"THE GREATEST ENEMY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH" - DEMEANING ANOTHER GENERATION OF LEADERS

by Mary Lindow 

It is highly recommended that you listen to the audio version/podcast of this message and join in with the prayers lifted up on behalf of the Body of Christ

There is a dangerous trend blooming much like a dandelion in the body of Christ that needs to literally be nipped in the root, and in no way approached with a cowering spirit! Somehow it's now a trending youthful "call from God" to be a cutting edge voice that is sent to “correct” the current Fathers and Mothers in the body of Christ. Hmmmm.....

I DON'T CARE HOW POPULAR OR TRENDY ANY MOVEMENT IS or, any individual who is a gifted speaker is. If they have been given the privilege to address the body of Christ on any stage, in any pulpit, in any gathering, they are to be judged and held accountable by those in leadership for their actions and their choices when they speak to others.

I AM ADDRESSING SPECIFIC SITUATIONS where a young-(ish) man or woman is allowed to speak in a meeting and begins to demand that the crowd responds according to their commands. There should NEVER be even the hint of demeaning another generation of leaders publicly, or a shaming and finger-pointing message aimed at somehow "breaking the people" and getting them to be stirred up to do something. Whatever that "something" might be, if people are shamed into action, then it is truly not God's will or God's plan. 

WHO GET’S TO ADDRESS PEOPLE FROM THE PODIUM?  There's a lot to be said about not quickly allowing a novice or newcomer to your team to have absolute access to speak into the hearts of those who gather to hear of the specific (and most hopefully) -GOD ORDAINED vision that you, as a leader, have been commissioned and assigned to serve and honor! In 1 Kings 12 - Rehoboam rejected the advice of the "older men" who had stood with Solomon, listening instead to the "young men who grew up with him". It divided the Kingdom. HEAR that.

Pride can cause a novice who is actually termed "a new planting" meaning, “still not having put down roots”, to defend themselves and their more "potent" message. Pride can cause them to look down on others. If you allow it, pride will rob them of the most treasured mentoring relationships in their lives. 

WHEN ANOTHER GENERATION MOCKS THE WORDS OF GOD. Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some childish boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here you old bald man!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled the forty-two the boys.-2 Kings 2:23

THE WORD FOR "CHILDREN" IN THIS VERSE IS TRANSLATED AS PERSONS OF THIRTY OR FORTY YEARS OF AGE , and though these are called "little, they were so well grown as to be able to go out of the city by themselves without anyone to guide them, or to take care of them and they were at an age capable not only of taking notice of Elijah's baldness, but knew he was a prophet. They were able to know what good and evil was and, from a malicious spirit inside of them, they mocked at him. Some Jewish writers say they were called "Naarim", which means "children” because they had shaken off the bond that was keeping people close, the commandments, and "little", because they were of little faith:

THEY MOCKED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, “GO UP, YOU BALD HEAD! GO UP, YOU OLD BALDY!”  Meaning, not up the hill to Bethel, where his coming was not really welcomed since most of the people were idol worshippers, and maybe these children were sent out to intimidate him with their jeers to keep him from entering the city! They had heard about Elijah going up to heaven so they jeeringly told him to go up to heaven after him, and then they would have gotten rid of them both! “Who needs that old man telling us what to do?!”  

At the same time that they were mocking him for his baldness, and making a funny story of the wondrous works of God, the taking up into heaven of Elijah, which by behaving so disrespectfully to a “White haired head”, a prophet of the Lord, was terribly wicked, and therefore opened the door to an external attack from a destructive force. Two full-grown she-bears, who consumed them. 

Folks, there are consequences for mockery and deception!

BEFORE A MAN OR WOMAN CAN LOOK DOWN ON ANOTHER, they must first assume he or she is better than the person they are speaking against. A proud man or woman is suspicious of everyone else. A humble man or woman is more suspicious of their own heart than anyone else. The proud heart will detect defects in others before him. But a humble soul sees the evil in his/her own heart before they see evil in others.

CONCEIT AND PRIDE ARE THE GREATEST ENEMIES TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH! Newly acquired knowledge often leads to pride rather than wisdom. This is often true with the novice. There is no surer way to fall into sin than to allow pride to lead us into putting confidence in ourselves rather than God. This type of pride always leads to destruction, because it robs us of God’s power to stand against temptation.

WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH AS MEMBERS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS DONE BY THE POWER OF GOD. The novice begins thinking that what he/she accomplishes is his/her own doing. The people in Corinth had been developed in every way as well, with the knowledge of God, but pride in what they knew was about to lead to their destruction!

KNOWLEDGE CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR MATURITY, but true knowledge is designed to bring us TO maturity. When we parade our freedom before others in an effort to reveal how much we know, we reveal our immaturity and are treading on dangerous ground! Knowledge put on PUBLIC display leads to revelry and scattering. 

