KEYWORDS: spirit, father, things, lord, power

Rise Above!

Karen Zerby

By MariaMaria #549 CM/FM 3317 10/00

Dear Family,

1. God bless you, my dear mates and ­co–workers in this great adventure of winning the world for Jesus! I love you so much and pray you're having a wonderful time lying in our dear Husband's arms and being fed from His words of inspiration and comfort. We are so very rich in the spirit! Just think, we're privy to far-out revelations and insight that no other human beings have ever heard—not even the prophets and men and women of God who walked the Earth before us! What a special and privileged place we have! Not only are we part of a marvelous work for the Lord, but we also enjoy a rare and intimate relationship with our precious Savior and King that inspires Him to reveal His secrets to us.

2. Don't you find it captivating when someone tells you something they've never told anyone else? Doesn't that make you feel trusted and very close to that person? That show of confidence has a way of sparking a greater interest, doesn't it? You listen with more intensity, trying to grasp and retain every detail.

3. Well, our loving Husband is about to let you in on one of His secrets! This next message is a glimpse into the past through which we can see how things really were for Him. The times when the Lord talks about His personal experiences are some of my favorite messages, because I know they're signs of His trust and love for us. He hasn't called us servants, but instead He calls us His friends; much more than that, He calls us His brides, His lovers, His wives. Because He wants to be close to us, He wants us to know how things were for Him in all aspects of His existence. He doesn't just confine His lessons and testimonies to the present, to the things and ways of Heaven, but instead He humbles Himself and reveals to us the times He struggled. He allows us to see Him from the per­spective that He knows will help us the most. He trusts that we will retain our respect and reverence for Him as our King and Savior‚ while also learning to love and know Him as the One closest to us—our Husband, Lover, Shepherd and Best Friend.

4. But His reason for sharing these intimate secrets of His life isn't just to draw us closer to Him, but also to give us more of what we need to fight the battles we face in our own lives. There's a very specific purpose for His shar­ing His personal testimony with us. Besides wanting us to draw nearer to Him and wanting us to know that He is allowing us a very special place of intimacy with Him, He is also giving us knowledge and insight that will help us win the war. These things we hear in the quiet of His loving arms will lead us to victory! There is power in these words and there is potential for us to be greatly strengthened spiritually as we peek into His earthly life. Through His personal lessons, we're seeing what gave our dear Love the power to do all that He did, including die for us. And if we meditate on these words and let them ­become a part of our being, they'll empower us to do the same—to give our lives for those who need Jesus!

5. This message shows us that Jesus lived through His Own era of action. He can relate to our needs at this time, and He wants to show us how to learn the art of overcoming, so we too can be more than conquerors, as He was!

How Jesus Did It

6. (Jesus speaking:) I have shared deep things from My heart with you—things which I have not shared with others on Earth until now. I have opened My heart to you in these recent years through sharing some of My intimate experiences—things I experienced as a child growing up, on the eve of My ministry‚ during the height of My ministry‚ as well as at My death. I've shared with you some of the trials I was faced with as a man, and how I was greatly tested. Now I'd like to share with you a little more in depth about the secret to My victories, about what it was that helped Me rise above the trials and tests to stand triumphant.

7. The things I was faced with on Earth were daunting at times. The thought of facing the impossible while trapped in the confines of human flesh and seeing it through My human eyes rocked My faith sometimes, to say the least. The battles were sometimes fierce, the tests were frequent, the crowds and public opinion were taxing and demanded a great deal of Me. But though these tests gave Me a good shakeup‚ My faith did not fail. Do you know why? Let Me share with you My experience, that it may comfort your hearts.

8. I know the demands on you are great, and these will only grow greater in the days to come. You‚ My loves, will always be on stage, both before one another and before the world. This is a responsibility you must bear. I too was always on stage. Even when I managed to get time away from the crowds, I remained, to a degree, on stage before My disciples. Of course, it was different with My intimate twelve; in some ways I could be more relaxed with them. Yet even so, I was still responsible to teach and train them to live in love and righteousness. I was to be their keeper, as you are to be your brother's keeper. I was responsible to pour into them, to minister to them, to teach and train them‚ to show them a large measure of love and patience.

9. A shepherd's job is never done. A shepherd is always on call; he must always be there for the flock. This is also now the call of every Family member, for I call you all to be shepherds. Every one of you is a caretaker of another; you are to be your brother and sister's keeper, as well as keepers of My flock. I call you to care for one another, as I have cared for you. This is an enormous responsibility.

