FSM 367 CM/FM, 02/01

Copyright © 2001 by The Family

An Activated setback?

The year 2000 has truly been a special one, as the Lord promised:

I’m leading you into a new era of greater strength of spirit and you shall do greater works! Trust Me that this is true and it shall happen (“The Era of Action!”—Part 2., ML #3301:24).

When dear Joseph and Simon were imprisoned in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on trumped up charges of “forcing their children to beg,” because they were postering with the children, this seemed like a serious setback to the Activated and follow-up vision. To our carnal reasoning, getting caught up in a persecution situation didn’t seem to be flowing in the same direction of this exciting vision, particularly since the Lord had indicated that this is Mexico’s hour! But with time we discovered that the Lord had a plan in all this. Through the sacrifice of dear Simon, Joseph and Phoebe (Joseph’s wife), and our efforts to fight for their release, many people were reached in both high and low places.

From the onset, we could see the Lord’s merciful touch in not allowing this situation to become national news, which could have seriously affected the future of the Family’s missionary work in Mexico. The Lord contained this persecution, though a few Homes in the States were affected.

The difference between this battle and past ones

As the Lord pointed out in the “Action Series,” many of us have already seen a lot of battlefront activity throughout the years and the various persecutions we have experienced. But this experience was different, as we were able to use the new weapons, in particular the gift of prophecy, to prayerfully weigh every decision and every strategy. As we did so, we saw that the Lord never failed. He came through with all the supernatural guidance we needed—often contrary to our natural reasoning or that of our lawyers—and produced the miracles that were needed in this situation.

The closer you come to Me and the more you incorporate Me into your lives, the more you will shine with My brilliance and the greater the miracles will be (“The Era of Action!”—Part 1, ML #3298:40).

United we stand

It was clear from the onset that this situation would take a united effort on many fronts, as the media teams from the States and Mexico worked together in the legal battle to free the brethren. Fighting for our loved ones served as a rallying point for many, not only on the legal front and in uniting brethren from several Homes to do a concert at the prison, but also in the love of the brethren who graciously opened their doors and hearts to dear Phoebe and children and those needing a place to stay.

Precious Mercy helped Phoebe and kids right up until the end, serving them and the Lord with her last breath, before going to be with Him as a result of a car accident. (Editor’s note: See the article “In My Arms” in Grapevine 100.)

It is so wonderful to “unite and fight,” as we can see the Lord’s Spirit working mightily when we work together. This was a confirmation of the Lord’s “Battle Cry”:

Your unity will make you strong as you work hand in hand in My boat to bring in the fish, the final great catch that I will bring in before the time appointed. …You must be closely knit together in order to make it through this coming year and the time to come. I must melt your hearts together so that you’ll be able to trust one another and believe in and love each other (“The Era of Action!”—Part 1, ML #3298: 74, 33).

Power of prophecy

From the very beginning, it became clear that we would need to seek the Lord moment by moment, as Dad indicated to us early on in a prophecy we received for the situation:

(Dad speaking:) I sure am proud of you for being willing to take the stand and fight. Don’t forget, we’re right here with you, fighting in the spirit and whispering in your ears, showing you the way to go. Don’t forget to stop and hear those whispers.—It’ll help you avoid the Enemy’s pitfalls, obstacles and delays. So even though you’ve got the general battle plan, you need to tune in day by day and as things arise, to adjust those plans according to the new circumstances that arise.

At the start of the battle, when dear Simon and Joseph were arrested, and the children were subjected to psychological and physical examinations, the Lord raised up Miguel Angel, a lawyer and friend from Mexico City who had helped us on some smaller media skirmishes and was somewhat familiar with the controversies surrounding us. The local work hadn’t secured a local lawyer (they hadn’t been in the city for long), which showed us the importance of continuing to ensure that our local areas have lawyers who are prepared to jump into the fray at a moment’s notice. Although our dear lawyer, Miguel Angel, was a blessing, it was very difficult working over long distance with him as his office was in another city and state, and he was often unavailable to handle timely paperwork, which resulted in delays in the case. The laws differ from state to state, and he was unfamiliar with a lot of important legal nuances that were particular to the state where the brethren were arrested. After much prayer, later on in the case the Lord led us to obtain the services of a local law firm, that was able to help with some of the paperwork along the way.

