The Avengers are Arising
By: Susan Deborah Schiller
With millions of Christians around the world, who have been given all authority on earth and a commission to "go" and set things right on earth, where are the real avengers? Why is the earth still burdened with inequality, injustice, and pain? Worse, why are we so prone to blaming the victims instead of avenging them?
I ask myself, "Sue, are you contributing to the chaos or are you bringing justice, peace, and righteousness to bear on the darkness in your territory?" What do I see, both in my inner world and my outer world? Is there peace? Abundance? Rest? Or darkness, oppression, fear, shame?
I used to be a victim, catapulted by every shock and tremor Fear and Shame threw at me. My whole world shook and the foundations of my life crumbled. I sat in silence, shuddering in shame, amidst the shattered ruins of my life.
When you've been a victim of sociopathic abuse, your friends disappear or turn against you. A few may stay, but most won't have answers. If you're like many of us, you've lost everything. You are alone, in the dark. It's a living nightmare. And it's not your fault. You need a rescue.
I'm not talking about a mere "rescue," but champions – avengers – who bear the Sword of Truth, eager to plunge into the heart of the plague, pulling out the victims and setting the wrong-doers straight. That kind of rescue. Not just counseling and heart healing, but JUSTICE!
I want you to know that not only is God going to rescue you, but He's going to turn you into an Avenger – a Champion – in so doing. He wants you to have JUSTICE! He did it for me, and He'll do it for whoever is sick and tired of chaos and darkness and wants to create something beautiful out of the ashes.
Last year I awakened in the middle of the night hearing a voice say, "Some people think I don't intervene and rescue them, when in reality I set in motion a plan to save every family and individual on earth. It's called "The Avengers." I began to read in the Old Testament of our Father's plan to protect the widows and orphans and to avenge the deaths of innocent men, women, and children while also protecting the rights of the accused.
Every tribe had their own "hit man" who avenged the injustices that happened on his turf. Cities of Refuge were created to protect the accused and every man, woman, and child could feel reasonably protected.
In James 1, we read of God's heart once again in the language of "true religion": The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans and widows, and who remains true to the Lord—not soiled and dirtied by his contacts with the world. — James 1:27
God showed me that even in a dark world where hearts have grown cold, He has a plan to set the world ablaze with His Love extended through you and me!
This isn't the kind of Love that shows up for church duties and stretches herself thin to volunteer in a multitude of church activities. No, indeed not! It looks more like the Calvary charging into the fray and shooting arrows of Truth into the darkness of despair and freeing hostages. It's violent!
It's a love revolution; nevertheless it's a war and we need Champions and Heroes who take up sword and shield. Our sword is built line-upon-line on the Truth. Not the Truth we have received from teaching, but the Truth we have implemented and experienced as Reality.
This past week Newell Hendricks, a writer and friend, challenged me to craft my own sword of Truth using Isaiah's and Jesus' words, inserting my own name into the Scriptures. We have received the same commissioning as Jesus, so hey – put your own name into Isaiah 42 and have a good peek into your future!
1-4 “Take a good look at my daughter, Susan.
I’m backing her to the hilt.
She’s the one I chose,
and I couldn’t be more pleased with her.
I’ve bathed Susan with my Spirit, my life.
She’ll set everything right among the nations.
She won’t call attention to what she does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
Susan won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and she won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but she’ll steadily and firmly set things right.
She won’t tire out and quit. She won’t be stopped
until she’s finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Far-flung ocean islands
wait expectantly for her teaching.” (pronouns and personal nouns changed by me)
And Isaiah 61 –
1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on Susan
because God anointed her.
He sent Susan to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent Susan to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
planted by God to display his glory.
Susan will rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
She’ll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
I've seen these "ruined cities" in my dreams! I know God has a plan – to give us a bright future – in the face of destruction. It's a new American Revolution, as each of us rejects the fear-based world and chooses to live a love-based life. I wrote about this Revolution in "A Love-based Life".
"And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my daughter, Susan, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3 (personal nouns changed)
What if this call is for ALL of us? Can you put your name in Scriptures that God has highlighted in your life? And then live those Scriptures? Be a doer of the Word?
