.
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Well, I mean you've experienced that passage and your book is so
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amazing. I was able to begin reading it
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while I was down at the nearest beach here in Texas and
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celebrating my mother-in-law's 80th birthday, and your book
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called strong and battle. Why the humble will prevail and
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you know, it's just understanding how the enemy
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attacks. And how you give us this Clarity
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on how to fight the battles and it just covers these practical
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tools to apply truth and gaining victory in our hardships and is
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so meaty. It's so rich.
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There's so much in here and I just absolutely loved it.
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So I want to kick us off with just the opening of your book
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because it really sets the tone with the, your story.
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So, you open the book with a story about a time, you
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Experience what you call a trauma fear.
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So can you share that story and give us an explanation of what
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happened? I'm really glad you asked that
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question because it really does frame.
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I think the rest of the book because the enemies, you know,
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his two favorite weapons or fear and intimidation and a, you
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know, there are a lot of Christians running hard away
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because he's roared and he's intimidated.
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And so this particular story happened, many years ago, I want
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to say 20 and I'm trying to think of how old my son is now
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maybe Fifteen years ago, I was at an out-of-state at a writers
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conference staying at a friend's house in the basement of her
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beautiful home, but it was dark down there.
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And I in that woke up in a dead sweat.
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I was just sweat sweating. I was trauma fear.
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I mean, I felt sure that my son would not make it out of his
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20s. He was in his early 20s at the
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time and I knew he was going to die.
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And so, I rolled out onto the floor, I'm crying out to God,
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begging interceding on, put angels around.
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I don't know what's going on, but it was just this Doing sense
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of Doom. I prayed all night long, Jamie.
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When I woke up or I got up the next morning, I wasn't it, you
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know, in a place of peace. I wasn't resolved, I wasn't in a
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place of faith. I was wrung out battered and
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beat up. And when I call that a trauma
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fear is because what I realized is that few weeks prior, I had
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opened the door to fear because that son of mine that dear sweet
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darling boy of mine, was wandering in the ways of the
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world and I started to entertain my what if questions and it was
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like the enemy was dropping some seeds of doubt and fear.
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And I It ruthlessly operate them, I pondered them, I
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acquiesced a little bit going. Wow.
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Yeah. What if what if and, you know,
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we raised him to love Jesus and to be passionate about the
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gospel and, you know, I was just in shock that he was wandering
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and kind of more identifying with some of his football
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player, friends and wanted to party.
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And and so I didn't deal with that fear.
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So, the thing is, the enemy is a legalist.
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If you open the door, he will take it and he will come through
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that door at the most inopportune time.
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And so often, it's when you're already being battered
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physically or you're not Being or you've had a conflict at
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work. He waits to go in for the kill
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to Blindside. You or a trauma.
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Fear is screaming at you. You can't trust God.
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And the thing is, what happens is the enemy tries to build a
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case in your heart against God. And I say, throughout the book
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every day were given the choice to either trust God or accuse
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him you know every day we can either trust him or accuse him
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because the enemies constantly building a case against him.
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And when you get to this place where you're not resolving your
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fears with the love of God, the faithfulness of God, and you let
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them linger in your Soul, there's a Time coming.
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When all of a sudden Adam, he's going to hit you with a trauma
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fear, and he'll try to get you to project, your worst-case
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fears, into a future that God's not in and use that.
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That's where you get, unbelievably traumatized,
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because you try to imagine the worst God's let this much happen
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to me. You know how much worse is going
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to happen and you start to live like you're bracing for impact,
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but if you're a Believer, no, such scenario exists, there is
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no future moment. That God is not in now, that is
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so different than a God, given warning and gods.
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Woke me up in the middle, the night.
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Those moments, but it was sober, there was peace, there was
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Clarity. It gave me a sense that we're
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one step ahead of the enemy. He's given me a heads up about
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something to pray and intercede, but in those places, it's piece.
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So trauma, fears, you can't trust God.
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God given warnings as you must trust God, and this is why it's
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so important that in our battles, before we go into the
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battle. And if we haven't done it, then
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while we're in the battle, and when we're coming out of the
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battle, we have to resolve. That God is good.
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His faithful love endures through every generation.
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His love has endured in. Past Generations.
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His love is enduring in this generation.
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His love is going to endure in our children's generation, his
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love endures forever and we that cannot be up for grabs because
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we bring on so much unnecessary collateral damage.
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When we let certain things to be up for grabs when we're in the
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storms of Our Lives. Yeah.
