Finding Spiritual Truth In A Crazed World - When We Don't Like Difficult

 
(28:00 minutes in length)
(PROPHETIC EXHORTATION AND WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN WRITTEN MESSAGE BUT DO CONTINUE IN THE AUDIO MESSAGE FORMAT BEGINNING AT AUDIO PLAYER TIME MARKER 21:38)
 
By Mary Lindow
The words, “The Harsh Winds of Life”  have been playing themselves over and over in my mind.
As I have pondered them and have allowed the Voice of the Holy Spirit to instruct me as to why I have been impressed with this statement, I sense the Lord addressing many deeper issues that are well anchored and maintained within our souls as believers.
 
HARSH WINDS
These blustery currents in the natural can be devastating to property, trees, and all living-breathing creatures. We have all seen what the devastation of hurricanes and tornadoes can do in a very short amount of time.
Often when listening to the traumatic stories of those who have lived through a nightmarish storm, the realities of what they hold near and dear have been laid bear and brought to the surface. Many weep over the loss of family photographs or tender things like Grandma’s old chipped china and are unconcerned about larger material items, but are deeply thankful for the safety of family members after a traumatic event. Others, are shaking fists at the sky and are enraged that they have been infringed upon during a difficult time, and want somebody else to pay for it!
 
THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE BLOW UPON THE GODLY AND THE UNGODLY.  NO ONE IS EXEMPT.
There are some of life's storms that threaten to blow away everything we've depended on as well.
Friendships are tested, relationships are strained, and the Lord uses these harsh winds blowing against our lives to remove the crusty chaff that can form and harden around the seed of our lives.
Those who are independent in nature find a bitterness creeping into their attitudes and heart. They feel infringed upon when things are not easily controlled or maneuvered in their favor. And so, the Holy Spirit allows the winds to blow until a conviction penetrates the self centered soul, and exposes the fleshy comfort zone of, ‘My Way, My World, My Rights”!
"No man has power over the wind to contain it; 
So no one has power over the day of his death. 
And no one is discharged in time of war, 
So wickedness will not release those who practice it."
-Ecclesiastes 8:8
 
HOW LONG WILL THE HARSH WINDS BLOW?
As long as we practice wicked behavior in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot stop it! He is winnowing us, allowing us to be caught up into the refining wind of the Holy Spirit's conviction so that the chaff and waste places in our souls are removed.
And trust me my friends, anything that you may be hiding or pretending wasn’t “that bad”, that harmed someone else, well God will allow it to come to the light to be either judged or to be cleansed and yes, there may be consequences that you don’t like.
 
WE CAN’T HARM OTHER PEOPLE, OR ABUSE THEM, SEXUALLY PREY UPON THEM, SPIRITUALLY ABUSE AND DOMINATE OR SLANDER, and then pretend that it wasn’t “that big of a deal”! It’s a huge deal to God and he will continue to pursue us in order to cleanse us if we will allow him access.
(Yes you can say "ouch" right about now!)
 
CHAFF MUST BE REMOVED.  BUT WHY?
Chaff is a waste material plowed into the soil or burned.
Chaff, as a waste product from grain processing, shows us a symbolic use of the idea that refers to something seen as worthless.
Now, this is where we read, "to separate the wheat from the chaff" from
Matthew 3. It means to separate things of value from things of no value.
Another example is in Psalm 1 which says: "Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away".
 
WE CHRISTIANS OFTEN PRESUME THAT BECAUSE WE ARE REDEEMED THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE OF CHRIST FOR OUR LIVES, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EASIER AND MORE PRIVILEGED LIFE.
This is simply not so!
We are given a shield and a holy stamina to withstand the wiles of this world, but no free passes to a life of ease.
 
THE LORD LOVES ALL OF MANKIND.
He longs for ALL of mankind, (that includes you and I) to come to a place of trust in His way, not “our way”. Fully stripped of self-will, self-gratification, self- justification, and self-focus.
Matthew 5:45 says~
 “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
 
I KNOW! I KNOW! THIS STINGS!
"But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth." James 3:14
About now, I can hear a few righteous folks saying, "I would never boast about envy! "
Well! Selfish ambition is well hidden in our personal behaviors.
We offer gifts or opportunities for others to be blessed or helped as long as we are feeling in control and benevolent at the time of the offer or good intention.
But when the winds of life shift and the Lord allows the chaff of "waste materials" in our soul to be Tornadoed —bitterness and exclusive rights abound! Huffiness, abrupt harshness and passive aggression (which means getting even) will manifest and expose the soul's clinging nature, which does not want the hand of God striping away any safety veneer that we use to protect our approach to life.
 
A CHANGE IN THE SPIRITUAL CLIMATE HAS OCCURRED!
John 6:18 says, “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.”
Jesus allowed the wind to be a teaching point for his disciples.
They had walked with Him, talked with Him and served alongside Him. But trusting Him when the Storms and Harsh winds blew revealed a weakness that we all must look at, and often.
We trust the Lord when things are going our way, but when the Harshness of a storm blows us off the course that we set, many times we run to our own devices or “Plan B”.
 
SO MANY AT THIS TIME IN THIS DIFFICULT AGE ARE SCREAMING,
“Lord! Don’t you care about me? The winds are blowing, and I am fearful for my life! If you Love me, why are you allowing this horrid event to occur?”
Even Peter in his zeal to get out of the boat and see if it was indeed Jesus calling to him to come, once he was out of the safety of his own control and the winds blew against him, he focused on the wind, and not upon Jesus, who was there the whole time. Peter cries out, "LORD I am perishing! SAVE ME!”
 
CONTROL IS A DEEP, DEEP NEED.
Perhaps THE deepest need people have, is for control.
When we feel out of control, we experience a powerful and uncomfortable tension between the need for control and the evidence of “inadequate control”.
Without the Presence of God in our lives, we will attempt to control everything, every event, and every person around us in order to attain the sense of order and “identity power” that we crave.
 
DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
It was James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote to the believers in Jerusalem, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded people!" (James 4:8).
If we draw near to God, he will respond and draw near to us.
Drawing near to God is spending time with Him, worshiping Him, praying and talking to Him, inviting Him into every aspect of our lives.
EVERY.  PART.  OF.  OUR.  LIFE.
 
BRING YOUR HEART UNDER HIS LORDSHIP
James gives us the blueprint for drawing near or “right up close” to the Lord. 
If you've committed sin, confess it, get rid of it.
Next, ask the Lord to examine your heart, your motives, and the things that make you do what you do.
 
Bring your heart under His Lordship as well.
May our actions be manifestations of a clean heart and conscience.
Allow HIM to remove the Chaff, the wasted time controlling things, and TRUST Him to align your life.
Notice that when he writes about this he says,
"Purify your hearts, double-minded people."
 
WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY "DOUBLE-MINDED"?
Well, a person who is double-minded is drawn in two completely different directions. And so he or she will get nowhere fast because loyalty is divided.
They will vacillate between faith and unbelief.
And, a double-minded person is unstable in all his/her ways and his/her spiritual walk is inconsistent because he/she tries to serve God and his/her own interests, and gamble their life against the Harsh Winds.
We've all learned that this kind of living never works. 
 
YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.
Friends again I say this under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the master that you serve whether it be hiding something that is a secret sin or offense to The Lord, or things that you are aware of that have dishonored others, they will be brought into the light one way or the other.
If you think you can hide it, if you think you can gloss it over, God will eventually bring it into the light and have you exposed for deception.
Or, you choose to get the help you need and you can humble yourself! Yes, there may be consequences you don’t like, because of your actions and choices.
But repentance and accountability will save your soul. It may not save your marriage, it may not save your ministry, and it may not save your job or your relationships. But it will save your soul, because humility enters, and God can re-create what has been destroyed and damaged.
 
GOD DOESN'T PLAY GAMES!
No one is going to get very far with God by playing spiritual games.
It will soon be discovered that the only people playing the game with you will be you, yourself, and again, YOU.  It's just like people thinking that they can "ride the fence" into the kingdom.
There is no riding the fence; there is no lukewarm support group.
You’re either in or out.
If we really want to know Him, we are going to have to get serious about our relationship with Him.
 
WE DON’T WANT DIFFICULT! 
I will tell you right now, that even as I write and speak these words, I can feel the resistance to pruning and more change in my gut!  
Are you in a pruning, shocking, "getting trimmed back" difficult season right now? 
Most everyone is! 
Feeling like your wings have been clipped?
Are you seeing a pattern of lethargy and a dullness of joy maybe in your daily life? 
Don’t waste those struggles friends! Know that God is very... VERY... intentional. And, He has a good plan for all of it. 
Every challenge is an opportunity to practice walking one day at a time, with really clear thinking and gratitude, and He is right there, inside you, to help you.
 
LIKE I SAID BEFORE! WE DON’T WANT DIFFICULT! 
But my oh my, I do want to be like Him!
So I’m in surrender-mode now, friends. 
I’m saying, “Cut away, Lord. Go deep.” 
WHY? Because I want ALL that He has for me. 
I want the fruit. 
I want all that abundance, and I know it’s waiting for me when this weird and awkward season changes.
 
THERE IS ANOTHER PHENOMENON I FIND THAT HAPPENS DURING THE PROCESS, WHEN THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE ARE BEARING DOWN.
And, one that I find that is unhealthy to ignore.
The enemy of our soul is observing and is feverishly “taking notes” about this difficult process, and I believe he finds it quite enjoyable; he laughs and ridicules and flings missiles of insults that shout that, "only a loser needs this kind of difficult adjustment ”. 
This of course, is a lie but, one which we can tend to believed on a bad day! Listening to the wrong voice can tempt us to believe the blowing away of chaff in our lives is punishment, and comes from God being mad at us. 
It can cause us to pull back from deeper fellowship or social engagements (social distancing tools too, like Face Time, ZOOM, integral) these paralyze honesty, transparency and humility.
It can lead to self-hatred, self-protection, denial about how we hurt others with half-truths, and so on!
 
I AM TRULY BECOMING MORE AWARE IN MY SPIRIT THAT GOD CAN ONLY USE ME—OR “BEST USE ME”, THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP OF HIS POWER AND MY WEAKNESS. 
 
A wise and well-tested man by the name of Alan Hood must have had a few pruning clippers dig into his life at time or two and learned this lesson. He stated, 
“To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.”
LET’S READ THAT AGAIN…     
…S  L  O  W  L  Y ! 
 
“To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.”
 
TRYING TO USE OLD THINGS WHEN GOD IS TRYING TO GIVE US NEW THINGS IS REALLY SUCH FOOLISHNESS! 
Psalm 85 talks about Restoration, Re-tooling and Revival.
Verse 8 says, 
“I will listen to what God the Lord says;
He promises peace to his people, His saints
—but let them not return to folly.”
 
I’M TRUSTING THE LORD’S GOOD AND GRACIOUS HAND IN THE PROCESS THAT THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW. 
I know God does not intend to leave even a healthy fruit-bearing branch how it is, but He is always after a more abundant harvest for His people.
I don’t get it, I don’t like or want difficult! 
But I also don’t want a puny little sick looking basket of bitter, green, unusable fruit out of life! 
He will “give the increase” when I reach the end of this seeming devastation of stymied ideas and “put on hold” plans, and let me tell you something crazy, I feel it coming!  The increase!
I’m learning to WALK in harmony, in tune with the truth that, “He is dwelling like healthy sap, in me, and will keep sin and despair from having dominion over my life”. (Romans 6:14) YOUR LIFE TOO! 
 
A MOMENT IN HIS ANGER - A LIFETIME IN HIS FAVOR.
God disciplines for a moment when He wishes to get our attention and our lives may indeed become painful for a period, but then comes His favor.
God doesn't delight in either our depression or our damage. 
And, when He begins to deal with the chaff in our lives, it is for our advantage, that we may be conformed to His likeness and reflect His holiness.
When we sense God’s disapproval, when it appears He has withdrawn from us, it is only so that we see our utter need of Him.
 
WHEN LIFE SEEMS TO BE SO SOUR, WHEN EVERYTHING CRUMBLES, then we must remember what we “say we believe”, that God’s favor is with us, because of Christ’s worthiness given to us, because we are adopted and are His - which means, that His favor always wins out over His disapproval.
 
THIS PICTURE IS PAINTED WELL BY THE WORDS "WEEPING REMAINS FOR A NIGHT." 
Weeping and sorrow are pictured as a traveler who comes to stay for a night. The pain and sorrow we feel may seem as though it has moved in with us like an unwelcome guest, who decides to stay for a very long time.
 
REJOICING THOUGH, COMES IN THE MORNING.
Your “mourning”, will dissipate in the morning”.
Your winter, will melt into summer.
God will replace your sighing, with singing.
Grief, will give way to gladness.
What was once bitter, will be made sweet.
And, what was once a desolate wilderness, will be transformed into a paradise.
 
LIKE THE FIRST RAYS OF THE SUNRISE WHICH DISPEL THE HARSH WINDS AND GLOOM OF NIGHT, 
GOD GIVES US JOY WHEN THE DARKNESS OF OUR PROBLEMS SEEM AS THOUGH THEY’LL NEVER LEAVE.
 
YOUR CROSS IS HIS GLORY
What is so crucial to understand is that as a Christian, your life will be filled with times of weakness and strength, with want and wealth, with disgrace and honor, with crosses and comforts, miseries and mercies, joys and sorrows, delight and mourning.
As this cycle of separating “Chaff” from our lives reoccurs many times in our lives, and it moves us from the cross to glory.
For your own health and so that you find all your satisfaction in Christ alone, God will send you times of great growth and other times of emptiness.
When the harsh winds blow, know that God desires that you find your hope and comfort by His own fire.
When the balmy breezes come, give Him praise and thanksgiving for the warmth He provides.
Psalm 57:1 says,
"Have mercy on me, O God,
Have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”
 
(PROPHETIC EXHORTATION AND WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE NOT INCLUDED IN WRITTEN MESSAGE CONTINUE IN THE AUDIO MESSAGE FORMAT BEGINING AT AUDIO PLAYER TIME MARKER 21:38)
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed 
provided that complete message, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!

Copyright 2025 " THE MESSENGER "  - "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE"
~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
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Brokenness – Disillusionment, and Redemptive Growth – The Raw Truth About Loss - Grief – Betrayal, and Maturity

 
By Mary Lindow
As you settle in to listen to this podcast, maybe you’re facing difficult times and you wonder how God can still have a plan for your messy, hurting, perhaps disillusioned life. What about your loved ones, or those in the neighborhood around you? There’s so much brokenness that it can feel like anything you do to help is like a drop in the ocean.
I certainly have had several moments this past season, months, days even, of being broken, disillusioned, angry, all the emotions that can go with hearing terrible stories of betrayal, clergy abuse, child abuse, adult children being estranged from parents, parents being estranged from their adult children, walking many from sadness over deep wounds from past relationships, festering with anger, guilt and shame.
This service of working with broken people that God has called us to, (and me specifically these past couple of years as a Biblical pastoral Counselor), well, seeing and hearing the sadness, can wear you thin at times, and I go running to the feet of Christ over and over again, asking him to make sense of how humanity can be so vicious and destroy one another.
Of course Jesus came to die for all of us, and in fact was broken, beaten, bruised and yes, he wept. So He knows the anguish and grief that can tow us under! The Lord has always been close to those who are crushed and broken, right from the very start.
 
Brokenness Doesn’t Distract Or Hinder God.
He extends endless compassion and love to us, even when we are feeling absolutely crushed.
When we don’t want anyone to see our brokenness, our shame, He is always close, never with judgment but always with kindness. The kind of kindness that heals.
The question is:
“Does brokenness have any purpose?”
Or is it a hindrance to God’s plans and promises?
Can God Turn Our Brokenness Into Something Beautiful?
 
In Matthew 26, Jesus had His last meal with the disciples before He went to suffer on the cross.
Now, even though I’ve read this passage many times, something rich recently stood out.
“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat it; this is my body’. (Matthew 26:26).
First, Jesus took the bread,
Then He blessed it,
And then He broke it.
 
Now, I thought to myself … “Why would He not first take the bread, break it and then bless it?”
 
There’s A Purpose To Why Jesus Did It This Way.
The blessing comes before the breaking, because this was the theme of Jesus’ life:
Jesus was blessed by the Father and the Spirit during His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17).
Jesus endured the brokenness on the cross (Luke 23:26-39).
And, Jesus conquered death through His resurrection and then ascended to the right hand of the Father.
This is the greatest blessing for believers because we are united with Christ and fully restored to God!  (Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 2:4-6).
 
Blessed
Then Broken
Then Blessed again.
That's the pattern.
 
Maybe You’re In A Season Where You Feel More Broken Than Blessed.
I understand. But because God has blessed us with His Son, every ounce of brokenness we experience on this side of eternity is pointing us toward the blessing of heaven, where we will be reunited with Christ, if we trust in Him.
God also redeems our current brokenness as a means of blessing others who are also broken (2 Corinthians 1:4).
We Can Know With Confidence
That When We Endure Brokenness And Pain,
There Isn’t An Ounce Of Our Brokenness
That Is Not Under The Blessing Of God!
 
This Is A Hard Truth To Grasp. It may even be something we want to reject because it feels unfair or even cruel!
I agree that it can feel that way. Even Jesus Himself agrees. Just a few verses after the Last Supper, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane and cried out, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38a, CSB).
We don’t have to dismiss our feelings when it comes to our brokenness. Even Jesus felt the full range of His emotions before His most broken moment.
We can come before God in humility with our raw, honest emotions. We can bring our brokenness to Him. We can trust that Jesus is with us, NOW. And, we can look to the cross and the empty tomb, knowing that though we experience brokenness, Jesus overcame it.
 
Brokenness Isn’t The End For Us.
Blessed, then broken, then blessed again.
Lord, give us the grace to endure this reality.
 
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus, who was blameless and pure, had scars that remained after his resurrection. Jesus’ scars were not a flaw. They’re a reminder that even the Savior of the world has experienced brokenness. They also give us a tangible answer to our doubts, like they did for Thomas. In a moment of faithlessness, doubt and brokenness, God meets Thomas with compassion and kindness.
Jesus’ Scars Are A Demonstration Of The Lengths He Went To For Us, a sacrifice given to restore hope in a broken world full of broken people.
And the same hands that were nail-scarred? They have our very names written on them as a promise that God will not ever forget or forsake us (Isaiah 49:16). Just like a scar, they’re permanently written as a reminder of God’s commitment to us, no matter how broken we feel.
 
Very Few See This Bleak Moment For What It Really Is.     
It's a chance to see their need for something that is beyond themselves. But my friend, this can be a moment where the soul can cross over from its own empty silence, into an expected quiet that is alive with His presence.
It silences the anguish, the anxious restlessness into a calm and still place of peace. It's as if the soul finds that in this dark place, there is a secret well of sweet water, and it springs up and overflows with light and life. 
 
LEARNING TO PASS INTO THIS
PLACE OF THE SPIRIT AND ALLOWING GOD
TO KEEP YOUR SOUL IN REFRESHING
SILENT TRANQUILITY IS A TRUE ACT
OF THE MATURING BELIEVER.
 
God Put You On Earth In Your Exact Place For His Specific Purpose, and you are living in that purpose, even when you don't know it.
Your soul may be grumbling and resisting, but you are living the story that God is ready to reveal to you. God is a lot bigger than you expect Him to be.
He's a lot bigger than your circumstances.
He is a God of detail.
He is deeply involved in the small details of your life, but He has a "bigger yes" for you.
Your true glory is the revelation of His splendor, his amazing ability to create redemptive “Resurrection moments” revealed in you day by day.
 
In 1 Peter 1:6. It says,  "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."
 
As Jesus Is Revealed In You,
You Can Rejoice No Matter What.
 
The Display Of His Glory Often Comes Through Your Wounds.
Your dark nights and cries of longing are lovingly heard, and as His bright light dawns, your grief contrasts with His glorious joy.
In brokenness, God works in you something beautiful, deep, and solid to offer others. You are developing inner strength as you are being blessed, broken, and given as an offering in your trials. True strength comes from your desperate need of God. You are a joy to Him as you offer yourself as a representative of His sufficiency.
Paul said He wanted to know Christ and be conformed to the fellowship of sharing His sufferings, knowing there's a resurrection coming. (Phil. 3:10).
 
Know that your Father created you for this time, for these very circumstances. He knew exactly what would be happening in your life as you are living it right now. He knows the impact for which He is preparing you, that still awaits you.
Be Filled with his Grace and hope to lean into the purpose that you were create for, in spite of difficult people, through hard circumstances, and through tough challenges.
 
Your Purpose, My Purpose Is In The Process.
We won't get there overnight.
We won't mysteriously wake up with it one morning.
But today we are closer than yesterday, and tomorrow we will be closer than we are today.
Be at peace in Him to know these things, and rejoice in Him.
HE IS ALIVE! We Are Not Alone.
 
Let’s Pray Together,
Dear Lord,
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how painful earthly brokenness can feel. Please help us, help me remember that you Jesus are our greatest blessing.
You are with us now with me now, as we face hardship and grief and sadness and await a day when you will make all things new. Give me strength, give those that are listening strength as we long for this day, and we ask this in the name of the Resurrected King of Heaven, Jesus Christ, The Messiah.
Amen.
 
I Know That Many Of You Are Going Through Many Things In Your Own Lives and there is so much going on around us everywhere right now as the Lord is more than shaking his church. He is exposing so many uncomfortable things, but what he is really doing is bringing his people back to a place to where HE alone is enough, his word alone is light and life, strength and guidance, no matter how difficult or dark the times can be. His word will penetrate past all of that panic and bring us daily comfort.
I’d like to call it daily bread since we’re on the subject of talking about bread, and remember because Christ was the bread of life and he gave it to us, and since we’ve given our lives to him, we are now bread of life to others with whatever we speak out of our mouth in the name of Jesus.
It has to be in accuracy and mimicking the way he lived and walked. If it isn’t, then there’s going to be difficulty there’s going to be pain.
It’s going to cause pain.
It’s going to cause difficulty.
 
So I Encourage You, If You’re Running And Hiding or if you’re trying to protect yourself from something that you’ve done that you know needs to come out into the light,run to Jesus, then tell the truth and get the help that you need. It won’t be easy, but that clawing horrible feeling of waiting for the shoe to drop will end, and the enemy will no longer have a foothold in your mind.
For Those That Are Suffering Because Of The Behaviors Of Others and you know that there just doesn’t seem to be an answer or an end in sigth, and certainly no vindication. I encourage you to not back away and to stand where God has you, but don’t grow bitter and don’t look for revenge. This is when we take it back into our own power at our own strength.
I Bless You Today!
I encourage you to get before the Lord and ask him to show you “the way” that he has for you during these times where he is maturing you, maturing his bride, and it is all for the glory of the ONE who laid down that entire greatness so that we would have an access to return to heaven.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!
2025
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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"ChoosingThe Desert Of Trouble OR The Door Of Hope" - Prophetic Insights and Encouragement

Note: There is a time of prophetic ministry at the end of this message during the audio version of the podcast.  
Please Take A Moment to Listen
So That The Holy Spirit Might Speak Over Your Life! 
 
 "Choosing The Desert Of Trouble  Or The Door Of Hope" 
 Prophetic Insights and Encouragement
By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit 
 
TODAY’S PODCAST MESSAGE IS GOING TO ADDRESS 
ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MOST CHRISTIANS 
ARE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT. 
THEY DOUBT!
 
Sometimes it comes from being so absolutely crushed that you are afraid to trust or believe in anything.
Or, we create our own false narratives and wonder WHY things don’t happen, and then we doubt that God can get us out of our messes.
 
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT “DOUBT THING” THAT KEEPS BEATING AGAINST THE THIN MEMBRANE OF HOPE IN YOUR THINKING?
 
WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE TODAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE PUT THEIR HOPE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED, looking for a way out of confusion, wanting to know themselves better or to find someone to love or to validate them.
There's Enneagrams, horoscopes, overloads of self-help books/blogs, medications, politicians, gurus and more, and most all of these have failed those hope seekers, or maybe have caused them to flail even further.
 
