A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE - "What Chains And Fetters You?"

By Mary Lindow

Greetings Brothers and Sisters!

 I’m sure that you’ll remember the story that on Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge is locked up in the darkness of his dim house. Dickens tells us, “Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”

Today, we still know that darkness is cheap, easy to find, and its raw materials of despair and denial are in abundant supply.

Scrooge liked darkness, as we often do, because it hides what we fear, keeps us from facing what is true, and allows us to be blind to truth. But like so many things that come cheaply, our overindulgence in them comes at great cost.

Out of Scrooge’s darkness appears the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner. Marley comes not to haunt Scrooge, but to free him. Scrooge sees that Marley is bound in chains. “Why are you fettered?” Scrooge asks.

“I wear the chain I forged in life,” Marley says. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard,” and he tells Scrooge that the chain that will fetter him in the darkness is even longer, heavier and harder still, if he does not leave the darkness.

WOW! There is a lot of wisdom here!

Though chains placed by others might fetter us, most of our chains are forged by the part of our spiritual self that likes the darkness and shuns the light. Marley was fettered to cashboxes, deeds and ledgers, as was Scrooge. 

What would fetter or chain you?

Brothers and Sisters, the life of any leader or person in some form of care, supervision or one with employees or volunteer workers, a person with a bit of over-site over others, needs to be bravely examined, fully exposed to the pure and strong light of God’s eyes and checked often for hardness of heart, the love of acumen, pride in achievements and the over lording of others.

Jesus coming into the world—God in human skin—announced what had been hoped forever, that the captive person would be released from the darkest prisons—physical and spiritual. To our inner spiritual soul, our chains and fetters will be crushed, if we are willing to leave the darkness. Like Scrooge, do we need to be “scared out”? Shaken from slumber?

Scrooge could not receive the simple gift of Christmas, so ghosts rather than grace were sent. But, the result is love.

We need the light of God’s love that by its very nature is a love that comes to give us and those we serve, value and worth, not a love that comes because we are already valuable and worthy.

The entire point of "A Christmas Carol" is that Scrooge is entirely unworthy of God’s mercy, because Scrooge has no mercy! But! Mercy and love come to Scrooge through the judgment of the ghosts, and this "transformation" makes the unworthy Scrooge, worthy again.

The light of God that comes as love, forgiveness and hope is a light that brings judgment. I know that most of us get uncomfortable when talking about God’s judgment, because we are so afraid that we are unworthy of God’s love.

But, look at Scrooge! Without God’s light, without the promise of God’s love, Scrooge is doomed!

It is love and judgment bringing him into the light. Can we now see that judgment by God as a form of God’s love? His way of exposing the darkness of our own souls? Romans 2:16 has proof of this probing of our secret lives!!

“And this is the message I proclaim--that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.”

Oh friends! Will we ever fully learn that God does not love us because we have value, but instead, HE loves us to give us worth? Life without the pure love of God coursing through our being is a vapor and miserable! 

Let's say to the Spirit of God with all of our hearts, the words Scrooge humbly uttered after he was confronted and faced his darkened heart.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, 

and try to keep it all the year."

What is Christmas?

When Heaven kissed earth with the greatest act of sacrifice...

... Sending us a Redeemer. 

Who is Christ the Lord?

He IS THE Spirit, of CHRISTmas!

  

Let’s Humbly Pray this prayer together,

Father God, be gracious to me I pray, according to your loving- kindness. Father, my sins are heavy against me and my soul is troubled. For the many wrongs I have done against you and for the many evil thoughts and unholy attitudes I have allowed to influence my heart, and rule my life, for far to long.

I have sought to condone my wrongdoings, and ignore the voice of my conscience within. And I ask your forgiveness for my foolish pride, in ignoring the gentle promptings of Your Holy Spirit.

Forgive me I pray, and restore to me the joy of your salvation. For you have promised that all who truly confess their sins will be forgiven and returned back into a right relationship with you - and cleansed from all unrighteousness.

Lord the sacrifice of my heart is brokenness before You, My soul is truly contrite and my desire is to return into a right relationship with you. I know that the consequences of my wrong choices may remain with me for a long time – but I ask that in Your grace and mercy You would forgive my sins and cleanse my soul and restore me into a right relationship with Yourself – and my heart will rejoice in God my Savior, in Whose name I pray,

Amen.

Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information                for Mary Lindow is included.

Thank You Copyright © 2018

 “THE MESSENGER "~Mary Lindow

www.marylindow.com

www.globalprayerrooms.com

http://www.marylindow.podbean.com

If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist and bless the needs that Mary has when asked to travel and minister or to helping her to meet other administrative needs such as web site and podcast costs, 
or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:  

Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: 

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"SOWING SEEDS AND DEEDS OF GREATNESS" - MERCY

By Mary Lindow

Then he (Jesus) added,

"Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture:

'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'

For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,

But those who know they are sinners."

