Ah, Endurance! How I Love It When My Brides Hold On Through Tough Fights, Refusing To Quit Even When It Seems There Is No Victory In Sight.
Those who are used to turning to Me and drawing their power and strength from Me have faith and trust. They’re not afraid because they know that I’m the One Who has to lead and guide them, and they pin their faith and trust in My answer and My leading, and in all they do they obey what I show them. (ML 3235:33 (PDF))
Jesus: Ah, endurance! How I love it when My brides hold on through tough fights, refusing to quit even when it seems there is no victory in sight. My heart thrills to the courage of those who continue to fight tenaciously through battles, trials, difficulties, attacks, or sicknesses, even though the victory sometimes does not seem to come.
Endurance is the ultimate in faith. Endurance is saying to Me that although you don’t see My answer yet‚ you know that it is coming and you will last as long as needed until I finally deliver you.
But one thing no one ever said about endurance was that it was easy. No one has ever been born a master of endurance. The tenacity to stick it out through pain and anguish and to fight through hard battles toward a goal is a skill that is developed through practice, hard work, prayer, and wielding your weapons through lots of difficulties and hardships. You need a steel will that will persevere in prayer, claiming the keys of clear vision to help you see the end result and refuse to give up before you obtain the blessing.
Why is this skill so important, you might wonder? The skill of learning to endure tough battles, even protracted battles, is important because you are getting closer to the End. Part of getting closer to the End is that the Enemy’s power is increasing, the spiritual battles are waxing hotter, and in many cases the answers will be slower in coming—to test your faith, as a witness to the world of your faith that refuses to quit, and also to allow the Enemy his last days, what I have promised in the Bible that I would allow him.
MB—Jesus speaking in prophecy: What witness am I to the world? I’m tucked away on this farm. Who even knows I’m here? Well, for one, the whole world of the spiritual realm knows you are there, and that goes for your brethren out there who have given themselves to this final battle of prayer. The whole spiritual realm knows where they are too. Everyone on this side of the veil knows exactly where those prayer-and-praise missiles are being launched from.
As for your enemies in the physical realm, you should be very, very thankful they don’t know how to find you. Because if they did, then you would be like one of those missile-launching pads in Iran that, when discovered on radar, is very quickly dispensed with. That’s why those missile launchers are mobile. They fire off a few rounds, then move position in order to stay off the radar for as long as possible.
I’ve placed you in the wilderness, out of sight of your physical enemies, because the days are dark and it is no longer time to be out on the avenue like a street lamp on a dark night—a perfect homing beacon for the enemy’s radar. You’ve been following My Endtime plan and gone underground and are now more dangerous to the enemy than you’ve ever been.
Actually, your prayers and praises are more like the drones the Iranians are sending into enemy territory. Unlike missile bases, a drone base is very hard to locate. The drones are well on their way, and at times well into enemy territory, before the interceptors detect them.
You are more than a big thorn in the side of the enemy. Be thankful the enemy can’t find you. Be thankful that you aren’t on the run. Be thankful I’ve chosen you for such a mission. (End)
Art of War Part 2…continued: As you come closer to the End you will see that although there will be instances of on-the-spot miracles and supernatural and immediate outpourings of miracle power, there will also be other cases where you will need great patience to stick it out and keep fighting in spirit until My purpose is accomplished, your testimony is complete, or the conditions are right for you to obtain victory and find the relief you need.
In other words, I haven’t called it the Great Tribulation for nothing! If you’re destined to go through those days, and even live and fight in these days leading up to that time, you’re going to have to be tough soldiers‚ ready to wield My power in an instant and be able to be humble enough to not get puffed up when I work awesome miracles through you. Yet at the same time, be willing to fight long battles against the Enemy when there don’t seem to be instant miracles, and to hold your ground steadfastly and not lose your faith when I don’t deliver you Immediately.
