Mary Lindow ~ The Messenger Podcast

By Mary Lindow 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 go wrong. 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 miserable life. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) teaches us that God always wants us to come back to him. Whether your problem is discouragement, illness or aging, sometimes all you 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 filthy from 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 a

By Mary Lindow I am by far not an expert on the subject of plumblines and righteousness, so take what I say in the light of one who at time gropes like a child in the dark, ever reaching for the hand of the ONE to lead me into a safe place filled with His Hope, His Mercy, His Light and Life.WE LIVE IN A CORRUPT WORLD and therefore, have the “effects and affects” of that corruption ever influencing, ever tainting and ever wooing the flesh. Plumbline: a tool that consists of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope and that is used especially to see if something (such as a wall) is perfectly vertical or in alignment)  A plumbline is a simple but accurate tool used for determining whether or not something is perfectly vertical or upright. The Lord also used, and uses, a "plumbline," His Word, to determine how upright His people truly are in His sight.How upright they think they are, or how upright they proclaim themselves to be, means nothing to God."Behold, I WILL set a plumbline in the midst of My people". -Amos 7:7 A PLUMBLINE SET OUT BY THE HAND OF GOD IS ONE THAT WE CAN ANCHOR OUR HEARTS TO.It will always, always, ALWAYS, direct us to the truth in a matter; even if it requires pain, loss, persecution and perhaps death in areas we feel we may well have rights to. It will also be a shield, a balm, a comfort and a teacher to those who will yield to the directive positioning of the Master. “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumbline.” -Isaiah 28:17 LIFE – DISTRESS - AND PERSECUTION I have found that in my life, distress and persecution do not feel like God’s care being poured out on me. My heart is not immediately drawn to thanksgiving and gratefulness for the faithfulness of God on display as I cling to the battered pieces that look like potential “rafts” of hope, only to find out that many of them have gaping holes or slow leaks in them. Rather, it feels like yet another hurt is being permanently woven into my tattered and war-torn soul. It seems as if another mound of questions are piling up and just waiting for an answer and a true solid REAL anchor of hope. I CAN REALLY CONNECT TO THE WRITER OF PSALM 42 He said “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” It’s at those very times that the words of the Savior are so important. When we are down and in turmoil. But, how do we connect the dots between what we know is true about God’s faithfulness and what our hearts feel? When flipped and flung around by the waves, weary from crying and when no answer seems at hand, what is the answer? When my circumstances show many foes and tyrants rising up against me and my heart is prone to wander and fear, what hope is there of peace? When my feelings start controlling my thoughts, how can I rest in God’s promises? AT THIS POINT… I HEAR THE “GASPS” … …And perhaps shocked comments of a few who are amazed that someone who appears to walk so fervently and intimately with the Lord would have such difficulties! Well! Guess what?I do struggle, I do hurt, and yes I do doubt when I have been side swiped or “rammed” by skilled cons and those who, although may have the appearance of godliness and offered friendship or fellowship, end up having private and evil agendas behind their well placed and planned schemes.And boy oh boy! Those skilled players know the wicked art of wounding the heart and causing people to reel in pain! BUT, THERE IS ONE WHO FULLY SEES IT ALL The main skill in the issue of dealing with life as a spiritual person, is to know how to handle yourself when things not only crush and grind your heart, but what to do with the anguish and toll of their aftermath. We have to get ourselves into a place where we hear clearly again.  We need have to address ourselves, preach to ourselves, and ask questions about ourselves. We must say to our soul: "Why are you cast down –Why are you so anxious and lacking in peace?" We must urge ourselves, and say ‘Hope

