"A Gentle Nudge From God & Joy To The World" - Divine Encounters!

“A Gentle Nudge From God & Joy To The World”
by Mary Lindow
 
I highly encourage you to listen to this podcast!
There are very special "musical moments" that took place in this story about God's Divine Appointment! 
My next two podcasts are going to be two wonderful Christmas season stories that tell you about how God will lead your steps and sometimes, into places that are not always convenient or comfortable! There may be even good hearted individuals telling you that where you’re going is not safe, but God instructs you to still go because there’s a miracle or a need to be met, that must take place.
 
Today’s Podcast Is Going To Be Telling A Story That Just Happened To Me This Past Week.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”\
 
I Had Stretched Out Getting My Hair Styled, and all the things that “women do before the holidays” and was up to that crucial, “I’d waited too long”  deadline. I had an appointment scheduled far out and suddenly the day arrived! It’s about a 35 to 40 minute drive to where I go due to traffic. So it’s a great time to worship the Lord and ponder life as I make my way to the hairstylist. As I was driving, I was talking to the Lord about so many things and about the condition of the heart of the body of Christ and all of the painful exposures and sad things taking place, as well as the hard working, diligent, good people in the kingdom of God who are rarely seen, and who are rarely given much validation for their service, at least here on earth.
 
It was as if the Lord was saying to me,
“I see it all, just continue to do what I tell YOU to do, and focus on what’s right in front of you.” With that I took it to heart and I arrived at my hair appointment. The young woman that does my hair comes from a Jewish background, but never was active and also had a father who was a very non-practicing Christian, but had instilled some sort of faith in her. Every time I go to her, we share a little bit more. She opens her heart to me now. We talk about her children, and this day was another one of those kinds of days. She is what I call the kind of person you have to gently lead like a sheep to Christ. You can’t preach at them you can’t try to force any kind of message, you just talk about life and about the need for help from God. You laugh with them and love them. By the time I left her, which was about an hour and 40 minutes later there was a gentle peace saturating the room, and several of the other ladies had been listening in on our conversation about the need for peace, kindness, and integrity in the world.
 
My Stylist Even Told Me She Had Prayed Recently and asked God to help her be a better mother. Now this is a huge win to hear her say something like this, but she wanted me to know. I gave her a big hug and a little Christmas present and told her she was a wonderful mother and thanked her for her gracious salon service and told her how gifted she was. She teared up and said, “Those are such nice words. They just went right inside of my heart!” And of course, again, I didn’t preach at her, I simply smiled at her and I said, “Well, every single one of them are true.”
 
She Didn’t Grow Up With Much Validation , and she didn’t grow up with much warmth, so these words must’ve felt like warm honey poured over a very busy, active Soul who is constantly taking care of other people’s needs every single day with her hair Styling profession.
 
It Was An Absolutely Glorious Afternoon In Colorado! We have these warm days that come in during winter! The sun was bright, the sky was gorgeous and clear blue and the temperature was 65°F! On my way home nearby the salon, there is a boutique type style coffee shop that is a rare treat to go to. I had saved a few dollars to go and get a cup of “Christmasy coffee”, because it’s handcrafted and not something that I do on a regular basis. But today I delighted in it and was going to do a little bit of personal restoration, because it has been a very busy season of intense counseling and caring for other people. I had also recently had a parent pass away after a difficult battle with cancer and had gone through some uncomfortable family dynamics with his passing.
 
My Heart Was Still Tender, And I Needed To Process A Bit.
I went in and got my coffee and talked a little bit about “coffee things” with the owner and they directed me to a most glorious Guatemalan coffee that was just spectacular and they prepared my coffee for me kindly! I went outside and sat on their patio and looked at the sky, the trees and the mountains as I sipped joyfully on a glorious perfect brew! I was just relaxing and enjoying the moment and so grateful for God making coffee beans!
I contemplated having another cup of coffee but at $5.60 a cup. (Yikes!) I figured it would be better to go home and brew a few entire pots from beans that I already had!
 
As I Was Leaving, I Got Ready To Get Into My Car, I had parked right in front of a place that we also used to go, to get organic crafted homemade bread and rolls for holidays. It’s called the Great Harvest Bread Company. (Now understand the word “great harvest” is poignant at this point!)
 
When Steve And I Began Full-Time Ministry and began pastoring, our key statement, (we had it painted on the wall in the back of our sanctuary), was “Laborers in The Final Harvest.” This bread company is a Colorado owned Bakery with franchises. As I looked at it, I realize it had been remodeled and everything was extremely decorated and Christmasy and of course, just fun to look at!
 
I Turned To Get Into My Car Again And Gently, Ever So Gently, I Was Nudged By The Holy Spirit To Go Inside. I really didn’t want to go into a bakery because we had just had Thanksgiving and we were kind of “fooded out”. But they do have excellent bread and I thought maybe I would get a little something to bring home for Steve my husband.
 
I Still Didn’t Really Want To Go In.
I was kind of looking forward to getting home and traffic was getting hectic and thick at that time. Yet the Holy Spirit persisted that I go in. It wasn’t urgent, but it was one of those moments where you know there’s a purpose that God wants fulfilled, and my steps were being directed by him! Remember that verse I mentioned previously? It said, “whether you turn to the left or to the right there is a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it.” This definitely was the Holy Spirit nudging me forward.
 
As I Opened The Door, which had bells on it that jingled as I walked in, I stepped into a room that was absolutely lovely and beautifully prepared for the holiday season. There were nativity sets on display everywhere and handcrafted sale and gift items. Everything was well presented, and a few Hanukkah candelabra were stuck in different places with the words “Jesus is Yeshua” with signs underneath them. I smiled inside and thought “this is pretty cool. I don’t remember this place being very spiritual beforehand when we used to visit!”
 
Over The Sound System Music Was Playing.  
The Song “Worthy Is The Lamb! Worthy Is The Lamb! You Are Holy!”
I just stood there and felt the tears begin to well up and felt gratitude to the Lord for being in a place that didn’t just serve up great organic bread products, they were serving up the bread of life. In that moment, I realized how tired I really was and depleted somewhat from giving out so much lately. Now, I do love to take care of people and nurture and try to persuade them to Christ, into a better way of living and thinking. Counseling lately has been a steady stream of people who have been abused in churches on every level. Building trust and instructing them about their real identity in Christ is again, as well as unpacking Trauma, can be very delicate work.
 
As I Stood There And Just Marveled At The Song. I remembered that for about a week now every morning when I woke up, I was already singing on the inside of me, a similar message. A song coming up out of my spirit! It was a worship song we used to sing often and it was, “I will glorify the king of Kings, I will glorify the lamb. I will glorify the King of Kings, who is the great I AM!”
 
It was as if the Lord was saying, “Keep your eyes on the lamb, keep your eyes on the one who has paid the full price, and as you glorify him, he will walk in your midst.” I was enjoying his presence tremendously standing there, realizing he also wanted me to be refreshed!
 
So With That, I Went Around The Corner To Begin To Look At The Bakery Goods and to see if I could find some good, dark pumpernickel for Steve. And yes, right there in front of me was 1/2 loaf prepackaged ready to go. I picked it up and went around the corner to go to the register and began to notice a shelf above me about shoulder height, filled with the most unusual and beautiful gold-looking jewelry, weaved into different patterns for earrings and bracelets and necklaces, all extremely well-made and unique.
 
There was a woman about mid 40s tending to the jewelry display and adjusting things and replacing items that needed to be restocked. I said, “Hello! These are beautiful. Are you the distributor? Are you a representative?” She said, “Yes I am. I’m here replenishing. I help this organization.”
 
