A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - When God Says "GO"!

 
A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE – When God Says “GO”!
By Mary Lindow
 
This Podcast is going to be focusing on what I would call
“A Miracle on Christmas Eve!”
 
Steve And I Had Just About Been Married About A Year and had been through a complete reorganization of his business due to a partner, having not reported properly on the business financial books. Shortly after we were married, we found this all out and we were saddled with the debt of the business and the business was shuttered and the friendship was shattered.  
 
STEVE REOPENED HIS OWN INTERIOR DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY BUSINESS ON A LITERAL SHOESTRING. I was teaching piano and voice lessons and directing a church choir.
 
In October Steve had been asked to totally remodel a local restaurant as well as create matching themed Christmas decor. I had worked in a floral shop for years as a young high school girl and had done many wreaths as well as large swags of things for commercial decorations. I helped Steve begin to build and construct the pieces that went together for all of the items we were going to install. Once it was all prepared and ready, the owner was so grateful and so in love with all the work, she asked us to also do Christmas swags and decor for the Bar and eating area in the bar. This was a few days before Christmas and she had decided she wanted more festive decor in the bar since many parties were to take place for Christmas and up to New Years Day.
So, we gathered materials and created that and installed it.
 
WE WERE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT EXTRA BLESSING FINANCIALLY and we received a $400 check, (which was a lot at that time.) As we began to pray about a Christmas offering, we wanted to do something to honor the Lord at Christmas and help others. A friend of ours whom we had met and had had wonderful prayer meetings with two other schoolteachers in East St. Louis, Missouri, had shared in a prayer meeting about a family in need. At that time, the Bloods and the Crips gangs were very heavily active and there was a tremendous amount of racial tension in East Saint Louis. We were always very careful when driving through the area to not get off on the wrong ramp because often there was a lot of car theft and harm done to people who didn’t know or belong to that area. But, there were times that we would travel down with a group of our friends, both black and white, to a house where a woman by the name of sister Lucy, who had a Doctorate in education, would hold ladies teas and prayer gatherings. We would worship and pray, and intercede and study the word fervently among both black-and-white women who were either highly educated or women who cleaned homes for a living. It didn’t matter! We loved being with each other, and we loved the presence of the Lord. So, when sister Margaret Wren our friend from East St. Louis, who was also a teacher, told us there was a family in desperate need of clothing and food that she knew of and that the mother who was in her early 60s had been holding all of the children and grandchildren together in her home.
 
THIS DEAR WOMAN WAS SCHEDULED TO GO IN FOR OPEN-HEART SURGERY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Margaret told us there was going to be limited food and of course they weren’t expecting anything for Christmas. Steve and I knew that we were going to end up making what we considered a very significant personal sacrifice instead of doing things we needed to do to broaden our business and also to take care of a few things we needed to handle as well in our home. Yet, the Holy Spirit was persistent. The extra job came in unexpectedly. We knew that $400 was to be used specifically to help this family.
 
WE BEGAN TO TELL OUR SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO LIVED NEXT-DOOR TO US AND A FEW OTHER FAMILIES BEGAN TO GET EXCITED TO HELP. Steve and I went to the local grocery store and filled carts with warm blankets, hams, cereals, fruits, vegetables, different kinds of meat and canned goods, and had the joy of a lifetime like we had won the “Supermarket Sweepstakes!”
 
WE WERE GOING TO GO DELIVER ALL OF THIS ON CHRISTMAS EVE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE DEAR SISTER WAS GOING TO GO AND HAVE HER SURGERY THAT EVENING. Everyone congregated at our little cottage home and we could not believe how many people put together beautiful things for this family! My sister-in-law Judi had put together stacks of beautiful clothing and little outfits for children that her children were no longer fitting into because we had said there were children needing clothing. They also found a giant 6-foot long stocking and filled it with candy, fruit, and nuts.
Another lovely couple had a giant Christmas turkey on a platter with all kinds of onions and celery and carrots with the stuffing ready to go so they could put it in the oven when we got there.
 
THERE WERE BOXES OF DIAPERS, FORMULA, AND SACKS OF GROCERIES FROM SO MANY PEOPLE! Many who also had large families! We really didn’t know how many we were going to be helping! We just knew that there was a large family in need, and there were children were involved. Several married couples lived in the same house with the mother and the poverty was substantial.
 
WE MADE A CARAVAN OF FOUR CARS TO TRAVEL INTO EAST ST. LOUIS and Margaret Wren met us on a side street as we entered to go towards this family‘s house. We parked the cars outside, and there was a young man standing outside who did live in the home, who told us he would watch our cars for us. We told him that we didn’t think it would be a problem and he smiled at us shyly and he’s told us it was very important to have someone from the neighborhood watching your cars. We thanked him and went up the steps to a house that was sturdy but in much needed repair.
 