10. The crown is never so heavy as it is to the one who wears it. It's a heavy load to the wearer, though it may appear bright and light and beautiful to others. That same crown serves as a constant reminder of the great responsibility that rests on your shoulders. This is one reason why you must live in a state of constant vigilance, for there are many who look to you, just as there were many who looked to Me when I walked with My disciples.

11. I lived on Earth during pressing times in world history. The world needed a savior, and the time was right; things couldn't continue as they had‚ business as usual—something had to give. The responsibility that rested on My shoulders to save mankind was great indeed. This duty was too great to muff or mess up. Too much was hinging on My human shoulders for Me to fail. Though I felt totally in­capable in the flesh, I knew I couldn't give up or give in; I couldn't throw in the towel and say, "I quit!" To accept defeat was not an option I could consider. How could I let you down? I simply could not fail.

12. This responsibility drove Me to such desperation that I determined to seek My ­Father, pleading for the solution—how was I to overcome? It was then that I vowed to learn the art of rising above. There had to be a way, otherwise My Father would never have allowed Me to be put in such a position. I was determined to find that way.

13. Right now you are in a position much like I was—the world today is in dire straits and it needs the Savior. The destiny of the world rested on My shoulders when I walked the Earth nearly 2‚000 years ago. Now the baton is passed to you, and this mammoth responsibility rests upon your shoulders. You‚ as My representatives, are destined to bring My saving Words to the world—to impart salvation to the world in the Time of the End.

14. The false Christ will soon appear. Even now he demonstrates his signs and wonders as people around the globe are taken with his illusions, such as his proposal that a global econ­omy will be the solution to their problems, or his illusion that modern technology, false ­science, and carnal wisdom will only be to the betterment of mankind. Though these things appear to do some good for a time, they are also the beginning of great sorrow and destruction. The world oohs and aahs in amazement at his evil ingenuity, at his trickery and his clever devices, as he manipulates presidents, kings‚ and nations, those who talk of peace and safety, but who have pride and war in their hearts. His manipulating wins the ignorant to his favor and puts things in place for his soon-coming rule. He is soon to be revealed in the flesh. When he is‚ you must continue leading the masses to Me, the true Christ, so that I can save them from the distress that will reach the four corners of the planet.

15. I know there are many sacrifices involved in the leadership that you, My Family, must bear. I know what it means to carry such a weight, to be shepherds, teachers, bellwethers, pillars in My Kingdom‚ those who bring salvation and truth to mankind. It's a hefty responsibility. This is why I want to comfort your hearts; for though the cross you carry weighs heavy on your shoulders, I will make compensations available to you which will help you carry on to final triumph.

16. When I was faced with the impossible, with that which was too hard for Me in My human strength to bear, I was driven in desperation to look for a way to overcome. This is what led Me to learn the art of rising above. This was My salvation. I didn't have to give in. I didn't have to succumb to defeat. I didn't have to bear unbearable burdens; all I had to do was rise above—up and over each and every obstacle.

17. I wasn't looking for a way to shirk My responsibilities, but I did know that if I was going to fulfill My destiny, I had to find the way to rise above the things that tried to hinder Me, stop Me, or hold Me down. I knew that what was expected of Me was too difficult for My human hands, for My Own arm of flesh. Clearly, it was impossible for humankind. The tasks before Me were too difficult for Me, too much in every sense for My human frame to contend with. Realizing this‚ I got down to business with My Father.

Vision on the Hillside

18. We were alone, My Father and I, on a hillside, when an amazing event took place. I cried to Him, saying, "I cannot meet these expectations. My spirit is willing‚ but My flesh is too weak." My Father then spoke to Me not only with words, but He showed Me a vision. He opened My spiritual eyes and revealed to Me how it would be possible for Me to rise above any and all impossible circumstances that would present themselves during My earthly life.

19. In the vision, I saw Myself in a number of different scenarios, each one an impossible situ­ation. In one scene I was confronted with 5,000 hungry men, not counting the women and children. In another scene, Mary and Martha clung to My side, pleading for their brother's life. In another scene I was walking across an angry sea, the winds were blowing, the waves were surging, and there I stood afloat, standing on the water, calling Peter to come to My side. In another I saw before Me scores of blind, sick and dying of all ages; they were calling and reaching out to Me, begging to be made whole. And then I saw Myself hanging on a cross‚ My hands and feet pierced with nails and My side thrust through with a spear, a crown of thorns upon My head.