BUT HONESTLY...
...MOST PEOPLE ARE SIMPLY SEARCHING FOR THE "REAL DEAL".
They want to see genuine people expressing living and radiant hope.
They want an anchor in Achor (troubled times).
They are attracted to that and yet, the soul does love intellectual reasoning more than humility and yielding to God, the Supreme Guide.
 
HOPE. 
It’s what nourishes life.
It’s the motivator to move us into action.
It’s the promise of tomorrow.
What each one of us needs more of is hope.
What our country and world needs is hope.
 
Discouragement. 
It’s what siphons the joy right out of you!
Discouragement leads to desperation, which leads to feelings of anxiety, dread and hopelessness, which can move people into depression and suicidal thoughts, and those thoughts lead down a path of complete and utter darkness.
Trouble looms large in every face, every place and every happy space.
 
SO… DEFINE… HOPE! 
We often use the word hope as a kind of wish.
“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.”
“I hope the Broncos win their next game.”
But friends, hope in the Bible, has quite a different meaning.
 
RAW AND BIBLICAL HOPE IS A CONFIDENCE AND EXPECTATION THAT GOD HAS PROVIDED A WAY FOR A GOOD FUTURE FOR YOU. 
God wants to fill every person reading  or listening this with hope, that He has a wonderful future planned for you!
Ah…. Ummm......  Really? Does He? 
Can God REALLY create “good” out of the trouble you are passing through or that you got yourself "IN" to?
 
THE WORD ACHOR MEANS TROUBLE. 
So very aptly named, the valley spoken about here (Achor- from Hosea 2: 1-8) is the place where a man named Achan, brought trouble on Israel, by willfully going the opposite way and blew off the Lord's plan. So, God sees the sin, and brings it to them through Hosea’s warning.
 
THE SIN OF THEIR IDOLATRY, their mixtures of spiritual practices and beliefs and forgetting God and their sincere dedication to him, and his ways of doing things. (Read Hosea 2: 1-8 to fully see the raw details.)
 
YIKES! 
These folks were exploring and trusting in things much like many who are probing and immersing themselves into questionable spiritual practices and who distance themselves from the warnings of God today!
 
God in His grace, in the New Testament freedom of Christ, will put sin to death in your life and my life and also the trouble brought against us from the results of the sin of others.
He prepares the Valley of trouble - Achor, to become a door of hope.
 
God wants to show you the door…
...Right there, in the midst of this grief or very hard trouble that you are parched and exhausted by.
 
A door where you see HOPE written on it….
…And you move towards it.
Crawling is absolutely permitted! 
Just get moving, and get THERE!
 
JESUS SPOKE IT CLEARLY TO US WHEN HE SAID, "I AM THE DOOR. 
"To enter through me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction. 
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. 
But I have come to give you everything in abundance, 
more than you expect life in its fullness until you overflow!"
-John 10:9-10
 
THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION, OF TROUBLE AND DEFEAT WILL BECOME THE FIRST POINT OF YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE DOOR OF HOPE.
You let go of the dragging baggage of woes and stop chewing on the dust.
You admit your secret idolatry of pessimism and stubborn defiance to yield to the probing of your heart, admitting that you account to no one but yourself.
You put down the whip of control and anger and take up the walking stick to lean upon while you humbly limp towards the door of Hope.
That's a valley of trouble my friend.
But, listen closely!
 
THIS DOOR OF HOPE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED THERE STRATEGICALLY PLACED IN THE MESS, DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. 
WHY? Because it’s appointed by God Himself.
It opens up new opportunities for you; even those that were lost will be restored to you. It will cause a new song to rise again in your heart.
 
SO, YOU WEARY, RED -EYED AND CRIED OUT ONES, 
PREPARE TO LEAVE THE VALLEY OF TROUBLE (ACHOR) BEHIND,  
AND PASS THROUGH THE DOOR OF HOPE.
 
We Have To Wait With Hope For God!
“Wait with hope for the LORD. 
Be strong, and let your heart be courageous.
Yes, wait with hope for the LORD.”
-Psalm 27:14
 
WE HAVE TO BE COURAGEOUS AND STRONG IN OUR WAITING 
FOR THAT DOOR TO BE SHOWN TO US. 
The word “wait” is a very upsetting word for many!
We don’t like waiting!
We want things fixed. NOW! PRONTO!
Waiting can make us feel like we are doing something wrong, hesitating, lagging behind.
This isn’t why we have to wait sometimes.
 
WAITING HELPS US TO MATURE IN CHRIST. 
Waiting burns out impatience and defensiveness and impulsive reactions that decide to not deal with our deeply entrenched ruts!
Waiting is better then rushing into something without God’s wisdom and direction.
This door of Hope when there has been trouble, sin, loss pain, cycles of grief, is a sign of God’s tender mercy towards you.
“I will give back her vineyards to her and transform her Valley of Troubles (Achor) into a Door of Hope.
"She will respond to me there, singing with joy as in days long ago in her youth after I had freed her from captivity in Egypt.”
-Hosea 2:15
 
LET THIS PROMISE BRING REASSURANCE TO YOUR HEART. 
Let the past with all its sin and defeat be locked behind you, never to be reopened again.
Leave the Valley of Achor behind.
Let your eyes look ahead.
Walk through the door of hope that God has opened for you!
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information 
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Thank You!
Copyright © 2025 - "THE MESSENGER " ~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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"DISCERNMENT vs. SUSPICION" - Telling The Truth About Abuse and Wolves In Leadership Positions

 
By Mary Lindow 
 
I’m going to make a few statements about this podcast before I begin.
I hope I am not required by Lord to make many podcasts like this one, but I will obey him if he does ask me to do so!  To even things out a little bit, my next few podcasts are going to be sharing about some magnificent and overwhelming experiences that I have had in meeting First Native Chiefs throughout the United States and Canada.
All of these events were orchestrated by the Lord in order for us to meet. The things that I learned from these godly individuals who love Jesus, but understand the strongholds in our cities, our nations and upon our lands, has been absolutely Life-changing. I hope to share at least two podcasts telling you these stories and experiences that glorify Jesus, and show the power of his supernatural ability to get us to the places we need to go without ever having to push our way in or manipulate anything.
 
Now let’s begin today’s crucial podcast.
We are in a time when many people are seeing much evil take place, not only in our nation, not only in large and small corporations, but in church organizations and organizations that claim to bear the name of Christ on their letterheads.
 
One of the greatest deceptions taking place is that people are being told to NOT “discuss”/not to tell the truth about the abuses that are taking place in some of these organizations.
With the multitude of public exposures that is taking place right now all over social media regarding unconscionable and difficult happenings, I have been agonizingly yet strongly prompted by the Holy Spirit, to share my thoughts and the experiences that I have had in walking other people out of dark places, because of the harm done to them in some of these institutions.
 
I do this with a heavy heart, and yet I must take courage and be obedient in order to be an “Advocate of Hope” for those who feel that they cannot speak out for fear of being threatened or ridiculed, letting them know that there are others who will champion and stand with  them by calling “wolfish abuse” what it is, instead of sweeping it under any kind of Church Carpet, Corporate Carpet, or Institutional Carpet.
 
I am by far, not the perfect believer by any means!
I’ve had some wonderful mentors and training from others in ministry as well as in the counseling arena who have been strong and good people of discernment.
When something inside of you is alerted or feels really uncomfortable, or even just the thought of, “there’s something not right about that” pops in, that’s a built-in radar God gives us.
Now, if someone’s judging someone because they don’t like that they’re loud, or seem to be "too meek, obese, skinny, or speak a truth that they aren’t comfortable with or don’t have wisdom about", then that’s where all the speculating and suspicion move in.
 
Being set free from critical behavior and suspicion takes a willingness to admit that we don’t trust anybody, or, that we think we have an exclusive lead on how God speaks all the time.
 
I certainly need the accountability friends in my life
who speak truth to me firmly and regularly!
 
The soul loves to put itself in its own place of authority and override discernment, humility,and often the need to prove that our opinion matters. Honestly, keeping a heart pure and clean before the Lord every day, (and that’s truly not just an easy thing), but pursuing him with the right heart, keeps that place where we hear from him very sharpened and aware!
Studying his word, digging into what it really means, provides a depth and place of resource to go to, to check whether our heart is in accordance with his word or if we’re making up our own ideas about things.
It’s so easy to let other people think or speak for us, or their opinions, being strong, driving a message to us that says we should probably do what they say. This is where we get into trouble!
 
We are supposed to question or “test” things
and not just take everything hook, line, and sinker!
 
In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 it tells us,
“Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies,
BUT, test everything; hold fast to what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.”
 
Friends! Evil can be deceptive and cunning!
The word of God has an omnipotent power that cuts through all of the fog of self-deception and definitely pontificating! Many people quote the scripture and use it to their benefit when they want to self promote or appear to be somewhat spiritual. This is where discernment has to come in!!!
 
If something feels wrong, if something is spiritually off key, is not in alignment with what Jesus said or what the scriptures speak, then discernment has to come in to play.
 
The road gets narrower as you walk your Christian journey with Jesus, and you absolutely will be called many names because of the stance of wanting to be more like him, and more detached from the volumes of worldly knowledge.
Wisdom isn’t easily gained!  But, it’s so worth it when you get a little nugget that lasts for eternity.
 
Suspicion vs. Discernment.
I’ve seen this destroy and have been painfully more than a few times, a recipient of ugly and ruthless “suspicious” judgments.
Suspicion destroys relationships.
It destroys lives.
It listens to hearsay rather than God’s inward warnings.
Suspicion can feed a self satisfaction (which is actually pride) when our choices to put others in a lesser and suspicious light, even sabotaging them, justifies our own agendas.
 
When we are constantly suspicious of the motives of others, we drive people away that could be a great blessings to us. (They may even walk with a bit of a limp due to the battles and hard fought victories they’ve fought throughout their lives.)
Check your life today.
Are you discerning, or merely suspicious?
The problem is, sometimes we label suspicion with the pious name of “discernment” and think we're being super spiritual.
It’s so important to learn the difference between discernment and suspicion!  
 
The difference is quite simple.
Discernment comes from God and will recognize evil for what it is.
Suspicion come from or soul and will imagine evil when there is none.
If you see genuine compassion, kindness, mercy, accountability, humility and a forgiving nature in someone, you are seeing a surrendered soul.  
 
Not many want to talk about how hard spiritual growth and dying to ourselves, our opinions our interpretations is.
It's not a one time thing, it's every day.
It's remaining quiet when we want to speak.
It's trusting God's timing when we would, rather control.
It's doing it God's way when it doesn't make sense to us.
It’s quietly walking away from what might “appear to be a lucrative or more publicly promoting opportunity” when you know there are political or spiritually abusive environments involved.
 
We don’t get a lot of accolades or crowns here on earth for that kind of brave but necessary decision. But in heaven, when we do behold the face of the one who literally bled out for us, and he says, “Well done, so well done my good and faithful servant! Enter into my rest!” Oh my goodness, how absolutely all of the hardship and persecution will melt away in that moment, and the joy that is unspeakable and has yet to be fully understood, will be complete in our lives.
 
It is necessary in life to learn from those
who have more wisdom and experience,
because they can help us see things that we don't notice.
 
Even though modern culture tells us that we should “live our own truth and do whatever we think is best”, it’s this type of thinking that leads us into trouble. This is why Scripture tells us not to be wise in our own eyes.
 
True wisdom comes from fearing God. This means we should have a high regard for God's Word and His instructions to us. He knows all things, including, what is best for us.
We can also gain wisdom from other people. When we can learn from the mistakes and experiences of others, we're better equipped to not make the same mistakes. However, if you think you're the only one who knows best, you are bound to repeat the same errors.
 
There’s a huge amount of exposure taking place in pulpits, Ministry organizations, Christian Media Corporations, Governments, Christian Universities and Bible Schools...
...Right now.
 
Of course, we all know the Lord is doing a lot of the exposing and dealing with painful and shocking events that have or, are currently occurring, or are being investigated.
 
Why is he doing this? Because he will not allow these kinds of charades, criminal acts or hiding of sexual misconductsto NOT be caught.
Sadly many individuals who are sitting in church pulpits or are serving in ministry environments such as youth ministries, children’s church, Young adult groups and more, are often made uncomfortable by things they see taking place with some of the staff members.
The big question now is do you dare say anything?
 
If you see a male individual in a place of authority as a teacher, a pastor, any kind of youth worker anywhere, being over familiar with females, and by that I mean, resting their hand on their back too often with letting it linger, standing too closely to them in their personal space, spending time alone with them in their office etc. with doors shut and no visible way to see anything taking place. These are red flags!
A little bit of investigating and watching and taking notes is appropriate. Always document things that you see that make you feel there is something wrong going on and always date it. But be honest, not suspicious and don’t exaggerate or embellish. If necessary, take pictures. These are now used as evidence in court cases.
 
Another example!
If you would happen to know that there was a youth minister who sexually approached or interfered with a child or a young adult, and it was hidden and “dealt with” in an internal investigation among elders or leaders of a church or youth organization, club or scouting group, but was never reported, and this individual was then packed up and sent off to another state to minister or workelsewhere, they have basically turned this person into a repeat offender. These things must be reported to the police!
 
Here’s the hard thing.
We sure hope that we could go to people like elders or other leaders in the church if we see something taking place and know that deception is involvedand that others are covering it up.
If there has ever been a question that you have seen or a child has reported to you, that a young adult has reported to you or a teenager has reported to you that something inappropriate, whether it was conversation, whether it was physical touch, whether it was a threat that took place, you must go to the police.
 
Taking it to the pastor or taking it to the leadership "feels" like a good idea. But when there’s a wolf in the crowd, when there are wolves in leadership positions, we don’t take time to try to defend ourselves against wolves or predators. 
 
If you know, for a fact that these things have taken place, you must document and you must protect the children. You must protect the young developing adults. And, you must protect the future generations that would be affected if this perpetrator is permitted to be allowed to continue to remain in any organization, and not have appropriate legal consequences take place.
 
There are many who are holding positions in churches that are hiding inappropriate events of their own, within their own staff, or within their own organization, who value their building, their notoriety and their income, more than they value protecting the sheep or telling the truth.
 
Some people do not believe this is true! They think that surely the Holy Spirit would be exposing these things if they were really happening!
Well, my friends, the Holy Spirit uses practical human beings who are aware and have cultivated discernment and see that there is something very wrong and very out of order going on, and these human beings must be bold, courageous, and speak out like the prophet Nathan spoke to King David when he was having a long-term affair with Bathsheba and murdered his own military leader in order to cover his own manipulative and adulterous behavior.
There were terrible, painful consequences that took place because of what David did. Yet God in his mercy when David repented, restored David’s relationship back to himself.
But if forever changed David, and there were things that he was no longer permitted to partake in because of his wickedness.
But God did not shun him.
God corrected him.
 
Here are a few basic recommendations I’d like to share as a Pastoral counselor (and as a minister myself), with those who are in some form of ministry.
It’s not wise for men to counsel Women alone, but if necessary they must have a glass window where another safe office or staff member can see into the room. I have seen too many people get enmeshed emotionally with intimate counseling and I have historical documents that sadly indicate where several ministers who fantasized or planned or, actually have run off with people they were counseling for marriage difficulties! They have devastated marriages, families and churches because they crossed a line and blew clear past healthy boundaries, and safety protocols for counseling.
 
I also strongly recommend that men are not often alone in an office setting or ministry facility with women, especially if single, because they’re vulnerable women, because the table can turn two ways. The woman can become needy or manipulative and play on the affections or the emotions of a tender, kind hearted man, and then turn around and accuse them of some kind of inappropriate actions.
Men in buildings alone with women who are married and it’s late at night with a woman who is beautiful and lovely, or even sweet and precious, can create a sense of desire in a man whois tired of the grind of life, maybe hard work, might be having some strain at home, and in a few moments of weakness, begins to pursue an emotional affair, talking too openly, sharing too openly, and it can quickly lead to other kinds of affection, emotional bonding and inappropriate touching.
 
I know some of this sounds pretty heavy, and we as believers just don’t want to have to hear about the horrible, dark things that could possibly take place! We so want to believe the best in everyone and we want to be merciful and forgiving!
But, with the recent rash and exposure of well-known names, seemingly appearing holy and virtuous, many well protected individuals are now being exposed in multiple areas and in multiple environments, for hiding harm done to children, harm done to staff, and then using spiritual gifts or “spiritual pedigrees” to justify that they were just “tired or weak in the moment” and that they thought they’d handle it in house privately!
 
Well, to speak bluntly and boldly,
this fakery and denial is just all hogwash
when the gaslighting and lying starts!
 
 
We have to call it what it is!
It’s called spiritual abuse (SA) or clergy sexual abuse. (CSA) .
 
Returning to my original introduction regarding the need for discernment versus suspicion, we have to be very wise and make sure that our hearts are right as we begin to walk out these very difficult times of exposure as well as needing to be vocal.
 
There are victims among us who have not said anything for years about the things that took place in back rooms or offices or church buildings, camps or cars. For some reason, people run to suspicion and say, “Why are you now just beginning to talk about this? Why did you wait so long? What do you want out of this?”  
 
In legal terms when someone speaks out immediately about sexual abuse or harm done,the term is called “Outcry”.
They “cry out”, they “tell”.
 
When someone takes awhile to be able to process abuse, especially children (male, and female!) or young vulnerable teenagers or women who have been abused in the past, and have been threatened to remain silent or paid off to be quiet, and are easily preyed upon by those who are able to spot vulnerability, it takes them longer, and healthy unpacking and dialog frees them to tell. This must be tenderly and wisely handled with a skilled CHRISTIAN trauma counselor who works in these areas of sexual, church or cult abuse, or child abuse.
 
The term for this, when someone takes so long or doesn’t remember everything that happened (because they’ve been threatened and they have shut it out), this is called “Delayed Outcry.”
 
With the proper counseling and the proper police reporting involved, then there becomes an investigation or a forensic investigation that listens to and  reviews documents, the stories or events, does the investigating, looks at any kind of proof which could be documents, notes, texts, emails, pictures, clothing, the location or rooms these things happened in. Then, they begin to question and cross examine those who are being accused.
 
Yes! There have been people who have lied and set others up for something they never did. Or, they lured people into getting them to be involved in nefarious behaviors, use of drugs, alcohol, inappropriate touching, looking at unsafe objects, videos or pictures, and then turn around and use it to project onto that individual in order to hide their own very Addictive sicknesses.
 
Here’s the Honest Deal.
When there are wolves operating the pulpits, we don’t say, “well they were once a really nice sheep so we have to be nice to them!” A wolf is a wolf! A wolf puts on a mask like a sheep and can appear saintly and beautiful and tell sad, well oiled stories about themselves to make themselves look like they’re repentant over something “small” that they may struggle over and then everyone feels like, “what a lovely, humble soul!”
They can con, they can cry, they can preach, they can look compassionate. They can talk a good line, they can be very convincing.
But, if they have been predators, touching children, often touching women, touching men, plagiarizing, mishandling funds for their own purposes and lavish living...
…These are wolves.
 
We have to call them for what they are. They thrive on building their egos and are very convincing in order build their own empires, claiming that it was the Lord giving them all the blessings.  
 
2 Corinthians 11:13-14 addresses this so strongly!
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light!”
 
Friends, Discernment is at an all-time low
and the Lord is bringing it to the forefront.
 
The Spirit of God is saying to you and saying to me, “cultivate develop and train yourself to be discerning and to test everything!”
This means school boards, politicians, those in the pulpit, those in other ministries and any other position of authority.
Some of the slickest and most well promoted people are often those of who have charming, manipulative narcissistic traits and harm many in their wake.
 
The posture of power, inflated titles, fake tears, swiftly changing of trends and movements that claim it’s “THE thing” God is doing, are lures to draw crowds, train people to trust the speakers to hear from God for them ( but not fully train the audience to discern and judge.)
 
Oh the wretched and unbelievably twisted things I have heard behind the doors of Pastoral counseling!
Oh the ugly and extremely uncomfortable things I’ve witnessed in Green rooms before live “Christian” broadcasts.
Oh the unbelievably huge complex and disgusting competition that goes on among ministries and Christian organizations, when monetary policies are used as a way to enrich those at the top.
 
If There’s Anything I’d Scream From the Rooftops Today
It Would Be,
“Cultivate and Learn Discernment!”  
Be sober! Be wise!
Be accountable!”  
Oh Lord Jesus! Mature your people. Teach them to hear your voice. 
 
I would like to share a statement from a wonderful man of God who is a seasoned Husband, Father, Pastor, Speaker, and Author.
His name is Tim Challies.
He shares these very potent and deep words.
 
“With discernment comes division.  
A person who seeks to be discerning must be willing to suffer the effects of this division.
It will divide not only the believer from the unbeliever, but it may even divide a discerning believer from one who is undiscerning.
It will separate the mature from the immature and the naïve from the prudent.”
 
SO well said!
 
In my closing out of this podcast today, I would like to share a few potent words from Dr. Diane Langberg who has worked in multicultural and many international settings were abuse and tragedy of every kind, (those imagined and those that you cannot imagine that have taken place).
She works as a specialist among those who have been traumatized by Church abuse in its many forms. She is a wise Senior woman who I greatly admire and have learned much from.
As I share her statements in closing, allow them to speak to the deeper part of you where the Lord is developing discernment and greater awareness.
 
Diane says,
“Many of us have confused the church system with Jesus Christ; they are not the same.
There are wolves among the sheep, tares among the wheat.
Jesus called humans that looked good on the outside, white-washed tombs full of stink. My work has taught me that many poor sheep have followed a blind guide, a gifted wolf, and landed in a pit.
No so-called Christian system is truly God’s work unless it “fleshes out” his character. Toleration of sin, pretense, and crookedness do not reveal the character of God, even if they bear his name.
Arrogance is never godly.
Covering up sin is never godly.
Abuse of power is never godly.
Shepherds who feed on sheep are abusive.
Leadership that preserves and protects the system, rather than the people, turns the house of God into a safe place for predators.
Those who come to feed on God himself then find themselves being the main course instead.
 
We have failed to protect leaders from their own bondage to self-deception and sin. Exposure brings hope, for it brings the cancer to the light.
To hide sin by cover-up or silent complicity is spiritual abuse.
It is a failure to love the perpetrator. Demise of a system—even a spiritual system—is not the worst that can happen!
We must acknowledge and tell the truth about these things.
Great damage is being done to God’s sheep, in his name.
He weeps over such leaders and the sheep they harm.
Be watchful.
Recognize coercive and manipulative behavior.
Call it by its right name when someone in power uses spiritual words and ideas to silence, control, and intimidate.
Be discerning about those who hold power—including yourself.
Do not be deceived. 
May we, with Daniel, call out to God: “O Lord, hear! O Lord forgive. O Lord listen and act. For your own sake do not delay, because your church and your people are called by your name.”(Dan. 9:19).
Source:  https://erlc.com/resource/when-the-sheep-are-preyed-upon/
 
Finally, I would like to say these words.
Trauma can leave people feeling shattered and alone.
But through our faith, we discover that God’s love is unwavering and His healing touch can mend even the deepest wounds.
 
Let’s remember that we are not defined by our pain,
But by the Grace that lifts us up,
and leads us toward restoration.
 