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And I can't help. But think of, you know, when
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you're talking about the difference between a spiritual
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warning and a trauma fear, and I've had a couple of Warnings
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myself, and it always came with an encouragement, a preparation,
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like, prepare, this is coming and that trauma fear, you're not
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getting. Oh, prepare.
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It's the oh, what if, and it's a destruction, right?
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Or yeah, something that's not good.
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So so good. I'm so glad you mentioned that.
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So in your book, you talked about that, what may have worked
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in our past. It's battles may not necessarily
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work and our today's battle. So could you maybe expand on
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that a little more? Yeah, I really want to clarify
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that. I do mention that the point
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being that we can't phone it in. There's no, this is not a time
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for autopilot, we've not been in this place before and I really
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feel like I actually wrote this in my journal a decade ago.
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I said, I feel like we've crossed over into a time of
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acceleration that we're going to start to see things speed up.
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I really believe that was true, then it's even more true now,
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just read, you know, read the news, look out your No things
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are in a pace of acceleration. So in that regard you know just
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because you have done that before man of do that.
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Now I've got my one verse or whatever.
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This is a time to up our game but that is not to say your past
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battles haven't prepared you for this battle.
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It's really important that you're not throwing out the
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things you've learned from past battles and you think of David
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when he faced off Goliath, he referred to his past battles
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with the lion and the bear and the things you walk through in
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the past, have prepared you to stand where you are now.
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But my point and making that point is, there's no phone.
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And it in no, autopilot, I've been here before because the
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enemy wants to lull us into a false sense of security.
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Again, this isn't a time to be bracing for impact or walking on
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eggshells or living in fear, but it is a time to be sober and
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alert dependent on God with an ear bent towards heaven going.
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These are tumultuous times there are landmines, everywhere, I
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want to finish strong. Gotta let me hear your voice.
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And let me put my feet where you're telling me to just a
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deeper dependence on God, and he will use your past battles, and
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he will use current wisdom to help you navigate.
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What you're facing today. So true.
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And I know that enemy shoots for those unhealed places in our
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lives. What can we do as Believers?
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I know you say a lot in your book about what we can do when
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we're easily triggered or we feel like we're continuing
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continually Under Fire, what is some wisdom that you can share
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on that? Well you know things are being
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shaken right now a scripture says so that that which cannot
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be shaken can be clearly seen and I say A leverage this
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shaking for all, it's worth because whatever it triggers in
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you and it brings up in you deal with it because the two extremes
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that are happening, Jamie right now are people getting mad that
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they're triggered and they're shaking their fists at the
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darkness or they're entertaining themselves to death and numbing
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out on their favorite binge because they don't want to deal
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with where things are at right now.
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But Mi our pastor, he's retired. Now our he's a dear friend but
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he always said when you're triggered and things are stirred
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up and they come to the surface don't shove them back down
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again. It's like the holy spirit is
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reaching in your soul pulling. Thing out till you see this, I'm
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about to deliver you from this. So my advice is when you're
12:32
triggered seek out a spiritual director, a counselor, a prayer
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Minister, a pastor and go after it.
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I can't even tell you Jamie the stuff I've been going after.
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That's been coming up for me, just because of the long battle
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that it's Ben. And I had a pretty significant
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relapse about 7 years ago that has been up and down and twists
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and turns that have. It's just been brutal.
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Actually been really hard and there's times where I felt so
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disappointed in God. And so hurt that at my age that
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he's let this battle Linger on as long as it has and, you know,
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as a public person you get people's opinions.
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I get a lot of kind encouragement and compassion.
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So that's mostly what I received.
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But I do get an email, you being a leader at your level and
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you're still not healed. Where's your faith?
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You know. People love to say things like
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that. And I'm like, I don't know what
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else to do other than I fasted prayed.
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It's a the claimed it whatever. But the thing is, our delays do
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bring up the stuff that's in our soul.
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And as I've gone after that, God has been so kind Just on Earth,
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some of the wound, the trauma, the lost the disappointment to
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bring a deeper truth. So I say, all this shaking is
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really amazing opportunity to, to bring healing to you.
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And I think I said this in the book, I know I said this in the
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book that God will often allow and overplayed enemy attack to
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position you for Freedom. He'll say, you know, she's today
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where she wasn't here before, but she's here.
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Now she's ready for this and you may feel blindsided by the
13:54
battle, but God has the enemy on a short leash.
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He's going to get you through. And you're going to come through
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stronger, not weaker. And so I just say, Leverage The
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shaking and pay attention to what it's stirring up and you
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and then go after your healing. And if you want a book on inner
14:08
healing, my book prior to this, Fully Alive, learning to
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flourish mind body, and spirit, is all about that.