20. At first, being tempted to fear at the sight of this vision‚ I wanted to turn and run away. But in that moment, I felt My Father's hand come down firmly on My shoulder as He said, "No, Son. Take a closer look." As I did, I then witnessed the most amazing thing. In that moment, as each scene of the vision ran by Me again‚ I saw something more than My Own human self. This time, in each scene I saw the Spirit of My Father descend upon Me. My Father's Spirit didn't just surround Me, it didn't just stand by Me, it came upon Me, into Me, in full force. We became one. We were one, and when this happened, I had power and strength beyond all human measure. When this happened, I saw Myself in the vision able to rise above each situation. I was rising above each set of imposs­ible circumstances to stand triumphant, to feed the hungry, to raise the dead, to walk on the water, to heal the sick, and to overcome death.

21. Finally I understood that this was going to be the key, the secret‚ the victory; this would bring triumph every time. This was how I would be able to rise above—by yielding My fleshly mind‚ heart, body and soul to fully receive My Father's Spirit. By receiving His Heavenly Spirit‚ by allowing Him to rest fully on Me, to have full sway with Me—this is how I was able to rise above.

22. The key was in yielding, in believing, in receiving. For though I was a man of flesh, though My Own human spirit was willing‚ it was too weak—but the Spirit of My Father was not. My Father then reminded Me of the words that were given to the prophet Isaiah when he prophesied of the anointing I was to receive. The prophet said, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him."

23. Then I understood how I was to rise above, for it would not be Me; that is‚ My flesh. It wouldn't be through any talents or capabilities of the flesh that I possessed. It was to be in My receiving, in yielding completely to My ­Father, by letting go and letting His Spirit rest fully on Me, enter completely into Me, and work completely through Me. By becoming one with the Spirit of My Father, I could rise above every impossibility that would confront Me on Earth. It was when the Spirit of My Father came upon Me that I was given wisdom, knowledge‚ good counsel, under­standing, and righteous judgment. All I had to do was to fully receive Him, to yield to His Spirit that was always available to envelop Me fully and completely, and thus give Me extreme power.

24. When we became one, I then took on My Father's divine nature. Becoming one with My Father, taking on His Own nature, gave Me the strength to rise above any difficulty I was presented with‚ because that's when I could see things through the eyes of the spirit. That's when I was able to see through My Father's eyes. When I did, the things of the world grew dim, the unlimited possibilities of the spirit beamed through, and I saw that all things were possible when propelled by the power of Heaven!

25. All I had to do was become one with My Father and let His Spirit dwell fully in Me, that is, in My flesh, and thus I had His strength and power to pull Me through each difficult spot.

26. Through that little talk with My ­Father, and through the vision He opened to Me there on the hillside, I began to understand with My human mind what the art of rising above was all about. This is how I was to rise to triumph—by letting the Spirit of Almighty God dwell in Me, live in Me, move in Me, and lift Me above all obstacles. By becoming one with My Father, yielding completely to His Spirit, taking on His Own divine nature, I could overcome.

You Too Can Rise Above

27. What is greater than all the impossible circum­stances around you? God Almighty! This is how you too can rise above every seeming impossibility that presents itself to you ­today. Each of you who have received Me, and who have asked for My Spirit, carries with you a measure of My Spirit at all times. But when you're in dire straits, when you're faced with the imposs­ible in these days of action‚ you will need to let My Spirit come into you in full strength. If you are to rise above, you must let My Spirit rest in you, completely and without reservation. You must take on My divine nature.

28. This concept of receiving more of My Spirit may sound familiar to you. You know the principles of what I'm telling you, and you may think, "But, Lord, we have Your Spirit and have had it all along." Yes, you have, as I too carried a good portion of My Father's Spirit with Me. But when I was fully into My most demanding ministry, when I lived through My Own era of action, I learned I needed to fully yield to His Spirit if I was to rise above. I had to let the Spirit of My Father come into Me and fully dwell in Me.

29. You have received My Spirit‚ and you do make strides to let Me dwell in you more completely all the time. But believe Me‚ you haven't fully understood or experi­enced the full extent of the matter—for now, in these days of action, you must receive more steadily, more readily‚ more completely. You've had glimpses; you've experienced it to a degree and you're getting closer all the time. But I tell you, dear loves, that as you now continue in the era of action, you will need to receive My Spirit in you in a greater and more complete measure. As you yield more completely, as you receive My Spirit and let it fully rest upon you‚ as you truly "let go and let God," as you allow Me to have free rein in your heart and mind and spirit, you will be able to rise above! This is the art of rising above—to truly let go and let Me have full sway in you! This is how you can overcome any problem, any difficulty, any impossibility!

30. I had to allow My Father to have full sway in My life. We had to be one; this was crucial to My survival. You must now do the same. I've been teaching you the importance of greater yieldedness and greater sensitivity to My Spirit, greater fine-tuning of your channels to be ready to receive My Words at all times, and this is what rising above is all about. The ability to rise above lies in fully receiving My Spirit in every fiber of your being; it's about letting Me freely flow through you, completely and without reservation.

How to Cultivate

The Art of Rising Above

31. After My Father showed Me this vision on the hillside, I sought Him in the following days as to how I could cultivate the practice of rising above. I asked Him how I could let go of the flesh and let more of His Heavenly Spirit prevail in Me, enough so that I could truly take on His divine nature and rise above impossibilities. He was faithful to give Me the guidance I needed, and I want to pass this same guidance on to you.

32. As you go over these points, guard against thinking, "I already know this." For though some of these points may seem familiar, I ask you to think in terms of action‚ in terms of being full-time doers, all-out practitioners, in order to form these good habits, fully embracing these principles, putting them into use in your lives. Think big. Think in terms of "all the way." Think, "It's gotta be all or nothing at all!" Be a practitioner. Follow these points, My loves. Put this wise counsel into motion in your lives, not only in theory but in genuine practice, and you too will rise triumphant every time:

How to rise above:

• Strive for a clean heart and right attitude at all times.

• Make the decision: Do you want to go under, or do you want to rise above?

• Know that you are weak in yourself and you can't make it without My help. Rely completely on My mercy‚ recognizing and accepting that without Me you can do nothing.

• Shun all wrong or ungodly attitudes.

• See every obstacle as an opportunity to rise above and make progress.

• Reach up to Me; depend on Me, and Me alone. Tap into the faith that I've put within you.

• Let My Spirit fully rest upon you. This is more than allowing My Spirit to dwell alongside you. It's more than receiving only a portion—it's receiving My Spirit into every single fiber of your being. You do this by:

  1. Living in My Word. Counteract all negative input and vibes of the Devil that float around you with the antidote of My Word. Take this remedy as often as needed—read the Word, think about it, dwell on it‚ receive it fresh, then do it. Be doers of My Word and of the things I show you; take action.
  2. Continue asking Me everything. Don't make a move without hearing from Me. Listen to My voice and live the truth I reveal to you. Do the things I tell you to do, doubting not. This will strengthen your faith and lift you above.
  3. Don't give any place to the Devil in your heart or spirit. Reject his false ways and perverted attitudes by dwelling on that which is true, honest‚ just, pure, lovely, and of a good report.

• Let My divine nature rule within you by:

  1. Using your gift of humility and exercising your power of surrender. Yield to Me your mind, your heart, your thoughts, your life. Let go of yourself and hold on to Me, and only Me.
  2. Keep your intimate relationship with Me strong, for as you love Me intimately, you let My Spirit rest upon you; you become one with Me; you take on more of My nature, which is divine. When this happens, you will see things more in the spirit, which is reality, and less in the carnal, which is the façade that confronts man. Then I can lift you out of the earthly realm so that you can walk more in the Heavenly realm. We become one and you are able to rise above that of the Earth and instead walk more in the spirit.
  3. Live by My spiritual principles and let them go to work for you. If you live by My super­natural laws‚ you will be empowered to rise above the natural‚ you will walk in the supernatural‚ you will triumph!

33. The Spirit of My Father was My refuge, just as I will be your refuge. This will be your only recourse if you are to rise above what is to come in these Last Days. As My Father's Spirit rested upon Me, My Spirit will rest upon you. I've been preparing you for these many years. Your destiny, like Mine, is to preach the Word of truth, to heal the brokenhearted, the sick, and those who are beaten down, to deliver those who are bound.

34. As you let go of yourselves and let My Spirit rest on you fully, you will find that My grace is sufficient. This is how you, like Me, will become more than conquerors. This is how you will stand steadfast and immovable. This is how none of the surrounding circumstances will be able to move you. This is how‚ though troubles surround you, you will not be distressed; though perplexities arise, you will not despair; though war rises around you, though famine and pestilence are rampant, it will not shake you; though your enemies seek you out to destroy you, they will stumble and fall—while you rise above! This is how you will overcome! (End of message from Jesus.)