WE STOOD ON THE PORCH AND RANG THE DOORBELL. The door opened and there was the most precious older woman standing there in her coat and hat with a purse on her arm. She told us she was waiting for us to come before she made her journey to the hospital. As we began to walk in with box after box, package after package, grocery sack after grocery sack of items, the room began to fill with people coming from upstairs just standing there, staring at us in wonder and shock.
 
AS I LOOKED INTO THE KITCHEN AREA, THE ONLY HEAT IN THE HOUSE WAS THE GAS STOVE WITH ALL FOUR BURNERS FLAMING AND THE OVEN DOOR WAS OPEN. Lying over on a vinyl couch was a little infant, beautiful, baby boy dressed only in a T-shirt and a diaper, and the house was chilly.
 
Our hearts were breaking to see how little they had, and yet the love among them was evident and of course, the mother/ grandmother was introducing us all with great pride to her children and their spouses. Two of the little boys saw the big fluffy blankets that we bought. We had stacked things over on a makeshift couch that was really just a twin bed with a covering over it, and these little boys grabbed the blankets and ran upstairs to their rooms.
 
TO SAY IT WAS HUMBLING IS MINIMIZING HOW LITTLE THESE DEAR PEOPLE HAD. We were not there to give out of any sense of benevolence, but out of love.
 
We Began To Talk To Their Children And Coo Over The Babies,
And The Tension In The Room Began To Melt As They Began To See,
That We Were Just People Who Came To Love And Bless Them.
 
Because they knew Margaret Wren, they knew we were safe people and that we were kind people. We knew they were safe people and kind people.
 
NOW HERE’S WHERE THE BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE PART BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE! Steve asked if we might be able to pray for this dear woman heading into surgery that night. She was the one holding the family together and I think pretty much financially as well. She was covering what it cost to pay for the house and just basic comforts. Although several other others did have jobs, it just was not going to be enough with her being incapacitated.
 
SHE SMILED BROADLY, AND SHE SAID, “I AM BELIEVING THAT GOD WILL HEAL ME AND THAT I WILL COME OUT OF THIS WITH A NEW HEART. That I will mend quickly! I trust in Jesus!” Some of her older children were rolling their eyes at her or had an attitude of just accepting that “this was the way their mother always was”, but there was not necessarily disrespect, just a lot of disbelief. Yet, they all joined the large circle we formed to pray.
 
STEVE BEGAN TO PRAY.
He prayed and blessed the family and thanked the Lord for the privilege of meeting every one of them. He asked the Heavenly Father if he would come and show himself to be kind and real to each and every one of them and provide for them and open up new jobs for them. He then laid hands on this dear lady, as did several others who were with us, and he anointed her with oil and prayed that the Lord would touch her body and astound the doctors, asking that there would not nearly be as much damage done to her heart as originally thought.
 
We All Felt This Unusual Warm Presence Gently Surround
All Of Us As We Were Standing There.
Everyone Was Aware Of The Sweetness Of God’s Presence.
 
WHEN STEVE GOT DONE PRAYING, WE ALL HUGGED EVERYONE.
Some of it was awkward, some of it was genuine and warm, and the dear lady said, "I need to be on my way, they’ll be waiting for me at the hospital." We said Merry Christmas to everyone and went outside where the young man was still watching our cars and of course, he had seen us take in all of the items. He was smiling a big smile and gave each of us a hug and said, “Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much this means to our children.” Many of us smiled and said, “We do understand because some of us came from big families and have been through hard times in the past, so we’re so glad to be able to share!”
 
ON OUR WAY HOME STEVE AND I JUST SAT THERE QUIETLY basking in the joy of knowing that God sent us to a difficult place and a potentially dangerous place, and that the enemy would want us to think that we were doing something foolish or dangerous, but instead, we were sent to love people who were in need. We were given the privilege of watching joy take place in their home, as well as seeing their beautiful children, and then praying for the dear lady who was going to have the heart surgery.
 
WE WENT TO STEVE’S PARENTS HOUSE and sat there with Christmas music playing and good food everywhere and said, “we’ve already had our Christmas” We just had the most beautiful moment and it just seemed like everything else paled compared to what we had had the honor of partaking in. It was about a 35-minute drive from Steve’s parents house to ours and we went home and prepared for bed.
 