If you find yourself carrying the weight of trauma, know that you are not alone on this journey.
For those of you who may be trembling with fear or who have experienced any kind of abuse.
For those of you, how are trembling and fear, because you know you have done something and have hidden it from others or have protected others who you know have done harmful, evil things, the word of God says to confess your faults to one another to confess your sins so that you may be clean, freed, and that you may be forgiven.
To those of you who have been abused, don’t be afraid to find a safe, godly, skilled trauma counselor who will be able to help you be freed from the prisons of shame, control, and intimidation within, so that you can walk in the light of grace and freedom and know that your Father in heaven has rescued you from those that harm.
To help you in your journey, I have included a link where you can quickly locate or begin to research a Christian counselor who is skilled and able to help you with whatever specific area that you may need to have help with.
https://tinyurl.com/5h4zfc9u
 
Let's pray together before we end this time together.
Heavenly Father,
May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what.
O Lord, you will never, no, never, neglect those who come to you."
-Psalms 9:10
Heavenly Father, in the face of fear and uncertainty, I call upon your strength to fill those who are listening to, or who are reading this message, fill them with courage.
When the wounds of traumatic experiences seem too deep to overcome, remind them that you are the ever-present help in times of trouble.
Grant them the bravery to face their fears head-on, knowing that you go in front of them, leading them into a future, free from the shackles of the past.
Thank you for being our fortress and our deliverer. With you by their side, They will not be afraid. Amen.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed,
as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link
and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!
"2025"
"THE MESSENGER"  -  Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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"Did You Know That GROWTH Has A Cost?" - Insights to Freedom – Closing Prophetic Insight

By Mary Lindow
 
BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN OUR GROWTH JOURNEY, IT’S OFTEN NECESSARY FOR US TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE WILL LOSE. Believe it or not, part of the reason we don’t move forward in growth is because we are benefitting from staying where we are—enjoying comfort, security, the illusion of control, or any number of different things.
 
IN GALATIANS 4:6-8, PAUL TELLS US THAT BUILDING OUR LIVES AROUND THE WRONG THINGS MAKES US SLAVES.
That’s strong language, but Paul’s doing something very strategic here. Paul is alluding to a part of Israel’s story shortly after they had been set free from slavery in Egypt. God raised up Moses and performed great miracles to lead them out of those chains, and the Israelites praised God for their freedom, but it wasn’t long before they began to complain about how they missed all the benefits and comforts of their lives in Egypt. If you remember the story, they were still longing for the “leeks”, a type of onion they liked back in Egypt! They even began to talk about going back! Can you imagine being homesick for a land where you were a slave? Now, that might sound crazy, but, according to Paul, that desire may be more familiar to you than you think.
 
IF THERE’S SOMETHING YOU NEED SO BADLY THAT
YOU CAN’T IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT IT,
THEN YOU ARE A SLAVE TO THAT THING.
You have given up your freedom. You are bound to it.
It could be a possession, a relationship, a title, or a reputation.
 
RIGHT NOW, A RECORD AMOUNT OF PEOPLE JUST ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS FROM A SECULAR VIEWPOINT, ARE SEEKING COUNSELING, AND PSYCHIATRY!
They can’t seem to get a handle on all of the traumatic events and all of the things going on in our society. They are double minded, often by assuming that There is a way to quickly assuage the back-and-forth cognitive dissonance of mankind when horrific events or evil events taking place.
 
Many are finding out now that in fact, they are deeply entrenched in great fear and great rage.
 
AS A CHRISTIAN COUNSELOR, BUT ALSO AS A MINISTER OF CHRIST’S MOST POWERFUL TRUTHS, and one who flows in the gifts of the spirit, here is what I have found out throughout many years of working with people who have gone to psychiatrists or psychologists, who have no biblical base or depth in what they do. It’s purely clinical. It’s therapeutic study that goes through the steps of addressing the mind and possibly medically. But the spiritual depth is empty because they don’t know what to do and many don’t acknowledge God, because they themselves feel the mind of science, the mind of humanity is created to be probed and trained like a behavioral science.
 
When you use psychiatry and psychology and loading people up on antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicines without addressing the spiritual void  as well as poor diet, you’re basically putting a Band-Aid over a very deeply rooted problem.  (I am not saying that there are not times there are medications needed for things like brain injuries, or those who need to have a chemical imbalance corrected, but the trend is just give somebody an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication and “they’ll feel a whole lot better”, rather than addressing what is causing the upsetting and the triggering to throw the adrenaline glands into full panic mode, or depression mode!
 
I believe dietary care and proper supplementing have done tremendous things and have seen it in the lives of many clients. I have a few wonderful naturopathic Christian Doctors who I have referred people to and they have seen tremendous results as well. Of course you have to stick with it. There’s that thing called discipline. It’s not a “quick pill” that you immediately feel better with! It’s a steady, working towards caring for your temple, your body, your brain, your cell structure, with proper nutritional supplements, as well as getting off of stimulants like tons of sugar and poor oils and bad nutrition.
 
ONCE AGAIN WE’RE ADDRESSING A CORE ISSUE AND THAT IS WE WANT TO FIX THE PROBLEM “QUICKLY” WITHOUT THE DISCIPLINE AND YES, A LITTLE BIT OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT IT TAKES TO GET WELL.
 
NORMALLY, WHEN YOU’RE COUNSELING PEOPLE AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU LOOK FOR THE ROOT OF A FEW THINGS. Bitterness, the pride of life, and, if they were physically, verbally/emotionally or sexually abused. There are other variables. For instance, if someone has had a head injury or those who have had PTSD disorder from experiencing a traumatic event. But, without the core foundation of knowing that God wants to restore his people and wants to restore ALL people, if they will let him, and using that as the ultimate guiding source, a lot of psychology leaves people simply with coping mechanisms, but rarely feeling deep joy, and a sense of humility.
My heart goes out to these people because they just found out that the god of science once again has failed them.
 
BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN GIVEN A NEW IDENTITY IN JESUS, those chains have been broken and there is a new path paving the way to our freedom. And though it’s a clear and seemingly simple idea, it’s not always easy in practice.
 
It’s one thing to get you out of slavery,
but it’s another to get the slavery out of you.
 
OUR TENDENCY AND FLESH NATURE…
…is to continually return to what has seemingly provided comfort, security, and safety, yet all the while turning our backs on the journey to wholeness and freedom that God desires for us. in other words, we return to familiar patterns.
 
But there’s some good news for us today!
God is a loving father!
 
IMAGINE A FATHER WATCHING HIS YOUNG TODDLER TAKE THEIR FIRST UNSTEADY STEPS. What does he feel? How does he react? Is he impatient and frustrated that his child doesn’t go further? Does he explode in anger when his child’s knees become unsteady and they fall to the ground? Do you think you’d see extraordinary disappointment in his eyes as you hear him shout, “Why aren’t you walking already? Look at your older brother! He can run laps around this house! Why can’t you get your act together?”
 
No way! Not in a million years would you expect that kind of reaction. Why not? Because a loving father celebrates the baby steps no matter how small they are. He knows those steps are the beginning of a long journey to becoming a mature adult. He’s patient with the progress and celebrates every victory, no matter how short-lived. 
 
In the same way, your heavenly Father longs to see you move forward in your spiritual life. He loves and celebrates your baby steps.
 
HERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO REFLECT ON TODAY.
What is it I am getting from staying where I am?
And, is there something I am too scared to lose? 
 
AS YOU BEGIN TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, ASK GOD FOR THE GRACE AND STRENGTH YOU NEED TO TAKE A SMALL STEP OF TRUST TODAY. Then take time to thank God for his patience and forgiveness that meet you every time you stumble back to that old life and old way of thinking. 
 
WHEN JESUS INVITES US TO FOLLOW HIM AND LIVE A NEW WAY OF LIFE AS A PART OF HIS KINGDOM, HE INVITES US TO TRANSFER OUR TRUST. He invites us to let go of the things we have previously trusted for our security and significance—and to take hold of him as our new source. This “letting go” of our way of life can, at times, feel a lot like dying, like we are losing our life as we know it. It can be scary and even painful to take that step. 
 
EVEN AFTER WE DECIDE TO TRUST JESUS AND FOLLOW HIM, WE WILL AT TIMES FIND OURSELVES CLINGING TO PORTIONS OF OUR OLD WAY OF LIFE. We will catch ourselves returning to those familiar sources of security and significance. And each time we will need to make the decision—again—to let go and take hold of the life Jesus offers us instead. 
 
When you find yourself facing another moment like this, (and you will), remind yourself of Jesus's promise in the passage above. It is through the losing, the letting go, of our lives that we find them, in the deepest and fullest sense.
Jesus invites us to transfer our trust from the old, familiar things we cling to for hope and security to, something much better: Jesus himself.
 
WHAT AREAS ARE THE HARDEST FOR YOU
TO LET GO AND TRUST HIM WITH?
 
Often, when we have been reduced by life’s hardships, we measure our ability by our human timeline and arrive at the conclusion that “we can’t”.
Maybe that’s where you are right now.
Maybe all you hear reverberating in your mind is:
“I can’t do this.
I can’t cope.
I can’t manage.
I can’t survive this.
I can’t.”
 
I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THE LESSON OF ESTHER:
The last thirty days or weeks or months don’t rule your life.
They don’t get to dictate your future.
They don’t have a right over you.
You belong to God’s “such a time as this”.
 
LIKE ESTHER, I HAD TO LEARN THIS LESSON IN MY OWN LIFE.
I had to repent of my “I can’t”. I had to capture that thought over and over again, and make it obedient to Christ. I had to agree with God’s Word that, He who had called me is faithful; He would surely do it.
 
One of the most well-known—sections of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’s primer on true happiness or blessedness.
These are often called the Beatitudes.
Here, Jesus describes what happiness is all about. But he doesn’t primarily describe emotions or feelings. Instead, he outlines a surprising way of life—an upside-down existence.
 
TO BE BLESSED IS TO BE ACCEPTED BY GOD, WHETHER CIRCUMSTANCES SEEM TO CONFIRM OR DENY IT.
 
By starting his sermon not with a list of “to-dos” but by letting us know who is blessed, Jesus clarifies that those in his kingdom don’t work for blessing but from blessing. Jesus’s disciples don’t have to seek blessing; they are already blessed by God. In kindness, Jesus announces what we are all looking for: joy.
 
HUMANITY HAS BEEN SEDUCED INTO A VISION OF THE GOOD LIFE BASED ON PHYSICAL HEALTH, AMPLE MONEY, AND MINIMAL CHALLENGES. But Jesus turns it all around, explaining that the most fortunate people are those who are “socially disregarded and recognize their deep need for God”. It’s not that God despises comfortable people; it’s that he knows the benefit of spiritual disruption, especially when those strong assumptions about the good life are dangerous.
 
In the kingdom of God, the happiest people are oriented around love, not accruing greater possessions or power.
 
TO WALK IN STEP WITH JESUS IS TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LOVE —a love that seeks to bring reconciliation where there has been fragmentation, a love that rejoices over mercy, not resentment, a love that works to end injustice, refusing to stand by idly. This is the path of life that satisfies our souls.
 
JESUS CLEARLY STATES THAT THE BLESSED ARE NOT FREE FROM TROUBLE. Rather, they endure trouble as they bear witness to Jesus’s path. The blessed life is connected to the cross. Patterning our lives after Christ, requires the death of our egos, our “false selves”, and the larger culture that rewards self-centeredness.
 
Yet as God raised Jesus from the dead, so, too, he will raise you and I from the dead. As God vindicated his Son, God will also vindicate those who choose the way of the Son.
 
SO BE OF GOOD CHEER!
Following Jesus on the narrow path places you among the most blessed people on earth! Oh God, help me see and seek the blessed life of dying to ourselves!
 
I WOULD LIKE TO NOW SHARE A WORD OF WISDOM AND PROPHETIC ENCOURAGEMENT WITH YOU .
I am impressed to share these words with those of you (which is probably most all of us ) that have been weary and troubled, and still fight with dark shadows that try to come and encroach and upset you, and caused you to feel as if you are alone at times in your life.
 
Prophetic Word
I Am the spirit of grace
I Am the spirit of mercy, and I Am the one that was sent to comfort you.
The world will forever be in upheaval because mankind constantly fights between truth and disobedience to truth.
There are no gray areas. You are either with me or you are against me.
(He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters. -Matthew 12:30)
 
Many tend to reside spiritually in areas where they think that perhaps they can slowly choose whether they yield to, me or whether they stand firm in their own desire to be in control.
For those that have harmed you, for those that have wounded you, for those who have misused my scripture and twisted and yes, have at times use them as weapons, I will bring my complete and righteous judgment. I give them time to repent, but with repentance also comes with open admittance to their sin. Men don’t like to hear that word because my word does not feel easy or comfortable at times. Yet I, the spirit of God refuse to enable the flesh of any human.
 
I am doing a work in you in these days that is creating a greater dependency upon me and a greater gratitude for my ability to move the impossible mountains in your life.
These days on earth are so short when you see it from my viewpoint, yet I am moved with compassion, for I know you feel as if they are moving slowly at times.
Resting in my presence is a balm to a troubled soul.
It causes a reset of all intentions and brings you back to the place of communion with me like Adam and Eve did in the garden before they fell.
It’s in rest.
It’s in reflection.
It’s in rejoicing,
that you re-set.
 
Come away, my beloved child and rest in my presence on a daily basis finding time for me, to rest in my presence, and you will sense a great calm come over your spirit, soul, and your body, for I am the one who restores your soul.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body…”  Prov. 14:30
 
I bind up your wounds, and I heal your broken heart.
I who began a good work in you…
…I am faithful to complete it to its fullest.
 “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]”. -Philippians 1:6
 
CLOSING THOUGHTS
 Find a quiet place and settle in to spend some time being still with God.
Friends. You might have to fight for it, but be intentional to get to the place where you are able to be internally still. 
Ask God to make you more aware of his presence.
Ask him to highlight how he has been working in you and how you can actively participate in your spiritual growth.
 
Finally, thank him for his faithfulness and ask him to sharpen your awareness of his spirit working in you.
 
Prayer:
God, you are a loving Father.
Thank you for being patient with me as I learn to trust you. Amen
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 2024
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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"TRAUMATIC TIMES AND TRUTH TELLERS"

By Mary Lindow
 
Today’s podcast is going to be discussing a subject that a lot of people avoid because they honestly just don’t know how to approach it or, they are afraid to approach it.
Somehow people think that people like myself who have been serving in ministry to the Body of Christ for many, many years, and who are called by the Lord to operate or flow in a prophetic ministry as well, do this 40 hours a week. And, of course, people do expect you to be on call and ready to deliver a clear and concise word from the Lord, without considering the fact that you are not just simply a prophet or a teacher/minister, but you are also a human being who lives and breathes and moves and feels.
 
BEING IN MINISTRY ON ANY LEVEL IS NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART and truly should not be something to be considered or pursued by those who are looking for a platform for fame or to hold power over others. It is a call to hear the voice of the Lord, to study his word and to always be ready to give a good report of what he has promised or what he is requiring of his people.
So having said that, I am echoing the words and most likely also the thoughts of many disappointed and disillusioned believers right now.
I read a wonderful devotional last week from the Bible app. and it so resonated with where things are right now in our world.
It said, 
“If we are paying attention, we will see a lot of “off” around us. I bet you have noticed things that appeared unjust. Cracks in the façade that show injustice is real.
People hurt. Bullies winning.
The right action is left undone or the wrong action brings harm.
When we pay attention, we have to acknowledge this world is gut-wrenchingly broken.”
 
Many of us will read a description of mistreatment and nod along from experience, memories bringing a fire to our chest. Others hear words about injustice, and it all feels distant. The deep desire to downplay evil stirs, perhaps even subconsciously.
Reading Habakkuk beckons us to acknowledge a foundational principle God reveals through Old Testament prophets—you have to see the evil. We must look around at what is happening in the world and see it for what it is.”
 
THE BIBLE PAINTS THE PROPHETS AS THOSE WHO JOLT US AWAKE AND FORCE US TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT SUCH THINGS.
 
They are the watchmen signaling with waving arms, often to people wanting to look away.
“Look up and see the evil done against others”, the prophets said.
See the impact of your own choices on the vulnerable.
See the disobedience of God’s people.
 
GOD SEES THE WAYS WE’VE GOTTEN THINGS SUPER WRONG FRIENDS, and he’s coming to do something about it.
Get ready. We might not be paying attention, but he is.
 
It would be easy for some of us—and beneficial at times—to look away from the wrong done around us. We much prefer the aesthetics that way. Yet, there are consequences to indifference. We should not be surprised by discipline from the Lord if we choose not to pay attention to the discrepancy between our community’s actions and God’s righteous standard, just as the prophets warned in Israel.
 
FOR OVER 16 YEARS STEVE AND I HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED AS PASTORAL COUNSELORS. Now, some individuals say that all pastors can give pastoral counseling to people. It’s a little different than that. Some people go to school and study psychology, which is the study of the mind, and how to understand the psyche of people and help them. This is a secular approach, and there have been good results and helping people resolve conflicts and often mental illness issues as well as addressing dementia and Alzheimer’s problems and more.
 
Pastoral counseling is where the Bible is the foundation, the Scriptures are the foundation of what you use as a basis to advise and counsel and hopefully help restore people. You also do have to take study courses and apply different techniques in counseling that assist you in being able to assess and discern, as well as understand some issues of mental health in order to be integral in your approach. Steve and I were supervised for over 15 years by a doctor of psychology, who was a strong believer, and we both took courses from different Christian counseling associations and college courses in order to broaden our ability to help people. We also had a brick-and-mortar counseling group with a dear friend, our friend who was the doctor of psychology and the practice supervisor for three years in our local area.
 
WE SAW THE LORD TRANSFORM, marriages, families, young people, and drug addicts, as well as dealing with many abused believers who had come out of almost cult-like, churches, or who were involved in environments and churches where they could not talk about abuse going on with the staff. Many in ministry callings came to us to share their hearts and gained helpful counsel as well.
 
LITERALLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE COVID LOCKDOWNS BEGAN, our landlord who was also a believer let us know that he was going to sell his portion of the medical unit building that we were renting from him, and the Lord had begun to speak to Steve and I about the timing of where we were supposed to head into more private work as pastoral counselors and as mentors within that same timeframe. The state of Colorado had begun to dictate what licensed counselors were permitted to address, absolutely mandating that they were not permitted to talk about any kind of therapy, that assisted those with “different sexual lifestyles” if they wanted to be transformed or helped.
 
Steve and I strictly operate as Ordained ministers so we do not have to bow our knee to the dictates of a corrupt government licensure program.  We still have to follow confidentiality laws as well as report any kind of devastating child abuse that we may hear in our counseling sessions, but it is all done ethically and legally, and with grace. When the lockdowns began the majority of our work took place over the phone or occasional zoom sessions. With great sadness our dear sister and friend and Counseling Center Supervisor Dr. Muskie, passed into heaven, due to complications with WuhanCovid19.
 
When You Counsel People, The Number One Thing
That Needs To Be Absolutely Evident Is That You Are Willing
To NOT Look At Everyone From A Lens Of What YOU Know,
But Rather From The Lens Of God’s Compassion, As Well As
Leaning In To The Discernment Of The Holy Spirit.
 
The majority of the people I work with are women who have been in abusive environments with either husbands, abusive parents or/siblings and with people in ministry environments (and I’m telling you there are many sexual predators who prey upon women right in church buildings!) as well as working with professional women who are pressured by men and women in their work environments.
 
There are also a lot of women who are very sensual, who get attention by teasing men hoping to cause them to fall. It’s a real deal! And they don’t just go after pastors. They will go after any man in a local body or church or work environment to get the attention that they hunger for when they missed out on being parented properly, or if they feel that something sensual makes them get the attention they need to feel loved. This often happens when there has been sexual abuse in their lives.
 
Pastoral counseling is based on getting to the root of the problem according to what the word of God says, and for a believer the importance of it is that we are willing to face the root cause of what causes us to be traumatized, bitter, secretive, or lie.
 
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO COUNSEL IS A PERSON WITH AN EXTREMELY HARD, WOUNDED HEART, OR WHO IS EMBITTERED. No matter how much you try to show them the way and soften the pathway for them with the grace of God, there is often a back lash that always has a reason to explain why they are hurt, why they are hard, and why they choose to stay stuck in a hard place.
In Matthew 13:15 Jesus says:
“For the heart of this people has become hard,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.”
 
It is a humbling thing to admit that you are stuck or that you are in a hard place, or that you are dominant and mean and cruel to people because you are bitter over tough life circumstances that have happened to you, and so you put up a wall to protect yourself.
 
I have met Christians who justify the fact that they can bully and name call and yes, often swear at other people when they think they are trying to help them or advise them. They often get angry when they are confronted about their bad bullying behavior towards their children. If you ever hear a believer say something like “my child is a jerk”, or “you’re a little brat”, or “stop whining and get up or I’m going to give you something to cry about”, you can tell that there’s verbal abuse going on in their home.
 
Verbal abuse isn’t just cussing at someone although it is verbal abuse for sure! Verbal abuse is considered shaming, humiliating, paralyzing, and dominating over someone else verbally to the point that they are caused to emotionally shut down in fear. Unfortunately, I hear in the confines and confidential pouring out of hearts in my counseling sessions many who have been yelled at with scripture verses and shamed over not being perfect and obedient to God.  This is called spiritual abuse.
 
Picking out specific Bible verses, and using them as a battering ram, or a knife that stabs into the heart of someone to get them to “obey" or to get them to “submit”, is absolutely vicious behavior and it is abusive. There’s no godly virtue in posturing to be a big shot, or to appear to be the person who can control a room with snarky snide remarks or a bunch of advice that everyone is forced to listen to.
 
This is called "insolent pride" in the Bible, and we always take that biblical view, but in the natural if you were studying a psychological viewpoint, this is called narcissism.
 
Proverbs 21:24 states
“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, 

He who acts with insolent pride
 
 
INSOLENT PRIDE CREATES A SCOFFING, ARROGANT “KNOW IT ALL” ENVIRONMENT, where there is no ability to ever address the deep-rooted issue of control and abuse in a human being and how they use it towards others to posture. The need for power and control becomes “out of control”! But underneath that simmering rage there is someone who needs to keep everything tightly organized and under their thumb in order that no one finds about out the secret part of them that is either weak, wounded, or has done something they should not do to harm others.
 
WHY AM I SHARING THIS?
Well, we are living in a time where narcissism is actually applauded and stroked as a point of near genius! Insolent pride and verbal domination have become the way of communication in most social media groups.  And, unfortunately it takes place in a lot of texting where people can say cruel or snarky things behind the protection of a telephone screen and slander others in one mass social media post or text! But to say it face-to-face and see the pain in someone’s face by the words they’ve spoken is a different thing isn’t it? And the other party suddenly being painted as a “rotten person” never gets a chance to tell the side of their story that may actually be the truth.
 
Every day we come across people who need to hear a kind word, who need to be lead to a place where they can get help or truth, or just simply be treated with a level of empathy.  And, every day we come across people who may be predators, verbal abusers, spiritual abusers, and have no conscience about how they treat people.
 
IT IS ABSOLUTELY TIME FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST AGAIN TO READDRESS THE ISSUE, FOR THE NEED FOR EXTREME DISCERNMENT. Everything that the enemy could throw at us and our children is on full display right now, and if we dumb down safety and sexuality, safety and what our children watch on television or other tech devices, safety and what WE as adults watch, we simply embrace the narrative of the world, and we move away from scriptural goodness into a place that pollutes the ability to have good discernment.
 
When we don’t allow accountability to come into our lives, whether it be with a good and wise counselor, or with a group of trusted friends who are not going to take your information and spread it far and wide, we leave ourselves open to a secretive fantasy world, or a secret world of torment.
 
What do you do when you’re anxious or sad or depressed or fearful over the way your husband treats you or the way your wife beats you down verbally?
 
What do you do when you are at a stalemate because a spouse refuses to forgive or move forward into hearing the truth about some of the things they have done to get locked into bad behavior and resentment?
 
What do you do when you have a child that suddenly has become addicted to video games and it’s moved up into their adult life and they have no friends because their world is all in front of a screen?
 
What do you do when you know that a minister or a member of a staff in a church or a CEO of your corporation is secretly sexually preying upon individuals in their offices, and you could lose your job, because you know?
 
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE HARD TO ADDRESS,
BUT MUST BE ADDRESSED!
 
The world is feeling a tremendous amount of being unsettled right now by the great upset of realizing how easy it is to be controlled by a few tyrants, and yet people will cower and go about in denial, instead of learning how to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
 
I have worked with many brave women, who have prayed and fasted and done everything they possibly can to help work on their marriages, but their spouses have chosen to hunker down and gaslight and punish. No matter what approach is taken they become more verbally violent and are determined to blame everyone else.
 