Matthew 9:13

It has been said that after the French Revolution, a certain convict that was released on parole traveled the countryside in search of a new beginning. Being an ex-con, as you would expect, led to complications in this search, and he wound up at the gates of a clergyman who agreed to host him for the night.

The convict, as is well known, takes advantage of the bishop’s generosity: getting up early before dawn, he takes off with the bishop’s silver; his escape however is hindered by the local Police Inspector, who after seemingly catching him presents the presumed thief to the bishop for identification. The bishop, without missing a beat, covers for his sneaky guest and speaks such words of kindness over the convict’s past present and future, through releasing him even though caught red handed and deserving of further punishment.

His words? They were profound and dripped of Mercy.

"My friend, you forgot to take the candlesticks as well."

For those of you who are perhaps not familiar with the story about the convict/man and the priest I just spoke of, I am referring to Victor Hugo’s book “ Les Miserables.”

I think Victor Hugo shows something of the challenge of today’s Message of the Gospel that Jesus would want us each to hear and to act upon.

"Be merciful, as your Father is merciful." -Luke 6:36

NOBODY LIKES A BULLY OR TO BE TALKED DOWN TO.

Maybe it is easy for us to be merciful when we have the upper hand.  If someone comes begging for forgiveness, it becomes a show–of generosity of spirit, but a show nonetheless–that we are in some way better than that person. Picture elegant royals, who, moments before the execution of a criminal would decree their royal pardon, leaving a lasting impression of compassion upon those pleading for another chance.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY GODLY MERCY WORKS.

Oh how merciful is our Father! It’s not that our faults are not important to an immeasurable God. We have without a doubt deeply wounded the ties that bind us to him.

Yet he still holds out his hand, bloodied and deformed holes in them, created by the nails put in, even to his enemies.

TODAY JESUS INVITES US TO RE-EVALUATE OUR MERCY:

How deeply do I forgive those who offend me?

Do I pray for them, or allow my forgiveness to become a show of winning the upper hand?  (Another way of showing false humility.)

The forgiving priest not only forgave Jean Valjean’s theft, he created an excuse for him, and even gave away the last of his own treasure, in the hopes that Valjean would be able to start a new life, knowing that he was shown the purest of love and authentic mercy.

MERCY MEANS…

Empathy, pity, sympathy, understanding; favor, grace; benevolence, care, compassion, gentleness, goodness, goodwill, humaneness, kindliness, meekness, mildness, niceness, softness, tenderness; generosity, affection, devotion, love, worship

IT ALSO MEANS…

…Letting go of harshness, accusation, presuming you know better what others need in order for them to better serve God. When we act out like this, we become much like Javert the Police Inspector hounding and lording it over Jean Valjean, bent on making sure all deeds that do not measure up to our way of justice are fully dealt with.

He felt sure that God wanted him to be the individual who would measure out justice and harsh terms of punishment in order to break John Valejan, thus having him pay the price of his wickedness and perchance if once finally shattered and broken, he may perhaps have God look his way .

"DON'T GET MAD -- GET EVEN?”

This seems to be the usual way people view the world nowadays. We should be thankful that God takes a different view of things. Although the Bible makes it clear that God is the Great Judge who hates all evil doing, he is also the Merciful One, who forgives and accepts people who turn to him.

Occasionally God chooses not to grant us mercy; for the purpose of judgment, rebuke, discipline, or testing. Fortunately, for most of us, this is the exception, not the rule.  For the time being, God has shown incredible patience and mercy by withholding most of the effects of our sins.

I will have mercy, on whom I will have mercy,

And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Rom 9:15

  

GOD IS NOT ALWAYS SCOLDING US!

"He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever."

Psalm 103:9

Could God find reasons to scold His children all the time? Indeed, He could! None of us are perfect. We could all do better.

However, as justified as scolding us would be, God realizes that we would easily be discouraged if all we ever heard was scolding.

When He scolds us He is correcting us so that we confess our sins and do better.

"The Lord All-Powerful says, “They belong to me; on that day they will be my very own. 

As a parent shows mercy to his child who serves him, I will show mercy to my people."

Malachi 3:17

ASK GOD FOR THE HELP YOU NEED TO OVERCOME SIN.

Face the reality that much of the suffering in our fallen world is caused by human sin.   But count on the fact that God is merciful toward all sinners. Whenever you recognize a situation in which some of your own sin has contributed to your suffering, pray for help, and God will give you the strength you need to overcome sin. Stop holding onto any sinful secrets that have been causing guilt, shame and bitterness in your soul. Confess your sins specifically, repent of them, accept the forgiveness that God offers you, and embrace the power that God gives you to move forward into a better life.

