Epidemic of Distractions and Discouragement

July 18, 2017

Lord, we need Your mind and Your heart to survive this world and accomplish what we've been called to do. The enemy is too clever and we are too weak. Please give us the grace we need to recognize when we are being oppressed and call out to You for our deliverance. Amen

Well, from that prayer you can probably figure out what this message is about...!

Oh, how the enemy loves to dump on you when you are sleeping--so when you wake up, you feel like you're buried in the garbage dump five feet down. That's how I awoke this afternoon. When I listened to Julie in worship, all I did was feel badly that I haven't been able to get to the piano for two days. And I was distracted and fragmented--my mind just wouldn't run smoothly on anything but chaos.

Wow, what a start to that day.

On top of it all, it was extremely humid here and it was an effort to walk from one room to the next. I finally had to go back to bed for two hours. There I lay, crying out to the Lord to extricate me from this sludge of discouragement.

Jesus began, "I have heard your tears. They, too, have reached My Father's ears and He has great pity on you.

"I know you have the resolve to get to the piano to practice, but your enemy also has the resolve to side-track you. So, be on the watch for him to steal time from this. This most surely is the way he has defeated you for years. Can you imagine if you played two hours steadily for the past seven years...where you would be at? Start this as a new day. And ignore the insinuations of the enemy that it's too late, please. He's a liar, they are all liars, yet My people don't ignore them. They listen or absorb attitudes from these liars. You have got to be smarter in order to succeed.

"This is a good topic." He continued. "My people, what has been burdening your minds lately? Clare is not the only one--she is but one among My children in an epidemic of unbelief and discouraging lies has been launched against you all around the world. This is a giant move of the enemy."

Well, as an aside, I wanted to mention that, today in the communion service, I always repeat these words with intention, "Lord, wash away my iniquities and cleanse me of my sins." This is taken from the original liturgy of St. James, the brother of Jesus written in Jerusalem first century. Well, when I say that prayer I see an angel or several angels pouring buckets of water over me. (That's how I can tell how messed up I am...)

But sometimes, if I am really out of sorts, I see another bucket coming directly into my face from in front of me. Well, today, I saw several angels pouring water over me and much black, tarry-looking stuff being washed off. It was above and off of me, but it was being washed away.

I heard, "You have been seriously slimed by the thoughts and prayers of the evil ones." No wonder I was up for only three hours and I had to go back to bed and worship while I rested. I was more discouraged than I've been in a long, long time. When I got up two hours later, I felt renewed. Apparently, my spirit was feeling the weight of all that condemnation and somehow during worship it worked itself free so that when the water was poured over me, it was washed away.

Jesus continued, "That's fairly accurate, you were heavily laden with a mass of discouragement from the enemy. You see they transfer their poison to you by thought and unless you are aware of it, they can keep heaping it on until you want to give up."

Lord, I was miserable. And I was having thoughts like that, but I rejected them. I am not giving up. But when You and Father came and comforted me during worship, I felt so much better.

"Well, that's why I am reinforcing those hugs with a word: more practice and be on the lookout for distractions. They will surely come and seem insurmountable, unavoidable. But by patience and a wise assessment of priorities, you will defeat them. Just remember how badly you want to be fluent on the piano, and that you can reach that point if you obey what you've been told. They will try to steal it from you, Clare.

"Part of you needs to relinquish your need to see everything orderly. No, there are not crowns in heaven for a clean house. In fact, many who keep their houses spotlessly clean will be seriously disappointed. Anything beyond the necessary and obvious cleaning is most often obsessive-compulsive behavior. I will not discourage you, My love. You really are learning to let go of those compulsions and sit at My feet.

"My people, please beware of the tactics of the enemy to pull you away from that sweet spot. I have given you things to do that may seem extraneous and unnecessary, but those are precisely the things you should be doing for the sake of others. The enemy is trying to convince you that those are pleasurable things, and you can only do them after your work is done.

