Mary Lindow에서 제공하는 콘텐츠입니다. 에피소드, 그래픽, 팟캐스트 설명을 포함한 모든 팟캐스트 콘텐츠는 Mary Lindow 또는 해당 팟캐스트 플랫폼 파트너가 직접 업로드하고 제공합니다. 누군가가 귀하의 허락 없이 귀하의 저작물을 사용하고 있다고 생각되는 경우 여기에 설명된 절차를 따르실 수 있습니다 https://ko.player.fm/legal.
Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of The Reason for our Hope Foundation, a non- profit organization dedicated to ”spreading the Good News” by educating others about Jesus Christ. His new homilies are posted each week.
The Village Church exists to bring glory to God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service and gospel-centered multiplication.
Welcome to the Enjoying Everyday Life TV podcast with Joyce Meyer. To learn more, visit our website at joycemeyer.org or download the Joyce Meyer Ministries App. By supporting Joyce Meyer Ministries, you can help us reach hurting people around the world. To find out more, go to joycemeyer.org/donate
A woman’s search for her father—a pilot who disappeared during a mission in Vietnam—collides with the fight over what we owe those who never returned from war. From the producers of "America's Girls," and hosted by Texas Monthly writer Josh Alvarez, the show debuts April 2025. Texas Monthly Audio subscribers get early access to the show, plus bonus episodes and more subscriber-only audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to learn more.
Mary Lindow에서 제공하는 콘텐츠입니다. 에피소드, 그래픽, 팟캐스트 설명을 포함한 모든 팟캐스트 콘텐츠는 Mary Lindow 또는 해당 팟캐스트 플랫폼 파트너가 직접 업로드하고 제공합니다. 누군가가 귀하의 허락 없이 귀하의 저작물을 사용하고 있다고 생각되는 경우 여기에 설명된 절차를 따르실 수 있습니다 https://ko.player.fm/legal.
This podcast is created with the intention of giving you a time of resting and learning to hear the voice of the Lord while allowing Him to speak into your life through 10 to 25 minute messages and teaching insights. Mary Lindow serves thorough mentoring, traveling as a teacher and voice of encouragement. Mary also ministers as a vocalist and is a Pastoral Counselor. Visit www.marylindow.com for information and fresh inspiration.
Mary Lindow에서 제공하는 콘텐츠입니다. 에피소드, 그래픽, 팟캐스트 설명을 포함한 모든 팟캐스트 콘텐츠는 Mary Lindow 또는 해당 팟캐스트 플랫폼 파트너가 직접 업로드하고 제공합니다. 누군가가 귀하의 허락 없이 귀하의 저작물을 사용하고 있다고 생각되는 경우 여기에 설명된 절차를 따르실 수 있습니다 https://ko.player.fm/legal.
This podcast is created with the intention of giving you a time of resting and learning to hear the voice of the Lord while allowing Him to speak into your life through 10 to 25 minute messages and teaching insights. Mary Lindow serves thorough mentoring, traveling as a teacher and voice of encouragement. Mary also ministers as a vocalist and is a Pastoral Counselor. Visit www.marylindow.com for information and fresh inspiration.
(28:00 minutes in length) (PROPHETIC EXHORTATION AND WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN WRITTEN MESSAGE BUT DO CONTINUE IN THE AUDIO MESSAGE FORMAT BEGINNING AT AUDIO PLAYER TIME MARKER 21:38) By Mary Lindow The words, “The Harsh Winds of Life” have been playing themselves over and over in my mind. As I have pondered them and have allowed the Voice of the Holy Spirit to instruct me as to why I have been impressed with this statement, I sense the Lord addressing many deeper issues that are well anchored and maintained within our souls as believers. HARSH WINDS These blustery currents in the natural can be devastating to property, trees, and all living-breathing creatures. We have all seen what the devastation of hurricanes and tornadoes can do in a very short amount of time. Often when listening to the traumatic stories of those who have lived through a nightmarish storm, the realities of what they hold near and dear have been laid bear and brought to the surface. Many weep over the loss of family photographs or tender things like Grandma’s old chipped china and are unconcerned about larger material items, but are deeply thankful for the safety of family members after a traumatic event. Others, are shaking fists at the sky and are enraged that they have been infringed upon during a difficult time, and want somebody else to pay for it! THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE BLOW UPON THE GODLY AND THE UNGODLY. NO ONE IS EXEMPT. There are some of life's storms that threaten to blow away everything we've depended on as well. Friendships are tested, relationships are strained, and the Lord uses these harsh winds blowing against our lives to remove the crusty chaff that can form and harden around the seed of our lives. Those who are independent in nature find a bitterness creeping into their attitudes and heart. They feel infringed upon when things are not easily controlled or maneuvered in their favor. And so, the Holy Spirit allows the winds to blow until a conviction penetrates the self centered soul, and exposes the fleshy comfort zone of, ‘My Way, My World, My Rights”! "No man has power over the wind to contain it; So no one has power over the day of his death. And no one is discharged in time of war, So wickedness will not release those who practice it." -Ecclesiastes 8:8 HOW LONG WILL THE HARSH WINDS BLOW? As long as we practice wicked behavior in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot stop it! He is winnowing us, allowing us to be caught up into the refining wind of the Holy Spirit's conviction so that the chaff and waste places in our souls are removed. And trust me my friends, anything that you may be hiding or pretending wasn’t “that bad”, that harmed someone else, well God will allow it to come to the light to be either judged or to be cleansed and yes, there may be consequences that you don’t like. WE CAN’T HARM OTHER PEOPLE, OR ABUSE THEM, SEXUALLY PREY UPON THEM, SPIRITUALLY ABUSE AND DOMINATE OR SLANDER, and then pretend that it wasn’t “that big of a deal”! It’s a huge deal to God and he will continue to pursue us in order to cleanse us if we will allow him access. (Yes you can say "ouch" right about now!) CHAFF MUST BE REMOVED. BUT WHY? Chaff is a waste material plowed into the soil or burned. Chaff, as a waste product from grain processing, shows us a symbolic use of the idea that refers to something seen as worthless. Now, this is where we read, "to separate the wheat from the chaff" from Matthew 3. It means to separate things of value from things of no value. Another example is in Psalm 1 which says: " Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away". WE CHRISTIANS OFTEN PRESUME THAT BECAUSE WE ARE REDEEMED THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE OF CHRIST FOR OUR LIVES, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EASIER AND MORE PRIVILEGED LIFE. This is simply not so! We are given a shield and a holy stamina to withstand the wiles of this world, but no free passes to a life of ease. THE LORD LOVES ALL OF MANKIND. He longs for ALL of mankind, (that includes you and I) to come to a place of trust in His way, not “our way”. Fully stripped of self-will, self-gratification, self- justification, and self-focus. Matthew 5:45 says~ “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” I KNOW! I KNOW! THIS STINGS! "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth." James 3:14 About now, I can hear a few righteous folks saying, "I would never boast about envy! " Well! Selfish ambition is well hidden in our personal behaviors. We offer gifts or opportunities for others to be blessed or helped as long as we are feeling in control and benevolent at the time of the offer or good intention. But when the winds of life shift and the Lord allows the chaff of "waste materials" in our soul to be Tornadoed —bitterness and exclusive rights abound! Huffiness, abrupt harshness and passive aggression (which means getting even) will manifest and expose the soul's clinging nature, which does not want the hand of God striping away any safety veneer that we use to protect our approach to life. A CHANGE IN THE SPIRITUAL CLIMATE HAS OCCURRED! John 6:18 says, “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.” Jesus allowed the wind to be a teaching point for his disciples. They had walked with Him, talked with Him and served alongside Him. But trusting Him when the Storms and Harsh winds blew revealed a weakness that we all must look at, and often. We trust the Lord when things are going our way, but when the Harshness of a storm blows us off the course that we set, many times we run to our own devices or “Plan B”. SO MANY AT THIS TIME IN THIS DIFFICULT AGE ARE SCREAMING, “Lord! Don’t you care about me? The winds are blowing, and I am fearful for my life! If you Love me, why are you allowing this horrid event to occur?” Even Peter in his zeal to get out of the boat and see if it was indeed Jesus calling to him to come, once he was out of the safety of his own control and the winds blew against him, he focused on the wind, and not upon Jesus, who was there the whole time. Peter cries out, " LORD I am perishing! SAVE ME!” CONTROL IS A DEEP, DEEP NEED. Perhaps THE deepest need people have, is for control. When we feel out of control, we experience a powerful and uncomfortable tension between the need for control and the evidence of “inadequate control”. Without the Presence of God in our lives, we will attempt to control everything, every event, and every person around us in order to attain the sense of order and “identity power” that we crave. DRAWING NEAR TO GOD It was James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote to the believers in Jerusalem, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded people!" (James 4:8). If we draw near to God, he will respond and draw near to us. Drawing near to God is spending time with Him, worshiping Him, praying and talking to Him, inviting Him into every aspect of our lives. EVERY. PART. OF. OUR. LIFE. BRING YOUR HEART UNDER HIS LORDSHIP James gives us the blueprint for drawing near or “right up close” to the Lord. If you've committed sin, confess it, get rid of it. Next, ask the Lord to examine your heart, your motives, and the things that make you do what you do. Bring your heart under His Lordship as well. May our actions be manifestations of a clean heart and conscience. Allow HIM to remove the Chaff, the wasted time controlling things, and TRUST Him to align your life. Notice that when he writes about this he says, "Purify your hearts, double-minded people." WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY "DOUBLE-MINDED"? Well, a person who is double-minded is drawn in two completely different directions. And so he or she will get nowhere fast because loyalty is divided. They will vacillate between faith and unbelief. And, a double-minded person is unstable in all his/her ways and his/her spiritual walk is inconsistent because he/she tries to serve God and his/her own interests, and gamble their life against the Harsh Winds. We've all learned that this kind of living never works. YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. Friends again I say this under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the master that you serve whether it be hiding something that is a secret sin or offense to The Lord, or things that you are aware of that have dishonored others, they will be brought into the light one way or the other. If you think you can hide it, if you think you can gloss it over, God will eventually bring it into the light and have you exposed for deception. Or, you choose to get the help you need and you can humble yourself! Yes, there may be consequences you don’t like, because of your actions and choices. But repentance and accountability will save your soul. It may not save your marriage, it may not save your ministry, and it may not save your job or your relationships. But it will save your soul, because humility enters, and God can re-create what has been destroyed and damaged. GOD DOESN'T PLAY GAMES! No one is going to get very far with God by playing spiritual games. It will soon be discovered that the only people playing the game with you will be you, yourself, and again, YOU. It's just like people thinking that they can "ride the fence" into the kingdom. There is no riding the fence; there is no lukewarm support group. You’re either in or out. If we really want to know Him, we are going to have to get serious about our relationship with Him. WE DON’T WANT DIFFICULT! I will tell you right now, that even as I write and speak these words, I can feel the resistance to pruning and more change in my gut! Are you in a pruning, shocking, "getting trimmed back" difficult season right now? Most everyone is! Feeling like your wings have been clipped? Are you seeing a pattern of lethargy and a dullness of joy maybe in your daily life? Don’t waste those struggles friends! Know that God is very... VERY... intentional. And, He has a good plan for all of it. Every challenge is an opportunity to practice walking one day at a time, with really clear thinking and gratitude, and He is right there, inside you, to help you. LIKE I SAID BEFORE! WE DON’T WANT DIFFICULT! But my oh my, I do want to be like Him! So I’m in surrender-mode now, friends. I’m saying, “Cut away, Lord. Go deep.” WHY? Because I want ALL that He has for me. I want the fruit. I want all that abundance, and I know it’s waiting for me when this weird and awkward season changes. THERE IS ANOTHER PHENOMENON I FIND THAT HAPPENS DURING THE PROCESS, WHEN THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE ARE BEARING DOWN. And, one that I find that is unhealthy to ignore. The enemy of our soul is observing and is feverishly “taking notes” about this difficult process, and I believe he finds it quite enjoyable; he laughs and ridicules and flings missiles of insults that shout that, "only a loser needs this kind of difficult adjustment ”. This of course, is a lie but, one which we can tend to believed on a bad day! Listening to the wrong voice can tempt us to believe the blowing away of chaff in our lives is punishment, and comes from God being mad at us. It can cause us to pull back from deeper fellowship or social engagements (social distancing tools too, like Face Time, ZOOM, integral) these paralyze honesty, transparency and humility. It can lead to self-hatred, self-protection, denial about how we hurt others with half-truths, and so on! I AM TRULY BECOMING MORE AWARE IN MY SPIRIT THAT GOD CAN ONLY USE ME—OR “BEST USE ME”, THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP OF HIS POWER AND MY WEAKNESS. A wise and well-tested man by the name of Alan Hood must have had a few pruning clippers dig into his life at time or two and learned this lesson. He stated, “To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.” LET’S READ THAT AGAIN… …S L O W L Y ! “To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.” TRYING TO USE OLD THINGS WHEN GOD IS TRYING TO GIVE US NEW THINGS IS REALLY SUCH FOOLISHNESS! Psalm 85 talks about Restoration, Re-tooling and Revival. Verse 8 says, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to his people, His saints —but let them not return to folly.” I’M TRUSTING THE LORD’S GOOD AND GRACIOUS HAND IN THE PROCESS THAT THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW. I know God does not intend to leave even a healthy fruit-bearing branch how it is, but He is always after a more abundant harvest for His people. I don’t get it, I don’t like or want difficult! But I also don’t want a puny little sick looking basket of bitter, green, unusable fruit out of life! He will “give the increase” when I reach the end of this seeming devastation of stymied ideas and “put on hold” plans, and let me tell you something crazy, I feel it coming! The increase! I’m learning to WALK in harmony, in tune with the truth that, “He is dwelling like healthy sap, in me, and