TRUE KNOWLEDGE BRINGS THE RESTFUL DISCIPLINE OF SELF-CONTROL. Paul’s knowledge of God led him to lead a disciplined life for the benefit of himself and others. 

HUMBLING OURSELVES IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE ROOF OFF TOWARD GOD,

AND THE WALLS DOWN TOWARD OUR FELLOW MAN. 

Once offences have been committed, whether intentional or unintentional, they must be dealt with! “I was wrong. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?” are healing words that only a humble soul would use. Whenever you find a man or woman willing to humble themselves before God and man, you have found a person who will be exalted, because “humility comes before honor.”

REMEMBER THAT SOME MEN’S SINS ARE OBVIOUS, 

AND ARE EQUALLY OBVIOUSLY BRINGING THEM TO SERIOUS JUDGMENT. 

"The sins of other men might not be apparent, but are dogging them, nevertheless, under the surface. Similarly some virtues are plain to see, while others, though not at all conspicuous, will eventually make themselves felt."

1 Timothy 5:24-25

 "Don’t reprimand or publicly talk down to a senior leader in your church, honoring him as a father by first showing respect and humility. Treat the young men kindly as brothers, and the older women as nurturing mothers. Treat the younger women as sisters, and nothing more."

1 Timothy 5:1-2

  

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Thank You Copyright © 2016 

“THE MESSENGER” ~Mary Lindow

www.marylindow.com

www.globalprayerrooms.com

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"DEALING WITH SLANDER - BETRAYAL AND CHARACTER ASSASSINATION "

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By Mary Lindow

David had his Absalom,
Paul had his Demas, who abandoned him, and Alexander the coppersmith,
who "had done him much harm."
Jesus had Iscariot.


We know all about Judas,
so the story holds no drama for us.
We forget that Jesus chose Judas after praying all night.
They spent every day together for three years, talking, eating together, and laughing. Jesus sent him out in ministry. Judas shared in the miracle of feeding 5,000 people; his hands took the small, round barley loaves from Jesus and tore off hunks of bread for hungry people.

What makes each case of betrayal so painful is that someone who knows your heart—who knows your longings and character—turns from that and chooses to believe you are really dangerous.

The mind freezes as it tries to grasp how a friend, someone who knew you deeply, intimately,
could turn on you and attack you.

The singer songwriter Michael Card vividly captures the agony in one song:


"Only a friend can betray a friend,
A stranger has nothing to gain
And only a friend comes close enough
to ever cause so much pain."


Betrayal, I've noticed, calls good evil.
It twists a person's true spiritual endowments into something negative, a saintly deficiency or psychological problem. Betrayal causes leaders to not want to trust, to not want to be involved in anything called church, to not be vulnerable, to not open their spirits in worship to God.


Don't give up!
You may be tempted to flee, to turn your back on your call. You are walking where great people have walked before. They are remembered as great because they did not allow the betrayal to stop them. Instead they learned how to turn their pain into greater usefulness for the Lord.

What does it mean to slander?
To make a false and malicious statement that damages somebody’s reputation.
To set somebody or something up in opposition to somebody or something else.

But another definition of slander is to take about someone with the intent to hurt them. To whisper and hiss subtle, condescending, suggestive thoughts that someone is ”missing the real deal.”

II Timothy tells us that in the last days there will be slanderers and false accusers spreading innuendoes and criticism and reporting things unjustly about others.


Scorpions carry poison in their tails;
Snakes carry it in their cheeks,
And slanderers carry it in their tongues.

Character assassination is an intentional attempt to influence the portrayal or reputation of a particular person, whether living or a historical personage, in such a way as to cause others to develop an extremely negative, unethical or unappealing perception of him or her. By its nature, it involves deliberate exaggeration or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person. For living individuals, this can cause the target to be rejected by his or her community, family, or members of his or her living or work environment. Such acts are typically very difficult to reverse or rectify, therefore the process is correctly likened to a literal assassination of a human life. The damage sustained can be life-long and more, or for historical personages, last for many centuries after their death.

In practice, character assassination usually consists of the spreading of rumors and deliberate misinformation on topics relating to one's morals, integrity, and reputation.

If the devil has any servants that he values the most, are they slanderers or gossips?
I believe they are!


Charles Spurgeon said,

"A lie will go around the world
while truth is still putting
on its boots."

Think about that!

In Psalm 15 David speaks such a powerful lesson about THE PERSON who can truly ascend to a place of Walking with God in a holy high place.

Psalm 15: 1-5

A psalm of David.

 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong, and casts no slur on his fellowman,

Who despises a vile man, but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.


If you will notice…this type of person cannot be shaken.
That does not mean that he or she will not be sorely tested, or at times falsely accused or slandered. It meant that these things would not shake them from the knowledge that they walk with God in His Holy Presence SAFELY and confidently even though pressures and pain attack them!


The Lord is a protector…
…and a refuge from slander and accusations!

How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.