CHRISTMAS MORNING, (THE NEXT MORNING), WE HAD GOTTEN UP AND WE WERE PREPARING SOME COFFEE AND WERE GOING TO OPEN OUR SMALL GIFTS TO EACH OTHER WHEN THE PHONE RANG. When we answered it, Margaret Wren was on the phone and she was laughing and praising God. We said, “What’s going on Margaret? What’s got you so fired up on Christmas morning to call us! Aren’t you with your family?”
Margaret said, “WELL!! I WAS getting ready to celebrate with my family, but I got a phone call from our dear sister who went into surgery last night …
…And as they were examining her last evening and did a final scan, the doctor was extremely puzzled. They decided to do some exploratory surgery before fully opening her up to make sure that everything was necessary.
Upon further examination with laparoscopy, the doctor was absolutely stunned and flummoxed that this woman’s heart was in perfect condition! There was no scar tissue. There was no evidence of heart attack or stroke anywhere in her body. Her blood pressure had gone into a normal rhythm and she was breathing with ease. They ran more tests and didn’t know what to do with her so they sent her home. 
 
WE WERE STUNNED, JOYFULLY PRAISING GOD AND LAUGHING AT THE FACT THE DOCTOR’S DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HER! We told Margaret we would split calling everybody up with her to let everyone know, and each time we called and told someone the rejoicing increased!
 
After the phone calls, Steve and I sat and talked about what an absolute moment it must’ve been for her children to have her walk through that door and smile at them and say, “Look what the Lord has done. He gave me the best Christmas ever! He gave me a new heart!” All of those young adults and grandchildren who stood in that room, doubtful that God cared about them very much, but knew that their grandmother or their mother loved them and gave everything for them in order for them to have comfort and shelter. Yet, she stood there bravely and courageously saying she was believing God for a new heart. (I think the Lord gave a few other people a new heart that day as well!)
 
WATCHING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD or even from your own culture, praying for your mother, bringing gifts and treasures much like the Wiseman brought, filled with abundance because of Jesus to celebrate Christmas, created an open door for God to work a miracle and change an entire family’s focus to see that he not only cares for them, but that he loves them.
 
NO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, NO TINSEL,
NO BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED GIFT HELD INTEREST FOR STEVE AND I THAT CHRISTMAS. We sat on our little couch and held hands and wept and praised God for the extra income that we had been given through the unexpected extra job. Even though we had suffered great losses and had been saddled with the business debt, we knew that we had obeyed the Lord being a part of the blessing of watching God unite many people who gave their little bits, which created a tremendous amount to bless another family in need. To see joy on those dear faces and learn of the miracle that took place was more than we could handle!
 
Every Christmas we recount the story. We remember the years where there was hardship and yet God always came through. That dear woman lived into her late 80s and although we never saw her or the family again, we occasionally would hear from sister Margaret about the advances that had taken a place in the family. How the grandchildren were doing. We knew that we had been a small, tiny part of validating that they were worthy of love and care.
 
WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH IN ABUNDANCE?
What is it that you have in your home?
Maybe you have a box of new tennis shoes that you don’t really like or a pair of dress shoes.
Maybe you have jeans or clothing that you can’t fit into, or, they’re too big and they’re just hanging in your closet.
Maybe you have an extra $20 or $50 where you could go buy bags of fruit loaves of bread, a few blocks of cheese.
 
When you put these things together and you ask around, you will find a family in need. A family worthy of love, going through a difficult time.
In that moment when you choose to go and be the hands of Christ extended, not only will he empower you with his Holy Spirit, but he gives you the opportunity to offer prayer for the deeper needs that they may have.
 
Perhaps In The Next Few Days You Will Be Called Upon
To Do Something That Starts Out As Simply A Loving Act Of
Giving Of Sustenance And Warmth That Will Turn Into
A Miraculous And Beautiful Testimony.
 
We live in a world in a time we’re hoarding has become something others applaud, holding our “earthly stuff” close to us, and becoming cynical when others suffer or others are going through difficult times.
 
IF YOU HAVE WEALTH, IF YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE OR IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE,  and there is even the slightest hint of condescension or looking down on anyone else who suffers or seems to have cycles of loss, Check your heart!
You have been blessed in abundance, to help others in abundance.
That is the biblical approach to wealth.
 
We don’t store up and hoard for ourselves in order to impress others as believers.
We don’t flaunt and act extravagant in front of others in order to appear superior.
We humble ourselves, we give sacrificially, and we go to hard places, we go to difficult places, perhaps to families who have no interest in Christ, but we become light in their darkness and plant seeds.
 
THERE ARE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NEARBY WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, THAT NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SEEN AND LOVED. Even the smallest thing, a plate of cookies or a basket of fruit taken to a woman who has been recently widowed, can cause her loneliness and fears to be calmed.
 
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PRAY WITH THOSE THAT YOU GO TO CHECK IN ON. They may say no, they don’t want to be prayed for, and you can lovingly say, “that’s fine. I will pray quietly for you at home.” But never be afraid to offer to pray for them in the moment.
This Is What Jesus Would Do.
 
Ask the Holy Spirit right now what is it that you have been blessed with.
Ask if you are supposed to share a part of that blessing.
Ask if there’s something sacrificial that you can do to help bless others who serve. Those who bless others who care take.
 Bless others who seem to be givers and others think they have an endless supply, when in fact; they too need to be loved and seen.
 
