Thoughts Higher Than Mine_Living Word Chronicle

By Moses Hightower

Thelma and Moses Hightower

Follow the Steps of the Father of Faith, and Behold the Beauty of the Works of the Rest

What I have promised, I will perform. You have believed; therefore, are you counted righteous. You have struggled in vain as you have considered so many things of yourself. Now cease your struggle to make things happen and enter into the works of the rest. The works performed in the works of the rest are spiritual products and not carnal manifestations of self-righteousness. Enter into my rest again and cease from your own works of the flesh. Remember, I ceased from my works on the seventh day. Allow me to show you the beauty of the works of the rest. Look to my sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Behold your death, burial, and resurrection, which was your part in the covenant that I made with you. Know of a surety that the effects of the covenant are now working on your behalf. You will behold the power of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp in your life continually. Look to your furnace, your lamp, and me. I am your light and your consuming fire. Look to this light and this ability to consume the things that need to be consumed.

Avoid the temptations that come with enticing persuasions to draw you into a trust in the flesh. I have not prevented you from receiving the promises given you. In due time, the fulfillment shall manifest itself. The tempter has come to seduce you to lean on the arm of flesh. Beware of the hands near you, which shall become the hands of offerings from the flesh. You must be fully persuaded, lest your love for the owner of these hands become the persuasion that convinces you to trust in the flesh. Many have brought upon themselves great sorrow because of their intimacy with the offerings of the flesh. The offspring of these relationships hinder revival in the lives of many even now. The offspring of these intimacies with the works of the flesh are against you at this very moment. Unless you cast out these offspring of the works of your flesh, you shall be bound by their contempt. Remember the new covenant that I have made with you and cease your continual war with these offspring. Cast them out and continue your walk of faith. Know of a truth that the power of your baptism has assured you of the benefits of the covenant. You are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh as you were buried with me in baptism.

I have revealed myself unto you. Now come and sup with me, and I will eat of your praise and your worship. With my light and my furnace, I shall consume your offerings as a sacrifice well pleasing. As a sweet savor of incense, I have received your offerings, and now I will confirm my promises through that which is weak and unlikely. I have promised. It is impossible for me to lie. I will do a marvelous work for my name's sake; therefore, do not fear that the promises will not come to pass. I have promised. Do not consider your own self, neither the deadness of the things about you. Do not stagger at my promises through unbelief, but be strong in faith while you give glory to me. Be fully persuaded that what I have promised, I will perform.

Pray and your effectual prayers shall avail much. Do not pray for those who are not fit. They have declared their unworthiness by their action. You cannot change my mind concerning these things that I shall crystallize before your face and before the world. Go on to the things that are of purpose and cease worrying and praying about the things outside of my will. Many are drunk on the wine of worry and unbelief. Their spiritual drunkenness has mocked their faith and impregnated them with minds of human reasoning and not the mind of faith. Their spiritual incest has produced the filthy seed of the hour. The seed has now become abodes for unbelievers who do not follow faith. Now abides faith, hope, and charity. Follow the steps of the father of faith. Follow hope. It will not make you ashamed. Follow charity. It will lead you to fulfillment. Follow peace with all men and holiness, and you will see me, the Promiser.

HUMAN REASONING, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, TEMPTATIONS, AND UNBELIEF

What Jesus has promised, he will perform. I have believed; therefore, I am counted righteous. I have struggled in vain as I have considered so many things of myself. I cease my struggle to make things happen and enter into the works of the rest. The works performed in the works of the rest are spiritual products and not carnal manifestations of self-righteousness. I enter into his rest again and cease from my own works of the flesh. I remember that Jesus ceased from his works on the seventh day. I allow him to show me the beauty of the works of the rest. I look to his sacrifice of the Lamb of God. I behold my death, burial, and resurrection, which was my part in the covenant that he made with me. I know of a surety that the effects of the covenant are now working on my behalf. I will behold the power of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp in my life continually. I look to my furnace, my lamp, and my Jesus. He is my light and my consuming fire. I look to this light and his ability to consume the things that need to be consumed.