will keep sin and despair from having dominion over my life”. (Romans 6:14) YOUR LIFE TOO! A MOMENT IN HIS ANGER - A LIFETIME IN HIS FAVOR. God disciplines for a moment when He wishes to get our attention and our lives may indeed become painful for a period, but then comes His favor. God doesn't delight in either our depression or our damage. And, when He begins to deal with the chaff in our lives, it is for our advantage, that we may be conformed to His likeness and reflect His holiness. When we sense God’s disapproval, when it appears He has withdrawn from us, it is only so that we see our utter need of Him. WHEN LIFE SEEMS TO BE SO SOUR, WHEN EVERYTHING CRUMBLES, then we must remember what we “say we believe”, that God’s favor is with us, because of Christ’s worthiness given to us, because we are adopted and are His - which means, that His favor always wins out over His disapproval. THIS PICTURE IS PAINTED WELL BY THE WORDS "WEEPING REMAINS FOR A NIGHT." Weeping and sorrow are pictured as a traveler who comes to stay for a night. The pain and sorrow we feel may seem as though it has moved in with us like an unwelcome guest, who decides to stay for a very long time. REJOICING THOUGH, COMES IN THE MORNING. Your “mourning”, will dissipate in the morning”. Your winter, will melt into summer. God will replace your sighing, with singing. Grief, will give way to gladness. What was once bitter, will be made sweet. And, what was once a desolate wilderness, will be transformed into a paradise. LIKE THE FIRST RAYS OF THE SUNRISE WHICH DISPEL THE HARSH WINDS AND GLOOM OF NIGHT, GOD GIVES US JOY WHEN THE DARKNESS OF OUR PROBLEMS SEEM AS THOUGH THEY’LL NEVER LEAVE. YOUR CROSS IS HIS GLORY What is so crucial to understand is that as a Christian, your life will be filled with times of weakness and strength, with want and wealth, with disgrace and honor, with crosses and comforts, miseries and mercies, joys and sorrows, delight and mourning. As this cycle of separating “Chaff” from our lives reoccurs many times in our lives, and it moves us from the cross to glory. For your own health and so that you find all your satisfaction in Christ alone, God will send you times of great growth and other times of emptiness. When the harsh winds blow, know that God desires that you find your hope and comfort by His own fire. When the balmy breezes come, give Him praise and thanksgiving for the warmth He provides. Psalm 57:1 says, "Have mercy on me, O God, Have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (PROPHETIC EXHORTATION AND WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE NOT INCLUDED IN WRITTEN MESSAGE CONTINUE IN THE AUDIO MESSAGE FORMAT BEGINING AT AUDIO PLAYER TIME MARKER 21:38) Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete message, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright 2025 " THE MESSENGER " - "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE" ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts and Audio Messages. THANK YOU! Please go to PAYPAL to donate or support this blog: Donate to the tax-deductible ministry name of: paypal.me/mlindow (His Beloved Ministries Inc.) Or You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to: His Beloved Ministries INC PO Box 1253 Eastlake CO 80614 United States…
By Mary Lindow As you settle in to listen to this podcast, maybe you’re facing difficult times and you wonder how God can still have a plan for your messy, hurting, perhaps disillusioned life. What about your loved ones, or those in the neighborhood around you? There’s so much brokenness that it can feel like anything you do to help is like a drop in the ocean. I certainly have had several moments this past season, months, days even, of being broken, disillusioned, angry, all the emotions that can go with hearing terrible stories of betrayal, clergy abuse, child abuse, adult children being estranged from parents, parents being estranged from their adult children, walking many from sadness over deep wounds from past relationships, festering with anger, guilt and shame. This service of working with broken people that God has called us to, (and me specifically these past couple of years as a Biblical pastoral Counselor) , well, seeing and hearing the sadness, can wear you thin at times, and I go running to the feet of Christ over and over again, asking him to make sense of how humanity can be so vicious and destroy one another. Of course Jesus came to die for all of us, and in fact was broken, beaten, bruised and yes, he wept. So He knows the anguish and grief that can tow us under! The Lord has always been close to those who are crushed and broken, right from the very start. Brokenness Doesn’t Distract Or Hinder God. He extends endless compassion and love to us, even when we are feeling absolutely crushed. When we don’t want anyone to see our brokenness, our shame, He is always close, never with judgment but always with kindness. The kind of kindness that heals. The question is: “Does brokenness have any purpose?” Or is it a hindrance to God’s plans and promises? Can God Turn Our Brokenness Into Something Beautiful? In Matthew 26, Jesus had His last meal with the disciples before He went to suffer on the cross. Now, even though I’ve read this passage many times, something rich recently stood out. “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat it; this is my body’. (Matthew 26:26). First, Jesus took the bread, Then He blessed it, And then He broke it. Now, I thought to myself … “ Why would He not first take the bread, break it and then bless it?” There’s A Purpose To Why Jesus Did It This Way. The blessing comes before the breaking, because this was the theme of Jesus’ life: Jesus was blessed by the Father and the Spirit during His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus endured the brokenness on the cross (Luke 23:26-39). And, Jesus conquered death through His resurrection and then ascended to the right hand of the Father. This is the greatest blessing for believers because we are united with Christ and fully restored to God! (Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 2:4-6). Blessed Then Broken Then Blessed again. That's the pattern. Maybe You’re In A Season Where You Feel More Broken Than Blessed. I understand. But because God has blessed us with His Son, every ounce of brokenness we experience on this side of eternity is pointing us toward the blessing of heaven, where we will be reunited with Christ, if we trust in Him. God also redeems our current brokenness as a means of blessing others who are also broken (2 Corinthians 1:4). We Can Know With Confidence That When We Endure Brokenness And Pain, There Isn’t An Ounce Of Our Brokenness That Is Not Under The Blessing Of God! This Is A Hard Truth To Grasp. It may even be something we want to reject because it feels unfair or even cruel! I agree that it can feel that way. Even Jesus Himself agrees. Just a few verses after the Last Supper, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane and cried out, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38a, CSB). We don’t have to dismiss our feelings when it comes to our brokenness. Even Jesus felt the full range of His emotions before His most broken moment. We can come before God in humility with our raw, honest emotions. We can bring our brokenness to Him. We can trust that Jesus is with us, NOW. And, we can look to the cross and the empty tomb, knowing that though we experience brokenness, Jesus overcame it. Brokenness Isn’t The End For Us. Blessed, then broken, then blessed again. Lord, give us the grace to endure this reality. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus, who was blameless and pure, had scars that remained after his resurrection. Jesus’ scars were not a flaw. They’re a reminder that even the Savior of the world has experienced brokenness. They also give us a tangible answer to our doubts, like they did for Thomas. In a moment of faithlessness, doubt and brokenness, God meets Thomas with compassion and kindness. Jesus’ Scars Are A Demonstration Of The Lengths He Went To For Us, a sacrifice given to restore hope in a broken world full of broken people. And the same hands that were nail-scarred? They have our very names written on them as a promise that God will not ever forget or forsake us (Isaiah 49:16). Just like a scar, they’re permanently written as a reminder of God’s commitment to us, no matter how broken we feel. Very Few See This Bleak Moment For What It Really Is. It's a chance to see their need for something that is beyond themselves. But my friend, this can be a moment where the soul can cross over from its own empty silence, into an expected quiet that is alive with His presence. It silences the anguish, the anxious restlessness into a calm and still place of peace. It's as if the soul finds that in this dark place, there is a secret well of sweet water, and it springs up and overflows with light and life. LEARNING TO PASS INTO THIS PLACE OF THE SPIRIT AND ALLOWING GOD TO KEEP YOUR SOUL IN REFRESHING SILENT TRANQUILITY IS A TRUE ACT OF THE MATURING BELIEVER. God Put You On Earth In Your Exact Place For His Specific Purpose, and you are living in that purpose, even when you don't know it. Your soul may be grumbling and resisting, but you are living the story that God is ready to reveal to you. God is a lot bigger than you expect Him to be. He's a lot bigger than your circumstances. He is a God of detail. He is deeply involved in the small details of your life, but He has a "bigger yes" for you. Your true glory is the revelation of His splendor, his amazing ability to create redemptive “Resurrection moments” revealed in you day by day. In 1 Peter 1:6. It says, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." As Jesus Is Revealed In You, You Can Rejoice No Matter What. The Display Of His Glory Often Comes Through Your Wounds. Your dark nights and cries of longing are lovingly heard, and as His bright light dawns, your grief contrasts with His glorious joy. In brokenness, God works in you something beautiful, deep, and solid to offer others. You are developing inner strength as you are being blessed, broken, and given as an offering in your trials. True strength comes from your desperate need of God. You are a joy to Him as you offer yourself as a representative of His sufficiency. Paul said He wanted to know Christ and be conformed to the fellowship of sharing His sufferings, knowing there's a resurrection coming. (Phil. 3:10). Know that your Father created you for this time, for these very circumstances. He knew exactly what would be happening in your life as you are living it right now. He knows the impact for which He is preparing you, that still awaits you. Be Filled with his Grace and hope to lean into the purpose that you were create for, in spite of difficult people, through hard circumstances, and through tough challenges. Your Purpose, My Purpose Is In The Process. We won't get there overnight. We won't mysteriously wake up with it one morning. But today we are closer than yesterday, and tomorrow we will be closer than we are today. Be at peace in Him to know these things, and rejoice in Him. HE IS ALIVE! We Are Not Alone. Let’s Pray Together, Dear Lord, Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how painful earthly brokenness can feel. Please help us, help me remember that you Jesus are our greatest blessing. You are with us now with me now, as we face hardship and grief and sadness and await a day when you will make all things new. Give me strength, give those that are listening strength as we long for this day, and we ask this in the name of the Resurrected King of Heaven, Jesus Christ, The Messiah. Amen. I Know That Many Of You Are Going Through Many Things In Your Own Lives and there is so much going on around us everywhere right now as the Lord is more than shaking his church. He is exposing so many uncomfortable things, but what he is really doing is bringing his people back to a place to where HE alone is enough, his word alone is light and life, strength and guidance, no matter how difficult or dark the times can be. His word will penetrate past all of that panic and bring us daily comfort. I’d like to call it daily bread since we’re on the subject of talking about bread, and remember because Christ was the bread of life and he gave it to us, and since we’ve given our lives to him, we are now bread of life to others with whatever we speak out of our mouth in the name of Jesus. It has to be in accuracy and mimicking the way he lived and walked. If it isn’t, then there’s going to be difficulty there’s going to be pain. It’s going to cause pain. It’s going to cause difficulty. So I Encourage You, If You’re Running And Hiding or if you’re trying to protect yourself from something that you’ve done that you know needs to come out into the light,run to Jesus, then tell the truth and get the help that you need. It won’t be easy, but that clawing horrible feeling of waiting for the shoe to drop will end, and the enemy will no longer have a foothold in your mind. For Those That Are Suffering Because Of The Behaviors Of Others and you know that there just doesn’t seem to be an answer or an end in sigth, and certainly no vindication. I encourage you to not back away and to stand where God has you, but don’t grow bitter and don’t look for revenge. This is when we take it back into our own power at our own strength. I Bless You Today! I encourage you to get before the Lord and ask him to show you “the way” that he has for you during these times where he is maturing you , maturing his bride, and it is all for the glory of the ONE who laid down that entire greatness so that we would have an access to return to heaven. Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2025 "THE MESSENGER" - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - Mary Lindow - His Beloved Ministries Inc. ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985. THANK YOU!…
By Mary Lindow I’m going to make a few statements about this podcast before I begin. I hope I am not required by Lord to make many podcasts like this one, but I will obey him if he does ask me to do so! To even things out a little bit, my next few podcasts are going to be sharing about some magnificent and overwhelming experiences that I have had in meeting First Native Chiefs throughout the United States and Canada. All of these events were orchestrated by the Lord in order for us to meet. The things that I learned from these godly individuals who love Jesus, but understand the strongholds in our cities, our nations and upon our lands, has been absolutely Life-changing. I hope to share at least two podcasts telling you these stories and experiences that glorify Jesus, and show the power of his supernatural ability to get us to the places we need to go without ever having to push our way in or manipulate anything. Now let’s begin today’s crucial podcast. We are in a time when many people are seeing much evil take place, not only in our nation, not only in large and small corporations, but in church organizations and organizations that claim to bear the name of Christ on their letterheads. One of the greatest deceptions taking place is that people are being told to NOT “discuss”/not to tell the truth about the abuses that are taking place in some of these organizations. With the multitude of public exposures that is taking place right now all over social media regarding unconscionable and difficult happenings, I have been agonizingly yet strongly prompted by the Holy Spirit, to share my thoughts and the experiences that I have had in walking other people out of dark places, because of the harm done to them in some of these institutions. I do this with a heavy heart, and yet I must take courage and be obedient in order to be an “Advocate of Hope” for those who feel that they cannot speak out for fear of being threatened or ridiculed, letting them know that there are others who will champion and stand with them by calling “wolfish abuse” what it is, instead of sweeping it under any kind of Church Carpet, Corporate Carpet, or Institutional Carpet. I am by far, not the perfect believer by any means! I’ve had some wonderful mentors and training from others in ministry as well as in the counseling arena who have been strong and good people of discernment. When something inside of you is alerted or feels really uncomfortable, or even just the thought of, “there’s something not right about that” pops in, that’s a built-in radar God gives us. Now, if someone’ s judging someone because they don’t like that they’re loud, or seem to be "too meek, obese, skinny, or speak a truth that they aren’t comfortable with or don’t have wisdom about", then that ’s where all the speculating and suspicion move in. Being set free from critical behavior and suspicion takes a willingness to admit that we don’t trust anybody, or, that we think we have an exclusive lead on how God speaks all the time. I certainly need the accountability friends in my life who speak truth to me firmly and regularly! The soul loves to put itself in its own place of authority and override discernment, humility,and often the need to prove that our opinion matters. Honestly, keeping a heart pure and clean before the Lord every day, ( and that ’ s truly not just an easy thing) , but pursuing him with the right heart, keeps that place where we hear from him very sharpened and aware! Studying his word, digging into what it really means, provides a depth and place of resource to go to, to check whether our heart is in accordance with his word or if we’re making up our own ideas about things. It’s so easy to let other people think or speak for us, or their opinions, being strong, driving a message to us that says we should probably do what they say. This is where we get into trouble! We are supposed to question or “test” things and not just take everything hook, line, and sinker! In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 it tells us, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, BUT, test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” Friends! Evil can be deceptive and cunning! The word of God has an omnipotent power that cuts through all of the fog of self-deception and definitely pontificating! Many people quote the scripture and use it to their benefit when they want to self promote or appear to be somewhat spiritual. This is where discernment has to come in!!! If something feels wrong, if something is spiritually off key, is not in alignment with what Jesus said or what the scriptures speak, then discernment has to come in to play. The road gets narrower as you walk your Christian journey with Jesus, and you absolutely will be called many names because of the stance of wanting to be more like him, and more detached from the volumes of worldly knowledge. Wisdom isn’t easily gained! But, it’s so worth it when you get a little nugget that lasts for eternity. Suspicion vs. Discernment. I’ve seen this destroy and have been painfully more than a few times, a recipient of ugly and ruthless “suspicious” judgments. Suspicion destroys relationships. It destroys lives. It listens to hearsay rather than God’s inward warnings. Suspicion can feed a self satisfaction ( which is actually pride ) when our choices to put others in a lesser and suspicious light, even sabotaging them, justifies our own agendas. When we are constantly suspicious of the motives of others, we drive people away that could be a great blessings to us. ( They may even walk with a bit of a limp due to the battles and hard fought victories they’ve fought throughout their lives . ) Check your life today. Are you discerning, or merely suspicious? The problem is, sometimes we label suspicion with the pious name of “discernment” and think we're being super spiritual. It ’s so important to learn the difference between discernment and suspicion! The difference is quite simple. Discernment comes from God and will recognize evil for what it is. Suspicion come from or soul and will imagine evil when there is none. If you see genuine compassion, kindness, mercy, accountability, humility and a forgiving nature in someone, you are seeing a surrendered soul. Not many want to talk about how hard spiritual growth and dying to ourselves, our opinions our interpretations is. I t's not a one time thing , it's every day. It's remaining quiet when we want to speak. It's trusting God's timing when we would, rather control. It's doing it God's way when it doesn't make sense to us. It’s quietly walking away from what might “appear to be a lucrative or more publicly promoting opportunity” when you know there are political or spiritually abusive environments involved. We don’t get a lot of accolades or crowns here on earth for that kind of brave but necessary decision. But in heaven, when we do behold the face of the one who literally bled out for us, and he says, “Well done, so well done my good and faithful servant! Enter into my rest!” Oh my goodness, how absolutely all of the hardship and persecution will melt away in that moment, and the joy that is unspeakable and has yet to be fully understood, will be complete in our lives. It is necessary in life to learn from those who have more wisdom and experience, because they can help us see things that we don't notice. Even though modern culture tells us that we should “live our own truth and do whatever we think is best”, it’s this type of thinking that leads us into trouble. This is why Scripture tells us not to be wise in our own eyes. True wisdom comes from fearing God. This means we should have a high regard for God's Word and His instructions to us. He knows all things, including, what is best for us. We can also gain wisdom from other people. When we can learn from the mistakes and experiences of others, we're better equipped to not make the same mistakes. However, if you think you're the only one who knows best, you are bound to repeat the same errors. There’s a huge amount of exposure taking place in pulpits, Ministry organizations, Christian Media Corporations, Governments, Christian Universities and Bible Schools... ...Right now. Of course, we all know the Lord is doing a lot of the exposing and dealing with painful and shocking events that have or, are currently occurring, or are being investigated. Why is he doing this? Because he will not allow these kinds of charades, criminal acts or hiding of sexual misconductsto NOT be caught. Sadly many individuals who are sitting in church pulpits or are serving in ministry environments such as youth ministries, children’s church, Young adult groups and more, are often made uncomfortable by things they see taking place with some of the staff members. The big question now is do you dare say anything? If you see a male individual in a place of authority as a teacher, a pastor, any kind of youth worker anywhere, being over familiar with females, and by that I mean, resting their hand on their back too often with letting it linger, standing too closely to them in their personal space, spending time alone with them in their office etc. with doors shut and no visible way to see anything taking place. These are red flags! A little bit of investigating and watching and taking notes is appropriate. Always document things that you see that make you feel there is something wrong going on and always date it . But be honest, not suspicious and don’t exaggerate or embellish. If necessary, take pictures. These are now used as evidence in court cases. Another example! If you would happen to know that there was a youth minister who sexually approached or interfered with a child or a young adult, and it was hidden and “dealt with” in an internal investigation among elders or leaders of a church or youth organization, club or scouting group, but was never reported, and this individual was then packed up and sent off to another state to minister or workelsewhere, they have basically turned this person into a repeat offender. These things must be reported to the police! Here’s the hard thing. We sure hope that we could go to people like elders or other leaders in the church if we see something taking place and know that deception is involvedand that others are covering it up. If there has ever been a question that you have seen or a child has reported to you, that a young adult has reported to you or a teenager has reported to you that something inappropriate, whether it was conversation, whether it was physical touch, whether it was a threat that took place, you must go to the police. Taking it to the pastor or taking it to the leadership "feels" like a good idea. But when there’s a wolf in the crowd, when there are wolves in leadership positions, we don’t take time to try to defend ourselves against wolves or predators. If you know, for a fact that these things have taken place, you must document and you must protect the children . You must protect the young developing adults. And, you must protect the future generations that would be affected if this perpetrator is permitted to be allowed to continue to remain in any organization, and not have appropriate legal consequences take place. There are many who are holding positions in churches that are hiding inappropriate events of their own, within their own staff, or within their own organization, who value their building, their notoriety and their income, more than they value protecting the sheep or telling the truth. Some people do not believe this is true! They think that surely the Holy Spirit would be exposing these things if they were really happening! Well, my friends, the Holy Spirit uses practical human beings who are aware and have cultivated discernment and see that there is something very wrong and very out of order going on, and these human beings must be bold, courageous, and speak out like the prophet Nathan spoke to King David when he was having a long-term affair with Bathsheba and murdered his own military leader in order to cover his own manipulative and adulterous behavior. There were terrible, painful consequences that took place because of what David did. Yet God in his mercy when David repented, restored David’s relationship back to himself. But if forever changed David, and there were things that he was no longer permitted to partake in because of his wickedness. But God did not shun him. God corrected him. Here are a few basic recommendations I’d like to share as a Pastoral counselor (and as a minister myself), with those who are in some form of ministry. It’s not wise for men to counsel Women alone, but if necessary they must have a glass window where another safe office or staff member can see into the room. I have seen too many people get enmeshed emotionally with intimate counseling and I have historical documents that sadly indicate where several ministers who fantasized or planned or, actually have run off with people they were counseling for marriage difficulties! They have devastated marriages, families and churches because they crossed a line and blew clear past healthy boundaries, and safety protocols for counseling. I also strongly recommend that men are not often alone in an office setting or ministry facility with women, especially if single, because they’re vulnerable women, because the table can turn two ways. The woman can become needy or manipulative and play on the affections or the emotions of a tender, kind hearted man, and then turn around and accuse them of some kind of inappropriate actions. Men in buildings alone with women who are married and it’s late at night with a woman who is beautiful and lovely, or even sweet and precious, can create a sense of desire in a man whois tired of the grind of life, maybe hard work, might be having some strain at home, and in a few moments of weakness, begins to pursue an emotional affair, talking too openly, sharing too openly, and it can quickly lead to other kinds of affection, emotional bonding and inappropriate touching. I know some of this sounds pretty heavy, and we as believers just don’t want to have to hear about the horrible, dark things that could possibly take place! We so want to believe the best in everyone and we want to be merciful and forgiving! But, with the recent rash and exposure of well-known names, seemingly appearing holy and virtuous, many well protected individuals are now being exposed in multiple areas and in multiple environments, for hiding harm done to children, harm done to staff, and then using spiritual gifts or “spiritual pedigrees” to justify that they were just “tired or weak in the moment” and that they thought they’d handle it in house privately! Well, to speak bluntly and boldly, this fakery and denial is just all hogwash when the gaslighting and lying starts! We have to call it what it is! It’s called spiritual abuse (SA) or clergy sexual abuse. (CSA) . Returning to my original introduction regarding the need for discernment versus suspicion, we have to be very wise and make sure that our hearts are right as we begin to walk out these very difficult times of exposure as well as needing to be vocal. There are victims among us who have not said anything for years about the things that took place in back rooms or offices or church buildings, camps or cars. For some reason, people run to suspicion and say, “Why are you now just beginning to talk about this? Why did you wait so long? What do you want out of this?” In legal terms when someone speaks out immediately about sexual abuse or harm done,the term is called “Outcry”. They “cry out”, they “tell”. When someone takes awhile to be able to process abuse, especially children (male, and female!) or young vulnerable teenagers or women who have been abused in the past, and have been threatened to remain silent or paid off to be quiet, and are easily preyed upon by those who are able to spot vulnerability, it takes them longer, and healthy unpacking and dialog frees them to tell. This must be tenderly and wisely handled with a skilled CHRISTIAN trauma counselor who works in these areas of sexual, church or cult abuse, or child abuse. The term for this, when someone takes so long or doesn’t remember everything that happened (because they’ve been threatened and they have shut it out) , this is called “Delayed Outcry.” With the proper counseling and the proper police reporting involved, then there becomes an investigation or a forensic investigation that listens to and reviews documents, the stories or events, does the investigating, looks at any kind of proof which could be documents, notes, texts, emails, pictures, clothing, the location or rooms these things happened in. Then, they begin to question and cross examine those who are being accused. Yes! There have been people who have lied and set others up for something they never did. Or, they lured people into getting them to be involved in nefarious behaviors, use of drugs, alcohol, inappropriate touching, looking at unsafe objects, videos or pictures, and then turn around and use it to project onto that individual in order to hide their own very Addictive sicknesses. Here’s the Honest Deal. When there are wolves operating the pulpits, we don’t say, “well they were once a really nice sheep so we have to be nice to them!” A wolf is a wolf! A wolf puts on a mask like a sheep and can appear saintly and beautiful and tell sad, well oiled stories about themselves to make themselves look like they’re repentant over something “small” that they may struggle over and then everyone feels like, “what a lovely, humble soul!” They can con, they can cry, they can preach, they can look compassionate. They can talk a good line, t hey can be very convincing. But, if they have been predators, touching children, often touching women, touching men, plagiarizing, mishandling funds for their own purposes and lavish living... …These are wolves. We have to call them for what they are. They thrive on building their egos and are very convincing in order build their own empires, claiming that it was the Lord giving them all the blessings. 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 addresses this so strongly! “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light!” Friends, Discernment is at an all-time low and the Lord is bringing it to the forefront. The Spirit of God is saying to you and saying to me, “cultivate develop and train yourself to be discerning and to test everything!” This means school boards, politicians, those in the pulpit, those in other ministries and any other position of authority. Some of the slickest and most well promoted people are often those of who have charming, manipulative narcissistic traits and harm many in their wake. The posture of power, inflated titles, fake tears, swiftly changing of trends and movements that claim it’s “THE thing” God is doing, are lures to draw crowds, train people to trust the speakers to hear from God for them ( but not fully train the audience to discern and judge. ) Oh the wretched and unbelievably twisted things I have heard behind the doors of Pastoral counseling! Oh the ugly and extremely uncomfortable things I’ve witnessed in Green rooms before live “Christian” broadcasts. Oh the unbelievably huge complex and disgusting competition that goes on among ministries and Christian organizations, when monetary policies are used as a way to enrich those at the top. If There’s Anything I’d Scream From the Rooftops Today It Would Be, “Cultivate and Learn Discernment!” Be sober! Be wise! Be accountable!” Oh Lord Jesus! Mature your people. Teach them to hear your voice. I would like to share a statement from a wonderful man of God who is a seasoned Husband, Father, Pastor, Speaker, and Author. His name is Tim Challies. He shares these very potent and deep words. “With discernment comes division. A person who seeks to be discerning must be willing to suffer the effects of this division. It will divide not only the believer from the unbeliever, but it may even divide a discerning believer from one who is undiscerning. It will separate the mature from the immature and the naïve from the prudent.” SO well said! In my closing out of this podcast today, I would like to share a few potent words from Dr. Diane Langberg who has worked in multicultural and many international settings were abuse and tragedy of every kind, ( those imagined and those that you cannot imagine that have taken place ). She works as a specialist among those who have been traumatized by Church abuse in its many forms. She is a wise Senior woman who I greatly admire and have learned much from. As I share her statements in closing, allow them to speak to the deeper part of you where the Lord is developing discernment and greater awareness. Diane says, “Many of us have confused the church system with Jesus Christ; they are not the same. There are wolves among the sheep, tares among the wheat. Jesus called humans that looked good on the outside, white-washed tombs full of stink. My work has taught me that many poor sheep have followed a blind guide, a gifted wolf, and landed in a pit. No so-called Christian system is truly God’s work unless it “fleshes out” his character. Toleration of sin, pretense, and crookedness do not reveal the character of God, even if they bear his name. Arrogance is never godly. Covering up sin is never godly. Abuse of power is never godly. Shepherds who feed on sheep are abusive. Leadership that preserves and protects the system, rather than the people, turns the house of God into a safe place for predators. Those who come to feed on God himself then find themselves being the main course instead. We have failed to protect leaders from their own bondage to self-deception and sin. Exposure brings hope, for it brings the cancer to the light. To hide sin by cover-up or silent complicity is spiritual abuse. It is a failure to love the perpetrator. Demise of a system—even a spiritual system—is not the worst that can happen! We must acknowledge and tell the truth about these things. Great damage is being done to God’s sheep, in his name. He weeps over such leaders and the sheep they harm. Be watchful. Recognize coercive and manipulative behavior. Call it by its right name when someone in power uses spiritual words and ideas to silence, control, and intimidate. Be discerning about those who hold power—including yourself. Do not be deceived. May we, with Daniel, call out to God: “O Lord, hear! O Lord forgive. O Lord listen and act. For your own sake do not delay, because your church and your people are called by your name.” (Dan. 9:19). Source: https://erlc.com/resource/when-the-sheep-are-preyed-upon/ Finally, I would like to say these words. Trauma can leave people feeling shattered and alone. But through our faith, we discover that God’s love is unwavering and His healing touch can mend even the deepest wounds. Let’s remember that we are not defined by our pain, But by the Grace that lifts us up, and leads us toward restoration. If you find yourself carrying the weight of trauma, know that you are not alone on this journey. For those of you who may be trembling with fear or who have experienced any kind of abuse. For those of you, how are trembling and fear, because you know you have done something and have hidden it from others or have protected others who you know have done harmful, evil things, the word of God says to confess your faults to one another to confess your sins so that you may be clean, freed, and that you may be forgiven. To those of you who have been abused, don’t be afraid to find a safe, godly, skilled trauma counselor who will be able to help you be freed from the prisons of shame, control, and intimidation within, so that you can walk in the light of grace and freedom and know that your Father in heaven has rescued you from those that harm. To help you in your journey, I have included a link where you can quickly locate or begin to research a Christian counselor who is skilled and able to help you with whatever specific area that you may need to have help with. https://tinyurl.com/5h4zfc9u Let's pray together before we end this time together. Heavenly Father, May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what. O Lord, you will never, no, never, neglect those who come to you." -Psalms 9:10 Heavenly Father, in the face of fear and uncertainty, I call upon your strength to fill those who are listening to, or who are reading this message, fill them with courage. When the wounds of traumatic experiences seem too deep to overcome, remind them that you are the ever-present help in times of trouble. Grant them the bravery to face their fears head-on, knowing that you go in front of them, leading them into a future, free from the shackles of the past. Thank you for being our fortress and our deliverer. With you by their side, They will not be afraid. Amen. Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! "2025" "THE MESSENGER" - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com If you would be so kind to assist Mary by helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video messages and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led offerings or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use or send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - Mary Lindow - His Beloved Ministries ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 THANK YOU! To Learn More About Steve and Mary Click this Picture! 👇🏽 👆🏽 Do You Need Prayer? Click the picture to send a request!…
⬆️ Click Picture to Watch This Empowering 3 Minute Video! “2025” - Insights For Hope and Change On the cusp of 2025, clear perspective and fearlessness come to the forefront. No dark deed will ultimately go unpunished. We are surrounded with a power and grace that darkness can’t comprehend nor override. STAND STRONG YOU MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD! No retreating. Onward into a New Beginning, A New Door of Hope is Opening. PRAYER IS THE POWER GOD HAS GIVEN TO US! Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2025 "THE MESSENGER" - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com If you would be so kind and assist Mary, helping her to meet administrative needs such as website, video creation and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - Mary Lindow - His Beloved Ministries Inc. ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985. THANK YOU!…
A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE – When God Says “GO”! By Mary Lindow This Podcast is going to be focusing on what I would call “A Miracle on Christmas Eve!” Steve And I Had Just About Been Married About A Year and had been through a complete reorganization of his business due to a partner, having not reported properly on the business financial books. Shortly after we were married, we found this all out and we were saddled with the debt of the business and the business was shuttered and the friendship was shattered. STEVE REOPENED HIS OWN INTERIOR DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY BUSINESS ON A LITERAL SHOESTRING. I was teaching piano and voice lessons and directing a church choir. In October Steve had been asked to totally remodel a local restaurant as well as create matching themed Christmas decor. I had worked in a floral shop for years as a young high school girl and had done many wreaths as well as large swags of things for commercial decorations. I helped Steve begin to build and construct the pieces that went together for all of the items we were going to install. Once it was all prepared and ready, the owner was so grateful and so in love with all the work, she asked us to also do Christmas swags and decor for the Bar and eating area in the bar. This was a few days before Christmas and she had decided she wanted more festive decor in the bar since many parties were to take place for Christmas and up to New Years Day. So, we gathered materials and created that and installed it. WE WERE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT EXTRA BLESSING FINANCIALLY and we received a $400 check, (which was a lot at that time.) As we began to pray about a Christmas offering, we wanted to do something to honor the Lord at Christmas and help others. A friend of ours whom we had met and had had wonderful prayer meetings with two other schoolteachers in East St. Louis, Missouri, had shared in a prayer meeting about a family in need. At that time, the Bloods and the Crips gangs were very heavily active and there was a tremendous amount of racial tension in East Saint Louis. We were always very careful when driving through the area to not get off on the wrong ramp because often there was a lot of car theft and harm done to people who didn’t know or belong to that area. But, there were times that we would travel down with a group of our friends, both black and white, to a house where a woman by the name of sister Lucy, who had a Doctorate in education, would hold ladies teas and prayer gatherings. We would worship and pray, and intercede and study the word fervently among both black-and-white women who were either highly educated or women who cleaned homes for a living. It didn’t matter! We loved being with each other, and we loved the presence of the Lord. So, when sister Margaret Wren our friend from East St. Louis, who was also a teacher, told us there was a family in desperate need of clothing and food that she knew of and that the mother who was in her early 60s had been holding all of the children and grandchildren together in her home. THIS DEAR WOMAN WAS SCHEDULED TO GO IN FOR OPEN-HEART SURGERY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Margaret told us there was going to be limited food and of course they weren’t expecting anything for Christmas. Steve and I knew that we were going to end up making what we considered a very significant personal sacrifice instead of doing things we needed to do to broaden our business and also to take care of a few things we needed to handle as well in our home. Yet, the Holy Spirit was persistent . The extra job came in unexpectedly. We knew that $400 was to be used specifically to help this family. WE BEGAN TO TELL OUR SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO LIVED NEXT-DOOR TO US AND A FEW OTHER FAMILIES BEGAN TO GET EXCITED TO HELP. Steve and I went to the local grocery store and filled carts with warm blankets, hams, cereals, fruits, vegetables, different kinds of meat and canned goods, and had the joy of a lifetime like we had won the “Supermarket Sweepstakes!” WE WERE GOING TO GO DELIVER ALL OF THIS ON CHRISTMAS EVE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE DEAR SISTER WAS GOING TO GO AND HAVE HER SURGERY THAT EVENING. Everyone congregated at our little cottage home and we could not believe how many people put together beautiful things for this family! My sister-in-law Judi had put together stacks of beautiful clothing and little outfits for children that her children were no longer fitting into because we had said there were children needing clothing. They also found a giant 6-foot long stocking and filled it with candy, fruit, and nuts. Another lovely couple had a giant Christmas turkey on a platter with all kinds of onions and celery and carrots with the stuffing ready to go so they could put it in the oven when we got there. THERE WERE BOXES OF DIAPERS, FORMULA, AND SACKS OF GROCERIES FROM SO MANY PEOPLE! Many who also had large families! We really didn’t know how many we were going to be helping! We just knew that there was a large family in need, and there were children were involved. Several married couples lived in the same house with the mother and the poverty was substantial. WE MADE A CARAVAN OF FOUR CARS TO TRAVEL INTO EAST ST. LOUIS and Margaret Wren met us on a side street as we entered to go towards this family‘s house. We parked the cars outside, and there was a young man standing outside who did live in the home, who told us he would watch our cars for us. We told him that we didn’t think it would be a problem and he smiled at us shyly and he’s told us it was very important to have someone from the neighborhood watching your cars. We thanked him and went up the steps to a house that was sturdy but in much needed repair. WE STOOD ON THE PORCH AND RANG THE DOORBELL. The door opened and there was the most precious older woman standing there in her coat and hat with a purse on her arm. She told us she was waiting for us to come before she made her journey to the hospital. As we began to walk in with box after box, package after package, grocery sack after grocery sack of items, the room began to fill with people coming from upstairs just standing there, staring at us in wonder and shock. AS I LOOKED INTO THE KITCHEN AREA, THE ONLY HEAT IN THE HOUSE WAS THE GAS STOVE WITH ALL FOUR BURNERS FLAMING AND THE OVEN DOOR WAS OPEN. Lying over on a vinyl couch was a little infant, beautiful, baby boy dressed only in a T-shirt and a diaper, and the house was chilly. Our hearts were breaking to see how little they had, and yet the love among them was evident and of course, the mother/ grandmother was introducing us all with great pride to her children and their spouses. Two of the little boys saw the big fluffy blankets that we bought. We had stacked things over on a makeshift couch that was really just a twin bed with a covering over it, and these little boys grabbed the blankets and ran upstairs to their rooms. TO SAY IT WAS HUMBLING IS MINIMIZING HOW LITTLE THESE DEAR PEOPLE HAD. We were not there to give out of any sense of benevolence, but out of love. We Began To Talk To Their Children And Coo Over The Babies, And The Tension In The Room Began To Melt As They Began To See, That We Were Just People Who Came To Love And Bless Them. Because they knew Margaret Wren, they knew we were safe people and that we were kind people. We knew they were safe people and kind people. NOW HERE’S WHERE THE BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE PART BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE! Steve asked if we might be able to pray for this dear woman heading into surgery that night. She was the one holding the family together and I think pretty much financially as well. She was covering what it cost to pay for the house and just basic comforts. Although several other others did have jobs, it just was not going to be enough with her being incapacitated. SHE SMILED BROADLY, AND SHE SAID, “I AM BELIEVING THAT GOD WILL HEAL ME AND THAT I WILL COME OUT OF THIS WITH A NEW HEART. That I will mend quickly! I trust in Jesus!” Some of her older children were rolling their eyes at her or had an attitude of just accepting that “this was the way their mother always was”, but there was not necessarily disrespect, just a lot of disbelief. Yet, they all joined the large circle we formed to pray. STEVE BEGAN TO PRAY. He prayed and blessed the family and thanked the Lord for the privilege of meeting every one of them. He asked the Heavenly Father if he would come and show himself to be kind and real to each and every one of them and provide for them and open up new jobs for them. He then laid hands on this dear lady, as did several others who were with us, and he anointed her with oil and prayed that the Lord would touch her body and astound the doctors, asking that there would not nearly be as much damage done to her heart as originally thought. We All Felt This Unusual Warm Presence Gently Surround All Of Us As We Were Standing There. Everyone Was Aware Of The Sweetness Of God’s Presence. WHEN STEVE GOT DONE PRAYING, WE ALL HUGGED EVERYONE. Some of it was awkward, some of it was genuine and warm, and the dear lady said, "I need to be on my way, they’ll be waiting for me at the hospital." We said Merry Christmas to everyone and went outside where the young man was still watching our cars and of course, he had seen us take in all of the items. He was smiling a big smile and gave each of us a hug and said, “ Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much this means to our children.” Many of us smiled and said, “We do understand because some of us came from big families and have been through hard times in the past, so we’re so glad to be able to share!” ON OUR WAY HOME STEVE AND I JUST SAT THERE QUIETLY basking in the joy of knowing that God sent us to a difficult place and a potentially dangerous place, and that the enemy would want us to think that we were doing something foolish or dangerous, but instead, we were sent to love people who were in need. We were given the privilege of watching joy take place in their home, as well as seeing their beautiful children, and then praying for the dear lady who was going to have the heart surgery. WE WENT TO STEVE’S PARENTS HOUSE and sat there with Christmas music playing and good food everywhere and said, “we’ve already had our Christmas” We just had the most beautiful moment and it just seemed like everything else paled compared to what we had had the honor of partaking in. It was about a 35-minute drive from Steve’s parents house to ours and we went home and prepared for bed. CHRISTMAS MORNING, (THE NEXT MORNING), WE HAD GOTTEN UP AND WE WERE PREPARING SOME COFFEE AND WERE GOING TO OPEN OUR SMALL GIFTS TO EACH OTHER WHEN THE PHONE RANG. When we answered it, Margaret Wren was on the phone and she was laughing and praising God. We said, “ What’s going on Margaret? What’s got you so fired up on Christmas morning to call us! Aren’t you with your family?” Margaret said, “WELL!! I WAS getting ready to celebrate with my family, but I got a phone call from our dear sister who went into surgery last night … …And as they were examining her last evening and did a final scan, the doctor was extremely puzzled. They decided to do some exploratory surgery before fully opening her up to make sure that everything was necessary. Upon further examination with laparoscopy, the doctor was absolutely stunned and flummoxed that this woman’s heart was in perfect condition! There was no scar tissue. There was no evidence of heart attack or stroke anywhere in her body. Her blood pressure had gone into a normal rhythm and she was breathing with ease. They ran more tests and didn’t know what to do with her so they sent her home. WE WERE STUNNED, JOYFULLY PRAISING GOD AND LAUGHING AT THE FACT THE DOCTOR’S DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HER! We told Margaret we would split calling everybody up with her to let everyone know, and each time we called and told someone the rejoicing increased! After the phone calls, Steve and I sat and talked about what an absolute moment it must’ve been for her children to have her walk through that door and smile at them and say, “Look what the Lord has done. He gave me the best Christmas ever! He gave me a new heart!” All of those young adults and grandchildren who stood in that room, doubtful that God cared about them very much, but knew that their grandmother or their mother loved them and gave everything for them in order for them to have comfort and shelter. Yet, she stood there bravely and courageously saying she was believing God for a new heart. (I think the Lord gave a few other people a new heart that day as well!) WATCHING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD or even from your own culture, praying for your mother, bringing gifts and treasures much like the Wiseman brought, filled with abundance because of Jesus to celebrate Christmas, created an open door for God to work a miracle and change an entire family’s focus to see that he not only cares for them, but that he loves them. NO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, NO TINSEL, NO BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED GIFT HELD INTEREST FOR STEVE AND I THAT CHRISTMAS. We sat on our little couch and held hands and wept and praised God for the extra income that we had been given through the unexpected extra job. Even though we had suffered great losses and had been saddled with the business debt, we knew that we had obeyed the Lord being a part of the blessing of watching God unite many people who gave their little bits, which created a tremendous amount to bless another family in need. To see joy on those dear faces and learn of the miracle that took place was more than we could handle! Every Christmas we recount the story. We remember the years where there was hardship and yet God always came through. That dear woman lived into her late 80s and although we never saw her or the family again, we occasionally would hear from sister Margaret about the advances that had taken a place in the family. How the grandchildren were doing. We knew that we had been a small, tiny part of validating that they were worthy of love and care. WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH IN ABUNDANCE? What is it that you have in your home? Maybe you have a box of new tennis shoes that you don’t really like or a pair of dress shoes. Maybe you have jeans or clothing that you can’t fit into, or, they’re too big and they’re just hanging in your closet. Maybe you have an extra $20 or $50 where you could go buy bags of fruit loaves of bread, a few blocks of cheese. When you put these things together and you ask around, you will find a family in need. A family worthy of love, going through a difficult time. In that moment when you choose to go and be the hands of Christ extended, not only will he empower you with his Holy Spirit, but he gives you the opportunity to offer prayer for the deeper needs that they may have. Perhaps In The Next Few Days You Will Be Called Upon To Do Something That Starts Out As Simply A Loving Act Of Giving Of Sustenance And Warmth That Will Turn Into A Miraculous And Beautiful Testimony. We live in a world in a time we’re hoarding has become something others applaud, holding our “earthly stuff” close to us, and becoming cynical when others suffer or others are going through difficult times. IF YOU HAVE WEALTH, IF YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE OR IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, and there is even the slightest hint of condescension or looking down on anyone else who suffers or seems to have cycles of loss, Check your heart! You have been blessed in abundance, to help others in abundance. That is the biblical approach to wealth. We don’t store up and hoard for ourselves in order to impress others as believers. We don’t flaunt and act extravagant in front of others in order to appear superior. We humble ourselves, we give sacrificially, and we go to hard places, we go to difficult places, perhaps to families who have no interest in Christ, but we become light in their darkness and plant seeds. THERE ARE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NEARBY WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, THAT NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SEEN AND LOVED. Even the smallest thing, a plate of cookies or a basket of fruit taken to a woman who has been recently widowed, can cause her loneliness and fears to be calmed. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PRAY WITH THOSE THAT YOU GO TO CHECK IN ON. They may say no, they don’t want to be prayed for, and you can lovingly say, “ that’s fine. I will pray quietly for you at home.” But never be afraid to offer to pray for them in the moment. This Is What Jesus Would Do. Ask the Holy Spirit right now what is it that you have been blessed with. Ask if you are supposed to share a part of that blessing. Ask if there’s something sacrificial that you can do to help bless others who serve. Those who bless others who care take. Bless others who seem to be givers and others think they have an endless supply, when in fact; they too need to be loved and seen. THE COMING OF CHRIST WAS A GIFT OF IMMEASURABLE GRACE. God gave his entire wealth to mankind so that this gift would give us back access to the Father himself. He gave the very best that heaven could offer. That is why Christmas is such a potent time, because it is to be about the giving, the light, and the celebrating of this immeasurable gift. When We Step Out Into Difficult And Hard Places And Sacrifice, Remember, God Is With Us! Emmanuel! Matthew 1:23 Tells us “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,” which translated, means, “GOD WITH US.” THE NAME OF JESUS THE MESSIAH, “GOD WITH US” MANIFESTS IN NOT ONLY THE MIRACULOUS, BUT HE HEALS AND BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS. May your celebration of the King of Kings who was sent to earth as a tiny, vulnerable baby, be filled with a deeper understanding of the price that was paid for our lives. Of course we know this is not actually the accurate date or celebration for Jesus’ birthday, but we must never minimize the fact that the world is aware of what we are celebrating! Something of great power and a great comfort. It has a depth and a meaning that many are still seeking to understand. Let us use every opportunity to its fullest to tell of the wonders of his love! Have A Miraculous And Beautiful Christmas Season My Friends! God Is With Us. We Are Not Alone! I will say goodbye for now until my next podcast! I bless you all in the mighty name of the Savior of mankind, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, GOD WITH US. Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2024 "THE MESSENGER" - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc. ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. 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“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, t hey 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 If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - Mary Lindow 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!…
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.…
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!…
By Mary Lindow Today’s podcast is going to be discussing a subject that a lot of people avoid because they honestly just don’t know how to approach it or, they are afraid to approach it. Somehow people think that people like myself who have been serving in ministry to the Body of Christ for many, many years, and who are called by the Lord to operate or flow in a prophetic ministry as well, do this 40 hours a week. And, of course, people do expect you to be on call and ready to deliver a clear and concise word from the Lord, without considering the fact that you are not just simply a prophet or a teacher/minister, but you are also a human being who lives and breathes and moves and feels. BEING IN MINISTRY ON ANY LEVEL IS NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART and truly should not be something to be considered or pursued by those who are looking for a platform for fame or to hold power over others. It is a call to hear the voice of the Lord, to study his word and to always be ready to give a good report of what he has promised or what he is requiring of his people. So having said that, I am echoing the words and most likely also the thoughts of many disappointed and disillusioned believers right now. I read a wonderful devotional last week from the Bible app. and it so resonated with where things are right now in our world. It said, “If we are paying attention, we will see a lot of “off” around us. I bet you have noticed things that appeared unjust. Cracks in the façade that show injustice is real. People hurt. Bullies winning. The right action is left undone or the wrong action brings harm. When we pay attention, we have to acknowledge this world is gut-wrenchingly broken.” Many of us will read a description of mistreatment and nod along from experience, memories bringing a fire to our chest. Others hear words about injustice, and it all feels distant. The deep desire to downplay evil stirs, perhaps even subconsciously. Reading Habakkuk beckons us to acknowledge a foundational principle God reveals through Old Testament prophets—you have to see the evil. We must look around at what is happening in the world and see it for what it is.” THE BIBLE PAINTS THE PROPHETS AS THOSE WHO JOLT US AWAKE AND FORCE US TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT SUCH THINGS. They are the watchmen signaling with waving arms, often to people wanting to look away. “Look up and see the evil done against others”, the prophets said. See the impact of your own choices on the vulnerable. See the disobedience of God’s people. GOD SEES THE WAYS WE’VE GOTTEN THINGS SUPER WRONG FRIENDS, and he’s coming to do something about it. Get ready. We might not be paying attention, but he is. It would be easy for some of us—and beneficial at times—to look away from the wrong done around us. We much prefer the aesthetics that way. Yet, there are consequences to indifference. We should not be surprised by discipline from the Lord if we choose not to pay attention to the discrepancy between our community’s actions and God’s righteous standard, just as the prophets warned in Israel. FOR OVER 16 YEARS STEVE AND I HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED AS PASTORAL COUNSELORS. Now, some individuals say that all pastors can give pastoral counseling to people. It’s a little different than that. Some people go to school and study psychology, which is the study of the mind, and how to understand the psyche of people and help them. This is a secular approach, and there have been good results and helping people resolve conflicts and often mental illness issues as well as addressing dementia and Alzheimer’s problems and more. Pastoral counseling is where the Bible is the foundation, the Scriptures are the foundation of what you use as a basis to advise and counsel and hopefully help restore people. You also do have to take study courses and apply different techniques in counseling that assist you in being able to assess and discern, as well as understand some issues of mental health in order to be integral in your approach. Steve and I were supervised for over 15 years by a doctor of psychology, who was a strong believer, and we both took courses from different Christian counseling associations and college courses in order to broaden our ability to help people. We also had a brick-and-mortar counseling group with a dear friend, our friend who was the doctor of psychology and the practice supervisor for three years in our local area. WE SAW THE LORD TRANSFORM, marriages, families, young people, and drug addicts, as well as dealing with many abused believers who had come out of almost cult-like, churches, or who were involved in environments and churches where they could not talk about abuse going on with the staff. Many in ministry callings came to us to share their hearts and gained helpful counsel as well. LITERALLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE COVID LOCKDOWNS BEGAN, our landlord who was also a believer let us know that he was going to sell his portion of the medical unit building that we were renting from him, and the Lord had begun to speak to Steve and I about the timing of where we were supposed to head into more private work as pastoral counselors and as mentors within that same timeframe. The state of Colorado had begun to dictate what licensed counselors were permitted to address, absolutely mandating that they were not permitted to talk about any kind of therapy, that assisted those with “different sexual lifestyles” if they wanted to be transformed or helped. Steve and I strictly operate as Ordained ministers so we do not have to bow our knee to the dictates of a corrupt government licensure program. We still have to follow confidentiality laws as well as report any kind of devastating child abuse that we may hear in our counseling sessions, but it is all done ethically and legally, and with grace. When the lockdowns began the majority of our work took place over the phone or occasional zoom sessions. With great sadness our dear sister and friend and Counseling Center Supervisor Dr. Muskie, passed into heaven, due to complications with WuhanCovid19. When You Counsel People, The Number One Thing That Needs To Be Absolutely Evident Is That You Are Willing To NOT Look At Everyone From A Lens Of What YOU Know, But Rather From The Lens Of God’s Compassion, As Well As Leaning In To The Discernment Of The Holy Spirit. The majority of the people I work with are women who have been in abusive environments with either husbands, abusive parents or/siblings and with people in ministry environments ( and I’m telling you there are many sexual predators who prey upon women right in church buildings!) as well as working with professional women who are pressured by men and women in their work environments. There are also a lot of women who are very sensual, who get attention by teasing men hoping to cause them to fall. It’s a real deal! And they don’t just go after pastors. They will go after any man in a local body or church or work environment to get the attention that they hunger for when they missed out on being parented properly, or if they feel that something sensual makes them get the attention they need to feel loved. This often happens when there has been sexual abuse in their lives. Pastoral counseling is based on getting to the root of the problem according to what the word of God says, and for a believer the importance of it is that we are willing to face the root cause of what causes us to be traumatized, bitter, secretive, or lie. ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO COUNSEL IS A PERSON WITH AN EXTREMELY HARD, WOUNDED HEART, OR WHO IS EMBITTERED. No matter how much you try to show them the way and soften the pathway for them with the grace of God, there is often a back lash that always has a reason to explain why they are hurt, why they are hard, and why they choose to stay stuck in a hard place. In Matthew 13:15 Jesus says: “For the heart of this people has become hard, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.” It is a humbling thing to admit that you are stuck or that you are in a hard place, or that you are dominant and mean and cruel to people because you are bitter over tough life circumstances that have happened to you, and so you put up a wall to protect yourself. I have met Christians who justify the fact that they can bully and name call and yes, often swear at other people when they think they are trying to help them or advise them. They often get angry when they are confronted about their bad bullying behavior towards their children. If you ever hear a believer say something like “my child is a jerk”, or “you’re a little brat”, or “stop whining and get up or I’m going to give you something to cry about”, you can tell that there’s verbal abuse going on in their home. Verbal abuse isn’t just cussing at someone although it is verbal abuse for sure! Verbal abuse is considered shaming, humiliating, paralyzing, and dominating over someone else verbally to the point that they are caused to emotionally shut down in fear. Unfortunately, I hear in the confines and confidential pouring out of hearts in my counseling sessions many who have been yelled at with scripture verses and shamed over not being perfect and obedient to God. This is called spiritual abuse. Picking out specific Bible verses, and using them as a battering ram, or a knife that stabs into the heart of someone to get them to “obey" or to get them to “submit”, is absolutely vicious behavior and it is abusive. There’s no godly virtue in posturing to be a big shot, or to appear to be the person who can control a room with snarky snide remarks or a bunch of advice that everyone is forced to listen to. This is called "insolent pride" in the Bible, and we always take that biblical view, but in the natural if you were studying a psychological viewpoint, this is called narcissism. Proverbs 21:24 states “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, He who acts with insolent pride INSOLENT PRIDE CREATES A SCOFFING, ARROGANT “KNOW IT ALL” ENVIRONMENT, where there is no ability to ever address the deep-rooted issue of control and abuse in a human being and how they use it towards others to posture. The need for power and control becomes “out of control”! But underneath that simmering rage there is someone who needs to keep everything tightly organized and under their thumb in order that no one finds about out the secret part of them that is either weak, wounded, or has done something they should not do to harm others. WHY AM I SHARING THIS? Well, we are living in a time where narcissism is actually applauded and stroked as a point of near genius! Insolent pride and verbal domination have become the way of communication in most social media groups. And, unfortunately it takes place in a lot of texting where people can say cruel or snarky things behind the protection of a telephone screen and slander others in one mass social media post or text! But to say it face-to-face and see the pain in someone’s face by the words they’ve spoken is a different thing isn’t it? And the other party suddenly being painted as a “rotten person” never gets a chance to tell the side of their story that may actually be the truth. Every day we come across people who need to hear a kind word, who need to be lead to a place where they can get help or truth, or just simply be treated with a level of empathy. And, every day we come across people who may be predators, verbal abusers, spiritual abusers, and have no conscience about how they treat people. IT IS ABSOLUTELY TIME FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST AGAIN TO READDRESS THE ISSUE, FOR THE NEED FOR EXTREME DISCERNMENT. Everything that the enemy could throw at us and our children is on full display right now, and if we dumb down safety and sexuality, safety and what our children watch on television or other tech devices, safety and what WE as adults watch, we simply embrace the narrative of the world, and we move away from scriptural goodness into a place that pollutes the ability to have good discernment. When we don’t allow accountability to come into our lives, whether it be with a good and wise counselor, or with a group of trusted friends who are not going to take your information and spread it far and wide, we leave ourselves open to a secretive fantasy world, or a secret world of torment. What do you do when you’re anxious or sad or depressed or fearful over the way your husband treats you or the way your wife beats you down verbally? What do you do when you are at a stalemate because a spouse refuses to forgive or move forward into hearing the truth about some of the things they have done to get locked into bad behavior and resentment? What do you do when you have a child that suddenly has become addicted to video games and it’s moved up into their adult life and they have no friends because their world is all in front of a screen? What do you do when you know that a minister or a member of a staff in a church or a CEO of your corporation is secretly sexually preying upon individuals in their offices, and you could lose your job, because you know? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE HARD TO ADDRESS, BUT MUST BE ADDRESSED! The world is feeling a tremendous amount of being unsettled right now by the great upset of realizing how easy it is to be controlled by a few tyrants, and yet people will cower and go about in denial, instead of learning how to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. I have worked with many brave women, who have prayed and fasted and done everything they possibly can to help work on their marriages, but their spouses have chosen to hunker down and gaslight and punish. No matter what approach is taken they become more verbally violent and are determined to blame everyone else. Is this easy to talk about? Absolutely not! But when you are scripturally based not only as a minister, but also as a pastoral counselor, you must bring truth into the light and help people become free from abusive environments and often “self abusive” environments. You must above all have confidentiality and trust level that they know will not be breached. Most pastoral counselors work on a sliding scale fee in order to keep their rates low for those who are working hard, sometimes two and three jobs, or a wife who has limited income because her husband tightly holds the reins of the finances. WHEN YOU’RE A PASTORAL COUNSELOR, IT IS DONE OUT OF THE PASSION FOR CHRIST and therefore money and income are not the foremost driving purpose for your work. But, there must be an investment and a fee from those who are in counseling, or people tend to not take it seriously. It needs to be considered per individual and what they are capable of handling. I often tell people their counseling is much more important than the two or three times weekly custom cup of coffee at their local coffee shop, or perhaps snacks in their afternoon candy bar routine. It really isn’t a sacrifice when you start doing the work to get yourself whole and healthy. It becomes a lifetime investment. Pastoral counseling is definitely a calling and not to be simply a moneymaker. However, many individuals still expect hours and hours of free counseling time, and rarely invest much into changing their lives if there isn’t some kind of financial accountability for them. Of course if you attend a local church and there is a counseling pastor on staff, that’s what they are there for! If you regularly go to that fellowship and support them, usually there is an option or opportunity for you to see a counselor on staff for no fee. But having experienced some of this in the past, I also know that people tend to jump from counselor to counselor or, Pastor to Pastor if they don’t want to deal with the root cause of their problems, and it can cause friction in a local body if there’s not respect for the position and the role the pastoral counselor is assigned to, by the Lord. Basically they want someone to justify what they are doing, and their bad behaviors. I URGE YOU TO ASK THE LORD TO WALK THE CORRIDORS OF YOUR HEART. Are there things in your life that you dominate and hold over others as scriptural and “legalistic absolutes” and they have become nearly abusive because you refuse to listen to someone else’s heart on the matter? One thing that I have often observed is that people become very hard and hardened because they want to win an argument, or something that has helped and changed them, becomes a law for them to use against others. Now, before others think I’m going to lighten my approach to the Bible, understand this. The word of God is perfect and enlightens the soul. It brings truth to a matter and it does not waver. Of course, there are absolutes in the Scriptures that God will not deviate from no matter how many people try to dilute or maneuver around them. But if we use a hammer and verbal abuse and shame and scripture to “scorch people” in order to prove a point, or to advise them then we are also biblically unsound and abusive. FIRST CORINTHIANS INSTRUCTS US SO CLEARLY THAT LOVE IS WHAT? It is patient. It is kind. It is not boastful, it is not arrogant, and it is not self-serving. When the Lord said, come to me, all of you who are heavy, laden, weighed down and burdened, and I will give you rest, he meant that, because he knows we get heavy laden and burdened and weighed down, either by our own destructive behaviors and sins, or by the destructive behaviors and actions and sins of others. There is also nothing more painful than when someone is in pain or sorrowful or going through a great loss or trauma, and another individual shouts, “get over it, move on”, or cracks jokes about the person in pain. Yes, you will be around people who are chronically in pain or depressed, and it takes patience. It takes guidance, and it takes kindness to either help direct them to help, or gently tell them that you are not the person that is able to help them at this time, but