This year the word “strangulation” came many times in my tongues and in my thoughts and each time I asked: “Lord, what is this about?” I saw visions of myself being choked with a black chain and someone else close to me being chocked as well. Last night during prayer, I saw people in the sky with their necks hung in nooses, but it wasn’t until this morning that I understood what the Spirit had been trying to convey to me. Before I share an allegory given to me today that reveals the answer, I feel to ask you: “What are you hung up on? What is taking your time and your attention away from the Word of God?? You who are ordained to overcome “Strangulation”’s power, read on and be:

Ones of Aspiration

“Strangulation” was a very busy spirit having a calling upon his life that he had to fulfill. Just as God created the “Waster” to destroy, “Strangulation” was created to fulfill a similar purpose.

All the time he went about searching for the ones he could choke the life out of. He would be right in the midst of them when the “Word of God” was preached and was excited when he saw people jumping up and down with joy as they received it for these were his prime targets. He always carried with him a basket of temptations from which they choose that looked so good and right:… The news of the day especially, was a first choice among many who thought they couldn’t get along without knowing what was on the world scene every moment and every hour. Just one bite of that “food for thought” had them awake for hours in the middle of the night. Another one of his tastiest morsels was “romance”… Oh how delighted he was when the ones he picked to give his intoxicating food spent all their time dreaming about each other and thinking about their love affair. And then there were the mothers for whom “Strangulation” fixed a compelling potion called “Worry and Anxiety” which was like a magnet that got them every time to fear for their children.

Usually children were happy and unafraid, unless they got suffocated by overprotective mothers who fed their fears into them. Most of the children who were free from smothering parents could openly see “Strangulation” coming and would shout to the grown ups around them: “Look out! Look out!” but the grownups were blind and could not see the strangler and thought that the children’s imaginations were playing with them.

Fathers especially were annoyed when their children bothered them during the time they watched their sports games; They didn’t like their children irritating them with their concerns and problems which interrupted their enjoying themselves. Husbands were especially perturbed when their wives who wanted some of their time, complained that they were working too many long hours of the week making money to get bigger houses, better cars and all the other fineries of this life.

And how “Strangulation” loved the teenagers because he could easily seduce them with video games, horror movies and other entertainment so that they never had time for the Word of God. One of “Strangulation”’s greatest joys came when people argued, gossiped, hated, mistrusted, and slandered others, thinking of ways they could hurt them. He really had a neck hold on them then and was so proud of his great feat of squeezing God’s life out of them. His biggest conquest however, came when believers doubted the word that they were given by God causing unbelief to nullify His promises. .. Oh yes, “Strangulation” sat on the throne ruling over the kingdom of “Spiritual Death.” His prisons were overflowing with the self-occupied and the self-deceived who knew not how woefully poor they were, becoming more and more empty of the true riches. But that was only UNTIL an alarm was sounded throughout the land… even a wake up call in the form of fire… a fire that would burn out their hurtful passions and change their ways.

Ministers of this fire carried torches of everlasting love-…. true shepherds who cared more about others than themselves and priests who would remain on bended knees until their supplications were answered were on the horizon and “Strangulation” could see them coming… Woe! Woe and Whoa! He had to flee for he could not stand against the power of the Almighty.

Do you know what that power is, Beloved? It’s the compelling power of “LOVE” that says: “You can’t live without me…. Nothing compares to me and to “Truth” who will accompany me when your heart is ready to sell all to buy us!”

Can you hear the sound, you who almost died in “Strangulation”’s grasp?- … the sound of the breath of the Most High God breathing into you?

You who receive this breath and then expel it out to a dying world will be called “The Aspiring Ones.” Only those who have resisted “Strangulation”’s power and who have overcome it will not only have newness of life, but will walk in it and be able to impart it to others. 

Are you,… am I willing to give up all for it now?….THAT is the question!!