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
www.marylindow.podbean.com
Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful 
And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts 
and Audio Messages.
THANK YOU!
Please go to PAYPAL to donate or support this blog: 
Donate to the tax-deductible ministry name of: 
paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.) 
Or You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to: 
His Beloved Ministries INC 
PO Box 1253 
Eastlake CO 80614 
United States

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
 
If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry 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 - Mary Lindow - 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.
THANK YOU!
 
 

"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 
for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!
Copyright © 2025 - "THE MESSENGER " ~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist and bless Mary to minister, helping her to meet needs such as web site and podcast and video teaching 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 
 
THANK YOU!
To Learn More About Steve and Mary Lindow Click Picture 
Do you or a loved one need prayer?
There are faithful intercessors around the world who areready and who are prepared to pray for you.
 Please Click Picture To Send Prayer Requests
 

"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
 
If you would be so kind to assist Mary by helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video messages and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led offerings 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 80614USA 
 
Or feel free to use or send a tax-deductible gift with
 
Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow 
Under the name of - Mary Lindow - His Beloved Ministries 
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
THANK YOU!
 
To Learn More About Steve and Mary 
Click this Picture!
👇🏽
👆🏽
Do You Need Prayer?
Click the picture to send a request!
 

"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
 
If you would be so kind  to ask the Father if you might assist Mary, helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry 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.
Thank You!
☝︎CLICK TO JOIN KINGDOM PRAYER ROOMS!
Click picture to get to know a little bit more about us
and our heart to serve Jesus.

The Night That I Totally Blew Off the Warning of The LORD!

It’s not just “my opinion” that playing close to the edge of occult involvement is a trap and a lure.
It’s my very deep conviction after having a full on and horrifying experience when we were young and first married.
Steve and I had watched a James Bond 007 show earlier that evening called "Live and Let Die", with a lot of “harmless” voodoo, (incantations and curses being put on people) and "fun" spies disturbing graves, and dark evil spirits attacking them.
While we were watching, I had a very quiet but persistent warning inside my heart to “stop watching the show”.
I blew it off saying to myself that, “I could handle it…
 It was just a show… harmless entertainment.”
After we had gone to bed and had fallen asleep, I was awakened by a loud crashing sound outside of our bedroom door, which was our living room. I turned my head to look in that direction and standing in the door frame was a hunched over, very tall, long haired, naked from waist up, long armed, pig snouted with a brass ring pierced through it, hairy being.
I thought I was maybe dreaming so I shook my head and rubbed my eyes to see if I was just coming out of a bad dream. Nope.
The dark being was still there.
My body was paralyzed in fear and I could not move to wake Steve.
I spoke to the hideous creature and told it to leave in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ.
It just laughed at me and began to move into the room and alongside the bed, heading towards me. I said the same words again and it laughed, saying, "YOU invited me into your home tonight! I have every right to be here!"
I immediately knew that I had rejected the warning of The Holy Spirit to not watch the show. I was crying in terror and said, “Jesus… Please forgive me for ignoring your warning! I repent and apologize for blowing you off!”
At that point, the demonic thing stopped at the foot of the bed and was very agitated. I was no longer paralyzed with fear and then spoke to it again, telling it that I was forgiven by Jesus and that in HIS NAME, the evil being had to leave our home.
It still stood there frustrated and I told it again that the power of Christ and His poured out blood on the cross for my sins cried out against this attack and that it must leave. It started to whimper and walked towards the wall and then, walked right through it, and left.
Immediately, Steve woke up and asked what was the crashing sound! I told him everything that happened. He got up and went out to the living room. On the floor was a weather station type of decoration that we had firmly screwed into our wall. It had “somehow” ripped itself off the wall, jumped 8 inches and onto our record player, (yes…. we had vinyls!) sending the needle across the worship record we played often every day.
Both Steve And I Knew At That Point
That We Could Never Again Justify Or Blow Off
The Warning From The Father About
Our Entertainment Choices.
 
We were called to be worshippers and to not ever allow a strongman from hell into our home.
Here Are Some Reasons The Scriptures Warn Against
Engaging In Any Form Of The Occult:
➡ We are opening ourselves up to spirits other than God’s.
➡ We are not looking to God for guidance, but to the occult.
➡ We are turning away from true faith in Jesus.
➡ We are disobeying God’s word, the Bible.
 
The Israelites often made the same mistake and turned from God, although God clearly warned them about this.
“When you enter the land The LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or who consults the dead. 

Anyone who does these things is detestable to The LORD, and because of these detestable practices The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before The LORD your God. 

 
The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, The LORD your God has not permitted you to do so,” Deuteronomy 18:9-14.
 
Saul, Israel’s first king, started out well. He expelled mediums and spiritualists from the land, then violated God’s word and his own conscience by consulting a medium (1 Samuel 28:3-25). His end was tragic (1 Samuel 31:1-6).
 
New Testament Christians turned from sorcery. We really need to let their example serve as an inspiration and a warning.
“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of The LORD spread widely and grew in power.” Acts 19:18-20.
 
These verses are given to us as warnings.
God wants us to learn from the examples he gives in the Bible, and to avoid making the same mistakes. He loves us and wants us to turn from anything that will get between us and the safe spiritual life that he offers.
Bible verses warning about mediums and spiritualists:
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritualists, for you will be defiled by them. I AM The LORD your God,” Leviticus 19:31.
“I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritualists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people,” Leviticus 20:6.
“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritualists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” Isaiah 8:19.
 
So these are the things, these are the scriptures that the Lord has given us, the warnings are there, and also the consequences! I can tell you that ever since then, I have been fully aware of when there’s something on television or when people want to watch a movie or, there’s people beginning to talk on a New Age level of intellectualism. Or, they talk about some of the things they’re partaking in for “medical practices”, or, different kinds of exercise programs, my first thought is, “If it has to have something to do with the occult or if it has to have something to do with “freeing your mind” so that you can relax and so your body is at peace”.
These are the lures that the enemy uses to draw us into other gods, and some Christian individuals actually say, “Oh, we’re not worshiping the god, we’re just doing things with the name of the Lord on it.”
The Lord doesn’t put his name on anything occult, and he never will, because he is The Sovereign, Ultimate Strength, THE  Sovereign Ultimate King, and he is The Voice that speaks to his people.
The word talks about those that know the voice of the Lord, the sheep, they know his voice, but the voice of strangers they will not follow, SO, I encourage you that during this time in the Earth, when the occult practices are literally overwhelming schools, college campuses, exercise regimes, television, movies, videos, (the Super Bowl was packed with these for years) to not engage!
Many of the performing artists that are considered “popular musicians” have sold their souls to demonic activity in order to become wealthy. This is how it works many times, you make a pact with the devil for fame fortune and greatness, but there’s always a price to pay and that is that you are captive, held captive, and many times these people can’t get out without a tremendous amount of threat against them.
 