In That Moment, I Felt The Holy Spirit Come Over Me Again and impressed me with this thought, “This is why you’re here!” As she began to share with me about what the organization does, (and I won’t go into all of it right now), but basically in Brazil, there is a beautiful strong grass that grows very thin like a gold wire. The people from an indigenous peoples group there are artisans, and they handcraft all kinds of beautiful things and they have developed this jewelry line. She and a team of other people work to help promote their products so that they can feed the people in their village and produce jobs so they can be self-sufficient. This organization that has been formed is Christian and has only been operating maybe 3 to 5 years. They’re a very quiet, and they’re very small group, but they’re passionate and active in taking care of people.
 
Now remember on my way into the hair salon in the car, I was talking to the Lord about the people that do the hard work behind the scenes. The people that are not high profile public ministries, and those that work so hard to care for others, but are often overlooked when it comes to provision or care themselves. So there I was, standing in front of someone when I had just prayed about it on the way in!
 
As she began to tell me the story of these people, she then went over into the conversation about how she also works among the sexually abused because she was abused herself, as was her child from a relative. She has done tremendous personal work in counseling, and so had her son. She said the sadness still remains that these things happen and have happened. She has decided to be an advocate to help people through the shame and often the shunning from people in the church when they share that this has happened to them.
 
I Began To Talk To Her And Tell Her What I Do As A Pastoral Counselor, as well as having been a minister who understands the public forum and having seen behind the scenes many ministries who were involved in things they should not be involved in, but no one ever caught them.
 
I began to talk to her about the goodness of God and how pleased he was with her for by willing to go and take care of the brokenhearted, to bind up their wounds, take care for the poor, to care for the sick, encouraging her that this was a marvelous and beautiful thing she was doing, and that Jesus himself was looking down upon her with great, great joy, because he paid the price for all that happened to her in order to find a way to bring her to a place of peace, and then to use her to help bring others to a place of hope and peace.
 
Now This Was A Very Brilliant Woman, And She Was Very Discerning.  She had a Masters degree, and some type of a leadership organizational degree as well. 
With tears in her eyes, she said, “You know, I know this was one of those moments where God has you meet someone for a reason.” I asked her if I could take her by the hands and pray for her and she said, “Oh please do!” Yes, right there in the middle of the bread store with people coming in and out I gently took her hands into mine and began to pray for her tired and weary soul. The words just flowed as the Lord himself gave me the right things to pray, and words that he heard and honored, not simply just lip service.
As I prayed, I was prompted to continue praying that the Lord would help her with the funds needed to continue to promote this micro-type business, and then I was prompted to pray that the Lord would give her a very special indicator of his love and concern for her, by providing for her personally during this season. That by showing her in a very unique way that he was going to bless her for her hard work, often unseen, and often unappreciated. I blessed her.
I asked for grace over her as the Holy Spirit began to give me the words that would affirm and validate her.
When I finished praying with her and we looked each other in the eyes, still holding hands, her eyes were streaming with tears and a softness had come over her face. She said, “You have no idea what you prayed. I can tell you’re prophetic.” Of course, I laughed, because I didn’t say one word about that to her. She said, “I do know these things and I can pick up on someone who is a caregiver and a nurturer, but I can also indicate to you I too flow in prophetic gifts and you have no idea how much the Lord just spoke to me and answered things that only he knew I’ve been asking him about.”
And Then She Told Me The Past Five Years Due To Covid And Another Company She Worked For, How The Financial Strain Had Become Unbearable. Yes, she does get paid for working for this organization because they have to have people who do all of the distributing and arranging to get things to the places they need to be for sales, but it is not anything close to what you would consider a secure income. She told me she was trusting God to open a new door to her, and a different group that was going to listen to her about a presentation that night, might possibly bring in the needed finances to continue to help these dear people.
Now imagine, this woman has a masters degree in foreign studies and people groups as well as leadership and she’s more concerned about providing for them than her own income!
We hugged and said if we never meet again, we’ll see each other in eternity but today I told her, today we had a moment in eternity because God planned this day.
 
I Told Her, “I Knew That He Sent Me In. I Wasn’t Going To Come In Today! I just wasn’t going to come into the store and I was prompted twice by the Holy Spirit to come in, because he knew today I was to meet you and you were to meet me, and we were to remind each other of the goodness and the kindness of God.
That God sees!
That God knows everything!
That HE was listening in on our conversation and our prayer and that he was at work sending encouragement, sending Hope, and that we are not alone.”
 
She Suddenly Looked At Her Watch And Squeaked! “I have to go. I’m supposed to be at a meeting in 15 minutes”, grabbed her purse waved to the people behind the counter. They said,“Bless you sister”, and out the door she went.
I did pick up a few brochures and I had saved $40 tucked away in my wallet to go buy a few pine bows to use for some decorating in our home for Christmas.
 
Now I Know Everyone Of You Have Had This Happen To You Before! You know, the Lord says, “It’s up to you, there’s no judgment no guilt, but that $40 could be used for a higher purpose.”
There was a beautiful pair of bohemian-style looking, weaved earrings that had caught my eye in this collection that the woman was organizing, and I knew my youngest son‘s wife’s birthday was coming this week. She loves organizations like this who help take care of disenfranchised people groups who are poor, and long to work and have purpose because she worked for an NGO in Uganda. I selected those earrings with joy and said to myself, “Who needs pine boughs! This is much more fun and much more meaningful! Thank you, Heavenly Father for the prompting!”
 
I took my pumpernickel bread and the earrings to the register and the lady behind the register was smiling at me. I said, “Are you a believer as well?” She said, “Absolutely!”
 
I asked her if there had been new management and she said, “Oh yes, the new manager bought the business in 2019 right before the Covid bioterror event took place. But she pressed on and we prayed on and on and on, and God has been faithful to bless the business.”
 
I was thrilled to find out that believers had purchased this specific franchise. I made my purchases and as always as offered in this location, they give you a slice of fresh warm, organic, honey- whole wheat bread, slathered in butter to eat on your way home. BLISS!
 
I Gathered My Items, Went Out The Door, and got into my car and just sat there looking in the windows, feeling as if indeed, I had just had Christmas, and there in my hand was another indicator of the goodness of people behind the scenes who run excellent Christian businesses, who leave the door open to the stranger and the unbelievers and invite them into their world of warmth and kindness.
 
You See Jesus Came To Be The Bread Of Life! He was the wheat that was ground and poured out that we might feast upon the redemptive powers and hope of his sacrifice. We in turn become much like the parable of the loaves and fishes. He multiplies what we have in our lives and serves it up to those who have need. There is always ample supply even when we think we are completely empty.
 
He Uses It To Expand His Kingdom! We are to share that bread of life, we are to give a “slice” of what we are no matter where we are of that bread when the Lord is behind us saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”
 
I can only imagine that dear woman going home in her car or to her meeting, resting, letting go of the fear, letting go of the stress and anxiety, knowing the Lord had sent a sister with “the slice of the bread of life” to speak hope over her and to give her what Jesus had already prepared in advance for her, if someone would just go! If someone would just step in and obey in the moment.
 
Tell You The Story, Not In Any Way To Pat Myself On The Back, because honestly, my brain was absolutely exhausted and I had 1000 things in my mind I needed to get done like everyone else with pre-holiday decorating and preparing to travel. In between all of that is working and caring for others and just life in general! I could’ve simply sat there with my tasty coffee and enjoyed my time and been fine!
 
I Could’ve Chosen To Not Go Into The Shop and just get into my car and drive home at my planned time so I would miss traffic rush-hour. I would’ve never known the difference except may be a little bit of sadness in my heart that I pushed away a prompting of the Holy Spirit because I was tired.
I Want To Encourage You That The Christmas Season Is A Unique Time When People Are Longing To Feel Safe.
Safe and, they want to experience deep joy.
They have warm memories inside of them from Christmas events, or they have damaged and frightening memories because of things that have taken place during the holidays. It’s in these gentle but poignant moments when the Holy Spirit can bypass our fleshly concepts of fatigue and timing, and direct us into a divine appointment, a divine moment that was planned by the hand of God, so that the Bread of life that came to earth to redeem mankind is served up fresh!
 
