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.)

"Leadership Lessons, Part 1," ML #3347:14-17,19-30,32,35-54‚56-57, GN 941

14. (Mama:) In this message the Lord talks to the [RSs] about how many of them had lost the joy of their salvation. We asked the Lord if that applied to the Family overall as well, and here's what He said.

15. "Many of My beloved brides have lost the joy of their salvation. It's something that not many people want to admit—they feel condemned and humiliated that they feel this way, and they wonder if they're the only one. Some of the older ones wonder if it's because they've reached the end of their steam‚ the end of their usefulness‚ or if it's a condition that comes with the slowing down of the body as you get older. Many of the younger ones have accepted it as just a way of life, and many wonder if they'll be able to keep going and doing the same thing day after day.

16. "It's something that I want to free My children from! The joy of their salvation is a right, a blessing that I've ordained for them to have, part of their reward for following Me! I'm furious at the Enemy for his plan by which he has stolen it away from My children, and I wish to give it back in full measure! Each one should read this message as if it were given for them, because it is indeed for them. While there might be small details that are different in every situation, this overall message, this plea, this ultimatum, is for each of My dear brides.

17. "I want each of them to reach their full potential. I want each of them to go on to serve Me to the greatest capacity and enjoy the greatest usefulness possible. I want each of them to be fully happy in Me. This message will be a turning point. This message holds the keys to victory!" (End of message.)

I know what you're going through

19. (Jesus:) My darling loves, My generals and faithful warriors, I love you, I appreciate you, and I need you. I know the hardship you have borne over the long term. I feel the heartache you have felt at seeing your plans and desired progress frustrated and thwarted and not moving forward as you have wished. I've been touched with the physical afflictions you have endured, which are often a direct result of the load you carry, with all the stress, worry, concern and physical sacrifices that come with it. I'm not a stranger to the personal discouragement and even despair that you've felt, as you view yourself as so incapable of meeting the great demands before you. I understand the times you've nearly collapsed under the weight of your enormous to–do list, wondering if maybe it would be better for you‚ your family, and everyone if you were to just resign.

20. I realize that you feel embarrassed and ashamed that you don't use the new weapons more, that you don't love Me intimately more, that you don't ask Me everything as much as you should. I understand that feeling of falling short in your personal sample. I have felt your anguish of heart when you've looked around you at the overwhelming problems in the Family and felt it was impossible. You felt horrible for your lack of faith, but there just seemed no end to the troubles, and no solutions in sight.

21. What a job, the job of [an RS]. You are all saints in that you have been willing to accept and endure such a job. What could possibly motivate you to do that? What could make you want to live such a life of sacrifice, where you get so little credit for the good or the progress, and yet nearly all the blame for the bad or the mistakes? What could possibly cause you to look deep within you for the strength and endurance to keep going for so long under such a weight and such pressure? It is love that compels you to do it—love for Me, your brethren, and the lost of the world!

22. I know that each day you give to the limit, you pour out all that's within you. You try your very hardest to get as much done as you can. You weep when you hear of the problems of the sheep, and it pushes you to work hard for their sakes.

23. I am intimately involved in each of your lives, and I know what you're going through. I see it. I feel it. It hurts Me to see you so burdened, so sad. While I admire you for your willingness and unselfishness‚ at the same time I weep for you. Deep within Myself I grieve for you, My loves, for I know that it's too much to bear‚ too heavy a load. I know you've lost your joy, and your lives have become drudgery. It's just so much work. Work, work, work, every hour, every day, until there's so little of anything else—so little laughter, so little time with the babes and the children, so little time singing and dancing, so little time in My creation, so little time just loving and enjoying Me.

You've become Marthas

24. Where did it all go—the joy, the simplicity, the happiness in knowing Me? Have you stopped recently to reflect on that? What changed in your life? It used to all be so exciting. The Word was a source of constant fascination. You loved witnessing. Each day you woke with a song on your lips. There were so many little miracles. The supply of your needs was a continual manifestation of My love for you. There were new adventures, interesting things to learn, great people to talk to, and life was fun. Serving Me was a constant thrill. What happened?

