Thoughts Higher Than Mine_Living Word Chronicle

By Moses Hightower

Thelma and Moses Hightower

The Plenteous Redemption Given Is the Standard of God’s Requirement of Us

I have brought unto you plenteous redemption. Why offer shallow redemption to others when I have given you plenty?

My requirements for you have been raised in standard because I have given you much. To whom much is given, much is required. Why do you offer so little love to your enemies when I have given you great love when you were an enemy?

The expression of love is limited when you categorize forgiveness. I have said, “Forgive, or your heavenly Father will not forgive you.” You are not good; therefore, do not gamble on finding forgiveness from me if you have withheld it from someone else. The hand of forgiveness always reaches for the hand of reconciliation. What glory do I receive if the end product of your mercy is not reconciliation?

The heart of alienation is unforgiveness; therefore, turn from alienation and be reconciled to your brothers. This is the way of love. Though Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, the theme of love was not lost in the pains and regrets of Joseph’s past. I am the author of love. Will you now finish in hate and unforgiveness?

I have begun a good work in you. The work that I will finish in you will be a work of love. Allow the work of love to travel through every aspect of your life, or you will be derailed with those who collide with hate at the intersection of love and hate. Although hate ran you off the road, I did not leave you in the ditch, but I pulled you out of your despair and healed your hurts. Go and do as I have done unto you, not as hate has done to you. Hate will carry you on the Ferris wheel of life, and you will not be able to stop its circular path of continual rehearsals of the wrongs done unto you if you climb onto its wheel for a ride. Come and board the rocket ship of love that will never cease to go upward in a straight and narrow way. If you hate your brother, you are a murderer, and no murderer has a part with eternal life. Your spiritual strength is weak if you are not strong enough to reach for those who have harmed you. Even thieves reach for each other. Must those in darkness serve as your examples in helping those in need?

Where are the people of God with open bowels of compassion?

Where are the people of God who lead in forgiveness?

Where are the people of God who lead in being blameless?

I have come to revive righteousness, peace, and joy in you. Prepare for a revival that will lead to reconciliation to those you have been separated from and restoration of all things.

ALIENATION, DESPAIR, HATE, AND UNFORGIVENESS

God has brought unto me plenteous redemption. I cannot offer shallow redemption to others when God has given me plenty. The Lord’s requirements for me have been raised in standard because he has given me much. To whom much is given, much is required. There is no reason for me to offer so little love to my enemies when God has given me great love when I was an enemy. The expression of love is limited when I categorize forgiveness. The Lord has said, “Forgive, or your heavenly Father will not forgive you.” I am not good; therefore, I do not gamble on finding forgiveness from God if I have withheld it from someone else. The hand of forgiveness always reaches for the hand of reconciliation. If the end product of mercy is not reconciliation, then the Lord will receive no glory.

The heart of alienation is unforgiveness; therefore, I turn from alienation and I am reconciled to my brothers. This is the way of love. Though Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, the theme of love was not lost in the pains and regrets of Joseph’s past. Jesus is the author of love. I will not finish in hate and unforgiveness. He has begun a good work in me. The work that he will finish in me will be a work of love. I allow the work of love to travel through every aspect of my life, or I will be derailed with those who collide with hate at the intersection of love and hate. Although hate ran me off the road, the Lord did not leave me in the ditch, but he pulled me out of my despair and healed my hurts. I will go and do as Jesus has done unto me, not as hate has done to me. Hate will carry me on the Ferris wheel of life, and I will not be able to stop its circular path of continual rehearsals of the wrongs done unto me if I climb onto its wheel for a ride. I come and board the rocket ship of love that will never cease to go upward in a straight and narrow way.

If I hate my brother, I am a murderer, and no murderer has a part with eternal life. My spiritual strength is weak if I am not strong enough to reach for those who have harmed me. Even thieves reach for each other. Those in darkness will not serve as my examples in helping those in need. It is up to the people of God to open their bowels of compassion, to lead in forgiveness, and to lead in being blameless. God has come to revive righteousness, peace, and joy in me. I prepare for a revival that will lead to reconciliation to those I have been separated from and restoration of all things.

By Don Grigsby

Don and Linda Grigsby

RHEMA - The Plenteous Redemption Given Is the Standard of God's Requirement of Us

With the same measure that we mete, it shall be measured to us again. I must not be using teaspoons to measure mercy. I need oceans of mercy in my life; therefore, if the tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, I will redeem my brother. What brother?