I’m Now Going To Lead You In A Prayer.
I feel in my spirit that the reason I was to put this on this podcast is that there are some of you who have been saying, “I need to know if this is really bad for me or if I’m being ridiculous, and being too stringent or too rigid”.
Let me tell you something. You can never be too rigid against Satanic involvement in your life and you can never be too stringent against saying, “is there anything that I am opening the door to in my home that can affect my children’s sleep, affect my health, affect the safety of our home,” because our homes are to be a place of peace for the presence of God, a sanctuary for God to reside on a more personal level.
The word says, “don’t you know you’re a temple of the Holy Spirit?”  When Jesus comes into our spirit, when the spirit of God comes to dwell inside of us after we surrender and we say, “Take that part of my life and use it”, that part dictates from the inside out. But, if we let our mind get in there and say, “I can handle it! I can handle it! It’s not that big of a deal! I feel so good! It’s good entertainment.  My body feels great when I engage in meditation!” (What kind of meditation?) 
Why do you need to meditate on something that is not bringing the presence of God closer to you, and you, closer to the presence of God? 
Because our flesh doesn’t want to be convicted.
Our flesh does not like the discipline of getting still, or studying the word of God, or resting in his presence, and worshiping him. Not unless we discipline it and train it, and grow in his word so we see the gratitude of how, IT is, the voice that controls and speaks to our spirit, causing us to be at peace and to war against the things of darkness.
We live in high-pressure times, and the warfare, (yes, it is warfare), it is demonic war against God‘s people, and, the number one thing is fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and then, just go ahead and escape for a little while.  Watch something on TV. The Flesh says, “Go ahead! Watch some of those movies on Netflix that have some horror scenes or a lot of heavy sex. You can handle it!
The "F word" is being used a lot, and now many other words have become commonplace. But you see the thing is, WE CAN’T, handle it! Because it gets into our brains, it gets into our minds. It gets into our way of thinking, and it dulls our ability to hear the clear and clean pure words of the Lord.
If you don’t want to walk with Jesus, 100% and you want a lukewarm walk, then you’re going to be susceptible to demonic activity in your life, and unfortunately if you have children, you’re opening the door to them, and the Lord talks in that one scripture about not letting children pass through the fire.
 
We Are Not To Offer Our Children Up In Sacrifice
To Demonic Activity, And Yet A Lot Of Parents
Go Ahead And Sacrifice Their Kids To A Lot Of
Occult Practices Because “It’s Hard To Be Different”.
 
You don’t have to have to be locking the doors, and turning the light bulbs out all the time for fear that the devil is coming to get you! But! I can tell you this! You do want to shut your door to occult practices and the doors that come through your iPads, your computers, and your television screens.
These are the places; these are the entry points that the enemy uses. Those out there preparing programming, the majority of them in the world are all geared towards doing satanic and fearful programming and if anything, they like to do “shock value” enticing types of programs to bring stimuli and fear! That’s how they get better listeners or viewers or people chatting and talking! But their goal is not to bring goodness or peace or safety. Their goal is to get you to come back and be addicted to more or “fascinated”.
 
This is where that word “fascination” and “magical” comes in.  We just feel like we’re mesmerized and drawn in, and we kind of want to know how it works. We want to know how it ends! And then before you know it, your mind has been seared, your conscience has been compromised. Then enters the guilt and then the shame, and then the hiding, and guess who did that?
When Adam and Eve engaged with the snake in the garden, he trapped them and lured them, and said, “It’s not that big of a deal! You can handle it! Did God really say that to you?”But once they tasted of evil, they were forever changed. They were forever changed and lost their innocence, and forever change mankind.
Imagine how much that sin nature is affecting us!
Thank goodness that Jesus came to wash us clean and poured out his life, and endured a horrible sacrifice for us, so that we would have a chance to have our minds cleaned. If we are introducing our children to it, imagine the torment, and the things passing down to them.
 
 I encourage you now to pray with me, and if it’s not for you, If you don’t have this problem, but you’re saying, “I agree I’ve had experiences like this or I know what you’re talking about!”
If you have family members maybe you have children, if you have a spouse, if you have grandchildren that are engaging in specific kinds of occultic things, (and friends you know with a lot of the PlayStation games and different kinds of Xbox games), there’s a tremendous amount of demonic looking creatures and a lot of darkness in those games and yeah, I guess, “you can handle it”, but if you’re murdering and killing and having guns shooting and bloodlust all the time, eventually, is it a just a game? Has it become a conquering or have you become desensitized?
SO! I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RETHINK WHERE
YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD IS.
 
Do you want to hear the voice of the Lord?
Do you want to hear the Lord speaking clearly about the times about the days?
Do you want to hear him protecting you, telling you to get in the car and leave now, or “don’t go to the grocery store” or “don’t go down “that” street”? 
He WILL lead you like that and protect you!
 
Do you want the Lord to tell you his secrets?
Did you know that he tells them to his servants? But! He tells them to those that will spend time in his presence, seeking his voice, seeking to know him more. 
I encourage you to consider, "which tastes better".
The presence of God, and hearing his voice, or a temporary high and excitement, or the thrill that wears off, and then you’re buried in guilt, or harassed by something dark?
 
I’m just going to pray now. I’m going to ask you just to pray with me or agree with me in prayer for those that you know need to be free.
Heavenly Father, we come to you and Father you say that you roam the Earth to and fro, with your eyes you are looking all over the Earth, searching for those who will serve you, searching for those who will obey you.  Lord you know all things, you see all things, and you hear all things.
You are aware of the assignments of darkness against our families, against our children, against our grandchildren, against our spouses, against our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.
Father, we stand before you now individually and ask you for a clean heart. We ask you to wipe the slate clean of anything that we may have engaged in.
First of all we say we’ve sinned against you because it’s the truth.  If we’ve done these things we have done them against you. We have put our eyes upon idols or things at the world calls, current and exciting and we think that we’re just fitting in, as a part of it or maybe it seems like it’s not harmless. It looks like everybody else is doing fine.
Lord, l you know the condition of each man’s heart, and Lord you know those that are using this as a lure, so Father, we stand before you, and we ask that you would create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Don’t cast us away from your presence!
Lord, we don’t want your Holy Spirit taken from us, because we choose to listen to other evil spirits are divining spirits!
Now Lord, we say to you, we ask if there’s anything in our lives, anything in the lives of our families that they are engaging in or things that we have become accustomed to, that you would show us clearly and concisely, vividly, the things that we have put our hand to that are not from you.
Lord, we repent, we apologize. We are ashamed that we would allow even the whisper of a demonic subtlety to enter into our home.
We want to be the stewards, good stewards of what you’ve given us in children, in our spouses and our grandchildren. So we ask that you would put a barrier between us and the darkness, that conviction would rise up again, that we would heed your voice, and not the voice of a stranger!
Lord your word says whether we turn to the left or turn to the right, there you are right behind as a voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it”.
Lord, forgive us for thinking that we don’t want to be different or strange in this world, that we don’t want to be ridiculed. Father we are a peculiar people as you said, you made us and fashioned us to stand out in the dark world, and when we gave our lives to you, we committed that you would be Lord, Savior, King, Ruler, Master over our lives, and we apologize to you for ever touching anything that gave others mastery over us.
Now Father, we just come before you, and ask you to wash us clean. Wash our children, wash our grandchildren clean, wash our families clean.
Lord, we apologize and ask that now you would make the rudder of our ship turn back out to the direction where we seek you, and seek you alone. That the entertainment choices that we make in the future will be with wisdom and if there’s something on television that is dark or dirty, or evil or suggestive, we turn it off, we don’t just mute it. We turn it off. We will not let our eyes even watch, nor let our ears hear. 
Father. We thank you that you will speak loudly, “Don’t do that! Stop now!”  Just like you did to me. Father, we ask that you would speak loud and clear, because sometimes we’re dull of hearing.
Lord we submit to you, we glorify your name. We thank you, that you deliver us completely and you set us free when we’re captive to dark things.
We call upon the name of Jesus Christ who is God, who is the Son of God, the Sovereign king, and we thank you that the Holy Spirit is there to convict us of our sins. We thank you Triune being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the privilege of being called children of God.
Lord, teach us to act like children of God, in our every day lives, in Jesus most holy and powerful name against darkness.
Amen.
Mary Lindow © 2023  - “THE MESSENGER”
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed 
provided that complete message, website information and podcast link for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 

Copyright 2023 - "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 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 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!
 
 
 
 
 

“2022” - SQUEEZED, STRAIGHTENED AND A NARROWING PATHWAY - Insights and Words From The Holy Spirit

WE THINK THAT WE ARE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE about our own needs and ourselves! But, more often than not, we are just opinionated and headstrong people! 
 