Psalm 45 is added to my sword: "Be here – the king is wild for you, Susan. Since he's your lord, adore him. Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre; rich guests shower you with presents." Her wedding dress is dazzling, lined with gold by the weavers; All her dresses and robes are woven with gold. She is led to the king, followed by her virgin companions. A procession of joy and laughter! a grand entrance to the king's palace!) "Set your mind now on sons – don't dote on father and grandfather. You'll set your sons up as princes all over the earth. (pronouns and personal nouns changed)
The King is Wild about YOU!
You can take the Scriptures God has given you and insert your name into them. You can speak those words until they solidify and become a rock solid foundation. You won't ever be afraid again.
You will be on the OFFENSIVE team! You will be an AVENGER!
We LOVE A GOOD FIGHT! We don't get discouraged when bad news arrives. We ARISE!
We know our promises. We know our identity. We know LOVE WINS. This is the attitude of an avenger.
We live 1 Corinthians 13. It begins with the way we wake up each morning, giving thanks and praise for the simple gifts of life. And then simply doing something for someone else, like giving a smile, sharing a ride, having coffee with someone lonely.
Maybe it looks like spending our hard-earned dollars on locally produced products instead of feeding industries that exploit and enslave people in the third world. Maybe it's growing our own food, sewing our own clothing, and living a simpler lifestyle.
Real avengers aren't academics teaching theory; instead, they are real people intentionally and purposefully living their dreams out loud, being authentic whether they are behind closed doors or speaking from a podium.
What does it look like for me? It means giving survivors of sociopathic abuse a "bouquet of roses instead of ashes" in the form of listening to their stories, believing them, and giving them a platform to share their stories. I help survivors to rebuild their lives on a solid foundation of Truth and Beauty.
I help you to see yourself as God sees you, as a King who is madly in love with you, as Father's beloved and favored child.
What can you do with this terrible, swift Sword?
With the Living Word, we fight for our homes, our loved ones, and for our land. The land you are standing on is yours. Wherever your feet step – that's your territory. You stand by speaking and living the Truth.
"Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses – Joshua 1:3
We live in Now. "The difference between Now and Wonderful is Education," God once explained to me. It's easy to say "some day…". Some day I will be free. Some day I will use my gifts. Some day I will follow my dreams. Some day when I win the lottery, I will ___ (fill in the blank). When I retire I'll have more time to ___ (fill in the blank).
The Time is NOW. What are you putting off for "some day"? What is the deepest desire of your heart? Saving the world begins right there. To live as a Champion, you must prepare, train, and follow through. So what if there is torture in the training? So what if there is pain, grieving, and death?
God's training us to LAUGH in the faces of our enemies. He's grooming us to grin in the face of disaster.
Enough with the Bible studies! Off with your head! This is a time to follow your heart! That's the core of your being. It's where God resides. Your identity is your very soul, and your soul is meant to guide the work of your hands, to generate income, to create beauty out of chaos! Not your head. Not your degrees. Not your diligent studies. If the headwork worked, would our world be dying as it is today?
"Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight….." Proverbs 3
At Team Family Online I've shared nearly a million words of how God led me out of darkness and into the Light. I'm still learning how to live in this land of freedom and hope and unlimited opportunities.
It's in the writing that I charted a path to a freedom. There is power in our words. It's God's story and He wants to SHINE through our wounds. His glory is filling the whole the earth, and it SHINES through our STORIES!
- I want to help put you on track to a restored identity by telling the stories of your childhood.
- I'll help you create "I AM" statements, to rewrite your future by using your past as a compass, guiding you into a better future.
- I challenge you to ponder the recurring themes of your life, digging for the treasure, discovering your life mission and message, within those very themes.
The "Write to Freedom" eCourse was the very same tool God used to deliver me from sociopathic abuse, domestic violence, and a spiritually abusive church.
My counselors told me I was "the most abused woman" they had met. As many abuse survivors testify, the medical field, therapists, psychiatrists, and the justice system are not well equipped to help free survivors of sociopathic abuse. In fact, they are learning from us!