Is this easy to talk about? Absolutely not!
But when you are scripturally based not only as a minister, but also as a pastoral counselor, you must bring truth into the light and help people become free from abusive environments and often “self abusive” environments.  You must above all have confidentiality and trust level that they know will not be breached. Most pastoral counselors work on a sliding scale fee in order to keep their rates low for those who are working hard, sometimes two and three jobs, or a wife who has limited income because her husband tightly holds the reins of the finances.
 
WHEN YOU’RE A PASTORAL COUNSELOR, IT IS DONE OUT OF THE PASSION FOR CHRIST and therefore money and income are not the foremost driving purpose for your work. But, there must be an investment and a fee from those who are in counseling, or people tend to not take it seriously.
It needs to be considered per individual and what they are capable of handling. I often tell people their counseling is much more important than the two or three times weekly custom cup of coffee at their local coffee shop, or perhaps snacks in their afternoon candy bar routine. It really isn’t a sacrifice when you start doing the work to get yourself whole and healthy.
It becomes a lifetime investment.
 
Pastoral counseling is definitely a calling and not to be simply a moneymaker. However, many individuals still expect hours and hours of free counseling time, and rarely invest much into changing their lives if there isn’t some kind of financial accountability for them. Of course if you attend a local church and there is a counseling pastor on staff, that’s what they are there for! If you regularly go to that fellowship and support them, usually there is an option or opportunity for you to see a counselor on staff for no fee. But having experienced some of this in the past, I also know that people tend to jump from counselor to counselor or, Pastor to Pastor if they don’t want to deal with the root cause of their problems, and it can cause friction in a local body if there’s not respect for the position and the role the pastoral counselor is assigned to, by the Lord. Basically they want someone to justify what they are doing, and their bad behaviors.
 
I URGE YOU TO ASK THE LORD TO WALK THE CORRIDORS OF YOUR HEART. Are there things in your life that you dominate and hold over others as scriptural and “legalistic absolutes” and they have become nearly abusive because you refuse to listen to someone else’s heart on the matter?
 
One thing that I have often observed is that people become very hard and hardened because they want to win an argument, or something that has helped and changed them, becomes a law for them to use against others.
 
Now, before others think I’m going to lighten my approach to the Bible, understand this. The word of God is perfect and enlightens the soul. It brings truth to a matter and it does not waver.
 
Of course, there are absolutes in the Scriptures that God will not deviate from no matter how many people try to dilute or maneuver around them. But if we use a hammer and verbal abuse and shame and scripture to “scorch people” in order to prove a point, or to advise them then we are also biblically unsound and abusive.
 
FIRST CORINTHIANS INSTRUCTS US SO CLEARLY THAT LOVE IS WHAT?
It is patient.
It is kind.
It is not boastful, it is not arrogant, and it is not self-serving.
 
When the Lord said, come to me, all of you who are heavy, laden, weighed down and burdened, and I will give you rest, he meant that, because he knows we get heavy laden and burdened and weighed down, either by our own destructive behaviors and sins, or by the destructive behaviors and actions and sins of others.
 
There is also nothing more painful than when someone is in pain or sorrowful or going through a great loss or trauma, and another individual shouts, “get over it, move on”, or cracks jokes about the person in pain.
 
Yes, you will be around people who are chronically in pain or depressed, and it takes patience. It takes guidance, and it takes kindness to either help direct them to help, or gently tell them that you are not the person that is able to help them at this time, but that you will stop and pray for them right now. 
You see, it takes humility.
 
Although there is a lot of reading material produced that uses the term “tough love” and a lot of books about boundaries that we can study, remember, if you’re coming from a scriptural perspective the ultimate goal of God is a Redemptive moment or a restoration if possible.
 
BOUNDARIES ARE NOT TO BE HUGE CEMENT WALLS WITH BARBED WIRE AT THE TOP BLOCKING OUT EVEN THE SUN.
 
Boundaries as a believer are there for when there is a conflict or a disagreement or a different viewpoint with another person. It’s a  "time out" to go and think about it, to pray about it, check your own heart and see if there’s something that would bring about a form of reconciliation.  And then, you try to come together and discuss the issue.
You can agree to disagree and not banish people!
 
Imagine how much Jesus disagrees with a lot of how we behave and yet he doesn’t banish us! He continues to wait for us to come out of our corners of hiding or corners of denial, and meet him again in dialogue until light comes and hope and help, bring a different perspective on our pathway of life.
 
I have worked with people through phone counseling sessions from many different places in the United States, and I have seen them grieve and open up and trust me with the deepest of their painful sorrows and things that are unbelievably sometimes even unbearable to mention. Slowly, but surely, a foundation of nurture and truth combined begins to chip away at the lie that they have believed and feel viewed as something no longer valuable or useful, or that they are worthy of value and are not to be abused!
 
For instance, if a young girl has been used and trafficked by a parent for most of their childhood and up into their high school years, once they awaken to this later in life, there is no way that anyone can accuse them of “choosing” to not face it!
 
There comes a time where the light of God shines brightly on the pain and the sorrow, and they need to be led out into a place where they can express the grief, the anguish and the huge loss of childhood innocence, and yet be brought to a safe place before the face of God, through strategic dialog, planning, or behavioral changes. Gently addressing the people that they affiliate, with until they see the light and the kindness of God. Until they can see themselves as the original creation God had planned them to be.
 
NOW, DON’T GET ME WRONG.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHEN THE LORD OPENS DOORS FOR ME TO SPEAK AND MINISTER, and if so called to, I to do operate in the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom when I am involved in these environments.  It is hard work to study and prepare in prayer for when you are assigned these opportunities to speak and minister publicly. But, this behind-the-scenes work of mentoring and pastorally, biblically guide people with counsel, is one of the hardest things that I think I’ve ever done, and yet the most joyful and rewarding when you see the lights come on and the light enter and the chains of the enemy become literal paper and fall away. The person finds the joy and laughter and finds that God has a glorious plan for them.
 
Sometimes it can be a rather rapid process, but the majority of times it is a steady, consistent work, until they find their wings and fly. Every time I work with someone I think about how long it takes for Jesus to help us to find our way, and he often narrows the path of our relationships and friendships in order for us to not only be safe, but to also be on a pathway that is not crowded by those who choose to not do the work that God is asking them to do, in order to be transformed.
 
If we look at the parable where the seed falls on the ground, there are those who will stay stony hearted and will not take in water. They will not receive nourishment. They choose not to grow, and the sad thing is that their seed is pecked up on my other predators.
 
I CAN TELL YOU HONESTLY THAT ALL OF THE PROPHETIC WORDS SPOKEN OVER YOUR LIFE DO NOT CHANGE
THE HARD WORK IT TAKES TO GET YOUR LIFE ON A PATH WHERE THEY CAN COME TO PASS.
 
The Lord is so good to give us future promises, but with those there’s a requirement for action.
Don’t wait until things are so bad and you have a minefield of heartache and debris left in your wake that you have to now clean up.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the help that you need, and find someone whom you can work with and feel safe with, and get on with allowing God to create a new clean heart and renew a right spirit within you.
 
If you have addictions to pornography or addictions to drugs or any other thing that causes you to feel driven towards it, the Lord wants to offer you freedom and restore you to a place of peace and no longer walking in fear.
 
The greatest counselor that we can have is the Holy Spirit; the scripture says the Holy Spirit is a counselor.
Now, many people say, “Well!  I can hear from the Lord for myself, and I will let the Holy Spirit counsel me!”
The problem with that statement is that if we are already in trouble, or we are hiding something, or we have been abused and beat down, we can often dismiss the deep inner voice of the Lord telling us that we need to talk to others and be accountable and get help. Often the Holy Spirit will gently say to someone,  “Go talk to so-and-so or go talk to your pastor or go talk to a counselor or a close friend, who is wise”. Yet pride or fear keeps us paralyzed and afraid to move forward.
 
EVERYONE SOMEWHERE IN THEIR FAMILY OR IN THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCES HURT, AND PAIN AND TRAUMA. Unfortunately, this is the nature of fallen man and the Earth is riddled with devastation because of it. But in John 10:10, Jesus himself said, “I have come that you might have life to the fullest!” He said that you MIGHT have life to the fullest! And the first part of that verse is, “but Satan comes to rob to steal to kill and destroy”. This is what happens to people in life when they are abused and traumatized! 
 
Jesus offers a hand to us saying come to me all of you, who are very weary and heavy laden, heavy burdened, and I will give you rest so that you might have life to the fullest.
 
One of the simplest ways you can find help is to simply look in your area for a Christian counselor, and you can even ask for specifics and details. Those who are really dedicated to the call of God as pastoral counselors spend as much time in prayer and preparation before there counseling session, as they do IN the counseling session.
 
The word of God ultimately has the answers that we need, and the pathway that will guide us out of darkness into the light.
 
I AM IMPRESSED TO SHARE THIS PODCAST SPECIFICALLY
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE THOSE OF YOU
THAT ARE LISTENING WHO ARE CRYING OUT FOR GOD
TO SHOW YOU WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO ABOUT
SOME OF THE SITUATIONS YOU FIND YOURSELF IN.
 
He wants you to know it is not wrong to seek help and that counseling is not of the devil!
 
After all the scripture in Isaiah calls, Jesus, The Mighty Counselor! And again he speaks of the Holy Spirit as being our advocate, or one of our counselors, because they are in themselves three in one with the Father. But, the Lord gives the spirit of counsel and wisdom, and insight to those who are called to help others out of dark places.
 
Don’t hesitate!
Call someone, research someone in your area, or if you have a pastor or individual who is skilled in your church to help you deal with the specific kind of trauma upset you are dealing with, make an appointment and step forward. Not all pastors are skilled or qualified to help people who have been through traumatic sexual abuse issues, or who are dealing with parents who have dementia and Alzheimer’s. But, they can certainly pray with you and help also to direct you to the proper resource.
 
JESUS WANTS US TO FIND A PLACE OF PEACE AND REST IN HIM. His ultimate is to bring us peace and to draw us close to him.
 
If there’s anyone who has ever shamed you by telling you that, seeing a counselor is weak or shows that you don’t trust the Lord, just understand that that individual is also hiding something, or is extremely bound up in the fear of being led astray.
 
Some counselors are not a good fit and so you go to a different one! There have been times when I have worked with individuals and I have to lovingly let them know that I am not a good fit for their situation, or it becomes overlapped into situations where there needs to be another specialist who can better help them walk out an area where they’re stuck, and they need a Focused, Skilled individual to help them unpack, and unburden the deep pain that they are in.
 
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HE WHOM THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED.
My prayer for those that are listening today is that you will open your heart to the Lord in prayer and ask him to help you to take the steps forward that you might need to deal with whatever it is that you are suffering over.
 
If you have been verbally abused by bullies in the church or those that may even say that they have some form of counseling skill, but they verbally abuse or shame or use harsh language in order to shock you, this was not the way God planned it. Try again!
 
Step forward one more time and ask the Lord to open the door for you to the right counselor. He will do it, and he will help you be free from pain, the hiding of abuse as a child, the difficulty of dealing with addicted or angry adult children, and those that are prodigal parents, or prodigal children.
 
Jesus has a plan and helping us to hand things over to him in his care when we’ve done all that we know we can possibly do, and we have apologized or repented for actions on our part.
 
Remember, nothing is impossible with God.
I have seen him turn situations around that seemed absolutely impossible! He can help us to stand firm in our faith and not hide in order to be people pleasers, or to cower under the pressure of abusive treatment.
 
OUR NATURAL HUMAN RESPONSE TO SHAME IS TO HIDE.
We hide from each other and hide from God.
This has been the case since Creation. The Bible describes how the first human beings responded to God when they had sinned and were ashamed:  “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).
 
FRIENDS, HIDING KEEPS US FROM HEALING.
Let’s all aim to be a compassionate, courageous community of believers. A community in which we support each other as we choose healing over hiding.
Let’s support each other as we ask God to grow, to change and heal us.
 
Let Me Lift You Up To The Father In Prayer Right Now:
Father, I thank you for those that are listening to this podcast today. I know it’s not an easy one and certainly not as stimulating and supernatural or as exciting as some, but it IS a supernatural work that you do when you bring us to a place of releasing pain and telling the truth about what has happened to us, or where we have done something to harm someone else.
 
Lord, I know you’re doing a great cleansing work and that you are starting with the body of Christ, bringing your judgment and your truth, and your light.
 
Lord, you said the days are coming when we will worship you in spirit and in truth. Lord, we can’t fully worship you when we’re not truthful with you, if we’re hiding and if we’re cloaking, so I pray that anyone listening today. Father anyone who is afraid. I pray that you tell them that fear is holding them back and that you would guide them literally by the hand and direct them to the proper counselor, to someone who has the wisdom to help unlock the pain, the history, the stories and the trauma that has happened to them, in war, in family, in abuse in school or a job. With an abusive Pastor, with an abusive Sunday school teacher.
 
The list goes on and on and you know every one of these events.
So Father I ask that those that are hearing this message will take courage. You will GIVE them the courage to step out and ask for help and I know you will do it.
 
You will help them if they will simply step out, and I thank you for hearing this prayer from my heart for them, in Jesus name.
 
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 2024
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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LIFE - DISTRESS - ABUSE - AND PERSECUTION

By Mary Lindow 
 
WE LIVE IN A CORRUPT WORLD and therefore, have the “effects and affects” of that corruption ever influencing, ever tainting and ever wooing the flesh. 
Let’s look at the definition of a key word I am going to use in this crucial message. Plumbline: a tool that consists of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope and that is used especially to see if something (such as a wall) is perfectly vertical or in alignment)  
 
A plumbline is a simple but accurate tool used for determining whether or not something is perfectly vertical or upright. The Lord also used, and uses, a "plumbline," His Word, to determine how upright His people truly are in His sight.
How upright they think they are, or how upright they proclaim themselves to be, means nothing to God.
 "Behold, I WILL set a plumbline in the midst of My people".  -Amos 7:7 
 
A PLUMBLINE SET OUT BY THE HAND OF GOD IS ONE THAT WE CAN ANCHOR OUR HEARTS TO. 
It will always, always, ALWAYS, direct us to the truth in a matter; even if it requires pain, loss, persecution and perhaps death in areas we feel we may well have rights to. 
It will also be a shield, a balm, a comfort and a teacher to those who will yield to the directive positioning of the Master. 
 “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumbline.” 
-Isaiah 28:17 
 
I am by far not an expert on the subject of plumblines and righteousness, so take what I say in the light of one who at time gropes like a child in the dark, ever reaching for the hand of the ONE to lead me into a safe place filled with His Hope, His Mercy, His Light and Life.
 
LIFE – DISTRESS - AND PERSECUTION 
I have found that in my life, distress and persecution do not feel like God’s care being poured out on me. My heart is not immediately drawn to thanksgiving and gratefulness for the faithfulness of God on display as I cling to the battered pieces that look like potential “rafts” of hope, only to find out that many of them have gaping holes or slow leaks in them. 
Rather, it feels like yet another hurt is being permanently woven into my tattered and war-torn soul. It seems as if another mound of questions are piling up and just waiting for an answer and a true solid REAL anchor of hope. 
 
Dr. Diane Langberg, a Courageous, brilliant, humble servant of God and Counselor has deeply impressed me and my approach to caring for and ministering to others. She spoke the following words boldly regarding pain, abuse, and the suffering of traumatic events.
Quoting Dr. Langberg,
"In the midst of the trauma and suffering I have also seen the work of the Redeemer. He fills his people with his life and in ordinary ways, little by little; they bring his hope and healing to a ruined world. Traumatized and caregiver alike are transformed. He works both ways as they bend together to bring his redemption to the ravages of evil. I know this to be true for he has done so in me.
I have learned many lessons over the years. I have listened to countless tragedies. Of one thing I am certain: unless we are gripped by the truths of the Cross of Christ in our own hearts and lives, the hope and power of the Cross will not pass from us to others. We cannot give what we do not have.  May love and obedience to the Son of Man so govern our personal lives that he can through us bring his life to this ruined planet." (End of quote)
 
I CAN REALLY CONNECT TO THE WRITER OF PSALM 42 
He said “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” It’s at those very times that the words of the Savior are so important. When we are down and in turmoil. 
But, how do we connect the dots between what we know is true about God’s faithfulness and what our hearts feel? When flipped and flung around by the waves, weary from crying and when no answer seems at hand, what IS the answer? 
When my circumstances show many foes and tyrants rising up against me and my heart is prone to wander and fear, what hope is there of peace? 
When my feelings start controlling my thoughts, how can I rest in God’s promises? 
 
AT THIS POINT… I HEAR THE “GASPS”,  and perhaps shocked comments of a few who are amazed that someone who "appears" to walk so fervently and intimately with the Lord would have such difficulties! 
Well! Guess what?
I do struggle, I do hurt, and yes I do doubt when I have been side swiped or “rammed” by skilled cons and those who, although may have the appearance of godliness and offered friendship or fellowship, end up having private and evil agendas behind their well placed and planned schemes.
And boy oh boy! Those skilled players know the wicked art of wounding the heart and causing people to reel in pain! 
 
BUT, THERE IS ONE WHO FULLY SEES IT ALL 
The main skill in the issue of dealing with life as a spiritual person, is to know how to handle yourself when things not only crush and grind your heart, but what to do with the anguish and toll of their aftermath. 
We have to get ourselves into a place where we hear clearly again. 
We need have to address ourselves, preach to ourselves, and ask questions about ourselves. 
We must say to our soul: "Why are you cast down –Why are you so anxious and lacking in peace?" 
We must urge ourselves, and say ‘Hope in God’ – instead of remaining in this paralyzed, aching state!” 
 
AND THEN WE MUST TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER
We must go on to remind ourselves just “Who" God is, and what God is, and what God has done, and what God has promised that he Himself said that He would do. 
Having done that we can stand up and sing out strongly, defying the torment of the soul, and resist other people’s wicked tongues and arrogance, and refuse to go along with the devil and the whole world, and say: ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” 
 
The hope and promise of the fairness of God’s justice when dealing with the hurtful things and presumptions of others gives me the confidence to know that God will never turn away from me in my need. No matter how they seem to prosper in the short term, wicked men and women will ultimately pay for their sins, in this life or the next. Jesus died to meet my greatest hardships and sorrows for me, and I need to preach this to myself every day.
 
His power is greater than my weariness and suffering. 
The comforting and instruction that comes from simply running to feed upon His word instead of the toxic poison of the replaying of trauma reminds me that what Jesus has done is strong enough for my soul to rejoice in and to be set into a place where it can rest and regroup, gaining a healthy perspective about what to give out to others and what is simply…
…. To be enjoyed by the Lord Himself. 
 
THE NATURAL IMPULSES OF MANKIND ARE SINFUL AND DECEITFUL! 
Human willpower alone will never be able to change this. 
We need God's help to truly change our hearts. 
REMEMBER. You cannot change the heart of anyone else either. 
If you try to, you will feel the bite of stinging venom or be laughed out of a room. Only the power of the conviction of the Holy Spirit can permeate and get around the jam-packed hardhearted egos of the self sufficient and bitter. 
Jeremiah 17:9 says that the human heart is deceitful in all things and is even beyond cure!
 
We must be cautious and wise in reproving and warning such types of people about their bad behaviors and wicked actions where there seems to be no appearance or hope of change and where there is danger of experiencing great and heart wrecking retaliation and slander. 
 
THESE TYPES TRAMPLE THE WARNINGS AND URGING FOR REPENTANCE  and humbling of the heart under their feet, and turn again and slash at you, despising the warnings that are “tearfully and fearfully” given, and often hurt the persons who give them, either by words or deeds. 
 
"Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. 
Don't throw your pearls to pigs! 
They will trample the pearls, 
then turn and attack you.” 
-Matthew 7:6 
 
“GIVE ME THE FACTS MA’AM JUST THE FACTS”
I remember that phrase from a TV show called “Dragnet”. The detective would not allow the details of the case to be skewed by any assumptions or pontificating from those he interviewed. He stoically and firmly demanded only the facts. 
And so, here are the “facts” about the heart of a good man or woman.
1.) The good man or woman:
 Brings good things out of the good stored up in his/her heart.
 
And the facts about an evil man or woman. 
 
2.) The evil man/woman,
 Brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his/her heart.
For out of the overflow of his or her heart his or her mouth speaks.
-Luke 6:45 
 
THE FRAILTY, BRIEFNESS, AND INSECURITY OF LIFE 
The frailty, briefness, and insecurity of life should hold down the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all of our projects and boasting about future greatness and bragging rights! We are always to depend on the will and leading of God. 
 
OUR TIMES ARE NOT IN OUR OWN HANDS, BUT ARE INSTEAD IN THE TIMING OF GOD. Our heads may be filled with cares and plans for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Divine intervention often throws our plans into bewilderment. All we have in mind, and all we do, should be with a humble and deep dependence on God.
It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of trendy “latest happening” things and prospective projects, and it will bring great disappointment and will prove destructive to relationships and meaningful help to others in the end. 
 
“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. 
These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” 
-1 John 2:16
 
LISTEN KINDLY - BEFORE SPEAKING YOUR THOUGHTS 
People don't need a lecture on the meaning of suffering or to have a barrage of scriptures “machine-gunned” at them as a reprimand for sharing their moment of grief or struggle! (Especially when their hearts are breaking, weary of the battle and if they are fatigued.)
Job could have done without some of the self-righteous answers that came from his “well-meaning” friends. All of the answers could have even been true, but Job didn't need to hear any of them. 
He needed their love, not their value judgments. 
In fact, it appears as if God judged THEM for trying to offer simple solutions to things that were beyond their comprehension. They had never walked in the loss he was in anguish over. 
 
WHEN WE SUFFER UNJUSTLY WE HAVE A MAJOR CHOICE TO MAKE
How will we respond? We can feel sorry for ourselves (and understandably so, for a while), become bitter and cynical, get drawn into a war of words, or even become mixed up in a major conflict.
On the other hand, we can take our suffering to the cross and allow our pain to draw us into a deeper place of understanding of what Jesus went though in his sufferings.
This does not remove the pain, but does help us to know what to do with our hurt. 
 
THIS IS THE 'FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS (Philippians 3:10), one of the gateways to closeness with God and the release of his power in our lives. The weight of heartbreak shared with a loving friend cuts it in half. When the burden is shared with many friends, we can cope with almost anything.
We never feel more revitalized than when a friend loves us enough to walk with us in our pain. Not lecture us. 
 
The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth: 
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God". -1 Corinthians 1.3-4 
 
SOMETIMES GOD GETS INVOLVED WITH DIRECT MIRACLES, 
Giving supernatural strength to those in need. But for the most part, he depends on us, his people, to do his work in the world. We love each other, work for healing, and suffer with those who suffer. 
The next time you see a friend who is suffering, Jesus may just invite you to be the warm embrace! We comfort each other with the comfort we have received in Christ. And when we do, we become the Body of Christ and he receives the glory! 
 
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR! 
We are to bear one another's burdens. 
We are to comfort others as Christ has given comfort to us. 
Your hard time becomes my hard time. 
We join hands in the journey. 
When you succeed, I succeed. 
When you suffer, I suffer. But we do it together. We share it together. 
And we do it, not so much in our wisdom or our words, but in our availability, our understanding, and through our presence. 
 
THAT'S WHAT FELLOWSHIP IS ALL ABOUT! 
But not “bland” fellowship.
It is CHRISTIAN fellowship. It is the business of burden bearing.
Authentic CHRISTIAN fellowship says that when you need me . . . I'll be there.
Support in suffering is at the core of what it means to share life together in Christ. The word for "comfort” is the same root word as the name Jesus used to describe one of the functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Paraclete). “I will be a comforter, one who comes alongside to give help.” And so as God comes alongside you, now you are able to come alongside another. As the Comforter is at work within you, so you also can be of comfort to those around you. 
 