As I Drove Home Again, The Tears Were Streaming From My Face, and I worshiped and praised God with a music station that was playing Christmas carols. The song “Joy to the World” began to play.
 
As always, the one line that just pierces my own heart and has since I was a little girl, was, “Let every heart, prepare him room.” When I was a little girl, I used to picture very vividly that in my heart, there was like a storybook picture of a hollowed out tree, and inside there was a little bed and I would picture preparing a room for Jesus. I wanted to have a table with a candle set on it, some homemade cookies, some fruit, a comfortable chair and a warm bed for him to lay his head down to sleep. I was “preparing him, a room!”
I realized that in that coffee shop in that hair salon, I had prepared him room, and indeed it was, “Joy to the World!
 
I Encourage You - Everyone Listening, to understand that “heaven and nature sing” when we obey the Spirit promptly and heed that voice behind us directing our steps.
You Are The Light Of The World Now!
You are the lamp that God uses, and if we put a basket over it, or we decide to cloak it and go about our way, we will miss the opportunities to prepare him room in our hearts, and in the world. Today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your heart. Obey him promptly.
 
You Know, The One Thing I Have Found Out About Sacrifice Is That It Hurts A Little Bit.
It’s inconvenient to give time to people.
It’s inconvenient to stop and listen.
It’s inconvenient to get out of your car and go help someone who is fragile walk into a store or walk across the street.
It’s inconvenient to scale back on your Christmas gifts and giving to yourself in order to help others in peril or to help others in need. To help others share the gospel like this dear lady who was beautifully displaying the handcrafted hard work done by these individuals in order to help to further the gospel.
Be Aware!
Be listening for “holy moments” during this Christmas “holy days” season.
 
Each Of You Are Ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of you are sent out in the world to tell of that wonderful, marvelous news. And often, we’re sent out to encourage one another to do good works and to continue in serving, even though others may not see, others may not understand, and others may not validate!
My Next Podcast Is Going To Be A Story About Where We Went Into A Very Dangerous Place, led by the Holy Spirit of course, and how truly a Christmas Eve healing miracle took place that completely changed an entire family’s trajectory.
I encourage you to go to my website at www.marylindow.com
I have some beautiful short video presentations with scripture and music and encouragement to play, especially for those who are fighting anxiety or who are going through persecution or a lot of pain right now. Just hit that video button at the top of the website and scroll down and there are several there for you to enjoy.
Please Take Time To Rest In The Lord‘s Presence And Not Be So Over-Taxed About Holiday Preparations. It is after all HIS birthday and his celebration! It was also the day that he began to lay down his life for 33 years to come and prepare the way for us to be able to be redeemed!
 What A Mighty King We Serve!
Until my next podcast, I bless you in the name that is higher than any other name and that is the name of King Jesus Christ the Messiah!
 Goodbye for now!
 
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!
 

IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STORMS ”IMMANUEL” IS WITH US! - We Are Not Alone!

The World Is Whirling In Many Storms Right Now!
It’s Crazy Out There, And Dark!
And yet, we all have those things that we are personally raging war against as well.
Maybe You’re In A Storm Right Now.
Maybe it’s a storm named divorce.
Maybe it’s a storm called money, or loss of a career.
Maybe it’s friendship. Maybe loneliness.
Maybe grief or addictions. Kids, in-laws, friends.
Maybe it’s a storm called cancer.
 
Sometimes We Wonder Where Is God In The Midst Of Our Struggles.
Why is God allowing this to happen? We usually don’t understand, (even if we’re the culprit, it still doesn’t seem fair or right.) Yet God is there. His name “Immanuel” means, God WITH us.
In Matthew: 1:23 it says,
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us.”
That’s our theme.
It’s really believing and trusting that God is with us.
With that in mind, I want to look at a passage from Acts 27.
 
As Paul Was Being Transported To Rome,
The Focus Was On A Storm On The Ship Paul Was On.
 
There was this massive storm at sea. The storm went on and on and on.
The crew was so terrified that they threw cargo overboard, believing they were about to die.
In Acts 27:20, Luke tells us;
“When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days,
and no small tempest lay on us,
all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”
 
When We Read, No Small Tempest Lay On Us;
Luke Is Telling Us This Was A Massive, Raging Storm!
It wasn’t just a rainstorm, the wind was blowing, the skies were dark day and night; they couldn’t even see the sky.
The storm was raging, and I wonder how many of us would use that phrase for what we’ve been going through?
The storm - won’t - stop.
 
Do you see the end of that verse?
It said, “All hope of being saved was abandoned”.
They gave up all hope of being saved! That’s terrible!
 
Have You Been There? Have You Given Up All Hope?
It’s the finances that are killing you and you see no hope.
Maybe there’s a wedge between you and your spouse and you can’t see any hope.
Maybe it was the diagnosis.
Maybe you can’t see yourself with a mate.
Maybe it’s a job, it’s the kids, it’s getting older and more dependent.
Whatever it is . . . and just like those sailors, you’ve given up all hope!
 
The storm continues to rage and in verse 21 we read,
“Since they had been without food for a long time,
Paul stood up among them and said,
“Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete
and incurred this injury and loss.”
 
I love Paul!
But right here, I don’t think I would want to hear what he said!
Kind of an “I told you so!”
“You should have taken my advice. You wouldn’t have lost all of this property.
If you had just listened to my advice, you wouldn't be in the middle of this storm.
 
Why Were They In The Storm?
They were in the storm because it was their fault.
They made a decision to go out when it’s not the best time to sail.
It was risky from the start.
Spiritual warfare is real and sometimes, yes, it is Satan.
But this situation was on them; they couldn’t blame Satan as much as they may have wanted to.
 
We Don’t Like To Admit It, But Sometimes It's Our Own Fault.
Sometimes you over-indulged and you spent too much money, or you said something you shouldn’t have said and now you’re in the middle of the storm.
You procrastinated and now you’re paying for it.
You said yes, when you knew you should have said no!
You dated someone everyone said not to date, and now there’s lots of hurt and you’re in the middle of the storm and you can’t blame anyone else.
 
Maybe That's Why They Gave Up Hope - - - They Knew It Was Their Fault.
I think we may find it easier to believe God can get us out of a storm He called us to, than it is for God to get me out of a storm we created.
Does that make sense?
 
Maybe It’s The Captain’s Fault.
You’re just a sailor and you didn’t have a say in it. You heard Paul, but you believed the captain and now through no fault of your own, you’re in the middle of the storm.
 
Have You Have Ever Been In The Middle Of A Storm And It Wasn't Your Fault?
Your parents divorced and you thought it was about you.
The company made poor business decisions, which impacted you.
Someone gave you their word and you believed them.
Whatever it was, you were the victim.
You’re in the middle of the storm and you’re giving up hope!
Now, Paul says in verse 22 - -
“Yet now I urge you to take heart,
 for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.”
 
Literally, Paul is calling them to have a positive spirit, to have good courage.
He is reassuring them there will be no loss of life.
 
How Many Of Us Need To Hear That?
Be Of Good Courage.
That’s a theme throughout the Bible. Remember what God told Joshua in chapter 1 verse 9;
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
 
Be of good courage! Be courageous.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.
Don’t be defeated. Don’t give up hope!
WHY?
 
Because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!
That’s news we need to hold onto! It’s great news when we’re giving up hope!!
 
Then in verse 23 Paul said - - -
“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God
to whom I belong and whom I worship.”
 
Talk About A Powerful Statement From Paul!
You're in the boat in a raging storm and an angel stands beside you! I wonder what some were thinking.
 
I Truly Believe There Are Angels All Around Us.
There are angels where you are right now ministering to you.
I really do believe that. I believe the spiritual world, when we get there some day, is going to totally blow us away with what’s going on.
 