In counseling with Miguel Angel, as well as another lawyer friend from Mexico City, Abel, and our local lawyers, at times it was difficult to know what to do, as there were often differing opinions. In the early stages of the case one of our lawyers made some quick decisions without counseling with us, and this set the pace of the case. We became aware that we needed to carefully weigh any decisions with well-rounded counsel and most of all, the Lord’s counsel. Another thing was that we didn’t feel we could entirely lean on our local law firm, since one of the lawyers was related to the main prosecutor in the city, who had fed her a lot of lies and assurances of Joseph and Simon’s guilt. (Thank the Lord, this young lawyer rallied to the fore in the end to have our men’s release papers expedited, God bless her!) We had to be very careful about what we passed on to them, in case any strategy leaked to the prosecution. At times, this was somewhat overwhelming, particularly with the well-being of our brethren at stake. We found ourselves having to take an active role in the case, acting as our brethren’s advocates, ensuring that needed paperwork was taken care of, requests were filed, and so on, and actually mounting most of the defense ourselves, with our lawyer framing it in legal terms once we had put it all together for him.

At one point, when our lawyer had made a hasty decision that had caused delays and we were besieged with obstacles on the legal front, the Lord gave us a very clear prophecy indicating that this battle would be won through prayer and prophecy, so that we would depend only on Him, the new weapons, and the Word. He made it clear that we would have to take what He gave us by faith, no matter how things appeared in the flesh, and stand on His Word. He said:

My dear ones, I see the difficulties of this situation, and I know how wearing and taxing all this is; it’s tiring and spiritually draining. But please keep your eyes on Me. Don’t look at the waves and the clouds, at the storm or at the condition of your vessel. For I allow all these difficulties to remind you that you will not be able to look to man for these victories—this victory will only be a work of My Holy Spirit. There will be no one man you will be able to give the credit to, for actually much has been accomplished. …

So trust in Me. Let Me carry the load. Do not even attempt to carry this on your frail shoulders, for you will be bowed under by the weight of such a heavy load. You must take what you receive from Me, put it into practice and then just float on the wind of My Spirit, trusting in Me, not fretting, worrying or being flustered by the many obstacles that have been coming up. …

So lift up your eyes, keep them on the heavenlies. Don’t let your antenna be pulled down. … You must keep your antenna up, pointing up to Me, getting My signals. And then even if everything seems contrary to what I’ve shown you, you must believe. You may come back to Me with further questions and I will clarify the panorama and make all things clear, but you must then take that Word I give you and cherish and believe it and act on it.

This gave us insight for this battle, as moment by moment we would need to ask the Lord about different ideas or strategies, or follow up on doors the Lord would open that seemed highly unusual and unconventional. As we walked through these doors, the Lord made it possible for us to be a witness to judges, magistrates, and high-ranking officials, TTL! As the Lord said in the Action Series:

Even if I call upon you to do something you’ve never done or something you have no idea at all how to do, you’ll do just fine if you’re well practiced at hearing from Me and getting My guidance. All you have to do is download My little instructional program and you’ll get the one, two, three step-by-step how-to, and can sail right on through without a glitch. It seems frightening, it seems awesome, because in order to do this, you have to completely put your trust in something and someone else—in Me—and you can’t lean on your own wisdom, experience, or skill at all (“The Era of Action!”—Part 2, ML #3301:73).

On another occasion, when we were at a crucial stage of the appeal which had the potential of making the difference between our brethren being released or not, none of our lawyers were able to come through for us, and we found ourselves alone, having to act as advocates for our brethren. Thank the Lord, He punched through and used this in our favor for the release of the brethren. When we were seeking the Lord about what to do in this critical moment, He said:

My children, take courage and take the step forward. I know these situations aren’t easy, and you feel incapable and like you just can’t seem to do enough or to do it well enough. Right when you feel you most need your legal counsel, they are not there for you. But take heart, My children, for you have the best defense Lawyer of them all. You will not lack on any front, for I love and care for My children and will not allow them to be left without a voice and without a defense!

I am working and speaking in the heart of [the magistrate], to the point that he doesn’t even himself know why he’s thinking the way he is. But the final decision rests in his hands and is something he will be accountable for before Me for all eternity. So pray for this man, that he will make the right decision in favor of My children.

If the door opens to speak again with him, throw aside any reserve, and appeal wholeheartedly and passionately for his mercy and clemency. It is within his hand to do so, but the decision is entirely his, so do not feel bad or feel your efforts are inadequate or that you wish things were different. The decision rests ultimately with him, as does the responsibility for this decision.