By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit
 
WE THINK THAT WE ARE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE about our own needs and ourselves! But, more often than not, we are just opinionated and headstrong people! We refuse instructions from anyone who could tell us about the deeper things of the spirit, because “We know”, or… “Don’t want to know!” 
(How DARE you address this Mrs. Lindow)!!!
Hmmmm!  I think I will continue!! **smile**
 
We stumble along without anyone's help, and all the while we are overlooking that gnawing, “unsettled sense” inside of us, though if we paid attention to this we would see our true inner condition. It is in this way that we acclimate our souls to straggle along in a dark spiritual wilderness, and how we do ourselves so much harm.
 
MANY, MANY OTHER CHRISTIAN SOULS ARE JUST LIKE THIS.
They don't know how to do anything other than let their human senses guide them, and then one day, God intervenes. He arranges things so that one day when you are all alone, there will heave from within your heart a sudden surprising awareness of absolute emptiness. He may also cause you to have a feeling of complete emptiness, but an overwhelming sense of isolation from others, and a lot of loss.
“All of a person's ways seem right in his own opinion, 
But the LORD evaluates the motives.” -Proverbs 21:2
 
You see, there is nothing but a bottomless crater to look down into the deadness of our own souls if we are not fully committed to God. If you ever come to this place you will know how quickly your soul wants to run away and to rush to find something, anything at all, to "fill" itself up again with noise and activity.
Art! Food! Beautiful Clothing! The doing of generous deeds! Perfectionistic exercising and self-improvement to show your “Self” discipline! 
After all... PEOPLE are watching!
The reality of this is, So Is God.
 
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 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.
 
ALL OF YOUR FLESHY SOUL WILL WANT TO RADICALLY FIGHT THIS, 
and it will do so by trying to analyze what's happening!
All of this kind of behavior will just weigh you down, and it'll pull you back from walking in the spirit, to walking simply in your own understanding. 
The choice we all must make is encapsulated in this statement made by John the Baptist.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”  -John 3:30
 
Another translation of this verse says it even more plainly.
“He must become more important
while I become less important."
WHEW!
 
HEAVEN CAN BE ENTERED ONLY THROUGH THE NARROW GATE! 
The pathway to hell is broad,
and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes that choose its easy way.  
But the Gateway to Life is small,
and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. –Matthew 7:13-14
 
THE WORD “WAY” TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK WORD HODÓS LITERALLY MEANS “A NATURAL ROAD OR TRAVELED WAY”.  
It refers to a way of life or a way of thinking.
The word is used six times in the book of Acts as a substitute for Christianity itself.   We can quickly understand that the Christian faith is more than a one-time decision to accept Christ. It is a faith, which alters the very course of a life.
 
THE WORD “NARROW” COMES FROM THE GREEK VERB THLÍBO, WHICH MEANS TO PRESS OR CRUSH
AS A WORKER IN A VINEYARD MIGHT CRUSH GRAPES OR A CROWD OF PEOPLE MIGHT PRESS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. 
This word also means to experience trouble, difficulty, or affliction.
 
COMBINED WITH THE GREEK WORD HODÓS, IT INSINUATES A SQUEEZED, STRAITENED, OR NARROWING PATHWAY.
The cramped condition of the path seems to imply two valuable truths about the nature of the Christian life.
It is a way marked out by the will of God, and it is a way marked by difficulty and struggle.
Remember, when your soul discovers how to let the Holy Spirit bring it into this place of inner peace of learning to rest in this stillness, it’s only because God is carrying you in his arms and that you sense no toil or drive on your part.
Friends, this accomplishes much more than all of your own actions or works of performance, since God Himself, is at work inside of you.
 
“I am confident that the Creator, who has begun such a great work in you, will not stop in mid-design but will keep perfecting you until the day Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, returns to redeem the world.” -Philippians 1:6 (The Voice)
 
IF WE FACE “THE NARROWING”, THE CHALLENGE OF ALLOWING OUR SOUL,  OUR FLESH, TO BE FULLY HANDED OVER TO GOD’S PATHWAY,
HE WILL TEACH OUR SOUL HOW TO OVERCOME   
THREE OF THE MOST TOXIC OF SINS.
 
These sins are -  
Anger, Envy, and, an unwillingness to obey the Lord. 
 
These run wild through our stony and hardened hearts
and they eventually can crumble and ruin us.
 
YOU SEE, OUR SOULS DESIRE TO FIND COMPLETE HAPPINESS, BLISS, CONSOLATION AND SECURITY IN THIS WORLD, AND THIS CAN NEVER REALLY HAPPEN!
So, God has to show us our great darkness when our soul tries to find spiritual strength there, because there is no sweet and vibrant life when our soul is attached to the things of this world!  It’s a wide and gregarious path in the world, and the crowds on the pathway adore gratification and pleasure of every sort.
Our souls have a natural demand for wanting our own pleasure and achievement, and frustration causes these sins to grow, and they bring the very ugly fruit that is produced from them right into the light! OUCH!
 
THE LORD ALLOWS HIS TOOL OF DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES TO CRUSH AND TO CRACK OUR HARD SOULS.
He plants His word of light deep into our darkness. And He pours the living water of His spirit on our dryness and then we soften, as he uproots our old sluggish ways and our complaining about obeying God. Meaning, having to pass up our soothing comforts and pleasures.
 
NOW, I URGE YOU TO QUIET THE COMPLAINING OF YOUR SOUL, WITH ITS REBELLIONS.
We will naturally want to turn back to its pleasure and demands!  
But as the world goes further and further into broad deviations of every kind, you as a believer will face a fork in the road.
One of the most cunning temptations of the times that we live in right now for believers is the mindset that says,
“I’m not going to get into any trouble! I can handle things as a Christian just fine!
I wont actually “touch the fire” I’ll just play around it!” 
 
WHAT IS THAT FIRE? 
It’s justifying and adapting God’s often narrow and absolute instructions about relationships, marriage, sex, self-indulgence, arrogance, “harmless" Occult involvement and lording over those whom you feel are less astute or affluent as you.
 
GOD WILL AND HE MUST BRING THIS DRYNESS OUT OF OUR SOULS AND KILL THESE DEADLY ROOTS!
Quiet the pathetic demands of your soul for soothing comforts and a right to be angry and judgmental!
When your path seems empty and silent and desert dry, put your soul’s concentration on God alone. You can hardly imagine the harvest of a lasting joy that comes to you, when you learn to be free of your soul’s whining. It's there that God can speak quiet words! 
They will be so sweet and tender, and he will speak of his great love to us.
 
KNOW THIS. DRYNESS WILL TRY TO COME AGAIN AND AGAIN.      
It wants to lead you to self-justification and an easy escape from the hammer and chisel of God shaping your being, turning it into a reservoir for His purposes. 
It will try to come back with greater strength each time you resist. So stand your ground and stand firm in the quietness of your brokenness.  
 
Focus upon His presence guiding you down the narrowing path. 
He will come to you and His fresh guidance will be more amazing than anything your natural mind can imagine.
 
A PROPHETIC WORD FROM THE SPIRIT OF GOD
FOR THOSE FACING “THE NARROWING PATH”
 
“Darker and broader and louder come the shouts of world to draw you into its intricate webs.
These webs of deceit are spun with silken tongues and with the softness of the promise of an easier life.
 
There is a reckoning coming to those that sell lies and imprison those who buy their wares.  
But for those who are determined to not walk on a fence, trying to balance between their own thinking and me, there will be a “Divine Might” that will empower them to continue down the narrowing way.
Where does this narrowing journey lead? 
What is the payoff at the end?
 
As you become more determined and lay aside the things that have hindered you over and over again from fully entering into the deeper places with me, a lightness and freedom will propel you toward a place of Living Light. 
That Light is Me, and you will soon know Me in a different way than you have in past years and seasons.
 
My one warning to many is that they cannot argue that the path is “too narrow”. 
What mankind might call “rigid” I call “Straight and Direct”. 
If you choose to alter the plans that I have set down for your protection and safety, you will grieve my Spirit and allow a searing of your conscience to override the truths that you know deep in your heart.
 