THE COMING OF CHRIST WAS A GIFT OF IMMEASURABLE GRACE.
God gave his entire wealth to mankind so that this gift would give us back access to the Father himself. He gave the very best that heaven could offer. That is why Christmas is such a potent time, because it is to be about the giving, the light, and the celebrating of this immeasurable gift.
 
When We Step Out Into Difficult And Hard Places And Sacrifice,
Remember,
God Is With Us! Emmanuel!
 
Matthew 1:23 Tells us
“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,” which translated, means, “GOD WITH US.”
 
THE NAME OF JESUS THE MESSIAH, “GOD WITH US”
MANIFESTS IN NOT ONLY THE MIRACULOUS,
BUT HE HEALS AND BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS. 
 
May your celebration of the King of Kings who was sent to earth as a tiny, vulnerable baby, be filled with a deeper understanding of the price that was paid for our lives.
 
Of course we know this is not actually the accurate date or celebration for Jesus’ birthday, but we must never minimize the fact that the world is aware of what we are celebrating! Something of great power and a great comfort. It has a depth and a meaning that many are still seeking to understand.
 
Let us use every opportunity to its fullest to tell of the wonders of his love!
 
Have A Miraculous And Beautiful Christmas Season My Friends!
God Is With Us.
We Are Not Alone!
 
I will say goodbye for now until my next podcast!
I bless you all in the mighty name of the Savior of mankind, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, GOD WITH US.
 
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 2024
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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"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.

VIDEOS AND INSPIRATION FOR TOUGH TIMES

 
Hello dear friends and those of you that listen to my podcast! 
This is a new presentation that I have created and the podcast is going to send you over to links that you can see there in the site that are going to introduce you to four (4) new, small, video presentations that I have been working on producing in order to use these as ways to encourage those who have an interest in the Lord, or those who are fearful, those who need to pray for our nation and more! 
 
These are just enough to get people to relax, calm down, and listen and pray! And! They are there to encourage YOU! 
 
They are there to share. 
They are there to bring visual context and audio context to things that people are struggling with right now, so if you want to head on over to those and just click the pictures below, click any picture for something that you have interest or,  listen to each of these! 
 
Of course you can watch and listen, and you can copy the links and embed them. 
Send them in emails and share them! 
That’s what this is about! 
 
The Lord said to go out into all of the world and preach the good news, the Gospel, and that means the good news of Jesus Christ, that he is here to help us and to keep us from being afraid!
 
If we are afraid we can come to him. 
He teaches us how to pray and how not to be anxious, and teaches us how to stand strong under the shadow of his wing!
 
You know, I have four consistent supporters, and I bless you! 
I’ve told you that if things would begin to increase just a little bit I would be able to create some videos, and so I had another $150 come in an offering and of course, I have to pay to park these projects somewhere. You can’t just create them. You have to park them on a site that processes, stores and compresses video. 
So! THANK YOU to that individual (you know who you are) for helping me, because this is also preaching the gospel!
 
Now folks!
Just ⬇️SCROLL DOWN ⬇️
and CLICK one or two of those different videos 
and enjoy the beautiful music, the beautiful graphics, 
the words, the voiceover 
and 
I hope they encourage you today!
 
Have a wonderful, wonderful, day
and be blessed in knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
 
➡️ My website also is available to watch and listen to these videos 
if you just prefer to go watch them all in one location! ⬅️
 
You can go to 
www.marylindow.com 
Click the word VIDEO in the menu bar! 
 
What To Do In A World Filled With Fear?
⬆️ (CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO)
Be encouraged and be fired up with this 1 min 50 second video about standing strong in a sea of lies and deception! Most people are feeling the shift and tension of world events increasing daily and lies are becoming a national phenomenon! Standing for truth doesn’t come easy. People might consider us hopelessly old-school, blind, or call us fools. But in reality, to stand on and advocate for truth is one of the most loving things we can do—because it actually calls people to live in line with reality, and to warn them away from building on falsehoods that sooner or later, will crumble beneath them.
 
PRAYER: It’s More Than Words
⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO)
The Spirit of God desires not only that we seek Him but that we actually find Him! The humbling of our soul and learning to pray - these are not simply spiritual disciplines or mechanical things we do for the sake of revival. They are heart preparations. The invitation from the Lord to seek His face is not to be taken lightly;  in fact, it is a lifestyle!
 
Prayer For God’s Defense
⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO)
When you feel the pressures of life and injustice surrounding you,
where do you turn for help, for comfort, for hope?
 
⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO)
Anxiety And Fear Have An Antidote
Whether we are mourning, or fearful, at a loss or are experiencing grief,
HOPE has a name…
 
Thank you, and I’ll talk to you soon!
Goodbye for now.
Mary Lindow 
 
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 and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, podcast, and Video production 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!
 