25. All that I just described to you is part of what I refer to as "the joy of your salvation." Those people who know Me and are saved are the most blessed people on Earth. And you, the children of David‚ are the most blessed of the blessed—for not only are you saved and you know it, but you are also rich in spirit because of My truth and revelations‚ and in having a purpose in living. There's no one on Earth as blessed as you, as privileged, or as rich. What a calling, what a vocation, what an honor!

26. But in spite of that‚ most of you know that something is missing in your life. You hear these words and you're pricked in your conscience. You feel ashamed because you know you haven't been feeling this way or even been aware of this perspective. You've gotten so far away from this simple vision and reality. It seems like a dream, almost childlike or surreal. I will tell you why.

27. My darling loves, as much as you have meant well, as much as you have had the right motives and served Me with unselfishness and sincerity, there is one thing that you're not seeing or not accepting. This is a serious problem. For the most part, you have not chosen that good thing that will not be taken away. You have become Marthas—very faithful, diligent, concerned and caring Marthas, but Marthas nonetheless. You are cumbered about with so much service, so much work and labor. It hurts Me to have to say this, because I know you've meant well and you've truly wanted to do your best. I know it seems impossible for you to have done anything differently. For that reason‚ this chiding might seem unfair, and you might even feel a bit resentful or upset. I understand.

I don't hold the past against you

28. In pointing this out to you, I'm not minimizing your desire to do the right thing. I know why you've done what you have. … For this reason, trust Me when I say I don't condemn you for your Martha-ism, for your many works, for the effort you've put forth. I appreciate it, and I give credit where credit is due.

29. I applaud you for your unselfishness! I honor you for your endurance and perseverance under very difficult conditions!

30. I speak not to condemn you, or even to make you feel bad. My intent, My loves, is only to make things better for you—better for your families and better for the flocks you care for. That is My goal. The way I look at it is, this is a new beginning. I'm not holding the past against you. I'm looking at today and at the future. I'm not thinking of the past, but of your needs today and where we're headed.

32. Let's learn from the past, and then forget it. Let's just look at the future. I want you to know what to expect in the months and years to come. I want you to know what you can expect of Me and what I expect of you. Fair enough?

You will always have too much to do

35. I want to explain something that is key. You must understand this principle if you're to make the change needed in your life: You will always have too much to do. … I purposely allow you to have too much to do. That's part of My plan, and it's for a very definite‚ express purpose.

36. Your having too much to do should force you to come to Me, to depend on Me. I want to carry your load. I want to work with you. I want to be your primary Teamworker. If your load were so manageable for you, if it weren't absolutely overwhelming and crushing, then you'd carry it on your own, thinking, "I can handle this." So I'm forced to keep the pressure on, to keep you under the weight of the burden in hopes that you'll cry out to Me and let Me carry it.

Your work must be founded on the spiritual

37. Besides the fact that I want to work with you and be close to you, helping you on a daily basis, there is another reason why I make your load in the physical more than you can bear. It's because your work for Me, the Family's work for Me, is a spiritual matter. Your efforts and works must be founded primarily upon the spiritual. As you well know, you wrestle not against flesh and blood‚ but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Greater am I that am in you than he that is in the world.

38. No matter how much training, expertise, wisdom or initiative you or your co-workers have‚ that alone will never be enough. Never! Even your best efforts, your hardest work, your greatest teamworking and pumping people power will never be enough. Only I can make up the difference.

39. You must have My miracle–working power, otherwise everything you do will fall short. This is the crux of the matter. If you can just understand this point, then I believe you'll never stray down that path of Martha again.

40. What that means is, no matter how hard you work, no matter how many messages you write or how many meetings you host, it will never be enough‚ because it's the dynamics of the spirit world that My work must be done first and foremost in the spirit—through spending time with Me in the Word and prayer. I know you know this in principle; you've read it hundreds of times. But the full truth of this has failed to sink deep within your heart. The reality of My power and your need for it has not taken hold in your mind to the point that it governs your priorities, decisions, and mindset.

Let Me work for you!

41. Be honest with yourselves. If you truly understood this concept and accepted it fully in your heart‚ do you think you'd be missing your Word time, skipping your prayer vigils, and regularly postponing or cutting short your conference days? Step back and examine yourselves. Look at the way you operate. What do you see?