Yet, we are not alone. I realized getting my life back was not just for me. Like you, like all of us, God was inviting me to arise, to step up and become a Champion – an avenger.
The Bible calls it being an overcomer, who by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of her testimony, overcomes the wicked systems and people of the world. It's our inheritance – it's how we're designed – and it's not just for a few, it's for ALL of us!
A Champion, an avenger, is someone who finds her way Home and helps other people to get Home, too.
Home is where you are comfortable in your own skin. Home is where you are loved unconditionally, and thus able to love God and others with the same extrarordinary love – a love that would lay down her life for her friends.
Home is where the Life, the Truth, the Joy, the Peace, and everything you need to create your world resides. It's your inheritance as a son or daughter of God!
God is bringing us all Home – it's a Malach 4 reunion. It bridges all gaps… race, religion, gender, and creed. This is what I live for… and I welcome you to join the revolution. Write to freedom, and let's go HOME!
Be you. Live free. Tell your story.
With all my love,
Sue
Susan Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor – to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can pre-order a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.
Copyright 2014, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. For reprint permission for any private or commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Susan,
I am so honored that you looked so deeply into the text and found yourself called by God to be the blessed one, the one chosen to set things right with the nations. How hard it is to believe that is possible, and how much harder to express it to others. It is good to be in this life together with you.
Newell
Dear Newell,
I am humbled by your visit here, with all that you have going at this time. Thank you so much for your wisdom and inspiration!
You know, I was praying one day (many years ago) and I distinctly heard God ask me to believe for a whole nation. I sensed it was a Northern tribe of Indians. My faith has been too small, but it’s growing. I do believe we will see whole cities and nations saved from destruction, even in a single day. I’ve seen some of it in my dreams, and usually I’m told to write it down. So I do, even if it’s just for myself.
With all the great stories of deliverance in the Old Testament (and New), how can we not but believe for massive deliverance for our cities and countries…. I want to believe so much!
Wow Susan, I love the passion in this post. Fighting talk! I had to copy this into my journal for today because it really spoke to me: "The darker the world gets, the more brilliant is your light. The colder it gets in this world the hotter the fire of your love burns. This is the attitude of an avenger." Imagine what the world could be like if everyone had this attitude? Amazing!
Hi Carolyn,
I feel like you really understand the deep desire to fight for justice. Truth will stand on its own, but only if we stand with it will it be used to push back the darkness. It’s like we each have a responsibility with the knowledge, resources, and people we’ve been entrusted with. I know you love justice and understand and I join with you in imagining so many more people being empowered to DO something about their own lives, to take responsibility for what is happening in our communities and churches, beginning in our own personal lives.
God bless you, Carolyn, for your own work in speaking up for the hurting and helping to push back the darkness. No wonder your life is full of so much joy!
It is so true what you say. We seem to have to have to apologise for being part of the Western or Christian societies.
I agree about the simpler life, in 2013 I stopped buying processed foods and I feel a lot better. I think if we all did something the hunger and those without hope in life will be helped.
You have given me so much food for thought.
Thank you
Hi Liliana,
I’m glad to meet you and to share ideas and thoughts. I don’t know that we owe anyone an apology for being Western or for being Christian, so much as many people like myself feel a need to repent (to switch courses) from over-consuming, over-looking the suffering, and in some cases, for being greedy. Our complex society as a whole has suffered greatly from being too complex and not conducive to really knowing each other, which leads to loving each other. It will look like different things to all of us and we don’t need to judge each other at all, I don’t believe.
I’m glad you’re feeling better from simplifying your diet and avoiding processed foods. I agree with you, also, that we can each do something. It doesn’t need to be a “great” thing, but each day we can do something simple.
I’m glad we’ve met – thanks so much for sharing, Liliana!
Thank you for taking the time to write this post and being brave enough to put it out there. I am so glad I did the UBC – on almost every post I come across I find just what I needed to read that did. I've sent you an email via your contact form. Looking forward to connecting with you.
Hi there – I look forward to reading your email. Thanks so much for taking time to write. Like you, I’ve been very blessed with finding new writers and encountering just what I needed from day to day. Today was one of those days, too!!
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