35. (Mama: ) As we continue in the era of action, we need all the help we can get. The goals, needs and demands are much more than we're able to bear on our own. The prospects of all there is to accomplish for the Lord are so awesome that it's daunting if we look at things from the perspective of our human limitations. We can't possibly do everything the Lord is asking of us—that is, not without the supernatural anoint­ing and power that He wants to give us. We can't do it, but we can! What I mean is, we can't do it in our measly puny human strength, but we can do it if we do as the Lord has instructed us and thereby receive the full anointing of power and strength of His Spirit.

36. If the Lord needed more of the Heavenly Spirit to rise above the difficulties, obstacles and circumstances during His Own era of action, how much more will we need the same! Yes, we do have His Spirit already. We are Spirit-filled Christians and most of us have been for years. But that's not enough! We need more. As the Lord said, in these days of action we must receive the Spirit more fully‚ more steadily, more readily, and more completely.

37. We're living in thrilling times, and they've only just begun! We will undoubtedly see miracles and fruit from our labors that will go far beyond our present expectations. In this era of action we're standing on the verge of greater works and the fulfillment of the Lord's promises to us. There is so much more to come. But we must be ready; we must be worthy of such honor. To be so, we must be obedient to the Lord's admonitions and instruction.

38. I understand that you might feel that all that's before us is too much to bear. Maybe you feel too tired, too burned out with missionary work, too discouraged with the problems around you. Well, Jesus felt the same. What He faced and what His Father asked of Him overwhelmed Him too. But He didn't give up; He didn't just float along or drift into the oblivion of discouragement‚ compromise or apathy. No, the opposition He encountered inspired Him to take a stand; He allowed all that He faced to spur Him to action, to motivate Him to find and grab ahold of what would help Him rise above! He said He was driven in desperation to look for a way to overcome, and that is what led Him to learn the art of rising above.

39. He has given each of us the keys to this art. We too can learn to rise above! But it will cost us something. Jesus allowed the Holy Spirit to rest fully upon Him. He yielded completely to His Father's will, and He let the Spirit enter into Him completely. Of course, for this to happen He had to give up anything that was not part of His Father's plan. He didn't want to have anything in His life that would be a distraction or that would come between Him and His Father and His divine mission. All He wanted was to be fully and completely one with His Father and the Holy Spirit.

40. I'm sure Jesus was in desperate prayer and yielded all along, but what really motivated Him and gave Him that extra push to go all the way was when He saw all that was before Him and what would be expected of Him‚ and He realized He just couldn't do it. It was too much for Him. He knew He was insufficient in Himself. He needed so much more than what He had within Himself at that time.

41. It was that feeling of inadequacy, need or weakness that spurred our wonderful Husband to reach out to the Father for the full anointing, the full infilling of the Spirit. He didn't want to fail, so He was willing to do whatever it took.

42. That's where the Lord wants each of us to be. He has done so much to show us the future, to reveal all that will soon be ours. He makes very specific promises to us as a Family, and explains clearly what He expects of us, because He wants to motivate us with the great things that He will accomplish through us. Those promises that we'll grow as we feed the hungry and minister to the multitudes, becoming a church of believers with real spiritual and physical power and influence, are real! Jesus wants you to see that, He wants you to know the future—and the reason is not just to encourage you, but also to inspire you to do the same thing He did—to seek out the full anointing and empowerment of the Spirit so you can learn the art of overcoming and rise above any problem, difficulty, or imposs­ibility that you encounter!

43. All things are possible when propelled by the power of Heaven. Won't you please pray desperately to take on the Lord's nature, yield fully and without reservation to Him‚ and receive His anointing of full faith to learn the art of rising above? This is something He wants to give each of us, and this is what we need if we're to do and be all that He asks of us!

44. This is only the beginning, dear loves! There is so much more to come. Don't let the Enemy scare you with his visions of defeat and difficulty. See with the eyes of the spirit and let the Lord lift you to the Heavenlies. Behold all that He has for you, and let that drive you to His arms. Find His full anointing and power by obeying His Word, and together we will do miracles and be triumphant. Peter and I love you dearly and eternally.

Yours forever in our wonderful Husband,

Mama