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It's all about the physiological impacts of Shame fear, worry and
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security and because what happens in our soul happens in
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ourselves and so I'd say pursue healing and then pray for a
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miracle go after it because every single person listening to
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this Of our voices. As trauma of some kind has loss
14:31
of some kind and God wants to heal it.
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He is a Healer you follow Jesus. You're following a Healer.
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So I'd say, take some of your process and story.
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Take all of it, seriously and take it before the Lord, and
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seek out the kind of healing that you need.
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Yeah, Amen to that. Okay, let's talk about your
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Biblical characters that you had written in your book and I owe
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me Jonah and Esther and giving us Some examples of the reasons
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for their battles, mmm, you know, so you look at Naomi her
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husband, you know, he took his family outside, the boundaries
15:09
of Bethlehem. He was this was a family of God,
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a living amongst the people of God, and Bethlehem means, House
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of Bread. And yet they were out of bread.
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And if he would have been kept himself in the bigger story and
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said, this isn't just about my family, your people got are
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hungry, were, there's a famine in the land.
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Bethlehem means Some bread. Have we missed?
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It is there a national repentance that needs to happen?
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Can I step in and intercede on behalf of my people?
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So that not only my family is fed but my nation is restored.
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He didn't do that. He led his family to Moab and
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there's no biblical you know implication that says God LED
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that that you know he led his family to a place that were dire
15:47
enemies of the Jews. They sacrifice their children to
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the gods. They practice open immorality.
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And one scholar said that elimelech traded one famine for
15:56
three funerals because he In due time died.
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And then his sons in due time, died and Naomi was thrust into a
16:02
storm because her husband led the family.
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I don't know how much of a say she had likely not much but she
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was thrust into a storm because this man did not seek God.
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And I would say, when you abdicate your responsibilities,
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as someone who belongs to God, many people pay a price.
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So here, she's in the storm. And God has stretched out his
16:21
hand against me and you see it. She accuses God, when really it
16:24
was, it was her husband who led her into this foreign land into
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the sea. Relation.
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But God already had a plan to redeem it.
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He brings her back with Ruth graphs Ruth into the lineage of
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Christ. It's such a miraculous story and
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it should tell us that, even if we find herself in a story and a
16:39
storm, that someone else's fault, you can blame them all
16:42
day long. You can blame God all day long.
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Are you could say, God even here.
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You can redeem this, and he can redeem it.
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And then you got Jonah who himself was running away from
16:51
the call of God, and he's in this boat.
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And these Sailors pay a price because they come upon a storm.
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That was an Result of his Disobedience and he's like throw
17:00
me over. So you know the story he gets
17:02
swallowed by a whale gets spit up and he gets a chance to go
17:05
back and redeem it. But then again, we were running
17:07
from God's purposes. Many people pay a price and we
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run ourselves right into a storm.
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Well, then you got Esther, she finds herself in a storm over
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the annihilation of all the Jewish people here.
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She's a queen and she's got a reveal her identity, but because
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of her, willingness to fast and pray and seek wisdom, and then
17:25
lay her life down, really risk her life.
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Many people were saved. So there's times for in storms,
17:31
that are not our fault, but they're a culmination of our
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life's calling. And I will tell you, Jimmy, my
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first line of defense always when I'm in a storm is to pray.
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One, Psalm 139, search me, o, God and know.
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My heart test, me and know my anxious thoughts point out
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anything in me that offends, you and Lead Me In Your Everlasting
17:48
way, and that's not to say every storm.
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You are landing. It is your fault, but we have to
17:54
look at our hearts first, because sometimes we give the
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enemy access, we're not even Realizing that we are.
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So I think the first line of defense is, is there anything in
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Me? God, that opened the door to
18:03
this battle and if I could just say one more thing about that
18:07
and interrupt me if you need to, but you're good.
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James, 4:7 says, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will
18:14
flee from you. And I so often hear that verse
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quoted out of context for people say, well, if you're getting bad
18:18
or just resist the devil and he will flee, but that's not true.
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Submit to God. Resist the devil, he will flee
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from you submit to God is a military term and To get back in
18:28
rank. So in other words, the Watchman
18:31
Nee brought this many years ago. You can't have authority unless
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you're under Authority. So if you've gotten out of rank,
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Jesus is our King, he's the commander of the armies, you
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know, he's the God of all gods in the general model.
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Generals, how do you get out of rank?