I avoid the temptations that come with enticing persuasions to draw me into a trust in the flesh. God has not prevented me from receiving the promises given me. In due time, the fulfillment shall manifest itself. The tempter has come to seduce me to lean on the arm of flesh. I will beware of the hands near me, which shall become the hands of offerings from the flesh. I must be fully persuaded, lest my love for the owner of these hands become the persuasion that convinces me to trust in the flesh. Many have brought upon themselves great sorrow because of their intimacy with the offerings of the flesh. The offspring of these relationships hinder revival in the lives of many even now. The offspring of these intimacies with the works of the flesh are against me at this very moment. Unless I cast out these offspring of the works of my flesh, I shall be bound by their contempt. I remember the new covenant that the Lord has made with me and cease my continual war with these offspring. I cast them out and continue my walk of faith. I know of a truth that the power of my baptism has assured me of the benefits of the covenant. I am circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh as I was buried with Christ in baptism.

God has revealed himself unto me. I now come and sup with him, and he will eat of my praise and my worship. With his light and his furnace, the Lord shall consume my offerings as a sacrifice well pleasing. As a sweet savor of incense, he has received my offerings, and now he will confirm his promises through that which is weak and unlikely. Jesus has promised. It is impossible for him to lie. He will do a marvelous work for his name's sake; therefore, I do not fear that the promises will not come to pass. He has promised. I do not consider my own self, neither the deadness of the things about me. I do not stagger at his promises through unbelief, but I will be strong in faith while I give glory to him. I am fully persuaded that what the Lord has promised, he will perform.

I will pray and my effectual prayers shall avail much. I do not pray for those who are not fit. They have declared their unworthiness by their action. I cannot change the Lord’s mind concerning these things that he shall crystallize before my face and before the world. I go on to the things that are of purpose and cease worrying and praying about the things outside of his will. Many are drunk on the wine of worry and unbelief. Their spiritual drunkenness has mocked their faith and impregnated them with minds of human reasoning and not the mind of faith. Their spiritual incest has produced the filthy seed of the hour. The seed has now become abodes for unbelievers who do not follow faith. Now abides faith, hope, and charity. I will follow the steps of the father of faith. I follow hope, for it will not make me ashamed. I will follow charity, for it will lead me to fulfillment. I will follow peace with all men and holiness, and I will see Jesus, the Promiser.

By Don Grigsby

Don and Linda Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - Follow the Steps of the Father of Faith, and Behold the Beauty of the Works of the Rest

I remember one of the first Rhema's that God ever gave to me. He simply said, “I did not say come unto me and struggle but come unto me and rest." Jesus is the forerunner that has gone before us, and he is the anchor that is sure and steadfast in the heavens. Resting in the Lord is ceasing from our attempts to work things out and reassigning everything to God. Our labor is in getting the flesh to sit down and shut up as we praise the provider of every blessing in our lives. David said in the Psalms that he wanted to behold the beauty of the Lord. His beauty is multiplied in the dynamic changes when he gives us his beauty for the ashes of our burned down lives. God takes the things that are not and brings to naught the things that are. This is to prohibit any flesh from glorying in his presence. All the praise and the honor go to him. Our flesh will only entangle us in religious pride that will create a stumbling block in our lives. If we will ignore every effort of our flesh and the efforts of others to bring about God's fulfillment, we will be ushered into the realm of stepping into complete trust in the Lord. We must remain steadfast and unmovable in our confession of faith. Every breath is the fire of the incense of praise upon the altar of God's sure covenant. Just as Elijah built an altar to the God who visibly answers all critics and doubters, so must we build an altar and declare that God is God right here and right now! He will immediately consume the entire surroundings with his consuming fire of love.

This day is another day that I made for you to rejoice and be glad. I desire that you behold my beauty and know of my faithfulness in your body. I dwell in earthen vessels. Behold the treasure that you have in your temple. Rejoice in the temple made without hands, and behold the beauty of God Almighty. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He was glad and rejoiced. Why did he rejoice?

Why are you sad?

Will you allow circumstances to affect your response to my day?

This is the day that I have made. Rejoice in the making of another day. Though the day was here before you arrived, yet did I, the Eternal God, make it. Lift your eyes from the futility of regret and difficult circumstances. I have lifted the clouds from your head and brought you showers of blessings. Dance in the rain of blessings. Unless you behold the invisible rain of blessings of the future, you will tabernacle the memories of the past. Go to the tabernacle of memories, and behold my goodness to you in the past. Remember the benefits of your salvation. Remember the graciousness of my Spirit. Remember the protection given you in the times of trouble. Remember the security offered every moment. Remember the goodness of your God at all times, and allow your praises to be continually in your mouth. When you have tabernacled the innumerable benefits of the past, then time will be no more.