WE ARE CALLED TO BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS. 
To mourn with those who mourn.
To be a follower of Jesus means to come alongside people who are hurting and find ways to help them walk even through the valley of the shadow of death. We are called to do this, as the word of God and care of God is shared with the intention of stirring, plowing up hardened hearts, creating a place for repentance and challenging saints to hope again.  I know and believe that as we learn again as believers, to care, to truly listen and to hope fully again, that the sweet and heavy weight of HIS Glory will be made known and will manifest in unfettered and uncontrolled waves of worship and spontaneous adoration of the King of Heaven. 
 
MY FRIENDS IN CHRIST…
…LISTEN TO THESE NEXT WORDS I SHARE WITH YOU VERY CAREFULLY.
 
Toleration of sin, pretense, and crookedness do not reveal the character of God, even if they bear his name.
Arrogance is never godly.
Covering up sin is never godly.
Abuse of power is never godly.
Shepherds who feed on sheep are abusive.
Leadership that preserves and protects the system, rather than the people, turns the house of God into a safe place for predators.
Exposure brings hope, because it brings the cancer to the light.
To hide sin by cover-up or silent complicity is spiritual abuse.
 
HE REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE WANTS
Let's focus on bowing low and seeking His heart and plans in what matters to Him.
Indeed, HE is the Plumbline.
Jesus demonstrated in the flesh what a human being is to be like who bears God's image. He pursued the vulnerable, protected the little ones, and poured out compassion on the least of these.
Any dismissal of abuse, any baptizing of evil, any cover-up or denial is nothing like Him.
Any discarding of the least of these or trampling of the vulnerable is an assault on God Himself—no matter the spiritual words used as an excuse.
 
AGAIN, I will share another phenomenal insight from Dr. DIANE LANGBERG regarding this matter.
She said these words in an article;
“You see, this Jesus had a passion for redeeming.
For those who have been abused, and are suffering from its debilitating aftereffects, listen hard.
There is hope for you-hope for healing and transformation. I know;
I come to you from the frontlines and have seen it happen countless times.
It takes courage, hard work, and there is no quick fix.
Such redemption was Jesus' master passion.
This God came to seek and redeem what has been lost. We must acknowledge and tell the truth about these things.
Great damage is being done to God’s sheep, in his name.
He weeps over such leaders and the sheep they harm.
Be watchful.
Recognize coercive and manipulative behavior.
CALL IT BY ITS RIGHT NAME WHEN SOMEONE IN POWER USES SPIRITUAL WORDS AND IDEAS TO SILENCE, CONTROL, AND INTIMIDATE.
Be discerning about those who hold power—including yourself.
Do not be deceived. 
May we, with Daniel, call out to God:
“O Lord, hear! O Lord forgive. O Lord listen and act.
For your own sake do not delay, because your church and your people are called by your name” (Dan. 9:19).
 
 
SO FRIEND. WHAT HAVE YOU LOST?
Your voice?
The truth, drowned out by lies?
Your life and its vibrancy, its strength, its giftedness?
Your hope?
God has said He is making all things new... and that includes you.
Devastation is, bit by bit, redeem-able. I know. I have had a front-row seat to God's redemptive power in my life, and for the record, one of the people He has done redemptive work in, is me.
My work with victims in ministry as well as teaching in schools has revealed to me who God is. Evil can be transformed in the life in which it occurred. That work is also redemptive in the one who walks alongside the broken vessel. Evil is then twice crushed.
May the Church of Jesus Christ repent of her pursuit of human externals and bend down, listen, and walk alongside trauma, abuse, racism, hatred, and a blind eye as did her Lord.  In doing so, we will bring joy to the heart of the Father.
 
I’D LIKE YOU TO PRAY WITH ME BECAUSE RIGHT NOW,
I am sure that this touched several hearts, and maybe even made some fear come into some of you who are hiding things or who have abused others, and it’s time to come clean.
It’s time to get the help that you need.
 
So, I’d like to pray with all of you listening today.  I ask you to stop and be still.
Position your heart before the Lord as we bring this to him.
 
Prayer 
God, I ask in Jesus' name, that you comfort, strengthen and encourage all who are hurting deeply right now and are going through so much pain and heartache. 
Don't allow them to give up in the heat of the battle. 
Let them feel your arms wrapping around them and your love overflowing and filling them up. Lord, I will pray often and I know that you will hear my voice, even when I speak to You in my silent thoughts. 
To You, I am crying out and my prayers are now before You. 
Father, I give to You my problems, I do not want them. 
Father, please restore them to You. I know that you have compassion for your children. Father, show them your ways and teach them your paths. Lead them in your truth and teach them you are the God of our salvation and on you we will wait. 
Protect them from the evils of this life and guide them through all of their days. Father, thank You for hearing my prayer Father and for considering and for having compassion on all who hear and read these words, and all who hurt, in this troubled world we live in. 
Keep them in the center of Your love. 
In Jesus’ Name~ Amen 
 
I KNOW THAT THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A DIFFICULT AND PROBABLY PAINFUL PODCAST FOR SOME OF YOU,
BUT IT’S A FREEING PODCAST.
 
It brings out into the light the reality that we need to speak up when we see harm being done and we need to get help when we have been harmed so that the stopping of the sorrow when the grief in the trauma can begin and a new pathway can be created in our lives. I
 
I look forward to sharing my next podcast with you! I do want to thank those you are so kind and so gracious.
I have a few very faithful individuals who do support and partner with me to produce these podcasts and I want to let you know I’m always amazed at how many places these go to, because I don’t really do a lot of promoting!
They just get picked up by other podcast groups and it goes out all across the world, so somewhere in this, the Holy Spirit is using it to glorify the name of Jesus, and for that I am so grateful that he would find something in me that is worthy of sharing.
So, thank you again to those of you who help me.
 
I look forward to being with all of you again and in the meantime, stand firm, call upon the name of the Lord, and tell the truth, in Jesus name.
Goodbye for now!
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed provided that complete article, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You Copyright © 2024 " THE MESSENGER "
~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com
https://marylindow.podbean.com
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And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts
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The Torrents of Religious and Political Posturing Vs. The Authentic Voice of God - Prophetic Exhortation and Insights

by Mary Lindow
 
We Are On The Cusp Of Probably One Of The Greatest Days
Of The Dismantling Of Religious Behavior And Abuse 
In The Charismatic Church
And Evangelical Church To Date.
 
In the days ahead we’re going to see many people hungering for that sacred time in worship where there is a waiting upon the Lord, and in the honoring of his name. Clearly we attract the presence of the Lord when we are focused upon “The Presence”, and not upon the performance.
 
We shouldn’t be surprised if like Jesus, we collide with torrents of political & religious and cultural expectations. So, on a daily basis, our purity of vision to move toward the Kingdom will also cause us deep discomforts that will ask us to set aside our preferences, and our convenience.
 
This  pressing towards the kingdom will ask us to say things that we’d rather not say, to go places that we’d rather not go, to give away things that we’d rather keep.
 
And in this discomfort, each time we have an opportunity to cry out to God:  
“Where did you go? Why does pursuing your kingdom of abundance and peace not always feel like abundance andpeace?”
I’d like to offer these possibilities to ponder.
In every way,
He’s purifying your heart.
 
WHAT IS THIS OBSESSION  THAT IS BEGINNING TO DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY
FROM RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES AND STRUCTURAL PROGRAMMING?
 
Is it fatigue from fleshly efforts?
Is it weariness with well doing?
Or!
Is it the beginning of a matter?
 
A. W. Tozer once said,
"Self Is The Blurred Veil That Hides The Face Of God From Us.
It Can Be Removed Only In Spiritual Experience,  Never By Simple Instruction."
 
The Lord is allowing man to have the joy and shock of coming to the end of his means of prodding and producing until he falls into a heap at the feet of the One who has the key to the place of hope and rest!
He. The King of tranquility and Divine Purpose has the place of Sanctuary carved out in a definite place.
 
THE PLACE OF WORSHIP
"But the time is coming--it has, in fact, come--when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter."
"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself--Spirit.
Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” That is all from John: 23-24
 
APOSTOLIC ORIGINS BEGAN WITH THE DEVOTED AND YET WEARY DISCIPLES OF JESUS COMING TOGETHER IN A "PLACE" OF WAITING, RESTING AND WORSHIPING
Those waiting in an upper room.
Hiding from the world and its pressures and threats!
Waiting.
Worshiping.
REMEMBERING the past things they had experienced while walking with Jesus.
They were asking the heart questions of,
"Why are we here?
What are we waiting for?
What is this all about?"
 
My Brothers and Sisters, We are Again...
...In the same place.
 
WE ARE SIMPLY RESTING IN THE KNOWLEDGE 
THAT THE LORD HAS BROUGHT US
TO END OF THE OF THE PAST WAYS
AND FORMS OF MAN.
 
He is preparing the way of His Power with a place of personal introspection and heart searching until we see that we must be truthful in our worship of Him. We must come into agreement with His Spirit and the way that He desires to move among those who know Him and among those who do not.
Old things are passing away.
LOOK! He does a new thing!
New to us,
BUT Not To Him.
 
AS WE BECOME OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA OF NOTHING TO PERFORM,
nothing to take to task, nothing to self generate but only to "marinate" and saturate in, we see the promises He has made begin to be realized. We must bring a mind, which has been emptied of old prejudices, old traditional theology, human philosophy and false data.
A mind so fully humble and empty that the Lord can reveal to it great, bright depths of truth and beauty, and floods of spiritual understanding that we have never dreamed of before! (Amplified Bible)"Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.'-Jeremiah 33:3
 
The Author Francis Frangipane stated so powerfully , "We must bring hearts that are emptied of our abundant earthly attachments and sad, “holier-than-thou” sentimentalism, old friendships, old day intuitive loves.
We must bring empty hands that have handed over our own works, all planning strategies and “string pulling” for self.
Hands and hearts that hold onto no toys, and to no Treasure. Hands that bring no human demand or bargaining skills.
Hands so empty that they can grip firmly the Sword of the Spirit, the cross, or the tool that God may put into them."
 
God fills our nature and fills our lives in relationship to how they are emptied for Him. God knows our heart. He sees what we can’t see.
If we allow Him, He begins taking out all the impurities, emptying us of ourselves and filling us with Himself – so He can use us as a vessel of honor.
 
SO OFTEN AS OF LATE,
IN PLACES OF MEETING AND GATHERINGS OF HUNGRY SAINTS,
THE HOLY HUSH OF HEAVEN HAS FALLEN
WITH SUCH SWEETNESS AND SIMPLICITY.
 
All the fancy trappings of "noisy worship strategy" pale compared to this heavy rich perfumed presence that descends on those who will wait upon the Lord and grow stronger.
 
There is no need for airy or trendy teachings and thoughts. No need for the pious and well-oiled speeches implying the way to go. ( Because they say so!)
Blessed are those who are willing to release all that is not THE Kingdom in them, who let their hearts be purified, for they shall see God himself—God’s life being birthed in every challenge. God’s kingdom coming on Earth as it is in heaven.
As we wait.
Humble.
At His feet...
...He moves upon many within the Body to rise up and declare, to share, risk, expound and grow in the Grace of God, as well as in much Mercy.
 
You are right in the middle of God's process for you. You don't have to settle for God's second best because of somebody else's choices or your own. As you are being who you are in Him, you can do what you are supposed to do. You may have disappointments, but your life is His story with depth, adventure, suspense, surprising plot turns, and darkness that Jesus defeated. Be blessed as you understand more of His story that He is writing in your life.
 
1 Peter 1:5. "...Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
 
God surrounds you with His favor as a shield. You are shielded by His power, so that in every dark thing you experience, you can live large and strong.
God put you on earth in your exact place for His specific purpose, and you are living in that purpose, even when you don't know it.
Your soul may be grumbling and resisting, but you are living the story that God is ready to reveal to you.
 
God is a lot bigger than you expect Him to be. He's a lot bigger than your circumstances. He is the God of detail. He is deeply involved in the small details of your life
 
HEAVEN LONGS TO KISS THE EARTH AGAIN.
The King of Heaven is descending with an unexplainable and definite wave of stillness.
It is His manifested Presence.
In His Presence. His Sanctuary.
Is fullness.
Completion.
Needs met...
...And Joy.
 
COME. LET US BE MAGNIFICENTLY WRAPPED UP IN HIM!
 "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory."
- Psalm 63:1-2
 
Let's pray from Ephesians 1.
I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. 
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. And every name that is invoked not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. In the power of that name we pray. Amen. 
 
NOW I ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO BE AFRAID
WHEN THE EARTH IS SHAKING
AND STRANGE AND ODD THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE!
 
Unterstand, God is not weak.
He is not deaf.
He is not asleep.
But, he does have an extended power in mercy because he knows that when his justice and judgment is kindled and he moves, it is sovereignty complete and there is no turning back.
This is a time for us to do personal examination, and yeah, there’s a lot of stuff being shaken.
 
A lot of people have been warned, a lot of ministries have still chosen to hide things that are going to come out, because they chose not to go the way of accountability and repentance, and the Lord has to let it come to pass. He doesn’t want his sheep deceived, and he certainly doesn’t want them abused, but it’s also happening in individual lives.
 
If we’re looking to the church and if we’re looking to leaders to be our ultimate guide, then the Lord will allow us to have great disappointment and failures there.
 
EACH OF US IS TO COME BEFORE THE FATHER!
Jesus said how to pray, he taught us! He said to say, “My Father, you are in heaven, holy, holy is your name! Let your kingdom come, let your will be done, (which means in our lives and in others lives) like it is in heaven, and give us today our daily bread.
You see, we look forward to everything we want now down the road instead of accepting that today is enough, it’s sufficient.
So I encourage you to get still, get quiet.
Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
It says in the word whether you turn to the left or to the right there is a voice behind you saying this is the way, walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21)
 It may not be pleasant, may not be popular, and it certainly may not be comfortable, but it is safe and it will keep you in a place where you are determined and at peace to serve the Lord.
 
REMEMBER, DON’T BE AFRAID.
Don’t listen to the frightening narratives, don’t give into the sounds around you telling you to be afraid because that’s the goal of the enemy.
 
Satan comes to bring fear and steal and rob your peace and destroy your trust in the Lord, and Jesus said,  "I AM come! I am! I have come that you might have life, and have it to the fullest!' That’s John 10:10.  And what that means is “might have life to the fullest”.
 
We have to choose to not listen to the world’s narratives, and trust me some of them sound really great! There are some great analytics out there, brillant minds. Brilliant voices, but if they don’t have the God breath, breathed on them, and they are not hearing from God accurately and it is nothing more than just a bunch of propaganda, or people trying to sell stuff, you’re going to get sucked into looking for answers and places that will come up empty.
 
The voice of God is big, but sometimes it’s very still and he wants us to discipline ourselves to get away from our phones get away from all the stuff, and simply bask and wait…
… Until he speaks.
 
I bless you today, and I look forward to our next podcast together. Goodbye for now.
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed provided that complete article, Podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! Copyright © 2024 " THE MESSENGER "
www.marylindow.com
KINGDOM PRAYER ROOMS
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video teachings and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts 
or regular support:
 
Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:
► Personal Checks ► Business Checks
► Money Orders  ► Cashiers Checks
 
To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253Denver, Colorado 80614USA
 
Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with
Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow
Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.
ALL gifts are tax-deductible underHis Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU!
 
 
 
 

"WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT DOING IN THIS SEASON?" - A PROPHETIC INSIGHT

By Mary Lindow
This  podcast is going to be directed towards the question that many people are asking, (and of course a lot of times believers don’t “ask the question” because they fear that they are going to be judged for asking such a question!) 
But if we don’t ask, we don’t get answers, and so today’s podcast is addressing “What is the Holy Spirit doing during this season”.
 
I have spent time praying and seeking the Lord well for a good month now  and it’s been an interesting time since the last time we were together, and of course, the assignments God puts or put us into, IN different season of life, they never come without challenges and also without redemptive opportunities! And so, that’s what I’m going to be addressing! 
 
I’ve heard from the Spirit of God about what I’m to share. 
I am cautious about giving a word for a specific year because it begins to be kind of a measuring stick for some people to then either compete with or, that’s all they go by. “What the Lord said for 2024, 2023”, whatever, and they don’t listen for themselves, because sometimes it’s not about the year, it’s about the season, and a season can be more than one year! It can be more than a week, it can be a month or two!
 
Wherever we are in the Presence of God in our lives, walking with Jesus, we are in a season, and that season that we’re in right now is a very different time.  That’s where we’re heading today and I encourage you to share this word with those who are crying out to God for answers.
 
The things that are coming up in this next time and in life for all of us, 
They’re going to be challenging! 
 
In order to have the times of refreshing we are crying out for and, 
Are desperate for as believers,
We must learn to rule and reign with grace.
 
Refreshing rains will not fall, and cannot fall in full glory, when we refuse to lay down judgments, manipulations, and self invented “spiritual rules” that do not run parallel with the King of grace who is the ULTIMATE Mercy bringer in this present season. The conviction of God will be strong to cleanse the heart of falsity, the  fear of man and the passivity of half repentance for works of the flesh. 
 
We can get all the people that we know around the globe to pray for us and to pray over us, but we cannot force out the devil and the darkness of our own unforgiveness and intentional blame-shifting. 
 
We give the enemy consistent access to our churches and our lives as long as we “lord it over others”, hiding our own sin, pretending that God does not see.
 
To operate or flow in Mercy means to perform out of a desire to relieve suffering, and is motivated by compassion. The action of forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within   one's power to punish or harm. Mercy shown, prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.
 
IN THIS SEASON, 
THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESIRES EVERY BELIEVER 
TO DO THEMSELVES AN ETERNAL FAVOR. 
 
TELL THE TRUTH.
 
God will protect you more for doing this than any self-invented cover-up ever could. And, you just might regain relationships with those you have used as stepping-stones to your own deviant self-empowerment.
 
THE HEAVENLY KING OF GLORY  
IS ALWAYS AND FOREVER CREATING NEWNESS OF LIFE!
 
If we are indeed man or a woman of prayer, the test will come of that deep prayer life when your enemies surround you, accuse you, and often attempt to execute and silence you. 
 
Some will manifest in this next year as false friends who use and abuse your friendships and contacts, in order to gain access to notoriety and power over all of the things you are supposed be preparing for yourself. 
 
They will exhaust and weaken you until you once and for all put upon the altar of surrender, any need for someone else to carry you or promote you.  
 
A man or a woman of prayer in these days, right now, will learn to sweep out iniquity, falseness, slander, and “hierarchical pecking orders” through goodness and humility.
 
This is a time to trust, to depend upon, to lean upon, the goodness of the Lord. 
This is a time to trust in His sovereignty more than ever before.
It is His right to define what grace is. 
It is not man’s right. 
 
Prophetic Exhortation 
“And so says the Lord, the Spirit of Grace,
the Voice of Wisdom, and the only Almighty One. 
As you cry out for times of refreshing, for a change in the hearts of men, for a move of my Spirit across the lands of Earth, my command to you is that you begin to create an atmosphere where I may speak My plans, according to My Word and according to My prerogatives.
 
I will lead you and guide you with enough light each day, as you come to that narrow place with me. 
 
I will strengthen your weakened emotions and spiritual discernment as you dialogue in honesty with me. 
 
Some of you must quickly repent of foolish choices and foolish actions that have caused many to be shattered and shamed because you spoke out of a title or calling, rather than out of following my voice.
 
Begin to dig wells in prayer. 
Become entrenched and immersed in it, never ceasing. 
Prepare places where my rain may fall and cause a fresh drinking place for those yet to taste of my goodness, as well as for those who are thirsty within my Body.
 
Begin to dig wells in prayer in dry places, with humility and goodness. 
Lean upon me, trust in me, do not lean upon your own understanding, for you have well seen that having done this in the past you have missed many opportunities to prepare a way of salvation for others.
“I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)
 
So comfort yourself, weary and tried believer with this thought. Does not the word come like a soft shower, quieting the fury of the flame? Is it not a fireproof armor against the heat, which will then have no power? 
 
Whatever happens to you in this valley of weeping, know that I have chosen it for you.
If you still require an even greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of man with you in the valley, in that “secret place” with you.  There He sits by your side, One whom you have not seen but whom you love and whether you know it or not, this is the true friend who sticks closely by you.
I will never leave one whom I have chosen as my own.
 
Great grace. Great mercy. Great promise. 
All these are yours, extended from my hand, and for you to extend, from your hand. 
 
NOW IS THE SEASON…
…To live out the heart and life of the servant as I lead you with the little light that you have at this time. It is all you need as long as it comes from me. 
It is a time to learn to march forward, to dig wells, to prepare, so that others may also drink freely with no restraints.
When I come and speak to you and move among you, I express everything that is pure and lovely and has a good report and sin and uncleanliness depart.
Peace also rains when I move with humble power. Gentleness will be the result of my transforming power. 
Harmlessness will follow, for hearts that are touched by me are never exhibiting any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness.
My grace is sufficient for you, and you will find it if you will seek it, and above all if you will express it!
“Be strong in the grace that is in me.” (2 Timothy 2:1)
As a reservoir empties itself into pipes, so have I emptied out my grace for my people in this Next Wave of My Heart. 
From my fullness you have received “Grace for Grace”. Grace is always available from me, without price.
“Keep yourselves then, from overconfident, arrogant sins.” (Psalm 19:13) 
You will certainly stumble if you look away from the One who is able to keep you from falling. 
 
Be very cautious about pushing yourself into the forefront of public gatherings and among the more visible. If you are to be used in higher visibility, let it be Me who promotes you there. 
Some who drive themselves to the forefront will also have greater scrutiny and unfortunate exposure of hidden agendas and unholy transactions in this season, and sadly will be brought low again because of their self presumption of importance. 
 
If your love is fervent, your faith constant, and your hope bright, continue 
nonetheless to be on your guard and cry out, “Keep us from temptation!”
 
The seasons revolve according to my Divine appointment and man cannot change their schedule. 
In the spiritual as in the natural realm, man’s power is limited.
I alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or from a church.
Let me hear you say, “Not my will, but as you will oh Lord!” 
As you yield to me my people, I will yield in return and bring the sweetness of my Holy Presence into your very homes, your gatherings, whether modest or larger numbers are attending. 
I look for honest, wisdom-filled, and humble people to move among and to move through.  
 
Let it be, as I desire! 
As I will!  
Allow me to determine what is the best for you. 
Be content to leave your prayer and your petitions in my hands.
I know when to give, how to give, what to give, and what to withhold.
 
As you visit me in the secret place of repentance and brokenness, as the path becomes narrower, seeking me earnestly and often times pleading with humility and resignation, you shall surely prevail!
I am the light on your pathway. And, I AM all you need.” 
 
This Was A Strong Word From The Lord! 
I encourage you to listen to it and read it and meditate over it, several times, allowing the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work in your heart. 
When the Spirit of God speaks to us about a Season that we are in, or about things that are to come, we need to cleanse our hearts from being impatient, and allow Him to do that work that gets down deep inside and pushes out anything that we are running from, or, He begins to deal with the things that we have been asking questions about, and now he’s bringing the answers. 
I bless you today and encourage you to dedicate yourselves to rich and set apart time in prayer and fellowship with the King of heaven. 
I encourage you to dig wells in prayer. 
It’s not glamorous! 
But, I can tell you this we’ve been having prayer gatherings every Thursday evening now for well over two years now, actually, three now, and I can tell you that there have been nights where it seems like two hours went by and it felt like 15 minutes.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is so sweet and thick, and you know the scripture talks about “the weight of his glory” (2 Corinthians 16-18) there is a presence of weight, a thickness of the presence of God, a rich atmosphere.  
We have seen the impossible take place in prayer!  We have seen lives changed,  we have seen court cases reversed, we have seen sick bodies be recovered and restored and miracles take place in families. 
We are grateful to the Lord that when we come together in his name, he is there with us, and that scripture that says whenever two or more gather in  my name there I am in the midst of them, (Matthew 18:20), that can correspond with the scripture verse that talks about a threefold cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), and that’s like three strands of a braid. 
 