MB—Jesus speaking in prophecy: I’ve called you to a very humble ministry. It’s out of sight, bringing no glory to you. That’s why people like to think that someone sitting in a prayer chair is doing little to nothing. It takes great humility and a lot of endurance just to sit in that cave with all your drones lined up, ready to be deployed on their different missions. You have weaponised drones, medical drones, and supply drones. Each one, before being sent, is prayed over. You insert a Key or two, and then you sit down in your drone-pilot chair and direct it to its target.
Such an inglorious job, so tedious, so routine. Yes, and those are the exact thoughts you have to fight. They are from the enemy, and they are designed to shut down My drone base. Stay humble and out of sight. You are doing a tremendous job. It is vital, even though it is humbling and may seem so lacklustre. (End)
Art of War Part 2…continued: The prophet Daniel had to hold on for three weeks while an angel wrestled with the prince of Persia. That kind of battle is going to come upon you more frequently, and so I desire to strengthen your spiritual endurance and prepare you to not lose your confidence when I don’t rescue you prematurely.
There is something important that you need to know when you face long battles. Before you can say, “I have done what I could, now I’m just going to stand on God’s promises and (send off my spiritual drones) for however long it takes, I refuse to give up,” and determine to endure—before you take that kind of stand, you need to know that you have truly done all that you could, and that what is preventing your deliverance or victory is truly something beyond your control, and not some oversight of yours‚ some lack or deficiency in your fighting strategy.
Here’s how to know the difference: Generally speaking‚ you haven’t done what you could until you’ve used each and every weapon at your disposal‚ and used them consistently. Before you resign yourself to a long, tough battle (Audio), you should ask yourself questions like:
- Have I heard from the Lord about this battle and what I can do to gain the victory?
- Have I identified which spiritual foes are fighting me so that I can resist them by name?
- Have I received specific spirit help for this battle?
- Have I humbled myself to get united prayer?
- Do I have unconfessed sins, bitterness, pride, or any other spiritual blockages in my life that could hinder the Lord’s blessing, and have I asked the Lord about it?
- Have I gone to the Word on the topic of whatever subject I’m battling about, to strengthen my faith?
- Have I studied up on fighting effectively and examined my heart about whether I’m applying the Word on the topic?
- Have I been willing to ask the Lord what other steps I should take, such as setting safeguards for myself, asking others to help me, requesting a prayer chain, fasting and spending time in desperate prayer, etc.?
- Am I weak in faith due to compromise or disobedience or excessive [or any] System input, and should I be stronger in those areas?
If you haven’t followed that list, then chances are you haven’t done all that you can. In that case, what might be standing in the way of you obtaining a victory might not be the Enemy or his attacks. It might be My will to deliver you. But there might be something missing on your part, something you can do, such as more fully employing all of the spiritual weapons (Audio) at your disposal and asking Me what more I am expecting you to do to gain victory.
But if you have heard from Me, and called on your spirit helpers, rebuked specific hinderers, and have held a spiritual housecleaning in order to prepare your heart for My blessings and power, but the answer has still not arrived, then you can know that you have done what you could, and what is left to you is to hold on anyway and stand your ground in the power of My Spirit, resisting the Enemy and refusing to be overwhelmed and defeated until you are delivered.
Excerpt from—“Are You A Sharpshooter?”: Forget the safety latch, soldier; they weren’t installed on these high-tech weapons you are using. You don’t have to worry about them shooting you in the foot or killing one of your own. These weapons recognise who is who and they simply don’t fire on friends. One fiery dart that is coming over the walls of our encampment these days is very poisonous; it was dipped in the pool of confusion, fear, uncertainties and reservation, and is laced with deadly doubts.
Your enemy is trying to get you to doubt that your prayers are having an effect, trying to make you doubt there is enough time to accomplish what needs to be accomplished before the day of Jesus’ return arrives. When just one of those darts hits home and you allow its poison to seep through your spiritual mind by playing with the thought—Watch out—You have to quickly realise that the poison is heading for your spiritual veins—where it will quickly reach the heart—and you will be ultimately paralysed. (End)
Art of War Part 2…continued: Often this kind of fight has to do with physical afflictions, like long-term illnesses, or even life-threatening ones. Sometimes there are spiritual afflictions like pride, negativity, jealousy, etc.—besetting sins that you seem to have to always fight no matter what spiritual power you have wielded against them. Or battles having to do with circumstances, that I expect you to persevere in, even though they are not your cup of tea and you’d rather be delivered from them. (Or all of the above) I have instead chosen to deliver you through them and to teach you many things in the process. These kinds of battles can be long term, and they can be the sort of fight where it is My will for you to be tested in your endurance, to see how long you will fight in faith whether you have evidence of victory or not.