Imagine That You're In The Middle Of A Storm And The Presence Of God Is With You In This Moment. You have no idea all the different ways God is with you. He could be with you as an angel. His Spirit is with you. Jesus is with you! God is not bound by time; He’s with you yesterday, today and forever. He is listening to your prayers. He’s interceding on your behalf to the Father!
 
We Have No Idea How God Is With Us At All Times, Even In The Storms.
It’s what Paul told Timothy - - -
“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me,
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.” - 2 Timothy 4
 
Isn’t that great? The Lord stood by me and strengthened me.
The Lord didn’t leave me; the Lord didn’t fail me nor forsake me.
He’s with me, at my side, and He is with you at your side, and He's giving you strength.
 
NEVER LET THE PRESENCE OF A STORM
CAUSE YOU TO DOUBT THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
 
Following Jesus doesn't mean bad days won't happen.
That's bad theology to think that it does.
Jesus said that in John 16:33,
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
 
You will have trouble, but Jesus promises us He will be with us and on top of that, He has overcome the world.
That means Jesus is the victor!
We have our victory in Jesus.
 
We Can't Control What People Do To Us.
But, we can control what we believe and where we put our faith, put our trust. 
My faith is in the One who created the wind and the waves. I have faith in God that what He says will come to pass. What He says will happen - - - will happen.
 
Who Is God?
In Psalm 46:1-3, the psalmist tells us,
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(That means right now!)
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
 
Don’t You Love That?
In the midst of our storms, God is our hiding place.
He is our refuge and our strength.
He is always ready, willing and able to help us in times of trouble.
 
Why? Because He is with us.
 
Who is He?
He is Immanuel.
He is God with us.
Because He is with us, we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken, (it’s sure shaking right now!) and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, even though the seas roar and rage, and the mountains tremble.
If we lose our job, if the relationship falls apart, if the economy gets shaky,
I still will not be afraid.
Why? Because He is with me.
Because He will never leave us. Because He will never forsake us.
Because He is what we need.
Because He is our safety. He is our strength. He is our comforter.
He is our redeemer. He is our righteousness. He is our friend.
Because He is a rock. He is the living bread, the bread of life.
He is the living water that satisfies our souls.
He is the gate through which we can enter.
He is the good shepherd.
He is our comforter and peace.
 
PEACE IS NOT FOUND IN THE ABSENCE OF A STORM.
PEACE IS FOUND IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, AND HE IS WITH US.
 
That’s why you never let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God.
True peace is not found in the absence of trials and storms.
That's a part of life.
 
True peace is found in the Presence of Immanuel.
God WITH us.
 
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father, we see the world in turmoil, we see the storms on the horizon. Wherever we turn, it seems as if darkness is attempting to encroach and suffocate the goodness in the earth.
But Lord, you have people filled with your Spirit, you have your own set apart and called and planned for this very storm and time.
Lord, those that are listening to me, many of them like myself are asking questions like, “what more can I do”?
It seems as a governmental policies are thrown aside and treachery wins the day. It seems as if there are family members who refuse to speak to one another because of either different political views, or they’ve been forced into doing things that they didn’t want to do and they said “no”. Father we know all these things are being heard from you in our prayers and we ask that you help us to be like Paul, that we wait upon the strengthening of your angels that come around us.  You yourself were sent a strengthening angel in the garden of Gethsemane that ministered to you so that you could fulfill the ultimate call upon your life, to spare us from damnation and a place of great darkness for eternity.
Teach us your way oh God!
Teach us to trust you with all of our heart.  
Those places that have become weak or frightened, or perhaps presumptuous, Father, we want to be on an equal plain of humility before your throne, that you can call upon us, call us up at any time, that we might stand and face the storm in the courage of knowing that every place in which our foot has tread, you have given it to us.
We will be strong and courageous, and we will not be afraid.
We thank you Jesus so much for being there, we thank you, Father for the presence of your Holy Spirit. We can lift our hands and close our eyes and lift our hands and begin to call upon your name, and peace falls on us, and that thick Presence, knowing that you are in the midst of us. The world does not have that! The wicked never taste that kind of full belonging and peace, and we thank you for it.
Father I ask those that are listening today, if there’s anyone who’s afraid, if there’s anyone going through a really hard thing, Father I ask that your Presence would reassure them, that your grace your mercy would overshadow them right now and carry them to the place they need to be whatever it would be Father, relationships, finances, harm in family situations, physical abuse, perhaps a difficult medical diagnoses. I would ask that you would show them, let them know beyond any doubt there you are there and that you are not leaving them, that you will get them though the storm. 
Thank you Father for hearing my prayer in Jesus' loving, mighty and glorious name.
 
I Hope You Enjoyed Today’s Podcast!  I enjoyed sharing it with you.
My next podcasts are going to be in regard  to some things that I’ve been sitting on, now maybe two or, two and a half years. Sometimes you must wait until you have a peace and full release to share specific supernatural things you have experienced and that you have proof of.  
One thing I will be sharing is in regard to the State of Colorado.
Things that are now beginning to take place and I believe the word is to address this, but I believe it also is a national word. I have several things that the Lord has given me to share now as we are presently in a different time.
I encourage you to listen and then pray about it and pray for your nation.
We are in a difficult time. This is nothing but repeat of history over and over again, but I do know that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord himself will raise a standare up against him.
I say goodbye to you for now and thank you for listening!
Rest Child, Rest in my Peace, Rest in my Peace, Child. Rest.
 
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You! 2023
"THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.marylindow.podbean.com
 
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:   https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mlindow
Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc. 
 
ALL gifts are tax-deductible under
His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.
We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since
1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.
THANK YOU!

HOW MUCH LIGHT IS NEEDED TO PUSH BACK THE DARKNESS ON EARTH? Prophetic Word – “HOLD ON! HOLD FAST! REACH OUT!”

By Mary Lindow
THE WORDS “HELP ME!” ARE THE DEEPEST CRY OF EVERY HUMAN HEART. It perfectly describes the anguish of the soul, that agony in need to hear God lovingly respond with redemptive help.
He answers as the very person and the very place of help through His son Jesus Christ, providing help for the helpless, a Father to the fatherless, and Hope for the hopeless.
One of the most amazing things about of God and so very precious to the humble needs of we humans is that he is actually the very BEING, the very exact place, where we find help.
Nothing and no one else is so truly and so really, THE place and person from who help comes like he is.
Our need for help is more accurately termed “rescue” when it’s expressed in the fullest sense, and only Jesus himself can provide it!
He rescues us from our daily “sneaky and self gratifying” sins and he rescues us from our falling and our faults, and he rescues us from our helplessness and hopelessness!
 
JESUS ALONE IS THE PLACE OF RESCUE.
He is the ultimate single person of help and we can find no one else to fill that break in the bridge of life! There is no one else, and when we come to this place we realize we need no other fixer!
Now, this doesn’t mean that we don’t need one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and as friends. But unless those brothers and sisters and friends are walking in the light and brokenness of the Lord, they really aren’t much help anyway.
 
SOME PEOPLE RESIST AND PROLONG THE INEVITABLE, and will resist you when you are going through times of struggle and difficulty. There is a certain “ugly distain” in an individual who does not want to admit that they are infallible.
These individuals still feel that they can control the environment around them through their education, their income, and their attitude.
 
OFTEN, THESE KINDS OF INDIVIDUALS CAN CREATE PAINFUL DARKNESS in the lives of others, because instead of extending mercy and compassion, they have a lot of advice that comes out of simple textbook reading, rather than out of any real experience in dealing with their own darkness and personal places of being stuck in dysfunction.
 
SAD AS IT MAY SEEM, MANY PEOPLE APPLAUD THEIR OWN DYSFUNCTIONS, claiming that they are actually “just fine”, and they will pretty much verbally “whack anyone else in the head” that dares to challenge them!
 
THESE ARE THE FRIENDS THAT JOB HAD, AND THESE ARE NOT REAL FRIENDS. They will never understand the life of the disciple of dear Jesus, being refined in the fire, in order to come out of that fire more radiant, and expressing the hope and light of Christ without a lot of pompous preaching or fanfare.
 