42. I'll tell you what I see. There are multitudes who need to be reached with My message. There are countless disciples to be won. There's a hungry and bleating flock already within the folds. There are ravenous wolves attacking and trying to maim and kill the lambs. There are harvesting tools to be made and implemented. And there you stand with your little tools in hand, ready to go to work. You're determined and dedicated, and you're looking around seeing which direction to move first. Of course, it's overwhelming, as each and every need would be a full-time job. So you dash around, a little here and a little there. Your tools are very tiny and outdated, so you get your hands all scratched up and your clothes torn. By the end of the day you're exhausted, dirty, and sad. The next day it begins again.

43. All the while I'm standing right behind you—Me with My team of angelic helpers and spirit beings who tower above you like giants—and we're trying to get your attention. We're waving and shouting and whistling! We have huge modern technology in our hands, tools that you've never seen. If you'd just ask, we're ready to operate our tools on your behalf, which would make your work much easier. But alas, you keep running around here and there‚ saying, "I'll be right with You. Just a minute. I just have to take care of this one thing‚ and then this other, and then this other. Ahhh ... just one second. Really, I'm almost done."

44. Every once in a while you collapse, and then you call on Me and My team, and we're so happy! Finally we're able to step in and do the work for you. But then, as soon as you feel you've recouped a tiny bit of strength, you're up and at it again. "Oh, excuse me," you say, as you push your way to the front. "Uhhh, I need to get to work. Could You move over a little? Let me see, now where was I?" And there you go again. Same story, over and over.

45. If you could see it from My point of view, you'd see that it's really ridiculous! You are merely weak men and women. I am the God of the Universe. All power is given to Me. I rule! I keep My promises. I am a faithful, doting Husband, and yet there's so little room for Me in your lives.

46. You know what that is? It's self-righteousness. It's thinking too highly of yourselves. It's the epitome of the arm of the flesh. Anything and everything that you could ever do is minute, weak and pathetic compared to what I can do. I can do anything! I can do everything! When you really think about it, what can you do?

47. This is My work, My Family‚ My flock‚ My harvest field, My tools, and I am the Boss! This is something I want to get straightened out once and for all. If you want to work for Me, if you want to be an example to the flock, if you want to be in leadership, there are rules, and the first one on the list is to let Me work! The way you do that is by letting Me into your lives fully. Instead of thinking the world will fall apart if you don't rush into the day answering your mail messages, instead of working late into the night trying to finish up that last file, instead of all those long, draining meetings, instead of rushing around here and there to tie up every loose end in sight—call on Me. Let Me work for you! Let Me do it! Because don't you get it?—Only I can!

48. I want to see your priorities change. I want that time with you in My Word every single day. I want to speak to you in prophecy every single day! I want to give you answers as you meditate in prayer every single day. I want you to lay hold of My miracle-working power through intercessory prayer every single day. You either do that or you're fired!

49. Sorry, but we need to be clear here. I'm the Boss. It's My company. Those are the rules. It has to be that way, and the reason it has to be that way is because otherwise you'll fail, and the Family will fail. It's as simple as that. There's too much for you as a human to do. The load is and will always be too big. The battle is waged in the spirit, not in the physical world. You must have My miracle-working power.

You could have taken more time with Me

50. No matter what the circumstances were that you faced over the last months or years, you could have come to Me. You could have taken the time. You could have cast your burdens on Me. You could have cried out to Me to do what you couldn't do. You could have shown yourself weak to your mate, teamwork, Home and field. You could have done it. You could have solicited My power.

51. If you had done so more, you would have seen miracles. You would have released the power of Heaven on your behalf. Things would be different today.

52. Of course, it's not that you never prayed or sought Me. You did. Sometimes you did so more faithfully than other times. But again, it was often not too long before most of you muscled your way up to the front again, pushing Me and your spirit helpers aside, so you could go to work. You failed to avail yourself of My power fully, because you refused to show yourself fully dependent upon Me. You chose instead to do it yourself, to work hard‚ to push and cram.

53. That's why you're so tired, so burned out, so sad. Your sample trickles down, and the loss is cumulative. When others don't see you spend the time you need to with Me; when they don't see you commit your needs to Me, expecting miracles; when there's a lack of intercessory prayer—then that affects their habits as well. I know that's a terrible weight of responsibility, but it's sad but true that most people look more at the sample of their leaders and shepherds than at what's written in the Word. I wish I could free you from that burden, but it's the nature of man to follow man and what they can see, rather than what's invisible or known only in theory.