In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
Psalm 31:19-20


I encourage you to spend much much time in worship
and in hiding the word of God in your heart. These two weapons act like shields to the soul when attacks and false accusations are unleashed towards you. There will always be those who gain power and prestige for a season through the use of slander or subtle suggestions that imply that you have some how “gone off the rails” and have become a lesser saint!


The Lord strongly addressed this in the following verses:

“Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I put to silence;

Whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
him will I not endure.” 
Psalm 101:5


"Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life.
I am the LORD."
Leviticus 19:16


Servant of God! 

DO NOT let fear grip you and paralyze the Lord’s voice calling to you to serve Him freely!

No man or woman has the authority to tell you to not speak in the Name of Jesus if you are moving from a pure heart and a pure motive!

Of Course…you may thoroughly be discussed behind your back and dissected as to why you speak out or flow in the way the Lord might well call you to do!

But remember to be certain it is the Lord that asked you to speak out ...
...And then you are able to simply;

“Keep a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

1 Peter 3:16


Remember this, obedient child of God:

When we are slandered, we answer kindly.

"Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth ,the refuse of the world."
1 Corinthians 4:13

Love lived out and expressed honestly in the hearts that have felt the sting of slander and yet choose to forgive, do a greater work in the name of Jesus and for His Kingdom, than a thousand voices that may shout against injustice or religious forms and practices.

Remember…Jesus Himself endured insults rejection and ridicule.

And yet…
…He finished the course.

So will you!

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

A PROPHETIC WORD - “MANY WILL BE PURIFIED AND REFINED - BUT THE WICKED WILL CONTINUE TO BE WICKED”

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 -  A PROPHETIC WORD  -

“MANY WILL BE PURIFIED AND REFINED…

… BUT THE WICKED WILL CONTINUE TO BE WICKED”

By the Holy Spirit through Mary Lindow

“How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,

And has not turned to the proud for worldly advice,

Nor to those who lapse into tale bearing.”

Psalms 40:4

"My children. It is always amazing how people run to the power and strengths of man and to the voices of false hope. As if from these things they advise or promise might gain a place of security!

You can only be fully secure when you first come to ME!

I never break my promises to you! NEVER!

I use every opportunity in your life to train you to be an honest and humble guide to lead others to my way of success.

If you hear a man or woman boasting about too many great things that they have done, you will eventually find out that they are masters of manipulation and "embellished" liars.

It's all to make themselves look more powerful in your eyes.

I do not deeply fellowship with this type of person.

“If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. 

That prophet has spoken presumptuously.

Do not be afraid of them.”

Deuteronomy 18:22

"I only share My keys and treasures of victory and success with those who do not peddle pride and do not posture for an audience. False humility is obvious to Me even when others cannot discern it. Trusting Me means to really believe that I AM all you need to have a vision and a future.

Trust. Trust. Trust!

Trust ME!"

Be Quick To Listen,

Be Slow To Speak,

Be Slow to get Angry.

~James 1:19

"The real proof of your personal transformation in Me is in evidence when you can practice this truthful insight without having to think about it too much!

In order to sincerely be a voice for Me -  one who cries out into the wilderness of other people's lives, you must be able to hear My voice clearly!  Speaking only what I tell you to speak, and to not REACT with anger when you have those who oppose My Voice, challenge you!

If you are suspicious of others motives and have secretly hidden the things of insecurity or entitlement in your own heart, you will be looking for a way to cast suspicion on others if you are the guilty or presumptuous party of some wrongdoing. This opens a door to a hardness of heart, which allows the pride of life and love for position to blind you from a life of brokenness, and personal, private integrity.

Clean living creates a pure and clear conscience.

"Keep me also from the sins I want to commit.

May they not be my master.

Then I will be without blame.

I will not be guilty of any great sin against your word."

Psalm 19:13

“I remained silent, like a lamb ready for slaughter!

When My time to speak came, it changed eternity!

It is finished! Father!

Into Your hands I willingly turn over everything!

My body, My soul, My spirit!

Can you also turn all you hold dear in this life over to the Father?

You will never be the same again!

And you also will mark out a statement in eternity!"

The Lord's promises are pure....

Psalm 12:6a

"I have no ulterior reasons to make a promise that has a hidden agenda!

I am the spotless Lamb of God! All that I have ever promised to you and to

those who love Me has always been with only good and blessing in mind!

Purity has it's own deep well of uniqueness to draw from.

It looks for fairness for all.

It only operates with absolute truthfulness.

Purity is a value that never wears thin.

When you minister or care for others, do all of it from only a pure motive to help, bless and restore.

Impurity always shows up with self-preservation, intimidation and a pompous sense of personal power and personal vision.

"We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

2 Corinthians 6:3-6

PURITY

It is only a refined vessel that can walk in the power of this attribute!"

“Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, 

but the wicked will continue to be wicked. 

None of the wicked will understand, 

but those who are wise will understand.”

Daniel 12:10

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Thank You! 
Copyright 2013 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow

www.marylindow.com