that you will stop and pray for them right now. You see, it takes humility. Although there is a lot of reading material produced that uses the term “tough love” and a lot of books about boundaries that we can study, remember, if you’re coming from a scriptural perspective the ultimate goal of God is a Redemptive moment or a restoration if possible. BOUNDARIES ARE NOT TO BE HUGE CEMENT WALLS WITH BARBED WIRE AT THE TOP BLOCKING OUT EVEN THE SUN. Boundaries as a believer are there for when there is a conflict or a disagreement or a different viewpoint with another person. It’s a "time out" to go and think about it, to pray about it, check your own heart and see if there’s something that would bring about a form of reconciliation. And then, you try to come together and discuss the issue. You can agree to disagree and not banish people! Imagine how much Jesus disagrees with a lot of how we behave and yet he doesn’t banish us! He continues to wait for us to come out of our corners of hiding or corners of denial, and meet him again in dialogue until light comes and hope and help, bring a different perspective on our pathway of life. I have worked with people through phone counseling sessions from many different places in the United States, and I have seen them grieve and open up and trust me with the deepest of their painful sorrows and things that are unbelievably sometimes even unbearable to mention. Slowly, but surely, a foundation of nurture and truth combined begins to chip away at the lie that they have believed and feel viewed as something no longer valuable or useful, or that they are worthy of value and are not to be abused! For instance, if a young girl has been used and trafficked by a parent for most of their childhood and up into their high school years, once they awaken to this later in life, there is no way that anyone can accuse them of “choosing” to not face it! There comes a time where the light of God shines brightly on the pain and the sorrow, and they need to be led out into a place where they can express the grief, the anguish and the huge loss of childhood innocence, and yet be brought to a safe place before the face of God, through strategic dialog, planning, or behavioral changes. Gently addressing the people that they affiliate, with until they see the light and the kindness of God. Until they can see themselves as the original creation God had planned them to be. NOW, DON’T GET ME WRONG. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHEN THE LORD OPENS DOORS FOR ME TO SPEAK AND MINISTER, and if so called to, I to do operate in the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom when I am involved in these environments. It is hard work to study and prepare in prayer for when you are assigned these opportunities to speak and minister publicly. But, this behind-the-scenes work of mentoring and pastorally, biblically guide people with counsel, is one of the hardest things that I think I’ve ever done, and yet the most joyful and rewarding when you see the lights come on and the light enter and the chains of the enemy become literal paper and fall away. The person finds the joy and laughter and finds that God has a glorious plan for them. Sometimes it can be a rather rapid process, but the majority of times it is a steady, consistent work, until they find their wings and fly. Every time I work with someone I think about how long it takes for Jesus to help us to find our way, and he often narrows the path of our relationships and friendships in order for us to not only be safe, but to also be on a pathway that is not crowded by those who choose to not do the work that God is asking them to do, in order to be transformed. If we look at the parable where the seed falls on the ground, there are those who will stay stony hearted and will not take in water. They will not receive nourishment. They choose not to grow, and the sad thing is that their seed is pecked up on my other predators. I CAN TELL YOU HONESTLY THAT ALL OF THE PROPHETIC WORDS SPOKEN OVER YOUR LIFE DO NOT CHANGE THE HARD WORK IT TAKES TO GET YOUR LIFE ON A PATH WHERE THEY CAN COME TO PASS. The Lord is so good to give us future promises, but with those there’s a requirement for action. Don’t wait until things are so bad and you have a minefield of heartache and debris left in your wake that you have to now clean up. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help that you need, and find someone whom you can work with and feel safe with, and get on with allowing God to create a new clean heart and renew a right spirit within you. If you have addictions to pornography or addictions to drugs or any other thing that causes you to feel driven towards it, the Lord wants to offer you freedom and restore you to a place of peace and no longer walking in fear. The greatest counselor that we can have is the Holy Spirit; the scripture says the Holy Spirit is a counselor. Now, many people say, “Well! I can hear from the Lord for myself, and I will let the Holy Spirit counsel me!” The problem with that statement is that if we are already in trouble, or we are hiding something, or we have been abused and beat down, we can often dismiss the deep inner voice of the Lord telling us that we need to talk to others and be accountable and get help. Often the Holy Spirit will gently say to someone, “Go talk to so-and-so or go talk to your pastor or go talk to a counselor or a close friend, who is wise”. Yet pride or fear keeps us paralyzed and afraid to move forward. EVERYONE SOMEWHERE IN THEIR FAMILY OR IN THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCES HURT, AND PAIN AND TRAUMA. Unfortunately, this is the nature of fallen man and the Earth is riddled with devastation because of it. But in John 10:10, Jesus himself said, “I have come that you might have life to the fullest!” He said that you MIGHT have life to the fullest! And the first part of that verse is, “but Satan comes to rob to steal to kill and destroy”. This is what happens to people in life when they are abused and traumatized! Jesus offers a hand to us saying come to me all of you, who are very weary and heavy laden, heavy burdened, and I will give you rest so that you might have life to the fullest. One of the simplest ways you can find help is to simply look in your area for a Christian counselor, and you can even ask for specifics and details. Those who are really dedicated to the call of God as pastoral counselors spend as much time in prayer and preparation before there counseling session, as they do IN the counseling session. The word of God ultimately has the answers that we need, and the pathway that will guide us out of darkness into the light. I AM IMPRESSED TO SHARE THIS PODCAST SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE LISTENING WHO ARE CRYING OUT FOR GOD TO SHOW YOU WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO ABOUT SOME OF THE SITUATIONS YOU FIND YOURSELF IN. He wants you to know it is not wrong to seek help and that counseling is not of the devil! After all the scripture in Isaiah calls, Jesus, The Mighty Counselor! And again he speaks of the Holy Spirit as being our advocate, or one of our counselors, because they are in themselves three in one with the Father. But, the Lord gives the spirit of counsel and wisdom, and insight to those who are called to help others out of dark places. Don’t hesitate! Call someone, research someone in your area, or if you have a pastor or individual who is skilled in your church to help you deal with the specific kind of trauma upset you are dealing with, make an appointment and step forward. Not all pastors are skilled or qualified to help people who have been through traumatic sexual abuse issues, or who are dealing with parents who have dementia and Alzheimer’s. But, they can certainly pray with you and help also to direct you to the proper resource. JESUS WANTS US TO FIND A PLACE OF PEACE AND REST IN HIM. His ultimate is to bring us peace and to draw us close to him. If there’s anyone who has ever shamed you by telling you that, seeing a counselor is weak or shows that you don’t trust the Lord, just understand that that individual is also hiding something, or is extremely bound up in the fear of being led astray. Some counselors are not a good fit and so you go to a different one! There have been times when I have worked with individuals and I have to lovingly let them know that I am not a good fit for their situation, or it becomes overlapped into situations where there needs to be another specialist who can better help them walk out an area where they’re stuck, and they need a Focused, Skilled individual to help them unpack, and unburden the deep pain that they are in. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HE WHOM THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED. My prayer for those that are listening today is that you will open your heart to the Lord in prayer and ask him to help you to take the steps forward that you might need to deal with whatever it is that you are suffering over. If you have been verbally abused by bullies in the church or those that may even say that they have some form of counseling skill, but they verbally abuse or shame or use harsh language in order to shock you, this was not the way God planned it. Try again! Step forward one more time and ask the Lord to open the door for you to the right counselor. He will do it, and he will help you be free from pain, the hiding of abuse as a child, the difficulty of dealing with addicted or angry adult children, and those that are prodigal parents, or prodigal children. Jesus has a plan and helping us to hand things over to him in his care when we’ve done all that we know we can possibly do, and we have apologized or repented for actions on our part. Remember, nothing is impossible with God. I have seen him turn situations around that seemed absolutely impossible! He can help us to stand firm in our faith and not hide in order to be people pleasers, or to cower under the pressure of abusive treatment. OUR NATURAL HUMAN RESPONSE TO SHAME IS TO HIDE. We hide from each other and hide from God. This has been the case since Creation. The Bible describes how the first human beings responded to God when they had sinned and were ashamed: “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). FRIENDS, HIDING KEEPS US FROM HEALING. Let’s all aim to be a compassionate, courageous community of believers. A community in which we support each other as we choose healing over hiding. Let’s support each other as we ask God to grow, to change and heal us. Let Me Lift You Up To The Father In Prayer Right Now: Father, I thank you for those that are listening to this podcast today. I know it’s not an easy one and certainly not as stimulating and supernatural or as exciting as some, but it IS a supernatural work that you do when you bring us to a place of releasing pain and telling the truth about what has happened to us, or where we have done something to harm someone else. Lord, I know you’re doing a great cleansing work and that you are starting with the body of Christ, bringing your judgment and your truth, and your light. Lord, you said the days are coming when we will worship you in spirit and in truth. Lord, we can’t fully worship you when we’re not truthful with you, if we’re hiding and if we’re cloaking, so I pray that anyone listening today. Father anyone who is afraid. I pray that you tell them that fear is holding them back and that you would guide them literally by the hand and direct them to the proper counselor, to someone who has the wisdom to help unlock the pain, the history, the stories and the trauma that has happened to them, in war, in family, in abuse in school or a job. With an abusive Pastor, with an abusive Sunday school teacher. The list goes on and on and you know every one of these events. So Father I ask that those that are hearing this message will take courage. You will GIVE them the courage to step out and ask for help and I know you will do it. You will help them if they will simply step out, and I thank you for hearing this prayer from my heart for them, in Jesus name. Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2024 "THE MESSENGER" - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - 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! X0b4EOoOzHFtDNYJun0d…
By Mary Lindow Hello Brothers and Sisters! Today’s podcast is specifically focused on a word from the Lord that I have had stirring in my spirit and with current events and all of the tragedies taking place around us, many people are either paralyzed, angry, or are extremely, extremely in despair. Many are being driven into a deeper place of prayer and it is also bringing to light, the weaknesses that many of us as believers have! So, this word is a word of encouragement and also a directive from the Holy Spirit and I believe that it is a strong word and has such powerful encouragement in it so I’m going to deliver it to you just as I have received it from the Lord. So let’s go! THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS SAYING... "Be very careful whom you share your treasures with. How many pearls have you cast before piggish users in the past, only to have them ground to powder? The servant Paul the apostle was more than a new herald in the order of the day. He stirred up old systems and disturbed demonic religious strongholds. You must be ready to "power up" for years of opposition and hoards of religious factions and fractures of truth! The past years of agony have been hard soldierly-like boot camp. Elite forces training. It will not go away. You must simply learn that it is My duty to do the fighting for you. Just be certain that you are only speaking, ONLY SPEAKING, what I have told you to. Speak Nothing more and Speak Nothing less." THIS IS A TIME IN THE KINGDOM WHERE WE ALL MUST SOBERLY COUNT THE COST OF WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO STEP INTO ON EVERY LEVEL. If there is not the peace of the Holy Spirit resting on those whom you are involved with, don't move into anything until the peace comes. Gatherings and movements can feel real exciting and purposeful, until conflict, control, and competition show up. The apostolic and prophetic saints in Acts, fasted, ministered to the Lord, and then the Holy Spirit spoke. We have all learned many a painful lesson in the past from experiences of over planning, programming, and hurrying to help God out! To everything there is a season, a time. Until you have a full green light, don't move. It will keep you from having to backtrack and... …It trains you in humility. Familiar Friends OR RELATIONSHIPS? Ask yourself the following question. "Are you simply familiar with people or are you working in relationship with others and those whom you feel are to move into a more Kingdom minded level of Spiritual intimacy with?" IF YOU SHARE WHAT IS PASSIONATELY BURNING IN YOUR SPIRIT WITH THOSE WHO ONLY "RELATE" ON A CASUAL SPIRITUAL LEVEL THEMSELVES… …YOU WILL BE CONTINUALLY DEVASTATED. Spiritual intimacy can only be as deep as those who spend the time in spiritually intimate worship, waiting, and self-examining dialog with the Father, and in relating to others of a likeminded heart. This is not easy for busy, human life! "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2: 1-3 A PROPHETIC WORD CONCLUSION: "Hear Me”, Cries the Spirit of Holy Grace and Mercy! I desire to move upon, in, and through each of you. Not one of you alone can endure the onslaughts of evil by standing aloof and silent. Nor can the most vocal