“A “Chosen” Moment In Time - An Act Of Obedience - A Life Changed Forever”

by Mary Lindow
TODAY’S PODCAST IS ONE OF SEVERAL THAT I WILL BE DOING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHICH I TRUST WILL ENHANCE YOUR CHRISTMAS SEASON, EVEN THOUGH THE MESSAGE IS ONE FOR ANY SEASON!
I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to share with you, some very tender and beautiful moments where the Lord moved upon my husband, and I to obey the spirit of God promptly, and out of doing this God did great and amazing things!
I also want to thank those of you that have been so consistent in helping me to produce podcasts. I am now reaching through the grace of God 60 countries freely, and also have been picked up by dozens of different podcast organizations. It does cost me to have to produce and publish these because they have to be parked somewhere. So again, I thank you and I know that at times it is difficult to give, and I do not take it lightly. It does help me do what I do because without you, I would have to stop!
 
NOW LET’S BEGIN WITH TODAY’S EXCITING “GOD STORY” PODCAST.
My husband and I were given tickets to attend any movie of choice that we wanted to. Of course there’s not much to choose from out there anymore that isn’t filled with all kinds of trashy material and narratives which we just simply choose not to support. So, we were thrilled to find out that Season Three of the tremendously well done epic cinematic story of the apostles and Jesus, the epic production of “The Chosen“ was showing at our local theater! They were releasing the first two episodes of Season Three!
We had just recently returned from a trip, and I had just returned from ministering at two different conferences. We were both a little tired, and to be honest, weary with the world. At the same time when we came home a day or two later after the last trip, my husband was rushed to the emergency room with excruciating pain, and we found out that he had a very large kidney stone. That night after 10 hours, we came home, I was sitting in our living room praying and just trying to be quiet and calm myself, and I heard a strange noise downstairs in our lower level closet area. I heard a grinding and a popping and hissing sound. Something was not right with our furnace!
 
COLORADO WINTER WAS UPON US AND THE FURNACE WAS NOT BEHAVING!
I went downstairs and could not see that the gas pilot was lighting, nor was there anything remotely close to heat coming out of it, so I just assumed that the pilot light was out. To cut to the chase, there were no parts to repair our furnace due to supply chain issues, and the potential for us having had carbon monoxide poisoning going on was high!
We were grateful that the Lord alerted us to this! But we were NOT happy that we were going to have to replace an entire furnace system, and up to the new specifications for “green energy requirements“ in Colorado.
 
WHAT AN ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE THING TO HAPPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS! RIGHT?
And, we had just finally caught up on paying for the last of Steve’s Father’s care in assisted living, as he had just passed away in March. He was 96 years old, and of course had planned to take care of himself, but no one knew he would live to such a ripe age of 96!
So, we were feeling a little bit out of sorts and overwhelmed and COLD and decided that we would go to the movie and just enjoy something where the presence of God was allowed to flow, as well as something that was going to be meaningful and purposeful during this difficult time we were in, once again.
 
WE WERE SCHEDULED TO SEE THE MOVIE AT 1:45 PM IN THE AFTERNOON.
As we walked into the theater, there was no one else IN the theater but Steve and I! We did arrive a few minutes early but as time passed, it was obvious we were at an afternoon matinee close to the end of the time they were going to show this film. So, we just sat there and held hands and watched all the previews of wonderful new films that were coming out by Christian groups and their animations for children. 
 
THEN, OFF TO THE SIDE...
...WE NOTICED A YOUNG MAN COME IN THE DOOR.
He had to be in his mid-20s, and certainly not any older than 30. He was dressed in a white snapback baseball cap, a white hoodie with red and black graphics of some type on the front, and off-white khaki type colored jeans and white tennis shoes with black laces.
Now, I noticed all of this because there was not another single person to pay attention to at that point! Just a minute or two later another couple who were fragile and older, probably in their mid 80s, came in and sat far off to the side.
 
THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION WAS AS IF TIME WAS SUSPENDED, as we watched our own lives passing before us, as the Lord had called us so many years ago, individually as young people, and then as a married couple into the service of the King. The hardships, the “iron sharpening iron” dialogs that shaped and fashioned our marriage. And nd the things that the Lord needed to prune away in order for us to be better, used by his plan and hands.
 
WE COULD FEEL THE “DIVINE TENSION” BUILDING,and we knew that this production had been created for this very time in the earth. We sat in our seats and wept, and prayed for our world and our nation. We asked God to help us to be strong and to not be afraid, and that he would use us until our very last breath.
 