LISTEN FOR GOD SPEAKING IN THE SILENCE.

When your suffering becomes so painful that you can’t make any sense of it or figure out how to endure it, you may feel as if you’re trapped in silence, since nothing that other people say or do to try to help actually breaks through to you. But when you’re at the point where you don’t hear anything else, you can actually hear God best, since you’re less likely to get distracted by the world’s noise around you. In the silence, pour out your thoughts and feelings to God in prayer, and then listen to what He has to say to you. God won’t shout, but He will whisper, to encourage you to keep drawing closer to Him.

SUFFERING IS ALL AROUND YOU IN THIS FALLEN WORLD.

Sometimes it’s so tragic that it’s heartbreaking. Yet, God promises that He is loving and merciful. How can you reconcile these two realities that seem like they compete against each other?

The key is to look for God’s mercy, even when it seems like it can’t exist with the suffering you encounter. God’s mercy is a stronger force than even the worst suffering, and when you look for it, you’ll find it.

The spirit, which he sent to live in us, wants us for him alone.

James 4:5

WE ARE GOD’S OWN.

LET US NOT BE AFRAID TO BE LIKE OUR FATHER.

Let our hearts be conduits of God’s mercy, knowing that we ourselves have been forgiven so very much.

Let us communicate our thanks to Him by being overflowing vessels of kind and tender expression, showing God’s mercy to all.

The Lord is kind and shows mercy.

He does not become angry quickly

But is full of love.

Psalm 145:8

*****************************************

Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed provided

that complete source, and website information for Mary Lindow is included.

Thank You

Copyright © 2017 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow

www.marylindow.com

www.globalprayerrooms.com

If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit 

to assist and bless the needs that Mary has when asked 

to travel and ministerin different nations, cities and to different people groups,

as well as helping her to meet other administrative needs such 

as web site and podcast costs, 

or 

if you have a desire to bless her service 

with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: 



Please 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

If you have no problem using your cards responsibly,

feel free to use our account with 

Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow

Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.

 OR



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.

" Who Really Cares About Friends Who Are Suffering? ”

              

By Mary Lindow

To listen to this message as a free podcast 

please us the player below or to your right in the sidebar column

SUFFERING AND SORROW ARE A PART OF LIFE.

Knowing this, however, doesn't make it any easier to cope when you find yourself in the midst of the deepest, darkest trials of faith, and mentally anguish and strain.

Don't you wish Christianity could make you exempt from suffering? That would be great, but as most of us have learned, following our faith doesn't give us a free ride. We catch as much trouble as unbelievers—often more.

The difference, of course, is that we can turn to Jesus when things gowrong. Unbelievers might argue that we're only turning to our imagination, but we know better.

At some time in your life, however, suffering will hit you so hard that you won’t be able to do any of those things, and that dark time will probably visit you more than once.

“Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”

Psalm 112:4

WE ALL WANT THINGS WE DON'T GET.

Maybe it's a person you're sure would make a perfect spouse, and the relationship crumbles apart. Maybe it's a better job or promotion, and you don't make the cut.

Or it might be a goal you poured your time and energy into, and it doesn't come to pass or others sabotage it all.

All of us have prayed for the recovery of loved ones who were ill, but they died anyway.

It takes real spiritual maturity to stay faithful when things go wrong, but severing our relationship with God punishes us, not him.

It's self-destructive behavior that can put us on the path to a miserablelife. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke15:11-32) teaches us that God always wants us to come back to him.

Whether your problem is discouragement, illness or aging, sometimes allyou have left is Jesus. When you're angry and bitter, you can still cling to Jesus in the midst of your tears.

You can grab onto him and refuse to let go until he brings you through it. You'll find, to your surprise that he holds on to you even tighter than you hold on to him.

JESUS UNDERSTANDS SORROW.

He knows about being hurt. He remembers the terrible moment on the cross when his Father was forced to abandon him, because he was filthyfrom taking on our sins. Jesus won't let you go.’

And as you age and start down the path from this life to the next, Jesus will take your hand to guide you. He appreciates all that you have done for him through the years, but what he has always wanted most is your love.

So there you are in the middle of one of life's train-wrecks-dazed, wounded, wondering what shoe-or bomb-will be dropping next, and up walks Job's comforters.

We all remember Job from the Bible. A rich, powerful man, a great father and good in every way was Job. Then, in a series of overlapping upheavals, he lost everything and everybody except his wife-who turned out to be a whole lot less than sympathetic in her changed status.

Battered Job ends up sitting alone on a pile of dirt, scratching his boil-covered body with some broken pottery.

WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH POOR JOB.