When we are braided together, that’s a strong bond with the Lord and He is like a cord that’s bound to us whenever we gather and it’s not easily broken and cannot be broken by any other force,
We live in the presence of a Sovereign, Mighty Force, 
and that is the Savior, Jesus Christ. 
 
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed, provided that the complete message or article and website and podcast link information for Mary Lindow is included. 
 
Thank You!
Copyright © 2024 " THE MESSENGER "~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video teachings and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:
Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:
► Personal Checks ► Business Checks
► Money Orders  ► Cashiers Checks
 
To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253Denver, Colorado 80614USA
 
Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with
Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow
Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.
ALL gifts are tax-deductible underHis Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance
since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU!

”THIS CURRENT SEASON OF DIVINE TENSION” - PULLED AND TESTED - STRETCHED AND RESTRAINED

By the Holy Spirit through Mary Lindow
 
"Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, 
and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, 
though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him."
Ecclesiastes 8:5-6
 
NOTE: At the end of this podcast there is a short spontaneous song of the Lord that was recorded in a small studio several years ago. There were other wonderful and gifted percussionists and musicians joining in as the Holy Spirit moved through us all and gave me the beautiful melody and orchestral keyboard accompaniment. My hope is that it will stir your heart to worship and be even hungrier for the Presence of the Lord in your life.
In all of our lives as believers, we face times and settings where there is a feeling of being pulled and tested, stretched, and restrained. Often, during these excruciating events, those who avoid personal character development tend to give unrestrained advice, spiritualized platitudes, and often, trumped up words of so-called prophetic inspiration to help us not suffer so!
As we begin to see the Lord's plan in all of this we also come to understand that if we are not first hearing His voice, His heart, His word in the matters that are straining us, nothing any man or woman says can bring the ultimate light of clarity and release! 

 
WINTER SPRING SUMMER AND FALL
 
We all face seasons of change that correspond much like the four seasons we observe yearly. Nothing is more surprising than to have an interruption of what we presume to be what is "normal" for an earthly expectation, in one of those seasons.
When a sudden ice snow storm blows in unexpected in the late spring in the Colorado fruit growing regions and encrusts the tender blooms on fruit trees and garden plants, we are devastated by the loss of not only the blooms, but also the fruit it could have produced. It appears as if there has been a cruel storm sent to cause crop failure.
 
WHAT IS THIS CURRENT SEASON OF DIVINE TENSION ALL ABOUT?
For many who are hearing or reading this message, you feel as if you have experienced a "Crop failure," perhaps several, and just can’t take one more aching disappointment. Many hearts have passed their tender agonies to me on paper, in emails, texts, and through the telephone.
 
ANGUISH HAS ITS OWN PERFUME 
I too have heard the whispers of the voices of darkness try to entice, with wearisome words of worry, paranoia and doubting!
"Give up!" they say! "What good is this time of shaking doing?"
"What possible good can come out of believing that there is something occurring that will bring a fresh advancement when all seems to have stalled or strained?”
And yet, another set of voices would tempt with words of esteem whispering;
"Make it happen! 
Proclaim mighty deeds and things to come with fervor, flair and well-honed words of impact!
Use it or lose it!
Promote, push, and publish! It is all yours for the taking!"
 
BOTH OF THESE VOICES COME FROM THE SUBTLETIES OF THE SOUL AND WELL OILED SPIRITUAL VOICES TRAINED BY THE PRINCE OF LIES AND FLESHLY IMPULSE.
 
But.
In the midst of these strains and attempts to distract comes a clear undeniable "Divine Tension" that pulls and stretches the heart of the humbled believer.
It calls simply, firmly, and does not lack a depth of confidence and direction.
This “Presence” causes a clash with all that seems to be "the way of man" and will not relent.
 
THE EARTH IS IN TURMOIL

It doesn't take much to understand that the earth is in upheaval, rivalry, and chaos wherever we look. There is a tangible and penetrating "tension" in the events we are seeing unfold every day. Parallel to this explosion of pure evil and lulling to sleep of many, there is a Divine Course being laid out for those who have come to the end of them.
 
ETERNITY IS IN THE SIGHTS OF THOSE LOOKING TO A KINGDOM YET UNSEEN.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been preparing a bride. 
This is done only through the shaping tools of heavenly choice.
The chisel and hammer have been at times brutal and unflinching, yet, when the soft hand of The Almighty begins to apply the oil of polishing, He does it with His own hand as well.
He makes it beautiful in His own timing, even though the “Divine Tension” seems as if it might cause us to "snap" under the pressure of His hand, smoothing away the roughness of our thoughts and soul's intentions.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
 
HEARING, REFINING, HEEDING
 
The King of all Glory is training those who have been thrust on the altar of fire to hear from Him as one who strains to catch the song of a bird in distant meadow.
It takes the "spiritual ear" and training it to identify even the slightest note or sound, however distant, and to learn to silence the sounds and voices of distraction until the  "honing in" on the sound, the glorious sound of peace, finally directs and sustains us with all that we hear.
And then, having drunk deeply of the Voice of the Beloved and Divine Counselor, quickly, without mental filing way of instructions or overthinking, we move and heed His mapping out of plans for this appointed time.
 
RISING FROM THE ASHES OF THE REFINING OF GOD

So! Unto those who hear this word from heaven, claiming you are one of Heaven's very own, know that you are being formed and fashioned into sober, clean containers, prepared for infilling.
My Spirit will fall upon those who are not seeking to lay claim to My voice, but instead HEED My voice and SEEK My face. 
They shall be examples of purity in My Kingdom and will not strive among the self-promoting and “wordy". The broken will be safe in the arms of these who have passed through the current season of being pulled and tested, stretched and restrained and they will restore the devastated.
My "faithful hearts" will not be compelled to build agendas for Me and My Presence, because I will BE the Presence that creates the Manifestations of Glory and Might in the earth, without the fanfares of men.
YOU HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO DESPERATION IN ORDER THAT I MIGHT RESTORE YOU TO INSPIRED LIVING, IN FULL FELLOWSHIP WITH ME.
Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim freedom for the captives
And release from darkness for the prisoners,
To proclaim the year of the Lords’ favor
And the day of vengeance of our God,
To comfort all who mourn, 
And provide for those who grieve in Zion
To bestow on them a crown of beauty
Instead of ashes, the oil of gladness,
Instead of mourning,
And a garment of praise, Instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
A planting of the LORD
For the display of his glory and splendor.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 2023
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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”You Oh Lord Know Exactly Who I Am” - Measuring The Honesty Of Our Hearts

By Mary Lindow 
I am by far not an expert on the subject of plumblines and righteousness, so take what I say in the light of one who at time gropes like a child in the dark, ever reaching for the hand of the ONE to lead me into a safe place filled with His Hope, His Mercy, His Light and Life.
 WE LIVE IN A CORRUPT WORLD and therefore, have the “effects and affects” of that corruption ever influencing, ever tainting and ever wooing the flesh. 
Plumbline: a tool that consists of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope and that is used especially to see if something (such as a wall) is perfectly vertical or in alignment)  
A plumbline is a simple but accurate tool used for determining whether or not something is perfectly vertical or upright. The Lord also used, and uses, a "plumbline," His Word, to determine how upright His people truly are in His sight.
How upright they think they are, or how upright they proclaim themselves to be, means nothing to God.
 "Behold, I WILL set a plumbline in the midst of My people". 
-Amos 7:7 
 
A PLUMBLINE SET OUT BY THE HAND OF GOD IS ONE THAT WE CAN ANCHOR OUR HEARTS TO.
It will always, always, ALWAYS, direct us to the truth in a matter; even if it requires pain, loss, persecution and perhaps death in areas we feel we may well have rights to. 
It will also be a shield, a balm, a comfort and a teacher to those who will yield to the directive positioning of the Master. 
“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumbline.” -Isaiah 28:17 
 
LIFE – DISTRESS - AND PERSECUTION 
I have found that in my life, distress and persecution do not feel like God’s care being poured out on me. My heart is not immediately drawn to thanksgiving and gratefulness for the faithfulness of God on display as I cling to the battered pieces that look like potential “rafts” of hope, only to find out that many of them have gaping holes or slow leaks in them. 
Rather, it feels like yet another hurt is being permanently woven into my tattered and war-torn soul. It seems as if another mound of questions are piling up and just waiting for an answer and a true solid REAL anchor of hope. 
 
I CAN REALLY CONNECT TO THE WRITER OF PSALM 42 
He said “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” It’s at those very times that the words of the Savior are so important. When we are down and in turmoil. 
But, how do we connect the dots between what we know is true about God’s faithfulness and what our hearts feel? When flipped and flung around by the waves, weary from crying and when no answer seems at hand, what is the answer? 
When my circumstances show many foes and tyrants rising up against me and my heart is prone to wander and fear, what hope is there of peace? 
When my feelings start controlling my thoughts, how can I rest in God’s promises? 
 
AT THIS POINT… I HEAR THE “GASPS” … 
…And perhaps shocked comments of a few who are amazed that someone who appears to walk so fervently and intimately with the Lord would have such difficulties! 
Well! Guess what?
I do struggle, I do hurt, and yes I do doubt when I have been side swiped or “rammed” by skilled cons and those who, although may have the appearance of godliness and offered friendship or fellowship, end up having private and evil agendas behind their well placed and planned schemes.
And boy oh boy! Those skilled players know the wicked art of wounding the heart and causing people to reel in pain! 
 
BUT, THERE IS ONE WHO FULLY SEES IT ALL 
The main skill in the issue of dealing with life as a spiritual person, is to know how to handle yourself when things not only crush and grind your heart, but what to do with the anguish and toll of their aftermath. 
We have to get ourselves into a place where we hear clearly again. 
We need have to address ourselves, preach to ourselves, and ask questions about ourselves. 
We must say to our soul: "Why are you cast down –Why are you so anxious and lacking in peace?" 
We must urge ourselves, and say ‘Hope in God’–instead of remaining in this paralyzed, aching state!” 
 
AND THEN WE MUST TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER
We must go on to remind ourselves just “Who “God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has promised that he Himself said that He would do. 
Having done that we can stand up and sing out strongly, defying the torment of the soul, and resist other people’s wicked tongues and arrogance, and refuse to go along with the devil and the whole world, and say: ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” 
The hope and promise of the fairness of God’s justice when dealing with the hurtful things and presumptions of others gives me the confidence to know that God will never turn away from me in my need. No matter how they seem to prosper in the short term, wicked men and women will ultimately pay for their sins, in this life or the next. Jesus died to meet my greatest hardships and sorrows for me, and I need to preach this to myself every day.
His power is greater than my weariness and suffering. 
The comforting and instruction that comes from simply running to feed upon His word instead of the toxic poison of the replaying of trauma reminds me that what Jesus has done is strong enough for my soul to rejoice in and to be set into a place where it can rest and regroup, gaining a healthy perspective about what to give out to others and what is simply…
…. To be enjoyed by the Lord Himself. 
 
THE NATURAL IMPULSES OF MANKIND ARE SINFUL AND DECEITFUL! 
Human willpower alone will never be able to change this. 
We need God's help to truly change our hearts. 
 
REMEMBER. You cannot change the heart of anyone else either. 
If you try to, you will feel the bite of stinging venom or be laughed out of a room. Only the power of the conviction of the Holy Spirit can permeate and get around the jam-packed hardhearted egos of the self sufficient and bitter. 
Jeremiah 17:9 says that the human heart is deceitful in all things and is even beyond cure!
We must be cautious and wise in reproving and warning such types of people about their bad behaviors and wicked actions where there seems to be no appearance or hope of change and where there is danger of experiencing great and heart wrecking retaliation and slander. 
These types trample the warnings and urging for repentance and humbling of the heart under their feet, and turn again and slash at you, despising the warnings that are “tearfully and fearfully” given, and often hurt the persons who give them, either by words or deeds. 
 
"Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. 
Don't throw your pearls to pigs! 
They will trample the pearls, 
then turn and attack you.” 
-Matthew 7:6 
 
"GIVE ME THE FACTS MA’AM JUST THE FACTS” 
I remember that phrase from a TV show called “Dragnet”. The detective would not allow the details of the case to be skewed by any assumptions or pontificating from those he interviewed. He stoically and firmly demanded only the facts. 
And so, here are the “facts” about the heart of a good man or woman.
1.) The good man or woman: Brings good things out of the good stored up in his/her heart. And the facts about an evil man or woman. 
2.) The evil man/woman brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his/her heart. For out of the overflow of his or her heart his or her mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 
 
THE FRAILTY, BRIEFNESS, AND INSECURITY OF LIFE 
The frailty, briefness, and insecurity of life should hold down the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all of our projects and boasting about future greatness and bragging rights! We are always to depend on the will and leading of God. 
 
OUR TIMES ARE NOT IN OUR OWN HANDS, BUT ARE INSTEAD IN THE TIMING OF GOD. Our heads may be filled with cares and plans for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Divine intervention often throws our plans into bewilderment. All we have in mind, and all we do, should be with a humble and deep dependence on God.
It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of trendy “latest happening” things and prospective projects, and it will bring great disappointment and will prove destructive to relationships and meaningful help to others in the end. 
 
“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” 
-1 John 2:16
 
LISTEN KINDLY - BEFORE SPEAKING YOUR THOUGHTS 
People don't need a lecture on the meaning of suffering or to have a barrage of scriptures “machine-gunned” at them as a reprimand for sharing their moment of grief or struggle! (Especially when their hearts are breaking, weary of the battle and if they are fatigued.)
Job could have done without some of the self-righteous answers that came from his “well-meaning” friends. All of the answers could have even been true, but Job didn't need to hear any of them. 
He needed their love, not their value judgments. 
In fact, it appears as if God judged THEM for trying to offer simple solutions to things that were beyond their comprehension. They had never walked in the loss he was in anguish over. 
 
WHEN WE SUFFER UNJUSTLY WE HAVE A MAJOR CHOICE TO MAKE
How will we respond? We can feel sorry for ourselves (and understandably so, for a while), become bitter and cynical, get drawn into a war of words, or even become mixed up in a major conflict.
On the other hand, we can take our suffering to the cross and allow our pain to draw us into a deeper place of understanding of what Jesus went though in his sufferings. This does not remove the pain, but does help us to know what to do with our hurt. 
 
This is the 'fellowship of his sufferings' (Philippians 3:10), one of the gateways to closeness with God and the release of his power in our lives. The weight of heartbreak shared with a loving friend cuts it in half. When the burden is shared with many friends, we can cope with almost anything.
We never feel more revitalized than when a friend loves us enough to walk with us in our pain. Not lecture us. 
 
The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth: 
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God". -1 Corinthians 1.3-4 
 
SOMETIMES GOD GETS INVOLVED WITH DIRECT MIRACLES, Giving supernatural strength to those in need. But for the most part, he depends on us, his people, to do his work in the world. We love each other, work for healing, and suffer with those who suffer. 
The next time you see a friend who is suffering, Jesus may just invite you to be the warm embrace! We comfort each other with the comfort we have received in Christ. And when we do, we become the Body of Christ and he receives the glory! 
 
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR! 
We are to bear one another's burdens. 
We are to comfort others as Christ has given comfort to us. 
Your hard time becomes my hard time. 
We join hands in the journey. 
When you succeed, I succeed. 
When you suffer, I suffer. But we do it together. We share it together. 
And we do it, not so much in our wisdom or our words, but in our availability, our understanding, and through our presence. 
 
THAT'S WHAT FELLOWSHIP IS ALL ABOUT! 
But not “bland” fellowship.
It is CHRISTIAN fellowship. It is the business of burden bearing.
Authentic CHRISTIAN fellowship says that when you need me . . . I'll be there.
Support in suffering is at the core of what it means to share life together in Christ. The word for "comfort” is the same root word as the name Jesus used to describe one of the functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Paraclete). “I will be a comforter, one who comes alongside to give help.” And so as God comes alongside you, now you are able to come alongside another. As the Comforter is at work within you, so you also can be of comfort to those around you. 
 
WE ARE CALLED TO BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS. 
To mourn with those who mourn.
To be a follower of Jesus means to come alongside people who are hurting and find ways to help them walk even through the valley of the shadow of death. We are called to do this, as the word of God and care of God is shared with the intention of stirring, plowing up hardened hearts, creating a place for repentance and challenging saints to hope again, I know and believe that as we learn again as believers, to care, to truly listen and to hope fully again, that the sweet and heavy weight of HIS Glory will be made known and will manifest in unfettered and uncontrolled waves of worship and spontaneous adoration of the King of Heaven. 
HE REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE WANTS
Let's focus on bowing low and seeking His heart and plans in what matters to Him.
Indeed, HE is the Plumbline. 
 
Prayer 
God, I ask in Jesus' name, that you comfort, strengthen and encourage all who are hurting deeply right now and are going through so much pain and heartache. 
Don't allow them to give up in the heat of the battle. 
Let them feel your arms wrapping around them and your love overflowing and filling them up. Lord, I will pray often and I know that you will hear my voice, even when I speak to You in my silent thoughts. 
To You, I am crying out and my prayers are now before You. 
Father, I give to You my problems, I do not want them. 
Father, please restore them to You. I know that you have compassion for your children. Father, show them your ways and teach them your paths. Lead them in your truth and teach them you are the God of our salvation and on you we will wait. 
Protect them from the evils of this life and guide them through all of their days. Father, thank You for hearing my prayer Father and for considering and for having compassion on all who hear and read these words, and all who hurt, in this troubled world we live in. 
Keep them in the center of Your love. 
In Jesus’ Name
~ Amen 
 
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- A TIME LIKE NO OTHER TIME - WALKING ON THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE LIVING ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY - An Urgent Prophetic Exhortation

A TIME LIKE NO OTHER TIME - WALKING ON THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE LIVING ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY - An Urgent Prophetic Exhortation
By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit
 
It seems that with such prolific access to, web blogs and articles, many prophetic voices who are attempting to communicate spiritual metaphors and insights received from the heart of God to be shared and to hopefully  soften the hearts of mankind, have perhaps been reduced to quick sound bites and what I would term "Scripture bites". It’s absolutely essential in these twisted and upside-down days to not look for a quick fix for the turmoil and hard things that we are facing.
 
WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WANT TO COMMUNICATE TO US ABOUT “WALKING ON THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE”
  AND
“LIVING ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY”?
As I have searched this out knowing that the Lord was communicating something to me regarding these two statements, clear words of instruction, their potential, and warnings have begun to emerge. I share them from a trembling heart and an alert spirit.
And so first: 
 
“WALKING ON THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE”
Precipice - a noun
“A very steep rock face or Cliff, typically a tall one”
Figurative – “the country is teetering on the precipice of political anarchy”
The origin of the word comes from the late 16th century indicating a headlong fall. In the Latin it means abrupt descent.
This word in a nutshell expresses an anguishing anticipation of what could be a devastating and shocking “out of control” spin into oblivion, tumbling headlong into an unknown space, fully out of control, not knowing when the descent will end, and if anything will remain once it hits the pull of gravity.
“Pride goes before destruction,
A haughty spirit before a fall.”
(Off of a precipice)  - Proverbs 16:18
 
And Secondly:
“LIVING ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY”
Because we live on the edge of eternity, we must not lose our heads. We must get our heads on straight and think in harmony with divine revelation. We must not be oblivious to the times that we are living in, nor should we be frightened and “act out” in panic. Our clear-headedness makes us able to pray as we should, seeking divine wisdom, guidance and the power to live faithfully in difficult times.
Jesus told His disciples things would go from bad to worse as the end of all things approaches.There will be social and political upheaval and natural disasters. There will be an intensification of opposition toward Christians so that fellow Christians begin to turn on each other and family members betray one another.
 
"Brother will hand over brother to death;  A father will hand over his child.
Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. (Euthanasia?)
 - Mark 13:12-13.
In such times of danger, love will fade, and people will abandon the self-sacrifice of love, for the sake of self-preservation.
 
SHAKEN AND STIRRED
The Holy Spirit impressed me some time back with this statement.
“Shaken AND Stirred”
My mind said, "You mean, shaken - not stirred!"
Again, a little while later, the same statement was impressed into my spirit one more time. “Shaken AND stirred”!
As I thought about this I began to realize that the Holy Spirit wanted to show me a prophetic insight, combined with the word of God regarding what His role in working within the hearts of believers looks like at this juncture in time.
 
WE HAVE HEARD MUCH ABOUT THE SLUMBERING, SLEEPY BRIDE.
A somewhat overgrown, youthful, well-fed bride. Oh! How she LOVES the candlelight, the romantic spirituality that feeds the soul and emotional longings of one yet to experience the commitment to a marriage! Everything has the beauty and sparkle of a fairyland or Disney type of fantasy and fireworks!
Surrounding this young maiden are gifts and beautiful tangible items reminding her of this youthful celebration of a pledge. The pledge to honor the one she loves. The gifts that have been given come from those who know that these will be needed to assist them in their life of growing together towards becoming one heart, one flesh, a single expression of their own family unit.
There are similar parallels to be fearlessly looked at regarding where and how the corporate bride of Christ has behaved on many levels. There has been a new term or word phrase created to address what would often be called a petulant, whiny, overindulged young woman who is in preparation for the big “blowout wedding day event”. The name for this is "Bridezilla”!
The basic picture is until SHE gets what she wants, the way she wants it, WHEN she wants it, anything or anyone in her way gets demolished if it does not satisfy her need to be fully noticed, in control and lavishly celebrated in all of her self-planned and applied concepts as to what a wedding should look like.
The problem is, in real life - the wedding and festivities are only a brief glimpse of what an actual joining of two in marriage looks like for the long haul.
And so when the party is over and the hard work begins, (and yes, it's hard work), the little rifts and storm clouds come to buffet and shape the couple into maturity.
 
BUT! IF THE BRIDE DOES NOT WANT TO MATURE…
…And desires to be treated like a young princess, much like the central character in a children's story, "The princess and the Pea" then no matter how others attempt to sweet-talk or ease her discomfort, eventually she becomes demanding and unsatisfied, regardless of what is offered to her.
And so the current state for many who make up the bride of Christ in its majority is one of a moody, discomforted and unfulfilled mate, waiting for her bridegroom to do FOR her, the things that she would rather not do for herself, and wants the bridegroom to bring her the comforts that she needs without having to labor, herself.
 
THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE PAID AN OVERWHELMING
AND COSTLY PRICE TO SHAKE OFF SLUMBER AND SELF INDULGENCE,
AND HAVE STEPPED OUT AS PATHFINDERS.
 
They are boldly declaring a warning about remaining a child and not maturing to the fullness of God's plan. They have warned over and over of the things that we are now seeing happen.
 
SHAKEN!
Imagine the shock, the total disbelief of the five virgins (Matthew 25) who slumbered and gambled with their futures so flippantly when in their drowsy and moody state missed the sound that the bridegroom announced, calling them to come, to travel the road now well lit, to a prepared place.
They were shaken! Shaken to the core and in total disbelief that things had changed and had been shaken in their drowsy existence so quickly! They were warned to be ready but figured just as always that they would somehow be able to manipulate their surroundings and discomforts and find a way to get their way!
And so has it been with the body of Christ the past few years, even though the voice of “The Beloved” has warned and shouted out.
He has sent prophetic voice after prophetic voice, teacher after teacher, evangelist after evangelist with a reoccurring message,
"You prepare the way!
You make the crooked ways straight!
Build up a pathway that you may walk upon to a holy place!
 
And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, and prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
Isaiah 57:14
And yet, the bride in many ways has gone on her merry way expecting to be rescued from her slumber and folly. Walking ON THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE and Living On The Edge of Eternity.
 
BECAUSE OF GOD'S MERCY…
…THE BRIDE WILL CONTINUE TO BE SHAKEN
Shaken and shaken again, until she awakens from her slumber and admits to selfish ambition. She will be challenged to become the mature heart who walks with her beloved as her leader and Lord, not just simply as a provider of pleasures, fleshly sustenance, and entertainment.
“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.
If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
AT THAT TIME HIS VOICE SHOOK THE EARTH,
But now he has promised,
"Once more I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH
BUT ALSO THE HEAVENS.” -Hebrews 12 25-27
The words "once more" indicates THE REMOVING OF WHAT CAN BE SHAKEN, Meaning, created things—SO THAT WHAT CAN’T BE SHAKEN WILL REMAIN.
 