Toward the end of the production, there was a clear understanding, that the disciples and the women who were followers of Jesus knew that this next phase of ministry they were called to, was going to be very sobering and very difficult, and, that the pressure from external governments (the Romans) and then dealing with the religious dictators of the day among them Pharisees/Sanhedrin, it was pressing in on all of them.
 
THEY WERE BEING CALLED TO COMPLETELY ABANDON ALL OF THEIR OWN PLANS, and all of their own desires and everything they owned in order to be sent out two by two, to go preach the gospel. We watched them struggle to figure out how food was going to be provided and more, even though they had seen Jesus multiply in the crowds. We watched Peter and his wife look at each other, wondering if they would ever have the children they were longing for. And yet, we also watched Matthew the tax collector have a redemptive reconciliation with his parents (who had previously, literally, disowned him), because they too had come to be followers of Jesus. It’s uncanny that the words “The Chosen” are the key words that define the name of this production.
 
BEFORE I GO INTO THE NEXT PART, WHICH IS THE ABOUT COMMAND OF THE LORD AND SUPERNATURAL PART OF THE SUPERNATURAL EVENT, THAT TOOK PLACE, I would like to tell you that you can download the app on your phone or onto your computer and watch   season one and season two of the chosen absolutely for no cost. This entire production has been funded by crowdfunding only. It is the largest crowdfunded, crowd-sourced production ever to be done. How absolutely amazing of the Lord to have this kind of an event to be produced during the most difficult and tumultuous times that we are all now experiencing in this current era!
 
SO NOW, BACK TO THE STORY!
Steve and I sat there very quietly once the movie had ended.
The older couple had left.
We were just watching the credits, listening to the music and quite honestly crying and being shaken by all that we have been experiencing lately with so many deaths, the hardships of travel and ministry and strange beds, and so many people hungry for a word, or a touch from the Lord and us knowing we have very human limits. We were weary from funerals that we had been attending or hearing about from the multiple deaths during the Wuhan COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Drug overdoses, many suicides. 
 
WE HAD BEEN WORKING IN PASTORAL COUNSELING WORK WITH SOME EXTREMELY DEVASTATING AND HARD CASES WHERE WE KNEW THAT WE HAD STRETCHED OUR LIMITS TO THE FINAL POINT, AND ONLY GOD COULD DO THE FINAL WORK.
And of course, burying Steve’s father in the spring, after having recently buried his mother during Covid, and not being able to see her was still weighing on our hearts. And then there was that shocking expense of that new furnace and entire new venting system. UGH!
We were absolutely weeping over the movie, identifying with the struggles of the apostles and disciples, as well as contemplating this time in our lives, and what God needed to do to assist us as well!
 
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement and I noticed the young man was now coming down the steps, and was going to exit the theatre.
 
As he went around the corner out into the hallway to exit, the Holy Spirit, clearly spoke to me, “Go after him! I want you to say something to him! I sent you here to this specific, showing so that you would see him.”
 
SO! I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF MY SEAT AND TOOK OFF AFTER HIM, and as the door was closing to the cinema entry section that we had just been in,
I shouted, “Excuse me! Excuse me!”
I made it to the door and outside of the door, because the young man had heard me and held it open. I simply looked in the young man’s eyes, and I said, “I feel that the Lord wanted me to come out and speak to you. He has something he wants me to tell you and I would be wrong if I did not take the time to stop and obey him.” I asked the young man if it was OK if I told him what I felt, I was to say to him, and he said,  “Yes, please!” very politely.
 
I BEGAN TO TELL HIM THAT HE WAS SENT TO THE MOVIE THEATER AT THE VERY SAME TIME WE WERE BECAUSE GOD WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE SAW HIM, THAT WE SAW HIM, AND THAT THE THINGS GOD NEEDED TO SAY TO HIM WERE DELIVERED.
 
ABOUT THE TIME, I SAID THAT I WAS ABSOLUTELY HIT WITH AN UNUSUALLY STRONG SENSE OF TREMBLING. Now, when I minister to people, or when I am in a prophetic vein of ministry, whether I’m teaching, or whether I am literally delivering words of knowledge, words of wisdom or songs of the Lord, I am aware of an intense presence and weight of the glory of the Lord, but this was definitely different.
 
I WASN’T SURE I COULD FINISH WHAT I WAS SAYING TO HIM.
I WAS LITERALLY WEEPING AND SHAKING TRYING TO TELL THIS YOUNG MAN WHAT GOD WANTED TO SAY TO HIM.
And so I spoke in my weakness, and absolutely in this undone state that I was in.
The Holy Spirit began to tell him that he himself is one of the chosen of God. That he has been called to minister to his people, to his own culture of people.(Side-note: I’m not sure if he was First Native/First Nations Individual or of Asian descent or a combination of both, but his features seemed to indicate that.) 
 