“The path of those who do right is straight and smooth. 
I, who am upright, make the way of the righteous level.” -Isaiah 26:7
 
“The Narrowing” has begun to increase, and the love for it has decreased among those who choose to remain passive to conviction and pure living. 
Allow my Holy Spirit to move freely again.
I know what I must do, to break the constraints of man.
 Let me move!
Are you afraid that I might be ridiculed?
Or, are you more concerned for your image and patterns before men? 
 
“Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies,
But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.”
-I Thessalonians 5:19-21
 
Choose the “Narrowing Way”.  For I, Am there. 
Choose the pathway of “rightness” with me, even when others scoff at your “narrow mindedness”.
When the days become darker and the world tilts and twists in further unrestrained darkness,
You will be the carrier of My Light, which can lead the lukewarm and lost down the narrow, but safe, and integral way, to Me.
 
Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed,
Provided that complete message, podcast site link
and website information
forMary Lindow is included.
Thank you!
"The Messenger" ~ Mary Lindow
2022 © 
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
 
 
 

"Ascending In Hope When Darkness Attempts To Restrict God's Work" - BUCKLE UP - Prophetic Insight

by Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit
Today’s podcast is one that shares something that has given me a greater sense of being anchored in the Lord during these very strange and unusual times in the earth.
I love it when the Lord speaks to us in his word, or from other people speaking into our lives and also through dreams or visions.
Now, what I’m about to share with you is a significant dream that I had not too many nights ago. I know that the dream was from the Lord because it spoke to the things that I had been praying about and asking the Lord to give me confirmation over, as well as insights to these prayers. 
If you will research the word of God you will see how the Lord has used dreams and spoken to people through dreams and visions, and led them not only out of dangerous situations, but also spoke to them about situations that were about to take place in their lives. 
 
Numbers 12:6 speaks about this.
Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD,
reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams".
 
The dream I had was very detailed and very vivid.  I’ve had several of these in my walk with the Lord throughout the years.  
The dream began with me standing on the tarmac of an airport runway walking towards an airplane where you had to climb up a tall and narrow stairway in order to enter the plane.
As I was standing at the bottom of the stairway I turned around and looked behind me. Standing directly in front of me was an individual whom I recognized. She was holding two very large babies in her arms. They both were grossly oversized and their faces looked like adults. These babies were throwing temper tantrums and crying, and wanted lots of attention. 
The letters PhD showed up on the forehead of this person holding the babies. She was shouting at me that I did not have time to get on the plane because we had to take care of all of these babies! I knew in my spirit in the dream that these babies represented adults who still act like children and want to have intellectualism and others with educational or intellectual abilities, tend to their every need, and, they were forever wanting attention!
Behind my friend was a shoulder-high picket fence that was very worn and splintered. Behind the fence there were all kinds of people laughing and mocking and partying. Some were very enraged and were spewing out nasty words and hateful statements. This was all being directed at the people who were climbing or ascending the stairway, climbing up to a higher level to enter a jumbo jet. 
 
I began my ascent on the steps and turned around and noticed that my friend was very angry at me for not listening to her ideas about how to handle all the troubles going on with adults, acting like children today.  I knew that I had a very tight timeframe to get up the stairs and get on the plane, so I turned around, sadly knowing that I had to put a distance between myself and the things going on behind me, and keep moving upward.
 
When I reached the point of entry on the plane a police woman of sorts put her arm out and said, “You cannot enter! There are only a certain amount of people allowed on this specific flight!” I very kindly told her that my husband had already boarded the plane and that we had tickets. She looked at me and said, “Yes then you may pass. You may enter.”
As I stepped into the plane it looked like it had a  very simple, low stage/platform down in the front of the plane and the seating looked like an auditorium with spacious seating. There was a single door on the back wall of the small stage. People were milling around by their seats and quietly enjoying warm conversations in anticipation that someone important was going to be coming out and addressing them. 
I then noticed that there was a dividing wall down the middle of the plane and there were people on the other side of the wall as well that were seated. I could not see my husband Steve so I spoke out loud and shouted, “Steve Lindow?”  And, I heard his voice from around the other side of the wall saying “I’m over here!”
As I went around the corner I saw Steve in the very far back of the seating area where there were just two reclining type airplane seats, that were very comfortable.  When I went back to be with him I noticed that his leg was in a leg brace and a foot boot. ( In real life, Steve was actually fighting a disjointed bone in his foot at the time Id had this dream,  and had been wearing a foot boot around the house!)
 
Steve was smiling and had his foot propped up and looked very comfortable. As I was about to take my seat next to him, an individual in a professional pilot’s type of airline suit came up to us and told us that there were two special seats for us behind us, in an alcove. I noticed on the hat that he wore was the word STEWARD in capital letters. This individual was very kind and helpful and made sure that we were “guided” to the alcove where two very comfortable extra wide padded luxury seats were located.
As I sat down in this amazing chair, I look to the left of me and on the wall there was an affixed sign that said “Prayer Room”.
In the dream I said out loud, “Wow! I have never seen a prayer room on an airplane before!”
The steward stood there and smiled at me and nodded his head knowingly. I had a feeling that this was the Lord helping us and Stewarding us, helping  to get us settled and was ministering to us as we positioned ourselves for the flight we were just about to take. 
Just before this individual left us, he leaned over and winked at us and said, “Buckle up!” At that point in the dream we were made aware that we were going to need to have the seatbelts on in order to endure the intensity of the flight.
 
I woke up and after this dream I knew that I’d heard something from the Holy Spirit, very important for the times that we are in.
As I began to pray and search the Scriptures the Lord unpacked the dream for me. 
 
The tarmac represented the earthly road that we walk on every day. 
People travel back-and-forth in the earth and on the earth every day. As I was approaching the stairway to go up and ascend into the jumbo jet, there were distractions and conversations going on that were trying to get me to change my decision in order to follow what would look like common sense, intellectual advice, or following the narrative of angry people, or feeling humiliated by people who had mocking spirits. 
Since Steve and I have also been involved in much pastoral counseling the past five years, one thing that stood out strongly in the vision/dream was that the PhD written across the forehead of the woman, stood for trying to solve things or trying to attain helping people, through discourse of the mind or using humanism and coping mechanisms to help tame the soul. 
 
The two large babies that had the faces of adults that were throwing temper tantrums, speaks very strongly of many believers who refuse to grow up into mature adults in the Lord and refuse to become responsible for their own choices and actions, and instead throw temper tantrums and cry and scream, and blame everyone else for their immaturity or reoccurring problems. 
This is also a common narrative in the world right now that is causing great division among people groups as well as the push for verbal abuse and the ability to character assassinate.
I knew that I had to turn my back on everything that was causing me to be distracted or overwhelmed, as well as walk away from dependance on anything that clinical or educational pursuits that might be allowed to cloud my ability to ascend higher in the Lord. I knew that this stairway that I was going up to get into the jumbo jet, was very steep and it was very narrow and that I had to focus on climbing.
 
In Matthew 7:13-14 it says,
“There are two paths before you; you may take only one path. 
One doorway is narrow. And one door is wide. 
Go through the narrow door. 
For the wide door leads to a wide path, and the wide path is broad; the wide, broad path is easy, and the wide, broad, easy path has many, many people on it; but the wide, broad, easy, crowded path leads to death. Now then that narrow door leads to a narrow road that in turn leads to life. It is hard to find that road. Not many people manage it."
 
The police woman at theentry door onto the plane I believe, was an example of the protection of the Lord using a discernment factor as to who you allow to travel with you in this next phase of your walk with the Lord, as well as the kind of relationships and fellowship that will be forming in the days ahead.
 
I was allowed to pass and enter because Steve and I had already agreed that we we’re going to travel together and be in agreement as a couple, to obey and follow the path that God was leading us on, even if we knew it would be hard.
 
There was an atmosphere of anticipation among everyone that was milling around and standing by their seats before the flight took off.
Again, the platform was just a simple stage with one door in the center. It seemed as if someone was going to step out and address everyone once the flight took off, but everyone was at peace knowing that this was a very important announcement…
… but that there was a specific timing for it.
 