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Well, you usurp Authority, you hold a grudge, you gossip, you
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have a duplicate life or you say one thing and do another.
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You have a bunch of secrets in that you're indulging in or
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maybe you're just harboring bitterness and you're not
18:57
dealing. With it, all of those things are
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open doors and suddenly you've been disempowered, you're out of
19:02
rank and the devil knows it. He's had your whole life to
19:04
study you. That's why I say this should
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always be your first line of defense.
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Is there anything in me that is given the enemy had an open
19:11
door. So once you repent and humble
19:13
yourself then you get back and rank.
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Like my friend Maria says, first ask the Lord?
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Is there anything in me? And if he shows you repent, and
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then she says, and then Roar and if he doesn't show you anything
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just roar, so you submit to God, you get back in the ring and
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then it says, resisted Devil and he will flee and it means a
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couple of things. It means he will run for his
19:32
life to look for a safe place to dwell and he will, it means he
19:35
will run for his life and he will look for a safe place to
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dwell. So if you were to like, peel
19:40
back the sky and see the supernatural realm in some
19:43
instances, you'd see Christians running for their lives because
19:46
the enemies roaring his intimidation and they don't know
19:49
what they have in their spiritual weapons, right?
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But in others instances you would see Christians stomping
19:54
their foot raising their Shield going, not today, and not
19:56
tomorrow, either. And the enemy running and
19:59
looking for a safe place to dwell so we can stop him.
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God has given us authority over the power of the enemy, but it
20:04
always starts with. Did we give him legal access to
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begin with? That is so good.
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And I mean, just so impactful. Everything I love I got to add
20:15
this quote that you wrote in your.
20:17
But you said, how do we know if our battles have served us?
20:21
Well, we will emerge from the leaning on the arm of our
20:26
beloved. And when I read that, I was just
20:30
like, this is so beautiful. We won't emerge, you know, from
20:35
leaning onto God. That's when we know that these
20:40
battles have served us. Well, and I think so often.
20:43
We hear that we are either, you know, walking in a battle, were
20:49
walking through a battle or a walking out of a battle.
20:52
And so, let's talk a little bit of walking out of the battle
20:56
when God, God gives us this rest and I believe this was in your
21:01
book where you gave the analogy of being in battle and being on
21:07
the Frontline. And then when you're done with
21:10
fighting on the front line then it's like the soldiers go back
21:14
to get a meal and to rest and the whole picture of that, the
21:20
whole analogy of that was just so good.
21:22
So what do you suggest that when God brings us to that place?
21:27
Some rest. It's time to take inventory.
21:31
What are some questions? We should ask ourselves on the
21:35
other side of the battle when God gives us that moment to
21:38
rest. I'm so glad you asked about
21:40
this, because this feels like a really important point in the
21:43
book because I think often times when we are battered by the
21:46
battle but the storm has settled down.
21:49
We're so weak and then we're so tired.
21:50
So often we go to self-indulgence to treat
21:53
ourselves and there's nothing wrong with a bowl of ice cream.
21:55
But when there's a mindset that the world owes me, God owes me.
21:58
Everybody owes me. That's when you are subject
22:01
really to falling into sin, to really destroying the gains, you
22:04
made in the battle and it's a time for sobriety.
22:07
So, I offer seven questions of inventory, I think it's seven
22:10
questions that I strongly suggest.
22:12
If you're coming out of a battle, give yourself a few
22:15
hours on a Saturday with a journal and a cup of coffee or
22:17
whatever and I'll just walk through them.
22:19
The first one is, what do I know about God?
22:21
Now that I didn't know before this trial and often.
22:24
At the end of my show, I asked, what do you know about God?
22:25
Now you didn't know even five years ago, but Just to pause and
22:28
go. What do I know about him?
22:29
Now that answer is really, really important.
22:32
Second is how is this battle impacted my theology?
22:35
Now this is a really important one because it's helps you to
22:38
discern our, their lingering disappointments with God or
22:41
others or unoffensive unresolved offenses, unresolved pain
22:46
unhealthy indulgences. Because if you're honest, often
22:49
times when the battle goes long, you find your indulgences to
22:52
numb your pain, two ways of coping.
22:54
So, just as I drop my theology, have I lowered my Expectation of
22:58
God. Am I more disappointed in God
23:00
than I am expectant of his goodness?
23:02
Because if that's true there's no shame or condemnation.
23:05
It's information that I need to maybe see a counselor and I need
23:09
to get back to a place where I really do believe God is good
23:11
because he wants to restore your soul.
