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October 25, 2016
The Joy of the Lord is our strength, and may we be convinced that the joy of the Lord is our only strength in this vail of tears.
Well it has been a few days, Heartdwellers, and I'm sorry. But you'll understand why as I share this message with you.
The last 3 days have been out of the ordinary. We had a friend here visiting and camping out in Taos Ski Valley, with his two cats. One of his kitties disappeared and was never found about a month previously, then he went into the hospital to have an amputation because of diabetes.
He was in for about 3 weeks and we left food for his other cat. When he got out, he went back to his campsite, where his kitty miraculously showed up that next day, praise God. I have prayed for that little fella!
However as God would allow, two days later he was in the hospital again. His little black kitty was all alone in the national forest for 5 more days.
I probably don't need to tell you...you know me well enough to know that I was praying very hard for the little guy and deeply concerned for him. Finally, our friend got a pass to leave the hospital for a few hours to call his kitty, who will not come to anyone else but him.
We thought it would be over in just a few moments, that he would come running. But we were still looking for him after three hours. He wasn't at the campsite and all the food was gone. We stopped and inquired about him in all the houses nearby. No one had seen him. Then, at the last house, we were told he had been coming early in the morning, eating scraps a very sweet lady put out for him. This was after 3 hours of searching, up and down roads, calling for him, back to the campsite on foot, back to the road. When we found out he had been there, we started calling all around her house. We checked again near the campsite and decided to give up.
But I said, "Lets go down her road one more time."
So we did. We parked by the side of the road calling for him. Two young women came driving by in a little economy car and said, "Are you looking for a cat?"
"Yes!" we said excitedly.
They replied, "He's up the hill by the side of the road, we just saw him."
Oh, our hearts leapt for joy, he IS still alive!! So we went up the hill and sure enough the little guy started crying and meowing from the side of the river below the road. He came quickly to our friend and soon we were petting him and comforting him. A very sweet little cat. We brought him here to our house as I was going to take care of him until our friend was well.
But I admit I had some deep, deep sorrow issues for the white cat that had been gone for over 4 weeks, because they were litter mates and very dear to my friend. And as he told me all about her, I couldn't help but feel awful. I made up my mind I would seek the Lord about her whereabouts and find her if she could be found.
Well, it turns out that I had been cursed with sorrow, sadness, despair, hopelessness and a few other awful feeling things. Guys, this happens more commonly than you would believe. The curses did not land until I began to grieve for his other kitty, Lovely, the white cat we never found.
I suspected demonic intervention, because my whole mind was taken up with sorrow for the loss of that cat. I was so disoriented from looking for the male cat, I couldn't even pray.
It's just not like me to jump up and go running off in the National Forest for hours! It really fragmented and disoriented me, but I knew that the Lord wanted me to help. So, I went.
Finally, I got some serious intercession and deliverance and after repenting for bitterness, was released of the seeds of bitterness. So, the curses entailed very dark, negative, paralyzing emotions, which I never would have had if I had responded in faith and trusting in God's perfect merciful will.
Along with these dark feelings came seeds of bitterness. They are merely tiny black things, no bigger than a celery seed, that immediately take root if you feed them. They grow to a large black blob and then a whole network of branches if you are not relieved of them through repentance and faith in God's mercy.
And I cried for two days over the white kitty, until I could get prayer to deliver me from my sadness, which the demons had jumped on - and made so bad I couldn't even hear the Lord. Those demons are opportunists. I did offer all of this to Him for our nation; it was indeed a suffering. I'm just sorry I couldn't get a message for two days.
I'm telling you about all of this so that you will understand. Normally, if there's no sin involved, curses don't land unless you enable them by negative emotions. And who can control those? It does seem unfair, really, and that's where the bitterness can enter in. But it's not unfair, because we are told to "rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!" A heart of thanksgiving and worship is the surest protection against these ugly things landing.
And here, I want to mention Rick Joyner here and his dreams/visions. He saw these demons and saw them riding people's shoulders and spreading their slime on them. He was shown exactly what we have been shown recently about how they infect Christians. If we entertain a negative, gossipy thought, we get slimed and maybe assigned a demon of calumny that rides on our shoulder spreading lies about everyone.
Even the little boy who went to Heaven, Colton Burpo, saw demons lying in people's ears. I think he said something like, "And I saw demons." And the person that was interviewing him said, "And what were they doing?" And he said, "They were lying. They were lying to people."
This stuff is real, guys. It's very, very real. And the Lord is revealing it all over His body so we can intelligently combat these vile creatures. It's our choice: believe and prepare our hearts, or stick our heads in the sand and play ignorant.
"Oh, Christians can't be cursed."
Uh, huh...
Well, I am sharing this with you, dear friends, just in case you are sad about something or have not forgiven others and are holding bitter feelings. When you don't forgive, a seed of bitterness is planted in your heart and it can choke out other feelings that are healthy. When you get angry or impatient - same thing: you open the door to a seed of bitterness. And the problem is, a seed of bitterness can happen so quickly. All it takes is for us to have a bitter thought, and bang! The door is just open. It's like a magnet; it just sucks it in.