MB—Jesus speaking in prophecy: And these are some of the exact battles you are facing now. You’ve passed through what you may call a “second Reboot (Audio).” I didn’t come as you expected. Well, that in itself sent many packing at the first reboot. By a miracle, you passed through both and are now facing what looks very much like another wilderness. You look out over the wasteland before you, your hand shielding your eyes from the brightness of the sun high above your head. And all you see off in the distance is what you believe to be a mirage—it may be; it may not be.
There is only one way to find out, and that is to walk out into the vastness of what lies before you and, with a determined will, learn this lesson I have for you. It is a mission and a lesson all rolled into one. A drone pilot needs patience and endurance. He’s not a fighter pilot soaring through the heavens at supersonic speeds, trying to evade other fighter jets or ground-to-air missiles. The drone pilot sits at his control console every day, day after day, somewhat detached from the action. This takes a special type of soldier, and it is what I’ve called you to. (End)
Art of War Part 2…continued: These battles are a great honour. To any who fight in this way, I tell you that you are highly esteemed in My sight to be given the gift of a battle of endurance. You have passed many other tests successfully and have thus been hand-picked for the special honour of this test of faith. I want to prove you faithful before the hosts of Heaven (Audio), as I did with Job, to show that although you are nearly slain, yet you trust in Me.
Don’t forget that your time on Earth is very short compared to eternity, and that above all it is a testing ground, a school, and a demonstration to the entire universe. Life is not guaranteed to be easy. Life is full of tests and battles, and someone who endures through long or seemingly endless battles and tests of faith is a powerful testimony to all the watching hosts of Heaven. It’s a testimony of the kind of faith that truly pleases God—the kind of “but if not” faith that endures endless difficulties because it believes in My promises and in My goodness and faithfulness to deliver‚ no matter what the circumstances look like.
You might feel as if you’re suffering for eternities‚ but when it’s over, it will not have seemed so long in the overall scope of things. When you get up here and the whole spectrum of life and reality is revealed to you, you’ll be glad that you went through what you did, because the strength of faith that you gain is priceless, and the strength of faith that you impart to others, both on Earth and in Heaven, when they watch your valiant struggle, is priceless.
Don’t let it surprise you that what you go through can teach lessons to those in My heavenly realm and inspire them. If Satan was able to persuade a third of the angels to follow him in rebellion against Me, it is obvious that even angels’ minds are not above changing, or at least persuasion. They aren’t weak, but they are not so sinless and perfect that they cannot be motivated and spurred on by a good sample that they see from someone in your realm. They know the difficulties you face in having to believe and take by faith what they see every day with their eyes.
So when you go through one of these long-term battles and you’ve done all in your power to overcome, but you’re left to fight on in faith, know that you’re instructing angels and great numbers of heavenly helpers who are motivated by your faith and your conviction and your fighter’s spirit. They’re motivated to likewise trust Me more, do more for Me, and serve Me with greater love and fervour.
There is also the obvious benefit to your own heart and spirit. Long‚ enduring battles bring out the best in you, if you’re fighting them correctly and keeping your faith strong in Me. They draw out compassion, humility, desperation‚ understanding, and gentleness. They teach maturity of spirit. They test and prove your faith to the point that it is real gold faith. That is so precious to Me.
They are also a testimony to the world that your faith is real. Even the world knows that it’s easy to proclaim your faith when days are sunny and peaceful. But when you’re faced with severe trials and tests and yet you hold on to Me and proclaim My goodness, that is when people sit up and take notice and realise that there’s something special about what you have. They realise the depth of your love for Me and our connection. Sometimes I allow you to go through the fire just as a testimony and witness to others of your love for Me and how powerful My Word is, that through our connection you are able to endure.