23:13
Thirdly, how is my battle impacted my perspective of
23:16
others? Am I jaded and my cynical and my
23:19
impatient with those who suffer in lesser ways than I do.
23:22
So, some will come out of a battle and they're so jaded that
23:25
when they see someone with a lesser battle, they roll their
23:27
eyes and That's nothing after what I've been through and what
23:30
the goal is is to be so tenderized by The Compassion of
23:35
Jesus that we could shed a tear for anybody who suffers, in any
23:39
way because it was Jesus compassion, that always
23:42
compelled him to movement and that really is the goal.
23:45
If you're fresh off the battlefield and you feel
23:48
judgmental and critical of those who suffer in lesser ways, no
23:51
condemnation. But it just shows that your
23:53
healing process is in the beginning stages and there's
23:56
more healing to do so. Oh, if you don't deal with that
23:58
that in itself that attitude will lead you astray.
24:01
So, just bring it before. The Lord, to say, I want to come
24:03
all the way through this. So I come through with the
24:05
compassion of Jesus, and then here's another one.
24:09
What Biblical truths, did I forget that?
24:11
I need to remember, like I got so battered.
24:13
I lost sight of things that I want to, you know, tattoo on my
24:17
wrist or whatever. I want to memorize in my heart,
24:19
what are some truths that? I forgot that I want to
24:21
remember? And then what are some truths
24:23
that the Lord brought to mind that?
24:24
I don't want to forget if you could spend some time.
24:27
Writing down those versus maybe memorizing.
24:30
Am writing them in prayer form and then you'll just own them.
24:32
And I just the word of God is living and active.
24:34
And I think that's just wise, post-battle practice, right?
24:39
What were the defining moments of my battle when the storm
24:41
raged in God met me there. This to me is the critical
24:45
question of these seven questions because this is your
24:47
story, this is your song when the battle raged and got
24:51
intersected. Like I mentioned in Psalm 18
24:53
where he reached down from on high.
24:54
He took hold of you rescued from an enemy that was too big for
24:57
you. You, he rescued you at the
24:58
moment, you are weakest. He put a song in your heart.
25:01
He established you. What was that moment?
25:03
That your testimony. So I want you to Circle back to
25:06
that. I want you to think about, you
25:08
know, what really what happened. Remember the moment write it
25:11
down because it really is a testimony and to the degree that
25:14
you articulate that and Steward that message will God open more
25:18
doors for you to testify. We overcome the Enemy by the
25:21
blood of the lamb and the word of Our Testimony.
25:24
And we love not our lives, even unto death.
25:26
And again, I often hear people lie.
25:27
Off that third one, because it sounds so scary.
25:29
But, loving our life is laying our lifestyle for the kingdom.
25:32
Some people love their life so much.
25:34
There's no way they're going to testify to other people.
25:36
What would Jesus is done, but when you get to the point where
25:39
you're more identified as a Christ follower, you follow a
25:43
good King, he is returning again.
25:45
And there's a, there's not only no shame in that.
25:47
There's holy confidence in. It's like, I don't care what
25:50
people think of me. Nobody has Loved Me Like, Jesus.
25:53
Nobody had the power to rescue me from an enemy like Jesus.
25:56
He's coming, he knows my name. Name.
25:58
I've Got The Power of his Spirit Alive.
25:59
In me his promises written over me.
26:01
Let me tell you what he has done.
26:03
When you don't care what people think about you anymore.
26:06
There's a new anointing and a power that comes on your life
26:09
that makes even the devil tremble.
26:10
So I feel like take some time to just search the Lord, Search
26:14
Your Heart, say Lord, show me that point in my story that was
26:17
the turning point and then start to write it down and craft your
26:20
testimony and just start to share it and see what God does.
26:23
I love that number. Number 6 is what in me still.
26:27
Healing and I, you know, I just had a therapy session this
26:30
morning. I'm still sorting through some
26:32
of the, it's just been tough. I'll be honest with you, some of
26:35
the worst surges. Neurological searches were
26:37
happening in the middle of the night and they were terrifying
26:39
and I've come through it so much, but there's still this
26:42
underlying because of the numbing that I still deal with.
26:45
There's times where that can go. Oh, is that going to go
26:47
somewhere? And I want to start through it.
26:49
I want to stir it every bit of my story with as much health and
26:52
wholeness as they can. So I just put myself out there
26:55
to say everybody needs healing of some kind.