54. I know your hearts and I know that your greatest desire is to please Me. Again‚ I acknowledge that what you've done, you've done with good motives. For this reason, I beg you, My darlings, to not allow the Enemy of your soul to come in with lies, condemnation, and remorse. Forget the past. Let's just learn the lesson and go on. Look at the future. This is a new day, and there are miracles to come!

56. If you will take up the challenge to change, My loves, you will see a change—in your spirits, your personal happiness, your relationships, and the fruitfulness of your Homes and fields. I want to make life easy for you. I want to free you from the addictions to stress and overwork. I want you to be happy and inspired. I want others to see Me in you.

57. I know you can do it‚ but it will take building new habits. Work together. Help each other. Start today! Make it all worthwhile—all the sacrifices and hard work of the past—by letting Me finish the job! I love you and need you. I know you won't let Me down or push Me away again. You won't be disappointed! Your Lover and doting Husband, Jesus. (End of message.)

"Rising Above, Part 1," ML #3379:37-39,94-101,230-234, Post–it GN #2

37. (Jesus:) Are you no longer expecting miracles? Has it been a long time since you felt your heart leap with joy over some new truth—or since you did the unusual or offbeat thing, just out of sheer joy for Me and happiness at being one of My chosen few, one of My brides? If it has been a long time, then break out of your ruts and allow Me to surprise you, to thrill you, and to manifest My ability and power to regenerate and change you and give you even more zest and fervor for life and living than your earlier years! Strive to be an "up" person. Grab ahold of enthusiasm and optimism as opposed to your natural tendency to be a "realist" on all occasions.

38. Enthusiasm for life and all I'm doing comes from living more in Me. Enthusiasm is the rainbow atop faith's sky; it puts a new positive light on things. So strive for the spirit of enthusiasm. That doesn't mean you won't stumble and fall sometimes, but even an enthusiast "falls forward."

39. My resurrection life within you, and each one of My brides‚ is more actual energy than you've probably ever realized or utilized. You have the Spirit of My Father which raised Me from the dead dwelling within you, My love, and just as He raised Me from the dead, so can He quicken your earthen frames by His Spirit. That's one of My wonderful truths and promises I've given to you, and this resurrection power that is within you through Me has given you the same power to rise above. Claim it as yours!

94. (Jesus:) Rising above means you can have total victory, happiness, and My spirit of joy and delight all the time. Sure, there will be times when you're going through it or get bogged down with something, but at those times you can rise above. Anything that comes up in your work or your personal life is not too much for Me to handle. It's not too hard for Me to help you to rise above it.

95. In other words, there is life and hope and love and joy available to you in any situation you find yourself in. There are no limits to the happiness you can have in life once you've learned to rise above.

96. Life is full of troubles‚ trials and problems. That's the daily grind of life—the wearing and chipping and grinding and polishing that makes you the jewel you are, if you're allowing Me to work in your life, and allowing Me to let circumstances and conditions fashion you into a better gem. All the nagging little details of life don't have to get you down—they can thrust you into rising above and garnering all the joy and fulfillment out of life that you didn't know was possible before.

97. Rising above and having the ability to do so at any time also means that you can leave off worry or fear‚ because there's nothing that I cannot help you to rise above. You don't have to be fearful or worried about what will happen, because you have My personal assurance that once you've learned the art of rising above, nothing will be so very difficult for you. You will have the extra special spiritual power and strength that rising above gives you, and nothing will be impossible to you.

98. Whether a small thing or a big thing, rising above gives you the equal chance to get over and above something without having to bear the weight. You can cast your cares on Me and trust Me to sustain you. You don't have to worry so much about you having to do something, because I'm going to do it through you. I'm now going to help you to rise above through the power of the keys of the Kingdom. I'm going to live in you and through you by giving you this special, unique power.