As I called out for Steve to locate him and he called me and I went around the wall and began to move towards where he was sitting, I was aware of a very sweet presence and atmosphere of holiness and reverence.
We were seated in the back but no one at all felt like they had any kind of priority seating or notoriety. All of the seats were very plush and comfortable for everyone, in order to make the trip bearable during its time of flight.
 
The Lord then began to speak to me about Steve’s leg boot and knee brace that he was wearing in the dream. 
He showed me that so many in the Body of Christ are in a time of being called up into a higher place with the Lord, and that during this difficult and pressure filled time in the earth right now, people have felt “hobbled” and as if they are unable to move about freely and travel and function in jobs or pursuits as they had in the past, and weren’t able to freely do things in missionary work or evangelical work during the restrictions that have been placed on them. 
The Lord very sweetly let me know that HE is stewarding this time. 
Remember the man with a hat that said “STEWARD” on it? 
 
During this time that we are all experiencing the great discomforts of being either isolated or locked down or hindered, (and most all of us are very aware that the pressure has been intense for so many and it has immobilized so many people), the Lord is sending us help and he is wanting us to steward this time wisely and use it for the purpose of coming into a bigger place, a broader expanse of the understanding of “ascending higher” into a place of relationship with him.
Ephesians 2:6 says,
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him 
in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”
As the steward gently guided us over to the alcove to the two extra plush extra comfortable reclining seats  that were prepared for us, (we were being SEATED With Him In Heavenly Realms) the Lord showed me that when he moves us into a different place or when he is causing us to travel into a new location or a place with him, he puts us under the shadow of his wing and protects us, and shields us while we are in that time of transition and change.
And, as I saw the sign positioned  on the wall that said  Prayer Room, and even spoke out-loud In the dream saying, “Wow! I’ve never seen a prayer room on a plane before”, it was if the Holy Spirit was saying to me, “When I move you into a new place of transition, even if you feel hobbled or you feel restrained or restricted, this is because I am drawing you into a place or a new 'plain' of prayer”. 
He wants us to understand that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, and that, that ascended place of intercession in prayer, is a place where the strongholds and warfare are viewed from the pure wisdom of God’s view and God’s understanding.
 
Colossians 3:1 says,
---- >“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, 
---- > Set your hearts on things above,
---- > Where Christ is, 
---- > Seated at the right hand of God.”
 
Now Remember, we were on a jumbo jet with only selected people who were allowed to be on that flight, waiting for instructions from someone that was going to come through a single door on a platform. 
I believe that those on the plane represented a fresh unity and equal playing field in the Body of Christ. Everyone had a place to sit and a place to comfortably spread out, and yet there was no title or competition for position or notoriety or elite seating. Everyone was waiting to be told to take their seats and were anticipating this unique flight, and, waiting for instructions from the person who would come through the door.
 
Now! The last part of the dream was very significant. 
When Steve and I had gotten over the surprise at the extremely comfortable and roomy seats that we were given in the prayer alcove,
I was impressed to remember the steward that stood by quietly and was smiling, but was very much a professional in his uniform.  REMEMBER. He leaned over and winked at us and said “buckle up”! Now, This was said kindly and the wink was in a sense of being humorous, but when he said it, it was as if we were being told, “you need to make sure you are ready for what you are about to experience in prayer on this next journey”.
After much meditation and praying and dialoguing with Steve and a few other individuals in ministry that I respect, I feel that this dream is an indicator to the Body of Christ to leave behind the things that so easily trip us up and to also allow ourselves, to be separated from the things that  the world has to offer us, or, the things that the world is throwing at us to mock what we believe in Christ as truth. 
 
We are to no longer lean upon our own understanding, our own intellect, or our own intellectual assumptions about giftings and callings. We are to quickly climb and ascend with Christ at this time as the path narrows, and gather among those that God has assigned us to be in unity with, in prayer.
 
This is a time of the Holy Spirit drawing us into an atmosphere of reverence, and it may feel a little cloistered and compressed for a while as if being hobbled, but it is in fact a place of being called to come up higher into the things of the Spirit of God.
As we hide under the shadow of his wings and we intercede and we pray in the spirit and wait upon the Lord and steward this time, we are being prepared and kept safe, as we buckle up for some of the turbulence in the days ahead. 
 
Whoever was about to step out on the platform in the front of the plane, was someone of great significance which I believe was the Lord Himself giving Divine instructions and fresh commissioning to those who were selected to be on this flight. 
They came from all walks of life, all ethnic backgrounds and had one thing in common. 
They wanted to walk in unity and in a deeper level of the knowledge and wisdom of God.
 
Psalm 133:1 says,
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
 
My friends, with the world in absolute upheaval and so many shocking events taking place so rapidly, many believers have asked themselves how could they have missed what was coming, or how could they have not seen things more clearly or sooner! 
Understand this, evil has always been just one breath away in the earth. 
It just puts on different forms and personalities and masks in order to trick people, or to deceive them into solving problems through intellectualism, through scientific projections and theories, and also through religious structures that prohibit freedom in Christ for all. 
 
Remember that Satan goes around “like” a roaring lion seeking...
...whom he “may” devour. 
 
Most people are devoured by looking to news articles and trending narratives in order to make sense of chaos or to make sense of experiences that they are having.
 
We as believers are being called to “ascend into a place of great fellowship with the Lord”. That’s going to cost us something.
It’s going to cost us our reputations at times, it’s going to cost us relationships. It’s going to cost us financially and it’s going to cost us, how much time we spend entertaining ourselves. 
 
I have seen many believers put on a new form of “self protective rigidity in their faith” actually shunning or distancing themselves from anyone who does not meet their standard of structure or approach to serving Christ. This is actually a form of secret pride in thinking personal holiness and personal reverence is allowed to be selective.
I would like to say that when you are desperate enough to serve the Lord at all costs, you don’t have a whole lot of time to pigeonhole people. If you find yourself discriminating against someone who isn’t as zealous as you are, or who tends to be a verbal processor, or perhaps even someone who is very stoic, most likely you will be hindered from being allowed to enter this new plain and place of travel with the Lord.
 
I like how the Passion translation addresses this in John 7:24.
“Stop judging based on the superficial. 
First you must embrace the standards of mercy and truth.”
 
The Lord is looking for unity, he is looking for like mindedness, he’s looking for humility and an anticipation of being able to speak and direct his people in the up-and-coming fresh move of his power in the earth among mankind. 
 
One thing I know for sure, the Lord is looking for vessels who know how to honor and respect as well as fear the Lord. Those who reverence Him, and in doing so, reverence those that God has placed in their lives to form a bond of unity with, no matter how unique and different each individual is.
The Body of Christ has always been encouraged and challenged by the Holy Spirit to come up higher to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:22 ) 
So, if the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us to come up higher and has something to tell us, then the Spirit of the Lord is also telling us, there are things that we will need to be saying and speaking after we receive instructions about them. 
These instructions can only be pure and concise after we have spent time in intercession, in the prayer room, in an alcove seated with Christ in heavenly places. 
We need to “buckle up” and prepare in prayer for the things God is about to lay out to us in instructions, but we also have to understand that there will be warfare and discouragement and accusations that will come during this time of being secluded and called to prayer. 
 
Satan does not give up ground easily... 
…and, if you will recall when Jesus was in the wilderness, he was being sent by the Spirit of the Lord to be set aside for a time of prayer and fasting, and the enemy was relentless in attempting to wear him down and break him.
 
Jesus gave us the model to an ascended life, and what means is that we must get alone with the Father.  We get into a place of secluded intercession as we ascend to meet with him in prayer. 
 
Life is not easy for those who choose to separate themselves and answer the upward calling of Christ. 
But, life is exciting and rewarding as we serve him with our eyes fixed upon the eternal long term results.
 