26:57
And so, dare to ask yourself, what in me, still needs healing
27:00
and ask the Lord to provide the right people to help you get
27:02
there. And finally, how am I better
27:05
because of this battle because if you've stewarded your battle
27:08
and my goal with the book really is if you've, you know, blown it
27:11
and past battles and just kind of, you know, kind of devolve to
27:15
drinking and all kinds of things to turn an arm out and get
27:18
through it, and then you come through is so much.
27:20
Shame, God wants to forgive you, he wants to replenish you, but
27:22
what I want is for you to be so equipped that you really
27:25
minimize the collateral damage on your Battle.
27:28
You're not your identity's not for up for grabs anymore.
27:31
God's goodness is not up for grabs.
27:33
You and more Fierce way, know how to stand and hold your
27:36
ground. The enemy has less access to
27:38
you, less ability to intimidate you.
27:40
So when it's all said and done, you are still standing.
27:43
That is my hope and my prayer. So even if you had a battle or
27:46
you fell down everywhere, there must have been a takeaway for
27:49
you. There had been some redeemable
27:51
quality of that battery. You can say, well God still
27:53
loves me. I'm still here.
27:55
Devil didn't win. I'm still standing well, That's
27:57
the takeaway. So identify it, write it down,
28:00
but I really believe what Psalm 18 says is he wants to make you
28:03
skilled in battle and there are just practical ways to learn
28:06
that as we really learn the truths of scripture trust in
28:09
God's love and know that the enemy is doesn't have open
28:12
access unless we give it to him, our battles are tempered to the
28:16
degree that they can make us more like Christ and that we can
28:18
emerge leaning on the arm of our beloved going.
28:21
I love you more coming out of this battle than I did going in.
28:24
I know you more. I know your word more.
28:26
I'm Wiser to the We schemes and I'm more confident in your love.
28:29
That's really, that's really the goal, love it, amen.
28:34
To all of that, you know, brought up this point and, you
28:38
know, some of us we want the abundance without going through
28:42
that Consecration and Holiness and we just can't have that.
28:46
Like, we can't skip that step. And so when you're speaking, it
28:51
was, you know, all the things I'm asking God, where is that?
28:55
Healing? That I need.
28:56
So that the Enemy doesn't have any kind of cracks, you know,
29:00
and just living that life where you're like, you were saying
29:05
laying down your life for God, you know, not going after our
29:10
fleshly desires, but going after what God's Will Will and way is
29:14
for our lives. And so in return, then we get
29:18
that, you know, Abundant Living, but we need to walk through that
29:22
obedience and that consecrated Holiness.
29:25
And so, and also, To respond to your comparing hardships.
29:30
You know, I've seen that where where people women are comparing
29:35
hardships and I'm like, you know, that is an especially on
29:39
this podcast. We've got a ton of different
29:42
degrees of hardships depending on, you know, your perspective
29:46
and how you look at it. But they are all the same in
29:49
God's eyes. They're all the same and so
29:51
that's an important Point Jamie. If I could just add one piece to
29:54
that, you want to talk about healing from your trauma.
29:56
Are your hardships? You also don't want to compare
29:59
and minimize yours because someone else's is so much worse
30:02
because you really don't know why.
30:04
Even let's say, you have a lesser compared to that your
30:07
best friend but and you're not sure why is that hitting me so
30:10
hard. Well so often that is an
30:13
accumulation of reminiscent past trials had sort of this its
30:16
landing on you and have your way because there's some unresolved
30:18
pain of past things. And so to compare your pain to
30:22
someone else's in a way that diminishes yours will never help
30:24
you heal, you know, you heal by owning it and admit It and
30:28
inviting Jesus into the center of it.
30:29
So comparing pain, comparing? Hardship is not good ever.
30:34
And you can find someone who maybe had someone look at them
30:36
the wrong way and it ruins their day.
30:38
Well, there's no shame in that. It's just information.
30:41
Okay, what was that about? What was that reminiscent of?
30:43
I would tell you, I believe God is on a wave of healing right
30:46
now, and I believe of way a greater wave is coming to the
30:49
body of Christ because we have a traumatized World.
30:52
They don't know what to do with their pain and so God is
30:54
allowing a lot of his children to be stirred up right now.
30:57
So, That they can be delivered and restored and healed but he
31:00
needs our permission. We either give him access and
31:03
say he'll me reveal yourself to me or we numb out and we shove
31:07
it down back in the basement. I say lean in and take him up on
31:10
the offer to lead you on the path of healing because he's a
31:13
good God. And a Good Shepherd.
31:16
Yes. So true.
31:18
Okay. You talked about Vivid dream
31:20
that you had that ignited, your faith.
31:23
You share that with us. Oh yeah.
31:26
So You know, as someone in the who's really struggled and for
31:31
many, many years with insomnia would spend related to Lyme
31:34
disease stuff. But it's been excruciating, you
31:36
know, that's been part of the night thing.
31:38
That's been so tricky for me. When I have dreams, you know
31:41
vivid dreams. It's interesting.
31:42
Just because that's been a rarity but many years ago,
31:45
Kevin, I am happy and I started asking the Lord speak to us in
31:48
our dreams. It's biblical.
31:49
We see it in the Bible. Would you do that?
31:51
And God does that for my husband more than than me?
31:54
But it was a couple of years ago, you know.
31:56
I have a sense of Of Justice. I'm an intercessor at heart.
31:59
I'm an introvert at heart. So I love, I could be a monk.
32:03
I love alone time. I love Solitude and I spend a
32:05
lot of time praying and I carry things, when I see things in the
32:09
news, I feel it so deeply in a couple of years ago.
32:12
I was just despairing that truth has been thrown to the ground
32:15
and scripture says that I think in Daniel and one other place
32:17
where people, you know, they made here the truth.
32:20
They don't care, they throw it to the ground.
32:22
And I'd seen a news report about something that had happened.
32:25
That was really corrupt and horrible, but they were doing
32:27
Man on the street interviews going.
32:29
Well, we have evidence right here, do you care?
32:31
Now, I don't really care. Okay, I like if people there was
32:34
not one person who cared, it's just was like whatever, you
32:37
know, and it just is like Lord we live in a post truth culture.
32:41
But how are we supposed to? How is the truth going to set
32:44
people free? If we're redefining what truth
32:46
actually is Lord and I was so burdened and I was really under
32:49
it and I went to bed that way and praying I had this Vivid
32:53
dream and in the dream, I'm standing in this.
32:55
It was the size of a football field but it was Piles of rubble
32:58
and it was like chunks of building like Halls of power,
33:01
like they were giant chunks of building but you could see
33:04
pillars you could tell it was Halls of power and it really
33:07
covered the, you know, the spans of a big football field.
33:10
Now it's up to my knees and the sun was just warm on my face and
33:14
I had this awesome look and I'm like, no way did that just
33:18
happen and I mean it was and then off to the left, was this
33:22
like Heavenly City in the dream? It was like had purples and
33:24
yellows and oranges and it kind of this Hue over the A true City
33:28
that could not be shaken. And I would look over my
33:31
shoulder and every 20 feet or 20 yards or whatever.
33:33
You know, there was another person standing in the rubble up
33:36
to their knees with that same awestruck look like we were
33:39
happy, we were in awe. So I was in the dream but I was
33:42
also watching the dream as if it was kind of a Skyview and I knew
33:46
in the dream, we were all intercessors and I knew in the
33:49
dream that these piles of rubble were Halls of Corruption,
33:54
infrastructures of corruption. And so the intercessors Had
33:57
prayed down the infrastructures of corruption.
34:00
And I woke up with so much fire in my I'm telling you, I just
34:04
had this faith and then I stumbled upon Isaiah 25.
34:07
If you get a chance, if you're listening to this after the
34:09
podcast over, go to Isaiah, 25:8 talks about the Nations that are
34:13
in rubble and that how God God's people say you delivered us.
34:18
We trusted you look what you did and they're absolutely.
34:21
And I, it really illustrates just what that dream felt like,
34:25
for me. But what happened for me?
34:26
Jamie, it was Like, nobody can ever tell me that wasn't from
34:29
God, because I couldn't have derived that up on my own, but I
34:32
went to bed, discouraged and depressed.
34:34
And I woke up with an 100% Assurance.
34:37
God mrs. Nothing.
34:39
He's indifferent about nothing and one day he's going to make
34:42
it. Alright.
34:43
He sees it all. He's going to deliver us but my
34:45
prayers matter, my intercession matters.
34:48
My Holiness before him matters because those who fear the lord
34:51
and shun evil, you know, he listens to the prayers of our
34:54
mouth, he heals and strengthens us and gives us more
34:57
discernment. But so he confides in those who
34:59
fear Him so that just helped me to say, keep your place on the
35:02
wall, keep interceding keep walking in a mentally with God.
35:05
He's going to do the heavy lifting and he's going to off,
35:08
he's going to keep us. All in all when it's all said
35:10
and done. Wow, that's encouraging us.