Much ground has been covered in this case today and you are at a crucial point in its history. So are you being faithful to seek Me, to hear from Me, and to obey the instructions I give you. Now you must stand back and let Me fight for My beloved ones. I will fight through you and through your words, and your prayers. Then you must rest in Me, having done all, knowing that all things will truly work together for good, as I have promised.

As you can guess by the happy ending of the story, the Lord moved powerfully through this interview with the magistrate, and it led to his having the case reviewed again, with his final decision to take it upon himself to throw the case out. In this case, it could only be a miracle, as our lawyer had not had time to present an adequate defense on the begging charges. The reason for this was that the prosecution had also thrown in child abuse charges, simply based on an old article that had been published in Mexico in 1993, outlining the charges that the brethren were vindicated of in the 1993 Argentine case. The prosecution attempted to use this as a basis for accusing the brethren of child abuse, though this was thrown out immediately due to lack of evidence. These more serious charges diverted our lawyer in the early stage of the case, and as such the begging charge, which was the lesser charge, went undisputed. The judge who had originally reviewed the case and dismissed the charges of child abuse ruled that enough evidence had been presented by the prosecution regarding the begging charges to merit this case going to trial, as no defense was presented by our lawyers to refute it.

Our lawyer appealed this ruling, and over the three months it took for the case to be reviewed by the Appeal’s Court, we were able to present a large body of material to refute these charges. We had our defense reviewed by several people, and were told that it was a well-presented defense and the begging charges had no possibility of holding in the lower court. Sad to say, however, this evidence was not admitted on the appeal’s level due to time frames that were not met by our lawyers—one of the many setbacks we were to face. From all we heard, we would be exonerated once our defense was examined in the lower court, but the months were dragging by.—Already more than four months had passed! We knew that barring an absolute supernatural miracle we would lose this appeal, not because there was any basis to these charges, but simply because the defense we had presented was not being considered!

For this defense, over 20 poor local families had signed letters, confirming that the Home regularly donated food to them. We were also able to present letters attesting to the Family’s CTP ministries around Mexico. We could also see in this stage of the battle how important it is for our local Homes to document their CTP works, keeping this up to date. The dear folks who vouched for us were very important to the case—everyone from the shoeshine boys that dear Joseph and Simon often witnessed to while on outreach, to the sweet folks receiving donated goods.

A grim outlook

At times the panorama looked quite bleak, as the men were in prison on a pre-trial basis for a crime that carries a punishment of five to eight years of imprisonment! Every time we would visit our precious brethren, it weighed on our hearts to do everything we could to help release them, and our efforts seemed so puny and inadequate. The Lord had promised in many prophecies from different sources that the victory would be His in this situation, but that the victory would not come without a fight! Shortly after the imprisonment of our brethren, we received prophecies from the Folks’ Home in which the Lord highlighted this point again:

I’ve allowed this as a test of My children to see whether My Family in Mexico will stand strong in faith and go forth as My faithful witnesses despite the threat of persecution. … The battles will always be difficult, and those who live godly in Me will suffer persecution as I have promised, but I will always win in the end. If My children are faithful to follow Me, then I will keep and protect them through the attacks of the Enemy. I don’t always prevent the Enemy’s attacks altogether, as I allow them sometimes to strengthen My children and to be a witness of the injustice of the System. But I do bring forth victories, just as I will bring forth the victory in this case.

When the outlook seemed grim, the Lord and Dad encouraged us that despite the appearances, the victory was on the way! These promises saw us through many a difficult moment when we were tempted to worry.

(Dad speaking:) The Lord has promised the victory, and it’s on the way. But meanwhile, you must watch and pray, and keep your hand always on your sword. Remember that the Enemy is walking around like a roaring lion, and he’s really roaring, because you’re knocking him blow after blow with the offensive measures you’ve taken to show your innocence. So don’t be surprised if the Enemy tries every last thing he can. He sure doesn’t like to be defeated, but don’t be fearful or worried. Trust in the Lord and do your part. Be sober and vigilant and mindful that you’re in full battle and you’ve got to keep your armor on and your guard up at all times. Then just trust in the Lord that having done all, you can just stand and trust that the Lord will fight for you and bring forth a marvelous victory in His perfect time.

… Take heart, be encouraged, the victory’s ahead and it will be worth it. But I have to warn you, it’s not going to be an easy win, and you’re going to have to fight tenaciously and each and every day for the victory. So keep on fighting and you’ll keep on winning and keep on hitting the Devil’s people. The Lord’s promised the victory and He’s going to give it to you. His delays are not denials and He is going to bring wonderful victories and lessons and give you new friends through this time.