99. It means that you now hold the power that enables you to defeat the Enemy in every way that he tries to discourage and hinder you. You don't have to fear him and his attacks anymore, because the power of rising above is a greater power. It's not a power that struggles and fights against the Enemy's power; it simply rises above, it lifts you above‚ into a special impenetrable protective field of My Spirit, into My Heavenly atmosphere. There's nothing the Enemy can do about that. He can't fight back‚ bring in reinforcements, or pull out a new weapon or tactic. All he can do is vainly struggle on while you have risen above and are out of reach of his attacks. So the power of rising above is much greater than conventional physical or spiritual warfare the Devil can hit you with, because it can't be beat no matter what.

100. You have to realize the power that I've given in rising above. It's not just a metaphor or a cool-sounding thing. It's not just a spiritual symbolism. It's a real and living power. Once you realize this, then you'll have much more faith in every area of your life, because you'll realize that you have not only a strong and powerful Lover and Husband to protect you, but an invincible, can't-be-beat power of rising above at your disposal, anytime you need it. It will help you realize just how important you are, and how powerful you are through Me, because I've seen fit to give you this special gift.

101. So rejoice in it! Praise Me for it. Love Me for it. It's your salvation and will help to make the way before you perfect, because as you stumble or fall or encounter difficulty, you can rise above on the wings of faith—the faith that I've given you this gift, and faith to call on the power of the keys to make it a reality in your life—and that all you have to do is appropriate it, and it's yours! Let Me lift you to new heights, and help you through the difficulties of the present and the future. I will do it for you because I love you, because I adore you, because I care for you, because you're Mine, and you're special to Me. (End of message.)

230. (Jesus:) You've been bound with chains forged by the Enemy—chains of lethargy, of apathy, of indifference, of selfishness, of carnal thinking, of negativity, of hopelessness. There is so much to hope for and look forward to! The future is as bright as all My promises! There's nothing that the Enemy or your enemies or anyone can do to thwart My plans and defeat My program. We will overcome! We will be victorious! You are on the winning team, and we are going to go places! It's up to you, though, what kind of player you'll be on the team—whether you'll be a member who mostly sits on the sidelines and cheers and fills in for the other players every now and then; or whether you'll be one of the star players, one who gets out there and runs and pushes for all you're worth, and gives it your all! I'm not just talking about pushing in your work here‚ and I hope you understand that. Focusing too much on the work is another way that you can push Me aside from being in first place‚ and a very common mistake that is made. I'm talking about your overall life—about your work, your time with Me, your interactions with others—everything being filled with the zeal and dedication of being My disciple.

231. It's the joy of salvation that you've been feeling the lack of, and I want to restore that to you now. There are other issues and problems in your life, but these will fall into place far more smoothly once you have that joy of your salvation once again coursing through your spiritual veins. It will bring you life, light and nourishment.

232. How do you get that? How do you feel that? Start by rededicating yourself to Me in spirit. Even now‚ this very minute, you can rededicate your heart and spirit to Me. You can place it all in My hands. You can determine and commit to giving Me first place. Start with your time. That's what really counts. Whatever matters to you, you spend time on. Fight to take more time with Me, to take good quality feeding, refreshing‚ renewing time every single day reading My Words‚ hearing from Me, praising Me, loving Me, communing with Me in prayer. Do each of these things every day. Maybe sometimes you'll take a half hour for each, maybe sometimes just a few minutes, but if you are striving to at least touch on each of these facets of your spiritual life, and seeking Me for how to make these times we have together really count, then I assure you that you will be so much better off. You will be happier, you will be more efficient and effective—and above all, you will be pleasing Me, you will be serving Me wholeheartedly as a true disciple, and thus your witness and power and effectiveness will be so much greater.

233. It's not that you haven't been a disciple all along, but I want you to now be a more active one, more forceful in spirit. It's that forcefulness and determination in spirit that will combat lethargy of spirit. Pray for that. Seek for that. It's the keys of the Kingdom that will help bring about that assertiveness and vigor in your life.

234. I want you to determine and will to fight for changing things in your own life, and in turn in your Home and ministry‚ so as to suit them more to My design, to My plan, to My highest will. Be willing to be a fool for Me, to be a robot for Me, even if it makes you feel stupid or like you're not yourself any more. You'll be a better self, a self more filled with Me, and that's what really matters. (End of message.)

"Leadership Lessons, Part 2," ML #3385:11-15,17-24, GN 982

Be Filled with My Joy!

(Jesus sings: )