All that to say, such battles are never pointless. There is so much good that comes out of the severe trying of your faith, and the times that I seem to not be answering your prayers. “That’s all well and good,” you might say, “but how do we make it through such trying times? How do we prepare ourselves to push onward through these battles with sickness or attacks of the Enemy or persecutions that seem to go on and on and on with no end in sight? How do we not get discouraged and lose the victory?”
MB—Jesus speaking in prophecy: Always remember the slogan I gave you: “Keep climbing and shouting in the darkness”. This is your testimony to those of “your world”, the world you came from and were a part of for most of your lives. You are My testimony to those that see your little light way up on the mountain peak. You are a testimony to all those from your world that the Words of David can be lived. That the Words of David must be lived and the heritage of the Children of David must be carried forward. So don’t, whatever you do, listen to those voices in the dark, for they are the fiery darts of the wicked one that I’ve allowed over the city wall in order to strengthen your fighting abilities and to show your world what you were willing to pass through in order to be one of My Endtime brides. (End)
Reaction to The Bridegroom’s Delay by Lisa in the blog It Just Thrills Us
What is happening to us now?
It is a time of testing. You are facing so many tests, but I am holding you up day by day. Each day and each test you pass gains you a jewel, a reward. You are gaining your rewards during this time. I see your fears, and you don’t really know what will happen as time goes on. And so I value your trust all the more. You truly have put all things in My hands. You know that you don’t dare take things into your own hands. You know that would be a mess.
So you are stuck with Me. But at times the fear looms large and comes between us. Don’t second-guess and wonder if I will return or what it all means. Yes, I know it’s difficult to keep praying when you can’t see anything happening. I haven’t really given you a long-term vision. All My Words were saying was, “Just pray, and you will bring on the End.” And so you will. But the Bridegroom is delayed. Yes, the bride is tired of waiting and frustrated by the delay. She wants to be in her new home and be in the arms of her husband. But no, she has to stay faithful and keep working for her family while at the same time remaining set apart and hidden for her future husband.
So trust and pray. It is during this time that the Bridegroom will see what manner of bride He has purchased. Will she remain obedient? Will she submit to being sealed up in her house? Or will she still want to go around with her friends? Does she actually, in her heart, value this union that has been arranged for her? Will she wait faithfully for her beloved, no matter how long it takes?
His Word is always with her. And it is in reading and reviewing that Word that she will have the strength to wait. Otherwise, her mind will drift, and she will be thinking about other things and other people. And the Groom will know it. He has His friends watching. A daydreaming bride-in-waiting will be looking out the windows into the world instead of faithfully staying sealed and quiet for her Beloved.
A bride who is faithful will be feasting on the Words (PDF) of the Groom so that she might be found white and clean on the wedding day. See, it’s all the tests and battles that you face each day and each year while you are waiting that will make you that bride in the end.
Well, it’s how you take them. Do you learn? Do you yield to others? Do you take the humble seat? The importance you place on your spirit will show in the end. It’s like an exam. If you didn’t study, then you don’t know the material. If you were a lazy bride and were a bit tripped off in the world, or even in your own good works, then your garments won’t be white. There will be a bit of dirt there—the dirt of pride and self.
See, that bride needs to do only what her future Husband wants. He has bought her now, and she belongs to Him. So even her own family is secondary. She loves them and keeps working for them, but her desire is for her new life that is to come when her Husband whisks her away. (End)
Excerpts from “The Orange Key”: It is getting harder to pass through those elements of the carnal realm to fully access My door to the bedroom, where you and I lie in each other’s arms, embracing and loving one another as husband and wife. I understand that each of you has longed for a more passionate experience in My bed, with no restrictions upon you. The flesh is fighting harder to keep us apart.
The enemy is blanketing the earth in a terrible storm from which you are escaping, but you feel a heaviness, a weary sense of foreboding that is hard to escape when you want to fully enter our secret chambers of love. It is at such times that you reach for the inner lock, opening it wider so that I can satisfy you to your heart’s content and show you the secrets you long to know.