… AND STIRRED
When someone is shaken awake from a deep sleep, the adrenaline begins to pump throughout the body and there is a keen and heightened alertness that begins to stir the senses.
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you!
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” - 2 Timothy 1:6-8
 
“DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL”!  SAYS THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT
It's no secret that the mainstream media has had a heyday with high profile personalities who have made claims to be devout Christians and then find them caught in the acts of extortion, embezzlement, infidelity, tax evasion, plagiarism and justification of personal indulgence at the expense of trusting donors.
Deeper and deeper still will the exposing and dissecting sword of the Word of God separate what is of the flesh claiming to be God, and what is of the Spirit, that is of God.
The folly and arrogance of those who minister with an elitist message will be brought to such public humiliation that even the hardest atheistic hearts will cringe at the ruthless mocking they will face.
As the Lord continues to shake out and stir up the dross in the life of each believer, there will be a corresponding stirring again to deep repentance.
Believers will come out of their groggy existence and begin to allow the deep purging and removal of willful perceptions about whom God has blessed and whom God might use for his glory, and for His purposes.
 
A TIME LIKE NO OTHER TIME
We are in a time like no other before.
There is a setting forth of a new and fresh openness to God's supreme directions.
There is a shaking off of youthful folly and petty “scrapping” over who imparts the greatest message or anointing.
Instead of well planned out speaking rosters for heavily and slickly advertised conference invitations, there will continue to be spontaneous and Divinely orchestrated gatherings throughout all nations.
It has already begun in several unannounced assemblies of like-minded hearts. It is being lit and ignited by the very hand of a Sovereign and brilliantly strategic God.
 
GATHERINGS LARGE AND SMALL, IN HALLS, HOMES, AND BARNS,
HAVE BECOME A FOCUS OF GOD'S HEART.
 
He indeed has an agenda.
It is to call the bride, His beloved, the one He lavishly spent all of his life's blood upon, to rise up from her slumber and be “shaken and stirred” to see that He is beckoning her deeper and yet deeper still to enter into a place of profound grace, mercy, and safety.
As the cry of repentance from dead works, and foolish masterminding of plans and programs (that only led the bride into morbid obesity) is stirred in the hearts of those ailing and sickened by the results of such overindulgence, deeper and deeper still will the Spirit of God draw his people into a communion of body, Spirit, and soul with his plan and purpose.
 
THOSE THAT WILL WAIT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THEIR GATHERINGS…
… In their brokenness, in their humility, will begin to experience a hush of holiness falling upon their gatherings. The hovering presence of the pleasure of God will invade and flood the hearts of those who have come simply to fellowship in the power of His word and the Beauty of His Holiness. But! This cannot be a forced agenda or trend! This is not to be confused with what has been termed “The Anointing” or “The Holy Spirit Falling Upon God’s People.” Not a whisper, not a sound, not a song, nor a shout will be needed to attract this majestic treasure.
 
COMING SOON: THE WEIGHT OF HIS GLORY
I have been in meetings where believers who chose to enter into repentance and allowed the “dross work” of God to have full access to every corner of their souls, where, without warning or fanfare, the weight of God’s Glory invaded the room, the conference, and the meeting halls. It was as if a drenching, tangible mass of warmth and comfort wrapped itself around every human being present. It mattered not whether they were youthful or stooped over in the aging of their bodies.
The weight of the very glory and magnificence of the Supreme Being, The Sovereign One, was unmistakable.
Beautiful stillness and sweetness flowed in to and out of every soul present. All who were sitting or standing in this weight of glory did not need anyone to tell them the phenomenon that surpassed any of man's orchestrations was happening.
It didn’t last 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes. It came in waves and beckoned with the fragrance of mercy that only the “Still Small Voice” can infuse a room with.
 
IT SEEMED THAT THE MORE WILLING THE HEARTS OF THOSE IN THESE GATHERINGS WHO WOULD SIMPLY SIT IN THE WEIGHT OF THIS GLORIOUS SILENCE, THE RICHER AND DEEPER THE PEACE BECAME.
And then again, the Sweet song of the Lord would begin to sing out over the people and the people would begin to sing out the sweet song of repentance and devotion back unto the Lord.
IT SURPASSED ETHNIC AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL EXPRESSIONS AND HUMAN LANGUAGES.
Deeper and yet deeper still His presence, His glory, His weightiness would hover. In one such meeting, the waiting in His glory, in His presence, waiting upon Him, lasted for 45 minutes. No one wanted to leave, and no one had any agenda.
“Be still!” the Lord said. “Be still and know, that I am God!”
 
 HEART WRENCHING REPENTANCE -- SEASON OF REFRESHING
“Repent, then, and turn to God, So that your sins may be wiped out,
That times of refreshing may come from the Lord." -Acts 3:19
 
There have been voices in the Body of Christ crying out that she must repent for her sluggishness, smugness, and presumption.
These voices will be amplified and multiplied throughout the year.
There will be required by the Lord, a setting apart in the heart of every believer. Deeper and deeper still will the call to shake off slumber, to once and for all lay down the sins and arrogance that easily traps and ensnares the life of the bride.
 
THE GREATER THE SURRENDER
-THE GREATER THE INCREASE OF HIS GLORY
As each member of the body of Christ willingly steps in to the full scan of the Holy Spirit's convicting radiance, a fresh awakening of the empowering courage and strength of Christ as the glorious bridegroom will be brought to the forefront.
He will be the central focus and no longer will the bride lag behind in adolescent drudgery and laziness.
Wave upon wave of adoration will be lifted up as a love sacrifice to the Beloved One. And the weight of His glory will shake and rock religious agendas and nations until they crumble and strip off the need for the noise and glitter that has cluttered and stifled the rightful honor due unto the King of glory.
When with deliberate consideration, the weight of God’s glory is given full access to flow as it begins to invade and permeate, be prepared for unbelievers who may be simply walking by a home gathering, a fellowship service, or a conference, to be drawn into your gatherings as if wooed or summoned by a fragrance or sound that they have had move them to go and seek out where it was coming from.
The Lord shall draw them and show them of His might, His presence, and you shall lead them to Him…
… And they shall find salvation.
 
LAST INSIGHT AND WARNING
Many are indeed "Walking on the edge of the precipice" and are "Living on the edge of eternity, not knowing where to turn or what to do, and will fall headlong into further disaster if they do not awaken from the hardness of heart, distractions and spiritual presumption that have become companions and corrupt habits.
Today you have heard His heart; you have heard His voice,
Harden not your heart, and instead quickly heed His voice.
 
Allow the shaking!
Willingly permit any condescension, elitism, control, manipulation, cowardly blame-shifting, hateful speech, competition, anger, mocking and vengeful and revengeful thoughts, to be once and for all purged out of your soul!
Your very spiritual life depends on what you do when on the edge of a precipice!
You can, “Jump headlong into recklessness”
Or
“Fall into the hands of the living breathing God”.
 
“Take care, brethren,
That there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart
That falls away (headlong off of a precipice) from the living God.”
-Hebrews 3:12
 
THE “END” IS AT HAND FOR EACH AND EVERY GENERATION EVERY SINGLE DAY, and their response to the gospel in this life determines their eternal fate.
 
Each generation is living on the edge of eternity,
and there will always be an urgency to respond to the gospel, for your response to the gospel determines your eternal destiny.
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed provided that complete source and website and podcast information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank you!
The Messenger " ~ Mary Lindow
Copyright  ©2021
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
www. marylindow.podbean.com
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"THE WINTER OF OUR MALCONTENT" - "Faithing Our Fears"

By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit
For many weeks now, just as I was about to fall into a good deep sleep, I have heard in my spirit the words, “The Winter of our Malcontent”. Trying to reconcile those words in my own thinking, I would then say to myself, “You mean the winter of our discontent don’t you?" (I was thinking about the fact that Shakespeare wrote this and put into print in Richard III,1594.)
Again and again the same event would take place until I was made aware of what the Lord would have me write and share with those - who may have ears to hear. For you see, the subject can be one that many FEAR.
Malcontent; definition
Disappointed, disenchanted, disillusioned, frustrated, unfulfilled; disquieted, disturbed, perturbed, upset; dejected, depressed, despairing, despondent
THE WRINGING OF HANDS AND HEART
For some, it is easier to simply live in a shell of denial or self concocted false spiritual bliss than to look soberly and head on at the turmoil and drama that the world is rapidly spinning and bobbing in.
It will not easily or wishfully go away, and at this time we are and will be, facing severe repercussions for wicked choices made by governments, banking systems and yes religious institutions.
All three can do good things, but many currently have chosen the ways of corruption, selfish ambition, deceptive story telling and above all, the giving away of their heart and minds to the god of this world. A god who traps its victims with promises of greater power, influence, and an adoring mass of lesser gifted humans who are expected to give homage without asking questions.
These pressures and practices can tear at the soul of the discerning hearts who see more than the handwriting on the wall.  They know, regardless of a solid stance of Faith in Gods providence and care - that something is very very wrong and, it is escalating.
THE FEAR AND HOLLOW ACHE WITHIN YOUR HEART 
Many are panicking and poring over every website and news bulletin to see if there are falsities that they can catch and prove in the wrong, or truths that they can exploit. Neither of these will help.
And, the fear mongers believe that we all must be totally obsessed and baptized in fear by pouring it out to their audiences.
They will feed the panic and give power to the spirit of terror that is looming large and with insidious precision.
Where do apparent Bible believers get reliable information to nourish their fears? From you and me. We do it to each other all the time.
Why do we deliver information to our brother or sister that will feed his or her fears?
THE FIRST CAUSE OF FEAR IS THE FEAR OF LOSING PLAYTHINGS AND SAFETY.
We believe that "my God shall supply all your needs," but our old nature cannot believe that, especially when we hear news from worldly sources telling us someone is trying to take our toys and life resources away from us. When we give place to fear, and feast on it, feed it, and pass it on to other people, we are boldly denying that Christ will be our supplier.
If you have a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humankind that has no hope, no light, and you have the Church headed straight into a train wreck instead of looking at the light at the end of the tunnel, you are WICKED.
If all you do is sit around and talk with wide-eyed terror about the New World Order, the crash of the banks, the collapse of the dollar, and the concentration camps and micro chips getting ready for us you’re not only feeding fear, you also are a promoter and preacher of it.
Harsh words? No.
Honest words intended to get you to shake off morbid living and to decide to truly serve the LIVING GOD or serve - Fear.
 
WHAT FEAR IS
Fear is a harsh and wicked taskmaster.
Fear will not let you sleep well at night.
Fear brings condemnation and shame.
Fear causes hoarding and secret self-protections.
Fear will make you betray others to hide and protect your way of living and your opinions.
Fear will join with accusation and destroy safe relationships, by isolating you.
Fear is a liar and gathers clusters of other tormenting spirits to join with it.
Fear creates excitement for those who use it as a tool to gain attention or - control.
 
JESUS HAS TAKEN CARE OF HIS BRIDE FOR OVER 2000 YEARS
He is still doing so, and will never ever stop!
Know this! The light of Christ that shines in very dark times is the ONLY light that is available. I say this because this light is on "until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." The light of prophecy is the light at the end of the tunnel of human history, and that light is a person:
“ I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you, these things in the churches.I AM the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” Revelation 22:16
So, the darker it is, the more blessed that light is.
The stars shine at night, not during the daylight.
Light a candle in a room that has many lamps on, and no one will notice, but strike the smallest match you can find in a totally blacked out room, and EVERY EYE WILL BE ON THAT LIGHT!
 
WHY ARE OUR EYES, AND MOUTH FIXATED WITH HOW EXCEEDINGLY DARK IT IS?
1 Thessalonians 5 says
“You are all the children of light, And the children of the day.
We are not of the night, Nor of darkness.”
 
WHAT TO DO NOW
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Tell me, what good is it to obsess or prepare to survive the coming crash or doom if you end up living a stressed and tormented life over it?
You’re afraid because you don’t think God can handle your situation.
You’re afraid you are going to die, you are afraid you’re going to get sick, you’re afraid your kids are going to get hurt, you’re afraid the roof is going to fall in, you’re afraid the demons are going to get you!
Whatever it is, it comes from two things.
Number one: 
You have a guilty conscience.
 
Number two: 
You have weak faith in God.
 
You can deal with both of those. 
Have a guilty conscience?  
Confess your sin and get it all cleaned out.
Weak faith? 
Get your Bible open and read what God says about Himself and learn to trust Him.... And pray.
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit, which God has given us, Is not a spirit of cowardice.
But one of power and of love and of sound judgment.
 
FAITH OBEYS GOD IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES OR CONSEQUENCES
Fear can creep into the hearts of the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the most educated and the least educated, the powerful and the powerless.
What can one do to be freed of fear?
Faith is not afraid of what others may say or do.
An Elijah complex can rob you of power and joy, so beware! Elijah went from victory to defeat because he started walking by sight and not by faith. He believed the wicked queen Jezebel's words but not God’s word, and he forgot how God had cared for him for three and a half years. Fear replaced faith, and he ran for his life. We need to obey the words
 
Do not be afraid; only believe (Mark 5:36).
Faith and fear are opposites, and yet, strange to say, they are often found dwelling within the same person; but where one is forceful the other is undeveloped. The constant attitude of the Christian must and needs to be,
“Behold, God is my salvation, 
I will trust and not be afraid; 
For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, 
And He has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2
 
WHAT OUGHT TO BE, AND WHAT ACTUALLY IS
ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. 
Psalm 56:3
However, when the grace of faith is in practice, its verbal communication will be:
One thing that must be addressed as well is the situation where there are believers who are currently in trauma, loss, or who are persevering through very difficult and possibly harrowing situations. Very often those who have a shallow development of the fruit of Mercy and attributes of discernment are often found to spout out well rehearsed “shotgun lines” of scripture at those who are in the throws of battle and sorrow.
THIS IS NOT OK! It shows a great lack of genuine Christian Character and even worse, a lack of the nature of Christ. The following verse will clear up any religious sputtering about this, and hopefully bring a nice bit of conviction to the legalistic and hardhearted.
So those of us who have a strong [faith] must be patient with the weaknesses of those whose [faith] is not so strong. We must not think only of ourselves.
Romans 15:1
Jesus Stood up in the Storm and spoke PEACE.
He did not scold and hammer away at the frighten men in the boat with him. He did not shame them with a tone of superiority or condescending blather when he said,  “Why do you struggle with trusting Me (faith) to take care of you?”  He used moments of doubt and fearfulness all throughout the bible as teaching moments, to disciple His beloved children. We too - Can learn from this. It will be much needed in the days ahead.
LET’S PRAY TOGETHER AND BE FREE FROM FEAR
Dear Jesus Christ,
I know that all power and authority on Heaven and Earth belongs to You alone. I come to You today, asking for supernatural divine deliverance from fear.
I am facing numerous issues that are scaring me, sometimes tormenting me! 
I ask you right now Jesus, in faith and with all of my existence, please, please deliver me from all fear. I gave You my soul when I became a Christian.
So right now, I choose to symbolically, hand literally hand you my problems, my fears. 
I pray, Jesus take these fears, and strengthen me against them! Protect me from every lie of the enemy that has come my way trying to deceive me.
You have told me:
"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27.
Right now, I give it all to You Jesus. Please deal with these fears for me. 
In the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God almighty, I renounce satan and all of his lies that are trying to make me afraid!
I pray that you Lord would bind every enemy and spirit of fear attempting to operate in my life and rebuke it! Protect me from it!
Lord Jesus, please also help me recognize if there is something that I am doing to allow fear to manipulate me. Please let me know if there is something wrong that needs to change. Please let me know if there is something in my environment or home, that is causing my mind to have fearful reactions.
Help us, O Heavenly Father, to dwell not on our fears, but on who you are. We can conqueror our fears only by focusing on you. Then no matter what is the cause of our fears, they will dissipate like the morning fog.
This we ask in the name of Him who overcame all of His fears by fixing his eyes on You and You alone. Amen
Thank You! Amen!
Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed
provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank you! Copyright © “ 2020 " The Messenger " ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com

"Can God Spread A Table In The Desert?"

By Mary Lindow through the Holy SpiritIf you ask the true "heart determined" believers in Christ today just what it is that they need now more than ever, it would be totally answered by the very raw words; “I am in a state of real Desperation For God's Help!”HERE IS THE SPIRITUAL INSIGHT THAT THE LORD WOULD HAVE ME SHARE WITH YOU.In the past few years many have seemingly "gotten" all that they thought they wanted. Lots of new stuff, bigger houses, hefty stock increases, and for some, that "greatly awaited moment" of climbing the mountain to the top of the heap to be "up there with the big dogs." Their inner thoughts exclaimed, "I am now someone that folks finally appreciate and take notice of!"AND NOW... SUDDENLY! THE BOTTOM HAS FALLEN OUT OF MANY OF THESE EXCITING MOMENTS!Friends are scattering, you struggle to get your bearings. Telephones and emails and fax machines fall silent. NOBODY wants to identify with YOUR pain or loss. It just MIGHT rub off on them! Or better yet, it might even expose their slippery slope at the moment!
WE ARE IN THE HOTTEST REFINERS FIRE TO DATE!People are winding up in anger, disbelief and frustration over this "unfair" season the Bride of Christ is in! It just isn't fair! We have been so good! We have laid down everything! 
Why oh why are WE being singled out? I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. ~ Psalm. 69:3 I am weary with my sighing; every night I make my bed swim, 
I dissolve my couch with my tears. 
~ Psalm. 6:6Does this sound like you right now?EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE TESTED SOMETIME!The strongest impression I have received from the Father about the condition of His Bride is this. When things are going "fabulously" for her, when all of heaven is blessing, she wants to keep it that way! If she is not in a place of great humility and thankfulness for what the Lord is doing, she tends to assume that, "It’s about time folks knew just how long I've been waiting for them to see just how great this church, or ministry or intellectual skill I've been soooo blessed with is!"Then comes the attitude that we have to keep it allotted to only a few "real winners" like ourselves, and we become exclusive and look for only high rollers to run with. And then. AGAIN comes the TEST. Persecution comes, mug slinging, attacks on personal integrity, character assassination, and again the fiery trial.........of our soul.TO REMOVE IMPURITIES - GOD USES A HOT FURNACE!These trials as if by fire are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, 
it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day 
when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. ~ I Peter chapter 1: 7HOW ARE YOU DOING?The Lord is working the Bride overtime right now to deal with selfish ambition, personal comfort, and any other areas of personal agenda or presumption. Some of the pain you are experiencing is due to the disobedience of those in the Body of Christ around you! They resist the hand of God and react against you in retaliation toward God bringing correction or exposure to their secret lifestyle of personal gain or need for power!WE ARE NOT ALONE!For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, 
so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:3 Admit it! It is hard to not lose heart right now! 
The world is in a tailspin and lukewarm Christians are showing their true colors! It's time to deal with this! It is NOT going to go away!AGONY IS MORE SEVERE WHEN IT IS "ENHANCED" BY TREACHERY!Jesus went thorough it. Stephen went through it and so did hundreds of others! 
AND it hurts, and disillusions, and causes us to be so very, very weary!THE MOVE FROM WEAK TO STRONG IS COMING!"When?" ...You may ask. “Can God spread a table in the desert?” Psalm 78.19Here are a few things the Lord would require: 1. To gain strength we must relinquish our power or control over what we think of others. 
We will be judged by the way we judge others when they struggle. Pious and lofty lectures are not the Kingdom language of healing and restoration. Loving-kindness and Mercy reveal the heart of godly maturity in a believer when dealing with the sorrows and anguish of others.“Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, Or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs To a heavy heart.”Proverbs 25:202. Reach out in kindness to those under fire. Encourage them to stand. Encourage them to seek the Lord. Bless them and don't talk about them when they struggle! "The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple." Isaiah 50:4 3 3. Get still. Stop organizing, planning, and pushing ahead into oblivion! 
    God really does have a plan! 
“Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord, Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become cynical. “Is. 40:30 -31 4. TRUST FOR A MOMENT!It's all about trusting God in the end. Oh yes it is! Will He REALLY refresh us in this time of struggle? His Loving Word says so. “For I satisfy the weary ones,And refresh everyone who languishes."Jer. 31:25 5 The Lord is producing endurance whether we like it or not! Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; For once he has been approved, He will receive the crown of life, Which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12THE FATHER IS URGING US TO RUN TO HIM, TO CLING TO HIM!He is there! Even in the fog of struggle, loss, anxiety, and also in seeming success. He wants us to be desperate for Him and rely wholly on His voice. To make all of our decisions based on His plan for the whole earth! Seek Him. Lean into His Voice. Elevate grace and mercy……And lower your own opinion of yourself and your abilities to “lecture” others into healing or restoration. WALK SOBERLY IF YOU ARE LIVING IN ABUNDANCE AT THIS TIME, ON ANY LEVEL. Keep the vigil of prayer you are keeping for others well lit by the reflecting memories of past times, when you yourself needed the Merciful Hand of God to lift you from agony and redeem your life from the pit.Let us be so devoted to the “One” who lavished and spilled out all He had, that we might repeat His actions, and in so doing, bring His Glory to it’s fullest measure and depth.Mercy…. Endures.Forever.“Then will the lame leap like a deer, And the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness And streams in the desert.”Isaiah 35:6***************************************** Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast link  and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You Copyright © 2020 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.comwww.globalprayerrooms.com  
http://marylindow.podbean.com/mobile/

Prophetic Insights For The Year 2020 - THE “REIGN” OF GRACE - AND THE “RAIN” OF GRACE MERCY FOR THE MERCIFUL

Prophetic Insights For The Year 2020
THE “REIGN” OF GRACE - AND THE “RAIN” OF GRACE 
MERCY FOR THE MERCIFUL
By The Holy Spirit transcribed through Mary Lindow
 
In 2020 the conviction of God will be strong to cleanse the heart of falsity, 
fear of man and the passivity of half repentance for works of the flesh. 
 
We can get all the people that we know around the globe to pray for us and to pray over us, but we cannot force out the devil and the darkness of our own unforgiveness and intentional blame-shifting. We give the enemy consistent access to our churches and our lives as long as we “lord it over others”, hiding our own sin, pretending that God does not see.
In order to have the times of refreshing we are crying out for and are desperate for as believers, we must learn to rule and reign with grace.
Refreshing rains will not fall, and cannot fall in full glory, when we refuse to lay down judgments, manipulations, and self invented spiritual “rules” that do not run parallel with the King of grace who is the ULTIMATE Mercy bringer.
Mercy. It means to perform out of a desire to relieve suffering, and is motivated by compassion. The action of forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Mercy shown prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.
In 2020 THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESIRES EVERY BELIEVER 
TO DO THEMSELVES AN ETERNAL FAVOR. 
TELL THE TRUTH.
God will protect you more for doing this than any self-invented cover-up ever could. And, you just might regain relationships with those you have used as stepping-stones to your own deviant self-empowerment.
THE HEAVENLY KING OF GLORY  IS ALWAYS AND FOREVER CREATING NEWNESS OF LIFE
If we are indeed man or a woman of prayer, the test will come of that deep prayer life when your enemies surround you, accuse you, and often attempt to execute and silence you. Some will manifest in this next year as false friends who use and abuse your friendships and contacts in order to gain access to notoriety and power, over all of the things you are supposed be repairing for yourself. They will exhaust and weaken you until you once and for all put upon the altar of surrender, any need for someone else to carry you or promote you.  
A man or a woman of prayer in these days, right now, will learn to sweep out iniquity, falseness, slander, and “hierarchical pecking orders” through goodness and humility.
This is a time to trust, to depend upon, to lean upon, the goodness of the Lord. 
This is a time to trust in His sovereignty more than ever. 
It is His right to define what grace is. It is not man’s right. 
 