Philippians 3:14-15 says this, 
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 
But one thing I do: 
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 
I press on toward the goal to attain the heavenly prize… 
…of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. 
And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well." 
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that
complete source, podcast and website information
for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You Copyright © 2021 " THE MESSENGER " ~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
Mary's Podcast Site and Link
Mary's Mentoring Videos Link and Site  
 
 

"Tuning In To Listen - Tuning Out Trends" What Exactly IS God Saying In The Middle Of Difficulties, Loss and Adjustment?

By Mary Lindow
As I sit here in the outdoors this evening enjoying an unusually cool and brilliantly moonlit sky, I am stirred to speak openly and transparently about the things that God is not only dealing with in my personal journey with him, but also some of the trends and presumptions that occur in the world of “Christendom” when it appears and feels as if the Father God is far off and seemingly unresponsive to the cries of those desperate for relief and merciful compassion.
Through his own personal agony, King David came to a new understanding of what it really was that God required from man.
ENMESHED INTO DECEPTION 
God is not interested in our outward sacrifices or "offerings."
This does not necessarily mean that God never requires outward forms of worship or expression or observances. Many lines of Scripture prove that at times he does. But it does mean that these are not the things that he requires first. If our religious practices contain nothing more than outward actions and performance, then God takes no pleasure in them.
God always looks underneath what goes on outwardly, and looks to the motives and the attitude of the heart. What does he look for there?
 David tells us in Psalm 51:16 -17
“For you delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; you find no pleasure in burnt offering. 
The sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.” 
 
BROKEN AND CONTRITE
These are not common words to our ears these days! 
Just what does it mean when God asks that we have a broken spirit?
 Does he want us to be beaten down and humiliated? 
I am sure that this is not his plan. So? What IS a broken spirit? 
It is an “inner self” that has come totally to the end of it-self. It makes no claims, and offers no arguments. All independence, all self-will, self-promotion, all self-righteousness have been pruned away.
Such a spirit simply turns and trusts completely upon God, not trusting in his own skill, merit, popularity, or ability to influence. This one who has willingly allowed the disciplining of his soul knows that he or she must only trust in God and his unrelenting mercy.
If we will ALLOW Him to guide us, HE knows how to produce this brokenness of spirit in each of us. Just remember, he treats us as individuals. And he would never abuse our individuality. He uses just the right amount of intensity needed to accomplish his desires, that we would relinquish our mistrust in his plan and fully step into total abandonment, willingly accepting his plan.
“For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” 
-Lamentations 3:33
 
AFFLICTION IS ALSO KNOWN AS - “DISCIPLINE” 
If there was ever a man who had to face affliction also known as “discipline” - it was David. I am amazed that he never became bitter. He even admitted that it did him good! God allows us to come under afflictions/discipline, not because he is mad at us, nor because he has rejected us. It is actually a demonstration of his faithfulness.
When he sees us taking a wrong turn that will lead to our own harm and damage, he allows difficulty and affliction/discipline to turn us back to the way that leads to peace and blessing.
When I say affliction, I am not accusing God of bringing about harsh and devastating blows in order to knock us down and break our arms in the process.
No! No! No!
In Psalm 119:67, 71, 75 it says:
 "I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
 but now I closely follow your word.
My suffering was good for me,
for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair. 

You disciplined me because I needed it.
 
WHEN WE ARE "THROWN A CURVEBALL" 
How do we respond when we are "thrown a curveball" and everything we carefully planned out and prepared for suddenly takes a turn we did not expect?
David did not view afflictions/disciplines as disaster. He saw it as a form of correction - something to adjust his life. He was saying, “Before I was afflicted/disciplined I went astray and I suffered for it. Now I've learned my lesson! It pays to obey your word!”
 
ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF DIFFICULTY, LOSS, OR AN ADJUSTMENT? 
May I caution you? Don't fight back! And whatever you do, do not argue with God! Admit that God is dealing with you and allowing an affliction/a disciplining, a difficulty or disappointment, to address major issues of stubbornness, lazy spirituality, dependence upon others for water from the word, and more than often - a sour and willful independence that does not like accountability in every area.
 
ASK HIM, "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE DOING?" 
“God? Am I off the pathway that you have planned and have willfully gone my own way?”
The Lord is seeking, looking, longing for you to turn away from things that are harmful and to bring you back to things that are in his purpose and plan.
If we are willing to learn from these afflictions/disciplines, there will come a time when we will indeed look back with gratitude for the things we have learned and matured in.
My dear friends, we were not created to serve ourselves or to meet our own needs. Whatever we need, the Lord will see to it that we get it, as we move along the pathway that he has chosen. You may be asking the question, “Why is it so hard for me to hear from the Lord at first when it comes to difficult issues and decisions?”
We must understand we cannot instantly “unlearn” what we have lived our entire life.
We must as the Scripture says be "transformed" from who we are to what we want to be.
We need to understand with our whole heart that we were intended to be godly in every way. In our relationships with others, and above all, in our relationship with God the father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. If one is out of order then both will be.
But! As a dear brother in the Lord by the name of Larry Reese says, 
“We are not to fear the passing of time or fear that we are wasting time by spending time with the Lord, searching out his word, and being still in his presence.
You will never lose anything by doing these things!”
 
TRENDS, BLOGS, AND COMMENTS
It's no secret that social media has become quite a form of communication! One of the problems that can occur when “listening” to trends, blogs, and commentary from others is that sources quoted and information gathered might well be skewed to interject thoughts and opinions into the minds of those who never think for themselves.
Believers in Christ are not to be uninformed, but they are to be wise about what they “ingest and digest” when it comes to the lifestyle of a Christian.
Do not rely upon the wisdom of men to help you to ultimately reach the destiny that God himself paid the price for. He is not an ego- driven maniac looking for his entourage of followers to validate his importance!
He "paid it forward" so that we would have the opportunity to walk upon a pathway, although narrow, that leads to purposeful living and a fruitful reaping of productivity that will only advance us into further opportunities to speak of hope and a purpose for others.
 
BEWARE OF FALSE HUMILITY AND UNDERTONES OF DISDAIN 
If there were one thing that sickens the heart of God it would be underhanded and slippery craftiness oozing from those who resist the full aspect of allowing God to create in them a clean and contrite heart.
It always amazes me how individuals that need notoriety and a place of “mystical” influence seem to be able to cunningly discredit good and godly saints around them who have perhaps lovingly warned them about deceptive practices or micro-management control issues, knowing that they risk the loss of relationship when doing so.
It is as if these individuals secretly feel entitled to sidestep the issue of preferring your brother or sister, and humbly listening to their insights and observances.
Equally amazing, are those who listen to only one side of a conflict or disagreement, and then spiritualize-away the facts that harm or discord has happened.
And so, the Lord allows the difficulties and afflictions to come and expose the areas of favoritism, embracing the “new and exciting”… 
…Rather than the narrow and at times - dry pathway to mature godliness.
 
 There will always be among us, those claiming to have “THE” word of the hour, the “message of the forefathers”, and on and on the platitudes and justifications are listed to justify the mocking and putting down of the simple and unique message of self-abandonment.
 
LISTEN FOR THE SOUND OF MERCY 
Listen to the “tone” in the voice of those addressing the crowd, the congregation, or perhaps a small study group. False humility has a highly "honeyed" pitch of barely restrained condescension, laced with heavy doses of unsolicited advice and counsel.
Rarely will individuals who have an exaggerated view of their own importance allow others to warmly and intimately engage in transparent communication and dialogue regarding the unique and yet equal calling and gifting of each child of God. 
 