of gifts among you clearly communicate all that I long to express. Until each one is willing to step into the Holy place of pure relationship with Me and with one another, waiting, crying out, Yes - even waiting until I come and refresh, then the generation waiting in the wings will not fully come forward. Until it is branded into your spirits that this era in time is for the saving of the lost, the redeeming of the wasted, and the release of My power, of My glory, you will be so very, very frustrated by the heaviness that doggedly harasses your soul. What I ordain, I cover. What I command, I give direction to. Be certain that you have heard what I am saying. I am fully aware of the weariness and fatigue you have been experiencing. Heavier than anything you can recall from the past. "Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you!" - 1 Peter 4:12 There are many, many others globally who are also still wrestling out of the cocoon in new birth and are suffering also. PRAY FOR THEM! Hellish warfare will be a normal activity in the days ahead. Unless you harness the power of consistent prayer and train yourselves in regular gatherings of passion in prayer and worship together, you will shrink back into serious doubt, anxiety, bitterness and dread, when the trauma of warfare attacks!! GIVE VOICE TO MY SPIRIT! Awaken your mute tongue and give voice to My name, My power and My Kingdom Solutions! No weapon formed against you will ultimately prosper! My Spirit longs to declare wonders, to decree Justice, and to destroy darkness with your lips proclaiming from the spirit. "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11 Speak out in truth and in praise and I will step into your midst with the peace you have been craving, and groping for. Quickly! Enter in before you reflect and exchange ideas. After I am given My rightful place of honor and adoration, then I will speak and give you clear vision and direction.” "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I will lay my requests before you, And wait in expectation." -Psalm 5:3 My friends, this is a word from the Lord and I encourage you to heed the word of the lord and not immediately go to the assessing and the sanitization of what some would do with a prophetic word from the Lord. He’ll show you what parts aren’t accurate or what parts aren’t fitting for you right now. THE GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THIS WORD IS THAT THE LORD IS CALLING US TO A PLACE OF BATTLE, A PLACE OF PRAYER, A PLACE OF GROWTH. A place of tenacity and letting go of bitterness where we feel unfairly treated, where we feel like life will never get better. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT GOD IS SAYING! If you want to continue to say these things, then you stand in the way of him being the ONE who is the Redeemer of time. We need to have a challenge to each believer in the Body of Christ, each of you who are servants of the Lord. Every one of you! Every person listening has an assignment from the Father at this time to tell someone else about the Lord, to tell others who are feeling weak and discouraged, angry or bitter, that the need to be understanding that they are called to now grow up into the faith and to not just listen to what other people say, not be inundated with media and false narratives and lies about what Jesus says in His Word. It is time to stand in the place of trust and ask God to strengthen us in every way, yielding every ounce of our being into His care. I bless you today in the mightiest and most powerful and Supreme, dynamic name there is ever to be, and that is the name of Jesus Christ the Messiah. We know that God is Sovereign! 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 and podcast costs, or desire to bless her ministry service with Spirit-led love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use or send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of – Mary Lindow ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 501(3)c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985. THANK YOU!…
By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit JEREMIAH WAS KNOWN AS THE 'WEEPING PROPHET’. Some say he was called at the age of 17. He was called to reprove a crumbling nation. The Israelite nation. Unfortunately for them they didn’t listen to him. But during his day, people were so hardened by sin that they neither believed God nor feared him. They seem to find Jeremiah's constant warning of judgment overbearing and frankly, annoying. IT'S THE SAME WITH US NOW. Those that hear our warning find us obnoxious! But as believers we are supposed to follow God's instructions to warn a lost and dying world of upcoming judgment. Even though most are not listening, we still have to persevere in courageously speaking truth in order to rescue some from the terrible judgment that will inevitably come. If we are so easily discouraged at fighting the rude behavior of our peers what are we going to do, when we are confronted by demons? The LORD rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience in Jeremiah 12:5 saying, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure], Then how will you do among the lions in the flooded jungle thicket beside the Jordan?” If we are distraught when we can't make a car payment, what will we do when we lose our job? If the footmen weary you what will the horses do? If we are distressed at the terrorism going on overseas, what will we do when it’s in our own neighborhoods? Because it already is! If the footmen weary you what will the horses do? If we are overwhelmed with the work we have now, what will we do when a double or triple portion is required of us? If the footmen weary you what will the horses do? GOD IS REMINDING JEREMIAH (AND US) THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAN WHAT WE’RE COMPLAINING ABOUT. THERE IS SOMETHING AHEAD OF US IN THIS SEASON MY FRIENDS THAT ARE OF MORE CONCERN THAN PETTY GRIEVANCES AGAINST THOSE WHO SEEM TO BE BETTER OFF OR LIVE EASIER THAN WE DO. God is telling Jeremiah “ If you are not able to encounter lesser dangers, how will you be able to overcome greater ones?” Jesus said to us in John 16: 33, “ I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! Take Courage! I have overcome the world.” IT’S NATURAL THAT OUR HARDEST DAYS AND MOST DIFFICULT TRIALS ARE AHEAD OF US, NOT BEHIND US. If you are worried and in great upset about these things, what are you going to do when you are forced to face extremely difficult trials and troubles that are most certainly just around the bend? Matthew Henry said, “The faith even of strong believers may sometimes be sorely shaken and ready to fail them. There will be storms that will try the firmest anchors.” Now, Isn’t that the truth? JEREMIAH WAS CONSUMED WITH GRIEF ABOUT THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED in Anathoth when just in a short time He would be beaten in Jerusalem by order of the priest Pashhur (instead of worrying about the prosperity of heathens in Anathoth, he was about to be severely punished by a priest in Jerusalem). Let's take a sneak peek of what is in store for Jeremiah: “He had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper gate of Benjamin at the Lord’s temple.” Jer. 20:2 GOD SAW THIS COMING WHEN JEREMIAH WAS CRYING ABOUT THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED! If Jeremiah had known what was going to happen ahead of him, He wouldn't have wasted time complaining about the men of Ana Thoth. Jeremiah was concerned about something insignificant when something greater needed his attention. And, His own family was secretly conspiring against him — they spoke well of him to his face but were trying to incite a mob against him behind his back. They seemed to be friendly but they were really his enemies. God's Faithful Servants Shouldn't Think It Strange That Their Enemies Are In Their Own Family, Some Living Under Their Own Roof. Jesus told us in Matthew 10:34-35 “For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.” SO FRIENDS, IF THE FOOTMEN WEARY YOU WHAT WILL THE HORSES DO? I know I keep repeating the statement because it’s what the Holy Spirit would have me consistently say so that you hear the challenge and that you are strengthened to stand up and be courageous, now! GOD'S ANSWER TO JEREMIAH WAS TO BE ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED TO STAY SOLID AND IMMOVABLE IN HIS WALK WITH GOD, because there were bigger trials ahead of him that needed his attention. But God does let him know what will happen to Israel and her enemies. Although God punishes Israel by allowing her enemies to overtake the land, God would not let her enemies sacrilegiously use that land which belongs to Israel. Even their land is blessed! “But after I uproot them, I WILL AGAIN HAVE COMPASSION and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country.” (Jeremiah 12:15) God will again deliver his people from their enemies by uprooting them just as he did when they were suffering in Egypt. GOD SHOWS THAT EVEN HIS ENEMIES MAY RECEIVE COMPASSION AND GRACE. “And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives' even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal – then they will be established among my people.” (V.16) GOD'S EXPECTATION IS PLAIN. If Israel's enemies would pay homage to God the way they did for Baal, (a dead and dumb idol) if they could humble themselves to follow the God of Israel instead of teaching Israel to follow idols they would be rewarded, but if not... “'But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,' declares the LORD” (v. 17) GOD'S CALL AND PLAN AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR US CAN BE SUMMED UP IN I CORINTHIANS 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” OUR GREATEST DIFFICULTIES ARE AHEAD OF US, NOT BEHIND US. (If our troubles were always behind us, we would never grow as a Christian.) We mustn’t waste time complaining about petty things. Quickly put on your helmet, take up your sword and shield, tighten your armor and get ready! Get ready to run with the horses! God offers Jeremiah a beautifully wise word picture for him to consider. He essentially asks Jeremiah, “If footmen weary you, what will the horses do?” PAUL REFERRED TO LIFE AS A RACE. Makes sense, after all, it has a beginning, middle, and a strong determination to finish strong. It requires endurance, patience, devotion and a resolution to finish strong. At the end of his life Paul said, “I have finished the race.” And referring to Jeremiah's race God is saying: If running with others on foot, when everything is equal, what are you going to do when they are given horses? In this verse the prophet Jeremiah has been complaining about his persecutors. God Divinely answers, and warns Jeremiah about his impatience, and then tells him that harder trials are in store for him. What? More distressing times? We all have had the experience of how in our lives, there are long stretches of uneventful days, and then, generally without warning, some crisis is sprung on us, which demands quite a different set of gifts to cope with it. Our monsoons in Colorado generally come without any warning from a falling barometer. WE CAN AT ANY MOMENT BE CONFRONTED WITH SOME HARD DUTY, WHICH WILL EXHAUST OUR ENERGY. We may at any moment be plunged in some huge calamity and the quiet course of our lives for years suddenly is interrupted with fierce storms and devastating fallout. WE WON’T ALWAYS HAVE THE EASY FOOT RACE WITH FOOTMEN. There will some times come a call to strain our muscles to keep up with the gallop of the cavalry. We will have to struggle to keep our feet in the rising waters of difficultly, and must not expect to have a continual leisurely life in ‘a land of peace.’ With the power of Jesus in our spirits we shall never have to attempt a duty that we are not first strengthened by Him to take on. And we never have to face a danger in which He won’t defend us. With His life in us we will be ready for the long hours of uneventful, unexciting duties, and for the short spurts that make precise calls on each of us to respond to. We ‘WILL run and not be weary; we will walk and not faint.’ As I finish this podcast I’d like to share what Oswald Chambers said about patience during the time of great difficulty and when the world is filled with uprising. It is so powerful and quite comforting. THE DUTY OF PATIENCE – by Oswald Chambers "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (Rev. 3:10). Jesus says we are to keep the word of His patience. There are so many things in this life that it seems much better to be impatient about. The best picture to explain this is that of an archer: He pulls the bowstring further and further away from his bow with the arrow solidly fixed in its slot, then, when it is adjusted, with his eye on the target he lets it fly. The Christian's life is like that. God is the archer. He takes the saint like a bow which He stretches, and we get to a certain point and say, ” I can't stand any more, I can't stand this test of patience any longer," but God goes on stretching. He is not aiming at OUR TARGET mark, but at His own, and the patience of the saints is that we hold on until He lets the arrow fly straight to His goal." Are you ready for a time of strengthening to come into your life? The Lord promises that a dramatic transformation will take place in us when we abandon our agenda and open ourselves to His plan for us. We can see this so clearly in the life of Saul before he had become the Apostle Paul. Saul had been intent upon his own evil strategy to persecute Christians. Then came his life-changing encounter with Jesus, when he asked the most important question of all in Acts 9:6: “Lord, what do YOU want me to do?” FRIEND! ARE YOU READY TO ASK THE LORD THAT SAME QUESTION? Are you ready to give up your own fruitless designs in return for God’s better plan? LET’S PRAY THAT TOGETHER NOW. Lord Jesus, I have been moving forward persistently with my own thoughts and plans. I have been intent upon seeing those accomplished. Now I see that despite my good intentions, my plans may not be in line with Yours. Right now, I humble myself before You. I take this moment to ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” In Your presence, I place my agenda on the shelf, and I open my heart and my hands to Your plans and purposes. I belong to You, Lord. Please forgive me for any stubbornness that may have captivated me. I pull down that stronghold right now—any thought that needs to be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. I place my future in Your hands, Lord Jesus. Have Your way—and only Your way—in my life. 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" - "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE" - 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 web site and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To: His Beloved Ministries Inc. PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - Mary Lindow 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! NEED PRAYER? Send your Prayer Request To Us At: "Faith Konnect Kingdom Prayer Rooms"…
Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of The Reason for our Hope Foundation, a non- profit organization dedicated to ”spreading the Good News” by educating others about Jesus Christ. His new homilies are posted each week.
The Village Church exists to bring glory to God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service and gospel-centered multiplication.
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