Prophetic Exhortation for 2020
“And so says the Lord, the Spirit of Grace,
the Voice of Wisdom, and the only Almighty One. 
As you cry out for times of refreshing, for a change in the hearts of men, for a move of my Spirit across the lands of Earth, my command to you is that you begin to create an atmosphere where I may speak My plans according to My Word and according to My prerogatives.
I will lead you and guide you with enough light each day as you come to that narrow place with me. I will strengthen your weakened spiritual muscles as you dialogue in honesty with me and repent of foolish choices and foolish actions that have caused many to be shattered and shamed because you spoke out of a calling, rather than out of following my voice.
Begin to dig ditches in prayer. 
Become entrenched and immersed in it, never ceasing. Prepare places where my rain may fall and cause a fresh drinking place for those yet to taste of my goodness, as well as for those who are thirsty within my Body.
 
Begin to dig ditches in prayer in dry places, with humility and goodness. 
Lean upon me, trust in me, do not lean upon your own understanding, for you have well seen that having done this in the past you have missed many opportunities to prepare a way of salvation for others.
 
“I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)
So comfort yourself, weary and tried believer with this thought.
Does not the word come like a soft shower, quieting the fury of the flame? 
Is it not a fireproof armor against the heat, which will then have no power? Whatever happens to you in this valley of weeping, know that I have chosen it for you.
 
If you still require an even greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of man with you in the valley. In that secret place with you.  
There He sits by your side, One whom you have not seen but whom you love, and whether you know it or not, this is the true friend who sticks closely by you.
I will never leave one whom I have chosen as my own.
 
Great grace. Great mercy. Great promise. 
All these are yours, extended from my hand, and for you to extend from your hand.
 
NOW IS THE TIME…
…to live out the heart and life of the servant as I lead you with the little light that you have at this time. 
It is all you need as long as it comes from me. 
It is a time to learn to march forward, to dig ditches, to prepare, so that others may also drink freely with no restraints.
When I come and speak to you and move among you, I express everything that is pure and lovely and has a good report, and sin and uncleanliness depart.
Peace also rains when I move with humble power.
Gentleness will be the result of my transforming power. 
Harmlessness will follow, for hearts that are touched by me are never exhibiting any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness.
 
My grace is sufficient for you, and you will find it if you will seek it, and above all if you will express it.
 
“Be strong in the grace that is in me.” (2 Timothy 2:1)
As a reservoir empties itself into pipes, so have I emptied out my grace for my people in this next wave of My Heart. 
Of my fullness you have received grace for Grace. Grace is always available from me without price.
“Keep yourselves from overconfident, arrogant sins.” (Psalm 19:13)
You will certainly stumble if you look away from the One who is able to keep you from falling. Be very cautious about pushing yourself to the forefront of public gatherings and among the more visible.
If you are to be used in higher visibility, let it be Me who promotes you there. Some who drive themselves to the forefront will also have greater scrutiny and unfortunate exposure of hidden agendas and unholy transactions in 2020 and sadly will be brought low again because of their self presumption of importance. 
 
If your love is fervent, your faith constant, and your hope bright, continue nonetheless to be on your guard and cry out, “Keep us from temptation!”
 
The  seasons revolve according to my Divine appointment and man cannot change their schedule. In the spiritual as in the natural realm, man’s power is limited.
I alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or from a church.
Let me hear you say, “Not my will but as you will oh Lord! 
As you yield to me my people, I will yield in return and bring the sweetness of my Holy Presence into your very homes, your gatherings, whether modest or larger numbers are attending. I look for honest, wisdom filled, and humble people to move among and to move through.  
Let it be, as I desire! As I will!  Allow me to determine  what is the best for you. 
Be content to leave your prayer and your petitions in my hands.
I know when to give, how to give, what to give, and what to withhold.
As you visit me in the secret place of repentance and brokenness, as the path becomes narrower, seeking me earnestly and often times pleading, with humility and resignation, you shall surely prevail.
I am the light on your pathway. And, I AM all you need.”
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed, provided that the complete message or article and website information for Mary Lindow is included.   Thank You!
Copyright © 2020 " THE MESSENGER "~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com   www.globalprayerrooms.com  http://marylindow.podbean.com/mobile/
 
 
Do you or a loved one need prayer?
There are faithful intercessors around the world who are ready and who are prepared to pray for you.
 Please send your Requests to:
GlobalPrayerRooms@protonmail.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist and bless the needs that Mary has when asked to travel and minister or to helping her to meet other administrative needs such as web site and podcast costs,  or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:  
Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: 
► Personal Checks
► Business Checks
► Money Orders
► Cashiers Checks 
To: His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver  Colorado 80614 USA
Or feel free to use our send a tax deductible gift with 
Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow
Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.
ALL gifts are tax deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance
since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU!

THE DAYS OF TRANSFORMATION - "FROM FRAGILE TO FERVENT"

 
 
By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit
If you would ask the true "heart determined" believer in Christ today just what it is that they need now more than ever, it would be totally answered by the very raw words;
“I am need to have full clarity of mind and a fearless trust in the knowledge of how much God loves me.”
 
WE ARE IN ONE HOT REFINERS FIRE!
People are winding up in anger, disbelief and frustration over this "Unfair" season the Bride of Christ is in! It just isn't fair! We have been so good! We have laid down everything!
Why oh why are WE being singled out?
“I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.”
~ Psalm. 69:3
 
“ I am weary with my sighing; every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
~ Psalm. 6:6
Does this sound like you right now?
 
EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE TESTED SOMETIME!
The strongest impression I have received from the Father about the condition of His Bride is this. When things are going "fabulously" for her, when all of heaven is blessing, she wants to keep it that way! If she is not in a place of great humility and thankfulness for what the Lord is doing, she tends to assume that, “It’s about time folks knew just how long I've been waiting for them to see just how great this church, or ministry or intellectual skill I've been soooo blessed with is!”
 
Then comes the attitude that we have to keep it allotted to only a few “real winners” like ourselves, and we become exclusive and look for only high rollers to run with.
And then. AGAIN comes the TEST.
Persecution comes, mug slinging, attacks on personal integrity, character assassination, and again the fiery trial.........of our soul.
 
TO REMOVE IMPURITIES - GOD USES A HOT OVEN!
These trials as if by fire are only to test our faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-- and our faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.
“So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” ~ I Peter chapter 1: 7
 
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
The Lord is working the Bride overtime right now to deal with selfish ambition, personal comfort, and any other areas of personal agenda or presumption.
YES! Presumption.
We as Christians have often presumed that because we are Christians…
…we should never experience severe sorrow, grief, loss, or devastation.
This “fairy tale” stems from a huge level of denial and total self focus. It is also a very Western culture mindset.
 
A dear friend of mine who went to China and who was visiting a Chinese underground church group, had a reality check that shook her to the core of her faith.
She thought that she was coming to this group to “help and bless them.”
When they asked her what could they pray for the church in American about in order to bless them she was flummoxed! Her reply was, “We came to see how we might help you! ” How can we pray for you?”
The response back was, “Pray that we would not be fearful or silent about the gospel of Jesus we share when the authorities beat us or imprison us. Pray that we remain strong enough physically to endure the persecution we receive and not fear what man may do to us.”
SOBERING ISN’T IT!
When others around us are going through loss, trauma, or heart breaking circumstances, sadly, many believers turn away in disgust or even more disturbing, display an arrogant attitude of thinking they are more blessed by God because their lives are not so complex or “shattered” as those around them who must have done SOMETHING wrong to bring these things upon themselves.
Regrettably, some of the pain some saints are experiencing is due to the disobedience of those in the Body of Christ around them! They resist the hand of God and react against others in retaliation toward God bringing correction or exposure to their secret lifestyle of personal gain or need for power!
 
WE ARE NOT ALONE!
“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners
against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”
Heb. 12:3
 
Admit it! It is hard to not lose heart right now!
The world is in a tailspin and lukewarm Christians are showing their true colors! It's time to deal with this! It is NOT going to go away!
AGONY IS MORE SEVERE WHEN IT IS "ENHANCED" BY BETRAYAL!
Jesus went through it. Stephen went through it and so did hundreds of others! AND it hurts, and disillusions, and causes us to be so very very weary!
 
“You will be delivered up and betrayed even by parents and
brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] of you they will
put to death.
Luke 21:16
 
THE TRANSFORMATION FROM FRAGILE …
…TO FERVENT IS COMING!
“When?” You may ask…..
For my determined purpose is that I may know Him. That I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death, in the hope…
… That if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead even while in the body.
Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do, it is my one aspiration, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
_Philippians 3:10-14 (Amplified Bible)
 
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THE LORD WOULD REQUIRE:
1.) To gain HIS strength, we must relinquish our power or control
over what we think of others. We will be judged by the way we
judge others when they struggle. Pious and lofty lectures are not
the Kingdom language of healing and restoration. Loving-
kindness and Mercy reveal the heart of godly maturity in a
believer when dealing with the sorrows and anguish of others.
“Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
Or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs
To a heavy heart.”
Proverbs 25:20
 
2.) Reach out in kindness to those under fire.
Encourage them to stand. Encourage them to seek the Lord.
Bless them and don't talk about them when they struggle!
"The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples,
That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens me morning by morning,
He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple."
Isaiah 50:4 3
 
3.) Get still. Stop organizing, planning, and pushing ahead into
oblivion! God really does have a plan!
“Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord, Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become cynical. “
Is. 40:30 -31
 
4.) TRUST FOR A MOMENT!
It's all about trusting God in the end. Oh yes it is!
Will He REALLY refresh us in this time of struggle?
His Loving Word says so.
“For I satisfy the weary ones,
And refresh everyone who languishes."
Jer. 31:25 5
 
THE LORD IS PRODUCING ENDURANCE WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT!
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;
For once he has been approved,
He will receive the crown of life,
Which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:12
 
THE FATHER IS URGING US TO RUN TO HIM.
He is there! Even in the fog of struggle, loss, anxiety, and also in seeming success.
He wants us to be desperate for Him and rely wholly on His voice.
To make all of our decisions based on His plan for the whole earth!
 
Seek Him.
Lean into His Voice.
Elevate Grace and Mercy…
…And lower your own opinion of yourself and your abilities to
“lecture” others into healing or restoration.
 
WALK SOBERLY IF YOU ARE LIVING IN ABUNDANCE AT THIS TIME, ON ANY LEVEL.
Keep the vigil of prayer you are keeping for others well lit by the reflecting memories of past times when you yourself needed the Merciful Hand of God to lift you from agony and redeem your life from the pit.
 
Let us be so devoted to the “One” who lavished and spilled out all He had, that we might repeat His actions, and in so doing, bring His Glory to it’s fullest measure and depth.
His Mercy….
…Endures.
Forever.
 
“Then will the lame leap like a deer,  And the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness,  And streams in the desert.”
Isaiah 35:6
*****************************************
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You
Copyright © 2019 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
http://marylindow.podbean.com/mobile/

A Christmas Message - "What Chains And Fetters You?"

 
 
By Mary Lindow
Greetings Brothers and Sisters!
 I’m sure that you’ll remember the story that on Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge is locked up in the darkness of his dim house. Dickens tells us, “Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
Today, we still know that darkness is cheap, easy to find, and its raw materials of despair and denial are in abundant supply.
Scrooge liked darkness, as we often do, because it hides what we fear, keeps us from facing what is true, and allows us to be blind to truth. But like so many things that come cheaply, our overindulgence in them comes at great cost.
Out of Scrooge’s darkness appears the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner. Marley comes not to haunt Scrooge, but to free him. Scrooge sees that Marley is bound in chains. “Why are you fettered?” Scrooge asks.
“I wear the chain I forged in life,” Marley says. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard,” and he tells Scrooge that the chain that will fetter him in the darkness is even longer, heavier and harder still, if he does not leave the darkness.
WOW! There is a lot of wisdom here!
Though chains placed by others might fetter us, most of our chains are forged by the part of our spiritual self that likes the darkness and shuns the light. Marley was fettered to cashboxes, deeds and ledgers, as was Scrooge.
What would fetter or chain you?
Brothers and Sisters, the life of any leader or person in some form of care, supervision or one with employees or volunteer workers, a person with a bit of over-site over others, needs to be bravely examined, fully exposed to the pure and strong light of God’s eyes and checked often for hardness of heart, the love of acumen, pride in achievements and the over lording of others.
Jesus coming into the world—God in human skin—announced what had been hoped forever, that the captive person would be released from the darkest prisons—physical and spiritual. To our inner spiritual soul, our chains and fetters will be crushed, if we are willing to leave the darkness. Like Scrooge, do we need to be “scared out”? Shaken from slumber?
Scrooge could not receive the simple gift of Christmas, so ghosts rather than grace were sent. But, the result is love.
We need the light of God’s love that by its very nature is a love that comes to give us and those we serve, value and worth, not a love that comes because we are already valuable and worthy.
The entire point of "A Christmas Carol" is that Scrooge is entirely unworthy of God’s mercy, because Scrooge has no mercy! But! Mercy and love come to Scrooge through the judgment of the ghosts, and this "transformation" makes the unworthy Scrooge, worthy again.
The light of God that comes as love, forgiveness and hope is a light that brings judgment. I know that most of us get uncomfortable when talking about God’s judgment, because we are so afraid that we are unworthy of God’s love.
But, look at Scrooge! Without God’s light, without the promise of God’s love, Scrooge is doomed!
It is love and judgment bringing him into the light. Can we now see that judgment by God as a form of God’s love? His way of exposing the darkness of our own souls? Romans 2:16 has proof of this probing of our secret lives!!
“And this is the message I proclaim--that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.”
 
Oh friends! Will we ever fully learn that God does not love us because we have value, but instead, HE loves us to give us worth? Life without the pure love of God coursing through our being is a vapor and miserable! 
Let's say to the Spirit of God with all of our hearts, the words Scrooge humbly uttered after he was confronted and faced his darkened heart.
"I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year."
 
What is Christmas?
When Heaven kissed earth with the greatest act of sacrifice...
... Sending us a Redeemer.
Who is Christ the Lord?
He IS THE Spirit, of CHRISTmas!
  
Let’s Humbly Pray this prayer together,
Father God, be gracious to me I pray, according to your loving- kindness. Father, my sins are heavy against me and my soul is troubled. For the many wrongs I have done against you and for the many evil thoughts and unholy attitudes I have allowed to influence my heart, and rule my life, for far to long.
I have sought to condone my wrongdoings, and ignore the voice of my conscience within. And I ask your forgiveness for my foolish pride, in ignoring the gentle promptings of Your Holy Spirit.
Forgive me I pray, and restore to me the joy of your salvation. For you have promised that all who truly confess their sins will be forgiven and returned back into a right relationship with you - and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Lord the sacrifice of my heart is brokenness before You, My soul is truly contrite and my desire is to return into a right relationship with you. I know that the consequences of my wrong choices may remain with me for a long time – but I ask that in Your grace and mercy You would forgive my sins and cleanse my soul and restore me into a right relationship with Yourself – and my heart will rejoice in God my Savior, in Whose name I pray,
Amen.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information                for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You Copyright © 2018
 “THE MESSENGER "~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
http://www.marylindow.podbean.com
If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist and bless the needs that Mary has when asked to travel and minister or to helping her to meet other administrative needs such as web site and podcast costs, 
or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:  
Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: 
► Personal Checks
► Business Checks
► Money Orders
► Cashiers Checks 
To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. 
PO Box 1253
Denver  Colorado 80614
USA
Or feel free to use our send a tax deductible gift with 
Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow
Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.
ALL gifts are tax deductible under
His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU! 
 

“THE GREAT COMING WHIRLWIND” - A Prophetic Insight

By the Holy Spirit through Mary Lindow
“The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
And he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.
The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.”
-Nahum 1:3 
 We are in high-pressured days that seem as if
everything around us is in a great whirlwind.
The noise coming from
the media, the weather patterns, the sounds of war, the sounds of people crying
out for “Justice” and the sounds of people crying out because they feel like
there's been too much “In-justice”.
THE LORD WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THESE WORDS IN THIS HOUR TO THOSE THAT HAVE EARS TO HEAR.
I know there are many
MANY prophetic words being ushered into the media outlets by so many people and
many have been spoken out in meetings and conferences.  I wish that I could tell you that every
single voice you're listening to and every promise that is being made to you
regarding great wealth, great promotion, and great open doors are accurate. But
deep down inside of your spirit man, there is something stirring that you
cannot explain. It's that knowing that something is coming, that something has
begun out there in the world that we cannot see, but that we know in the
spirit.
WE ARE IN A TIME LIKE NONE OTHER ON AND IN THE EARTH.
But, we do have
reference points to go to that tell of similar warnings and events that took
place in the past. We can remember when Lot chose to go for the things that
were more pleasing to his flesh and where he would have more abundant provision
and opportunity for business trade, but in the end he was stuck in the city
where there was nothing but illicit sex, graft, stealing and robbing, and
eventually total desolation and demolition. Even as the Lord provided a way of
escape, his wife still had the smell, the stench of the worldly life in her
heart, and she turned around to look one more time, fondly, over her shoulder,
at the home that she dreaded to leave behind.
LOOK AT THE DAYS OF NOAH WHEN HE WAS MOCKED AND LAUGHED AT. He
did not build that famous ark in a month! No! It took a long, long period of
time to build the ark out in the middle of nowhere!   A simple study of
the Bible text shows that the time from when God told Noah to build the ark,
till the rain fell was no longer than about 75 years.
And yet he obeyed
God.  If we read carefully, it says that
the Lord himself drew the animals to the ark. First, it is necessary to note
that Noah was not told to gather the animals. He was commanded only to build
the Ark, large enough for all the animals, and simply receive the animals when
they arrived. "And of every living thing of all flesh, . . . two of every
sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive" (Genesis 6:19-20).
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THAT THERE IS A
WHIRLWIND COMING.
In Jeremiah
23:19 God is talking about a whirlwind that He has sent—a violent
windstorm. The false
prophets have said, "No bad is coming" (verse 17).God says, "Do they ever listen to me? I've said, 'I'm sending a whirlwind, and
it's going to fall on the heads of the wicked.' How dare they say that
everything is going to be okay!”
What is coming is bigger
and broader and wider and more destructive than anything else that we have ever
seen. I don't know if it's a nuclear war! I don't know if it's bizarre weather
patterns! And I don't know if it's not just a whirlwind of new kinds of ideas
being foisted upon mankind.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THIS.
There are people who are
aware in the spirit that the only stronghold in place right now, a place of
immunity and safety, is in prayer and in in surrendering to all that the Lord
is asking of them. Many of you are stretched beyond the point that no one can
understand. Their financial resources have been given and given again to help
others, and yet their own supply seems to be dwindling. There are those who
have poured into the lives of others, poured into businesses, poured into
mentoring and training others, and yet it appears as if when they reach out
there's nothing left in the pantry for them.
 
THE LORD WANTS THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN GIVING, GIVING, GIVING -TO
CHECK YOUR HEARTS ONE MORE TIME.
If HE told you to give
and to serve and to sacrifice, then you can be guaranteed one thing. He does
not withhold from those who have been faithful.
“But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and
he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. - 2 Corinthians
9:6 
"And God, who
supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the
seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your
generosity." -2 Corinthians 9:10
I want to encourage you
right now in the spirit to understand the time that we are in, is a time when
nothing is making sense when trying to apply the past patterns and methods or,
the natural way of living. It's going to
take a determined, dogged, supernatural approach to understand the seasons the
days and the times.
God already understands
all of this, but He is not going to communicate to people who will then try to
communicate it in natural terms to those who don't have ears to hear. He's
going to communicate truth and wisdom to those were willing to allow their own
hearts to go into the fire of refining and changing the way that they have done
things in the past.
“The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts
have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
-Psalm 111:10
DIFFICULTIES REQUIRE NEW STRATEGIES.
Hard times require sober
minds and the determination not to be towed under by destruction and despair.
WE ARE NOT TO BE FOCUSING ON THE NOISE IN THE WHIRLWIND AROUND US IN
THIS WORLD, even though it sure does
draw our attention from the left and the right! We are to instead, focus on a
specific path, a narrowing of vision and a “one direction” place.
 And what exactly does that all
mean?
It means that we are to seek
the Face of the Father. 
And I mean seek and to seek, and to seek again. Continually.
“Seek the LORD and his
strength, seek his face continually.”
-1 Chronicles 16:11 
We have got to break
down those things that are holding back the move of God in all denominations of
the Christian faith.
It will only come by Seeking His Face,Seeing His Heart
for people
And
Hearing His Plans
for them, and for us!Oh how the Father wants to
bring a fresh move of his presence through His word and through His glorious
goodness and mercy!HE IS GOING TO BRING CORRECTION TO ALL DENOMINATIONS; all
walks that claim to have Jesus Christ as the head of the faith! So many smugly
think that because they have been charismatics or that they have been “spirit-filled”
they have a higher attained level of wisdom and discernment! This is nothing
but plain arrogance. If anything, there should be a more refined level of
humility and thankfulness for the fact that we have access through the gifts to
flow in the fruits of the Spirit.
“The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for
all that is exalted (and they will be humbled).”
Isaiah 2:12 
THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD SAY THESE WORDS TO US TODAY
“Yes, the winds are
blowing and they are harsh winds and some are absolutely destructive winds!
Everything that does not stand under the power of my word and is not anchored
in Me shall be shifted and blown and shaken, and at times the winds of drastic
change will draw away the dross from the wheat. I am sifting and shaking, and
shaking and sifting again and again until my people understand they do not live
in a time where making demands and commands to Me operate well.
I am looking for a people
who will bow low enough before Me and get quiet and seek My will, MY WILL
for planet earth! This world is fading away quickly and mankind is corrupted
each day more and more to go the way of the flesh.
YOU MUST PUT AWAY THE NOISE! You must put away the
noise in your life and enter into the place were in the center of the storm is
the eye. MY EYE is upon the
righteous, My eye is upon those that are fruitful and faithful, and fruitful to
Me may be different than fruitful to you!
You cannot serve two masters,
yet many have tried to justify the shutting away of My convicting voice when I
have told them to go back and make right the situations where they have done grievous
damage to others who are supposedly their family members in Christ.
If you cannot repent and
get relationships right in the Kingdom now, I cannot use you to forge new relationships
in the future in My Kingdom. If you have bitterness, anger and jealousy in your
heart, it will manifest with shaming and name-calling, as well as condescending
and destroying another's capability to serve me well.
The days of selfish
ambition and immaturity are closely coming to an end. My light, My life, My word and My ways are perfect! I will not
deviate from My plan for the Kingdom of God in the earth. I am looking for a
people who will not listen to the accusation of others nor slander and destroy
their brother and sisters because of another's opinion, or perhaps because they
themselves were brought a loving correction or warning and instead, turned
around and shamed the messenger.
I see you all and I am
fully aware of the things that have been done in My name to hide behind selfish
ambition. A judgment time is coming!
Know this. I am about to
expose those who abuse the gifts, abuse their titles and abuse the finances
that I have deemed for the kingdom and I'm going to bring their names to the
forefront to save their souls!
Yes, the whirlwinds may
blow, and the storms and winds will be continuing to cycle and swirl. But I'm
looking for those who are willing to stay in the center of My Eye, where there
is quiet and there is calm and there is discernment, direction and wisdom for
these devastating days.
To those in the center of My Eye, I will pour out a wisdom
beyond mankind's understanding and they will rise up and have the words that
will bring direction, correction, and light into dark places.
The eyes of the Lord keep watch
over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of
the traitor.
-Proverbs 22:12
"For a man's ways are before the
eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths."
-Proverbs 5:21
Stand prepared, for I'm
doing this thing regardless of whether man is ready or not. I am that I Am and
I will have my way in the earth, says the Lord of Hosts.
For this
is what the high and exalted One says-- He who lives forever, whose name is
holy:
"I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite
and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart
of the contrite.”
-Isaiah
57:15 
Duplication
and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message and
all websites and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank
You! Copyright © 2016
"
THE MESSENGER " Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
http://marylindow.podbean.com/feed/  (podcast)