NOW IS THE TIME -- THE TIME IS NOW! 
These words have been spoken out from the Lord over the lives of many who seemingly can hardly lift their heads due to delays, betrayals, losses, and a deep, deep internal anguish. It seems as if God sees greater fruitfulness when we are at the bottom of the proverbial "barrel"!
Those who are forever wishfully proclaiming that the “bad times are over and good times are ahead” are sadly attempting to override the ache of the soul when it longs to return to the comfort zone of self indulgence.
“But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless!” -Jeremiah 7:8
Know this. To avoid the chastening and bruising of our souls is a guarantee that not only will you cause devastating and brutal pain to others, but also most importantly, you shall grieve the Holy Spirit.
I ENCOURAGE THOSE OF YOU READING AND LISTENING,
TO TEST THE FRUIT OF THOSE WHO CLAIM TO HAVE
A SPECIAL AND MYSTICAL "IN" WITH THE LORD.
 
The Lord is not one who neither “excludes” nor leaves the broken out in the cold, nor does he invite into his inner courts of wisdom and revelation, those who would use it to their own personal advantage or fame.
 
IT IS TIME. NOW IS THE TIME! THE TIME IS NOW!
It is time to face the chastening of the Lord in the light of the purpose he has behind it. Growing up and maturing finally in the things he has been dutifully prodding you to do for a long time now.
 
PROCRASTINATION  FELLOWSHIPS WITH SLOTHFUL AND SLOPPY APPROACHES
 TO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND WITH MANKIND.
 
For once and for all make the decision to not blame-shift or deflect onto others what God is dealing with in the wickedness of your own soul.
Now is the time to be willing to lose your life, to be afflicted -- yes even to the point of having the Lord remove and expose those who have become disobedient, self-promoting, and abusive in the circles you walk within.
 “SEE TO IT that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8
 
OPEN YOUR EARS 
The Lord is speaking! Listen!
He has wisdom to impart to you that may well save and instruct others who might fall into foolish behavior. It is not about your comfort, your "wants" nor even your dignity! It’s about a willingness to be the servant of the Savior, and to emulate His example.
He Is Speaking....
...But are we listening?
“The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
To know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning, Wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”
Isaiah 50:4
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed as long as that complete source,
website and podcast 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/
Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts, Blog Materials and soon coming "Mentoring Moments" Video teachings.
THANK YOU!
Please go to PAYPAL to donate or support this blog: 
Donate to the tax deductible ministry name of: 
paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.) 
or You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to: 
 
His Beloved Ministries INC 
PO Box 1253 
Eastlake CO 80614 
United States
 

"The Greatest Enemy To Spiritual Growth and The Refreshing Moves Of God

"THE GREATEST ENEMY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH"
DEMEANING ANOTHER GENERATION OF LEADERS
by MaryLindow 
It is highly recommended that you listen to the 
audio version/podcast of this message and join in with 
the prayers lifted up on behalf of the Body of Christ
There is a dangerous trend blooming much like a dandelion in the body of Christ that needs to literally be nipped in the root, and in no way approached with a cowering spirit! Somehow it's now a trending youthful "call from God" to be a cutting edge voice that is sent to “correct” the current Fathers and Mothers in the body of Christ. Hmmmm.....
I DON'T CARE HOW POPULAR OR TRENDY ANY MOVEMENT IS or any individual who is a gifted speaker is. If they have been given the privilege to address the body of Christ on any stage, in any pulpit, in any gathering, they are to be judged and held accountable by those in leadership for their actions and their choices when they speak to others.
I AM ADDRESSING SPECIFIC SITUATIONS where a young-(ish) man or woman is allowed to speak in a meeting and begins to demand that the crowd responds according totheir commands.
There should NEVER be even the hint of demeaning another generation of leaders publicly, or a shaming and finger-pointing message aimed at somehow "breaking the people" and getting them to be stirred up to do something. Whatever that"something" might be, if people are shamed into action, then it is truly not God's will or God's plan.
 
WHO GET’S TO ADDRESS PEOPLE FROM THE PODIUM? There's a lot to be said about not quickly allowing a novice or newcomer to your team to have absolute access to speak into the hearts of those who gather to hear of the specific (and most hopefully) -GOD ORDAINED vision that you, as a leader, have been commissioned and assigned to serve and honor! In 1 Kings 12 - Rehoboam rejected the advice of the "older men" who had stood with Solomon, listening instead to the "young men who grew up with him". It divided the Kingdom. HEAR that.
Pride can cause a novice who is actually termed "a new planting" meaning, “still not having put down roots”, to defend themselves and their more "potent" message. Pride can cause them to look down on others. If you allow it, pride will rob them ofthe most treasured mentoring relationships in their lives.
 
WHEN ANOTHERGENERATION MOCKS THE WORDS OF GOD Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some childish boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here you old bald man!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled the forty-two the boys.
2 Kings 2:23
 
THE WORD FOR"CHILDREN" IN THIS VERSE IS TRANSLATED AS PERSONS OF THIRTY ORFORTY YEARS OF AGE and, though these are called "little", they were so well grown as to be able to go out of the city by themselves without anyone to guide them, or to take care of them and they were at an age capable not only of taking notice of Elijah's baldness, but knew he was a prophet. They were able to know what good and evil was and, from a malicious spirit inside of them, they mocked at him. Some Jewish writers say they were called "Naarim", which means"children” because they had shaken off the bond that was keeping people close, the commandments, and "little", because they were of little faith:
 
THEY MOCKED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, “GO UP, YOU BALD HEAD! GO UP, YOU OLD BALDY!”  Meaning, not up the hill to Bethel, where his coming was not really welcomed since most of the people were idol worshippers, and maybe these children were sent out to intimidate him with their jeers to keep him from entering the city! They had heard about Elijah going up to heaven so they jeeringly told him to go up to heaven after him, and then they would have gotten rid of them both! “Who needs that old man telling us what to do?!”  
At the same time that they were mocking him for his baldness, and making a funny story of the wondrous works of God, the taking up into heaven of Elijah, which by behaving so disrespectfully to a “White hairedhead”, a prophet of the Lord, was terribly wicked, and therefore opened thedoor to an external attack from a destructive force. Two full-grown she-bears, who consumed them.
Folks, there are consequences for mockery and deception!
 
BEFORE AMAN OR WOMAN CAN LOOK DOWN ON ANOTHER, they must first assume he or she is better than the person they are speaking against. A proud man or woman is suspicious of everyone else. A humble man or woman is more suspicious of their own heart than anyone else. The proud heart will detect defects in others before him. But a humble soul sees the evil in his/her own heart before they see evil in others.
 
CONCEITAND PRIDE ARE THE GREATEST ENEMIES TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH! Newly acquired knowledge often leads to pride rather than wisdom. This is often true with the novice. There is no surer way to fall into sin than to allow pride to lead us into putting confidence in ourselves rather than God. This type of pride always leads to destruction, because it robs us of God’s power to stand against temptation.
 
WHAT WEACCOMPLISH AS MEMBERS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS DONE BY THE POWER OF GOD. The novice begins thinking that what he/she accomplishes is his/her own doing. The people in Corinth had been developed in every way as well, with the knowledge of God, but pride in what they knew was about to lead to their destruction!
 
KNOWLEDGECAN BE MISTAKEN FOR MATURITY, but true knowledge is designed to bring us TO maturity. When we parade our freedom before others in an effort to reveal how much we know, we reveal our immaturity and are treading on dangerous ground! Knowledge put on PUBLIC display leads to revelry and scattering.
 
TRUE KNOWLEDGE BRINGS THE RESTFUL DISCIPLINE OF SELF-CONTROL.  Paul’s knowledge ofGod led him to lead a disciplined life for the benefit of himself and others. HUMBLING OURSELVES IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE ROOF OFF TOWARD GOD, AND THE WALLS DOWN TOWARD OUR FELLOW MAN. 
Once offences have been committed, whether intentional or unintentional, they must be dealt with! “I was wrong. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?” are healing words that only a humble soul would use. Whenever you find a man or woman willing to humble themselves before God and man, you have found a person who will be exalted, because “humility comes before honor.”
 