The Holy Spirit then had me say to him, “you don’t know how you’re going to pull this off.”  You don’t know how you’re going to get to the people but the Lord says to tell you that he has called you and that you are being positioned and prepared and you were sent here today to receive this confirmation.” The Holy Spirit said to tell him, “You can do this! You can do this because I have called you and have chosen you and I have set you apart. I’ve set you aside to do this work for me. You’ve been struggling and you’ve been wrestling with the Lord today and asked Him to speak to you. The Lord says to you that he will give you the courage and the strength and the ability to do what he has called you to do.”
 
“YOU ARE NOT TO BE AFRAID AND YOU’RE NOT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
You simply step in and obey and begin to minister to those around you and the Lord is going to make the way for you. He’s going to open the doors and prepare the way for you. Then again, the Holy Spirit said, “Don't be afraid and question how God is going to do this, because you have been chosen, and we were sent to you today to tell you this.” I had told him that I had been a pastor that I had been a missionary, and continue to mentor, as well as do pastoral counseling, and have worked many hard side jobs, even now as we still serve the Lord.
 
I also told him it is not easy!  
I told him that it will take great courage, and it will take great faith that only comes from God to be able to want to even continue. Especially during the times that you see the impossible as impossible to handle! But, that He would not be alone. That the Holy Spirit will come and give him the strength and speak to him and tell him what to do. Because He, is Chosen.
 
HE WAS WEEPING, AND GENTLY AND HUMBLY HAD HIS HEAD BOWED.
THIS IS A YOUNG MAN GOD IS PREPARING TO USE,
IN THIS TIME IN THE EARTH!
HE WAS HUMBLE, AND HE WAS WILLING TO RECEIVE.
 
I asked him if I could pray for him and lay my hand on him.
He nodded his head and said, “Yes, please! Please!”
Now about this time Steve had come out the side door himself, and stood off to the side, and was praying in the spirit because he could tell that I was engaged, and he didn’t want to break the flow of what God was doing.
 
I GENTLY LAID MY HAND ON THE YOUNG MAN’S SHOULDER NEAR HIS COLLARBONE, and began to pray for him, and ask the Holy Spirit to impart and infuse him with great courage and great wisdom, and great direction during this time in his life. That he would surround him with people who would cheer him on, but also help him to be strong and accountable so he would not be taken out by the temptations that often come to young people in ministry, as well as anyone in ministry!
Again, the power of God and the presence of God was so strong he and I both were shaking and weeping. This was as if a commissioning of God was taking place right there in that side lobby of a movie theater. And yet there was no one else observing this! Well, no one else in “the natural”,     except Steve, but it was as if the heavens opened up and there was a shaft of divine glory and a commissioning of the Lord taking place over this young man.
 
This year Steve and I have had the opportunity to ordain someone who served the Lord alongside us for many years, and then moved to another state. On top of that, the Lord has been sending us more and more individuals for mentoring and training and we believe there will be more commissioning and more ordaining in the days ahead because God is beginning to send out more and more people who have served faithfully, without ever having had a title or a position named out in a church function or a church body. They just continue to do the works of the Spirit of God without fanfare.
 
AND SO IT SEEMED AS IF THIS WAS ANOTHER DIVINE,
UNSCRIPTED APPOINTMENT OF THE LORD.
As I finished praying with this young man, I just put my arm around his neck and hugged him and told him that, “He could do this! God is with you!” He held on to me and was weeping and kept saying, “Thank you, thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much this means. Thank you!”  And then he simply took off down the hallway and went out the door to the parking lot.
 
Once again, Steve and I stood there and I had to go lean against a wall for a few minutes, because the presence of God was so very tangibly strong. I was saying to the Lord, “Here we  are Lord! Use us to your fullest!” Steve began to say the same things.  “Lord, we are weary, we are poured out, and we are tired! Yet, your presence and your power and your strength comes and ignites the fire to once again deliver the word of the Lord to whoever you send to us!”
 
We finally got ourselves together and decided to go to a nearby restaurant called Red Robin and split a hamburger and a salad. We had a few space heaters that we were going to use in our home to keep it warm while waiting for this furnace situation to be addressed, and quite honestly, we just didn’t want to go home to a cold house and cook dinner and try to warm everything up all at the same time. 
 
I was still very tender hearted and contemplating as we came into the restaurant and sat down at the table.We were quiet and we were thinking of what just happened and just sat there for a bit until our waitress came. She looked at me and asked me if I was OK! I smiled at her and I said, “I’m actually really wonderful, but we just had an intense experience watching a movie and it has tremendously moved us emotionally and we’ve got a lot to think about.”
 