Must you finish counting before you worship because of who I am?

Must you finish counting before you behold the invisibility of faithfulness to provide the rain of blessings being poured out in the spirit?

This day is another day that God made for me to rejoice and be glad. He desires that I behold his beauty and know of his faithfulness in my body. He dwells in earthen vessels. I behold the treasure that I have in my temple. I rejoice in the temple made without hands, and I behold the beauty of God Almighty. Abraham rejoiced to see his day. He was glad and rejoiced. He rejoiced because he truly believed in the Lord. I am sad because I have not truly believed on him as the scriptures have declared of him. Nevertheless, I will not allow circumstances to affect my response to God's day. This is the day that the Lord has made. I rejoice in the making of another day. Jesus, the Eternal God, made this day even though it was here before I arrived. I lift my eyes from the futility of regret and difficult circumstances. God has lifted the clouds from my head and brought me showers of blessings. I dance in the rain of blessings. Unless I behold the invisible rain of blessings of the future, I will tabernacle the memories of the past. I go to the tabernacle of memories, and I behold his goodness to me in the past. I remember the benefits of my salvation, the graciousness of his Spirit, and the protection given to me in the times of trouble. I remember the security offered every moment and the goodness of my God at all times. I allow my praises to be continually in my mouth. When I have tabernacled the innumerable benefits of the past, then time will be no more. I do not have to finish counting before I worship him because of who he is. I do not have to finish counting before I can behold the invisibility of faithfulness to provide the rain of blessings being poured out in the spirit.

By Don Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - God Is the Focus of True Worship

Our Creator and Champion have cast aside every warrior of condemnation. Every lie that is like a fiery dart will be quenched by the shield of faith that God has given to us. God's love for us will come as a flood as it did for David when he saw the Philistines brake forth upon by the flood of God's victorious power. We are not praising our own ability, but we are worshiping the one who paid the price for every promise of power at the cross. We will stand before the throne continually in our hearts and never cease to praise him, the one who took our place. We have been called away to him who has stopped by our door of worship. We will not worship ways and methods. Nothing works in our lives or the kingdom unless he is the very center of our attention. As we lavish our love on him in worship, we will see the breaking forth of revival that we have desired. It will be the people of the streets who ask, “Who is thy beloved above others?" We can truly say that he is the fairest among ten thousand and by far the most wonderful thing that can happen to any life. As we remain captivated by him in our worship, he will captivate others with the excitement they feel from us.

By Moses Hightower

(Continued)

I am your covert from the searching things of the hour. As I did not allow you to plunge to the bottom of the canyon of ignorance, I have also kept your feet from falling and given you more grace in the time when many are falling. Lift up your voice and offer sacrificial praise. Praises that do not cost you anything are also worthless praises unto me. I desire effectual fervent praises that are poured out unto me as precious water that you have risked your life for.

201. Why offer me anything that did not cost you something?

202. Am I a god, or am I the Living Eternal God?

203. If I am God, then predicate your worship upon my worth and not upon your feelings and blessings.

204. You must decide to worship me according to my worth, but how will you effectively worship me if you have not discovered that my worth is not calculable?

(To Be Continued)

RE: PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING - January 7, 2007

God never called us to come to him and struggle but to come unto him and rest. In Hebrews chapter three there were those who did not hear the voice of God and failed to enter into his rest. They were described as having an evil heart of unbelief. They tempted God and acted as if they did not know his ways. We know that his ways are higher than our ways. He will prepare a table in the wilderness and in the presence of our enemies at just the right time. We must not let our hearts be hardened as those who failed to hearken to the good word of God that came to them over and over again. Chapter four of Hebrews tells us that we that have entered into his rest have ceased from our own labors and struggles. We have learned to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. We have learned to speak to the rock and not smite it. If we will cease from our own efforts and not be like Abraham who went to Hagar and tried to help God we will be recipients of the promises and the rest that is in the working of the Holy Ghost. God's Word is infallible and immutable. No voice of deception or distraction is on the wave length where we listen to the voice of the Lord. We have to start listening to other voices to start hearing lies and for the seeds of corruption to be planted in our minds. God is no respecter of person. If he answered at the altar that Elijah built and gave a harvest of promises, he will do the same for those who have the mantle of prophecy wrapped around their hearts.