35:14
That's listening because, you know, sometimes we're praying
35:17
and we're like, is he even does it even matter like I, you know,
35:21
because we're looking around but, you know, we walk by faith
35:25
not by sight and And believe that there is power in our
35:30
prayers and it will prevail. So, and I love how you just
35:34
asked God to give you dreams. I had a similar experience, and
35:39
I was like, wow, I'm like hearing everybody with these
35:41
radical dreams. Well, God, I want to have a
35:44
great eye cream and I kid you not.
35:46
I mean, within three days. He gave me one and you just know
35:49
it's from him. Like, I just woke right up,
35:53
started writing it down because I didn't want to forget and then
35:57
Later on I was able to look it up in scripture and get the
36:02
whole Revelation and the whole picture of what he was trying to
36:05
teach me. So go concept.
36:07
It's not just for one denomination in the body of
36:10
Christ, it's actually a Biblical concept and I want everything
36:13
God has and I, especially as someone who's battled in the
36:16
night hours, I want God to reclaim that territory.
36:19
And the few dreams that I've had.
36:20
That have been so vivid, they changed my perspective and made
36:25
my faith stronger, so people can think what they want.
36:27
And I'm like, give it to me. Lord, I want to hear from you
36:29
night and day, so I know it's because it does it changes you
36:33
and you know it's from him. Okay, I love to end with a
36:37
takeaway. Is there something you can leave
36:39
but listener something she can ponder on or take action in?
36:43
I know your whole thing was so rich I loved it.
36:46
It's been so great. So I my friend Marie oh you know
36:49
said this to me about a year ago and its really been healing to
36:53
me. She said, unless your default
36:55
response when you think about God is that That only goodness
36:58
and mercy follow after you if that's not your default response
37:01
that when I think of God, I think of his goodness and mercy,
37:04
following after me, she said, then that shows that something
37:07
and you needs to be healed and something in your thinking is
37:10
out of alignment and I would say that's true for most Christians
37:13
right now Jamie because from my polling of people on my show and
37:17
Facebook lives in the different things.
37:18
I do many, many people are living bracing for impact,
37:21
they're waiting for the next shoe to drop, but since you
37:24
don't stat of living that way if you can continue to Ponder, the
37:28
love of God Ponder, the ways he really has come through for you
37:31
and let that be your goal to get to the place.
37:33
And I know it requires trust. When you he's allowed certain
37:36
things to happen in your life, he is good.
37:38
He sees the big picture. He's going to redeem all things,
37:41
but the sooner now in the land of the living, you can get to
37:44
that mindset. The sooner you'll see that he's
37:46
restoring your soul. So that would be my prayer.
37:49
That that requires our cooperation, where we focus, how
37:51
we meditate on the, on the love of God, but just ask the Lord to
37:55
help you get there because it will put your body at Rest your
37:57
heart at rest and physiologically speaking.
38:00
It's not good for us to live bracing for impact.
38:03
It's much more healing for us to rest in this love and that's,
38:05
that's the goal. Beautiful.
38:07
Susie, well, thank you so much for coming on here and sharing
38:12
your story and this amazing book here and where can people reach
38:17
you and connect with you? And you are radio.
38:21
Host for Faith talk. I think it's called their faith
38:24
radio.com. Yeah, I feel ya?
38:26
Yep. So Is you could go to all any
38:28
podcast player and search for my name and you would find my show.
38:32
Because once my live radio shows over it goes to podcasts of your
38:35
podcast listener. We have amazing amazing guests.
38:37
So you can check that out. I'm on Facebook and on
38:41
Instagram, if I do lives or more often on Facebook, my website
38:45
Susie Larson.com. Again, thanks for coming on
38:48
here. I know we are well equipped and
38:52
empowered and this just gave us even more of an opportunity.
38:57
Opportunity to go out there and fight our battles in Victory.
39:03
So thank you, great, to be with you.
39:05
Nice to meet you. Jamie.
39:08
Thank you so much for listening today and I trust that God has
39:11
encouraged you through this story.
39:14
Did you know this podcast is on YouTube, hop on there and
39:18
subscribe and you can see a live recording of each episode and
39:23
for more information on this ministry and to access free
39:26
downloads, please visit my website at Jamie Elizabeth.com
39:31
that's ja, yme Elizabeth.com and let's connect Beyond this
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podcast by To my Instagram handle.
39:39
Jamie Elizabeth she speaks life or Facebook until next time my
39:44
friend. I hope God reveals himself
39:46
through your own life story. To my Instagram handle.
39:39
Jamie Elizabeth she speaks life or Facebook until next time my
39:44
friend. I hope God reveals himself
39:46
through your own life story.