REMEMBER THAT SOME MEN’S SINS ARE OBVIOUS, AND ARE EQUALLY OBVIOUSLY BRINGING THEM TO SERIOUS JUDGMENT. 
"The sins of other men might not be apparent, but are dogging them, nevertheless, under the surface. Similarly some virtues are plain to see,while others, though not at all conspicuous, will eventually make themselves felt."
1Timothy 5:24-25
 "Don’t reprimand or publicly talk downto a senior leader in your church, honoring him as a father by first showing respect and humility. Treat the young men kindly as brothers, and the olderwomen as nurturing mothers. Treat the younger women as sisters, and nothingmore."
1 Timothy 5:1-2
 
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that 
complete source, podcast and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You Copyright © 2016
“THE MESSENGER” ~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
marylindow.podbean.com
 
 

"THINK BIG - ACT LITTLE" - A prophetic insight

TO LISTEN TO THIS MESSAGE AS A FREE PODCAST PLEASE USE THE AUDIO BUTTON AND CLICKBy Mary Lindow
I was packing up a box for shipping in the mail and had
turned it over to be sure that I had used enough sealing tape to secure the
contents in the box. As I began to apply the sealing tape, my eyes were drawn
to the simple statement printed on the bottom of the box put there
intentionally by the company that manufactures the packing boxes.
It read;  " T H I
N K   B I G   -  A C T   L
I T T L E "
 
RIGHT THEN THE LORD
SPOKE TO ME IN GREAT INTENSITY.
He gently said, "Child,
the past mentality and insidious mind set of many in ministry has been the
direct opposite of the statement; "THINK BIG - ACT LITTLE." Man is
still obsessed with power, control, and is driven by the desire to be the biggest
and the best. This has crept into the church through a message of
self-gratification, and an implied sense of "you deserve it" spoken
through many who don't THINK BIG about the consequences of their words!
So many believers
think that they have a right to "Big things" but want it all to happen through
others doing for them honoring them, and therefore their concern and
"actions" in considering others service and faithfulness is minimal.
The current attitude
heaven is hearing from among not only many disobedient believers but also sadly
among many who think they are in the "forefront" of the wave of My
Spirit is in fact, a reversal of the statement, Think Big Act little.”
 
THINK LITTLE...ACT
BIG!This is the mindset of the selfish and those trapped in
patterns of deceit and personal denial!
 
AS LONG AS WE DON'T
TAKE THE TIME TO EXAMINE OUR OWN SOULS,
Which we well know, can be very wicked, we never think about
how our “ACTING BIG” and “all
anointed and all powerful” and how "on the cutting edge" we might
be!
 
THE LORD INSTRUCTED
ME WITH A FIRM BUT GENTLE WARNING,
about those who are trying to "re-package" the
same old way of doing things the way they want it done in a different box or presentation.
It's like the statement "THINK LITTLE - ACT BIG."
 
PUSHING AWAY THE CONVICTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS
DANGEROUS.
The Lord is in this present hour is granting us much
precious time to deal with the hidden sins and iniquities that are well fed and
functioning in each of our lives. Ministry leaders, apostles, prophets, pastors,
teachers, evangelists, sheep. Sadly, many seem to believe that if they just “THINK
LITTLE -  AND - “ACT BIG” well, others
will be really impressed with the BIG Show and BIG Presentation and we won't
have to think about or question our motives and manipulations as to why we need
to keep feeding the “BIG ACT!”
  
GODLESSNESS IN THE
LAST DAYS
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last
days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form
of godliness but denying its power.
HAVE NOTHING TO DO
WITH THEM.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain
control over weak-willed women, (men as well!) who are loaded down with sins
and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to
acknowledge the truth.
2 Timothy
  
MANY TIMES THE BODY
OF CHRIST IS FOUND TO BE CHASING AFTER MIRACLES AND SIGNS AND WONDERS…
…In order to get a new thing to happen in your church or
community. It is THINKING LITTLE. You have trained yourself and others to
pursue God, only if blessings and miracles occur. But when hardship and testing
and refining occur it's easier to “THINK LITTLE” about these.
Why?
 
THE FLESH HATES
DISCIPLINE AND TRUTH!
With every wave and Dimension of Glory the Lord releases,
there is always the crowd of the 5000 looking for a good free meal, a good
public speaker, and a few miracles. These days toss in a "new groovy
worship ministry" and you've arrived!
HOWEVER! When the real work of God is getting close, the
numbers drastically reduce and those who are not willing to extort others or
use others for fame and gain, become again, like a Gideon's army. Rugged,
broken, obedient, and they THINK about the BIG THINGS God can do, but “THEY ACT
LITTLE” or small and humble.
Philippians 2:3
Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others.Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.
 
 BEWARE OF THOSE WHO
SHOUT TOO LOUDLY;
"HEY! WE HAVE A BIG THING HAPPENING!"
“And you need to come and uh… well, if you really want in on
it, don't think much about the fee of $200 or more to attend what God is
doing!"
 
DID THAT POKE AT YOUR
SOUL A LITTLE BIT?  WELL GOOD!
WE ARE IN A SEASON
WHERE MONEY CHANGING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD'S ANOINTING IS GOING TO BE DEALT
WITH. Just after this paragraph is a small list of a few other
things the Lord has asked me to bring a gentle warning about. Things that He is
going to allow His exposure and His Holy fire to touch, if they are not
personally dealt with through our own choice in repent humbly to Him and to
others we are supposed to have some kind of accountability with.
(You are accountable to someone other than yourself aren't
you? ( hint ) That may be a mentor, a prayer group, a couple or two, maybe a
husband and wife together. But we all must have someone that we share an
account of our lives with.
HE IS GIVING ALL OF
HIS PEOPLE, SHEEP AND LEADERS ALIKE…
…TIME TO THINK - AND ACT.
 -  GENTLE WARNINGS FROM
THE LORD  - 
1.) Key Leaders need to become tender towards
those in their service.
Sharing with them as co-laborers and hard workers, fair and
even above and beyond, financial support, honor, and deep respect.
 1 Peter 5:3
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the
flock.
Romans 12:3
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think
of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God
has given you.
 
2.) Many in ministry
settings embrace too quickly, those who "appear" to have a large
ministry influence and grant them levels of authority without knowing what
their home life is like, what their accountability levels are, and how they
appropriate ministry funding they gain through travels, conferences or support.
THE LORD URGES THOSE WHO ARE PASTORAL TO
BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY EMBRACE
AND BRING INTO THEIR
SHEEPFOLD. PASTORS ARE JUDGED MORE SERIOUSLY.
James 3:1
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you
know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
 Psalm 101:7
I will not allow deceivers to serve me, and liars will not be allowed
to enter my presence.
 
3.) The Lord warns about slandering others
in ministry or in the general Body of believers, publicly as well as in private
settings. Shaming others is usually a form of control and can often be used to
hide behind, rather than to lovingly confront, a situation.
  
MANY BOOKS AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED IN THE NEXT
FEW MONTHS. 
THEY WILL SLANDER, LIE, AND
EXAGGERATE STORIES ABOUT HOW THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THOSE MEMBERS IN IT HAVE"DONE EACH OTHER WRONG."
 
This will be a total turn off to the generation that is
watching those who are to be modeling grace, patience, kindness, and
self-control. The Lord warns that once the doors of your mouth begin to slander and
shame others He will expose and do unto you what you have done unto others.
Hebrews 4:13  "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
Leviticus 19:16
"Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.
Do not act as a merchant toward your own people.
Do not try to get ahead at the cost of your neighbor's life, for I am
the LORD.
 
2 Timothy 3:3 - "They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and
have no self-control; They will be cruel and have no interest in what is good."
 
YOU SEE, WE ARE TO THINK BIG ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD
AND ACT LITTLE, ACT SMALL …
…ABOUT OURSELVES.
  
Humility brings honor and favor.
Deceit brings Judgment.
THINK BIG...
...ABOUT THAT.
 
Duplication and
re-transmission of this writing is permitted provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is
included.Thank you.  “2014” ©www.marylindow.comwww.globalprayerrooms.com