Life drags us through some tough times of loss that make us feel every bit like Job. Caught in a vortex of pain, and wondering if we'll ever make it to safety. And, boy, do we recognize Job's so-called friends who showed up to by all accounts offer support and comfort. As they sat with Job in his misery, they took turns playing a self-centered, self-righteous, can-you-top-this game of knowing for certain that every bit of Job ‘s disaster had to be his own fault or a lack of trust in God.

They weren't sure how or why because Job seemed so decent, but deep down, they insisted, he just couldn't be all he pretended to be.

THIS IS FAMILIAR TERRITORY.

You get fired, and friends smirk knowingly when you try to explain the political nature of the event. Your child gets into difficulty-well; you know the kind of comfort you'll get from friends about that. (It probably started sometime during potty training.)

Yet others try to “help” you with what I call “prayer lecturing.” While praying “for and with you” they let you (and God) know just how lucky you should be to even have running water, had a meal that day and more! Not really comforting in any way, and very very short on compassion.

Yet, from the story, it's clear that Job was completely innocent. Dreadful things do happen to completely innocent people, good people.

Because of their opinion of Job's guilt, history has bestowed his friends-(and their current replicas) - the label, "Job's comforters." So-called friends who add to a suffering person's anguish by piling on false charges of blame and guilt and harsh reprimand for daring to show sadness or agony.

You may never have met anybody like Job, but you've met his comforters on more than one occasion. They seem to be everywhere.

WE CAN CHARGE SOME OF IT OFF TO JEALOUSY.

Job had everything a person could dream of wanting-and then some- so jealousy was never more than a stone's throw away. The green-eyed monster is a little more subtle with people living everyday typical lives, but jealousy doesn't need much ground to take root and grow with vigor.

WE DON’T WANT TO ADMIT BAD THINGS MAY HAPPEN TO US!

If bad things happen to people who don't deserve them, they could happen to anybody, including me. If I don't want bad things to happen to me, (who does?), I have to persuade myself and everybody around me that the victim's actions caused the problem. If blame can be assigned, then I'll be safe as long as I'm good.

In other words, if I can claim that the cause of your problem is something you do that I don't do, then what happened to you can't happen to me. There is, of course, no logic to this, but it brings some shaky comfort to frightened hearts.

We see this thinking at work when people stare numbly at adversity and ask, "What did I do to deserve this?" Sometimes the answer is, "nothing."

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY ME?

And it doesn’t have to be bad; you could be excited from something wonderful.

Most often then not I ask myself this after something I am looking forward to goes wrong.

Even at times when something goes wrong I lay awake at night and my thoughts wonder to what previously occurred. I am sure everyone does it at times, wishing for another try or chance.

You may lay awake thinking about your suffering, part of life’s suffering is misery’s shadow persisting/hanging on; not only do you suffer but you have to think about suffering.

I can’t prove this with statistics or find it any book I know of, yet I would say that more people either come to the faith or fall away because of this reason above all; the disturbance of suffering.

YOU SEE GOD USES TIMES OF SUFFERING…

… TO TEACH AND GROW US.

If you allow yourself to recount your sufferings, did you not learn more about faith while suffering then any other time? It has been said that; “Blessings are God’s whispers, he speaks in our conscience,but shouts to us in our suffering.”

“O my Comforter in sorrow,

My heart is faint within me.”

Jeremiah 8:18

Suffering becomes the only way to realize our hollow spiritual self. Pain is unmasked, and every person knows when something is not right when they are hurting. Pain insists upon being attended to.

So when you travel down this line of thought you come to the idea, why do I or someone else suffer when others don’t?

I KNOW SUFFERING IS EXHAUSTING AND PAIN HURTS.

That is why it is called pain and suffering. If there were an escape a person of great wisdom and insight would have done it already. Yet Discipleship demands such trials to compel us towards renewal.

Read Hebrews 2:10

“God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.”

The real question is what to do when life has just punched us a goodone, and Job's comforters show up at our door. Nobody says we have to let them in.

And certainly nobody says we have to entertain them. And, most positively, nobody says we have to believe them.

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, So also through Christ our comfort overflows.” - 2 Corinthians 1:5

We can sort out the who's-to-blame-for-what after we get some solid ground under our feet and a little energy back into our lives.

But we still won't want Job's comforters anywhere around us…

… We will want people who care.

“Compassion “

To me not to be kind

Is evil of the mind.

No need to pray or preach,

Let us our children teach

With every fond caress

Pity and gentleness:

So in the end may we

God's Kingdom cause to be.

~ 
By R.W. Service

Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed as long as

the complete message and website information for 

Mary Lindow is included.


Thank You
!

Copyright " 2013" THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow


www.marylindow.com

www.globalprayerrooms.com

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