So, what are we to do? Well, as soon as you recognize what you've just done, get on your knees (if you can) and repent for your impatience, ingratitude and anger against God, because He allowed whatever caused your negative feelings.
It's a test, really. Will I respond in bitterness, anger and rancor? Or will I praise the Lord for an opportunity to offer Him a wedding present. Thank you Lord for this opportunity to Love You through my brother or sister.
Then ask Holy Spirit to show you where you need to repent and ask Jesus to please deliver you from these demons and bad feelings and set you free from every seed of bitterness that may have grown and affected your entire body.
The Lord before has told me that bitterness causes cancer. It is a poison that spreads and grows. Just as a mustard seed, very tiny, can grow into a shrub for the birds to nest in, as it's written in the Scriptures, so can a seed of bitterness spread tentacles of disease in our body, soul, and spirit man.
In the ultimate end, all anger can be traced back to God as the cause. Why? Because He allowed what happened to make you angry.
We can't see the good He is going to bring out of every situation we feel angry about. We don't understand the workings of God.
But if we trust Him and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is a good God and more merciful than we can imagine; if we stay in a posture of full time gratitude and worship, these things CAN NOT land!
That's the challenge. Who among us has attained this state of holiness? I don't know, but I'm resolute. I am going there with His great help.
So, my dear ones, let us put aside all rancor and bitterness. Repent for our dark thoughts and emotions, and ask the Lord to deliver us from the bitterness we harbor in our hearts, so we can be clean, open vessels carrying forth the living waters and healing.
At this point, I asked the Lord, do You have anything to add?
He began, "This is a mighty task, My People. Staying in worship, prayer and thanksgiving is a habit that must be cultivated if you are to escape the snares of the enemy. Bitterness is indeed a poison to your body, soul and spirit. If you are to stay healthy in all areas, ask Me to reveal to you the seeds of bitterness that have grown into a thorny bush, choking out the holy life you hunger for.
"Did I not say, "The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. "Luke 8:14
"Those thorn bushes are from the seeds of bitterness and unfulfilled lusts for things: "I never have enough. Why couldn't it be of a better quality? That's not the color I wanted. That's cheaply made. That's too expensive. Why does so and so have a better one? On and on and on.
"You don't realize that these little frustrations that cause ingratitude, are actually receiving into the soil of your heart, the seeds of thorny bushes of bitterness. Then when I come to sow the good seed, it will not grow because the thorn bushes already choke out the light and crowd the soil.
"If you want to cultivate a heart filled with joy, you must count all things as dung, and draw close to Me, forsaking all other things, which are sure to bring you disappointment. It's not about poverty; it's about detachment. Surely a poor person can be just as bitter as a rich one. But as you grow rich, your lust for things grows bigger. As you feed it, it grows bigger and bigger, dominating your life and soon you have no time left for Me.
"Clare struggles with this on a daily basis although for her it is not about riches but simple common needs that she has allowed to overpower her.
"For her and for all of you, thanksgiving and worship are the medicine and weed killer that will choke out the thorns. Thanking Me in all situations.
As it is written: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
"This Scripture is far too often overlooked, but I have come to prepare you for harder times. If you live in this manner, you will preserve your joy and your health, for disease does not enter a joyful soul easily. It is up to you, My People. You can complain like the Israelites or you can rejoice like Paul did:
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
"You see, if you embrace this with all your hearts and KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am bringing good out of everything that happens, even the very worst things, if you have true faith in Me, you will not fall prey to discouragement, sadness and despair.
"This is not something you can accomplish on your own, Beloved. For this, you need Me and generous doses of My Grace - and this comes as you spend time with Me in genuine adoration and worship, as well as studying the Word. Receiving communion in utter faith, that every grace you need can be granted through communion, is also another way.
"When you find the cup half full, praise Me for it. When it is empty, know that the graces are indeed flowing heavily for you and for the world. Never do I forget to take a portion of your sufferings and offer it to the Father for Mercy for the world.
"In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world and there is hidden manna in your troubles. Rejoice in that, rejoice that in your sufferings you are gaining that eternal weight of glory that Paul talks about:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and temporary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our troubles. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
II Corinthians 4:16-18
"So fix your eyes on what is unseen, that is the abundant flow of grace and virtue you are accomplishing as you praise Me in all circumstances. You should never be worried about your troubles. You should be worried if you have no troubles! That is NOT a good sign. The more you suffer, the more virtue that is being worked into your soul and the more that is being accomplished for others in the spiritual realm."
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
He continued, "Be firmly convinced, once and for all, that nothing happens in your life without My permission. And if I give My permission, you have to know: the situation, whatever it may be, is going to advance you in holiness and be a source of inspiration to others.
"Therefore, I say to you, 'Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!!' If you keep this attitude of heart, many curses will bounce right off you into thin air and never come to land. But more importantly, My Beloved, you and I will have a profound relationship of trust and intimacy that will more than fulfill the need for joy in your life, regardless of your circumstances.
"Even as you listen to this message, cry out to Me and I shall grant you the grace of profound thankfulness. Then all you need do is remember to exercise every minute of your life, especially in trials."