By Debbie McBee

January 7 , 2007

Jesus, I thank you for your promises, for what you have promised, you will perform. I am so grateful for the grace to believe; therefore, I am counted righteous. In times past, I have struggled in vain as I have considered so many things of myself. Now, I cease my struggle to make things happen and enter into the works of the rest. The works performed in the works of the rest are spiritual products and not carnal manifestations of self-righteousness. I enter into your rest again and cease from my own works of the flesh. You have brought to my remembrance how you ceased from works on the seventh day, and today I allow you to show me the beauty of the works of the rest. I look to you, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. You are allowing me to behold my death, burial, and resurrection, which is my part in the covenant that you made with me. By grace, I am confident in you, and I know of a surety that the effects of the covenant are now working on my behalf. I am beholding the power of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp in my life continually. I look to my furnace, my lamp, and to you, my Lord, for you are my light and my consuming fire. I look to you, the light, and to your ability to consume the things that need to be consumed.

I thank you for your constraining love that strengthens me to avoid the temptations that come with enticing persuasions to draw me into a trust in the flesh. I am so grateful that you have not prevented me from receiving the promises given me, for in due time, I know that the fulfillment shall manifest itself. You have not left me ignorant and unaware of the tempter that has come to seduce me to lean on the arm of flesh. Because of your love for me, I will beware of the hands near me, which shall become the hands of offerings from the flesh. I give you praise for the grace to be fully persuaded to trust in you, lest my love for the owner of these hands become the persuasion that convinces me to trust in the flesh. Lord, I know that many have brought upon themselves great sorrow because of their intimacy with the offerings of the flesh, and I pray that you keep me in all of my ways and do not allow me to travel this path. The offspring of these relationships are hindering revival in the lives of many even now. You have shown me that the offspring of these intimacies with the works of the flesh are against me at this very moment. Right now, with your help, I cast out these offspring of the works of my flesh, and I will not be bound by their contempt. I am grateful and I remember the new covenant that you have made with me, and I cease my continual war with these offspring. I cast them out in the authority of your name, and I continue my walk of faith. I know of a truth and I rejoice that the power of my baptism has assured me of the benefits of the covenant. I am circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh as I was buried with Christ in baptism.

I thank you for revealing yourself unto me. I now come and sup with you, and you will eat of my praise and my worship. With your light and your furnace O Lord, you shall consume my offerings as a sacrifice well pleasing. As a sweet savor of incense, I praise you for receiving my offerings, and now you will confirm your promises through that which is weak and unlikely. You have promised, and it is impossible for you to lie. You will do a marvelous work for your name's sake; therefore, I do not fear that the promises will not come to pass. I thank you for the knowledge of who you are. I do not consider my own self, neither the deadness of the things about me. By grace, I will not stagger at your promises through unbelief, but I will be strong in faith while I give glory unto you. I am fully persuaded that what you have promised you will perform. I will pray, and my effectual prayers shall avail much. I will pray that your will be done so that I can go on to the things that are of purpose and cease worrying and praying about the things outside of your will. Now abides faith, hope, and charity. You have given me a made up mind to follow the steps of the father of faith. By your strength, I will follow hope, for it will not make me ashamed. I will follow charity, for it will lead me to fulfillment. I will follow peace with all men and holiness, and I will see you, the Promiser.

Lord, you are the forerunner that has gone before me. I give you thanks for being the anchor that is sure and steadfast in the heavens. I can rest in you, reassign everything back to you, and cease my attempts to work things out. My labor is getting the flesh to sit down and shut up as I praise you, the provider of every blessing in my life. I desire as David did to behold your beauty. Your beauty is multiplied in the dynamic changes when you give me your beauty for the ashes of my burned down life. I am so appreciative to you, for taking the things that are not and bringing to naught the things that are so that no flesh can glory in your presence. All praise and honor belongs to you Lord. My flesh will only entangle me in religious pride that will create a stumbling block in my life. I thank you for the grace to ignore every effort of my flesh and the efforts of others to bring about your fulfillment, and I will be ushered into the realm of complete trust in you. I am grateful to you for leading me to steadfastness and immovability in my confession of faith. I thank you that every breath is the fire of the incense of praise upon the altar your sure covenant. Just as Elijah built an altar to you, the God who visibly answers all critics and doubters, so will I build an altar and declare that you are God right here and right now! You have immediately consumed the entire surroundings with your consuming fire of love. I give you thanks for your loving-kindness and your great mercy.