You have been using the Blue Keys for many years now, and you each have so many other wonderful Keys and promises that give you access to My bedroom, so you aren’t limited. But the battles of the mind and heart are growing stronger, and the heaviness and weariness of “yet another day” begin to affect your mood and your countenance. Yet I long to restore you to the joy of those younger days when you first found My ring of marriage placed upon your finger.
You are all so dear to Me. I am thrilled by your faith and your willingness to go through all the tests, trials, and setbacks, and yet still trust Me and not lose hope. This Orange Key will be both a lock that keeps the door shut against outside interference and the Key that opens other doors to My inner secret chambers of love that you have yet to explore.
This Orange Key is as the vibrant light that is needed now to warm your souls and protect your spirits from weariness and drab feelings that the enemy tries to cover you with. It is the warm light that soothes and refreshes your spirit for another round of hand-to-hand combat against the demons of depression that loom large and heavy on an earth filled with sin. They try to enter your space, and you have many Keys already holding you together and warding off those demons, but this Key warms your soul so you can feel the comforting, soothing touch of My hand that brings you closer to Me and reinvigorates your mind and heart for another day. (End)
Art of War Part 2…continued: The deeper you get into the Endtime, the more you will see manifestations of the spiritual realm in the physical world. The more you yourselves walk in the spirit, the more attuned you will be to the spiritual forces behind almost everything you see. It will even get to the point that your senses are so spiritually aware that you will see the workings of the spirit world quite well at times. You will peer beyond the veil quite often and see the reality that moves and shapes the physical world. All this will come in time and will not be a fearful thing for you, My children, but it will be an aid to your service for the good.
MB: In these days it is very hard to see what that paragraph is trying to imply. When listening to people, when hearing about what is happening out there in the world, it makes me think: “nothing makes sense” What Trump is doing there in the Middle East doesn’t make sense. The Ukraine war does not make sense. People are motivated, not out of love, but out of self interest. It is hard to see the what the paragraph above is trying to imply—the good and Godly—but very easy to see the darkness, it is pervading everything. (End)
Going further and holding out longer
Art of War Part 2…continues: Besides using all the spiritual weapons at your disposal and asking Me what the keys to victory are for you in each situation, one very important key to enduring long, hard battles is regular practice with your spiritual weapons, regular Word, and regular fighting-especially in prayer. Specifically this means to build up your endurance through determining to push on longer through each battle than you did in the past, to fight harder each time than the time before, and slowly, like a runner, you can go for longer distances without breaking down and surrendering and losing your will to fight.
The “breaking points (Audio)” in a battle are different in each case, depending on the battle, but there are always some. There are always points of defeat, where you could surrender to the Enemy and let him have his way‚ or else you could push through and gain the advantage. For instance, in a battle against jealousy‚ the breaking point might be when you voice the bad thoughts you’ve been having and rail on someone‚ making them feel bad; or you vent your frustration or anger, choosing to yield to your feelings rather than what you know you should be doing.
If it’s a battle against doubts, a breaking point might be when you are tempted to stop fighting them with the Word, and stop fighting to believe the Word and voice your doubts to others who aren’t strong in the Word. The breaking point in a battle for health might be when you faint in your mind and let fear grip you that I will never heal you and that you’re going to be sick forever. Those are the types of reactions and actions you must avoid by a committed program of trying to improve the length of time you hold out against them.
It’s nothing new to try to fight a battle until it’s over and you win. The key to greater effectiveness in such endeavours, however, is to be more aware of the flow of the battle and your responses. By that I mean to realise when the battle has hit you, and when you get to either the victory or the breaking point, and try to improve on that result the next time you are attacked. Analyse [ask Jesus] what made you give up the fight last time, what wrong decision brought about the loss of that particular battle or that setback in the battle. You have to almost get scientific about it and really think about it, pray about it, and have Me analyse your results for you so that you know whether you’re getting better or weaker at fighting.