Leviticus 25:35; the brother that has waxen poor and fallen into decay with thee..."Thou shalt relieve him”, is the command. Redemption is the currency of reconciliation. We have been told that we should not shut up the bowels of compassion to the poor. What if they have become spiritually bankrupt because of their own pride and have run out of all reconciliation funds and all they have is the poverty of bitterness?

Will we leave people in the ditch that have become their own robbers?

People become their own worst enemy and are stripped of everything good. Will I leave them in the ditch and say it is good enough for them. They should not have been on this road. When will I be on a road and know the danger and meet with an attack. Will I need a Good Samaritan to come and help me?

If we have run out of redemptive currency, we need to go back and spend time at the foot of the cross. Love has begun the good work in us and will finish it. Reconciliation is the engine that will run this last day revival.

Confidence is not defeated. Integrity is not dead. Character is not marred. Faithfulness is not erased from the earth. The clouds of trouble have flown through lives. They have cast the temporal shadows of spiritual barrenness and blindness. They are as a giant fog; however, their time is over, and the sunshine of victory's beam has broken through. Forecast victory's reality. Proclaim the light from shore to shore. Shout the vibrant praises of victory, for its light refuses to live in the darkness of the clouds of trouble.

(RHEMA: Sound the Horns of Praise and Declare Victorious Joy, Which Is Free from Sorrow and Sighing)

Confidence is not defeated. Integrity is not dead. Character is not marred. Faithfulness is not erased from the earth. The clouds of trouble have flown through lives. They have cast the temporal shadows of spiritual barrenness and blindness. They are as a giant fog; however, their time is over, and the sunshine of victory's beam has broken through. I have decided to forecast victory's reality. I will proclaim the light from shore to shore. I am determined to shout the vibrant praises of victory, for its light refuses to live in the darkness of the clouds of trouble.

(Confessions of a Sound Mind: Words of Light Upon the Face of Heaviness, Prayerlessness, Sadness, Shame, Sorrow, and Spiritual Barrenness and Blindness)

By Don Grigsby

RHEMA: The Comfort of God's Compassion During the Trial of Your Faith

God's staff of righteousness has been stretched across our Red sea. Our deliverance has been affected by the love that never fails to demonstrate itself in the integrity that is so his nature. We can walk on the water and pass through the waters of strife on the dry ground of victory by the power of his Spirit. His grace has defended us before the judgment bar of heaven. We should defend one another as we love our neighbor as ourselves. Sometimes we reserve our best behavior for complete strangers and treat the ones we should love the most in our own family with contempt. God's multitude of mercy surrounds us, and we should be part of the multitude on the behalf of others. We should never sit in the seat of the scornful.

God brought us out of the pit of our own failures and mistakes. He discarded the stinking rags of our pitiful lives and wrapped us in the array of princes. We should extend the same courtesy of grace to all who come around the throne of grace in the time of their desperate need. All those who stand in the bar of condemnation will be washed away by the floods of grace that will be poured out in the valleys of guilt. As snow covers the scars and the ugly places of the earth, God will place us in the most beautiful light that forgiveness can reveal.

Truth will release us from the necessity of trying to make ourselves look good. Truth will beautify the meek as salvation does. All the faces of fear that peer through the night will vanish before those who will worship him in spirit and truth. Long lines of misunderstanding souls perish in the darkness that is void of the revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ. We are truly complete in him in more ways than just salvation. We are not half persons of pieces of the story, but the whole story of our faith is being written by the author and finisher. His triumph will echo in the lips of those who will stand upon his fellowship of suffering in this hour.

(Continued)

I am purifying the hearts of my people in this hour. Hatred is rampant. Lying is extensive. Deception is widespread. Covetousness is at an epidemic state. Idolatry has lured many into the chambers of damnation, for those whose hearts have been turned unto covetousness are worshipping another Jesus. I offer the bridle of love today. I will restrain those who love me and want to be kept. Listen no longer to the many voices of the age. These voices are significant. Your losses will be substantial if you continue to follow the voices of these strangers. My sheep hear my voice.

36. Are you my sheep?

Turn from listening to the voices of the strangers of the hour. These strangers have been sent among you. Their devouring minds will consume you if you listen to them. I desire to purify your hearts.

37. How can you claim a pure heart if you listen to the voice of impurity?

(To Be Continued)