"A Christmas Message" - What Hinders - Chains and Fetters You? BE FREE! Gloriously Free!

 
 
By Mary Lindow
 
Greetings Brothers and Sisters!
 I’m sure that you’ll remember the story that on Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge is locked up in the darkness of his dim house. Dickens tells us, “Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
 
Today, we still know that darkness is cheap, easy to find, and its raw materials of despair and denial are in abundant supply.
 
Scrooge liked darkness, as we often do, because it hides what we fear, keeps us from facing what is true, and allows us to be blind to truth. But like so many things that come cheaply, our overindulgence in them comes at great cost.
 
Out of Scrooge’s darkness appears the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner. Marley comes not to haunt Scrooge, but to free him. Scrooge sees that Marley is bound in chains. 
 
“Why are you fettered?” Scrooge asks.
“I wear the chain I forged in life,” Marley says. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard,” and he tells Scrooge that the chain that will fetter him in the darkness is even longer, heavier and harder still, if he does not leave the darkness.
 
WOW! There is a lot of wisdom here!
Though chains placed by others might fetter us, most of our chains are forged by the part of our spiritual self that likes the darkness and shuns the light. Marley was fettered to cashboxes, deeds and ledgers, as was Scrooge. 
 
What would fetter or chain you?
Brothers and Sisters, the life of any leader or person in some form of care, supervision or one with employees or volunteer workers, a person with a bit of over-site over others, needs to be bravely examined, fully exposed to the pure and strong light of God’s eyes and checked often for hardness of heart, the love of acumen, pride in achievements and the over lording of others.
 
Jesus coming into the world—God in human skin—announced what had been hoped forever, that the captive person would be released from the darkest prisons—physical and spiritual. To our inner spiritual soul, our chains and fetters will be crushed, if we are willing to leave the darkness. Like Scrooge, do we need to be “scared out”? Shaken from slumber?
 
Scrooge could not receive the simple gift of Christmas, so ghosts rather than grace were sent. But, the result is love.
 
We need the light of God’s love that by its very nature is a love that comes to give us and those we serve, value and worth, not a love that comes because we are already valuable and worthy.
 
The entire point of "A Christmas Carol" is that Scrooge is entirely unworthy of God’s mercy, because Scrooge has no mercy! But! Mercy and love come to Scrooge through the judgment of the ghosts, and this "transformation" makes the unworthy Scrooge, worthy again.
 
The light of God that comes as love, forgiveness and hope is a light that brings judgment. I know that most of us get uncomfortable when talking about God’s judgment, because we are so afraid that we are unworthy of God’s love.
 
But, look at Scrooge! Without God’s light, without the promise of God’s love, Scrooge is doomed!
 
It is love and judgment bringing him into the light. 
Can we now see that judgment by God as a form of God’s love? His way of exposing the darkness of our own souls? Romans 2:16 has proof of this probing of our secret lives!!
 
“And this is the message I proclaim--that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.”
 
Oh friends! Will we ever fully learn that God does not love us because we have value, but instead, HE loves us to give us worth? Life without the pure love of God coursing through our being is a vapor and miserable! 
 
Let's say to the Spirit of God with all of our hearts, the words Scrooge humbly uttered after he was confronted and faced his darkened heart.
 
"I will honor Christmas in my heart, 
and try to keep it all the year."
 
What is Christmas?
When Heaven kissed earth with the greatest act of sacrifice...
... Sending us a Redeemer. 
Who is Christ the Lord?
He IS THE Spirit, of CHRISTmas!
  
Let’s Humbly Pray this prayer together,
Father God, be gracious to me I pray, according to your loving- kindness. Father, my sins are heavy against me and my soul is troubled. For the many wrongs I have done against you and for the many evil thoughts and unholy attitudes I have allowed to influence my heart, and rule my life, for far to long.
I have sought to condone my wrongdoings, and ignore the voice of my conscience within. And I ask your forgiveness for my foolish pride, in ignoring the gentle promptings of Your Holy Spirit.
Forgive me I pray, and restore to me the joy of your salvation. For you have promised that all who truly confess their sins will be forgiven and returned back into a right relationship with you - and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Lord the sacrifice of my heart is brokenness before You, My soul is truly contrite and my desire is to return into a right relationship with you. I know that the consequences of my wrong choices may remain with me for a long time – but I ask that in Your grace and mercy You would forgive my sins and cleanse my soul and restore me into a right relationship with Yourself – and my heart will rejoice in God my Savior, in Whose name I pray,
Amen.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You Copyright © 2019
 “THE MESSENGER "~Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
http://www.marylindow.podbean.com

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

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

TO LISTEN TO THIS AS A FREE AUDIO PODCAST USE THE PLAYER TO YOUR RIGHT IN THE COLUMN OF OPTIONS OR SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MESSAGE FOR AN ADDITIONAL MP3 OR POP-UP PLAYERBy Mary LindowBeloved. The Lord has prepared us for this season. He wants us to focus on the path ahead of us. The refining is painful but brings correction and is beautiful at the end.Psalm 16: 11 saysYou have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.Psalm 17:3You have tried my heart;You have visited me by night;You have tested me and You find nothing;I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.THE LORD WANTS US TO KNEEL ...Before him in repentance, for it rids us of our self-focus. Light comes when we are delivered from ourselves! Psalm 36:9For with You is the fountain of life;In Your light we see lightTHE LORD WANTS US TO PAY ATTENTION ...To our “eye gates.” What we look at. Our hearts need to be locked into His gates.He says, “Look to me!”And His arms are the gates that are holding us. Psalm 118 Vs 19Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORDHE WANTS US TO STAY IN THE INNER COURT ...And minister Him. He is wanting us to get to “Ground Zero.” Go into it and let all things of the flesh melt. Psalm 101:6My eyes shall [look with favor]upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He/she who walks blamelessly, He/she shall minister to me.HE WANTS US TO BE DELIVERED ...From disappointments or the feeling of being unworthyPsalm 34:4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.You see, it is fear that holds us back and fear that causes us to to feel paralyzed or paranoid and so we are not able to move ahead in:Wisdom AdvancementandReconciliation.THE LORD IS CALLING US OUT TO RISK. He will not fail us!He will not cause us to stumble, but He will cause us to grow and mature into the saint that will cause people out in the world to want to listen to what we have to share.If we act ashamed of the Gospel and we act religious, then people are not interested in what we have to say. Whatever “fresh thing” we think that we are bringing. But when we have the sweet presence of God flowing out of our lives, when we have His grace and abundance, and mercy and kindness is expressed in actions and deeds of tremendous forgiveness, then the world is drawn to something tender and sweet. And it answers the hollowness of their own lives.THE LORD WANTS US TO BE RESTING ...And praying. He is using His “holy sandpaper” to get down to the beauty of the true wood in our lives.Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone; My salvation comes from him.Psalm 62: 5Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; My hope comes from him.Dear Child of God.I encourage you to understand that the pressure that you are under or perhaps even the sorrow or suffering that seems so unbearable, is not something that you need to consider as a punishment from the Lord. It is He, driving us into a place where we are dependent upon Him only.He allows the sorrows in order for us to find out just how weak we are in our own abilities, and how strong He is to deliver us.I encourage you today to move into today what is known as WAR.WisdomKnowing just what really is the Wisdom of God. To seek it out and find it.Advancement What does it mean to move ahead into the deeper things of God? Usually, it means dying to our own pleasure, our own self, which seems to be a bit of a paradox compared to what we like to do. Thinking that if we produce more, we move ahead more. But the Lord says, “ He that humbles himself in My sight, I WILL raise up at the right time.ReconciliationThe Lord desires for each of us that we would have a season of reconciliation. He desires that we would be brought back to a place of rest with those whom we may have been in strife with.I encourage you that if there is anyone that you need to reconcile with or ask if you have in anyway offended them, go to them. If they do not receive you well, know that the Lord will continue to work on your behalf deep within their heart.LET US COME INTO A HOLY PLACE ...As this season of the Lord moves across the earth. He is drawing His saints together to lay down their religious strongholds and opinions as well as judgments of one another. Choosing instead, to bend their knees humbly and cry out to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to reveal Himself in all of His grace and Mercy to them.Let us, be some of the very first people to bow our knees, to pray for one another, to ask the Father that He would again touch the planet Earth one more time with a great fiery move of His Spirit. That those that are lost, broken and deceived would have their eyes opened and their understanding made clear that the Son of God has come and redeemed them from the curse. Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed provided that complete message and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank you. Copyright © 2013 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.globalprayerrooms.com

WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF US NOW?

Mary Lindow
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"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To do justly,
and to love kindness and mercy,
and to humble yourself
and walk humbly with your God."
(Micah 6:8)

ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A FRESH EXPRESSION OF THE HEART OF THE FATHER STIRRING IN THE EARTH, I also see that there is a lot of "bashing" regularly occurring due to the abuse others have exhibited in their places of calling, aimed at those who have been true to what the Lord has asked them to do in His name, and this has caused not just a little sorrow.

WE MUST CLEARLY SEE THAT CORRUPTION CAN RAPIDLY OCCUR IN ANY PERSON OR ANY GROUP, ORGANIZED, RELAXED, OR OTHERWISE, when the tendency to think that they have arrived at a new or deeper revelation about something more so than others who perhaps express the Lord's voice differently.

ARROGANCE IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT I, INDIVIDUALLY, OR SOME GROUP THAT I AM A PART OF, COLLECTIVELY, IS SOMEHOW SUPERIOR TO SOMEONE ELSE OR SOME OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE.
At the heart of arrogance is self-centeredness. And self-centeredness is the foundation of human sin. I believe any serious attempt at self-examination by an honest person will reveal that we humans are sinful and flawed beyond measure.
MARK TWAIN ONCE SAID,
“MAN IS THE ONLY ANIMAL THAT BLUSHES—
OR [FOR THAT MATTER] NEEDS TO.”
Paul writes, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand…Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of death?”
Self consumes us. And every time we arrogantly place our own needs before others we are enslaved by sin.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
HOW SHOULD WE LIVE INSTEAD OF IN THAT ARROGANT MODE?
How about the words of Jesus?
What did he say?
"Everyone who exalts himself (for example, "Aren't I great? Aren't I right? Don't I always have the best opinion?") will be humbled.
But he who humbles himself (for example, "This is my opinion but it may not be right. I don't have a corner on the market of truth.") will be exalted."

THE LORD IS NOT SPEEDING UP THE DELIVERY OF ANY "FRESH THING" IN THE EARTH IN ORDER TO GET US TO HIS PURPOSES QUICKLY.
No. He is testing the hearts of men and women everywhere, looking for humility, selflessness, and honor, for those who although not perfect, have also served and pointed the way to salvation for many years previously.
THE LORD IS NOT GOING TO HONOR THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SHOUTS THAT "CHANGE IS NEEDED" OR THAT "CHANGE IS COMING" AND THEN SLASHES AND BURNS ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T EMBRACE THEIR VERSION OF IT.

THE LORD IS INTERESTED IN THE SOUND OF HUMILITY, THE HAND OF MERCY, AND THE VOICE OF GRACE.
These key character issues attract the pure and simple Presence of the Lord. Blessed are the PURE in heart...for they shall see God.
Until the Body of Christ that has been through many difficult and Shattering events and rids it of bitter and venomous words against one another and accepts that each one like sheep have gone astray and turned to what pleased them at the moment, there will be little evidence of much harvest.

THE LOST AND CONFUSED WORLD OUT THERE WATCHES CHRISTIANS TEAR EACH OTHER TO SHREDS DAILY AND WONDERS WHY WE ARE ASKING THEM TO JOIN US!
Remember Christ’s two great commandments—love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself.
Self-centeredness is the reversal of the great commandment.
Self-centeredness means to place ourselves first, in effect proclaiming our own form of self-government (not needing or wanting the advice or insight of others), therefore our neighbors become an afterthought, and God becomes simply a convenience to be considered only when it’s helpful to us. It is evident even in our language that self-centeredness is woven into the fabric of the human experience.

THE ONE TRUE SACRIFICIAL MODEL TOLD US THAT HE WOULD SEND THE VERY SPIRIT OF GOD IN ORDER TO CONVICT ALL PEOPLE OF SIN, TO COMFORT, TO GUIDE, AND TO SET THEM FREE.
Indeed. The very evidence of a redemptive type of life is in one who washes the feet of his/her brothers and his/her enemies in an act of cleansing the dirt from the road of life off of the pathway to the Truth.
May we truly hear the sound of the unmistakable heartbeat of a redemptive model rising up in clear resounding purity, personal
transparency, and in the covering of the multitude of sins by speaking and meditating only on those things that are noble, just, pure, and of a good report.

AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS NATIONS, THE ANTIDOTE TO ARROGANCE AND SELF-CENTEREDNESS IS A HEAVY DOSE OF HUMILITY.
That is; a profound willingness to recognize the value and respect the dignity of every human life. And, furthermore, a humble heart calls us to seek and serve Christ in ALL persons by giving of ourselves willingly for the welfare of other people.

THE LORD SAYS,
"Do not let a wise man brag about how wise he is.
Do not let a strong man boast about how strong he is.
Do not let a rich person brag about how rich he is.
But here is what the one who brags should boast about.
He should brag that he has understanding and knows me.
I want him to know that I am the Lord.
No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right.
And I take delight in that," announces the Lord.
JEREMIAH 9:23-24 (New International Reader's Version)

Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed
provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included. 
Thank You
Copyright © 2013 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow    
www.marylindow.com