AND GUESS WHAT?
She looked at us and said, “What happened? What movie was this?”
And once again, that power of God dropped down on us. With tears pouring down my face, I told her about what “The Chosen” was. Now, this girl was not a believer! But! She tenderly looked at me and she said, “I need something like this !I need something meaningful! I need something that I can enjoy and that helps me to feel better during the Christmas season!”
So I told her about the app, I told her about the season one and two being a free opportunity to watch. She said she wanted to watch season one and two, first, and then she would go with her friends to watch season three because she thinks her friends might need to see it too. We then ordered our meal and just sat there and looked at each other again and said this is what we live for! YAY GOD!!!
Several times throughout the meal she came by and just stood there and wanted to talk to us. You could tell she was feeling something, she was sensing something.
 
She was sensing what her soul was longing for, and that was safety in the presence of the Lord and safety in the presence of his people.
 
She didn’t know how to define it, but she was longing for it. As we got ready to leave, she came over and thanked us and told us how much it meant for her to talk with us and meet us at that time.
 
STEVE AND I GOT OUT INTO THE CAR AND JUST SAT THERE AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT WE WERE SPECIFICALLY SET APART FOR THAT VERY DAY, FOR THOSE TWO INDIVIDUAL SOULS TO HEAR OF THE HOPE AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT OF CHRIST.
 
WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN A TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE GOD IS LOOKING BACK-AND-FORTH ACROSS THE EARTH FOR HIS PEOPLE WHO HAVE PREPARED AND WHO DISCIPLE AND TO TRAIN OTHERS.
BUT ABOVE ALL, HE’S LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE  HOLY SPIRIT AND OBEY THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT PROMPTLY.
 
MY DEAR LISTENERS!
I CAN TELL YOU THAT SOME OF THINGS THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TELLING YOU TO DO OR NOT TO DO IS CRUCIAL IN THIS TIME THAT WE ARE LIVING IN.
If you have even the slightest hesitation inside of you about something you are about to commit to, and you do not feel at peace, no matter what others think about you, you must withdraw, you must not do that thing.
 
WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE THE ENEMY IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SNARE AND TRIP UP INDIVIDUALS, TO DESTROY BELIEVERS AND GET THEM OFF THE TRACK OF HEARING THE LORD’S VOICE, AND ABOVE ALL, OBEYING THE LORD‘S VOICE.
 
The word of the Lord says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
 
IF YOU DON’T HEAR THE VOICE OF THE LORD TELLING YOU WHICH DIRECTION TO WALK, THEN YOU DON’T MOVE. But if you do hear him, you get up and run like I did towards that individual or that situation that God is going to immerse you into.
 
This powerful presence that can shake our flesh to the core is what God is about to pour out upon those who are willing to hear the voice of the Lord, and no matter what the cost, no matter what the assignment, they run towards it!
He is also going to bring a strong conviction over those who are moving out of his will, because they are still moving in the patterns of the things they feel they want to do for him and he has not made that way clear. Others are pushing and attempting to motivate many, into things that are not of the Lord right now.
 
WHAT IS THE KEY ELEMENT THAT GOD IS USING RIGHT NOW?
 It is an atmosphere that you choose to step into through worship.
Through worshipping, waiting in his presence, and praying and interceding. And, there will be during that time, a great presence of the Lord where there will also be much repentance and adjustment done to our souls. Why? Because God knows that the days are dark, men are evil, and human beings are easily led away from doing difficult things.
 
WHAT IS THE LORD IS SHOWING YOU TO DO DURING THIS SEASON?
There are hundreds of thousands of people that are longing for one word of encouragement, one word of kindness and the Lord is calling up all of his troops, all of his great army of believers to be on the alert for the opportunity to let the glory of God come and move through you to reach out to those who are now facing this confusing, dark time.
 
 
LET’S PRAY TOGETHER RIGHT NOW!
Heavenly Father! I pray that you help people to be strong and courageous to not be troubled nor be dismayed for in Isaiah you said, I the Lord am with you and I will hold you up with my righteous right hand! 
 
Lord, we ask that you use us to the fullest extent of your glory until there’s nothing left in us! Oh Lord, I pray that those that who are listening to this podcast today would feel your presence drop down around them and that they too would weep and stand before you, and pray saying those words, “Here I am Lord! Send me!” 
Lord I ask that you would open their eyes to see the many who are just waiting for them to come and speak to them. We adore and give you all honor today Father, in the most marvelous and mighty name of Jesus! Amen!
 
I truly hope that you were encouraged and inspired by this wonderful experience that I shared with you and I also hope that you will pop back in next week when I will have another amazing Christmas “Miracle story” to share with you and that it will encourage you and challenge you to take a risk and step out and let the Lord use you in the most wonderful and seemingly impossible situations!
Goodbye for now!
May God greatly bless you with Peace, Joy,
and great Anticipation of how he’s going to use you.
 
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!  "2022"
"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  ministry 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 or 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  501(3)c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since
1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU!

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.
 
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Thank You Copyright © 2018
 “THE MESSENGER "~Mary Lindow
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