  By Mary Lindow AS I PREPARE THIS PODCAST OUR HOME HAS THE AROMA OF BANANA BREAD FILLING THE AIR WITH A COZY WARMTH.Soft Carols are playing in the background. My dear Steve has gone bed for now. He’s been working on a carpentry project for my Christmas present.   AS I SIT HERE, MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE MOVED WITH TENDERNESS FOR THOSE WHO ARE GRIEVING over the recent miscarriage of a 22 week old baby, a friend who has had a sudden death of a family member, those friends of mine tending to the sick and fragile, and for the widows I know, who ache for the arms of the one they loved so well for so long. My heart is saddened by the weariness of knowing single friends of Steve and I are longing for rest and still have hopes of meeting another godly person who might be the one to nurture and live them. ALL OF THE KINDNESSES AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS OF CHRISTMAS, truly, when wrapped up in compassion, outreach to those who are hurting, personal sacrifice so that others may thrive, and with discernment to know when these things are God nudging you, this is what makes the true value of Christmas shine.   CHRIST CAME TO GIVE. He came to give all.To tend to all those that were held captive, to set them free, to open the eyes of the blinded and the cerebral intellectuals who refuse to hear the truth. But yet, HE came!And HE is still speaking today, still pursuing those who run from him.   WHEN GOD BREATHED THE BREATH OF LIFE INTO EVERY HUMAN BEING... ...IT WAS HIS BREATH   As long as there is breath in a human, it is the breath of God.God will pursue every human being, regardless of how they feel towards him. This is the love that came down at Christmas. And this is the love that stays. People can run. But they cannot hide from the light of God.   AS I SHARE THIS BRIEF BUT WARM AND HEARTFELT PODCAST WITH YOU, I wanted to share something so profoundly, beautiful and so well spoken. I’ve read over and meditated/ pondered it many times during this Christmas season because there have been disappointments! There have has been betrayals, harsh words, indifference, people pushing you away because they can’t receive the love you offer them. These are the things Jesus experienced on a regular basis, and yet in his perfection, he continued to pursue the will of God in his life, and eventually, it COST him his life!   THAT LITTLE, WEE BABE IN THE MANGER TROUGH, He was filled with the fullness of God and was God, but chose to walk out in human flesh, incarnate, the life of everyday human beings, in order to prove that he was aware of the suffering and the sorrows of this human life in a fallen world.   AS I SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION FROM ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL BY THE NAME OF JESSICA JECKER, (who is an influencer on another social media site), I hope that you will allow it to saturate any part of you that is suffering or that is resisting love, or, is perhaps angry at God, questioning why life is so hard, or where you may have become bitter and hardened to the tenderness that is available to each of us.   LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE CRY OF MALACHI AND WHAT GOD‘S WORD SPOKE. Listen to the words of one pondering the beauty and the fierce sacrifice that Jesus so humbly and willingly yielded to so that we might truly celebrate a Savior. HERE IT IS: “This week, I lingered in the final breath of Malachi’s words and I felt the unbearable weight of what followed. When the prophet finished speaking, heaven did not answer. The echo of his voice faded...and then... nothing.Four hundred years of silence.No open vision. No burning word. No prophet rising with fire in his bones. No “Thus says the Lord” breaking the darkness. Four hundred years of waiting. Of longing. Of groaning. Of hearts lifted toward heaven that seemed sealed shut. Generation after generation was born into the quiet. They lived. They died. And still—no voice. Until one night. On a dirt floor in a forgotten place... in a stable that did not look holy... in the shadows of obscu

“God Is Fully With Us In These Strange Days”   By Mary Lindow   Just over 2,000 years ago, Emmanuel, also called the Christ, changed the world.  In that moment when God became flesh, humanity watched prophecies unfold as hope was born. Jesus, our Emmanuel, provided hope that sin and death wouldn’t always win and mankind wouldn’t always feel so painfully alone.    What Does Emmanuel Mean in the Bible? It’s a word written on countless Christmas cards and sung in some of our most-loved carols.  In Scripture, it first appears in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14, which says,    “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign;  The virgin will conceive, and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Emmanuel”.   The Lord Himself will do this, Scripture says.  In other words, this act, which occurred in the birth of Christ, was God-ordained and God-accomplished.    This points to grace, which doesn’t come through human effort but rather through relying on God to do what we humans cannot. This was the reason Christ came.    God GAVE us this child, named Emmanuel, which literally means,  “with us is God,” or “God WITH us.”    He may seem distant.  It may even seem impossible this year for you to feel hopeful.  You might have lost your job.  Or maybe you’re feeling isolated from those you love.  You may have even grieved the loss of a family member or friend.   Though he may have felt far away to them,  God was so much closer than his people knew — gently planning Jesus’ entrance into the world in the most unexpected way.   Looking around, all you might be able to see right now is darkness.  If you try to adjust your eyes, blinking into the night, there seems to be no light.  The weight of sickness, death, injustice and pain perhaps, seem too heavy.   That’s why I love this idea of advent which is practiced only among Christians.  And yes, it comes from probably a more liturgical view, but has been so embraced and now practice in homes and church gatherings across the world, as families gather to contemplate and to pray and to spend quiet time discussing when Jesus came as a child as the Messiah!  Emmanuel!!! God WITH Us!     Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and refers to the Christian season that begins four Sundays before Christmas, where focusing on preparation for the celebration of Jesus's birth and his anticipated return is a beautiful thing! It’s definitely better than the commercial glut of constant “buy, buy, buy,” and, the overkill of sappy fantasy Christmas shows, as well as the pressurized giving of gifts to every boss, coworker, friend and pet!  It’s a time of expectation, reverence and hope for many Christians!   I was reading through a Wycliffe advent devotional last evening, and these words so struck me that I’m going to share them with you trusting that they too, will move your heart to remember that Emmanuel, God …. IS with us!  No matter what may come   This excerpt of the devotional said, “As we enter the Advent season, do you feel weary? You’re not alone. Or maybe you’re just tired. Numb. Ready to pull the covers over your head and try this whole "Christmas cheer" thing again next year.    Don’t feel guilty.  Instead, acknowledge the very real darkness of this world and you’ll have eyes to see Advent through the same lens as the people waiting for a Messiah thousands of years ago. You could even say that being weary and worn out is an acceptable place from which to approach this Advent season. Because Advent exists to remind us that, while darkness surrounds us and troubles exist, the hope of Christmas isn’t far away.   The people of Israel hadn’t heard anything from God about their redeemer.  God’s chosen people must have cried out to him, asking how long it would be before their hope, their salvation, would arrive!  It was too dark, and God seemed to be silent.    Has he felt that way to you this year? Silent? Though he may have felt far away to them, God was so much closer than his people knew —gentl