The Lord promised many times in different prophecies that He would bring forth the victory if we were faithful to “ask Him everything” and follow His instructions at every turn of the battle, as well as most of all depending on Him and prayer for the victory.

For this battle must be won in prayer and in the spirit first, and then you will receive the results, the victory that I have promised. But the victory will not come without further battles. You who are involved in the case must know and understand this first of all. … For the Enemy would use this case as an example to hinder the work and the preaching of the Gospel in Mexico, a country whose hour is now. But I will let nothing befall My children nor happen that will defeat My purpose of reaching this nation with the Words of David. Therefore you must do your part as valiant warriors, prayer warriors, as well as following Me step by step so that I may guide you through to victory.

The Lord also asked us to trust in Him for the welfare of dear Simon and Joseph, and not carry that weight on our own shoulders. This has been one of the greatest changes we have felt since the Lord led us all to a much closer connection with Him. As media teams, the temptation can be strong to carry the weight of the burdens, as we often feel that if we make a mistake, or miss some important detail, others will suffer the consequences. Now that we can just ask the Lord about everything, as long as we walk in close communication with Him, we can rest assured that He is the One in full control. As the Lord has said on many occasions, prophecy becomes more important as we approach the Endtime, and these persecution situations are certainly a touch of how that will be! We were so thankful that we could have our precious Husband’s counsel from moment to moment and that He continually encouraged us to not carry the weight:

Remember, My precious ones, the darkest hour is always before the dawn. When things get so dark and difficult and you can’t see the day, nor fathom how things will turn out well, that is the time to stand back and let Me fight the battle. For you must trust that each one of My precious children rests in the palm of My hand, and in the center of My will. I have fashioned a plan for each one, and I am lovingly carrying it out through the circumstances I bring into their lives. So you must trust. Though you must also allow your heart to be broken and desperate for the needs of these My precious children, you must also have a heart of trust, that I will bring forth the victory that I have promised.

… You got a glimpse yesterday of the fact that much is still moving beneath the surface. But remember, I allow this, so that you may have a deeper understanding and a greater desperation of all that is working behind the scenes. So when I do the miracle, you will rejoice all the more, and understand that only I can perform the miracles and bring forth the victories.

This certainly turned out to be the case, thank the Lord, as we saw the Lord just miraculously intervene and turn the tide in our favor, contrary to all natural expectations! The Lord even told us on another occasion that He was allowing the “black backdrop” of difficulties so that the victory would shine all the more:

So trust in Me, My little ones. Do not allow these feelings of discouragement and despair to overwhelm you. You face many battles, for when you meet with the brethren in prison, you take on their suffering. You hear the doubts of even lawyers and magistrates. These may seem to be discouraging situations, but remember, they produce the black backdrop against which the light of My victory will shine even more gloriously! So trust in Me, let Me carry the weight, for I will be the victor and I will allow My children to be a testimony to many through this situation.

The Lord’s choice of magistrate

Our local lawyer, Blanco, who was familiar with the courts suggested that it would be in our favor if a certain magistrate that he knew took on our case, as he felt he was more familiar with the issues than the president of the court, whom we had met previously. When we took this to the Lord, He indicated that perhaps this magistrate would be better, but we should just trust in Him for whoever was appointed. As it turned out, the president of the court ended up taking on our case, but the Lord ended up turning this to our favor, thank the Lord!

When our case went to the appellate* level, the Lord had led us to go with our lawyer to present his defense and meet the magistrates. We met with the president of the court, and we were able to present our defense as well as explain our work in Mexico, the situation of the men in prison, and the hardship this was causing to their families and children. After this original meeting, the magistrate fixed a date for the review of the case, which was a real victory, as this can take up to six months. In our case, after meeting him a date was set for several weeks later. (*appellate: the court having the jurisdiction to hear appeals and review the decisions of lower courts).

However, the date came and went, and we heard nothing about our case and so we began to pray and seek Him again about whether it was time to visit the magistrate again to attempt to expedite the affair. Although the Lord made it clear in different prophecies that we were to go see him again, He told us originally that it was not yet His time, that we needed to wait a little longer. Finally, He told us “Go ye” so we went to meet the magistrate. Jesus said:

Speak with boldness. Be like the importunate woman that is asking for justice and he has the power to give it to you. Really claim it; claim the land where you put your feet and I will answer prayers and do miracles. I am the same yesterday and today and forever. So go with faith, without doubting, because that kind of faith is the kind that gets answers. Expect it and I will do it!

We were holding our breath during this whole experience, as it seemed quite awesome that the Lord was actually promising to do such a huge miracle!

We saw the Lord’s timing on this visit to the magistrate, as we went to see him at precisely the right time, when the case had already been reviewed and the magistrate was familiar with it and able to understand our situation much better. He informed us that the resolution was already written at this point, confirming the lower court judge’s decision to try Joseph and Simon on the begging charges. He even read paragraphs to us from the resolution to that effect. This in itself was quite encouraging, as although he felt himself bound to confirm the ruling due to our lack of defense, he did so in such as way as to lighten the charges, denying any criminal intent on behalf of Joseph and Simon in their outreach, TTL!

It was one of those incredible moments in the spirit when we went to see him, as after reading portions of the ruling to us he told us, “This case should have come out several days ago. There must be a reason why it didn’t. If you can give me a valid argument, I will have it reviewed again. I’m still open to changing my mind.” We were astonished at this absolutely miraculous answer to prayer!

We counseled with our lawyers and with the Lord. We wrote up the argument ourselves. The process then continued, with the case being reviewed again. We knew it would take an absolute miracle to turn this around, as the resolution was already written and well articulated on the legal front. But we also knew that the Lord was working in the heart of this magistrate. It obviously weighed on his conscience, knowing that we were innocent and that the charges would eventually be dismissed on a lower level by the defense we had turned in. Although it was plain that we would eventually win, if the case went down to the lower courts, it could take months before the men were released! He knew the hardship this would be to the families. (Note: The lower court had decided that there was sufficient merit in the case for it to go to trial. Our lawyer appealed this ruling, and the task of the Appeal’s Court was to decide whether there was indeed sufficient possibility of guilt for the case to go to trial in the lower court.)

After presenting our argument, folks were praying all over the world for the Lord to do the miracle, and even more so as the last days came down for the decision to be issued. Finally, a few days before it was issued, the magistrate told Ben that the men would be released. So it was that a few days later the release order was signed, the resolution was confirmed by all the magistrates (of the First Section of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of San Luis Potosi), and our precious brethren were set at liberty.

Just as the Lord had promised, this was a great miracle in this new era of action!

This really will be a year where you will see more miracles. You had to step out by faith in prophecy to receive My Words, no matter what came, and you had to have the faith to give them regardless of the results. … No matter what it looks like, no matter how greatly the odds are stacked against you in the physical, you will win with Me on your side! (“The Era of Action!”—Part 2, ML #3301:27, 35).

Many victories won

Shortly before the final victory was announced, the Lord had assured us in prophecy that it would come, and that it would be a joyous one for all:

I love you, My dear ones, and am so proud of you for being willing to make the sacrifices of love to fight for My children and My Family, and I will reward all these efforts, all the prayers, the tears, the sleepless nights and the privations, and I will reward bountifully. For as the mother rejoices when the babe comes forth, so will you rejoice with great joy and tears when this long-awaited victory comes forth.

In hindsight, so many wonderful victories were won through this situation, which the Lord indicated would be won along the way in different prophecies, excerpts of which we’re including below:

This situation will accomplish much more than what I am working in the lives of all the dear ones directly involved in it. I will use it in a bigger way to help strengthen the Family and to enhance the work I am presently doing in the lives of My children. So take cheer, stand strong in Me, and I will fight for you as you hold your peace.

The Family can’t continue with business as usual, doing things only as they have in the past, but they must seek Me for new ways to get out their tools, new ways to minister to their sheep, new ways to raise support, new ways to help the needy, new ways to witness and win. This is not to say that they should abandon all their former methods of outreach, but they must be open to new ways as well, new methods to preach the Gospel. It’s a new day, a new era, and I have new methods for you. My king and queen have said this in the Letters they have published, and the Words I have given them.

You should prepare, but you should not fear. You should prepare in prayer, interceding on the behalf of your Family there, and they themselves getting desperate with Me and getting their hearts right with Me. You should prepare in sobering up the Family and ensuring that they are up to standard in case of an investigation or search or raid of any kind. … If you’re prepared and well stocked and have the ammunition to defend yourselves, then when the time comes, you will not be hit as hard and the hassles and troubles will not last as long.

It is time to make sure your armor has no chinks and that your sword is sharpened. The bugle has sounded and it’s time to raise the cry of war. You must no longer store, but distribute the contents of your armory—the new weapons—and put them to use. You are no longer in training for war; you are at war.

This is wonderful preparation and training for all that is ahead, so keep up the fight.

Study to show yourselves approved unto Me. Be ready to answer every man; be seasoned with salt. Study the Word and Family materials which pertained to times of past persecution. Share your current lessons with the Family at large.

(Dad speaking:) His delays are not denials and He is going to bring wonderful victories and lessons and give you new friends through this time.

As I said in My Word, I will bring you before kings and judges and magistrates. Do not worry about what you are going to say, for My Spirit will speak through you and touch his heart to see your case. Pray for these people, that they will be receptive and sensitive to My Spirit. And as until now I have been leading you step by step, I will do it also this time.

But take heart that I have been at your side through all this, and you have learned many precious and valuable lessons—lessons on hearing from Me, lessons on seeking Me and asking Me everything, lessons on using the new weapons for the new day and seeing how successful they are in warfare.

Know that My power and My Spirit will pour through you and you will be a testimony to all you speak to, whether they will receive it or whether they forbear. Your job is to be a witness, not a success, so don’t worry or gauge the success of your mission by people’s reactions. Just go forth boldly, in My Spirit and in conviction, and trust in Me for the results. Do not be intimidated, for these need to see your conviction and fire. So, although you need to be polite and sweet and representative of My love, you must also be firm, and strong in My Spirit, with the conviction and boldness that they may see your great dedication and conviction in your cause. Remember, people appreciate courage and seeing the willingness to lay down your lives for what you believe, so make sure to be a witness and pour out your hearts and beliefs so that [magistrates, judges, powers that be] can receive a witness on the one hand, and on the other can see your sincerity.

(Dad speaking:) He doesn’t want you to put all your trust in man. He wants you to seek Him fervently at every turn at every obstacle, so that you can only trust in Him and lean on the new weapons He’s given you to find out the answers. … Just take the Words the Lord gives you and move forward. Just take that step forward in the things He’s showing you to do, and they’re bound to turn out right, they’re bound to end up in victory. That’s how the Lord works: He shows you a plan, and as you take that step to obey it, He pours out His blessings, His anointing, and His rewards to His faithful children. So rejoice! The end is in sight, and it’s even nearer than you suspect! So just go forward, take all these steps, counsel with your counselors, but most of all take all that input and bring it to your Heavenly counselors and your dear Husband, and you can’t go wrong.

Coming out on top

Thank the Lord for all His wonderful victories! We’re so blessed to have not only a cloud of Heavenly helpers and counselors around us, but also precious, supernatural spiritual weapons to help us in battle. As a closing note, here are some excerpts of words of encouragement we received from Dad shortly before the final victory:

(Dad speaking:) If you could only see beyond the veil, you’d be so encouraged! You’ve got legions of angels, Heavenly warriors, departed saints and departed Family members on this side fighting and rooting for you! I know the battle’s been long and hard and you all have put so much of your heart into helping your brethren. …

There is much moving behind the scenes and the Lord is using this whole situation in many, many ways. He’s working in the hearts of the brethren in Mexico, ‘cause He’s got great plans ahead for Mexico! He’s planning on opening new doors, consolidating an exciting work and using little old us to ease the pain and comfort the poverty-stricken in Mexico. We’ve got such a glorious future ahead there of reaching many.—No wonder the Enemy tried to hit before we could really get started!

But don’t worry, the Enemy’s power is puny next to the Lord’s. Though the Lord might use this to … prepare everyone in Mexico for the new pushes and new doors He wants to open, once the work is completed, the Lord’s going to do all the wonderful things He has promised in bringing a victory in this situation. Can’t you already see all the victories that have been won? The Lord is using this persecution to touch many, many lives that would never have heard the message. He is opening doors to minister to top people, and to minister to the lowest of the low in the prisons! Let’s get excited and challenge the Enemy, showing him that we can’t lose for winning because we’ve got God on our side. No matter what comes our way, we’re going to come out tops because we’re not going to give up, we’re not going to stop preaching the Word! So get out there and fight with all you’ve got in you, calling desperately on the Lord and full of His Words, and then just rest in His beauty, knowing that He’s your Husband and your greatest Love.

(Editor’s note: Dear Simon and Joseph spent five months—154 days—in prison. For more information on their arrest, detention, and subsequent release, please see articles in Grapevines 92, 94, 96, 98-99, 101-102.)

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