"They are parroting your parents' voice and their thinking when they trained you as a child: 'You can play after your chores.' Yes! This works very well on most people. Chores are things like dishes and taking the trash out, cleaning the floors, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

"But I say you have duties--and duties come FIRST. Your duty is to love the Lord your God with all Your heart and all your mind and all your strength and your brother as yourself. And this perfectly fits the profile of anything that can be used to minister to others. First and foremost: more important than the air you breathe, is prayer, worship, Bible study and holy reading. If you find pleasure in that, Satan will try to pervert it and tell you it belongs after chores, because you love to do it."

What a scoundrel he is!

"Answering posts or communicating encouraging words to others, visits to those who are ill, going to the store for them, sitting and listening, writing songs and practicing your instrument, writing letters to encourage people, doing inspiring art--anything that can communicate My Love for them, counts. And does NOT come after the chores!

"Well, look at how you are lied to. You loved to play your guitar, or write and visit. Now the enemy has cleverly taken those things you liked to do and equated anything you like to do as a pleasure and forbidden until the chores are done.

"So if you enjoy your gift you are prohibited from doing it until you are dead-dog tired and worn out from house cleaning and whatever else the enemy can load onto your back under the guise of 'doing your chores first.' May I say, you can use the scraps of energy at the end of the day for your chores? But please use the prime time to hone your skills and practice or execute your ministry.

"That is the first priority. But the enemy knows well how to play on your guilt buttons, so he uses your good intentions against you. Please ignore him. Ignore the lies that you haven't done such and such yet, you have no business playing your guitar or writing on the internet. This is how he gets you to stop serving Me with all your strength, mind and heart. He takes the lion's share for the mundane things that only benefit you. Then he leaves you with the scraps to improve your gift. LIES!

"My People. Do not let this line of thinking manipulate you and steal the very thing you were born to do out from under you.

"If you could see all who went to their graves with a clean house and totally unfulfilled life--you would be shocked. I am not saying they are not culpable in some way, but the enemy has used this age-old tactic to manipulate full grown adults for centuries. Do you want to leave this Earth without having done what you were sent to do?

"Please, don't listen to the lies. I gave you Martha and Mary to reveal this ploy of the enemy, but how many of you side with Martha?"

Ouch. Lord, it isn't fair; people are piling into the house and Martha is offering them hospitality and worn out from serving alone while Mary gets to sit at your feet? I don't think that's fair...

Just at that point, the Lord gave me a vision of a house with servants. They had put everything in order but Martha was compulsive and wanted to make it better. Oooo...I know what that feels like!

Jesus continued, "Martha had all the help she needed to take over so she could sit at My feet. But like you can be sometimes, My dearest, she chose to perfect everything...adding jots and tittles and time wasting frills when all the guests needed was already prepared for them. Martha had all the help she needed to take over."

Well, that's a different perspective!

Jesus continued, "Had she denied herself the compulsion to make it "better" --which is merely an egocentric attitude, she could have had all the time she needed to sit with Mary. The problem with Martha was that she wanted to go above and beyond what is necessary. The specifics of hospitality reflect on the hostess, and she wanted to look good, out-do herself. When I wanted her to leave off and come and be with Me.

"How many times have people said, 'Clare, please come spend time with us.' While you were busy with this or that?"

Uncle.

"That's why I have taught you the bare-bones basics in providing for guests. Every time you've been elaborate you've lost grace, and wasted energy you needed to be present to your visitors. You have abandoned the better part for the fleeting, worldly pleasure. This is so important for all of you, dear ones. Beware of the enemy feeding you justifications as to why you should do more. It surely is a trap. Access the situation, do the bare bones, then put it down.

"So now you have it. You can see and react responsibly to what the enemy is doing when you are tempted to go beyond the demands of simple hospitality. I will impart this blessing to you, My precious ones. I bless you to see through the tricks of the devils to deprive you of your calling. I bless you to act upon that and put him in his place, while you refocus your entire being on what I have called you to do.

"May you respond faithfully to My warnings when you are going off track. I love you all too dearly, and daily I am by your side and at times I sadly see the enemy--the way he is stealing from you without your knowledge. My prayer is that you will hearken to My admonition now and fulfill your callings without allowing him to pull you off with false guilt and distractions. God bless you, My children. I am walking with you, and I will let you know when you are going in the wrong direction. Please respond."