The way to the fulfillment of all of life‘s highest peaks and deepest longings is in knowing the depths of the love of the Rescuer,
Lord Jesus Christ himself.
It’s not a quick process by the way!
 
 
HOW MUCH LIGHT DOES A PERSON NEED WHEN PRESSED UNDER by evil pressures, nightmarish reoccurring losses and disjointed, painful relationships? 
Only a very tiny pinhole of light, if it is the Light that comes from God.
 
ONE PINHOLE OF GODLY LIGHT
IS STRONGER THAN A UNIVERSE OF DARKNESS. 
 
It is enough for a surrendered and determined believer to cling to and depend on when all else has failed.
 
Psalm 89:15 says,
“Blessed are those who have learned to give praise and honor to you,
Who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.”
 
When we focus upon the Light of God's enduring and endearing Presence, all darkness will eventually be swallowed up into the Light of His Fountain of light. His Light is victorious over the darkness. ALL OF IT.
 
Psalm 36:9 says,
“For with you is the fountain of life; In your light we see light.”
 
WE ALONE CANNOT BATTLE THE DARKNESS.
Our strength is not enough.
Accept that and know that God’s light comes to dispel darkness.
His strength and Righteous arm smashes dark deeds, enemies, and deceivers and He will bring out into the light the things men think that they have hidden or have justified away.
 
Psalm 90:8 says,
You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and see them all.
 
WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN YOU FEEL BLIND AND LOST IN A DARKENED SEASON? Just as a caterpillar in a cocoon must experience a time of confinement and seeming darkness, there comes a time when it is lead out of darkness into light to stretch its newly found wings of liberty and gracefulness to soar and express Resurrection power, to those who gaze upon its beauty.
Few will fully understand the pain of this difficult process, unless they too pass through it.
 
Isaiah 42:16 says,
Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; 
I will turn the darkness into light before them
And make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
 
 
SO! WHO ARE THE GENUINE WORKERS OF GOOD AND HONEST DEEDS?
Now, there are those who do acts of benevolence and kindness whose aim is to only gain personal gratification and a sense of power when they “stoop to help others” in times of distress and sorrow.  
Often times, folks with this fleshly and condescending behavior, (although claiming to have some spiritual godliness) will test those whom they share with. This can be either in monetary gifts, acts of service, spiritual gifts, or in counsel.
 
In basic terms, it’s set up.
You better perform up to the standard they expect!
Because it’s their reputation on the line if you fail!
(Imagine if Jesus held us all accountable to the acts of His goodness towards us!)
This is NOT a Worker of A Righteous or Good and Honest deed.
This is a form of selfish ambition, entrapment and control.
 
A RIGHTEOUS DEED OR ACT OF GOODNESS IS DONE WITH THE
INTENT OF IMITATING THE NATURE OF GOD’S MERCY AND KINDESS.
It does not expect performance or groveling in return.
It never holds others over the fire with a critical eye, expecting perfection.
 
Often we have failed and disrespected His grace.
Yet He continues in love, and Redemptive acts towards us.
Because He has, no insecurities whatsoever.
 
TO BE RIGHTEOUS OR “DOING WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF GOD” MEANS TO BE:
VIRTUOUS  - MORAL - GOOD  - JUSTICE LOVING
HONORABLE  - HONEST - RESPECTABLE - DECENT
 
I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST AND EVEN AS RECENTLY AS THE PAST FEW WEEKS, OVERWHELMING ACTS OF KINDNESS AND PATIENCE FROM THOSE WHOM I KNOW, GOD MUST CALL HIS WORKERS OF HONORABLE AND KIND DEEDS.
 
THE COMMON THREAD I SEE AMONG ALL OF THESE BELOVED GIVERS OF GRACE and care is that they have all experienced a time of great loss, depravation, near death, or sorrow.
 A Ray of Hope.
A beam of light that draws you out of the darkness that attempts to tow you under in despair or fear.
 
I JUST LOST ONE OF MY SEVEN BROTHERS.
Sudden liver failure and organ failure. He was 63.
He was brilliant, funny and kind.
 
I LOST ANOTHER FRIEND A WEEK LATER. 
One moment a successful surgery, moments later a clot was formed and a stroke took place.
Gone in a moment. She was 62.
A giver, an artist and lover of God.
 
I HAD A VERY DEAR FAMILY MEMBER THAT I LOVE, TURN ON ME SUDDENLY and share privileged information with others who are not considered safe or wise people.
Trust was shattered!
 
ALL THREE OF THESE EVENTS WERE AND ARE PAINFUL!
All three events were and are out of my ability to control!
And friends, grief and loss and betrayal are very, very real, and they are very painful events in our lives.
 
YET, GOD SEND US OTHERS INTO OUR SPIRAL OF PAIN AND LOSS, who "get it", because not only have they been through similar events, they learned that hard won growth can come out of pain and loss, or, you can choose to grow isolated, insulated, and bitter.
 
Jeremiah 9:24 says,
But let him who boasts- boast about this: 
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
 
WHEN TORMENT AND LYING SPIRITS DECEIVE OTHERS  and they foolishly accuse you; know that there are others whom God will place in your life that will bring sober and Godly counsel, as well as loving kindness and help.
 
Proverbs 27:9 says,
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend, springs from his earnest counsel.
 
DO NOT STOP IN YOUR KINDNESS AND IN YOUR CARE FOR OTHERS!
The testing in this hour of the hearts of men and women will only grow more intense as the Lord examines the intentions of the hearts of those who call Him Lord.
 
The hoarding of comfort and help can’t ever be allowed  
in the life of a follower of Jesus.
 
Your comfort, is not number one!
 
SOMETIMES, WE PUT ASIDE OUR OWN NEEDS AND COMFORTS AND SECURITY, AND FORGE THROUGH THE DARKNESS TO BRING HOPE AND RELIEF TO THOSE BEING BATTERED BY A RELENTLESS STORM!
We speak peace to them IN the storm.
Jesus did it! So He gives us the courage and strength to do the same!
 
IF YOU HAVE PERSONALLY CAUSED TRAGEDY, DESTRUCTION OR SHAME to fall upon any of your Family in Christ, and have yet to openly apologize and make the situation you were a part of “right”, know that the risk of a deep darkness of the soul is reserved for those who choose to walk in self-deception and who cloak their denial in passivity.
 
QUICKLY WHILE YOU STILL HAVE TIME, HUMBLE YOURSELF in the sight and the light of the Lord and HE will lift you out of your darkness.
Be humble enough to apologize specifically, for the harm you have done to someone.
Own it, apologize, and ask for their forgiveness.
 
Then, Light will come again into your soul, and so will a flooding peace that cleanses you from shame and the claw of bitterness that demons use to torment and immobilize you with.
 
Philippians 2:3 says,
Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others.
Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.
 
DEAR BELIEVER!
THERE IS THE OPEN OFFER OF AN ABUNDANCE OF JOY FOR
WORKERS OF RIGHTEOUS AND HUMBLE, HONORABLE DEEDS!
 
Psalm 45:7 says,
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
 
Psalm 33:1 says,
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
 
NOW, I’M GOING TO SHARE A PROPHETIC WORD FROM THE LORD THAT DOES ADDRESS SOME OF THIS AND IT’S IN AN ACTIVE AND VOCAL WAY THAT THE LORD WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US, TO PUT A TYPE OF SEAL ON THIS MESSAGE.
 
“HOLD ON! HOLD FAST! REACH OUT!”
 - A PROPHETIC WORD -
 
"I the Redeemer of those who cry out to Me day and night, compel you to hold on to My hand of Faithfulness and Light.
Keep your eyes on the light I provide for you in the darkness. 
Hold fast to it and I will stir the hearts of the Righteous and faithful in me, to reach out a hand of compassion and they will obey Me with acts of blessing, restoration, and supply.
They will do this willingly, for they have tasted of sorrow and know the secret of My abundant Joy!
They have gone out weeping themselves, sowing seeds when they didn’t understand, all now growing up in compassion, only to produce a harvest, abundant in Joy.
Psalm 126:6 says,
Those who weep as they walk and plant with sighs
Will return singing with joy, when they bring home the harvest.
 
I the Lord have tasted sorrow, loss, torment, and death.
Yet in one Redemptive act, mankind was brought the opportunity for the fullness of Joy and the open door from darkness into light, when they too, choose to call upon My salvation, cleansing, and light.
Quickly. Cleanse your hearts of any act of unkindness, false humility, and the use of a heavy hand over your brothers or sisters, or your children.
The pinhole of light...
...My Light, Is drawing you into a New Day.
 
For Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate
and for those in right standing with God.
Psalm 112:4
 
 
Dear Believer! I encourage you to chew on this message.
Let us all bow before the Lord. Get low and sit at the feet of Jesus.
Ask Him to wash you clean of fear and weariness and feeling displaced.
 
This is a different type of warfare that we are experiencing right now!
It’s not one that a lot of us have experienced on this level of pressure.
Ask the Lord to show you that single pinhole of light.
From that light, God shows us He is there with us.
 
Be strong in the Lord
And in the POWER of His Might.
 
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Prepare Him Room - "We Prepare Him A Place"

By Mary Lindow
 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  -Psalm 139:14
 
WE ARE STRANGE AND EXQUISITE CREATURES.
We can ache for God tremendously; yet find ourselves getting nervous if God gets too close! After all, the closer God gets, the more we hear the call to be unpolluted. It's both exciting and frightening to hear that call!
A STORY: Once upon a time there was a little plant that was small and whose growth was stunted, for it lived under the shade of a giant oak tree. The little plant valued the shade that covered it and highly enjoyed and lavished the quiet rest that its majestic friend provided. Yet there was a greater blessing prepared for this little plant.
One day a lumberjack entered the forest with a sharp ax and cut down the giant oak! The little plant began to weep, crying out, "My shelter has been taken away! Now every fierce wind will blow on me, and every storm will seek to uproot me!"
The guardian angel of the little plant responded, "NO! Now the sun will shine and showers will fall on you more abundantly than ever before! Now your stunted form will spring up into loveliness, and your flowers, which could never have grown to full perfection in the shade, will laugh in the sunshine. Many will say, look how that plant has grown. How gloriously beautiful it has become by removing that which was its shade and comfort!"
THE TRAINING OF A SPIRITUAL COMRADE
We need to see that the Lord wisely trains his soldiers by calling them to difficult travels and service. He strengthens them through wildernesses and mountains. God knows that spiritually armed Soldiers can only be developed in battle and are not developed in times of calm. We can only become true seasoned soldiers of Christ when we train and serve in the preparation time of the inhospitable surroundings.
TRUST FOR A SEASON!
It's all about trusting God in the end. Oh yes it is! We often ask in the heat of difficult battles whether they are mental battles, spiritual battles, and financial battles. "Will He REALLY refresh us in this time of struggle?"
His Loving Word says so.
"For I satisfy the weary ones
And refresh everyone who languishes." -Jer. 31:25
 
THE LORD IS PRODUCING STAMINA! WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT! "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; For once he has been approved, He will receive the crown of life, Which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12
THE FATHER IS URGING US TO RUN TO HIM, TO CRY TO HIM!
He is there! Even in this fog of struggle, loss, anxiety, or seeming success! He wants us to be desperate for Him and is training us to rely on His voice.
To make our decisions based on His plan for the whole earth!
TIE YOURSELF TO THE HAND OF GOD!
Get a "rope of expectation"(the word of God) and tie yourself to it. Hold on! The boding evil is nearly over! The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness And put on the armor of light." -Romans 13:12
INTIMATE PLACE OF COMMUNICATION
It would be a powerful opportunity for all of us to get on our knees in an intimate place of communication with the Lord, and refresh our commitment to purity, and with a willing heart to yield to the bidding of the Father.
"They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line, not swerving from their course." -Joel 2:7
LET OUR HEARTS WILLINGLY Give Him Room to Move Freely ...
...in our daily actions in this Life.
We do this by clearing away or removing anything that feeds and pampers our flesh and our own concepts of the Kingdom.
WE PREPARE HIM A PLACE
A throne in our hearts from which He can reign and activate His anointing.
"No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs.
He wants to please his commanding officer." -2 Timothy 2:4 1
"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeits just as it has taught you, remain in him." -John 2:27 
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"Can God Spread A Table In The Desert?"

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

By Mary Lindow



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IT’S A STRANGE AND TWISTED WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN
Many well meaning people try hard to give pep talks, cheery texts and even send emails with profound  topics or inspirational contents all in the hope of giving a bit of relief from the ever increasing “noises” of an uncertain world.
“ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

WHAT DO YOU FEAR?
This is not always an easy question to answer right away. Emotions and physical reactions to the question begin to swirl and elevate stress levels when anxiety creeps in.
And, fear is a terror that can paralyze anyone if enough of it is allowed to enter our minds. And that is exactly where it first penetrates our peace. In the Mind.
Fear
noun
Fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress; anxiety, worry, angst, unease, uneasiness, apprehension, nervousness, foreboding;
WHEN WE FEAR WE MAKE POOR CHOICES
If you are afraid or “fear” being misled by someone, you will limit your intimacy or openness with him or her. Many believers in need of healing emotionally from harsh or indifferent parenting tend to keep deep relationships or friendship at arm’s length in order to maintain a sense of control or privacy for themselves.
This can become a form of “selective hearing or selective listening” if the individual feels that they need to remain aloof and frosty in order to gain the respect or validation that they feel that they need to exist.
The problem with this cycle is that is creates a private  “terror” of not having a solid place of safety with a few dear and treasured people, flawed people… but those willing to also be vulnerable and open.
Psalm 27:1
“The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?”
Every situation, location, and relationship of our everyday lives is in some way broken. As fallen creatures, the best we can ever do in this life is to know how to live in this broken-down house/earth suit that’s our current address. And, nothing and no one but God himself, in the fullness of his time, can change where we live. So as we experience the reality of life in this house, sometimes it will leave us confused and overwhelmed.
Sometimes it will leave us hurt and angry. Sometimes people will give way to envy because the house or “life” of someone living nearby seems far less broken. Sometimes we just get weary of the stress of it all and long for a house in perfect repair.
YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE
In those moments, those days, those seasons, remember that you are never on your own. The Master Builder has given us a copy of his renovation manual, the Bible. It will help us to understand why things are as broken as they are. It teaches us how to live well even in the midst of the brokenness. And it will explain the only way in which repair can ever happen.
Just never forget that the Designer himself has moved into the house with you. You’ve not been left alone. You can rest assured of his presence and his wisdom. His grace has blessed you with both of these.
However, He must be fully welcomed and invited into all of the “locked and hidden access areas” that others are not often trusted to enter into.
He who offers you such grace and guidance will never ask you to do what you are not fully capable of doing by God’s grace and ever present Spirit. He will not demand things of you that are beyond your abilities. Our Lord is tender and kind. He knows who you are and he knows where you’re living. He knows how hard it is to live in your broken-down house because in the flesh he lived here himself.
The Lord invites you to walk away from trying to figure it out on your own and he welcomes you to sit at his feet and learn the simplicities of living; things so full of meaning that you will see your world in a completely new way; things so practical that you will never live the same way again.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3

TAKE A LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR FOR ONE MOMENT
Have you recently made decisions about who you will share with on any level such as giving, talking of dreams, sorrows, losses, major life events, and then afterward - pulled back only to run to either another source for additional validation or to agree with your choices or decisions? Or, have you reacted to some of the counsel or responses you have received by testing those whom you have shared with by removing your favor, kindness or former warmth from them?
These actions are often made rapidly when we are fearful or fear being wounded, and shift us into a place of survival and self-protection.
They can also isolate us from a loving, safe and healthy “corrective course” or direction away from fear and its tentacles.

FINDING THE PLACE OF SAFETY AND ACCEPTANCE
When we step into the hand of God we find the place of acceptance, and safety and an opportunity for service. It is the place of real authority, as well as of hiddenness.
God only works with those who are in His hand and those who do not keep jumping out of it, attempting to either control their own fears, but instead, often try to control others around them due to being fearful of the choices others make possibly affecting them.
Both greatly hinder the ability to trust other godly people and above all, to trust the safety of letting God do His job, while we rest in His hand.
The more we lie sheltered there, the more surely will He use us down the road. And it will be alongside others who freely share all that they have, without fear. Just as you will learn as you let go, and allow the Father to build a “Safe House” out of your life in His presence.
May the Lord do for us according to His word.
He said, "I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of My hand."
Charles Spurgeon spoke such a beautiful statement and I want to share it with you here.
“The shadow of God is not the occasional resort,
but the constant abiding- place, of the saint.

Under His shadow we are to feel that we are at home,
and then He will make Himself at home to us by becoming food unto our souls,
and giving spiritual refreshment to us while we rest.”

NO MORE HOOPS TO JUMP
When this is learned and treasured, you will then not withhold from or test others with rules or regulations set up to certainly fail them. We ruin great friendships or opportunities when we expect from others total vulnerability and openness and then only give part of what we have and who we are back in return.
Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Perhaps you are waiting on Christ, desiring His company, and while you are thinking these thoughts you are asking, "Will He ever direct His full gaze upon me? Will He ever speak loving words to me? Will He ever let me sit at His feet? Will He ever permit me to lean my head upon His shoulder?"

COME AND STEP BACK INTO THE SHELTER OF HIS HAND.
Though you might shake like a leaf in a strong wind. Come! Sometimes those who come trembling are those who are aware that they are the lowest and the Creator the highest. When finally admit that our own self-esteem is less than nothing and is total vanity, then Jesus is the more good and lovely in our eyes.
Let your humility of heart, and your sense of hollowness, as a replacement for disqualifying you, be a sweet instrument for leading you to receive more of Christ.
“Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
But humility comes before honor.”
Proverbs 18:12
The emptier I am, the more room is there for the Lord
The more I lack, the more He will give me.
The more I feel my weakness, the more shall I adore and bless Him when He makes me whole.
You’re never in a better place than when you give up on you and begin to trust in what is certain.
The life-shaping wisdom of the One who created you - in the first place.
“After all, every house has a builder,
But the builder of everything is God.”
Hebrews 3:4


Duplication and re-transmission 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

"WHEN SPARROWS FALL" - THE VALUE OF ONE SMALL SPARROW

By Mary Lindow


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THE SPARROW IS A CLEVER LITTLE BIRD
In Psalm 84 David describes his longing to be with the people of God and in the actual moment that he wrote this, he was a wanderer; he was a fugitive.
He was not able to be in a place where he could have fellowship with God or other people, and this is when he wrote Psalm 84.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,  Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out
 for the living God.

Have you ever felt this way or longed for fellowship like David wrote about with the Lord? His word so clearly express what it meant to David.
Then, he remembered one of his bird watching experiences. He remembered how at one time when he was in the house of God, he looked up toward the altar and he noticed some movement. When he looked closer, he found a sparrow building her nest, so he wrote in verse 3:
“Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may have her young—a place near your altar.”

“Lord Almighty, my King and my God!” he said. “I wish I could be like that sparrow.
I wish I could be like that swallow that is able to build its nest at the very altar of God.” What David is saying here is, “Can you think of anything better than to have your home in the altar of God in the sanctuary?”
This is something so very precious to me because I am always so tremendously interested in nurturing and loving my family that I cannot pass this over.
Did you notice this swallow chose the altar of God to build a nest for her family?   She could have chosen any place to build a nest, but she chose the altar of God.
Yes! The sparrow is a clever bird.
BUILDING YOUR NEST IN THE SANCTUARY
I believe that things are put here for a reason and for instruction; so I am going to suggest that if you want your family to be all that God wants it to be, build your nest, metaphorically speaking, at the altar. Build your nest in the sanctuary because in the sanctuary is the answer to every question that you have. And I hope that you understand that I am not talking about a church building! I am talking about your fellowship with God. There must also always be room in your nest to include those with broken wings, or who have been abandoned or left as orphans.
A SPARROW IS VALUABLE
One more lovely thing about the sparrow. The sparrow is a valuable bird. I am sure that some people might question this statement! But it is a valuable bird, indeed. Some may say, “But not to man”! It is Valuable to God though!
I am sure the Lord did some bird watching as he travelled to places with his dear friends, but this particular instance that He records is in the temple.
As He went into the temple one day, He saw a whole bunch of sparrows, (remember that we are talking about a small bird) with their legs tied together, and they were being sold for a sacrifice in the temple.
In Matthew, chapter 10 notice what Jesus has to say about sparrows.
As He looked at those sparrows, He said, in verse 29:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?”
That was the least expensive offering that anybody could make.
If we were to stop there, we would say what we ordinarily say, “What is a sparrow? They are not worth anything at all,” but the Lord said, in the last part of verse 29:

…and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing about it.
That is how valuable they are. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing about it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU SEE A DEAD SPARROW?
Do you just kick it out of the way and go on?  Often we see someone much like the little dead sparrow, wounded or suffering from the cruelty of others too busy to really care about a “broken wing” or perhaps a broken heart.
So many are busy licking their own wounds and getting on with their own lives, that they are unaware of the “sparrows” that God has placed in their midst. Those who need to be invited into a place of “Sanctuary”.! Do you treat your employees like this or a friend who has been through a season of sorrow or loss?
Do you find yourself simply walking past the Wounded or “dead Sparrow”? That would be a normal reaction, but evidently when the Lord saw the sparrow that fell very differently.  He said,
“MY FATHER KNOWS ABOUT THAT SPARROW…
…And my father cares about it.”
Then notice what He says:
Matthew 10
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

A SPARROW IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD,
…that it doesn't fall to the ground without God knowing about it, and you and those whom He has placed around you to radiate truth and hope to are of more value than many sparrows.
In Matthew, chapter 6 I think that Lord has done some bird watching and might want us to do some as well!
He said:
Matthew 6:26-34 (NCV)
26 Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.
27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves.
29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.
30 I clothe the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even surer that I will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith!
31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32 The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them.
33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.
34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A very well spoken and eloquent preacher said one time,
“There is never a sparrow that dies but that God goes to its funeral.”
This really touched my heart and impressed me. Not a sparrow dies, but that God goes to its funeral.
THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU SEE A SPARROW…
…Remember that God is paying attention to that little sparrow. God is interested in you and He is interested and concerned about me as well! Remember that God cares about you so much more than even that sparrow and that He wants to draw you closely into a safe place of Sanctuary with Him! A place of safety and peace, where you can rest and learn about His love for you, for your family and those dear close friends and perhaps a few lost or weary lonely souls that He has sent to you.
HE HAS MUCH TO TELL YOU REGARDING ALL OF THE PLANS THAT HE HAS FOR YOU!

“Settle into the nest…
…And Rest!”
God is waiting to speak and meet with you!
“The Lowly Sparrow”
~Author Unknown
I am only a little sparrow!
A bird of low degree!
My life is of little value.
But the dear Lord cares for me
He gave me a coat of feathers
'Tis very plain I know:
With never a speck of crimson.
For it was not made for show.

But it keeps me warm in winter,
It shields me from the rain.
Were it bordered with gold and purple
Perhaps it would make me vain


I have no barn or storehouse:
I never sow or reap:
God gives me a sparrow's portion.
But never a seed to keep.
If my meat is sometimes scanty.
Close picking makes it sweet:
I have always enough to keep me.
And life is more than meat.

I know there are many sparrows:
All over the world they're found:
But our heavenly Father knows
When one of us falls to the ground.

Though small, we are never forgotten-
Though weak, we are never afraid.
For we know that the dear Lord keeps
The lives of the creatures He made.

I fly through the thickest forest,
I light on many a spray,
I have no chart or compass,
But I never lose my way.


Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!
Copyright  2012 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com

“Do you Want Peace and Rest?” - Then you must Have Jesus Himself

By Mary Lindow
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The question is often asked, "What is the reason for the weak spiritual lives of so many Christians?"
This is an excellent question and it is amazing how little the church responds to Christ's voice, which is ever calling out! How little the church is what Christ wants her to be!


What really is the matter? What truly is needed?

Many answers will be given but there is one answer that includes them all. each believer needs the full eye-opener of a personal Christ as a spiritually internal, “living inside of me”  Lord  and as someone who was a satisfying portion.
When the Lord was here on the earth what was it that distinguished his disciples from other people? I think the answer is that Jesus took them away from their fishnets their busyness and their homes. He gathered them around himself and they knew him.
He was their Master, and he guarded them, and they in turn followed him. What is supposed to make the difference today between Christ's disciples-not those who are just hoping to get to heaven, but those who are Christ's wholehearted disciples-and other people? I think it's this. When Jesus was upon the earth, he was able to keep the disciples with him for three years day after day. Now that Jesus is in heaven, and he is able to do what he could not do when he was upon the earth - to keep in the closest fellowship with every believer throughout the entire world. Imagine this!
You might know the verse in Ephesians: 4:10
“He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might  fulfill all things.”


Why was our Lord Jesus taken up to heaven?

Away from the life of earth? He ascended to heaven because the light of the earth is confined to localities, but the light of heaven has no limits, no boundaries, and no localities. He was taken up to heaven so that in the power of God the ever present omnipresent God, that he might be able to fill every one of his followers on earth and be with every individual believer in a personal way.
This is what my heart wants to experience by faith. It is a possibility, it is a promise, it is my birthright, and I want to have it! By the grace of God, I say to Jesus, “Jesus, I will not rest until you have fully revealed your self fully to me.”

How did the disciples get their burning hearts?
Remember that day that they were on the Road to Emmaus? It was through the way in which Christ opened the Scriptures to them. He made it all look different and new, and they saw what they had never seen before! They could not help feeling how wonderful and how heavenly the teaching was!
Many Christians have discovered that the best time of the day is when they can read and pore over their Bibles, and they love nothing more than to find a new spiritual insight. Just like a person who mines diamonds rejoices when they have found a diamond these individuals delight when they get some new thought from the Bible, and they feed upon it.
Yet, even with all of their interest in God's word and with the joy that is stirred in our hearts, when we return to work or attend our daily duties, we find that there is still something missing in our lives.

From time to time…
…We must leave all the many and unique blessings that Jesus gives us,
and come to the one blessing that outshines all of them.
The blessing that Jesus makes himself known, that Jesus is willing to make himself known to us!
If I were to ask you, “Isn't this exactly what you and I need, and what many of us have been longing for?” I am sure you would answer, “Yes! This is exactly what I want!”
Listen to this poetic verse.
“Oh, the peace my Savior gives!
Peace I never knew before,
And my way has brighter grown,
Since I've learned to trust him more.”
An individual in the midst of great trouble and difficulty wrote this poem.
She stated that it brought wonderful comfort and strength to her.
However, how can a person maintain peace in his or her life? It was the presence of Christ that brought the peace; therefore, peace must be sustained through the continual presence of Jesus.

Remember that when the storm on the Sea, was threatening to swallow up the disciples, that it was the presence of Jesus himself that brought the peace.


Do you want peace and rest?

Then you must have Jesus himself.
We talk of purity, and we talk of cleansing. We also talk of deliverance from sin!
Praise God, for the deliverance and the cleansing, when the living Jesus comes and gives us power and strength. It's there that we find that we have that resurrected Christ who sits on the throne, who is making himself known to you and I. This is the secret of purity and the secret of strength.

Perhaps some of you may be now asking,

“How will Christ revealed himself to me? How will he come?” That is the secret no one can know, it is the one that Jesus keeps to himself. It will come in the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus?
They had a sudden revelation of the living risen Christ!
The Scripture says, “Then they knew Him!” He revealed Himself, he showed Himself fully to them, and then he vanished from their site! Was that moment of Christ visiting them revealing Himself to them worth much? It was over in a minute, yet it was worth heaven, eternity, it was everything!
From that time on Christ's disciples were no longer to relate to him in an earthly way. Thank the Lord that Christ now reveals Himself to each and every one of us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, how He does this is a sacred thing between Christ and each individual believer. Take this as an assurance, “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him,” and believe that this was written for you!


You might be able to say that I have experienced a sad heart at times.
When I mourned that I did not know the living Christ. And I have had times when my heart is slow to believe and have struggled with my lack of faith, and I also know this stage of a burning heart in what I experienced and the  great times of joy and blessedness.
If you can say these things you will come to a place where you have a satisfied heart.


You will have a heart that has been made glad and will last until eternity!
You will have a heart that cannot keep and hold its joy but is poured out on other believers and shared, just as the disciples ran back to the believers in Jerusalem and said, “It is true! Jesus has revealed himself! I know it! I feel it! It has been made personal and real to me, alone!”

Dear child of God.
I'm sure you are asking but how would this revelation come?
Jesus will tell you. Just come to him and say a simple childlike prayer. You need to come to Jesus yourself. What I share with you here today is finished! I have pointed you to the risen One. Now you must step into the presence of the Holy One and begin to crying out, saying, “Oh my precious Lord and Savior! I have come to you and fully abandon my dreams my will, my hopes, and my sorrows.   I have come so that I might have this blessedness with me at all times.

Dear Jesus!  I want you completely the fullness of all that You are. I want to know you personally and completely. Not just simply by hearing the experiences of others. No Lord! I want to know that I can have your blessed presence surrounding me at all times because I am your child and I have been set free from my own condemning self-hatred, religious thinking, performance-based actions, and fear of not measuring up.

Jesus! Help me! Be my portion forever!”

Is this possible? Can we always be thinking of Jesus?

Thank God you don't need to be consistently thinking of him. You may be the manager of a grocery store and your whole attention may require you to carry out the business that you have to do. While you were thinking of your business, Jesus will be thinking of you and He will come in, and if you listen to Him he will take charge of you.
When I was holding my new Grand-daughter just today, (5 months old) I was thinking about when an infant sleeps in his or her mother's or grandmother’s arms, he or she lies there helplessly. He or she hardly even knows it’s mother or grandmother, he or she does not think of her, but the mother and grandmother does think of the child. And this is the great mystery of love.

Jesus waits to come to me in the fullness of His love.
And when He is allowed possession of my heart, He gathers me into those Divine arms and tells me, “My child I am the ever faithful one, I Am the mighty one, and I will remain with you. I Am watching over you and will keep you every day.”

Oh I can hear many of you saying, “Oh, if only I could believe that, if only I could believe it is possible to have Jesus constantly taking and keeping charge me every hour and every minute!”
But you see this is exactly what He said to you. He said these words,
“For low I am with you always”.
He meant it in the fullness of His divine love, and He is longing to show himself to you and to me, as we have never seen Him before.

“Your heart says this is too good to be true,
And that is just too wonderful to be possible for you.”
Still you do admit that it is an amazing way to live!

Oh you fearful one, mistaken one, and anxious one!
I am bringing to you God's promise; it is for me and for you.
Jesus will do it! As God, He is able, and Jesus is willing and longing, having been the crucified one to keep you in perfect peace.

This is a wonderful fact…
… And it is the secret of unspeakable joy.

*****************************************
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete message and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You
Copyright © 2012 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com