Staying Focused and Integral In A Treacherous & Chaotic World By Mary Lindow   A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRUCIAL PROJECT, I found my life barraged and pressured by distractions of all kinds. Now, this is not an unusual pattern. DISTRACTIONS COME TO STEAL OUR PASSION, OUR PURPOSE, GOD’S PROMISES, AND HIS PROVISION.   I have a scripture and a strategy that I use when distractions come to derail my focus now that really helps to keep me on track and focus on what’s in front of me. This can apply to everything from work, house cleaning, Counseling, writing and ministry, right down to sticking with the list for the grocery store, and not adding extra cheese and crackers and other goodies in the shopping basket!   WHEN NEHEMIAH WAS REBUILDING THE WALL, distractions came in the form of men calling out to him, high up on his ladder, to come down to discuss “their” important matters. These men presented concerns and rumors they feared to be truth, and, they were persistent and insistent that he come down and address the matters with them immediately! Nehemiah responds plainly,  "I cannot come down, I am doing a great work."   THERE ARE MANY DISTRACTIONS BEING HURLED AT THE BODY OF CHRIST CONSTANTLY. So what do we do?  We look those distractions square in the face and we say, "We cannot come down. We are doing a great work."  End. Of. Story.   WE HAVE NO TIME FOR DISTRACTIONS.  THERE'S TOO MUCH ON THE LINE. There's restoration to be done, broken down walls and broken down people to be filled back up, truth to be told, healing to be performed, love and justice to manifest and so on.   AND WHILE WE ARE DOING THESE ASSIGNED BY THE LORD TASKS,  (because if they’re not assigned by the Lord then we’re basically doing our own thing, not his important work), while we are doing the assigned things from the Lord, we pray.  And by that I mean, we dialog with God our Father, and praise, and tell Jesus about the gratitude that we have for His life that He poured out for us, and speak back to Him the words He taught us in the 4 New Testament Gospels. And, we also allow the Holy Spirit of God to have access to our hearts, bringing a sweet exposure and conviction where we might need to have our hearts cleaned up and "grown up" further in the way God has mapped out for those He loves so very much.   When we do these things in reverence and determination as we work, You will find that we do not have time for distractions.    WHEN GOD SPEAKS AND WHEN WE FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS, and when the Holy Spirit is busy working in the dry and hard places of our souls, as we do that in our work, every single day, we do not have time for other distractions!   We. Cannot. Come. Down.    WE CANNOT TAKE TIME TO BE PULLED INTO CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE WICKED, "weasely", and filled with all kinds of narratives that have nothing to do with what God has and IS doing right now right in front of us in our daily lives.   THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE NOT TO BE INFORMED AND... ...that we are not to be advocates for godly truths. That is part of rebuilding walls that have come down in our society. But getting into non-ending dialogs and basically verbal fights with people who just want to prove a point is literally drawing us into distraction and frustration.   SPIRITUAL WARFARE. It’s a Reality and Intense Fight for Good Over Evil!  Listen ever so closely to these mighty battle strategies against distractions!   Now my beloved ones,  I have saved these most important truths for last Instructions. Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-your union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.  Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly re